Chapter Thirty-Three: Awakening

Just as Su Yi was about to meet his end at the hands of the mysterious old man, the evil soul suddenly manifested itself. At the moment Su Yi's heart was gripped by despair, it threw out a seductive offer. In that instant of hesitation, it broke through the defenses of Su Yi’s mind, and then, relying on its overwhelming spiritual strength, violently tore at Su Yi’s soul, instantly seizing control of his body!

From the evil soul’s perspective, under its powerful assault, Su Yi’s soul should have long since been shattered into countless fragments, vanishing without a trace. But to its surprise—

Su Yi’s seemingly fragile soul still lingered, stubbornly trying to reclaim control of his body!

A roar tore from Su Yi’s throat as he clutched his head with both hands. His delicate features twisted hideously, muscles contorting his face into shifting, grotesque, and fearsome expressions—faces that should not exist in this world.

He looked like a demon straight from the abyss, enough to send chills down anyone’s spine with just a single glance!

“Jie... Jie... Ha ha... You wish to fight me? After so much effort breaking through your mind’s defenses, Su Yi, you should give up... You’re no match for me... Ah! How... How is your soul so... cough... strange?”

“...Cough, cough... If I hadn’t exhausted so much soul power earlier... you... hmm... don’t rejoice too soon... I will keep influencing and assimilating your will... Once I fully control your soul... I, the Blood Emperor, will... return!!...”

A cry of agony burst from Su Yi as his entire body began to convulse violently. His head whipped from side to side with such speed that it left afterimages. His legs, waist, chest, and arms all trembled uncontrollably, as if possessed by some devilish force, so much so that only a blurred outline remained visible.

With a sudden crash, Su Yi’s body ceased its trembling in an instant. The immense inertia hurled him backward, sending him crashing to the ground with a dull thud—where he lay unconscious...

…

No one knows how much time passed before Su Yi slowly opened his eyes. His own small room greeted him, and he could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. He tried to move, only to find his body aching as if it had been torn apart, utterly drained of strength and wracked with pain that made him gasp for breath.

He lay there for a while, resting as his energy gradually returned. Even his mind, left blank by the depletion of his soul’s power, slowly regained consciousness. Bit by bit, he began to recall the desperate struggle he had just endured.

He remembered it clearly: when he heard that seductive voice, his heart had wavered. In that moment, he felt his soul and body being torn apart, as if he had been thrust back under that interwoven sky of black and white...

Strange, inexplicable lights flickered in the sky, followed by shifting illusions. These illusions were accompanied by indistinct voices, as if two people were locked in combat—each gesture and movement unleashing devastating martial techniques...

The illusions shimmered and changed, the scene morphing into another place. Strangely, it resembled his own small room! A cold shiver ran down Su Yi’s spine, an unexplainable sense of impending danger gripping him. He felt he could not remain beneath that half-black, half-white sky any longer.

He spun around, intent on leaving, but slammed into an invisible barrier he could not break through. Undeterred, Su Yi threw himself against it again and again with all his strength, until at last there was a crack, and the barrier shattered. At that moment, a sinister voice—that of the Blood Emperor—echoed in his ears...

…

Startled, Su Yi snapped out of his reverie and sat up, scanning the room. His gaze fell on a patch of floor where a faint black mist still lingered, and in a nearby corner lay the storage ring. He could only smile bitterly; everything around him confirmed this was no dream.

Since it was reality, he had to analyze what had happened.

Piecing together what he had seen in that strange sky and the Blood Emperor’s last words, he concluded that an evil soul was residing within his own body.

Under threat of death, he had lost control, allowing the evil soul to seize his body. This soul seemed to know the mysterious old man, and they harbored some sort of grudge. In the end, the two clashed, the old man was killed, something destroyed, and bones... defiled.

How twisted—this Blood Emperor was truly deranged and bloodthirsty!

A chill crept into Su Yi’s heart. The Blood Emperor’s soul had not vanished, but remained lurking within him. At any time, it might seize his body again!

The thought made his chest tighten, as if gripped by an unseen hand. Even breathing felt oppressive, and his anxiety slowly rose—an emotion he had not felt since first arriving in this world.

He sighed. After much consideration, Su Yi realized that fretting over it was pointless. Since he could not escape, he might as well face it—and if he could find a solution, all the better.

Besides, as the saying goes, a setback may well turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Who was to say this might not become an opportunity for him?

Though the situation was dire, opportunities often come hand in hand with danger. Great risk brings great reward. To become truly powerful, one must be prepared for such trials. If he could devour that evil soul...

To resolve this, he needed to understand it first. When did the Blood Emperor enter his body? The illusions of those figures in the strange sky must have been the Blood Emperor and the old man. From their conversation, they had fought two years ago, and something called the Five Venom Seal was mentioned...

If the Blood Emperor was in spirit form, did he die back then? The voices in the illusion were too vague to be certain, but based on his own experience, spirits can possess only when one is badly wounded or unconscious. If so, aside from three years ago, the only time that fits is his injury a year ago...

According to his theory, the Blood Emperor’s soul must have entered him then. No other time fits, though that doesn’t quite align with the “two years ago” reference... but with so few clues, all he could do was make an educated guess. The truth remained elusive.

Enough—no point dwelling on it. A year ago... If he ever met Long Zhimeng again, perhaps he could ask her. She had been present at the time, after all—though whether they would meet again was uncertain...

Unconsciously, his mind drifted to that graceful figure. With a sigh, Su Yi spread his arms and lay quietly on the floor, gazing at the ceiling. His vision seemed to pierce through the roof, across space, finally settling on that beautiful silhouette. She seemed to sense his gaze, turning to reveal a charming face and an utterly enchanting smile...

He grew drowsy, but suddenly caught sight of the storage ring again. The old man’s identity was a mystery; the items he left behind would surely be extraordinary. Perhaps among them was something that could make him stronger.

If he grew strong enough, perhaps he could see her again...

His mind at ease, Su Yi slowly drifted off to sleep.

…

Far away, deep within the continent, in a vast, dark hall.

The pitch-black hall was devoid of light and life, an empty void where even time seemed not to exist. Then, all at once, a cold, distant voice rang out. It was ethereal and hoarse, yet in that utter silence, it sounded all the more clear.

“Lord of the Domain, it appears one of the elders has died...”

“Where?”

“Somewhere in the western continent, in the Grand Empire... that Heaven and Earth’s Blood...”

“I see. You may go.”

Once more, the great hall was swallowed by silence.

…

Martial Peak, Chapter 33: Awakening—End of update.