CHAPTER 323: THE SOUL THAT COULDN’T BE TAKEN

The black seal burned into Mo Tianheng’s chest.

He screamed as the pain hit.

It was not on his body, but deeper. It felt like his spirit was being torn apart.

The Heavenly Demon laughed, stepping back.

"Just give up," he said calmly. "Let go. You’ll be free from this torture."

Mo Tianheng’s eyes rolled back. His mouth opened in a silent cry, and then—

Silence.

He stopped moving.

The Heavenly Demon smirked. "Good," he whispered. "That’s better."

He reached out, forming a strange hand seal, and closed his eyes.

"Time to enter," he muttered.

A stream of black energy flowed from the old man’s body.

It twisted and coiled like a snake, entering Mo Tianheng through the seal.

The possession had begun.

But the moment the old man’s soul entered Tianheng’s body...

Something went wrong.

His eyes snapped open.

"What is this?" he muttered.

Instead of being welcomed into an empty vessel, he was surrounded by thick, aggressive black qi.

It wasn’t chaotic. It was organised. It had shape.

He tried to push forward, but the deeper he went, the more resistance he felt.

"This can’t be..."

Inside, a powerful force gripped him.

[Heavenly Demon Art: Soul Rejection]

The art he had forced others to learn... was now working against him.

The Heavenly Demon’s face twisted.

"This isn’t possible! Cultivation arts don’t have a will!"

But this one did.

The [Heavenly Demon Art] was created for one reason: to forge a true demon who could not be controlled.

It didn’t allow fake demons to rule it.

The moment it sensed an outside soul trying to take over the rightful owner...

It attacked.

The old man’s soul was struck by dark chains made from Mo Tianheng’s spirit energy.

The art wrapped around him, sealing him, suffocating him.

He struggled. He shouted. "I am the Heavenly Demon!"

But the art didn’t care.

You were only a holder of the title. Not the truth.

And now...

Your time is over.

Within Mo Tianheng’s spirit, the old man’s soul let out a final, agonised scream as the pressure grew unbearable.

The soul fractured, breaking into shards of essence.

But those shards weren’t lost.

They were devoured and pulled into the very roots of Mo Tianheng’s cultivation.

Outside, Mo Tianheng’s body twitched.

His fingers clenched.

His chest rose sharply.

He gasped in pain, body spasming as energy ran wild inside him.

He grabbed his chest and fell to his knees, sweat pouring down his face.

He could feel it.

The soul that had tried to take over was gone.

But the backlash of absorbing that power...

It felt like his bones were being remade.

His blood felt like fire.

His heart beat like a war drum.

He couldn’t scream as his throat was dry. All he could do was endure.

The pain didn’t last a minute. It didn’t last an hour.

It lasted the entire night.

By morning, Mo Tianheng finally passed out.

But when he woke again...

He was no longer the same.

He sat up slowly.

The pain was gone.

He could feel power coursing through his veins.

His spirit was sharp, his body firm, and his mind clear.

He looked down at his hands.

They were the same... and not the same.

"This is..." he whispered.

A memory surged into his mind.

A whisper left behind by the cultivation art.

He who walks the path of the true demon will not kneel to heaven or hell.

Mo Tianheng smiled.

So that’s what it meant.

He stood up.

The black seal on his chest had vanished.

The old Heavenly Demon was gone.

And now... a new one had risen.

The true Heavenly Demon.

---

In the present, Zain leaned back and took a sip of tea.

Across from him, the three girls stared in silence.

Velra blinked. "So... you killed the guy who tried to possess you."

Zain nodded. "More like... he killed himself trying."

Zelia tilted her head. "So you never meant to become the Heavenly Demon. You just... survived?"

Zain smirked. "Exactly."

Savra whistled. "Now that’s what I call a promotion."

Velra chuckled. "You didn’t inherit the throne. You stole it."

Zain shrugged. "I didn’t even mean to."

Then he looked out the window.

"But once I had it... I made sure no one could take it from me."

Savra crossed her arms and grinned. "Let me guess... after that, you rose fast. Ruled the sect. Built a giant evil castle. Made a harem. Became unbeatable."

Velra laughed. "Yeah! I bet you walked around in long black robes, sitting on a throne while people begged to join your sect."

Zain smirked, not denying it. "You’re not far off."

Zelia raised an eyebrow. "So... you really became the Heavenly Demon."

Zain nodded slowly.

"I rebuilt the sect, reshaped the rules. I trained monsters and destroyed anyone who opposed me."

"The weak submitted. The strong either joined or died. I ruled for years."

Savra leaned closer, eyes shining. "Then how’d you die?"

Velra looked curious too. "Yeah, what could even kill someone like you?"

Zain scratched his head lightly. "Ah... well, it’s like this."

---

Mo Tianheng stood silently and looked down at the burned body of the old Heavenly Demon.

Without a word, he raised his hand. A black flame flickered into life.

"[Heavenly Demon Fire]," he whispered.

The black flame shot out and wrapped around the corpse.

It burned fast and quietly.

In just a few seconds, the body turned to ash. The fire vanished without smoke.

Mo Tianheng turned and slowly walked toward the throne.

He sat down and leaned back, letting out a breath.

His eyes were sharper now. His aura had changed.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed in the hall.

A group of elders entered the room.

They stopped in front of the throne and bowed lightly.

One of them spoke first. "Lu Xianping... looks like you managed to take over that boy’s body."

Mo Tianheng narrowed his eyes slightly. So they were in on it.

They thought he was the old Heavenly Demon in a new body.

He gave them a calm smile. "Yes. The plan worked well."

The elders smiled too.

"Now, with your body renewed, we can begin the next step. You promised us land, riches, and power."

Mo Tianheng nodded slowly. "Of course. Let me give you a gift first."

He raised his hand again. "[Heavenly Demon Fire]."

Black flames burst out, heading straight toward the elders. Their smiles froze.

"Wait—!"

The fire swallowed them whole.

Their screams echoed for a few seconds... then silence.

Mo Tianheng stood again. "Fools. You plotted against me. You think I wouldn’t know?"

He stepped down from the throne, dusting off his clothes.

"This throne is mine. And no one will take it from me."