Rise of The Demon General Chapter 791. Trapped with a Ghost

Amon collapsed onto the ground, his physical form in a catastrophic state. His attire was obliterated, leaving his body a canvas of shredded wounds and searing burns, from which blood relentlessly seeped.

His limbs were twisted into unrecognizable shapes. While his left arm fared slightly better than the rest of his battered frame, it was far from unharmed. His eyeballs had ruptured, painting a gruesome scene with blood leaking from his nose, mouth, and ears. Anyone witnessing him would deem him beyond any hope of survival, yet, miraculously, he persisted.

He couldn't comprehend the sequence of events. The last vestige of his memory was being rent and consumed by an onslaught of ferocious energies, followed only by an abyss of agony.

An indeterminate period elapsed before he could muster a coherent thought. A groan escaped him. Despite the excruciating pain, he attempted to perceive his surroundings. His conventional senses had been utterly extinguished. The sole faculty that remained functional was his cultivation sense. He detected formidable auras encircling him, yet none bore the mark of life.

A sigh of relief escaped him. At least he wouldn't immediately face predatory threats.

Despite his grievous condition, he marshaled his will to engage his restorative technique, the Nine Moon Restorative Mantra. It was the only recourse available to him, as movement was an impossibility in his current state. He was on the verge of summoning Lin Li from the black spatial ring to administer recovery and regrowth elixirs when Bo Wu's chilling laughter echoed.

"Hehehe... I anticipated a longer wait, but it appears providence has presented an opportune moment."

"Hrgghh...!!" A vise-like grip seemed to constrict Amon's heart.

He instantly plunged his consciousness into his energy core space. The very dimension that had housed his demon core had undergone a radical metamorphosis. Threads of energy, resembling an intricate spiderweb, now permeated his energy space, all converging upon his black energy core, which was entirely enshrouded in swirling black smoke.

As if acknowledging Amon's dormant consciousness, the black smoke coalesced, forming a semblance of a face – Bo Wu's sneering visage. "Hehe, now I have you."

Amon felt his consciousness begin to recede, like a heavy curtain descending upon him. Having already lost the majority of his bodily sensations due to his injuries, the remaining fragments of feeling started to dissipate. The pain vanished. All sensation ceased, replaced by an all-encompassing darkness.

Tendrils of black smoke emanated from Amon's ravaged form, enveloping him. This spectral miasma commenced the process of mending his broken body.

"Hehehe," Amon chuckled, though the sound was undeniably Bo Wu's. His laughter continued to reverberate throughout the cavern.

Time flowed onward; days, then months. Approximately five months later, Amon stood from the ground. The pervasive black smoke had dissipated, revealing a body that had been fully healed. However, his skin bore a new pattern. The intricate tattoo that had once adorned his left arm had now extended to encompass his entire physique.

He rose and let out a laugh, still resonating with Bo Wu's voice. "Hahaha! My mission is finally complete!"

A look of sudden realization dawned on his face. He frantically scanned his surroundings. "Where is it? Where is it?" he questioned, a flicker of panic in his voice. If the object had vanished, all his efforts would be in vain.

At long last, his gaze landed upon it – the black spatial ring. He seized it, muttering a curse, "Damn it! All this torment for this insignificant trinket. What is its true value?"

He attempted to probe the ring with his consciousness, but it remained unresponsive. Though he now inhabited Amon's body, his soul was not intrinsically linked to the ring, rendering it inaccessible.

He struck the ring against the ground several times. Its resilience was evident. As expected, Amon's original ring had disintegrated upon their passage through the black pond. This new black ring, however, showed not a single mark of damage.

Recalling Amon's ability to conjure various items, he surmised they originated from this very ring. A question arose: were the entities within aware of the current predicament? Would they emerge to challenge him for control of the ring?

He dismissed the nascent worry. If they intended to intervene, they would have done so already.

He surveyed the area. The crimson dagger and the Xian Cloth had also fallen into this place. Despite their formidable quality, numerous scratches marred their surfaces. The Xian Cloth, in particular, displayed visible rents in its fabric. Nevertheless, Bo Wu utilized the yellow cloth to cover his now-bare body.

Disregarding the dagger, he continued his examination of the surroundings. The cavern was compact, allowing him to survey it swiftly. As he had feared, the sole point of ingress and egress was the swirling vortex of black energy adorning the ceiling. He had accomplished the first half of his objective. The remaining task was to escape this confinement and deliver both Amon's body and the black spatial ring to Hai Di.

He ascended until he reached the swirling black energy above. As he extended his hand, he paused just before contact, a sense of trepidation washing over him. He could feel its immense, untamed power. Much like Amon had experienced, he too had believed himself lost when Amon plunged into the black pond. The mystery of Amon's survival remained inexplicable.

He gazed down at the skeletal remains of the Steel-clad Titan, a creature so resilient, yet it was reduced to mere bones. In theory, even with his protection on Amon’s left arm, survival would have been improbable.

A thought surfaced in Bo Wu’s mind: 'If they managed to survive the journey in, could they perhaps survive the journey out?'

This notion spurred his hand forward. The moment his finger brushed against the swirling black energy, an immediate sense of foreboding washed over him. While on the other side, touching the black pond had drawn them in; here, his finger encountered a powerful repelling force. Worse still, this outward blast disintegrated his fingers.

"Blast it all!" Bo Wu cursed. The loss of his fingers brought no pain, as this body wasn't his own. His frustration stemmed from the realization that he was now imprisoned in this place.

An amused voice then echoed, "Hehe. Is something troubling you?"

"Huh?" Bo Wu scanned his surroundings. It took a few moments for him to discern that the voice originated from within his own head.

"Amon...?" he questioned aloud. "This is impossible! I should have utterly consumed your consciousness!"

"Then, how do you account for hearing my voice? Or perhaps, you've simply lost your mind?"

"Hmm..." Bo Wu seriously entertained the possibility of his sanity eroding.

Amon’s chuckling voice resonated again, "Hehe. Do not presume to underestimate me. Did you truly believe you could dispose of me so effortlessly?"

"Hmph! So what? Our roles have been reversed. I am the one in command now. Any sound you make is futile. You are naught but a specter, incapable of manifesting as I can. Hehe, how does it feel to be trapped within your own body?"

"It's a strangely clarifying experience. It affords me the opportunity to contemplate matters with complete focus. Speaking of which, I have a few inquiries for you."

"Why on earth would I deign to answer?"

"Do you have anything more pressing to occupy your time?"

"..."

"Regardless, I shall pose my question. Based on your recent actions, I deduce your primary objective is to acquire the black spatial ring?"

"You were aware of this all along?"

"I became aware the instant you seized control of my body. I chose to remain silent. So, would you oblige me by answering my question?"

"Well, if you have observed it, why inquire further? Is it not already evident? Allow me to offer a reward for maintaining your consciousness by providing an additional answer. The black spatial ring is not the sole item Hai Di desires. Your body is also part of his objective. That is precisely why I was soul-imprinted into you – to utilize you as a vessel and eventually seize control of your body."

"Indeed? And for what purpose?"

"That, I shall not answer."

"Why? From all appearances, you are as trapped as I am. We are both in dire straits, are we not? Why not be forthcoming?"

"Hehe. Persist in your attempts. See if you can achieve your goal."

"You know what? I suspect you are incapable of answering because you lack the answer yourself. You are unaware of why Hai Di covets my ring and body. For all that you are, you are merely Hai Di’s wretched pawn, executing his commands without question."

"I am not a pawn!" Bo Wu retorted fiercely.

"Ho... So, you are capable of offense? Hehe. To be candid, is your identity truly that of a hell beast? From the records I have perused, a hell beast is not known for submitting to any entity or decree. Furthermore, now that I can fully perceive your essence within my energy domain, I sense that your soul is incomplete."

"Do not meddle with my soul!"

"Oh? Are you apprehensive that your current state renders me capable of enacting harm?"

Bo Wu’s brow furrowed at Amon’s observation. He directed his thoughts inward, attempting to scan Amon’s presence. The attempt was futile. By all logical accounts, Amon’s awareness should have been utterly obliterated. He could not comprehend how his previous host was still capable of engaging in conversation.

His prior suspicions resurfaced. Could he, in truth, have succumbed to madness? Was the voice of Amon he was currently hearing merely an illusion conjured by his own mind?