The morning sunlight was not overly harsh. A light drizzle had fallen just the previous night, and a gentle mist drifted through the breeze, carrying the fresh scent of earth.
Xu Shang walked back toward the Xu Family estate like a walking corpse, his head lowered. However, the sprawling Xu Family residence was completely deserted.
Hearing that the Xu Family had fallen, the guards had all defected to the Su Family and others. Xu Shang silently changed his clothes with a sorrowful expression, awaiting his next move. The bright room suddenly plunged into darkness as thick, heavy black mist surged around Xu Shang, enveloping him entirely.
Panicking, Xu Shang looked around. Suddenly, a gloomy voice echoed in his ears: "Kid, do you want to become stronger? Do you want others to respect you? Do you want to protect the people you care about?"
Terrified, Xu Shang blurted out, "Who... who are you?"
Before Xu Shang stood an ominous old man with a dark expression, a ferocious face, and a strange, eerie smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
"I can help you fulfill all your wishes," the strange figure cackled, as if reading straight through Xu Shang's heart.
Xu Shang clenched his fists, a flash of resolute determination in his eyes. "I want power! I want those who harmed my family to pay the price!"
The strange old man said coldly, "Come with me!"
With that, Xu Shang and the strange figure vanished from the place amidst the black mist, leaving behind the empty, desolate Xu Family estate.
Xu Shang followed the strange figure to a mysterious location shrouded in an ancient and powerful aura. The strange figure led Xu Shang into a massive cavern filled with jagged, bizarre rocks, the cave walls shimmering with a strange, otherworldly glow.
Pointing to a stone platform, the strange figure said, "Step up there. In a moment, I will infuse you with power." Xu Shang hesitated for a moment, but ultimately stepped onto the platform.
Instantly, the stone platform erupted with a dazzling light, and Xu Shang felt a searing, agonizing pain as though his body were being torn apart. He clenched his teeth and desperately fought to endure.
Just as he was about to collapse, a surge of immense power flooded into his body.
Since Xu Shang had never been able to cultivate, he could only feel his body swelling with raw strength. Hesitating for a moment, he asked, "I couldn't cultivate before—can I still cultivate now?"
The strange figure replied sinisterly, "Of course you can! Though your constitution is special, I can help you."
Sitting on the stone platform, Xu Shang pressed on, "Just what kind of person are you?"
The strange figure stroked his beard. "This old man is named Ji Yaoming, the chieftain of the Demon Clan!"
Hearing this, Xu Shang instantly leaped off the stone platform and assumed a combat stance.
Seeing this, Ji Yaoming smiled craftily. "If I wanted to kill you, do you think you'd still be alive?"
Lowering his hands, Xu Shang asked, "Weren't the Demon Clan wiped out thousands of years ago?"
Ji Yaoming gave a cold laugh. "Do you know about the Four Dragons Seizing the Pearl?"
Xu Shang was silent for a moment. "Wasn't that something from thousands of years ago?"
Ji Yaoming paused to reflect. "Thousands of years ago, my clan's ancestors lived in the same era as the Four Dragons Seizing the Pearl, matching the four dragons in strength. But our ancestor foresaw that if that pearl remained unsealed, the entire Spirit Ancient Realm would face utter devastation. Therefore, our ancestor had no choice but to join forces with the four dragons to suppress the pearl. Just as the suppression was about to succeed, the human race launched a sneak attack, attempting to claim the pearl for themselves. In the end, the blinding light emitted by the pearl killed everyone present. Afterward, the Central Region became uninhabitable, forcing everyone to flee far away. Only a single ancestor and a human youth managed to survive by sheer luck. Yet, that human youth blamed all the casualties entirely on our ancestor, fabricating baseless charges that the Demon Clan had launched a sneak attack on the four dragons and the humans. Although our ancestor left behind a stone tablet to warn future generations, he had suffered extremely severe injuries and passed away not long after. From then on, the Demon Clan lost the strength to fight the human race. The survivors died or were wounded, and in the end, we went into seclusion in a place where humans could never find us."
Xu Shang's mind was filled with doubt and shock as he digested the history of the Demon Clan he had just heard.
"So this was the truth..." Xu Shang muttered to himself.
Ji Yaoming said slyly, "Well? Do you believe me now? Will you remain a crippled good-for-nothing unable to cultivate for the rest of your life, dragging out a miserable existence, or will you lie down on that stone platform and become someone who will never be humiliated again?"
Xu Shang remained silent, recalling the series of events he had just lived through. If he had possessed power back then, perhaps he could have withstood that falling meteor, perhaps he could have helped the survivors drive away the flames. Ultimately, Xu Shang lay back down.
Suddenly, seven or eight tubes emerged from the edge of the stone platform. Before Xu Shang could react, the tubes plunged directly into his body.
Struggling in agony, Xu Shang cried out, "These tubes seem to be constantly draining my blood! What on earth is this thing?"
Pain spread across his wounds, and a heartbreaking ache gripped him until he felt suffocated. As numbness set in, dizziness overwhelmed him, making the entire cavern seem to spin.
Ji Yaoming's face actually twisted with excitement!
Xu Shang's face contorted into a tight ball of agony. The pain pierced his nerves as mercilessly as a sharp steel needle, and cold sweat poured down him. Within moments, Xu Shang passed out cold...
Sensing no breath of life remaining in Xu Shang, Ji Yaoming's expression shifted slightly as he sighed, "It seems this kid couldn't pull through. As expected, anyone with the Demon Lotus Fiendish Body is utterly useless before it awakens! The Demon Lotus Fiendish Body appears only once in a century, and it was so hard to find one. Next, I must replace his blood with demonic blood. Whether you can survive this depends entirely on your own fortune."
With a ferocious glance at Xu Shang, Ji Yaoming turned and left the cavern. Xu Shang lay motionless on the stone platform, his face deathly pale and devoid of any vitality.