A spectral image, a perfect mirror of his own Thunder Origin Body, regarded Wang Lin with cold detachment. A symphony of crackling thunder emanated from its form, echoing within the chamber. Without warning, the Thunder Origin Body stirred, its right hand rising to deliver a crushing blow. With a deafening roar, countless bolts of lightning erupted, hurtling towards Wang Lin in a storm of oppressive energy.

Wang Lin, seated in lotus position, watched the merciless descent of his own essence with a darkening countenance. Upon awakening, the visage of the Dao Demon Sect Master had flashed through his mind.

The very creation of this Thunder Origin Body, its sudden and malevolent shift, bore the unmistakable mark of the Sect Master. Indeed, Wang Lin could detect the faintest echo of the fiend’s aura clinging to the manifestation.

“To capture me… yet spare my life and limb… instead, to seize my thunder, forge this body, and use it to suppress me… the purpose… is not suppression, but assimilation! Once this body merges, it will shatter my mind, obliterate my very being!”

Wang Lin’s eyes blazed with insight. In that briefest of moments, a thousand thoughts raced through his mind. He had foreseen this, or at least a facet of it, years ago, and the revelation had shaken him to his core. To prevent being caught unawares, he had devised a countermeasure long ago.

As the Thunder Origin Body descended, Wang Lin drew a deep breath. Within him, his nascent soul closed its eyes, calling upon the celestial Orb of Transgression residing within.

The Orb, embedded within his very soul, began to spin. With that rotation, Wang Lin’s spirit, memories, and all aspects of his being contracted, shrinking inwards as the thunderous onslaught engulfed his physical form.

To meet the unwavering with yielding, a temporary retreat. He would surrender his flesh to the Thunder Origin, allowing it to merge. Only then, when the assimilation was complete, would Wang Lin unleash his true defiance.

This was the sole method of resistance Wang Lin had conceived when the true purpose of the Thunder Origin Body remained shrouded in mystery.

Within the emerald chamber, a cacophony of thunder reverberated as countless bolts of lightning spewed forth from the Thunder Origin Body. Finally, as the doppelganger drew near, it exploded in a cataclysmic burst, dissolving into countless sparks that surged into Wang Lin’s body. Fueled by the will of the Dao Demon Sect Master, they scoured his being, seeking to erase his consciousness, his spirit, his very essence.

Time flowed onward, and a month passed in the blink of an eye. Within that span, the lightning engulfing Wang Lin gradually faded, until only silence remained. He sat motionless, bereft of any flicker of spiritual energy or the faintest spark of life, a living corpse.

A powerful wave of spiritual awareness swept through the chamber, scrutinizing Wang Lin before retreating.

Simultaneously, outside the scorpion-shaped structure, the Dao Demon Sect Master opened his weary eyes. He cast a final gaze upon the Scorpion Temple, his voice echoing softly.

“Priest, his mind, spirit, and memories have been completely eradicated. His vessel is now empty. Examine it, and if it pleases you, I shall depart.”

As the Sect Master’s words echoed, a hacking cough echoed within the green chamber. A robed figure, draped in emerald cloth, stumbled into view, accompanied by two green-skinned guardians. The priest, his face hidden from view, smiled with grim satisfaction. He raised a gnarled hand, marred by patches of grotesque green fur, and placed it upon Wang Lin’s brow.

As that corrupted hand touched him, a ripple disturbed the stillness within Wang Lin. The Orb of Transgression, maintaining its perfect defense, remained unyielding, yet Wang Lin’s spirit had stirred.

*The Dao Demon Sect Master still lingers… now is not the time… I must endure!* The flicker of resistance subsided.

After an agonizing eternity, the priest lifted his hand. His raspy voice broke the silence.

“You may leave. When the Green Devil is resurrected, the debt owed will be repaid in full.”

Outside, the Dao Demon Sect Master’s eyes flickered with peculiar light. He rose, cast one last lingering glance at the Scorpion Temple, and vanished into the horizon.

Once he was truly gone, the robed figure within the green chamber turned to Wang Lin, his eyes blazing with fervor.

“My clan has waited ages for this… generations of ordinary men, serving as priests, waiting millennia for a vessel that mirrors the Green Devil’s origin! Only a being from beyond the heavens can serve as the vessel for his resurrection! But… his Thunder Essence retains a trace of the Dao Demon Sect Master’s influence…” The priest murmured, his voice laced with madness.

Wang Lin, hidden within the Orb’s protection, remained unmoving. He sensed that this perilous situation was not a death sentence, but a chance for untold power.

The priest trembled, his clan having waited eons for this moment. He took a deep breath and bit his finger, allowing a drop of emerald blood to fly forward, marking Wang Lin’s brow.

As the blood touched him, a wave of green energy rippled through Wang Lin’s body, vaporizing any remaining traces of the Dao Demon Sect Master’s will within the Thunder Essence.

The manifested Essence was now a vacant vessel, ready to be occupied by Wang Lin, but he resisted the temptation, clinging to the promise of greater power.

The priest’s eyes gleamed with shrewdness. His words were meant as a test. As a priest of the Green Devil, he possessed a sharp mind and never took things at face value. He had dropped hints, then cleansed the Essence, all in an attempt to flush out Wang Lin’s mind.

But after an extended wait, the Thunder Essence still failed to draw out the spirit of Wang Lin. Finally, relieved, the robed figure mumbled to himself.

“This body is suitable. Soon, it will receive the Green Devil… but his cultivation is far too weak… it must be nurtured before it can withstand the Devil’s descent…”

“His eight essences lack Earth… and the Green Devil’s essence is of the Earth… it must be added…”

“This body has eight essences, and after adding Earth, it will have nine… When the nine Essences become one, it will become the Essence Body, perfectly aligned with the Green Devil’s Resurrection. My clan will have completed our mission, returning to the central lands with honor, ensuring the prosperity of our bloodline for generations…”

“This is far too important; I must prepare myself…”

The elder slowly turned away.

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly turned and loudly shouted, “Kill him, Green Devil guards! His heart is not dead! Open the Green Devil Array, he must not be allowed to escape!” As he shouted, he retreated quickly, but his eyes were locked on Wang Lin’s body, revealing an odd expression.

The two Green Devil guards burst out of the emerald light, their eyes turned savage and sinister. Their hands danced, forming magical seals, summoning twin scorpion apparitions to strike him down!

As the priest’s shout ended, he continued to back away.

However, Wang Lin’s heart remained calm, as if nothing happened. It was a test!

The apparitions closed to one inch away from Wang Lin. The scent of death began to linger, and Wang Lin, to his surprise, felt the urge to move. Still, his heart remained.

The apparitions impacted Wang Lin’s body. But then, a flash of light emerged from Wang Lin’s body! This wave pushed the two guards back.

That flash was of the priest’s blood essence, and it turned out to be the key for his test.

Only now did the priest truly relax and laugh. “I was right! This vessel is free! But… The vessel is weak. And so, it must be strengthened for Lord Green Devil!”

“The Vessel possesses eight essences, but lacks soil, which is Lord Green Devil’s main essence. As such, one must be added!”

The elder slowly left.