Chapter 87 - Awakening Continued
"What favor?" Hao Xuan asked suspiciously.
"Any favor. I won't ask you to hurt any loved ones, hell, you might not even be able to reach a realm high enough to be able to help to me. But when or rather 'if' I do ask, you must honor your word. Do you agree? I'll awaken your constitution and help you awaken a better physique if you can endure the pain," he said blandly.
"Consitution? Physique?"
"Yes. Constitution is something you're born with and it cannot be changed later on. But physiques can be upgraded in many ways. It all depends on your luck. Don't worry, I'll leave an explanation in your little head so you can go over it in detail."
"And fortunately for you, I have an ancient physique scripture just for you. I found it in a temple in a forbidden realm. But at the time I was already cultivating a physique and it was near completion so I could not use it myself. Since time immemorial, less than twenty people had managed to get their hands on this physique and all of them were unrivaled Paragons."
"I still don't understand, what will it allow me to do?"
"Each physique is different. The one I have is called "Immortal Devouring Demon" Physique and if you manage to cultivate it to completion, then even Gods will run after hearing your very name," he said with a resplendent smile.
"You don't have much to lose anyway kid. Chose now, quickly." Hao Xuan wanted some time to think it through but there wasn't much apparently. The pain was coming back and it was much worse than last time.
He thought about Meng's proposal and it wasn't half bad. He would get to live and get a few other things as well. And for that, all he had to do was a single favor.
"Why do I feel like I'm making a deal with the devil?" he muttered.
"Hahaha, devils wish to make a deal with me kiddo. So, what will it be? I can't stop this much longer," he said looking around.
"Fine, I accept," with a sigh, Hao Xuan finally agreed.
"Great! You won't regret this....probably, hahaha," and with that, he once again put his hand on top of Hao Xuan's head. Soon after he lost consciousness and then felt a searing pain throughout his body. It felt like he was being taken apart molecule by molecule.
"Remember the things you care about kid, remember what you want to live for," he heard Meng's voice for the last time and then felt his body jerk repeatedly.
"He's awake!" a female voice sounded next to him. Hao Xuan slowly opened his eyes and saw two figures standing over him. One of them was a beautiful girl and the other an old lady.
"Hang on child, it's about to start," the granny said gently.
"Start...? Wha-" before he could finish, the girl took out a small glass bottle and emptied it completely in the coffin which was now a dark green color and gave a very pungent smell.
As soon as the venom mixed with the liquid in the coffin, it seemed to have gained sentience and started to enter his body through the skin.
"AHHHH" he couldn't help but let out a painful scream. The pain came back tenfold, and this time it wasn't just physical but spiritual as well. His very soul felt like it was on fire.
"STOP STOP! PLEASE!" he shouted looking at the granny. Blood was pouring out of his eyes, nose, and ears.
The granny and the princess's expression changed in an instant.
"T-This isn't supposed to be happening," the princess stammered.
"Something went wrong with the process, the pain shouldn't be this bad. I can feel it, his soul is being attacked by something," the granny said with a horrified expression.
A person's soul was his very essence. The body was just a shell and could even be exchanged in some circumstances. But the soul was different. If something happened to the soul, then they would be damaged goods for eternity.
"MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE!" Hao Xuan begged in agony. The pain he was experiencing was unimaginable. It was like experiencing all the tortures of the world at once.
Just as he was about to lose himself in the pain, he heard a voice.
"Remember what you want to live for!" Meng's words echoed in his head and he gained some clarity. "What I live for?" and the images from his past started flashing by.
"I want to see them again!" the image of the Khan family appeared.
"I want to get revenge!" the image of the Yue Fei standing over him flashed.
"I want to see her smile again!" the image of Emi appeared, she was holding out her pinky finger with an innocent smile on her face.
"And most importantly, I want to keep my promise!" he said with gritted teeth and opened his bloody eyes once more.
His heart felt like it was going to explode it was beating so fast. His eyes kept changing their color, green to blue, blue to red, red to white.
The granny and the princess were shocked speechless at this point. All they could do was watch.
Hao Xuan remembered the things Meng had promised him and he closed his eyes. The books appeared and this time with an extra translucent one present.
The words "Immortal Devouring Demon" were written on its cover. The very words themselves exuded arrogance. Total contempt for all of creation. Just looking at the book made Hao Xuans soul quiver in fear.
He willed it and it opened in an instant. The first page read:
"Who Dares Stand in my Presence!?"
"I am the one you fear,"
"I am the one you dread,"
"I am the one from whom even Gods and Immortals fled!"
"The Worlds are my playground,"
"Heavens my plaything,"
"All shall cower before the might of my very being!"
These words sounded like a vow, a vow Hao Xuan was making to the universe.
*BOOOOOOOM*
As soon as he finished reading, his skin exploded with such an impact that it sent the two women tumbling away.
A bloody mist surrounded his body as it slowly got more and more concentrated until a red piece of flesh was formed around his entire body. Now inside of the coffin contained nothing but a massive bloody cocoon that seemed to be breathing.
"What the hell just happened?!" the granny got up slowly and looked at the coffin. With utmost care, she moved forward inch by inch.
All the liquid from the coffin was gone. It was bone dry.
The princess got up as well. She was much worse off than the granny as her robe was ripped from several places and there was dust all over her face.
"I-Is he okay?" she asked hesitatingly. Her expression was more of fear than that of concern at this point.
"Awaken the Matriarch. This is out of our hands now," the granny said gravely. They had followed the instructions to the letter. How could something like this happen?
"NOW!" she shouted when the princess kept standing there in a daze.
"Y-Yes," she turned around and left in a flurry.