Orion and the others were focused on the jade slip, their attention completely absorbed. No one noticed the sly grin spreading across the face of the man in the black robe.
"Hmm?"
"This jade slip seems strange..."
Next to Orion, You Susu, the Empress of the Nine Nethers, let out a soft sigh as she examined the jade slip more closely.
Orion, sensing her reaction, immediately turned his gaze toward her. "Susu, did you find something?"
You Susu's eyes gleamed with a strange light. "My Lord," she began, "in the Demonic Path, we are quite familiar with formations, as we often use them for rituals and refining. And from what I can tell... there's a hidden formation within this jade slip."
Though her tone carried a hint of uncertainty, it was clear she was 70% to 80% sure.
"A formation?" Orion furrowed his brow.
Jade slips could have many uses—recording information, passing down cultivation techniques, or even, as Emperor Qingyun once did, controlling sword slaves. But as a medium to hold a formation? That was rare. Setting up a formation was usually a massive undertaking, far beyond what a small jade slip could handle.
Before they could discuss further, a loud shout interrupted their thoughts.
"What are you doing? Stop right there!" bellowed Xu Chu, his sharp eyes locked on the man in the black robe.
Everyone's attention snapped toward the man, who was muttering something under his breath, his voice growing louder and more distinct. He seemed to be chanting.
"Shut up!" Xu Chu stormed forward and slapped the man across the face with a loud crack. "If you don't stop, I'll kill you!"
But the black-robed man didn't flinch. His chanting continued, now even louder.
"The heavens and earth, boundless as they are, may the universe stretch far and wide," he bellowed, his voice rising to a roar. "Release!"
In that instant, Orion felt the jade slip in his hand heat up rapidly. Before he could react, it exploded with a deafening bang, sending a nearly invisible beam of light straight into his chest.
"My Lord!!" The surrounding warriors gasped in shock, their eyes filled with both fury and horror.
The light shot into Orion's body too quickly for anyone to intervene. In stunned silence, they watched as the light fused with him, disappearing beneath his skin.
Orion, fully expecting the worst, had already shut his eyes, bracing for the end. But after a moment, he opened them again, surprised to find he was still alive.
"I... I'm not dead?"
The others rushed toward him, their faces filled with concern. "My Lord, are you alright? Do you feel any discomfort?"
Orion said nothing, his expression darkening. Without a word, he tore open his shirt, revealing a faint red pattern, like a living tattoo, etched into the center of his chest. The mark squirmed unnervingly as though it had a life of its own.
"What is this?" everyone wondered. Could the explosion of the jade slip have been meant to carve this bizarre mark into Orion's body? They all knew one thing for sure—the tattoo wasn't a blessing. It could only mean trouble.
"Bastard! You'll pay for this!" Xu Chu's rage flared. With his eyes blazing and his grip tight on his blade, he stormed toward the black-robed man, ready to cut him down.
As Xu Chu's sword descended with all his might, the black-robed man merely grinned, his eyes gleaming with madness.
"Hahaha! You miserable ants dare to meddle in my master's plans? You'll soon regret it! Death is already knocking at your door!" he taunted, his voice thick with delirium.
Despite Xu Chu's rage-fueled attack, his blow never connected. You Susu blocked the strike, her body trembling under the force of the blow.
"Xu Chu, stop!" she gasped, struggling to hold back his lethal strike.
Xu Chu turned on her, his face twisted in anger. "Why are you stopping me? This scum tried to kill our Lord! Do you want to protect him?"
You Susu gritted her teeth. "He deserves to die, yes! But not now!"
"What are you talking about?" Xu Chu barked.
"We still don't know what he's done to our Lord!" You Susu said, her voice strained but firm. "If you kill him now, how will we figure out what this mark on the Lord's chest is?"
Xu Chu hesitated, his sword lowering as the reality of the situation sank in. She was right. As much as he wanted to kill the black-robed man, they needed answers first.
"But what good is keeping him alive? There's a restriction on his mind. We can't even search his soul for answers," Xu Chu grumbled.
"You can't," You Susu replied, her eyes flashing with determination. "But that doesn't mean I can't."
As a demon cultivator, You Susu specialized in soul-searching techniques. "However..."
Her hesitation made the others tense up again.
"What's wrong?" Orion asked, his voice low and grim.
"It's just... the restriction was placed by someone from the Upper Realms," she explained. "If I forcibly search his soul, I can break through it... but the man in black will certainly die."
Everyone understood the unspoken implication. Searching his soul would give them answers, but it would also mean losing their one chance to potentially undo whatever had been done to Orion.
Time was running out, and the stakes were higher than ever.