A black mist shrouded the forest where Chen Mo (Ao Man) lay unconscious, turning what should have been a bright morning bleak as light struggled to penetrate.
The Six Curses advanced, their collective rage exploding in a palpable aura. They sensed the true ordeal Chen Mo had endured, a cruel irony given that he was completely unaware these powerful figures were the very disciples he had once taken in, now grown strong and mature.
Though a normal reunion was impossible, they understood. The reason they hadn't watched from up close was their knowledge that no one could approach Chen Mo while he was sealed. This bitter truth stemmed from a million years ago: Yun Mei had disguised herself, minimizing her power so Chen Mo's loyal subordinates never knew her true identity. How ironic.
Because of the sealing sword, the Curses couldn't approach him directly; doing so would have caused Chen Mo to completely lose his soul. This was a curse upon them, his most loyal followers.
Ming Qianyu, tears streaming down her face, had never wanted to commit such a cruel act. This was a lesson for Chen Mo, to open his eyes to the illusion he had been living in, manipulated by Yun Mei. The Six Curses members had known since Yun Mei first arrived at the cave, but they remained silent to prevent Chen Mo from losing his memories of them, waiting for the opportune moment to act.
The books Yuan De had lent Chen Mo were creations of Ao Man himself from a million years ago. Yuan De's hope was that the texts would trigger his memories, but when they didn't, he finally sent Ming Qianyu.
"Ao Man, I didn't mean it this way," Yuan De stated, stepping forward to retrieve Chen Mo's severed, blood-soaked body part.
"I knew that telling you forcibly would shatter your soul. But with this, the sealing sword has weakened, and I can take you to our palace to perform the soul-gathering ritual and restore your soul."
Yuan De commanded Li Feng (Tan Lan) to bring Ao Man's comatose body. "Li Feng, do you have a supply of high-level cultivator souls from the sect you created? If so, bring those souls for the ritual. Has your sect and your disguise been exposed?"
Li Feng replied, "No, not exposed. However, bringing all of them would cause suspicion. I will endeavor to take the souls of my good disciples who are ready for harvest."
"I will help you, Li Feng. I have a soul orb that might hold a few," responded Wei Xie (Tan Shi).
Ming Qian Yu, heartbroken, was comforted by Zhao Fan (Ji Du). "Calm yourself, Sister. Perhaps this method is the most effective, given Ao Man's nature," Zhao Fan said softly, trying to dispel Ming Qianyu's sadness.
Hikkss! Hikkss!
Ming Qianyu's sobs were heard. "Thank you, Zhao Fan," she said, embracing him.
They then proceeded towards the cave. But this was merely the main cavern; the true palace was located deep within it, where a portal led to Ao Man's domain. The six of them entered the portal, carrying Chen Mo's body.
Wusshh!! Cwiitt!!
Upon entering the portal to the palace, Yuan De spoke, "Hu Liu (Fen Nu), prepare the experimental lab chamber to extract Chen Mo's core beast essence and insert his original heart."
Before the ancient war between Chen Mo and the cultivators of that era, Chen Mo had managed to pluck out his own heart and replace it with another cultivator's heart. Chen Mo knew this would happen; his reason for removing his heart was that most of his power resided within it, and he had entrusted it to Yuan De for safekeeping.
"Yes, I will carry it out. But what shall we do with his core beast essence?" Hu Liu replied.
Wei Xie cut into their conversation, stating, "Leave it to me. I will absorb it," his voice filled with a hungry desire to devour the power.
Yuan De responded, "Yes, I leave it to you."
They walked on, entering a grand, colossal palace. In its center stood a statue of Ao Man in his demon mode. Far ahead, Chen Mo's throne could be seen. They proceeded until they reached the Experimental Lab Chamber to extract the core beast essence, retrieve his heart, and insert his original heart.
Once Chen Mo's body was laid on the prepared altar, Yuan De swiftly retrieved Pride's original heart, safely stored beneath his majestic throne.
Meanwhile, Li Feng and Wei Xie had journeyed far to the south, deep within the forest, to harvest Li Feng's cultivator disciples. They absorbed those souls, some coalescing into a dense mass of energy, others placed into Wei Xie's soul orb. They vanished into shadows with a speed imperceptible to the ordinary eye, yet for them, it was a familiar journey.
Ming Qianyu, Zhao Fan, and Hu Liu began preparing the altar. They spilled cultivator blood to inscribe intricate Soul characters, forming a large circular and star-shaped symbol beneath the altar.
Splatter! Splatter!
The sound of blood flowing filled the ground with a horrifying ancient symbol. "With this, it might succeed," Hu Liu murmured, his voice filled with hope for the success of the awakening.
Yuan De returned, carrying Chen Mo's original heart, encased in a shimmering jade crystal. With a touch of his hand, Yuan De melted the crystal. And there it was: Chen Mo's original heart, still beating, radiating a dense, terrifying aura.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The strong thumping of the heart resonated, filling the air with a frightening vibration. Yuan De walked closer to the center of the altar, where the blood symbol was etched below.
"Bring me a vessel," Yuan De commanded Hu Liu.
Hu Liu immediately brought a new, clear jade crystal vessel, hoping the heart and core beast essence that would be extracted from Chen Mo would be useful at a later time.
With swift movements, Yuan De cleaved open Chen Mo's chest. Splat! Splat!
Blood gushed everywhere, accompanied by the powerful thumping of the temporary cultivator heart within Chen Mo's body.
Yuan De deftly extracted it. He then moved to Chen Mo's abdomen, taking the core beast from his stomach. With the temporary heart removed, Yuan De replaced it with Ao Man's original heart, then skillfully stitched back the severed chest and stomach sections of Chen Mo.
Though Yuan De sometimes appeared lazy, he was originally a prominent doctor within their faction. He was highly skilled in pill crafting and currently disguised as a temple physician in Zhongyao city, located far to the north.
The heart replacement and stitching process was completed quickly. Hu Liu immediately took the core beast essence that had been extracted from Chen Mo.
"Quick! The ritual is about to begin, and we await Li Feng and Wei Xie!" Yuan De urged.
Whoosh!
Soon after, Li Feng and Wei Xie returned. They emerged from the shadows, carrying dense soul masses and their harvested soul orbs.
"With this, we can restore Ao Man!" Yuan De exclaimed. "Quickly, all of you enter Demon Mode!"
They collectively roared, "Soul Qi Level 5: Curse Form, HAAA!!"
Their bodies transformed, each taking on their respective demonic forms:
* Li Feng took the form of a terrifying Three-Headed Demon, with the heads of a Ram, a Lion, and a Wolf merged into one body.
* Yuan De transformed into a Monstrous Ram with six arms, its curving horns radiating a deadly lethargy.
* Zhao Fan assumed the form of a Demon with four horns jutting straight forward and backward, emanating a corrosive aura of jealousy.
* Ming Qianyu manifested as a Succubus Demon with wide, captivating wings, her body enveloped in a seductive yet lethal purplish-black aura.
* Wei Xie transformed into a deep red Demon, with a swirling black aura beneath him, signifying his readiness to devour anything.
* Hu Liu morphed into a blazing Fire Demon, radiating pure, burning rage.
The six of them stood at each corner of the altar and began chanting the incantation together:
"LIFE IS BUT THE BEGINNING OF DEATH, DEATH IS BUT THE BEGINNING OF LIFE. SHATTERED SOULS SHALL RISE AGAIN, NIRVANA WALKS UPON THE SHADOWS. DEMON SPIRITS, RETURN!"
Swooosh! Swiiish! Crack!
Loud, horrifying sounds filled the air. A dense aura from the souls enveloped Chen Mo's body, absorbing into him.
A powerful tremor shook the entire Ancient Shadow Forest, making trees creak and animals flee in panic with terrified howls. Thick, dark clouds covered the forest, and lightning bolts struck here and there, illuminating the horrifying ritual scene.
Crack! Crack!
Chen Mo's body absorbed all the souls provided by Li Feng, and the blood beneath the altar pulsed, its immense aura surging through every cell of Chen Mo's body.
They all stared at Chen Mo's body with hopeful eyes, their inner voices whispering, "Succeed, Ao Man. For our future." Burning hope radiated from their transformed forms.
Chen Mo's body trembled violently. In the void, Chen Mo's soul opened its eyes once more, muttering, "Ah, it seems I can still open my eyes. Just you wait, you bastard gods!" The words escaped before his consciousness fully returned, as brutal flashes of memory struck the brow of his soul in the void.
Swatt! Clingg!
"Ughhh!" Chen Mo's head vibrated violently, as if parts of his skull were about to melt.
Suddenly, the cry of a baby echoed in a village. Waaah! Waaah! The baby opened its eyes, looking at its mother, who smiled warmly and said, "My child, welcome, hihi." Its father rushed closer, eager to see their son. And the baby was named... Ji Tianwei.