Ren Zu watched as the body of the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign disintegrated into ashes, while the Vermilion Bird Flames consumed what remained of the carcass with an almost casual indifference.
After all, that was the king of the Eternal Night Devil Clan, a devil who had survived the calamity that had ravaged gods and demons in ancient times, and who had also escaped the million-year seal imposed by the Evil God. Yet, in the end, he had perished at the hands of a mere human, reduced to ashes forever in the eternal darkness of the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest.
The devilish body, stripped of the god-devil's power, had no way to avoid the fate of being completely incinerated. Still, the clouds of black ashes were faintly illuminated by beams of a strange, dim light.
But he did not devote all his attention to the defeated enemy. For someone like him, dividing his mind into two or three streams of thought was trivial. And while his gaze remained fixed on the disintegrating corpse, his consciousness turned inward, carefully examining his own body.
He could clearly feel the [Devil Origin Orb] that had fused with his Profound Veins, but he was not concerned about it and suffered no adverse effects. After all, this was precisely one of the things he had come to seek in that place, and he was already fully prepared. With his absolute dominion over the Laws of Darkness and his cultivation method capable of integrating with them in the same way Yun Che absorbed the Darkness Seed, the fusion was as natural as eating or drinking. As soon as it entered his body, the Orb simply submitted to him, inevitably becoming his subordinate.
".... If he knew his final plan had gone wrong in this way, he'd be rolling in his grave, right....?" Ren Zu said with good humor.
The ancient devil had underestimated him, fought believing he held the advantage throughout the confrontation, and in the end, was killed in an almost casual manner. For him, dying at the hands of a human—someone infinitely inferior in his eyes—must have been an unbearable humiliation. He had probably come to hate him as much as he hated the Evil God who had sealed him in that place....
From that point, it was not difficult to deduce the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign's reasoning. After seeing him use the Vermilion Bird Divine Flames before being killed by them, he must have concluded that that power would destroy him. And, being an ancient Devil God arrogant to the extreme, he would not allow him a simple death. That was why he unleashed the Devil Origin Orb. In his view, the two opposing forces would clash within his body, tearing him apart from the inside out and condemning him to eternal agony.
Exactly as he had planned....
In other words, his plans had worked perfectly.
Unfortunately for the dead devil, he was not a simple profound practitioner. His body, tempered by his [Ten Extreme Daos] cultivation method, had become a vessel of the primordial Dao, capable of assimilating, subjugating, and refining any essence, no matter how antagonistic. In other words, the instant the [Devil Origin Orb] fused with his Profound Veins as an independent existence, it ceased to pose a threat. He could control it with the same ease as breathing....
When Devil Gods of the Devil Race are developing in their mothers' wombs, they begin their existence as a Devil Origin Orb. From that initial point, the Orb generates the Devil Body, the Devil Soul, and the Devil God's Origin Energy.
In other words, the Devil Origin Orb is the essential source of a Devil God's life, soul, and power. That is precisely why it is called the "Devil Origin Orb."
According to what he knew, its power existed independently, uninfluenced by its bearer's cultivation; on the contrary, it continuously strengthened itself. When fully fused with the Profound Veins, the Devil Origin Orb becomes a hidden and independent source of power within them, functioning as a secret core that sustains and nourishes the user's strength.
Although he had obtained countless benefits, in his view, his greatest gain without a doubt was the [Eternal Night Illusory Devil Tome]. He had comprehended it during the battle against the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign., who had used the technique in its most complete form while fighting him. That was one of his secondary plans in prolonging the confrontation: besides humiliating the Ancient Devil and making him hate him deeply, he also intended to fully learn that profound art.
And in the end, he got exactly what he needed. He had been seeking a darkness profound art and ended up obtaining a perfect one.
That was why he was in a good mood.
The kind of light and serene humor that only arose when everything went exactly as he had planned—or better, when his enemies, full of confidence, executed on their own the most convenient version possible of the plan he had already foreseen.
While humming in his mind, he walked toward the dead Devil God's body. Since his body had turned to ashes, he had noticed with his keen vision that a bizarre black light was being reflected by the Vermilion Bird Flames.
Ren Zu approached and extended his hand toward the item glowing with light, retrieving it from the pile of ashes. It was a round piece of black jade that fit perfectly in his palm. It was heavy and cold to the touch, and completely black. It was extremely smooth and glossy, and he could not see a single marking or rune anywhere on its surface...
"...One of the fragments of the World-Defying Heaven Manual..." he murmured calmly, twirling the jade between his fingers as he examined it closely. No matter how much he looked, he could find nothing unusual about it. Still, he knew exactly what it was thanks to his knowledge of that world—one of the fragments of the legacy left by the Ancestral Goddess herself.
It is divided into three fragments. It is an omnipotent profound art created by the Ancestral God over millions of years. She did not want the fruit of her labor to disappear, but at the same time feared that her creation was too powerful to exist in complete form. Therefore, she divided it into three parts and sent them to different corners of the Primal Chaos.
Deciphering the divine texts of the Absolute Beginning is as difficult as ascending to the heavens. Still, if a mortal manages to cultivate the World-Defying Heaven Manual, they will have the possibility of becoming a True God.
Whoever cast a glance at that small piece of jade would never imagine it was one of the fragments of that profound art. There was no mark, rune, or indication of power—not even the slightest trace of aura. Judging solely by the energy it emanated, it was nothing more than a common piece of jade, inferior even to the lowest grade of profound jade.
Although he wanted to try unraveling its mysteries, he decided to leave it for later, so he stored it in his spatial ring and continued walking in a specific direction.
Ren Zu continued walking straight until the end of the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest and stopped in front of a stone wall. He casually used his profound strength to destroy it with a clean strike.
Beyond the stone wall, layers upon layers of extremely potent black energy slowly overflowed, accompanied by a dangerous aura that made even his heart tighten.
He extended his arm, and a blood-red orb of light appeared in his palm—a mixture of his Vermilion Bird Divine Flames and Light Profound Energy. In an instant, every corner of the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest was illuminated by blood-red light without exception. All the profound darkness energy in that place was swept away as if it had encountered its natural enemy.
After doing this, he stepped over the demolished wall, and his footsteps finally entered the dark world beyond the stone wall. As soon as he entered the world beyond the destroyed wall, relying on the red light in his hand, with just one glance he could already see the object emitting the black energy and dangerous aura. The silhouette of a black roulette wheel appeared before his eyes....
Its body was black, but perhaps its existence had already transcended "darkness." It was like the open eye of a devil in an endless abyss.
The Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations!
At the beginning of the Primordial Era, created using the utmost negative energy of the Primal Chaos and possessing the most powerful and malevolent yin energy, that was a terrifying existence that even gods and devils feared.
Although it was listed among the "Divine Profound Treasures," it was not truly a treasure, but the most horrifying existence in the Primordial Dimension. Despite ranking second among the Divine Profound Treasures, it and the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword had been forged simultaneously from two extreme energies. In terms of destructive power, it was not inferior to the [Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword]. However, due to the fact that the [Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword]'s energy attribute was sacred and the [Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations] was malevolent, it could only be ranked after it.
The last time it had appeared, the explosion of energy, as well as the release of the most terrifying poison of the primordial world—Myriad Tribulations—eradicated all gods and devils, bringing their era to extinction.
Its power and terror were things no living being could imagine or comprehend.
After the end of the era of gods and devils, it had disappeared along with the [Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword] and never appeared again. However, in the past millions of years, humans had never given up searching for the sword, as they hoped to possess the invincible power to "Smite the Heavens." However, no one had ever tried to find the [Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations], because that would only provoke the most terrifying catastrophe in the world.
Well, only someone as villainous as him would seek out an object like that...
Ren Zu thought with irony, while feeling cold sweat trickle down his back. Even with his extraordinary mental fortitude, he was still human, and upon encountering that feared artifact lost for a million years, a slight dread sprouted in his heart before the profound aura it emanated.
Even a True God would tremble at the sight of it; so what to say of a "mere villain" like him? Still, despite the fear, he did not let it dominate him. In fact... he was excited.
For with this, he would finally have an absolute trump card!
Calming his emotions, Ren Zu continued to approach. One step... Two steps... gradually drawing nearer to the Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations.
As he drew closer to it, the pressure emanating from it rapidly diminished.
No matter how powerful the [Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations] was, it was still an object, not a living being. To unleash its full potential, it needed a living being as a medium. A normal artifact, even if it possessed a strong consciousness and spiritual force, would still be controlled by a living being. However, in the case of the [Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations], its level and power were far superior. Instead, it could control the living being... or even a devil!
The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign was precisely the being chosen by the [Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations]—or perhaps it was more accurate to call him its host!
Millions of years ago, the devils, driven into a frenzy by being forced to fight one desperate danger after another, had broken the seal on the [Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations], allowing it to return to the world once more. After being sealed for so long, it had accumulated infinite amounts of negative energy. As soon as it escaped its bonds, its energy exploded wildly, and it took the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign as its host. Then, it unleashed the Myriad Tribulations, which had the power to destroy heaven and earth as well as exterminate all gods and devils. Moreover, the [Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword], the only item that could oppose it, remained missing, leading to the extermination of the gods and devils.
As for the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, as the host controlled by the Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations, he naturally had to survive.
After eradicating all gods and devils, its powers had drastically diminished... perhaps even to the point of complete exhaustion. However, besides the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, another god had not been extinguished, and that was the Evil God, who was not defeated despite being poisoned by the "Myriad Tribulations."
Although the power of the [Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations] had weakened drastically, the Evil God still could not destroy it. In this world, there was nothing that could. As the host of the [Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations], the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign also could not be destroyed by the Evil God. Therefore, all the Evil God could do was use all his remaining strength to seal the [Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations], along with the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, and hope that prolonged sealing could eradicate its existence.
This was also the reason why the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign had only been sealed by the Evil God for millions of years, and not killed by him at that time. It was not that the Evil God did not want to; it was because he could not!
The seal left by the Evil God was not simple. It also possessed strong devouring powers. During those millions of years of sealing, the [Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations] was constantly devoured by the Evil God's powers. Its already depleted powers were weakening further, to the point of even losing control over the Lunar Slaughter Devil Sovereign, meaning he was no longer its host and they had become independent existences.
This was also why the Sovereign had said in the original story to Scum Che that "the Evil God's seal destroyed this king's devil body and soul, but also allowed him to regain his freedom"...
Once he was no longer the host of the [Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations], the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign had also lost its protection and suffered from the Evil God's devouring powers, causing his vitality and soul origin to become severely damaged.
Eventually, ten thousand years ago, the power of the Evil God's seal finally dissipated, allowing the [Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations] and the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign to break free. However, having suffered from the Evil God's devouring powers for a million years, the Lunar Slaughter Devil Sovereign's soul power had become exceptionally weak. Originally, it would not take long for him to be completely destroyed, but fortunately he was found by the founder of the Supreme Ocean Palace and then sealed within the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest. Therefore, within the Supreme Ocean Palace's seal, he relied on the black aura emitted by the [Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations], as well as the Netherworld Udumbara Flower that had bloomed for his survival... until he was killed by him...
Ren Zu stopped and stood before the Wheel of Myriad Tribulations of the Evil Infant, his eyes reflecting the dark glow that made him seem like a black abyss. He said slowly: "After the end of the Era of Gods, countless people speculated about the location of the Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations, and even more tried to uncover what the Evil God had done before his defeat. I never imagined that I would truly be the first person in the world to discover the answer."
"This planet was the first world created by the Evil God and the place where he was defeated. Anyone would have a simple doubt: why does the planet that the Evil God personally created and cherished so much have so few resources and such a low level of profound aura? So, the root of the problem lies right here!"
"It was so that, even if you managed to escape the seal one day, in a world with such scarce energy concentration and low level, you would never have the chance to recover your energy quickly. The Evil God was certainly meticulous."
"If the Evil God could not destroy you, that does not mean I cannot.... But I believe it would be better to seal you for another billion years—what do you think? If I set up a profound formation that draws on the energy of heaven and earth, when this world is destroyed, you will still remain sealed for a time until it unravels...."
"Sniff…"
The dark glow of the Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations trembled. In Ren Zu's mind, a shrill and soft voice rang out, laden with injustice, sorrow, and plea, something akin to the helpless cries of a baby.
"Please… Save me…"
A gentle voice, capable of breaking someone's heart, pleaded softly… Three short words, but trembling, as if spoken by a child who had just learned to talk.
Ren Zu's eyebrows furrowed; he smiled slowly beneath the mask: "I never imagined that the Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations, which would make even gods and devils cower, would actually beg for help from a pathetic human like me!"
"Please, save me… Take me… away from here…"
The baby's voice pleaded even more, almost sobbing.
"Save you? You know, I believe that is not remotely feasible. You are the most terrifying, the most evil, the most vile existence in this world! In the past, even gods and devils died because of you. If I took you out of here and allowed you to recover your strength, the world would be doomed again for all eternity! It is not just me; even the most malevolent person in the world, if they knew you were the Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations, would use all their power to seal you and never allow you to see the light of day again!"
"No…" The baby's voice became sad and tearful: "I am not that evil… I am not… a bad child… I just want… to get out of here… It is so dark, so cold, and it is always so silent…"
The Wheel's voice conjured in the mind the image of a tender baby. Its helplessness and sadness were enough to touch even a heart of stone.
However, Ren Zu was not moved in the slightest.
"Do not try to deceive me. At the beginning of the Primordial Era, the Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations was born from the most extreme negative energy, representing the most sinful power. Millions of years ago, when it escaped its bonds, it exterminated all gods and devils, destroying an entire era! And now you say you are not a 'bad child'? Ridiculous."
"...That is merely the attribute of my power. Energy can be positive or negative, but it does not distinguish between good and evil. I only killed them at that moment… because… they… locked me away for so many years… What I feared most… was darkness and loneliness… So I hated them… I killed… so they could never take me back to that dark and lonely world…"
Ren Zu's expression did not change in the slightest....
The feelings of anger, fear, and injustice seemed extremely real. There was no perceptible falsehood.
It was like listening to an abused child explaining why they had taken revenge on the world.
He smiled calmly...
"You are called 'Evil Infant,' but do you really think I will believe your soul is that of a baby? You are the most malevolent existence in this world. Spare me! I will seal you again right now. Even if I die, I will leave someone to continue the mission and ensure you never see the light again!"
"Sniff…"
The baby's voice turned into pained sobbing.
"Why… do you not believe me… then… I…"
A dark mist rose before Ren Zu, and within it, the [Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations] transformed into a black light and entered between his eyebrows.
Ren Zu raised his left hand. On the back, a small mark of a black wheel slowly emerged.
He mobilized his domineering profound energy due to his cultivation method and spoke calmly.
"Do you still think you are the same Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations that exterminated gods and devils? With your current strength, you want to take me as your host? That makes it even easier to seal you!"
"I… I do not…" the baby's voice replied quickly, flustered. "As long as… you are willing to take me… away from the darkness and loneliness… I am willing to… submit to you…"
"Submit… to me? Seriously? You are the Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations. Alongside the Heaven Smiting Ancestral Sword, you are at the highest levels of the Primal Chaos Realm! Not even a god can control you. How would you submit to a human?"
He continued with his perfect performance....
"If… you can take me to the outside world… I will not have to face darkness and loneliness… In the future… you will be my master… If you fear my power… then, if you become my master… you will not need… to fear that I will harm you…"
Ren Zu smiled beneath the mask.
"If I become your master, you will be controlled by me; I will be your eternal and absolute master. Is that truly fine? You accept?"
The baby's voice became excited:
"As long as… I do not have to be trapped in darkness and loneliness anymore… I will… obey you…"
Ren Zu could not believe that voice came from the malevolent and terrifying artifact that had destroyed an entire era. But he found it amusing...
He smiled calmly.
"Very well… then we will follow the most cruel contract between master and slave. I as master, you as slave. Unless I cancel the agreement, you will be eternally controlled by me, unable to betray me! And when I die, you will follow me—do not forget that. You will have to protect me very well, understood?"
The red light flashed between Ren Zu's eyebrows, linking the contract to the artifact.
To his surprise, the Wheel accepted joyfully, like a caged bird that had finally won its freedom.
The black mark flickered a few times before disappearing.
"From now on, you are no longer the Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations that exterminated gods and devils. Now, you belong to me."
He used his cultivation method once more to seal the master-slave contract. Thus, he truly became the eternal master of the second-ranked item on the list of the Seven Divine Profound Treasures.
He could feel the artifact's spirit's joy, helplessness, and sorrow.
After all, the Wheel was one of the two "correction devices" left by the Ancestral Goddess for the Purification of All Creations. The Goddess had bestowed upon it the pure and immaculate spirit of a child, so that it could perceive and absorb both the good and evil of the world.
If it received love, kindness, and care from those around it, it would grow attached to the world and see it as something worth protecting. But if all it encountered was malice and hostility, then in its eyes, the world would become perverse and tainted, leading it to invoke the Myriad Tribulations to "purify" the turbid souls of creation.
Unfortunately for the world, when it fell into the hands of the Devil Race, they chose to treat it in the worst possible way. Its childish and untamable temperament, combined with a power that surpassed even that of the Devil Emperors, made the Devil Race extremely wary of it. Instead of guiding or nurturing it, they decided to exploit its innocence: they lured it into a formation, put it to sleep, and then sealed it eternally.
But when the great war between the God Race and the Devil Race erupted, they were forced to release it, and that ended up becoming their second greatest mistake.
The long period of sealing, trapped in endless darkness and solitude, corrupted its childish heart. The Evil Infant Wheel accumulated an overwhelming resentment toward the world. Enraged, it took control of the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, using him as its host...
In other words, the Spirit of the Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations
A baby so childish it would kill gods when angered… and so desperate for light and companionship that it would give up everything just to avoid darkness and loneliness.
"Yes, master," the baby's voice said. There was no shame, only joy.
"Now you can see the outside world with me, and you will never face loneliness again. But I will not use your power so easily. If they discover that I am the owner of the Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations, I will become the number one enemy of the Primal Chaos Realm! Something I am not yet prepared to be. But do not worry—in the future, there will be no such problem...." Ren Zu said calmly.
"Hm, I will always obey, master."
"Now tell me: what could allow your powers to recover?"
"I belong only to you, master, so only you can influence my strength. Your anger, resentment, killing intent, blood, hatred, jealousy, and guilt… these negative emotions will strengthen my growth. If your negative emotions suddenly increase to a certain point… my powers may awaken."
Ren Zu smiled calmly...
".... Is that so? Good to know. Now let us leave this place.... You must not be able to bear staying in this darkness any longer..."
".... Yes, master... please," the baby's voice said in his mind.
He smiled upon hearing his artifact's words and, with composure, extended his hand toward the Netherworld Udumbara Flower, which would still take some time to mature. A greenish flame appeared on his fingers, taking the form of a small bird. The fire creature flew to the flower and, with its ethereal heat, fully accelerated the maturation process. In just a few moments, the flower was ready to be harvested.
Without hesitation, he activated the [Heaven's Will Crystal Body], combining it with spatial laws to collect the herb. The Udumbara Flower appeared directly in his hand, and he promptly sealed it before storing it in his spatial ring.
Having completed everything he needed, he simply vanished from the lair as casually as if he had never been there.
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