"Red Boy, what exactly happened to you?" the Bull Demon King asked with a frown.
Enveloped in blue light, Red Boy's lips curved into a bitter smile, and he slowly lifted the front of his robe.
Only then did everyone see a black pearl embedded in his flesh just above his lower abdomen. It was no larger than a longan, with faint black vapor swirling over its surface. Black, vein-like lines branched out around it, burrowing deep into his flesh.
"What is that?" the Bull Demon King asked, his expression changing abruptly.
"A Demon-Infusing Pearl. A trick those demons used. The Chi You demonic aura within it will seep into my body day by day, until I become a demon completely," Red Boy said.
"Is that why you joined the Demon Clan?" Shen Luo asked.
"Did you think I wanted to wallow in the same filth as them? After all these years of the Bodhisattva's teachings, do you think I took none of them to heart? When Mount Putuo fell, I fought through blood too, but alas..." Red Boy sighed as he slowly spoke.
"Foolish child, why didn't you come to your father? I would have found a way to save you," the Bull Demon King said.
"It's too late. This Demon-Infusing Pearl has already fused with my flesh. It can't be removed." As he spoke, Red Boy took off his upper garment entirely and turned to show everyone his back.
"What..." The Bull Demon King's eyes widened in fury.
Black veins spread across Red Boy's entire back like the branching limbs of an ancient tree. His condition was far worse than it had appeared from the front.
"There's also a restriction on this Demon-Infusing Pearl. If I leave Drillhead Mountain for more than seven days, it will activate and