Mortal Dawn and Dusk, My Eternal Life - Chapter 20

That sudden heartbeat, like a clap of thunder, exploded in the dead silent chamber! The old Daoist’s face, previously contorted in ecstasy, instantly froze. He stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the boy on the stone platform, who should have been long dead.

“Thump… thump… thump…”

The heartbeat, though still slow, was remarkably steady and powerful, each beat clearly reaching the old Daoist’s ears, and also penetrating modern Su Mingyue’s chaotic consciousness.

A-Mu’s eyes were still unfocused and lifeless, his face completely devoid of color, appearing no different from a corpse.

“This… what’s going on?” The old Daoist’s heart was filled with shock and doubt. He reached out a trembling hand towards A-Mu’s chest. Through the coarse cloth of his clothing, he could clearly feel the wolf demon’s heart he had implanted beating strongly, rhythmically!

“The demonic heart isn’t dead?” The old Daoist mused, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes, immediately replaced by deeper greed. “It seems the vitality of this demon is indeed much tougher than that of a mortal! Good! Excellent! This body is truly a heaven-sent treasure!”

He believed this was merely the residual vitality of the demonic heart itself causing mischief, completely unaware that a more bizarre and terrifying transformation was quietly unfolding within A-Mu’s body.

This was merely the surface phenomenon. Within A-Mu’s seemingly lifeless body, a heart-stopping “plunder” and “fusion” was taking place!

The implanted wolf demon’s heart, after a moment of silence, suddenly began to beat frantically, as if it had caught a scent of ultimate delicacy! It was no longer simply sustaining life; instead, like a greedy vortex, it began to frantically absorb the remaining blood within A-Mu’s body! More precisely, it was absorbing the extraordinary energy originating from Su Mingyue’s blood, imbued with the mysteries of immortality, which had long integrated into A-Mu’s limbs and body, intertwined with his very being!

This energy was the “seed” Su Mingyue had unintentionally left behind back then. It granted A-Mu an ageless appearance and eternal life, but also subjected him to endless solitude and pain. Now, this energy, which had been dormant for decades, was unexpectedly reactivated under the wolf demon heart’s frantic consumption and stimulation!

The residual demonic power in the wolf demon’s heart, and the immortal energy in Su Mingyue’s blood, like dry tinder meeting a raging fire, instantly exploded into an unimaginable reaction! Two completely different yet equally powerful forces intertwined and devoured each other within A-Mu’s body, ultimately… beginning to fuse in a bizarre manner!

Wisps of black demonic qi diffused from the wolf demon’s heart, interweaving with the strange energy shimmering with faint golden light, forming a dark golden stream that was both sacred and evil. This dark golden stream, like a surging river, rapidly filled every corner of A-Mu’s body, repairing his damaged tissues and strengthening his bones, muscles, and flesh! His body was being reshaped and transformed in a non-human way!

“Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!”

Suddenly, the heartbeat within A-Mu’s chest became frantic and violent! No longer the slow, steady rhythm from before, it pounded like a drum, beat after beat, filled with explosive power! The wolf demon’s heart, after fusing with the energy from Su Mingyue’s blood, seemed to have gained new life, erupting with terrifying demonic power far exceeding its original capabilities!

As this furious heartbeat resonated, A-Mu, lying on the stone platform, trembled violently! His pupils, which had been unfocused and lifeless, suddenly contracted, then violently snapped open! A bizarre dark golden light flashed through his eyes! His gaze was no longer clear or vacant as before; instead, it was filled with a chilling… savagery that made one’s heart tremble!

“Cough… cough, cough, cough!”

A-Mu suddenly coughed, expelling several mouthfuls of turbid air mixed with black blood. He was alive! In a way no one could have predicted, he had returned from the brink of death!

“Alive… alive?! He’s really alive?!”

The old Daoist watched, dumbfounded, his expression changing from initial shock and doubt to disbelief, finally transforming into an almost frenzied ecstasy! He had personally witnessed the resurrection of a “dead” man! And the resurrected young man’s aura was even stronger and more bizarre than before!

“Divine will! This is truly divine will!” The old Daoist trembled with excitement, shouting incoherently, “I knew it! I knew this boy hid a heaven-shattering secret! Hahaha! Heaven helps me! Heaven wants me to live forever!”

He was completely unaware that A-Mu, at this moment, was no longer the boy he could butcher at will. He was even less aware that what he had personally opened was Pandora’s box!

A-Mu slowly sat up from the stone platform. His movements were somewhat stiff, but filled with a sense of power. He looked down at his crudely stitched chest, then at his hands, which had become somewhat unfamiliar. His fingernails, unknowingly, had become sharp and long, gleaming with a faint cold light. His skin was also paler than before, yet it exuded a strange resilience. A powerful and unfamiliar force surged through his limbs, making him feel both excited and… confused.

Modern Su Mingyue’s consciousness, with A-Mu’s “resurrection,” also became clear again. She could clearly feel the changes occurring within A-Mu’s body, sensing the terrifying power that had fused demonic energy with her blood’s essence. Her heart was filled with shock and unease.

Is this… is this still A-Mu? Or is this just a… monster wearing A-Mu’s skin? What kind of existence did that unintentional drop of her blood create?

A-Mu raised his head, his gaze falling upon the old Daoist, who was still gesticulating wildly in ecstasy. His eyes were cold and vacant, devoid of any human emotion. It was… the gaze of a predator looking at its prey!

The old Daoist was still immersed in his own fantasies, completely unaware of the approaching danger. He still believed he had finally found the gateway to eternal life. He reached out, wanting to grab A-Mu, wanting to firmly control this “perfect experimental subject” in his own hands.

“Come! Let this humble Daoist take a good look! What other secrets are hidden in your body!” The old Daoist grinned sinisterly, lunging towards A-Mu.

However, just as his hand was about to touch A-Mu—

“Roar—!!!”

A deep roar, unlike any human sound, filled with savagery and a killing aura, violently erupted from A-Mu’s throat! A powerful, suffocating demonic qi, like a tangible shockwave, burst forth from A-Mu’s body! The entire secret chamber trembled violently from the eruption of this demonic qi!