698 Whos the Devil! (2/2)
\”Hmm?\” Wang Baole received a fright. He hurriedly weakened the wisp of dark energy to a tenth of its original power. That saved the Demonic Eye Art's consciousness from annihilation and gave it a fighting chance as it clashed with the dark energy.
Wang Baole released a breath of relief at the sight of the fight. He continued observing, at first curiously, then with an increasingly odd expression on his face. The fight between the two entities had grown intense. The consciousness seemed to have used its full force in order to hold its own against Wang Baole's dark energy. Then, having realized the tenacity of its current host, it slowed down its encroachment of Wang Baole's Nascent Soul, retreating rapidly and hiding. It even silenced its murderous desires.
\”That's amazing!\” Wang Baole coughed. There was no way he was going to admit that he was blowing things out of proportion.
He started consoling himself as he muttered with a serious look on his face, \”It seems to harbor some form of strong will, a kind of madness. It's as if it were emperor of this heaven and earth. It possesses a degree of intelligence and resembles a virus, or at least, a kind of possession that's been recorded in the Dao Palace archives!\”
Wang Baole thought long and hard about what he had just seen. It was the embodiment of the devil. Wang Baole found the term extremely appropriate.
What a terrifying devil. To think that it's able to stand its ground against a tiny sliver of my dark energy, one that's been weakened ten times, and hold its own. Not a simple feat at all! Wang Baole rubbed his chin. He gazed inward, at his Nascent Soul, and tried to put himself in the shoes of this terrifying devil. He considered how difficult it must be to infect his soul.
Hmm, if I were that devil, I'd have to first defend myself against the power of the Dark Art. I'd start from one-thousandth of its full power, then gradually advance to being able to hold my own against the full power of the Dark Art. Then, I'd be able to approach the Nascent Soul… I'd be able to see a Stellar Nascent Soul, which is unique and completely different from all other Nascent Souls. At that point, I'd have to work very hard to become more powerful, trying again and again to infiltrate the Stellar Nascent Soul. If I was unlucky, I might cross paths with a strange scabbard. Then, that would likely be the end of me…
Of course, maybe luck would be on my side. I'd manage to avoid the scabbard and enter the Nascent Soul. I could relax then and ready myself for a sumptuous meal. When I'm just about to possess and infect the soul, I would see a ball of fire. The Dark Fire. The spirit energy that it exudes is the exact same as the creature that I'd first encountered while outside the Nascent Soul!
Then… I'd have to work very, very hard, grit my teeth, and fight the Dark Fire. When I finally see the host's soul, I would realize that it possesses the unique traits of a Dark Child and power many times stronger than that of a Dark Fire…
So, I'd have to work like mad. If luck was on my side, I'd overcome the Dark Child. Finally, just as I think I could finally possess and infect the host's soul… I would discover, my god, a devouring seed lurking in a corner, watching and waiting greedily for its turn. Wang Baole coughed again at that thought. He decided he should stop trying to pretend to be the devil. He turned his thoughts towards the origin of this entity.
There's something very strange about this. I don't doubt the power of the Demonic Eye Art. It's an extremely evil mystic art. So why isn't this devil as strong? Wang Baole fell into a contemplative silence. After a long while, he finally arrived at two possible conclusions. The first possibility was that the cultivation technique and the consciousness might seem to be one and the same, but they were, in fact, completely separate entities. The second possibility was that his very presence was many times more evil and more perverse than the Demonic Eye Art…
The second possibility is out of the question! Wang Baole tapped his nose lightly. He extended his senses and felt for the devil hidden inside the Demonic Eye Art. He thought for a bit and decided not to destroy it immediately. Instead, a wild idea popped into his head.
Should I… rear another devil for kicks? Wang Baole itched with temptation at that thought. It was then that he realized that he seemed to have forgotten something.
\”What did I forget?\” Wang Baole muttered to himself and wondered. His eyes widened suddenly.
\”The donkey!\” Wang Baole smacked his forehead. He hurriedly pulled open his storage bracelet and rummaged inside. He finally found the donkey he had forgotten. It was skin and bones and barely breathing.
The donkey kicked its four feeble legs subconsciously after being pulled out of storage. It had been starved to the point where even breathing was becoming a chore. It remained in a daze for some time. Then, tears started to stream from its half-opened eyes, which glimmered with an intense, almost unbearable resentment…
\”Son…\”