Xing Yuan’s eyes fluttered open again, filled with hatred, her entire being surging with endless malevolence.
"It's you?" Xing Yuan glared at the old man, she remembered. He was the culprit who had turned her into a ghoul.
The original host possessed a rare, supremely pure soul, which is why the old man had set his sights on her.
The original host was born in a small, impoverished mountain village, but the villagers were simple and kind-hearted. She had lived a carefree life until the old man arrived. He discovered her, imprisoned her, and refined her through a special method. She was tormented daily, wishing for death, and was eventually transformed into a "Lu Kui" (slaughter puppet).
After being turned into a Lu Kui, the original host had lost almost all sentience. However, the old man was still not satisfied, believing his creation lacked sufficient resentment. He ordered the original host to slaughter all over three hundred villagers.
He even deliberately awakened her consciousness after their deaths, forcing her to witness her own kin perish by her hands. The once innocent and cheerful maiden, seeing the uncles and elders who had greeted her die before her eyes, could not bear the trauma. In a bid for self-preservation, her body sealed away these painful memories.
The old man chose her because her soul could absorb the resentment of the deceased, channeling the purest energy to him. It was through this ability that the old man reached the peak of power in this world within just a few years.
His rapid advancement, achieved through killing, naturally drew the attention of this world's Heavenly Dao. To mitigate the threat, the Heavenly Dao decisively opened the Abyss, sealing away all inexplicable phenomena, bringing a brief period of peace to the realm.
Years later, the old man discovered the existence of the Abyss and conceived new plans. However, he was unable to break through the Heavenly Dao's seal. Thus, he personally orchestrated the current terrifying resurgence.
Upon receiving these memories, Xing Yuan’s heart was consumed by overwhelming resentment. In a daze, she felt as if she were the original host, the past scenes vividly replaying. Xing Yuan’s eyes gradually turned blood-red, and she attacked the old man without hesitation.
The old man dodged her blows, feeling perplexed. "This shouldn't be! So many years have passed, Ah Xing's soul should be extremely weak. Even if my punch couldn't shatter her soul, it should have at least severely injured her."
This was also why he had hesitated to act earlier. Once she recalled the past, her soul would collapse under the unbearable resentment. If he could devour her then, his power would ascend to a higher level, perhaps even breaking free from the world's confines and venturing into the void.
What the old man hadn't anticipated was that while Xing Yuan was the "Ah Xing" in his eyes, she wasn't entirely. Xing Yuan's own divine soul was far more powerful than Ah Xing's, so this resentment couldn't affect her significantly.
Xing Yuan's current attacks, infused with resentment, truly threw the old man into disarray. After a brief exchange, the old man suddenly remembered something and produced a jade pendant, clearly meant for a child.
Despite being an item for a child, Xing Yuan miraculously stopped her attack upon seeing it. Her eyes became dazed, then the resentment surrounding her caused a look of struggle to appear on her face.
The old man seized the opportunity to create distance, drawing his handy artifact and taking the offensive.
Xing Yuan realized she couldn't continue to entangle with the old man. Gritting her teeth, she leaped to Su Yue's side and, before anyone could react, took her and left.
The old man's expression was anxious, but his movements were swift as he pursued them.
Su Yue looked at Xing Yuan's bright face and hesitated, ultimately choosing not to act. One of her abilities was to sense malice from others. While usually trivial, it was reliable.
Su Yue felt no malice from Xing Yuan and worried that her own movements might cause them to be caught by the old man. Thus, she stiffly maintained the posture of being held by Xing Yuan.
Xing Yuan, however, didn't notice this. She was already being tormented by the resentment within her. Imagine thousands of voices constantly whispering in your ear; wouldn't you feel agitated?
Xing Yuan led Su Yue towards the Abyss. Only there could she calmly regulate her chaotic internal energy. The old man pursued them relentlessly. Seeing the direction Xing Yuan was heading, he realized she was going to the Abyss.
He became even more frenzied, willing to expend his artifact to stop her. In this battle, he had already sensed it – for some reason, her strength had increased so dramatically. Today was her weakest moment. If he missed this opportunity, he feared he would never transcend this world in his lifetime. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Xing Yuan understood this as well. She used the souls of those who had previously made a deal with her, summoning them to her path. As she passed by, she had them intercept the old man for a while. Once she had completely dealt with the resentment, she would settle the score with the old man.
Wen An and the others, under Xing Yuan's threats and inducements, arrived as agreed. They did not linger to fight. Once they confirmed the old man could no longer catch up to Xing Yuan, they scattered, leaving the old man with a face ashen with rage.
After venting his fury on the surrounding mountains, the old man had no choice but to leave, resigned. "It is fate!"
Following her memories, Xing Yuan arrived at the place where she had first awakened. She gently set Su Yue down and then turned to recuperate nearby. She had always placed her complete trust in her elder sister.
Moreover, the ghouls within the Abyss had their own territories. Even if Xing Yuan hadn't returned for many days, no one dared trespass here, making her sister perfectly safe.
Su Yue, looking at the young girl's unguarded demeanor, felt a complex emotion. She turned and surveyed the surroundings.
The ghouls of the Abyss disliked sunlight, so this place was perpetually dark and lifeless. Su Yue explored, finding even the stone walls to be identical, and grew bored. She sat back down.
People naturally have more patience for beautiful things. Furthermore, in Su Yue's eyes, Xing Yuan was the only other color in this world. In her boredom, her gaze involuntarily fell upon Xing Yuan's face.
Looking closely, the young girl was quite pretty. Su Yue wondered how she had died. It seemed to have something to do with the old man. Su Yue continued to let her thoughts wander, wondering if Hu Bing and Yuan Li were in danger, and if she could ever return.
As she pondered these things, Su Yue drifted into a daze and, before she knew it, fell asleep.
When she awoke again, she saw Xing Yuan's face, inches away.