The Demon Emperor Gu Chensha

"No... I don't want to go back..."

In a hazy, dreamlike state, Zhu Zhuqing woke up.

Her mind remained heavy and clouded.

A dense, aching soreness radiated from her limbs, as if she had been engaged in strenuous exercise day and night without rest.

She blinked several times before her vision could barely focus.

What greeted her eyes was a small room, clean and tidy, yet entirely unfamiliar.

Zhu Zhuqing was certain she had never been here before.

Neither the courtyards assigned to her in the Zhu Family mansion of the Star Luo Empire nor the inns where she had rested during her flight looked anything like this.

Where was she?

She propped herself up with her arms, and the thin quilt covering her slid away, revealing the plain white undergarment she had been changed into.

Subconsciously, she raised a hand to touch her left shoulder.

There should have been a grievous wound there, pierced through by an assassin's soul skill and deep enough to expose the bone; when she was on the verge of death, she hadn't even had the strength to lift her arm.

Yet, what her fingertips touched was only a patch of delicate, smooth skin, as white and warm as polished mutton-fat jade.

Let alone scars, not even a trace of injury could be found.

She hurriedly felt her waist, arms, and calves; the deep and shallow wounds left behind during her escape had all vanished without a trace.

Her mind buzzed, and countless memories surged up in an instant:

The assassins arranged by her sister, Zhu Zhuyun, had pursued and intercepted her at every turn; she had fought to the death to escape into the Star Dou Great Forest, already exhausted and at her limit...

Then, she had encountered that dark golden giant spider that blotted out the sky, the Demon Emperor that the entire Douluo Continent spoke of with terror—the Demon Spider Emperor!

After that, there was the sacrifice, the two-hundred-thousand-year Soul Bone, the Martial Soul Evolution, and the second martial soul...

Zhu Zhuqing's pupils contracted sharply, her heart beating wildly.

But had all of this really happened?

A two-hundred-thousand-year-old beast emperor, voluntarily sacrificing itself to a Soul Grand Master who was only at level twenty-something?

On the Douluo Continent, this was nothing short of a fairy tale.

There had only ever been soul masters risking their lives to hunt soul beasts for their rings; when had a beast at the pinnacle of the continent ever willingly given everything to a girl it had never met?

She raised her hand to touch her forehead; her temperature was normal, no fever.

She focused her mind and sank into her sea of consciousness; it was quiet and still, without a trace of any foreign presence.

She then mobilized her soul power, scouring every corner of her body, yet she could not find a single trace of that Demon Spider martial soul.

Could it be...

Was all of that truly just a dream she had while on the brink of death?

The girl's heart sank, instantly becoming hollow.

It was as if she had lost the power to control her fate once more, falling back into an abyss of helplessness.

To have gained it, only to lose it completely—it was all just an illusion.

She gripped the bedding tightly, her lips pressed into a taut, straight line.

The faint light that had just ignited in her eyes dimmed bit by bit, leaving only an unresolvable confusion and bitterness.

So even the heavens would not grant her a chance to resist?

Must even a dream first offer her ethereal hope, only to snuff it out with its own hands?

"You think that was a dream?"

A low, cold laugh suddenly rang out from beside her.

Zhu Zhuqing's entire body stiffened, and she jerked her head up.

On the empty floor by the bed, a phantom figure materialized out of thin air.

The young man was dressed in dark golden combat attire, his face cold and stern, his brows and eyes carrying the arrogance and icy pride settled by five hundred years of slaughter.

Those dark golden eyes were looking at her with a faint, mocking smile.

It was unmistakably the Demon Emperor from her "dream"!

Zhu Zhuqing subconsciously shrank back, her spine pressed tightly against the wall as if she had seen a ghost, her voice trembling.

"It's you? Didn't you already sacrifice yourself? Doesn't a soul beast sacrifice mean death? How could you..."

"Death?"

Gu Chensha let out a low chuckle and slowly walked to the bedside, leaning down.

His distinct, bony fingers gently lifted her smooth chin.

He seemed to be enjoying this tactile sensation.

"This Demon Emperor Gu Chensha has fought against the heavens for five hundred years; how could my soul be so easily scattered?"

He released his hand and straightened up, looking down at the shocked young girl with a calm tone.

"Everything you have obtained is not an illusion. Your second martial soul, your spirit bone, and your two-hundred-thousand-year soul ring are all truly within your body."

"The reason you could not sense them before is simply because I placed a shroud over them for necessary reasons. Since you have already awakened..."

Seeing the lingering bewilderment in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, Gu Chensha let out a cold snort.

Without waiting for her to speak again, Gu Chensha's figure instantly transformed into a streak of dark golden light, submerging into the center of her brow.

Zhu Zhuqing only felt a surge of heat in her sea of consciousness, and immediately after, a strange power took over her body.

Her hands lifted the quilt on their own, and her legs stepped onto the floor by themselves.

Barefoot on the cool ground, her movements were fluid and natural, yet completely beyond the control of her own will.

"You... why are you able to control my body!"

Zhu Zhuqing said in terror.

Anyone who discovered their body being controlled by another existence would naturally feel such instinctive fear.

The next second, her own throat emitted a voice that carried her cold, clear tone.

Yet... it was wrapped in the cold, arrogant, and languid voice unique to Gu Chensha.

"There is nothing to be surprised about; I am simply letting you experience firsthand exactly what it is you possess."

"An ordinary sacrifice involves a spirit beast burning its origin and soul to pour all its power into a spirit master, which naturally results in the total destruction of the soul. But what I have given you is a Wisdom Soul Ring."

"I used my complete two-hundred-thousand-year origin as an offering, and my soul resides within the Wisdom Soul Ring, bound completely to your soul, living and dying together."

"If you die, my soul will immediately scatter, so there is no need to worry that I will harm you."

"I can share your five senses, and I can also take over your body when necessary to bring our power to its absolute limit."

"As for the second martial soul you could not sense earlier, I have just lifted the shroud. After all, in the seven days you were unconscious, there was no shortage of people with ulterior motives probing your body."

Zhu Zhuqing fell silent.

The panic and terror in her sea of consciousness gradually subsided.

She could clearly feel that Gu Chensha's soul was indeed tightly bound to her own, without a shred of malice.

If he had wanted to harm her, he would not have needed to go through the trouble of sacrificing himself back in the forbidden area of the Star Dou Great Forest.

He could have crushed her while she was at her wit's end with a flick of his finger, let alone pouring the origin of his five hundred years of cultivation into her petite body.

She took a deep breath, and her tense body slowly relaxed.

"I understand, Demon Emperor... Senior."

"Don't call me Senior, it sounds terrible."

Gu Chensha immediately interrupted her, "Just call me Demon Emperor, or... Gu Chensha."

Zhu Zhuqing was stunned for a moment, then spoke with some hesitation.

"...Gu Chensha? Is this your name?"

How could an ordinary spirit beast have its own name?

"Such trivial matters are of no importance."

Gu Chensha's voice grew faint.

"Next, I will return control of your body to you. Release your Hell Spirit Cat martial soul and see the changes in yourself now."

As soon as the words fell, the power controlling her body vanished instantly, and control returned to her hands.