Chapter 26: Healing

The Night Demon Ancestor entered Wu Shu’s body with such ease that he could never have imagined it was exactly what Wu Shu had hoped for.

Upon entering, the Night Demon Ancestor briefly probed the boy’s flesh and blood. After confirming his findings, he sighed, "What is this? This boy's physical body is pathetic. Judging by his age and physical prowess, he is nothing more than a talentless waste."

However, realizing that Wu Shu’s true strength lay not in physical tempering but in spiritual power, the Ancestor became even more excited. "But this is even better! At this age, if he is a failure at physical cultivation, he must be an utterly ordinary boy unless he has obtained some great destiny. This trip is truly worth it. Little boy, I shall now take over your body. I am eager to see exactly what kind of powerful inheritance you have acquired."

In an instant, the Night Demon Ancestor appeared within Wu Shu’s consciousness.

The moment he arrived, the Ancestor was completely stunned. After rubbing his eyes repeatedly, he finally accepted that what he was seeing was real.

Wu Shu’s consciousness was far beyond anything that could be described as merely "special." It was an entire world, vast and unfathomable, complete with mountains and waters.

Wu Zuo and Wu You, who resided within Wu Shu’s consciousness, appeared before the Night Demon Ancestor immediately. Wu Zuo greeted him with a lazy air, "Welcome to the Graveyard of the Gods. I wonder, which god-level powerhouse were you in your previous life?"

As they appeared, the Night Demon Ancestor scrutinized them from head to toe. Upon confirming they were not mere illusions, his heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself, "This is bad. I fear I have kicked a steel plate today—and a star-silver-grade one at that."

Hearing Wu Zuo refer to this place as the Graveyard of the Gods, the Night Demon Ancestor felt an urge to turn and flee. He knew his own strength well; even though the Houtu Continent lacked true god-level beings, the clues found in ancient ruins over the years convinced all ancestral-level powerhouses that beings surpassing their own rank must have once existed. Whether such beings still existed on the Houtu Continent today, no one dared to say.

At this moment, Wu You spoke with disdainful mockery, "A mere human piece of trash like him, possessing not a shred of divine aura—how could he be a god-level powerhouse? Wu Zuo, you are becoming increasingly disgraceful. If the Master of the Stars ever has important matters to entrust to you in the future, I fear you will be found lacking."

To be described as "disgraceful" regarding his strength made Wu Zuo’s blood boil with rage.

"Shut up!" Wu Zuo roared. With that, a powerful spiritual pressure instantly bore down upon the Night Demon Ancestor. The strength Wu Zuo displayed truly shocked the Ancestor.

Wu You was not to be outdone. "Little brother, have I not disciplined you in the last two days? You’ve suddenly become quite arrogant."

Wu You had touched a sore spot. He and Wu Zuo had used countless methods to compete over who was the elder, a point of contention that remained a thorn in their sides to this day.

"Insolent!" Wu Zuo bellowed. In a fit of fury, he appeared before Wu You and slammed a fist into his face. Wu You, who had been teasing him, had been prepared and raised a palm to parry.

*Bang!*

With a thunderous crash, Wu You was sent flying backward. Landing heavily, he felt as if his body were falling apart. "Are you insane?" he shouted.

Having dealt a fierce blow, Wu Zuo ignored the outburst and said coldly, "Today, a little grasshopper has appeared here. Let him be the witness to whether I, Wu Zuo, am stronger, or you, Wu You, are the weaker one."

The Night Demon Ancestor had initially intended to slip away when he saw Wu Zuo’s strength, but the infantile behavior of the pair left him speechless. In his eyes, they possessed power, but their actions were childish. He decided to sit back and watch them fight, intending to pick up the pieces once they had both exhausted themselves.

Meanwhile, after the Night Demon Ancestor had entered his body, Wu Shu walked toward the crystal stone coffin as if nothing were amiss.

The Battle Ancestor could no longer lie still within the coffin. As it opened automatically, he stood before Wu Shu and roared, "Night Demon Ancestor, stop posturing! Get out of his body at once!"

Given the Battle Ancestor’s status, he was a supreme figure within the Wu family. Now that the family had fallen so far that they could barely survive in East Hostel City, the Battle Ancestor’s return was certain to change their situation. Seeing the Ancestor’s deep concern for his safety, Wu Shu felt truly fortunate. At the very least, the cold indifference of the Great Dao had not touched the Battle Ancestor.

Wu Shu bowed and said, "Battle Ancestor, the Night Demon Ancestor has been trapped within my consciousness. He will not be able to cause me any harm for the time being."

The Battle Ancestor remained skeptical. He had heard of the Night Demon Ancestor’s reputation during his own semi-dormant state, thanks to the intelligence gathered by Flame, the spirit of the Blazing Hammer. The Night Demon Ancestor belonged to the Night Demon Clan, whose previous leader had once massacred millions of innocent humans during the last Human-Demon War. The human ancestral-level powerhouses had been so incensed that three of them, nearing the end of their lifespans, burned their remaining years to pursue him across thousands of miles. Though the previous Night Demon Ancestor eventually escaped back to the Demon Domain, he died shortly after, and rumors spread that he had defied the Heavens, cursing all his descendants to suffer the vengeance of human spirits.

That such a clan had produced another ancestral-level powerhouse was terrifying, and the Battle Ancestor dared not underestimate him. He simply could not believe Wu Shu had trapped such a monster.

Sensing the doubt, Wu Shu did not try to explain. He said calmly, "Battle Ancestor, I am severely injured. Regardless of other matters, I hope you can help me heal my wounds first."

After a moment of hesitation, the Battle Ancestor replied, "Very well, descendant. I shall assist you."

He produced a drop of Blood Soul Liquid. As it appeared, the surrounding air temperature soared.

"Consume it!" The Battle Ancestor flicked his finger, and the liquid drifted toward Wu Shu. But before it had traveled far, the air suddenly turned frigid.

To have a single drop of liquid cause such a rapid oscillation between ice and fire was something Wu Shu could hardly believe.

After catching the drop, he swallowed it and sat cross-legged on the ground. Once the liquid entered his body, the sensation of freezing and burning flooded his entire frame. An indescribable, piercing pain consumed him.

Enduring the agony, Wu Shu felt the urge to roll on the ground. In his mind, he realized he could only rely on the Profound Qi Technique to alleviate the pain. He began to circulate the technique repeatedly. While it only served to guide the volatile energies along his meridians, it at least mitigated the excruciating pain of the ice and fire tearing through his body.

After practicing for an unknown duration, Wu Shu found he could let the remaining energy of the Blood Soul Liquid flow freely. He decided it was time to confront the Night Demon Ancestor within his consciousness.