Suddenly, a voice—low, smooth, and laced with a hint of disbelief—echoed through Xiao Fang's mind.
"Ten thousand... You really did it."
"Our agreement is complete. My power is yours now."
"Whether your body can survive it... is up to you."
Xiao Fang's heart thundered in his chest—louder than it ever had before. A violent pulse of Curse Qi surged through his meridians like a tidal wave, raw and untamed. It felt as if the Curse was uncoiling within him, stretching its ancient limbs, testing the limits of its new vessel.
His breath caught.
His vision blurred.
Then, his knees buckled.
He caught himself mid-fall—but only barely—his palms slamming onto the stage. Another pulse tore through him. Then another. And another. Each one more vicious than the last, expanding his meridians past their limits, flooding his dantian until it felt like it would rupture.
