Arkaal paused briefly before continuing.

"I have already placed it under forced slumber," he added. "Right now, it is inside the greater poison essence accumulation formation. You can check it yourself."

The old man remained silent for a moment after hearing that.

His dull eyes flickered faintly. A thin smile formed on his lips, which was eventually turned into a dry, sharp cackle. The sound echoed in the chamber as he slowly pushed himself up. His two frail and bony arms trembled as they supported his weak body. It took effort, but he managed to sit upright on the stone platform.

"Good disciple," he said, his voice still thin but filled with a strange excitement.

His dull eyes shifted toward the open stone door. He looked past it, as if trying to catch a glimpse of what lay outside.

"If this vessel is truly as good as you claim," he continued, "I will reward you well. With my help... perhaps even becoming a King will not be impossible for you in the future."

Arkaal’s eyes lit up at once. Joy appeared clearly on his face.

"Thank you, master," he said quickly, bowing even lower. "This disciple will remain loyal to you, no matter what happens to the Dadangar Subcontinent."

The old man chuckled again, this time softer.

"No matter what happens to this subcontinent, huh? Hahaha. So... you plan to follow me to the Shinayin Empire after I take over the new vessel," he said, his tone amused. "You are easy to read."

He waved his hand slightly.

"Very well. I will take you along."

For a moment, his face relaxed. Then it slowly turned serious again. He lifted one of his arms.

The movement was slow and shaky, as if even raising his hand required great effort. Still, he pointed it toward the open doorway.

In the next moment, something strange happened. A faint buzzing sound filled the air.

Then, from the shadows and corners of the chamber, countless tiny creatures appeared.

Poison gu insects.

They were small, the biggest of them were no larger than a fingernail. Their bodies were dark green and black, with thin, transparent wings that shimmered faintly. Their eyes glowed with a dull red light, and their tiny mouths had sharp, needle-like fangs. A faint mist of poison surrounded them as they moved.

They gathered together quickly. In seconds, they formed a thick, moving wave.

With a single thought from the old man, the swarm surged forward and rushed out of the chamber.

Outside, Aksai still sat inside the formation, his body unmoving, his eyes closed.

The swarm reached him. The gu insects surrounded his body and then descended all at once. They landed on his clothes, his skin, his face, crawling over every part of him.

Aksai remained still.

Inside, however, he stayed fully aware.

With Nuri’s help, he controlled every small reaction of his body. He carefully withdrew his Aurous Qi from the surface of his skin, making himself seem weak and unprotected, just like a normal Foundation Establishment cultivator.

The insects began to bite.

Their tiny fangs pierced his skin and drew out small amounts of blood. Each drop was quickly absorbed into their tiny bodies, stored within them.

Still, Aksai did not react. Not even a twitch.

After some time, the swarm pulled back. The insects lifted into the air and moved as one, flowing back into the inner chamber like a dark wave.

They gathered around the old man’s raised arm. Then, without hesitation, they began to burrow into his dry and rotten flesh. The sight was unsettling.

The insects disappeared under his skin, carrying the blood they had collected.

The old man closed his eyes.

He stayed still, as if focusing on something deep inside himself. His expression shifted slightly, like someone tasting food and judging its flavor.

At first, a frown appeared on his face. After a moment, he opened his eyes and looked at Arkaal.

"Disciple," he said slowly, "are you certain this is a pure human vessel?"

His gaze sharpened.

"He tastes... different."

Arkaal did not lift his head. He stayed bowed, though there was a hint of hesitation in his voice.

"What else could he be, master?" he replied. "Perhaps he feels different because of his natural poison constitution. After all, we have never had someone with such a constitution before."

The old man went silent. He seemed to think for a moment.

Then, slowly, he nodded.

"Hmmm... you are right," he said. "I did a few experiments with a poison constitution in my prime. But it was nowhere near this level."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Apart from being different... he indeed has a natural talent for handling poison."

His smile widened into something darker.

"To be honest, you have exceeded my expectations," he said. "You chose well."

Arkaal’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

"I will reward you well soon," the old man continued. "But we cannot waste any more time."

His voice turned firm.

"Let us begin."

He raised his arm again. The swarm of gu insects reacted instantly. They rushed out once more, forming a dense cloud.

In the next moment, they surrounded Aksai’s unmoving body. Then, together, they lifted him.

Aksai’s body rose slowly into the air, supported by the mass of tiny wings. Like a dark cloud carrying its prey, the swarm brought him back into the inner chamber and toward the stone platform.

The old man did not look at Aksai right away. It was as if it did not matter to the old man how Aksai looked. Instead, he slowly raised his hand again.

At once, another wave of insects broke away from the swarm and rushed toward the open stone door. They moved as one.

The buzzing grew louder as the insects gathered together, forming two massive shapes in the air. Slowly, those shapes turned into giant hands made entirely of writhing bodies and thin, shimmering wings.

The hands pushed against the stone door.

With a heavy sound, the door began to close.

As it shut, the insects spread across its surface. Tiny talismans appeared between them, glowing faintly as they were placed in precise spots. At the same time, thin lines of light formed complex patterns—Essence Equation runes—layering themselves over the door like a net.

The hands pressed firmly and the door was sealed. A dull glow spread across it before fading into silence. The chamber was now completely closed off.

Arkaal stepped back and moved to the side. He stood quietly, keeping his distance. He knew this was not the time to interfere. His master needed full focus for what was about to happen.

Still, he hesitated for a moment.

Then he spoke.

"Master... are you sure you need to begin the possession process right away?" he asked carefully. "We could refine this brat’s poison constitution further in a week. And there are still many safety checks we have not—"

Before he could finish, one of the massive insect hands broke apart and surged toward him.

It stopped right in front of his face.

The shape flattened, forming a clear sign.

Stop.

Arkaal froze at once.

"Silence," the old man said.

His voice was no longer weak. It carried a sharp edge.

"You do not understand, little snot Arkaal," he continued. "Yes, I still have some time before this body fails me completely. But what I do not have is the luxury to wait."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"The sooner I begin, the higher my chances of success," he said. "If I delay, the risk of backlash will only increase."

He shifted slightly on the platform, his frail body trembling.

"And after the possession... I must also face the Celestial Wrath," he added. "You should know this. Taking over a body is not simple, even for a Nascent Soul King like me. Separating the soul from the body and placing it into another vessel comes with a price."

Arkaal lowered his head again.

"Yes, master," he said softly.

The old man then turned his gaze toward Aksai. A slow, wicked smile appeared on his face.

"As for safety..." he chuckled. "Hehehe."

His eyes glinted with dark amusement.

"That is not even a concern."

He leaned forward slightly, staring at Aksai’s still form.

"What can this newly advanced Core Formation brat even do to me?" he said. "Even if he is pretending to fall asleep... it does not matter."

He let out a low laugh.

"I have sealed the chamber. There is nowhere for him to run."

The old man’s gaze lingered on Aksai, sharp and piercing, as if he could see through everything.

"Hahahaha..."

His laughter echoed in the sealed chamber, cold and confident.