The child quickly bowed his head and said sincerely, "Thank you, Mr. Lord Grim Reaper."
The Treasure Spirit blinked, stunned. Its mouth opened slightly, then shut again as its body gave a subtle twitch.
Grim Reaper? it thought.
Do I look like a Grim Reaper? From which angle? I'm a handsome spirit—how did I suddenly become a Grim Reaper?
Of course, it didn't dare voice these thoughts. With a silent sigh, it simply lowered its head and resumed handling the materials, pretending not to care.
...
After three more hours of meticulous preparation, Fang Yuan finally finished arranging the materials and placing the required Gu worms inside the cauldron. Every unnecessary Immortal Gu that had once been placed around the area as mere decoration was removed and tossed into the storage room—none were spared.
Even the Yellow Treasure Heaven itself was sealed shut.
Countless Gu Immortals must be panicking or speculating about its sudden closure, but Fang Yuan paid them no mind. Their concerns were meaningless to him.
To Fang Yuan, the refinement he was about to begin was worth more than any treasure, any Gu worm, or any immortal scheme.
In the past sixty years, he had successfully refined seven Rank 9 Gu.
The treasure spirit had assisted in each refinement, though in truth, it had only done so under Fang Yuan's guidance.
He had trained it, taught it, molded it to perform the refinements as he required.
Pouring a surge of Immortal Essence into the cauldron, Fang Yuan caused it to grow—its frame expanding until it was the size of a small room.
He stood before it, eyes calm and resolute.
"Fei Cai," he said softly, his voice echoing with power, "it's time for you to be reborn."
At his command, the light cage holding the child gently lifted into the air, drifting toward the cauldron. Slowly, it descended into its center.
As Fang Yuan dropped the final materials into the cauldron, a sudden cry echoed from within.
"L-Lord! It's burning!" the child screamed, his voice filled with fear and pain.
Hovering high above the cauldron, white wings unfurled behind him, Fang Yuan looked down calmly.
A faint smile touched his aged face.
"Child," he said softly, his voice resonating with power and strange comfort, "your luck is truly extraordinary."
"You are about to be born."
"The pain you feel now—this burning—is the pain your new mother is enduring as she gives birth to you."
"The more you resist, the more agony you will feel. And your mother, too, will suffer even more."
"Only when you fully surrender yourself to this essence will your rebirth begin."
He paused, eyes sharp, smile turning solemn.
"Do not forget—you are a soul. You have no body."
"And if you allow any Gu Worm to come near or enter you, you will not only destroy yourself… but also the mother who is trying to give you life on the other side."
"All of it—every whisper, every illusion—will be the devil's trickery."
His words were calm, yet seemed to carry a grave weight.
The child, trembling, looked down at the swirling pool of Yellow Apricot Immortal Essence, now glowing with heat and radiating an intense aura. He swallowed hard.
Then, with new resolve in his young eyes, he nodded. "Yes, Lord."
"I am a soul. I'm about to be reborn. I must not let any Gu Worm near me."
He clenched his small fists and looked toward the glowing essence.
"New mother… I'll come to you soon."
With those final words, the child slowly closed his eyes, surrendering himself to the heat.
Fang Yuan descended slowly from the sky, landing beside the massive cauldron. Without hesitation, he poured another surge of Immortal Essence into it.
"Aaagghhh!"
"Aaagghhh!"
"Aaagghhh!"
The child's agonized screams echoed from within the cauldron, sharp and raw with pain.
"Lord, it's burning!" he cried.
Fang Yuan, unmoved, replied firmly, "Remember what I told you."
"Aaagghhh!"
"Aaagghhh!"
The child's wails grew louder.
Fang Yuan calmly added more refinement materials into the blaze.
Inside the cauldron, amidst the pain, the child's trembling voice began to chant—half in desperation, half in resolve.
"I am a soul…"
"I am a soul…"
"I am a soul…"
"I am dead…"
"I am dead…"
"I am dead…"
"I can't feel pain…"
"I can't feel pain…"
"I can't feel pain…"
"It's my new mother's pain… her pain giving birth to me…"
"Mother… don't worry… I won't let anything happen to you…"
"Aaagghhh!!"
The fire flared, and so did the boy's screams. But then, suddenly—
"A Gu Worm!"
The shout rang out, filled with fear.
Fang Yuan's eyes narrowed. His expression darkened, and killing intent surged from his body like a tide.
But before he could act, the boy's voice roared out again from the flames:
"Go away!"
"I'm about to be reborn!"
"Aaagghhh!"
"Leave me!"
"I am a soul!"
"I am dead!"
"I am about to be reborn!"
"Go away!"
"Leave me!"
"Go away!!"
"LEAVE ME!!"
Fang Yuan's expression slowly softened, the corners of his lips curling into a faint smile.
The screams continued for over ten minutes, then gradually weakened.
A trembling voice emerged, weak but filled with clarity:
"Mom… I'm coming…"
"I'm about to be reborn…"
"Dad… in this life, I'll protect you…"
"Gu Worm… stay away. Don't come near me…"
"You're a devil… I'm dead… and I'm about to be reborn…"
"I'm not alive… so I won't accept you… never…"
"I… am about to be reborn!"
And then—silence.
The fire still burned, but the cries had ceased.
Fang Yuan, calm and composed, added the final set of materials into the cauldron. With a final gesture, he sealed the lid shut.
The enormous cauldron shrank, compressing with a hum of power until it fit snugly in the palm of his hand.
He looked at it with satisfaction, his eyes gleaming with a faint, inscrutable light.
Fang Yuan smiled faintly, his eyes devoid of warmth as he murmured:
"There is nothing in this world more untainted than a child's innocence…"
"…and nothing easier to exploit."
"Innocence is a flaw—soft, pliable, and utterly defenseless. That's why children make perfect vessels… perfect tools."
"They believe what you feed them. They trust without question. You shape them, bend them, and when they've served their purpose—"
He paused, voice turning colder.
"—you discard them."
"Tools are valuable… until they start thinking for themselves."