One-Eyed Monster

Although the whole scene now looks slightly eerie, Kuyi Tulan’s straightened figure seems to be telling everyone that nothing here is over yet. He is still the one ruling everything here.

The Soul Guardians still can’t move at all. This bound feeling is hard to describe, and it is precisely this binding that makes them feel that everything is still under Kuyi Tulan’s control, even though they have no idea whether this premonition is actually correct.

Everything remains to be verified. Kuyi Tulan’s upright body seems to be making them a promise, and this promise is also a gesture of intimidation. It is a proclamation to these Soul Guardians that the true Demon King is being born.

Judging from the surface, the duel between the two Blue Flames has already produced a result. On the surface, Kuyi Tulan’s Blue Flame has been completely Devoured, without even a single spark left.

But this surface image is only a superficial reaction of the Devouring process. Even the most formidable Soul Devourer, after Devouring another consciousness, still needs a long digestion phase; that long digestion is the process of assimilation and conquest.

For an absolute power crush, this process of assimilation and conquest can be understood in those terms. But if both sides are equal in strength, then even if one side has Devoured the other, there still has to be an internal struggle. In the broader sense, that internal struggle is a contest of consciousnesses within the Inner World; in the narrower sense, it is a kind of communication between two consciousnesses.

Only this sort of communication will never be benevolent. It is a disguised form of crushing, a kind of spiritual ravaging of a person.

Right now Kuyi Tulan is precisely in this phase. He is engaging in communication with the other side.

Communicating with the Shadow Ghost is something Kuyi Tulan has always planned to do, and now his plan has finally been realized.

”I truly didn’t expect you would choose this kind of method to achieve your goal.” Within Kuyi Tulan’s consciousness, a voice without the slightest emotion appears.

This voice drifts and wavers, like a fusion of a frail invalid and a dying old man.

”No risk, no gain.” This is Kuyi Tulan’s own voice; his consciousness is now razor sharp.

”I very much admire your thinking, and I have high hopes for you. Your participation will make my plan proceed even more perfectly.” That voice seems to have already taken Kuyi Tulan as something in its pocket.

”I think you must be misunderstanding something. I am not some lamb to the slaughter.” Kuyi Tulan shows not the slightest sign of backing down; he comes straight out with his thoughts.

That ever-shifting voice says nothing, but a cold chuckle wafts through, as if it believes Kuyi Tulan is talking in his sleep.

”You lot are always so arrogant, never willing to really take a proper look.” Kuyi Tulan sighs, as though he feels a touch of regret for his opponent’s conceit.

He has gone through this kind of Devouring. He has counter-Devoured those lofty Soul Devourers. That’s why now he has the confidence to converse with this voice.

”Your courage is commendable, but everything has already been decided. You ought to obediently enjoy it.” That voice is transmitting signals of assimilation and conquest, yet Kuyi Tulan remains unmoved.

”You always think you can obtain everything, but in reality, you constantly overlook one crucial fact.”

Kuyi Tulan’s narration doesn’t provoke much of a reaction. That drifting voice continues to float there, as though no matter what Kuyi Tulan says, it will not disrupt its plans.

”I know, this is only a part of you. But being able to contact you in this way, that counts as my first step.” Kuyi Tulan is unusually talkative at this moment; he doesn’t know why, only that there’s so much he feels compelled to say.

If he doesn’t get these words out, his entire heart will feel ill at ease.

”I chose to be Devoured by you, because only in that way could I establish contact with the mysterious Shadow Ghost, even if what I’m touching is still such an incomplete fragment.”

”Since you chose to be Devoured, then you should calmly accept this reality and become our companion. Everything will unfold step by step…” That voice—the fragment of the Shadow Ghost Kuyi Tulan spoke of—continues its preaching.

But Kuyi Tulan doesn’t care in the least.

He feels he has not lost his right to control himself at all, whereas his opponent is simply indulging in wishful thinking.

”I find you extremely strange—strange enough to stir a certain impulse in me. But I know this is not the time, because I still have many, many questions for you.”

Kuyi Tulan speaks unhurriedly, as if time is nothing but a burial of love to him; what he has is time.

”Ask whatever you want, I won’t answer. Because we are not even remotely equal…” The Shadow Ghost fragment is in no hurry either; it seems it too has plenty of time.

Time suddenly becomes something irrelevant, as they waste themselves in this boundless span.

”I’ve noticed you’re different from the rest. Many people live in solitude and confinement, but once they have a chance to express themselves, they vent their bottled-up emotions, and chatter on endlessly. Yet you, this Shadow Ghost, seem like a sealed gourd!”

”You think I’m like you, endlessly babbling about things that don’t matter?”

”Hahaha, now that counts as real communication. See, this is quite productive, isn’t it? You can still see the difference between you and me!” Kuyi Tulan seems to be deliberately stirring the Shadow Ghost’s emotions, to make everything proceed according to his own rhythm.

This is Kuyi Tulan’s plan: throughout the entire process, keep the rhythm in hand, and gradually seize control of the entire situation.

Counter-devouring is not something he has experienced only once or twice. Each time he has gained something new. In his battle with Willem he came to understand the greatest weakness of these Soul Devourers, and now he intends to exploit that weakness.

These Soul Devourers are, in the end, bodiless. Their entire objective for existence is to find a new physical vessel, then persist forever. But how to find a suitable vessel has always been their biggest problem.

Their misalignment, their lack of adaptation—that is their weakness.

This Shadow Ghost differs somewhat from the other Soul Devourers. It seems to have no fixed vessel; it doesn’t rely on people of this world to persist. It appears instead to be relying on Spirit to survive!

This contrast serves as a reminder to Kuyi Tulan: this Shadow Ghost is quite unlike the other Soul Devourers.

Kuyi Tulan can only rely on this seemingly pointless chatter to slowly tease out the Shadow Ghost’s various weaknesses.

Perhaps this Shadow Ghost has no weaknesses. Perhaps it is strong enough. But Kuyi Tulan will not abandon his plan.

Since he chose to be Devoured, naturally he has his trump card. Counter-devouring is his edge! He will use this counter-devouring to gradually consume the Shadow Ghost’s strength.