In a secret chamber deep beneath an ancient temple.
A broad-backed, powerfully built man was bound tightly to a wooden frame by a pale green chain. Countless silver needles covered his body, and his head hung low, utterly motionless.
Just then, a figure shifted before him. A large, icy hand seized his chin and forcibly lifted his head.
The man's eyes were tightly shut, his face as blank as a corpse's. He was none other than Kang Wuhen, the top-ranked inner disciple of the Four Symbols Sect.
Suddenly, a mouthful of cold water sprayed onto Kang Wuhen's face.
Kang Wuhen shuddered and involuntarily opened his eyes, but before he could make out the figure before him, he heard a calm voice:
"Soul-Calling Great Method."
As soon as the words fell, green light flashed in the figure's eyes. Two pale green beams shot out and plunged straight into Kang Wuhen's eyes.
Kang Wuhen felt his eyes burn and cried out, struggling instinctively. Yet his body had no sensation at all, and the large hand held his head so firmly that he could not move it an inch. His eyelids were as heavy as Mount Tai, leaving him helpless as the green beams poured into his eyes.
Strangely, however, the figure was continuously reciting passages from the Buddhist Diamond Sutra. His voice was deep and resonant, giving a sense of peace and reassurance.
A short while later, Kang Wuhen stopped struggling and woodenly accepted the beams pouring from the figure's eyes.
Only after a full incense stick's worth of time did the recitation stop. At the same moment, the large hand withdrew from Kang Wuhen's face.
"High Person, I have finished casting the spell. If you do not awaken now, what are you waiting for?"
The instant those words fell, all the