A figure clad in black approached, tall and imposing, with eyes as deep as a cold pool and a face chiseled like it was carved from stone. His thin lips and prominent nose contributed to an exceptionally handsome appearance, but the deep-seated hostility in his gaze made Ye Chuanze's heart race.
Rahul flicked his sleeve, the fabric swirling like dark clouds. He looked at Ye Chuanze, a smirk playing on his lips as he revealed a wildly arrogant smile. His voice was deep as he said, "What's wrong? Don't you recognize me?"
Ye Chuanze fixed his gaze on him, expression unchanged. After a long pause, he replied, "How could I not recognize you? Even if you turned to ash, I would still know you. Tell me, how is it that you are still alive, Rahul?"
At this, Rahul burst into laughter, his mirth boisterous. After a moment, he managed to compose himself and said, "After so many years, you're still the same! How has Hongjun not managed to tame you? Then again, with the way Hongjun dotes on you, it's hard for you to know fear."
Ye Chuanze pressed his lips together tightly, glaring at him.
Rahul watched him with great interest, seemingly fascinated by the humiliation and resentment etched on Ye Chuanze's face. "You have no idea how beautiful you look like this, how captivating it is. It makes me want to humiliate you even more. I want to see that proud expression of yours turn into one of utter disgrace. I wonder what you'll be like when you shed your strength, confidence, pride, and dignity. Will you still be as captivating as you are now?"
Seeing Ye Chuanze's brows furrow in anger at his insulting words while he held back his rage only excited Rahul further; a hint of exhilaration appeared on his face.
It was precisely because of Ye Chuanze's prideful demeanor—his unearned arrogance, unparalleled confidence, and inexplicable tenacity—that Rahul found himself drawn to him, indulging him both intentionally and unintentionally.
Despite being so weak that Rahul could crush him with a single finger, Ye Chuanze showed no fear; instead, he repeatedly provoked Rahul. Rahul couldn't understand where this pride came from or why Ye Chuanze persisted in it.
Rahul had seen many proud individuals before. Most were proud due to their immense strength. But what about Ye Chuanze? Why was he so proud when he was clearly weak and vulnerable? He should be trembling like those lesser demons in the Demon Realm, crawling at his feet and begging for mercy. He should abandon all self-respect and pride; ants should act like ants—submitting to the strong and relying on their generosity for survival.
Yet Ye Chuanze surprised him; he was the most unique person Rahul had ever encountered. He seemed confident in himself as if he was certain he would become strong one day—even though he currently ranked among the powerful in the Primordial realm. However, when Rahul first acquired him, he was merely a Twelfth-Grade Annihilation Black Lotus without any physical form—just a Spiritual Treasure.
What gave him such confidence that he could grow into a powerful being?
"I've always wanted to ask you," Rahul said as he looked at him. "What makes you proud? What gives you your confidence?"
Ye Chuanze frowned upon hearing this, seemingly perplexed by Rahul's question. He retorted, "Why shouldn't I be proud? Why shouldn't I be confident?"
Rahul was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter as if he found it amusing. In a cheerful tone, he said, "You are truly interesting; you haven't disappointed me at all. I still can't understand you as always. You are such a likable child; no wonder Hongjun treasures you so much." When mentioning Hongjun, a glint of darkness flashed in Rahul's eyes. If it weren't for his interference, why would he have to wait until now to meet Ye Chuanze? The more he found Ye Chuanze intriguing, the more he secretly noted down a score against Hongjun—Hongjun was deserving of punishment!
Ye Chuanze's frown deepened; he increasingly couldn't comprehend Rahul's words. Had this person forgotten his mind after dying and coming back to life? He had many questions about Rahul's sudden appearance; how exactly did this person die and come back to life?
"You weren't dead?" Ye Chuanze asked.
"Haha..." Rahul chuckled lightly and raised an eyebrow, asking, "Am I not dead? Are you happy about that, Black Lotus?"
"Don't call me Black Lotus," Ye Chuanze frowned.
"Why not? I think that name suits you well; aren't you just a Black Lotus?"
"I don't like it; call me by my name."
" Ye Chuanze?" Rahul called out and said, "I don't like that name either. How about changing it to something else? Luo Lu, Luo Sha, Luo Tu—how does that sound?"
"...Are you mocking me?" Ye Chuanze's lips twitched.
Rahul raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you really not considering changing your name? I would welcome you to choose another master."
The phrase "another master" caught Ye Chuanze's attention. He keenly noticed the change in how Rahul referred to himself and the deeper meaning behind his words—what did "another" and "master" imply?
There were many uncertainties surrounding Rahul's death and resurrection as well as his sudden appearance. Ye Chuanze felt lost and confused, as if trapped in a maze with no answers in sight. Growing impatient and unwilling to continue dancing around the topic with Rahul, he directly asked, "How did you come back to life? I clearly saw you die back then."
"This—you should already know this. As long as the Primordial Spirit is not extinguished, one cannot truly die. Reconstructing the physical body is not impossible," Rahul replied. His gaze fell on the Four Spirit Gourd in Ye Chuanze's hand, which contained a strand of Primordial Spirit from Red Cloud. With a meaningful tone, he continued, "Hongyun Daoist, although you may be somewhat foolish, your final act has won my favor. Would you be willing to return to the Demon Realm with me? If you accompany me back to the Demon Realm and abandon your path for the demonic one, I can guarantee that you will reconstruct your physical body within a thousand years."
The Demon Realm? Ye Chuanze keenly grasped this term, Rahul... This is the path of forsaking the Way and entering the demonic realm, starting over with all one's cultivation! Back then, Houtu had asked Hongjun about the Witch Clan's practice of only cultivating without nurturing the Primordial Spirit, wondering what should be done. Ye Chuanze had lamented that Houtu's question was unnecessary; even if there were issues with the Witch Clan's cultivation method, would they really abandon their hard-earned cultivation to start anew? Who would dare to have such resolve?
Yet today, he heard Rahul say that forsaking the Way and entering the demonic realm meant giving up all one's millennia of cultivation to begin anew in the demonic path. Ye Chuanze couldn't help but feel a stir in his heart; Rahul was far more powerful and terrifying than he had imagined. Just this level of determination was beyond him. The physical body perished, falling into the demonic path, reshaping the body, and starting over with millennia of cultivation.
A remnant soul of Red Cloud's Primordial Spirit was nourished by the Three Light Spirit Water within the Four Spirit Gourd, avoiding the fate of disintegration. Hearing Rahul's words stirred something within him; now that his physical body was destroyed, only a remnant soul remained. Although he had regained a semblance of life, he had no idea when he could reshape his body. Those like them, innate immortals, had extraordinary backgrounds. Red Cloud was the first Red Cloud in existence to attain immortality; his physical form was also exceptional.
No matter how powerful the Primordial Spirit is, without a matching physical body, its growth in Dao and cultivation will be limited. Back then, Ye Chuanze's Primordial Spirit was trapped by the Twelfth-Grade Annihilation Black Lotus; unable to take form for a long time, he hid in fear day and night, terrified of being captured and forcibly destroyed or being struck by the tribulation during transformation. Yet even so, Ye Chuanze never considered abandoning the Twelfth-Grade Annihilation Black Lotus for rebirth because his Primordial Spirit was born from it. There was no other body in this world that matched his Primordial Spirit better than that of the Twelfth-Grade Annihilation Black Lotus.
How difficult it is to reshape a physical body! Just looking at Ye Chuanze's arduous journey during his transformation reveals much. If a Primordial Spirit lacks a vessel for an extended period, it will eventually perish. Red Cloud was now merely a remnant soul, barely surviving. He had to admit that Rahul's words struck home; he felt somewhat tempted.
Seeing Red Cloud remain silent for too long, Rahul seemed unfazed. He smirked and said, "Make your decision quickly; I don't have much time to waste on you." His demeanor was arrogant and confident, as if he were certain that Red Cloud would not refuse his proposal.
In fact, Red Cloud was indeed moved by his words and almost agreed. However, he ultimately restrained his impulse and said, "Your proposal tempts me greatly, but I must decline."
"Oh?" Upon hearing this response, Rahul appeared quite surprised. "Why refuse? I thought what you needed most right now was to reshape your body."
"Indeed." After a pause, Red Cloud continued, "I believe I have lived my life without shame towards heaven and earth or my own heart; my only regret is towards my friend Zhen Yuanzi!"
"He has done much for me while I have repeatedly taken his goodwill for granted and acted according to my own whims. The outcome I face today is indeed my own doing! If I had listened to him, I wouldn't be in this predicament." As he spoke these words, Red Cloud's voice grew hoarse as if lost in regret.
After a brief pause in tone, he added, "My friend is currently visiting overseas. When he learns of my misfortune, he will surely grieve deeply; I... feel ashamed before him! I cannot face him!"
Ye Chuanze listened to his words of regret with an expressionless face, unmoved. What use is there in saying such things now? Where were these sentiments when it mattered? The two most hurtful words in this world are "regret." In this life, he acts only seeking to be without guilt or remorse. He did not wish to experience the taste of regret again. Some unpleasant memories seemed to resurface, darkening Ye Chuanze's mood.
"I have already hurt him enough; I do not wish to cause him further sorrow. If I forsake the Way and enter the demonic realm from now on, we will part ways and go against each other. With differing paths come potential conflicts; I do not want to see such a scene again or hurt him once more!" Red Cloud said.
The Demon Gate and Taoist Sect have been destined to be incompatible since the dawn of creation.
Upon hearing this, Rahul remained unfazed and asked, "Are you truly unrepentant, even if your soul dissipates?"
"Unrepentant!" Red Cloud replied without hesitation, his tone resolute.
"Haha..." A mocking laugh escaped from Rahul's throat. "Foolish! Truly beyond foolish!"
"I want to see, after a thousand years, when your soul is scattered, whether you will still hold on to this conviction." After saying this, Rahul seemed unwilling to continue the conversation and turned to Ye Chuanze, saying, "Black Lotus, are you willing to return to the Demon Realm with me?"
"If you return to the Demon Realm with me, I will make you the Demon Lord, second only to none. How about that?" Rahul smirked, his voice enticing. "That old man Hongjun is deeply scheming and calculating. He refuses to grant you the path to sanctity; if you follow me, I will let you reign over the world, with all beings bowing beneath you like ants at your feet."
"It's a tempting proposal, but I'm not interested," Ye Chuanze replied coldly. "The Demon Realm is a tiny place; what does it mean to reign over it? I'd rather be a carefree immortal in Primordial."
Hearing this, Rahul looked at him and said arrogantly, "Just wait; Primordial will eventually be in my grasp. At that time, I will welcome you into my Demon Gate as the Demon Lord!"
"Once you've succeeded, then come back and say these things. Words without proof mean nothing; I'll just listen for now." Ye Chuanze paid no heed to his words. Evil has never triumphed over good; Rahul dreaming of unifying Primordial was just that—a dream!
Rahul merely smiled at his dismissive attitude. He glanced at the distant horizon, his smile deepening. If he continued talking with Ye Chuanze, that person might lose his temper. Rahul wasn't yet ready to confront him directly; he decided to let it go for now and find another opportunity to approach Black Lotus later. With this thought in mind, Rahul turned back to Ye Chuanze and smiled as he suddenly reached out and patted his head.
"What are you doing!" Ye Chuanze exclaimed in surprise at the sudden action and then angrily shouted, "Let go! Don't touch my head!"
Finding his outburst amusing, Rahul patted his head a few more times until Ye Chuanze glared at him with anger rising in his face, nearly reaching for his weapon. Judging by Ye Chuanze's expression, if Rahul patted him a couple more times, he would definitely draw his weapon.
Rahul stopped just before he could do so. Maintaining a calm demeanor, he feigned nonchalance and said, "Alright, stop being so petty. It's an honor for you that I touched your head."
"Haha... Should I be grateful and weep tears of joy?" Ye Chuanze gritted his teeth.
"If you're willing, I wouldn't refuse."
"Ha ha... Go away!"
"Alright, no more jokes." Rahul glanced at him and said, "I am leaving now. Don't think about me. Next time I have the chance, I will come to see you again."
"Safe travels, no need to see you off," Ye Chuanze replied expressionlessly.
Rahul's gaze was deep as he looked at him one last time before turning away without any reluctance. His sleeves flicked lightly, as if scattering a rich ink.
Ye Chuanze stood in place, watching his departing figure, his expression inscrutable.
Rahul had died and come back to life; his reappearance before him surely meant he had some ulterior motive. The paths of magic and righteousness were incompatible, and in the future, Primordial would undoubtedly rise again amidst the chaos. The calm days seemed to be shattered, followed by an endless series of conspiracies and struggles.
After standing for a long time, Ye Chuanze finally turned to leave.
No matter how tumultuous Primordial became, all he sought was a clear conscience and a stable place amidst the turbulent conflicts and schemes.
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