"Soul Tar..."
Zhang Yao’s expression remained unchanged as he spoke:
"Fellow Daoist, why not speak a little more clearly."
"...Alright."
The Nether Abyss Ancestor hesitated for a mont before slowly speaking:
"Since things have co to this point, I should keep my promise and lay everything on the table."
"Back then, when I ventured deep into the Underworld and encountered the Zhuoxiu Tribe, I made a deal with them..."
As he spoke, he suddenly tore open the clothes on his chest, revealing his chest.
On the chest of the Nether Abyss Ancestor was a wriggling black shadow, like a large animated tattoo, ’parasitic’ on his body.
At the instant this ’black shadow tattoo’ appeared:
Zhang Yao once again sensed that ’alienated muddy qi’-like aura from the Nether Abyss Ancestor, but this ti, it was much denser, stimulating his internal magical power to slightly surge.
"This is both the price I paid and my opportunity; the two are one and the sa."
The Nether Abyss Ancestor pointed to the black shadow tattoo on his chest and said in a flat tone:
"Perhaps you have also realized that this is a Black Death Beast!"
"However, unlike normal Black Death Beasts, this one has extrely high intelligence, roughly equivalent to a few-year-old Human Race child, and has already been tad by the Zhuoxiu Tribe."
"It was integrated into my body using a secret technique by the Zhuoxiu, granting the ability to devour the Black Tide and to assimilate and refine insights of various dark attributes, significantly accelerating my cultivation process and weakening my cultivation bottleneck."
Saying this, he took a deep breath and said in a low voice:
"But ultimately, it is an outsider and cannot truly integrate with . Instead, it continuously erodes my body and divine soul."
"For hundreds of years, every day and night, every mont, I’ve endured pain like arrows piercing my heart and ants gnawing at my body, feeling myself being gradually eroded and devoured, slowly losing myself."
"At first, I hid in a cave for decades without coming out, not even daring to et my only direct disciple; eventually, I grew gradually numb, and now I am even accustod to it."
As the Nether Abyss Ancestor said this, he had already put his clothes back on, covering the black shadow tattoo on his chest.
Zhang Yao withdrew his gaze, his tone sowhat nuanced:
"Have you ever regretted it, fellow Daoist?"
Enduring heart-piercing pain at every mont for hundreds of years, he doubted whether he could withstand it.
It must be said, this Nether Abyss Ancestor is truly ruthless.
"Of course not."
The Nether Abyss Ancestor’s expression didn’t change as he stated unemotionally:
"I’m rely an Earth Spirit Root; to ascend to the Golden Core Realm at just over a hundred years old, it was because I dared to fight, gambling my life in every step, seizing opportunities for Immortal Dao."
"But at the Golden Core Realm, just risking your life is no longer enough."
"Advancing beyond the Golden Core Realm requires talent, insight, background, and opportunity—all of which I lack, so of course, I must seize every chance!"
He said this and smiled, saying:
"If it weren’t for the ruthless decision back then, I would likely have been trapped in the small Da Mo Territory for my entire life, stuck at the bottleneck of early-stage Golden Core, watching as I grew old and died, unwilling yet powerless."
"I would rather die in a magical battle against strong enemies than die of old age in bed."
"So, of course, I don’t regret it; to this day, I still thank the back then for making the right choice."
Zhang Yao nodded slightly and said:
"I understand... The firmness of your will, fellow Daoist, is truly admirable."
"Then why do you intend to return to the Underworld during this large-scale outbreak of the Black Tide?"
"Naturally, to eliminate this hidden danger!"
The Nether Abyss Ancestor took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and said:
"When I accepted the deal with the Zhuoxiu back then, they warned that if I lived to see the second large-scale outbreak of the Black Tide, I must return."
"Because only they have the ans to expel the Black Death Beast from my body."
"Whether due to bad luck I don’t live to see it, or I see it but don’t return, the outco is the sa—being devoured by the Black Death Beast and eventually transforming into a monstrous creature."
Hearing this, Zhang Yao’s face suddenly showed a look of realization:
"I see..."
"So the mysterious black shadow planning to attack us earlier was a ’Soul Tar’ who had lost control!"
"Yes."
The Nether Abyss Ancestor nodded and said:
"In fact, I initially feared him deeply, as only I know the cost of integrating with the Black Death Beast."
"Since he managed to persist, his strength should be no less than mine, certainly an unprecedented formidable foe!"
"Our brief encounter in the Black Tide confird my judgnt, so even after forming an alliance with you, I did not dare to relax one bit."
"After all, if I can find allies, so can he. The Mo Yuan is fraught with danger, and the final outco is still uncertain."
He said this with a relaxed tone:
"But this ti, when he manipulated the Black Death Beast to launch a surprise attack and kill ’Daoist Heisen’ Sima Yan, displaying his prowess and intimidating nurous Golden Core cultivators, I saw through his truth!"
"It turned out he could no longer endure; at so unknown point, he had been completely eroded by the Black Death Beast, no longer a cultivator, but a mutated monster."
"Dealing with such a creature is naturally much simpler than dealing with a cunning old cultivator."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yao showed a contemplative expression:
"Before entering the Mo Yuan, he must have disguised himself as an ordinary Golden Core cultivator, employing such high-level techniques that no one noticed anything unusual."
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