Anyone who saw something like that would no doubt be stumped. Usually, the third eye of someone from the Trioptic True Dragon Branch would never change like that. Xuanyuan Yuheng's body suddenly rose into midair, getting closer and closer to the Archaionfiend Eye. As the bloody miasma gathered, his two normal eyes also turned red. The three eyes formed a triangle filled with a bloody aura, making him look incredibly sinister.
"I'm not satisfied... not satisfied!"
His expression was filled with hate. He clenched his teeth and fists so hard that his veins were visible. He was so close to the Archaionfiend Eye that his own third eye looked like a miniature version of it.
At that moment, waves of bloody miasma came out from the Archaionfiend Eye and entered his third eye without pause. Despite the slow rate, the sheer amount of energy that entered his body caused bloody lines to form over it. It was as if there were countless poison snakes swimming about underneath his skin.
All of a sudden, an archaic voice rang out in his mind, "If you aren’t satisfied, then go prove yourself. Let everyone know that you are the one who should be looked up to and admired."
"I can't do it. He’s the goddess' favored and I'm not..." Xuanyuan Yuheng said.
"That's where you're wrong. What sort of goddesses is that? She’s just someone who’s only a little bit stronger than the most powerful samsaran. She also has desires and aspirations, and makes mistakes. She can be killed or framed. There are no eternal gods in this world, only those who manage to shake it up for a period of time," said the voice temptingly.
"No..."
"Trust me. Your goddess is no different from a mere mortal. She is just as vulnerable as anyone else. You aren’t that different from her and don’t have to submit yourself like that. As long as you listen to me, you’ll one day be able to conquer her. She will kneel before you and do your bidding." Even though the voice sounded sinister, it was unbelievably enchanting.
"Who are you?" Xuanyuan Yuheng's expression gradually changed. He was getting more and more excited by listening to the voice.
"Me? If you need someone to worship, then I will be your god. If you become my follower, I’ll give you everything. I’ll let you rule the entire continent and be worshiped by trillions. You’ll be able kill whoever you wish, even that goddess you worship so much. Nobody will be able to neglect you any longer."
Eventually, his third eye was directly contacting the Archaionfiend Eye. The miasma continued flooding inside his eye, making even more bloody snakes appear on his body.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!" Xuanyuan Yuheng yelled as his lips curved into a sinister smile. It was only after some time that his body gradually descended, turning back to normal.
"Leave. Go south and look for a disciple called Lin Xiaoxiao. She will be waiting for you with her lifebound beast."
That was the last thing the voice said.
"Understood." Xuanyuan Yuheng now seemed no different from normal; even his third eye had turned back to gold. However, what lay within him was definitely different from before.
......
Lin Xiaoxiao sat on a snow-white boulder in the pine forest. Her Archaionfiend was patrolling the area as she watched a white-robed youth approach her. As he stood in front of the Archaionfiend, his third eye turned red once more. He met the Archaionfiend's left eye and the bloody miasma transferred from his third eye to the Archaionfiend's eye nonstop for fifteen minutes.
"Go back now. We’ll meet at the same place the next time," the Archaionfiend said.
"Okay." Xuanyuan Yuheng looked at Lin Xiaoxiao with a chilling gaze, then he disappeared into the snowy landscape.
"What are you doing here?" Lin Xiaoxiao asked.
"I’m taking my eye back step by step," said the Archaionfiend.
"Is it so simple? You only need to tempt one person to do it?"
"It's hard to say. At this rate, it’ll take quite a while. My eye is too big."
"When we succeed, we’ll be leaving and never returning here."
"Rest assured, we will," the Archaionfiend said with a sly smile.
......
Every time Tianming absorbed some astralsources, he would go to the Heaven Cauldron to make an attempt at reaching the bottom. If it didn't work, he would go into the mountain to train the Godsoul Canon and review Astral Wills there. The reason he stayed there for so long was that he wanted to wait for the rest to leave so that he would have a chance to check out the Archaionfiend Eye. What troubled him, however, was that Xuanyuan Yuheng would always stay after everyone had left as Xuanyuan Muxue had said.
Day after day, he didn't have time to wait out Xuanyuan Yuheng. After all, he still had to go to the Deepstar Pool. Soon, it had been eight days since he’d started training the Soulshaker Eye. His two body refining techniques had already reached a certain degree of mastery. He had even established three meridians for Soulshaker Eye, so he decided he would forge the fourth one within the Fiend Palace tonight.
"Tianming, isn't it about time for you to leave?" Xuanyuan Yuheng asked. Ever since their reconciliation, he was now good friends with him.
"I'm planning to stay here to give you some company," Tianming said.
"Haha, I don't believe it."
"I was just joking. I reached a turning point in my ocular art, so I'm planning to give it more time today."
"I see."
"You've been here for quite a few days. Don't you plan to catch some fresh air outside?"
"There's no need. I like to be here alone."
"I see."
Tianming smiled. Even though he felt busier than ever, his days of progress were really fulfilling. Soon, it was the deep of the night. The bloody miasma still swirled around the place like usual.
"Why don't you go back now?" Xuanyuan Yuheng coldly said.
"I'm at a key juncture. Please don't disturb me." Tianming was still forging the fourth meridian.
"I'm just concerned that you're over exerting yourself. You leaving now will be good for the both of us."
Tianming knew that Xuanyuan Yuheng definitely hadn't acknowledged him for real yet. With someone like that beside him, he wouldn't be able to make any real progress. He stopped and turned to look at Xuanyuan Yuheng. "What’s your deal? Is this your house or something?"
"You're right. This is the territory of the Archaic House of Xuanyuan's Trioptic True Dragon Branch. The Archaionfiend Eye is the private property of our house!" Xuanyuan Yuheng was bathed in the bloody miasma. Tianming wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but his third eye looked a little reddish.
"I knew you were still envious of me. What else can you do apart from giving me the cold shoulder? You still have to obey your father. Why do you even have an issue with me anyway? You're a second-level samsaran at your age. You definitely stand in the top five of the whole continent, yet you're so concerned about me." Tianming knew Xuanyuan Yuheng had been faking it the whole time and dropped the act.
"Li Tianming, you do know that Jian Wufeng doesn't have a key and won't be able to enter this place, right? It's only the two of us." Xuanyuan Yuheng sounded louder and more maniacal.
Tianming felt a genuine threat from him, but he found his words rather odd. He had finally achieved his current status and was on the same footing as Xuanyuan Yuheng, but he was initially his victim. Yet he had never seriously planned to take revenge, only to pay back what he received. What right did Xuanyuan Yuheng have to be so hostile toward him?
"Hehe, you don't need to reason why. All you need to know in the afterlife is that I was the one who killed you!" Xuanyuan Yuheng’s third eye turned completely red as a bloody aura surged from him. He was like a beast that had lost all reason.
"Are you insane? Even if you can do it, Her Eminence will make sure that you’ll eternally pay for this."
"Don't bring Her Eminence up in front of me!" he roared like a rabid dog as he charged toward Tianming. His talent wasn’t one bit inferior to Xuanyuan Muxue's. At the age of twenty, he was already at the second death phase of the Samsara stage, two phases above her.
"Who would be stupid enough to fight you?" Tianming smirked. There was no point in fighting him. He immediately summoned the Prime Tower at its largest size and stepped inside before Xuanyuan Yuheng could reach him.
Xuanyuan Yuheng was flabbergasted. He had seen Prime Tower in action, but he never knew it could be entered. No matter how he slammed against it, Tianming remained seated in the middle of the tower, completely unmoved. He ignored what was happening outside and continued absorbing Astral Wills.
"Are you just going to let him do this?" Ying Huo asked.
"The sun will rise and others will come again. Let's see what kind of act he puts up tomorrow."
"He seems a little off."
"That's right. It isn't like him to lose his cool like a wildbeast. What could possibly have affected his mental state?"