Dai Mubai's Descent into Darkness

Dai Mubai stared blankly at the right hand Qin Ye held out to him. That hand seemed to possess an invisible magic, as though Qin Ye could strip away his soul the moment he reached out and touched it.

"I..." Dai Mubai hesitated, his heart caught in an endless struggle.

"Can a single woman shake your ambition to seize the throne, Dai Mubai? If that's really the case, you're utterly worthless," Qin Ye mocked.

As he spoke, Qin Ye began to withdraw his right hand.

"Wait! I agree!" Dai Mubai dropped to his knees before Qin Ye with a thud and grabbed his right hand, a trace of pleading in his eyes.

"I agree. As long as you can help me return to the Star Luo Empire and claim the throne, I'll agree to anything," Dai Mubai said earnestly.

"Oh? What about Zhu Zhuqing, then?"

"I don't care about her." Dai Mubai finally made up his mind. "She's just a woman. There are plenty of women in this world. There's no need for me to hang myself from a single apple tree." Dai Mubai raised his head to look at Qin Ye, his eyes brimming with ambition to seize the throne. "Once I'm the emperor of the Star Luo Empire, what woman couldn't I have? She's not the only woman in the Zhu Family. I can forge a marriage alliance with someone else. I don't want Zhu Zhuqing anymore. Please, help me."

Right before Qin Ye, Dai Mubai kowtowed three times, his forehead striking the floor with heavy thumps.

Qin Ye looked down with a cold sneer at Dai Mubai's groveling figure and slowly asked the heart demon within him, "Did you record all of that?"

"Rest assured, Master. Everything has been recorded. Nothing can possibly go wrong."

"Mm, excellent." Qin Ye gave a sinister smile. "I'm really curious what expression Zhu Zhuqing will make when she sees Dai Mubai like this. Will her corruption value shoot straight past the halfway mark? Heh, I can hardly wait."

Qin Ye turned his attention back to Dai Mubai and said evenly, "Raise your head."

"Yes." Dai Mubai lifted his head, his eyes feverish.

Dai Mubai had now cast everything aside: the woman he loved, his so-called dignity. All he wanted was power-the power to defeat Dai Weisi and seize the throne!

"Give me your hand." As Qin Ye spoke, his right hand firmly clasped Dai Mubai's. "What comes next may be very painful, but don't worry. Dizziness is normal. I promise that once you've endured this pain, you'll get what you want."

Buzz!

Dai Mubai's mind suddenly went blank. Qin Ye's soul power streamed endlessly along his arm and into his body, and thick black fumes gradually began to erupt from him.

"Aaargh!" Dai Mubai let out an agonized roar, but Qin Ye showed no sign of stopping.

"Dai Mubai, if you're afraid of pain, I can stop at any time. But you won't get another chance to seek power. So, are you going to be a coward?"

"I'm not a coward! Bring it on! Aaargh!" Dai Mubai shouted at the top of his lungs.

Time ticked by, second after second. Only after about fifteen minutes did Qin Ye release Dai Mubai's arm.

"Whew, that should be enough." Qin Ye wiped the sweat from his forehead, his gaze fixed on Dai Mubai, who stood silently with his head lowered.

Black fumes now emanated from Dai Mubai's entire body, making him look like a tiger that had fallen into darkness. Even the fur of his White Tiger martial soul had turned black, evolving into a corrupted version.

Ding! Dai Mubai's corruption value +80.

Dai Mubai's current corruption value: 80.

Total accumulated corruption value: 125 points. Ding! Master can now extract the first soul ring. Proceed with extraction?

"Yes," Qin Ye said without hesitation.

Ding! Please select an extraction target, Master. Currently available targets: Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, Tang San.

"I choose Dai Mubai." Qin Ye did not hesitate in the slightest. Dai Mubai's corruption value had already reached 80, and reaching 100 was only a matter of time. Naturally, Qin Ye had no reason to reject Dai Mubai as the source of his first soul ring.

Ding! Extracting the first soul ring.

Congratulations, Master. Extraction of the first soul ring is complete.

"That fast?" Qin Ye exclaimed in surprise. "It finished in the blink of an eye? Is this for real?" Unable to believe it, Qin Ye released his Heart Demon martial soul, and an impenetrable red mist immediately enveloped him.

A bright yellow soul ring slowly appeared around Qin Ye. It was unmistakably a hundred-year soul ring.

"It really worked!" Just as Qin Ye was marveling at it, Dai Mubai began to move.

Dai Mubai slowly rose from the floor, a sinister, alluring aura radiating from his entire body. His bearing had become completely different from before.

"Dai Mubai pays his respects, Master." Dai Mubai cupped his hands and bowed respectfully, his posture displaying utter submission.

After Qin Ye's baptism, Dai Mubai could clearly sense the immense power within him. Under the Heart Demon's influence, his Evil-Eyed White Tiger had undergone a martial soul mutation, increasing his combat strength more than threefold!

So this is what it feels like to become three times stronger after turning evil, and seventy percent weaker after turning good? This feels incredible! Dai Mubai thought excitedly as he felt the endless power coursing through him.

"Mm, you know how to behave." With a sweep of his hand, Qin Ye put away his soul ring. "Don't tell anyone that I obtained a soul ring. Otherwise... you know what will happen."

"Yes. Your humble servant understands."

"Also, don't call me Master in front of other people. It'll make me look bad. From now on, just call me Brother Ye," Qin Ye said.

"Yes, Brother Ye. What would you have me do now?"

Qin Ye nodded in satisfaction at the sight. Dai Mubai certainly has a knack for being a lackey. With him around, things will be much easier for me from now on.

Qin Ye turned to look at the wooden door Dai Mubai had blasted apart. "Go repair the door. I'm going to sleep now. Don't let anyone disturb me while I'm resting, or the consequences will be more than you can bear."

"Yes! I'll repair it right away." Dai Mubai immediately went to fetch wooden boards and tools, moving briskly and efficiently. To return to the Star Luo Empire and take revenge, he worked hard to leave a good impression on Qin Ye. If he made Qin Ye happy, perhaps he would even be rewarded with other abilities.

For the throne of the Star Luo Empire, I'm willing to be Qin Ye's dog. Dai Weisi, wash your neck and wait for me. Sooner or later, I'll show you who the Star Luo Empire's true emperor is!

Once Dai Mubai had gone outside, Qin Ye stretched out lazily on the bed and let out a contented breath.

"Whew, now I need to rest up and rebuild my strength. Evolving Dai Mubai's martial soul nearly wore me out." Qin Ye gazed at the ceiling above him. "I still have to see my darling Zhu Zhuqing tonight. When I show her the recording of Dai Mubai willingly debasing himself, heh, that'll be another wave of corruption points. This feels so damn good!" As Qin Ye stared at the ceiling, his consciousness gradually grew hazy.

Before long, Qin Ye fell fast asleep, while the clinking and hammering of Dai Mubai repairing the door rang out outside.

"Keep at it! To defeat Dai Weisi, to claim the throne of the Star Luo Empire, I'll give it everything I've got!"