Mo Xie Zhe looked up at the pitch-black sky of the Black Forest, as dark as the void itself. The wind howled erratically, sometimes strong, sometimes gentle. His blood-red eyes were the only source of light in that desolate place.
He could clearly see the traces of his battle with the Abyss Wraith King: the deformed ground, pieces of the creature scattered everywhere.
Blood splattered across the ground mixed with the stench of rot emanating from the carcasses of the ordinary Abyss Wraiths. Mo Xie Zhe took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled the filthy, impure air. His body trembled slightly with euphoria.
"Hahahahaha! Wonderful! I had so much fun—fuck no! Shit, I never thought he'd be that weak..."
He glanced down at his own body, his face twisting into a terrifying grimace.
"Yuan Tianzhu... You little bastard... What have you done to my body?! You son of a—well, at least I took care of your problems, didn't I? No need to thank me."
Mo Xie Zhe shoved his right hand against his right ear. "Huh? What? You're grateful? Then why don't you return my body as a token of gratitude, you despicable brat?" His expression brimmed with scorn and disdain, visible to anyone who dared look at him. "Can't hear me, can you? ... Hehehe... Hehehe... Hahahaha... НАНАНАНАНАНАНАНАНАНАНАНАНАНАНАНА! Divine retribution! It's come for you, brat—НАНАНАНАН—"
Suddenly, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
"Damn it, I forgot I turned into a donut! Ahhh! This damn weak body. Yuan Tianzhu, go to hell! May all your ancestors rot! Fuck!"
Mo Xie Zhe took deep breaths of fresh air before finally calming himself. He glanced once more at the Black Forest, feeling a twinge of unease growing inside him, like a tumor gnawing his insides.
His fingers were a little numb; odd enough.
He and that foul-smelling brat had appeared here out of nowhere, without any explanation—only to stumble upon man-eaters feasting on a corpse, savoring it without a shred of remorse.
You didn't need to be a genius to realize something was off. Even that brat's death had been strange—sudden and without warning. Mo Xie Zhe could still recall the words he'd heard as the foul mouthed brat was losing consciousness:
[Subject selected. Trial participant #900. Universe #90. Trial participant in this universe #9. Begin the trial…]
"Subject… Trial… Universe…" Those were the key words. From that alone, and also what those ants had said before, he could infer that they were participating in some sort of trial. But what exactly were they supposed to do to pass this trial?
"Universe…" Based on that, he could deduce that they were in a parallel world—perhaps even a fabricated one. That much could be discerned from the information provided. Yet what bothered him most was the word "Subject."
It was as if he—the great Mo Xie Zhe—was nothing more than a guinea pig…
Unacceptable!
Mo Xie Zhe narrowed his blood-red eyes, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Ugh..."
Suddenly, Mo Xie Zhe felt his hand go limp as the sensation spread throughout his entire body-legs, arms, head. At the same time, his body began convulsing uncontrollably, drops of sweat streaming down his face. He clenched his teeth as a ferocious expression twisted his features. He could feel his blood pressure skyrocketing, his rage threatening to consume him entirely.
"Yuan... Tianzhu..." he growled through clenched teeth, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth. "You cursed parasite!"
Those were the last words he uttered before his vision went completely dark. Without him, the Black Forest fell silent, like a graveyard devoid of life. The absence of his malevolent laughters left an eerie void in the air. His body collapsed to the ground, unconscious, like a sack of potatoes carelessly thrown aside.
Shwoo.
The wind swept through the Black Forest, its dead trees swaying like spectral beings dancing to the rhythm of a morbid tune.
The corpses of the normal Abyss Wraiths scattered across the ground made the scene resemble an ancient battlefield, with black and red blood splattered everywhere.
The stench of rot lingered, even stronger than before.
Twitch.
Suddenly, the lower limbs of a figure moved amidst that hellish and quiet canvas that was the Black Forest. The ragged man's eyes snapped open abruptly, as if he had never truly been unconscious or asleep.
He rose with unnatural ease, his movements calm, light, and precise. With his remaining hand, he dusted off the black filth from his tattered, wrinkled, and dirty clothes, releasing a nauseating stench into the already foul air.
His cold, emotionless eyes—save for a spark of mad fascination—glimmered faintly in the gloom of the Black Forest.
"Splendid. You didn't disappoint me, Yuan Tianzhu… or should I call you Mo Xie Zhe? Whatever. I've gathered enough information to advance my research."
He glanced at the forest, observing the aftermath of Mo Xie Zhe's battle with the Abyss Wraith King. A wild smile stretched across his face, reaching his deranged eyes.
"Hehehe… Let's hope the Dao guides this one to fruition. After so many cycles of trial and error. Countless efforts gone to the drain. Even the patience of the old mountain feels the strain of time."
His voice shifted dramatically—from that of a ragged, crazed scientist to an ancient, enigmatic entity.
"What the hell just happened?"
Yuan Tianzhu's startled voice echoed into the air.
The ragged old man looked somewhat surprised for a moment before letting out a sinister chuckle.
"Hehe, speak of the devil, and he shall appear."
Before Yuan Tianzhu could fully process what was happening, the ragged old man collapsed to the ground, but not before giving him a piercing look that sent chills down his spine. Yuan Tianzhu instinctively turned to glance at him, his scalp tingling as if it were on fire. When he finally set his eyes on the ragged old man, he only saw him lying on the ground, foam bubbling from his mouth, his body in a pitiful and deplorable state.
Yuan Tianzhu stared at him deeply, frowning, his expression a mix of suspicion and confusion, before finally shifting his gaze to the others, scanning their conditions.
Fortunately, he noticed that everyone else seemed fine—
"Urgh!"
Suddenly, an indescribable pain tore through his entire being, leaving him on the ground like a marionette whose strings had been cut off. His hands clutched at his chest, where the pain was unbearable, as if something were trying to burn its way out from his insides. Beads of cold sweat sliding from his pale face as he bit down hard on his lip, desperately trying to endure the agony.
"Mo Xie Zhe… What the hell did you do to my body, you bastard?!" he growled internally, filled with fury and pain.
Ah, how he wanted to give that smug guy a beating of his life!
However, the pain was so overwhelming that his body gave out completely. He opened his mouth as if to scream or shout, but no sound came. His chest burned as if engulfed in flames, and his breaths became shallow, ragged, and labored as he struggled to draw in air.
He lay there on the cold ground, enduring the excruciating pain alone, his body trembling violently at irregular intervals…