"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and kill me," Kulas urged when Yuan remained silent.
Yuan closed his eyes and sighed out loud, "I wasn't able to save you in the past because of my lack of experience, but this time, for sure…"
"Save me…? Can I even be saved at this point?" Kulas gave a hollow, defeated chuckle.
In the past, Tian Yang did everything he could to find a cure for Kulas, but alas, even after traveling the entire world, he was unable to find a clue to his illness.
And while Tian Yang traveled the world, Kulas' condition continued to deteriorate. It eventually grew so severe that he—and the entire Giant Race—abandoned their continent and embarked on a murderous rampage, slaughtering countless innocent lives.
This ignited the first great war in history before the Heavenly War of Immortals and Gods. Although its scale and destruction were nowhere near that of the Heavenly War of Immortals and Gods, and almost nobody knows of its history today, it still devastated countless lives. In the end, Tian Yang was forced to do the unthinkable—ending Kulas' life with his own hands.
However, even after Tian Yang ended his life, Kulas' suffering did not come to an end.
"Get some rest, Kulas, and let me handle everything," Yuan said to him.
"If you say so…" Kulas mumbled before he closed his eyes and fell asleep where he knelt. "Good heavens… When were you this strong?" Xie Mey entered the room shortly after Kulas fell asleep.
"I'm not as strong as you think," Yuan said, shaking his head.
"Well, you defeated my father, and as far as I know, he has never lost to anyone."
Xie Mey glanced at Kulas, then asked, "Do you know what's wrong with him—or with the entire Giant Race, for that matter? It all began a little over a year ago, when Father started having sudden bursts of temper. At first, we thought he was simply in a bad mood… but by the time we realized something was truly wrong, it was already too late. Medicines and treasures… nothing we tried could cure him."
After a brief silence, Yuan replied, "I don't know the full extent of what he's afflicted with, but I do know its origin and possibly how to cure it."
"Really?! That's great news!" Xie Mey was so overjoyed to hear this news that she started jumping up and down like an excited child.
However, Yuan shook his head and said, "It's going to be risky, and I'll need some time to prepare."
"Take all the time you need!" she said. "And is there anything I can help with?"
"No."
"Is that so… Then when will you be ready?"
"Give me a week."
"Okay. If there's anything you need, let me know. I'll be right here." Xie Mey said as she approached Kulas and picked him up.
"I'll be back after I bring him to his room."
She left the next moment.
When Xie Mey returned a few minutes later, she found Yuan sitting on the ground in the lotus position, his eyes closed, seemingly in a state of cultivation.
'What is that weird energy surrounding him?' she wondered inwardly as she could somewhat sense the otherworldly aura around him.
A few days later, Yuan suddenly opened his eyes and asked, "Do you know what an Outer God or an Eternal is?" "Outer God? No, this is the first time I've heard of it," she said while shaking her head.
"Does it have anything to do with my father's condition?"
Yuan nodded and elaborated, "They're beings that exist beyond our world—powerful existences that consider themselves the true gods of this universe. I don't know why, but Kulas' condition was caused by one of them."
"How can you tell?" Xie Mey asked.
"I was told by one of these existences," he calmly replied.
"What…?" Xie Mey raised an eyebrow.
However, Yuan didn't elaborate further.
Although Tian Yang had failed to find a cure for Kulas in time, he never stopped researching the cause even after Kulas' death. Then, a few lifetimes later, he finally learned the truth from another Eternal.
"This 'illness' doesn't target the body—it targets the soul," he said suddenly. "It corrodes one's very essence, twisting them into a mindless killer who can only think of slaughtering everything around them. It's similar to how a cultivator might lose themselves if they fall to their heart demon. However, that's not even the cruelest part."
Xie Mey swallowed nervously as she wondered what else could be worse than corrupting one's soul.
"Those whose souls are corrupted cannot reincarnate; they can only suffer until their very soul is destroyed. That means they won't find rest even in death."
"How cruel… why would they do something like that to my father?" Xie Mey sighed.
"These beings don't normally target someone without a reason," Yuan said. "In their eyes, we're no different from ants, so they wouldn't go out of their way to do something like this for fun. Although I'm not entirely certain, I believe Kulas may have become involved with one of them and offended it. Of course, this is just speculation, and it's entirely possible that one of them just decided to mess with Kulas out of boredom."
Kulas' situation was very similar to Xiao Cangming's, who had once offended an Eternal and been cursed for it. However, Kulas' case was far more severe.
Although Kulas seemed perfectly healthy before the illness took hold, the reality was that he had long been broken within. Years of ceaseless torture in the Immortal Confinement Dungeon had left deep mental scars, making him especially vulnerable to mental attacks, particularly those targeting the soul.
Yuan closed his eyes and resumed his cultivation shortly after.
After a few more days of preparation, Yuan opened his eyes again and said, "Okay, I am ready."
Xie Mey nodded and led Yuan to Kulas' bedroom. Inside, Kulas was sleeping peacefully.
"I haven't seen him sleep since he became sick, much less this peacefully," Xie Mey remarked as she gazed at his sleeping face. She turned to Yuan and continued with a warm smile, "This is possible only because of you, Senior Tian. Just your presence gives Father peace."