"When is that Taoist finally coming back?"
Thousand Hands could no longer wait. He stared at the body lying on the table, his ten fingers moving restlessly, a fierce excitement burning in his eyes.
"Calm down, Thousand Hands."
Lao Chongyuan spoke, and Thousand Hands glanced over, a strange smile spreading across his face.
"How's the Soulreaver Blade? Give me a hint, Mr. Lao."
Lao Chongyuan smiled.
"You're still hung up on that thing? Honestly, there's nothing I can do—the formation that monk set up can't be breached, not even by me."
The light in Thousand Hands' eyes dimmed. He pondered quietly, then looked again at the body, sighing helplessly.
"Do you really not know anything about your own instincts?"
Thousand Hands asked. The white humanoid shook its head, grinning.
"What are instincts? Can you eat them?"
Lao Chongyuan looked visibly displeased. At that moment, Mason Payne walked in.
"Go outside for a bit. Don't you feel stifled staying in this room all day?"
"I told you, I feel like someone is watching us. That unsettling gaze makes me anxious. This research is crucial for us, and we can't afford any mistakes. I'll stay here and keep watch. As for you, you'd better think carefully—women are more trouble than they're worth. Your attitude's been a lot softer lately, you know."
Mason Payne glared angrily at Lao Chongyuan.
"Mr. Lao, you don't need to worry about that."
"Any news from John Chou?"
Thousand Hands looked at the white humanoid and asked.
"Nope."
The white humanoid lied. He didn't tell them what was happening with John Chou, only mentioned Rufina Howard's situation over there.
"Come to think of it, the Prime Ancestor is already over a hundred generations old, isn't he?"
Lao Chongyuan muttered to himself.
"Mr. Lao, I heard about the Prime Ancestor a long time ago. Everything seems to be connected to a Yin-Yang master named Lydia Howard."
Lao Chongyuan nodded.
"It's all very secretive. According to what the Immortality Society knows, the Prime Ancestor has died ten times—fully documented. Why this individual even exists remains a mystery, and there's nothing about it in the depths of memory."
"Mr. Lao, I've heard before that the Prime Ancestor was born for a specific purpose—something only he could accomplish. But there's a problem: their power is always so weak. Even though the task is so important, they can never seem to gain enough strength. It's very strange."
Lao Chongyuan stood up, smiling as he walked over to the White Peacemaker.
"Tell me, did that little girl find you first? It's already incredible that someone can see beings like you, who have no physical form."
White Peacemaker nodded.
"Mr. Lao, isn't it normal to see things like this? There've been cases of filth giving rise to human-shaped entities before."
"You've only lived a thousand years. Can you see things like air or wind?"
Thousand Hands shook his head.
"The breath that lets all things grow—those in the Arcane Society with enough cultivation can sense it, but seeing it is nearly impossible. Humans are always at a loss when facing nature. Yet, being able to see these three products of nature so easily makes me wonder—what exactly is the Prime Ancestor's power?"
Lao Chongyuan spoke, then looked seriously at the White Peacemaker.
"Or, to put it another way, maybe it's instinct that drives the Prime Ancestor to make these invisible things manifest, so we can see them."
Thousand Hands burst out laughing.
"Mr. Lao, you really do come up with the strangest ideas! You're nothing like the other elders."
"The reason we're taking this so seriously is because all three of these guys have instincts. Since John Chou already mentioned it, that's basically confirmed. If the experiment succeeds, then who gets the rights to them?"
At that moment, the White Peacemaker suddenly walked up to Lao Chongyuan.
"We don't belong to anyone. We belong to ourselves."
That one sentence wiped the smile off Lao Chongyuan's face.
"We've spent so much effort helping you become human, and naturally, you need to give something back. That's how the world works—it's human nature."
The White Peacemaker grinned wide.
"I don't mind not becoming human. I've already gotten what I wanted."
Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. Zhang Anle finally returned, and Lao Chongyuan breathed a sigh of relief.
After setting up an altar, Zhang Anle brought over the black box, placing it next to the body on the table. He then carefully affixed numerous purple talismans around the area, each inscribed with dense runes.
"Where's the girl?"
Lao Chongyuan asked. The White Peacemaker replied.
"She's already on her way. She'll be here soon."
With a creak, everyone in the room instantly looked toward the corridor. The black-faced men standing on both sides began to float, then pressed themselves against the walls. An intense, chilling ghostly aura filled the room.
"What are you planning, Zane Zhuang?"
Footsteps echoed. Mr. Brown appeared in the corridor, holding Rufina Howard by the hand.
"Nothing much. Just stretching a bit—after all, we're in enemy territory."
With a whoosh, Mr. Brown stepped into the room. The black-faced men stuck to the walls dropped to the floor, fainting one after another.
Thousand Hands gave a sinister smile, staring at Mr. Brown.
"Well, well. I didn't expect Zane Zhuang, the chief steward of the Chou family, to show up in person. If the enemy gets deep enough and takes your young master's head..."
"There's someone guarding that side. No need for you to worry. If you think you can, go right ahead."
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"Enough. Let's begin, Zhang Anle."
Lao Chongyuan spoke, and everyone turned to Zhang Anle. He was chanting incantations, the black box now open. Inside were twelve test tubes, each shrouded in a faint red mist. Zhang Anle drew a peachwood sword and began to wield it in midair.
Suddenly, the red mist swirling above the test tubes vanished. The blood from all twelve tubes shot out, converged, and condensed into a single mass. A golden radiance instantly flooded the entire room. Zane Zhuang let out a cold, knowing smile.
"This is the power the young master spoke of, isn't it?"
Gradually, the blood mass began to pour into the corpse on the table. Slowly, the once black body faded to gray, all eyes in the room riveted to that single point.
A rhythmic thumping sounded—clear, unmistakable heartbeats. The chest rose and fell, and the skin turned to the color of living flesh.
"Hurry up, little girl. It's your turn now."
Rufina Howard approached, trembling, her hand raised. Thousand Hands held a knife at the ready.
"Don't worry. Just a few drops of blood are enough. My technique is flawless—once I cut, the wound will heal instantly. You won't feel a thing."
As Thousand Hands spoke, he sliced Rufina Howard's thumb with the scalpel. Blood dripped steadily, falling onto the body.
"It opened its eyes."
Mason Payne shouted in astonishment. Thousand Hands burst into laughter. Everyone saw it—the body opened its eyes and was breathing evenly.
"Heart rate is perfectly normal, no different from a living person."
Thousand Hands pressed his hand to the body's neck, then sighed.
"The only flaw is the absence of yang energy. If sunlight touches this body, it'll revert to its original state. Let's hope Lord Wu returns soon."
Lao Chongyuan's face lit up with joy. At that moment, Zane Zhuang stepped forward.
"The young master said, when the three humanoid spirits merge and enter this body, we should conduct the ritual over there."
In an instant, Lao Chongyuan's expression changed. He fixed his gaze on Zane Zhuang.
"If a fight breaks out, the two of us together wouldn't stand a chance against you."
"I'm old now. You monsters are the real threat. Are you worried we'll change sides and seize this person halfway through?"
"Zane Xian, that guy from Yin Choujian can't be trusted. Apart from his claim that these three possess instinct, nothing else he says is reliable. If you dared come from that side, it means you have a powerful ally over there. If we really fight, we'll be at a disadvantage."
Mason Payne laid out the pros and cons. Rufina Howard stepped forward.
"I've already settled things with Yin Choujian. Our goal this time is to help those three become fully human. Afterward, whichever side he chooses, it's up to him. Trust me."
As Rufina spoke, Mason Payne looked at her. Their eyes met. After a long moment, Mason Payne nodded.
"In that case, I'll head back first. When you've given this body yang energy, come over. The white one stays with you, the other two with us. Agreed?"
Lao Chongyuan looked at Zane Zhuang and finally nodded.
"Let's go, girl."
Zane Zhuang spoke, taking Rufina Howard by the hand and turning away. Rufina's eyes shimmered with reluctance. She glanced back at Mason Payne, who offered her a warm smile.
"Can you tell me—who's the one on that side?"
Lao Chongyuan asked. The white humanoid laughed heartily.
"A ragged figure who wields fire. Seems eager to die at Yin Choujian's hands, that one."
"Is it the Deathbane Wraith? The one I least want to encounter right now. Heh, looks like Yin Choujian has the upper hand. We'll need to rally our forces."
Lao Chongyuan called out loudly to those behind him.
"Send word immediately—have all the remaining ones come to me."