Chapter 731

I felt a tremor coming from deep within Zhao Zixun's soul.

It was clear that only now did he understand that the Marshal Chen he had been following harbored ambitions far beyond his imagination.

It was simply absurdly large.

Zhao Zixun only knew that Chen Ping wanted to become emperor; he was willing to fight east and west for Chen Ping, to be his founding hero, but he never imagined that Chen Ping now looked down on merely ruling a region as emperor—he aspired to become an immortal, a god!

How absurd!

Yet the more absurd it is, the harder communication becomes.

Chen Ping's mind had long been clouded by greed; Zhao Zixun knew that no amount of argument could now sway his resolve.

Zhao Zixun slowly clenched the Birth Characters in his hand, realizing that at this point Chen Ping's resolve would not waver in the slightest from his refusal.

He could not change his fate of being turned by Chen Ping into a puppet to fight the Yin soldiers; all he could do now was comply with Chen Ping's wishes and try to preserve his Wanwan's life as much as possible.

My heart filled with sorrow; fool, this is clearly dealing with a tiger for its skin—how could it end well?

How could he know that I had already been marked by that yellow weasel?

He could help me escape Chen Ping's clutches, but he could no longer be the invisible guardian behind me.

The scene shifted, the light in the whole space dimmed again, the prolonged chanting echoed continuously, and the yellowish candlelight flickered.

A dull pain spread from the brow, radiating outward point by point, soon engulfing the entire skull.

I heard Zhao Zixun's pained groan, and the sound of his upper and lower teeth grinding together, almost crushing his teeth.

Warm blood meeting the icy-cold Coffin Nail instantly congealed, forming only mottled bloodstains on its surface without flowing out.

I felt Zhao Zixun's blood gradually cooling and congealing, felt his pupils dilate, his vision blur, his memories grow chaotic, until his whole world plunged into darkness.

I have experienced this scene before.

The sensation of the Coffin Nail being driven inch by inch into the brow, the despair of being fully conscious while feeling oneself die bit by bit despite still being alive—I will never forget.

Before I could recover from that painful memory, the scene shifted again.

The many memories that followed were bloody, cruel, terrifying... indescribable in words...

This memory of Zhao Zixun was like the Língchí dagger he held, slicing my flesh bit by bit, lingeringly cutting my soul.

Unbeknownst to me, a blood mist appeared around the Coffin Nail.

That blood mist enveloped my Soul Body like a demonic obstacle, continually seeping in, making my gaze grow increasingly fierce.

At that moment I heard a restrained call: 'Wanwan…'

It was Zhao Zixun.

It was Zhao Zixun, controlled by the Coffin Nail and bereft of reason, repeatedly calling my name, striving to pull himself back from the brink of demonic fall… he was saving himself.

And I was, in fact, the sole lifeline he could finally grasp.

'Wanwan… I hurt…'

Murmur after murmur, like delirious talk and like nectar poured on the crown, they broke my heart and yanked me back from the point where I would again turn into a fierce ghost.

My consciousness suddenly returned, and I became fully awake.

Just now… I almost became enslaved by this memory imprisoned in the Coffin Nail.

Once it enslaves me, it foretells that my fusion with the Coffin Nail will fail.

Then, the subsequent worm-refining would die stillborn.

That was close.

I kept admonishing myself in my heart, Fu Wan, you must be strong, you must hold firm to your belief, no matter what you see or feel thereafter, you cannot easily fall into it again.

Zhao Zixun needs me; the entire Nine Netherworld is in dire straits, and I cannot fail.

I cannot let down Xiao Jiu and everyone else's support and help for me.

Strangely, after breaking free from that memory's confinement, I actually sensed light and heard A Cheng chanting a spell.

A Cheng's somewhat hoarse voice now sounded like heavenly music, leading me slowly into meditation.

I don't know how long passed, but just as I felt my Soul Body had already fused with the Coffin Nail, a burst of bitter cold instantly invaded.

A Cheng opened the barrier!

The Coffin Nail fell into the pool, continuously sinking in the Wangchuan River water within the pool.

The Coffin Nail kept absorbing the yin evil killing qi from the Wangchuan River water.

At first I only felt streams of cold drilling straight into my Soul Body.

But soon, another force invaded the Coffin Nail, corroding it and also gnawing at my Soul Body.

This must be the Hundred Spirit Medicine Parasite taking effect.

Only by defeating the Hundred Spirit Medicine Parasite could I possibly be refined into a soul worm; this is an obligatory process.

Only by defeating the Hundred Spirit Medicine Parasite can I, in the process of descending into the Nine Netherworld Abyss, avoid being eroded and repelled by it, thus gaining a chance to truly confront Zhan Jiao'e.

At first, I used ghostly power to oppose the Hundred Spirit Medicine Parasite, but found it had no effect at all, instead accelerating the Coffin Nail's corrosion.

However, in this process I sensed the aura of medicinal spirits.

I suddenly realized that although the Hundred Spirit Medicine Parasite is a gu, its foundation is still medicinal spirits.

I am the heir to the Lord of the Nine Netherworld, and the king of all medicinal spirits in the Nine Netherworld.

If I could make them sense me and submit to me, would that mean I could suppress the Hundred Spirit Medicine Parasite?

Or even control them for my use?

Thinking this, I no longer struggled, but extended my Soul Body, allowing the Hundred Spirit Medicine Parasite to invade my entire Soul Body.

I closed my eyes, focusing on feeling the medicinal spirits' Spiritual Power, bit by bit capturing their aura.

This process was long and agonizing.

When I caught the first wisp of medicinal spirit's aura, it instantly sensed me; I felt it shudder violently, and its entire attacking power vanished in an instant.

Then came the second wisp, the third wisp…

A Cheng said before, the medicine spirit heart blood used in the Hundred Spirit Medicinal Gu is far more than just over a hundred; at this moment, I deeply agree.

When each medicine spirit awakens, senses me, and then strands of medicine spirits surge toward my Soul Body, how could it be just over a hundred!

My Soul Body became incredibly full, and a faint medicine fragrance gradually began to entwine around my Soul Body.

What surprised me even more was that, as the medicine spirits fused into my Soul Body increased, the medicine fragrance around my Soul Body grew stronger, and I actually discovered that my Soul Body was becoming increasingly solid.

Not long after, the Coffin Nail was completely corroded, turned into molten iron, and disappeared in the Wangchuan River water.

And my Soul Body, from being attached to the Coffin Nail to becoming solid, turned into a deep black, then gradually faded, the color growing lighter and lighter...

Until my Soul Body became transparent again.

But this time, although my Soul Body was transparent, it was filled with Ghost Power and Spiritual Power, as if thousands of medicine spirits were surging inside, clamoring for me to avenge them...