Benefactor Qian, Turn Back Before It's Too Late. Please Keep Reading! Please Vote!

Hoo.

Inside an elegant wooden room somewhere in the heart of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Chen Hong, a white veil wrapped around his head, slowly exhaled a turbid breath with icy eyes, calming the circulation of Soul Power within his body.

I'm too weak. Still too weak, Chen Hong sighed inwardly as he closed his eyes.

In a battle of that level, he had not even had the chance to provide support. He had been a burden the entire time, someone who needed protecting. That feeling of weakness and helplessness unexpectedly stirred an urge to devour people within Chen Hong's heart?!

Is this how you repeatedly became stronger, Qian Yu?

Chen Hong sat cross-legged on the soft bed, his expression utterly indifferent as he asked coldly in his heart.

Kid! You are what you eat! Suffering will not make you superior to others! Hehehe! Only eating people will! You have great potential as an Evil Soul Master! Hehehe! I think highly of you!!!

Did all villains laugh like "hehehe"? Chen Hong found himself wondering.

Yes. Eating you would indeed let me grow stronger faster, Chen Hong replied evenly in his heart.

You want to eat me?! Hehehe! Kid! Don't think that just because your soul is powerful and resilient enough that I cannot assimilate you for now, you can push your luck and try to devour me instead! Remember! You are the prey, kid!

Qian Yu kept clamoring within Chen Hong's heart, seemingly not taking Chen Hong seriously at all.

But was that really the case?

Quite the opposite. Qian Yu had been stunned by the Mental Power resilience of Chen Hong, a Little Soul Master with barely more than ten levels. What shocked him even more was that this kid was cunning to an almost monstrous degree! After discovering that he could not quickly break through Chen Hong's highly efficient mind, protected by [Sage]'s Ring, Qian Yu chose to temporarily abandon his plan to assimilate Chen Hong and secretly accumulate strength first, lest he expose too much.

However, Qian Yu had still underestimated Chen Hong's information-processing speed in Sage's Ring State. Chen Hong gave a cold, emotionless snort and said inwardly, Putting on a front will only worsen the powerlessness and helplessness in your heart. From the moment you failed to complete the possession immediately, I understood exactly what you were.

By conventional logic, your caution is worthy of praise.

Chen Hong stopped there, without fully exposing all of Qian Yu's plans. Yet because of those words, Qian Yu no longer dared say another thing, afraid Chen Hong would deduce even more.

Blessings and misfortunes went hand in hand. Chen Hong himself had never expected that his childhood tendency for his brain to malfunction a little would forge such a steadfast soul, ultimately preventing Qian Yu from completing the possession before his death.

Since Qian Yu had not completed the possession immediately, everything he knew would become Chen Hong's for the taking.

Don't worry. I won't let you disappear too quickly.

Qian Yu's failed possession had resulted from many factors, both on his side and Chen Hong's.

On Chen Hong's side, his naturally resilient soul had withstood the first wave of attacks, after which he activated [Sage]'s Ring at maximum intensity.

The effects of [Sage]'s Ring were tyrannical. It was practically formatting Chen Hong's brain. If Qian Yu's soul dared enter, part of its mottled soul fragments would be formatted away.

The reason had to do with the composition of Qian Yu's soul. He had devoured too many people, causing his soul to lose its purity. The resentful spirits produced by every person he had successfully possessed accumulated in the depths of his soul, becoming part of his power—and also bombs within him.

The effect of [Sage]'s Ring was very good, but to Qian Yu now, it was no different from a deadly poison.

At maximum effect, [Sage]'s Ring would make all the resentment deep within Qian Yu's soul "see the light," let go of their grievances, dissipate automatically, and become part of the power within Chen Hong's soul domain.

In the past, Qian Yu might have been overjoyed by this effect. But now, this ability, which only continuously weakened his strength, left him utterly helpless. He only dared drift about and hide in the shallow layers of Chen Hong's mind, not daring to attack him proactively.

Moreover, his Soul Force could not support him leaving Chen Hong's mind. So had he truly been left with no way out now?

No. That bastard was far too scheming. He still had a Trump Card he had not revealed.

Chen Hong was emotionally detached in Sage's Ring State. He did not have so much love or hatred in his heart. He understood those things and had long since formed his own judgments.

I'm waiting for my Soul Power to recover. What are you waiting for? Chen Hong murmured inwardly. Behind him, a yellow soul ring slowly rose, and the holy radiance of the Sage shone once more.

You?! What did you do... I... who am I...? Sage-ified Qian Yu was furious and alarmed, but before he could finish speaking, his gaze instantly became dull and lost within the sea of consciousness. Countless voices accused him by his ears, countless memories surfaced in his heart. If a Soul Body could show an expression... then he should already have been weeping bitter tears.

Benefactor Qian, turn back before it is too late. Chen Hong sat cross-legged. Sage Time, even more tyrannical than [Sage]'s Ring, gave off a faint bright yellow glow from his soul ring, like Buddhist light rising from within his body. His face held neither sorrow nor joy, and his tone was calm and compassionate.

Either [Sage]'s Ring or Sage Time alone would have struggled to affect the soul of Evil Soul Emperor Qian Yu. But when the two were combined, they produced a terrifying effect greater than the sum of their parts.

The essence of Sage Time was "Mental Focus." Its skill logic made a Spirit Master focus all their attention on a single point, thereby abandoning interest in all other things—desire, in other words. In this state, one had to maintain faith in a certain thing to achieve one's goal while being free of desire. Otherwise, scattered Mental Power would cause one to be temporarily converted into a state free of desire.

Every time Chen Hong activated the skill, he did so with a purpose. Thus, in that state free of desire, he could successfully find what he needed to do.

When Ning Lu had been granted the Sage Divine Mark by Chen Hong, the faith in her heart had been to protect Chen Hong. Thus, her purpose at that time had been to kill every enemy who might threaten him—killing to protect the path.

And what was Evil Soul Emperor Qian Yu's faith?

I have no need to turn back. As long as I devour you, I can reach the other shore myself and be reborn! The confusion in Qian Yu's eyes slowly faded, his gaze becoming ever calmer and firmer.

Qian Yu's faith remained possessing Chen Hong.

And what was Chen Hong's faith?

"Benefactor, life may be a path of suffering. Lay down your butcher's blade, and turn back before it is too late. This so-called rebirth of yours—by occupying another's body, have you ever truly lived for yourself?"

Chen Hong's face showed no sorrow, and his voice held no joy.

"...You killed me, yet you want me to lay down my butcher's blade?"

"I did not kill you. You are the one killing yourself over and over again."

Chen Hong's faith was to dismantle the meaning of Qian Yu's existence—also known as Conversion!

Thanks to readers 9866, Eternal Dream, Beef Sauce Noodles, and Heavenly Ice Snow Demon for the monthly tickets!