Darkness, solitude, coldness.
After losing control of his own body, these were all Li Qing's soul could feel. From a third-person perspective, he silently watched in an unknown dark space as the Demon Venerable completely took control of his body.
Though it was not possession, it was even more painful than possession.
At this moment, he and the Demon Venerable existed together in symbiosis, like two souls in one body. Yet only one will could take the lead, while the other had to be suppressed.
Countless Karma Threads densely wound around Li Qing's soul, pinning him firmly within the sea of consciousness, leaving him utterly unable to reclaim control of his physical body.
Over the years, he had gained immense longevity through artifact refinement, but he had also consumed vast amounts of lifespan. Every wanton expenditure of his life produced a Karma Thread.
Li Qing tried several times to seize control of the Karma Threads in reverse and reclaim the initiative, but it was all in vain. He could not even interfere with the Demon Venerable's movements.
After all, the will that had awakened in his sea of consciousness had, at the height of its former life, been known as a half-step Dao Ancestor of Karma. Its immortal title had been Karma Celestial Venerable. It had long since played the Karma Law in countless dazzling ways. How could Li Qing possibly contend with the Demon Venerable in this respect?
Every gift from fate had long ago been secretly marked with its price. And at this moment, Li Qing paid that price with everything he had.
Yet even after falling into such a deadlock, Li Qing still did not give up. While trying to break free from the Karma Threads, he observed everything happening outside.
By then, the Demon Venerable had