"I'll talk!"
Abe Furan's struggle didn't last long.
Before Chen Xiao could utter the second number, he had already made his choice.
When people are under extreme stress, they can unleash astonishing potential.
So, even though Abe Furan's struggle lasted for only a fleeting moment, in that instant, his mind had simulated hundreds of possible outcomes.
And among these hundreds of outcomes, he made the choice he deemed most beneficial to himself.
Chen Xiao smiled slightly, "We have an ancient saying in China, 'The wise adapt to circumstances and become heroes.' It seems Mr. Abe truly understands our Chinese culture and is a wise hero."
"Heh heh."
Abe Furan gave a wry smile, "I dare not claim to be a wise hero, but I can tell you my purpose for coming here, provided you promise to spare my life. Can you do that?"
"Of course, speak," Chen Xiao agreed without a second thought, as he had no intention of keeping his promise.
The moment Abe Furan said he killed a fetus just for fun, Chen Xiao had already decided not to leave him any way out.
"Actually, I don't know why I came here," Abe Furan said with a bewildered expression. "I was merely following the Emperor's orders to station myself here. He said there was something very important here, but due to the high level of secrecy, he did not tell me what it was."
"He didn't tell you?" Chen Xiao's brow furrowed. "Didn't you say you were the Yin-Yang Grand Master under the Emperor, the only great Yin-Yang Master of this era? With your esteemed status, you aren't worthy of knowing?"
"Chen Sang, the so-called Yin-Yang Grand Master is merely an empty title. You were right earlier; I am just a dog raised by the Emperor. And the title of the only great Yin-Yang Master of this era is me bragging about myself." Abe Furan explained with a bitter smile, "As you may have noticed, the Yin-Yang techniques I employ all rely on the power of others, not my own."
"That's because I was born a cripple. My Abe family has a hereditary succession, and every male descendant is destined to become a Yin-Yang Master and serve the Emperor."
"But my cultivation talent is truly poor, or rather, non-existent. Until I was eight years old, I hadn't cultivated even a trace of spiritual energy within me. Even the slowest ordinary Yin-Yang Masters would have cultivated spiritual energy by the age of five or six."
"When something reaches its extreme, it has its own use. Like me, a waste that has reached its extreme. Because I have no cultivation talent and no spiritual energy within me, I was fortunate enough to be offered as a sacrifice to Lord Night Demon, becoming its vessel."
After hearing Abe Furan's explanation, Chen Xiao suddenly understood, "So the spiritual body within you is Lord Night Demon..."
Chen Xiao stopped mid-sentence, realizing something was wrong with Abe Furan's condition. His eyes had lost all their luster and focus, like those of a dead person. The two horns on his forehead began to grow rapidly, reaching dozens of centimeters in length in the blink of an eye. The black markings on his face expanded at an alarming rate, covering every inch of his skin. His facial features became more distorted and ferocious, and his flesh grew thick. Simultaneously, his body began to change, becoming taller and stronger.
Suddenly, with a bang, the hunting robe he was wearing was torn apart by his bulging muscles. Then, with a swish, Abe Furan shot forward.
"A vessel without the awareness of a vessel, daring to leak my secrets, you deserve to die!" A voice like a broken gong squeezed out from Abe Furan's throat.
To be precise, he could no longer be considered Abe Furan. Standing before Chen Xiao and Gu Yutong was a monster, ten feet tall, completely black, with horns on its forehead and fangs in its mouth! Its muscles were bulging and knotted, as if cast from molten bronze, radiating explosive power. An aura of evil emanated from its entire being.
Chen Xiao stared at the monster and asked loudly, "Are you Lord Night Demon?"
"Indeed, it is I!" The Night Demon said proudly. "You little brat have some skill. Looking across the whole of China, apart from those old monsters hiding in the Immortal Hidden Realm and afraid to come out, you are probably the strongest!"
"Oh? You know about the Immortal Hidden Realm?" Chen Xiao was slightly surprised.
"Hmph, I have lived for a thousand years. What in this world could I possibly not know?" The Night Demon snorted triumphantly.
"Then you must know the purpose of the Emperor sending Abe Furan to guard this place, right?" Chen Xiao asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Kid, you're trying to trick me? Do you think I'm an idiot?" The Night Demon huffed angrily, exhaling heavily through its nostrils.
"No, no, you misunderstand. I'm not trying to trick you," Chen Xiao quickly explained, dismissively. "I'm asking you a question. If you don't answer, I'll kill you."
Upon hearing this, the Night Demon became enraged. "What an arrogant brat! You think you can kill me? Such presumptuous words!"
"You, a mere spiritual body, a waste that needs to rely on another's physical body to survive, have no right to act so cocky in front of me!" Chen Xiao said with a cold smile.
"Audacious brat, you dare call me a waste? I'll let you witness my power right now!" The Night Demon clenched its fist, and a massive, cyan claw suddenly emerged from beneath Chen Xiao's feet, wrapping around him and squeezing tightly.
"Heh heh heh, you brought this upon yourself, don't blame me for being ruthless... What? Why aren't you dead?" The Night Demon's laughter was cut short as it realized that under the grip of the claw, Chen Xiao's body merely rippled, remaining completely unharmed.
"Kid, what kind of cultivation technique are you practicing? What's going on with your body?" The Night Demon stared intently at Chen Xiao, licking its lips. "It's a perfect vessel! I've finally found it!" Clearly, it had developed some ideas about Chen Xiao's body.
Chen Xiao's brow furrowed, and he let out a cold laugh. "You, a half-baked spiritual body, want to possess my body? Dream on!" With that, Chen Xiao drew his Yitian Sword.
"I'll give you one last chance. What is the Emperor's purpose in sending him here? Will you tell me or not?"
The Night Demon, as if it hadn't heard Chen Xiao's words, continued to stare at Chen Xiao's body, praising it. "Perfect, it's so damn perfect! Heaven has not been unkind to me; it was worth waiting all these years! No matter what method it takes, I must get this body!"
"Stubborn fool, then die for me!" Chen Xiao was enraged. He swung the Yitian Sword and slashed down...