Su Changqing's cold laughter, like a dagger, pierced Ji Tianwei's innocent ears. It echoed through the frigid air, threatening to freeze the blood in his veins.
The flying sword, which had felt so comfortable and safe moments before, now felt like a demon's steed. Su Changqing, the man he'd praised as a 'saint,' was slowly revealing his true nature.
Trapped on the flying sword with him, Ji Tianwei froze, powerless. All hope had vanished. Yet, from the depths of his despair, a small courage emerged, compelling him to ask, though his voice trembled with suppressed tears.
"Father... Mother..." His voice trembled, suppressed tears choking his throat. "Why did you do this, you demon? I'm so disappointed." Fear assailed his heart, leaving him only able to call for his parents.
Su Changqing stared at him, cold and cruel. He walked closer on his sword, crossing the piercing emptiness between them.
"Oh, little Ji Tianwei," Su Changqing whispered with a venomous voice. "Did your father never tell you about yourself? And did your mother stay silent? Look! You have an Immortal Body within you. Do you know what I mean? Hahaha, how could a child know?"
Suddenly, he reached out, choking Ji Tianwei's neck, and brought his face closer. "If that's the case, I'll show you what an Immortal Body is like," he whispered, a thin, lustful smile on his face as his eyes narrowed.
"And one more thing..." Su Changqing released his grip. Ji Tianwei coughed violently, clutching his aching throat. "...I killed your father and mother while they were still alive," he said, glaring into Ji Tianwei's eyes.
Hearing the confession, Ji Tianwei's eyes went blank. Tears streamed down his now empty gaze. A child's mind was instantly shattered by unimaginable cruelty. Yet, amidst the wreckage, a spark of hatred began to ignite, burning in the depths of his heart.
Father, Mother, forgive me. I will kill him with my own hands. Give me courage, he thought, gritting his teeth as tears continued to flow.
With this, I can reach the pinnacle. An Immortal Body... what would it feel like if it were in my body? Su Changqing turned around, a manic laugh escaping his lips. "I will take him to my place," he said.
...
The flying sword carried them to Su Changqing's dwelling, a vile place in the Valley of Death, where he conducted his cruel experiments for his own cultivation.
Upon their arrival, a thick fog enveloped the valley, carrying the rancid, pungent smell of decay. Beneath it, scattered bones lay everywhere. Su Changqing landed his sword, tied Ji Tianwei, and dragged him into a cave.
"This is Ji Tianwei's masterpiece! After this, you're next! Hahaha!" Su Changqing pulled his rope, walking with a crazed laugh.
Ji Tianwei, seeing the scene, was filled with fear. Yet, a whisper echoed from deep within his heart: What is the point of crying? It's useless if this is my fate. I can surrender, but my heart won't. I will change it, I will emulate it... no matter the pain. He continued to walk, staring at the damp ground and the pervasive stench of rot.
"Ji Tianwei, we've finally arrived. This is your playground, hehe," Su Changqing smiled cruelly at Ji Tianwei, who simply followed him, silent and helpless.
Su Changqing walked in, throwing Ji Tianwei into an iron cage. Inside, Ji Tianwei wasn't alone; many humans and creatures had been drained dry, leaving only bones behind.
Su Changqing then left to prepare the feast for Ji Tianwei.
Thump! Thump!
The sound of Su Changqing's footsteps echoed again. He brought a chair made of skulls, radiating a terrifying aura. On his hands and feet were iron shackles. Su Changqing placed the chair in front of Ji Tianwei.
"Little one, let's play," he said, opening Ji Tianwei's cage.
Su Changqing dragged him out, seated him on the chair, and shackled his hands and feet. He then sealed Ji Tianwei's acupuncture points to prevent him from resisting and closed his mouth.
With a knife, Su Changqing began to torture Ji Tianwei. Although Ji Tianwei had an Immortal Body, he could still be injured; his regeneration was just incredibly fast.
"Arrrhhhh!" Ji Tianwei screamed, eyes wide open, seeing Su Changqing repeatedly stabbing his body.
"HAHAHA! THIS IS A WONDERFUL TOY! THAT SOUND... AH, MY BODY TREMBLES!" He repeatedly stabbed Ji Tianwei's hands, feet, and entire body. Crruaat! Splat! Blood gushed out brutally, but the wounds instantly regenerated.
Ji Tianwei could only scream and cry in deep despair, as if surrendering to the vast amount of blood that splattered all over. His eyes were empty.
Su Changqing took a container to collect Ji Tianwei's blood to refine it into an essence for himself, so he could use the Immortal Body's power and increase his cultivation.
Stabbing, pulling out, splitting, and slicing continued, from night until morning, from morning until night, for months on end.
Su Changqing collected a large amount of blood, refining it until it became a single, concentrated drop of blood essence.
"This is it, little Tian. Look at your essence, how beautiful it is, haha. With this, I will kill the cultivators and prove that I am the strongest!" he shouted in glee.
Ji Tianwei, now gaunt and withered, with chapped lips and empty eyes, remained silent. His body was covered in gashes, cuts, and stab wounds. He had experienced the cruelty of a demonic cultivator and suffered profound trauma.
After months of torture, the fire of hatred in his heart, fueled by the prolonged sealing of his acupuncture points, finally caused his dantian to shatter. Now, he could only lie there limply, powerless to do anything, not even to cultivate.
"Thank you, little Tian," Su Changqing said, releasing the shackles and throwing Ji Tianwei into the cage with a loud *bruakk!* like a useless object.
"It's time to absorb your essence," he said, then walked to a large stone in the cave and began cultivating, absorbing Ji Tianwei's blood essence.
A chilling aura emanated from the cave, followed by a vortex of wind swirling fiercely above the Valley of Death. This phenomenon, of course, attracted the attention of powerful cultivators in the vicinity.
Su Changqing, who had absorbed the blood essence, now had a body that shone black. He had obtained a new Immortal Body, though he didn't know that it was flawed.
"Hahaha, this is it! My cultivation has also risen to the fifth stage of the Nascent Soul realm! Within three days, my body felt like it was bursting.
Within seven days, it felt light, and my strength has increased dramatically. This is all thanks to that bastard's son," he laughed hysterically.
Su Changqing walked toward the dying Ji Tianwei. "Congratulations and thank you, little Tian, son of a slut," he said with a sinister and crazed tone.
He knew the aura he had released would attract other cultivators, so he quickly left the cave.
Using his flying sword, Su Changqing departed, leaving the Valley of Death and the dying Ji Tianwei behind.
He's finally gone. Water... I need water, Ji Tianwei thought, using the last of his strength to crawl out of the cave. In front of him was a puddle of green, murky water that looked like poison.
Ji Tianwei, who still had a faint remnant of his Immortal Body's power, didn't think twice. He drank a little.
"Arghhh! Pain! It hurts!" he screamed, clutching his throat and writhing on the ground. Blood gushed from his mouth, nose, and ears.
Splat! Splat!
Blood dripped, his vision blurred, and darkness enveloped him. Yet, a small light appeared in Ji Tianwei's subconscious.
A light? He crawled toward it and saw flashes of warm memories with his father and mother. He cried, saying, "Father, Mother, I miss you! Sob, Sob!"
Then, he heard his mother's voice, "Son, you are a blessing from heaven for us. Don't be sad." And his father's voice, "Son, be a strong and mighty person, hahaha!"
The images changed. He saw his parents dying, burning. "Son, forgive Mother for not being able to protect you," and his father said, "Son, forgive Father if I was wrong." His parents smiled as the fire consumed them along with their home.
Ji Tianwei also saw the images of the months of torture he endured at Su Changqing's hands.
Blood, despair, brutality, heinous torment. He gritted his teeth until blood streamed from his eyes.
"I... I... I WILL AVENGE ALL OF THIS! I AM JI TIANWEI! IF HEAVEN DOES NOT SIDE WITH ME, THEN I WILL WALK THIS PATH ALONE, DESTROYING EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE FELT! ARRGGHHHHHH!"
Hatred and revenge burned within his soul and heart.
At that moment, Ji Tianwei woke up from his unconsciousness. He didn't forget what had happened in his subconscious.
With his remaining strength, he crawled back into the cave as if searching for something. Soon after, he found a forbidden cultivation manual that did not require natural qi.
He smiled, his eyes wide, and said, "THIS HATRED WILL HAUNT ME, AND I WILL EMBRACE IT! HAHAHA!" A crazed laugh filled with vengeance echoed throughout the cave.