Chapter 54: The Battle of the Light Sphere

“Yu Zitong, I’m giving you one last warning: if something happens to me, you won’t fare well.”

“You must understand that your primordial spirit can’t last much longer in its current form. If I don’t help you find a suitable body, you might truly dissipate and scatter. So, if there are any omissions or falsehoods in the cultivation method you’ve given me, it’s not too late to tell me now. I swear I won’t hold a grudge. I can even make a solemn vow in front of you.”

Doctor Mo still refused to give up, persisting in his earnest attempts to persuade the young man.

Han Li finally understood a thing or two. Doctor Mo was painstakingly saying all this nonsense because he feared that Yu Zitong might have tampered with the cultivation method, causing him to make a mistake during the ritual and bring disaster upon himself. That’s why, at this critical juncture, he was hesitant and cautious, hoping to reconfirm details from Yu Zitong’s own words before feeling at ease.

“The soul-seizing technique I’ve taught you has absolutely no alterations whatsoever. If I have deceived you, may my entire clan suffer heavenly wrath and die a horrible death, may our lineage be completely wiped out.” Yu Zitong made another resolute and unwavering vow without the slightest hesitation. It seemed he clearly understood Doctor Mo’s concerns.

“Furthermore, while using the Seven Ghost Soul Devouring Art can grant you some magical power and allow you to cast simple spells for a short time, it ultimately comes at the cost of sacrificing your essence to feed the ghosts. With the remaining essence in your body, will you be able to use this spell again?” After finishing his vow, Yu Zitong spoke again, cutting off Doctor Mo’s escape route.

After these words were spoken, silence once again descended upon the stone room, broken only by Doctor Mo’s anxious pacing.

Han Li secretly prayed in his heart. Though he had never believed in gods, this was the first time he wished upon a passing deity, hoping the other party would become afraid and abandon his ill intentions. Even though he knew it was absurd, a form of self-deception, it was the only thing he could do at that moment.

“Alright, to use someone is to trust them; to doubt someone is not to use them. Since I’m seeking such great benefits, it’s only right to take a small risk.” Doctor Mo finally firmed his resolve.

As soon as these words were uttered, Han Li despaired. If he could feel his face, it would surely be pale and filled with dejection.

Yu Zitong, on the other hand, seemed very pleased, with excitement evident in his voice.

“That’s how it should be. Think about it, you were originally an ordinary person without spiritual roots, completely unable to embark on the path of cultivation. But if the ritual succeeds, it will be different. With this body possessing spiritual roots, you can easily find a cultivation family or sect to join and depend on. From then on, you might escape the cycle of birth, old age, sickness, death, and the five elements. At the very least, you’ll live much longer than mortals.”

“Heh heh, then I'll take your blessings first. Rest assured, I, Mo Juren, keep my word. As soon as it succeeds, I’ll immediately help you find a body with spiritual roots as well. I won’t mistreat you, little brother Yu.” Doctor Mo was lost in fanciful thoughts by Yu Zitong’s words. As soon as he imagined the bright prospects after the ritual, his heart burned with eagerness, and he became much more polite to Yu Zitong, his words tinged with an intent to win him over.

“Then many thanks, Elder Brother Mo. After we succeed, I will definitely not hide anything and will hand over all the cultivation techniques to you, Elder Brother.” Yu Zitong was also extremely cunning. He quickly narrowed the distance and built a relationship with the other party.

Han Li listened intently from the side, fuming with rage. These two were truly colluding, shameless in their disregard, treating his body as something already in their possession, completely ignoring the owner’s opinion. But at that moment, he was indeed helpless.

Having cast aside his doubts and made up his mind, Doctor Mo decided not to delay any longer.

He produced several fine golden needles from somewhere and swiftly inserted them into secret acupoints behind his head, making his face flush and his spirits soar. This ensured he had enough energy to perform the spell without error.

Then, he walked over to Han Li, helped him sit upright, and positioned him cross-legged on the ground. Doctor Mo himself sat opposite, crossing his arms over his shoulders.

Doctor Mo formed a hand seal, and with a flick of his hand, a red light shot out, striking the pattern beneath Han Li. Immediately, the surrounding jade stones glowed brightly.

Then, a low, deep incantation slowly emerged from Doctor Mo’s mouth, like a magic spell, making anyone who heard it feel groggy and sleepy. Han Li’s consciousness, as the incantation entered his ears, gradually blurred and became very drowsy.

“Not good!” Han Li knew something was wrong. He understood this was a deliberate act by the other party, a prelude to taking over his body. He was unwilling to just sit by and let it happen, so he resisted the sound with all his might.

But it was no use. If he could still control his body, he could have stimulated himself by biting his tongue or pinching his skin to stay awake, but now he could only passively endure.

Under the powerful hypnosis of the incantation, Han Li quickly lost consciousness. Before he fell into a coma, he vaguely saw Doctor Mo’s once exceedingly handsome face, appearing sinister and terrifying in the dim light, completely devoid of its former charm.

“You’ve become so ugly!” This was the last sentence Han Li wanted to say before falling asleep, a helpless curse without profanity.

In endless darkness, Han Li had a very peculiar dream.

In the dream, he was a green light orb the size of a fist, with his own small world where he floated freely, filled with immense joy.

But soon, a yellow light orb suddenly intruded. This orb was only the size of a thumb, several times smaller than Han Li’s green orb, but it was aggressive and ill-intentioned. As soon as it saw Han Li, it fiercely rushed forward and opened a large mouth to bite him. Han Li, of course, did not show weakness and similarly conjured a mouth to fiercely counterattack.

In just a few moves, the yellow light orb was easily swallowed by Han Li, who relied on his larger size, effortlessly ending the battle.

Han Li, victorious, was overjoyed, savoring the taste of his spoils. At this moment, another intruder entered from outside. This time, the newcomer was a green light orb just like him, but its volume was more than a full circle larger than Han Li’s, though its light appeared dim and weak, not as dazzling as Han Li’s.

This new enemy, upon seeing the green orb that Han Li had transformed into, was visibly startled. It paused for a moment, seemingly hesitant.

But Han Li had just savored the wonderful taste of devouring other light orbs, so how could he let this one go? Without considering the difference in their strength, he charged straight ahead. Seeing this, the other party had no choice but to engage, and they began to tear at each other.

The opponent’s volume was larger than Han Li’s, but it was weak and powerless, clearly just an empty shell. It lasted only a little longer than the yellow one before it also gave way and began to flee.

Han Li refused to let it go and pursued it closely. However, the opponent was truly cunning. Whenever it was caught, it would detach the bitten part and continue its escape. In this way, it actually managed to flee the area, though its volume was reduced by a third.

After two battles, this domain continued to be exclusively occupied by Han Li. The light orb he had transformed into still hoped for other intruders to deliver themselves to him, but unfortunately, none ever came again.

After a long time, he no longer cared. He continued to drift alone and joyfully for a very, very long time, seemingly destined to continue like this forever.