Resurrection

After several hours of feeding, the Seven Orifice Insect finally absorbed every last remnant of essence from the pale golden skeleton.

The Seven Orifice Insect lay atop the bones, its entire body blazing with light. Its seven heads swayed slightly before slowly curling up as it fell into slumber.

At the same time, a clear notification came from Li Xiao's sea of consciousness.

The Seven Orifice Insect's ritual had been completed. The requirement of Eighth-Turn Venerable bone powder had been successfully fulfilled.

Li Xiao secretly let out a breath of relief. Just as he was about to retrieve the sleeping Seven Orifice Insect into his body, a sudden change erupted the instant his fingertip was about to touch it.

The pale golden skeleton abruptly let out a series of fine cracking sounds.

It began to break apart from within, cracks spreading across its entire body like a spiderweb. In the blink of an eye, it collapsed with a boom, turning into a pile of grayish-white powder.

The powder billowed up and hung in the air for a moment. Then, a dense black mist rose from the ashes.

It rapidly gathered in midair, gradually outlining the silhouette of a towering human figure.

The Black Shadow grew increasingly solid, eventually transforming into a hulking man covered in knotted muscles. His upper body was bare, his features rugged, and his eyes resembled two clusters of burning black flames.

He threw back his head and released a deafening roar, his voice filled with the resentment and fury he had suppressed for a thousand years:

"Jingyang! Jingyang! I refuse to accept this!"

The entire plaza shook violently beneath that roar. Li Xiao was struck by the blast of air and nearly lost his footing, staggering back several steps before barely steadying himself.

He was utterly