"You want me?"
Huo Yuhao laughed in anger. At this point, he wasn't afraid at all.
As the saying went, once the pot was broken, you might as well smash it completely. Let the chips fall where they may.
He immediately shot back without the slightest courtesy.
"Do you think that's possible?"
"Impossible."
Ghost Demon Venerable's answer once again caught Huo Yuhao off guard, leaving him with a head full of questions.
If you knew it was impossible, why bring it up??!!
Huo Yuhao finally realized that he simply couldn't keep up with the way this person's mind worked.
Or rather, he couldn't begin to guess what Ghost Demon Venerable was thinking.
Forget it.
I'm tired.
Just destroy the world.
Huo Yuhao couldn't put into words just how wretched he felt right now.
He figured there had never been a transmigrator under more pressure than him.
Seeing that Huo Yuhao seemed ready to give up, Ghost Demon Venerable instead watched him with interest and slowly spoke.
"I truly admire you."
"Sometimes, I can see the shadow of my younger self in you."
"Back then, I was just like you are now, full of hatred and burning with passion."
"But I wasn't nearly as lucky as you."
"The world I lived in had far harsher rules of survival than this one."
There was genuine feeling in Ghost Demon Venerable's words. They came straight from the heart.
Huo Yuhao's life really was much like his own.
At first, he hadn't been the Ghost Demon Venerable, whose very name struck terror into the immortals of the Gu World.
At first, he had just been Ming You. He, too, had enjoyed a happy childhood and the care of his parents.
But unfortunately, in the Gu World, in the place where he had been born, a region called the Southern Border,
family affection was nothing but a joke.
As a child, he had watched his grandfather force his father to kill his mother for the sake of the clan's interests. Then, as a youth, he had watched his grandfather kill his father.
In the end, he finally understood.
Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, trust, morality, and law—none of it mattered.
It was all very simple.
Only killing.
So he had killed his own grandfather with his own hands and slaughtered his entire clan. From then on, even if he butchered every living soul under heaven, his heart would never stir again.
Ming You was dead now. Only Ghost remained.
Looking at the boy before him, whose past was so much like his own, Ghost Demon Venerable was curious to see just how far he could go.
As for how he knew all this?
Huo Yuhao hadn't bothered to hide any of it. From Huo Yuhao's conduct over the past few days, Ghost Demon Venerable could already piece together most of the story.
That was why he had passed the Slaughter Path to Huo Yuhao in the first place.
Based on Ghost Demon Venerable's current memories, if he really had to choose an heir, Huo Yuhao was indeed the best candidate to inherit his legacy.
Unfortunately,
the timing was wrong.
Now he was Ghost, not Ming You.
All he cared about was himself.
Hearing Ghost Demon Venerable's words, Huo Yuhao couldn't help rolling his eyes inwardly.
What was he pretending for?
Now he was even trying to play the sentimental card.
If Huo Yuhao didn't know what kind of person he was, he might really have been taken in.
Still, this was a good sign. It seemed Ghost Demon Venerable still had his reservations and wouldn't attack him outright—not for now.
There was still a chance.
He could still make it!!
Huo Yuhao's expression seemed to soften a little after hearing Ghost Demon Venerable's story. He was no longer as guarded as before.
"But that still doesn't give you the right to use my killing intent to control me!"
Clearly, Huo Yuhao still couldn't let go of the Killing Intent Backlash he'd suffered earlier.
Nobody liked being unable to control themselves, even if Huo Yuhao had originally intended to do the same thing.
Ghost Demon Venerable seemed to have expected this and answered frankly.
"Actually, I was helping you."
"This little bug, and that so-called powerhouse of this world from before, neither of them understands."
"Since you chose my Slaughter Path, how could you go without killing a single person?"
"If you don't kill anyone, how could you ever cultivate my Ghost Killing Art to its utmost?"
"The way to cultivate the Slaughter Path is very simple, and very difficult."
"Just kill."
"It sounds simple, but putting it into practice isn't easy."
"Because most people can't cross the threshold in their hearts."
"Whether it's propriety and morality, or kinship and blood ties."
"But in truth, none of that matters."
"There's no one you can't kill."
"And there's no one who won't die."
"Since you inherited my Slaughter Path, you should have understood that long ago."
As he said this, Ghost Demon Venerable looked at Huo Yuhao, his expression utterly serious.
"I'm telling you all this for one reason."
"You and I are on the same path. I'm the only one who can truly understand what you think and feel."
"So you don't need to keep your guard up against me."
Huo Yuhao said nothing, only gave a cold laugh.
The meaning couldn't have been clearer.
Why wouldn't I be on my guard?
Especially after you've outright said you want to replace me.
Ghost Demon Venerable shook his head and continued.
"If we keep guarding against each other, we'll only both end up hurt. Only by working together can we keep making progress."
"Besides, you need my power to do some things you couldn't manage on your own, don't you?"
At those words, Huo Yuhao's expression shifted slightly. He couldn't tell whether Ghost Demon Venerable had meant something by them.
Did he know about God King Tang?
That couldn't be right.
Ghost Demon Venerable couldn't read his thoughts anymore.
Then was he talking about Huo Yuhao's revenge?
Wanting to confirm what Ghost Demon Venerable really had in mind, Huo Yuhao asked outright.
"How do you want to work together?"
Seeing that Huo Yuhao had finally relented, Ghost Demon Venerable replied seriously.
"We each take a step back."
"Since you have an obsession in your heart, I'll use my power to help you fulfill it."
"Revenge or anything else—I don't care."
"I won't covet your body anymore, either."
Liar!!
You old bastard, you still think you can fool me!!
As soon as Ghost Demon Venerable said that, Huo Yuhao knew it was a lie.
Perhaps he really would help Huo Yuhao get his revenge, but there was no way he'd give up on replacing him.
Huo Yuhao could already guess what Ghost Demon Venerable would say.
When the time came, he'd surely say,
"Isn't using your body to help you get revenge the same thing?"
Ugh!
Disgusting!
Though Huo Yuhao felt nothing but disdain, he still listened obediently.
He also wanted to know what Ghost Demon Venerable was after, after taking such a long detour.
Ghost Demon Venerable continued.
"But there's one condition. You have to agree to it."
"When you truly stand at the summit of this world,"
"you'll find a way for me to return to my original world."
At last, Ghost Demon Venerable revealed what he wanted.
An excuse!
A lie!
Even if he was telling the truth, this was the least important of Ghost Demon Venerable's many motives.
He was using it to confuse Huo Yuhao and lower his guard.
Huo Yuhao made his assessment in an instant.
The hardest lies to spot were nine parts truth and one part falsehood.
Ghost Demon Venerable might indeed want to return—to the Gu World.
After all, based on what Huo Yuhao knew about him, this person might not even be his true body.
It was only natural that he'd want to go back and find his true body.
Though even a mere clone would be more than enough to give Huo Yuhao a hard time.
But that definitely wasn't all he was thinking.
Nor was it his ultimate goal.
It was safe to assume that Ghost Demon Venerable had deliberately tossed out this smokescreen to confuse him.
So Huo Yuhao gave it some serious thought for once.
Of course, he was only putting on a show.
He wasn't about to believe a single word Ghost Demon Venerable said.
Still, given the situation, there was no harm in agreeing.
He wasn't actually going to honor his promise anyway.
Huo Yuhao believed Ghost Demon Venerable felt the same way.
If he got the chance, Huo Yuhao would stab Ghost Demon Venerable in the back without hesitation and kill him.
He wouldn't leave even a scrap behind!
That was even higher on his list than taking out God King Tang.
But he didn't have that chance right now.
So when Ghost Demon Venerable offered him a way out, Huo Yuhao decided to take it.
At least until they fell out completely, he needed to buy himself enough time to grow stronger.
Huo Yuhao nodded and replied to Ghost Demon Venerable.
"Fine. I agree to that condition."
"But I have a condition of my own."
"Oh? Let's hear it."
Ghost Demon Venerable narrowed his eyes and asked with some curiosity.
"You have to guarantee that what happened today won't happen again."
"If I feel that you're behind any abnormal changes in my emotions or behavior, I'll take you down with me."
"Before you get this body, I'll destroy it."
The threat in Huo Yuhao's words couldn't have been clearer.
I won't covet you, so don't covet me.
Otherwise, neither of us gets to play.
After hearing Huo Yuhao's words, Ghost Demon Venerable stood there in silence.
Huo Yuhao knew his words wouldn't have any real effect.
Just as he would absolutely stab Ghost Demon Venerable in the back, no matter what.
As long as Ghost Demon Venerable was alive, he'd remain Huo Yuhao's greatest threat.
In other words,
if Ghost Demon Venerable didn't die, Huo Yuhao couldn't sleep!!
And the same went the other way around.
If he let his guard down for even a moment and gave Ghost Demon Venerable an opening, a few words wouldn't make him give up on taking over his body.
What he was saying to Ghost Demon Venerable now was about as laughable as Yu Xiaogang telling Bibi Dong to her face, "If anything happens to Xiao San, I'll destroy the Spirit Hall at any cost."
But there was no helping it. He had to make his stance clear.
Otherwise, Ghost Demon Venerable would only become even more reckless.
Huo Yuhao suddenly understood Yu Xiaogang.
Had he already understood this point ten thousand years ago?
Huo Yuhao instantly felt a deep respect for Yu Xiaogang.
Gangzi! So you were the true Grandmaster all along!
Just as Huo Yuhao was indulging in his usual habit of insulting Gangzi in his heart, Ghost Demon Venerable nodded and agreed.
"Fine. I agree."
Huo Yuhao pretended to breathe a sigh of relief, clasped his hands, and respectfully bowed to Ghost Demon Venerable.
"Then, Master, please withdraw your divine powers."
He was referring, of course, to Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and the entire Sea of Consciousness, both of which were still frozen in place.
Ghost Demon Venerable nodded, and the entire Sea of Consciousness began flowing again.
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm also recovered from its frozen state.
Looking at the unfamiliar man who had suddenly appeared before him and Huo Yuhao, who wore an exhausted expression, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm blinked its little eyes and asked uncertainly,
"Did I come at a bad time?"
Huo Yuhao had wanted to give this useless fellow a thorough scolding, but with Ghost Demon Venerable still there, he could only sigh wearily and say helplessly,
"No."
"You came at just the right time."
Before you continue