Chen Wuya's fingers still rested on Bai Zhi's sword hilt when a chill wave rippled through the trembling ground. Black vapor slowly crawled out from between the cracks in the stone, slithering across the glazed floor like a snake before gradually gathering into a blurred human shape. He immediately tightened his hold on Bai Zhi and took a step back.
The shadow straightened, revealing a half-destroyed face. The flesh on its left side was completely gone, leaving bluish-gray bone exposed, while its right eye shone with a terrifying brightness. Its voice was hoarse and low. "You can't escape. We were one and the same."
Chen Wuya said nothing. The mark on his arm suddenly burned hot. A dark red pattern stretched from his wrist all the way to his shoulder, shaped like two entwined snakes. It now began to throb, as though something inside it were struggling to break free.
He tried to circulate his cultivation to suppress it, but the instant his true qi entered his meridians, an outside force threw it into disarray. His chest tightened, and a sweet, bloody taste surged into his throat. He knew the Twinborn Curse was being awakened, and its source was the remnant soul before him.
"Your curse mark was planted by me all those years ago." Blood Without Trace's voice bored into his ears. "You thought it was a shackle? No. It is a bridge. As long as you lower your guard, I can use you to be reborn."
Chen Wuya clenched his teeth, pressing his tongue against the roof of his mouth. The pain cleared his mind somewhat. He could not fall. Bai Zhi was still in his arms, her breathing so faint it was nearly imperceptible.
The system suddenly trembled.
``` [Abnormal change detected in Twinborn Curse. Activating Fusion