Hearing the voice, the old man’s footsteps halted, and he turned his head to look back.
The Star River Tortoise quickly said, “My Lord, I wonder how those Demon Cultivators who have become food due to the Eerie will be treated?”
The old man frowned and said, “For research, of course. How else do you think they’d be treated?”
This cabin wasn’t the only place researching the Eerie; studies were being conducted in many areas across this Heavenly Devil Ship.
A hesitant look flickered in the Star River Tortoise’s eyes, but after glancing at the stir-fried turtle meat and considering his own safety, he finally gritted his teeth and said, “Then, My Lords, have you ever tried consuming these Demon Cultivators who have become food?”
As soon as these words were spoken, silence fell over the entire cabin.
The other Demon Cultivators stared at the Star River Tortoise with expressions of disbelief, almost thinking they had misheard.
Eating food produced by the Eerie?
This was something the many Demon Cultivators had never dared to even imagine, as it was related to the Eerie.
Yet the Star River Tortoise actually dared to suggest eating such food!
In truth, this was merely an idea born from the Star River Tortoise considering his own safety and wanting to resolve the danger sooner. He couldn’t be sure what would happen if he ate this food, but it was a possibility worth trying.
The old man looked deeply at the Star River Tortoise. “An excellent idea. Then you shall eat it.”
The Star River Tortoise’s face changed drastically, and he instinctively stepped back twice. “Wait, the Diamond Turtle and I are both turtle-type Demon Cultivators, and he was once my subordinate. Isn’t it inappropriate for me to eat him?”
“No, it’s most appropriate for you to eat him.”
The old man paid no heed to the Star River Tortoise’s resistance. With a wave of his hand, he forced the Star River Tortoise’s mouth open. Another wave sent the Diamond Turtle meat flying into his maw, and just like that, the Star River Tortoise was forced to swallow it.
“Mmmmph…”
Being forced to eat the stir-fried turtle meat nearly made the Star River Tortoise vomit.
He collapsed on the floor, retching violently, but no amount of dry heaving could change the fact that he had swallowed the meat.
The old man cast a cold glance at the Star River Tortoise, then left the cabin, handing the plate containing the stir-fried turtle meat to the other Devil Cultivators for study. After that, he returned to the cabin to watch the Star River Tortoise.
He wanted to see exactly what would happen to the Star River Tortoise after eating the stir-fried turtle meat.
The other Demon Cultivators also fixed their gazes on the Star River Tortoise.
The Star River Tortoise looked ashen, faced with certain death.
He had never imagined he would be treated this way. If he had known, he would never have been the one to speak up and ask. But now, it was far too late for regrets.
He could only hope that swallowing this Eerie-produced food wouldn’t cause him too many problems.
Time slowly passed.
Bai Sha also kept her eyes on the Star River Tortoise, a look of curiosity in her gaze.
But before long, Bai Sha’s eyes were suddenly filled with vigilance.
“Wh-what is this?”
Yin Sha cried out, shrinking closer to Bai Sha.
The other Demon Cultivators stirred restlessly, fearful of the scene unfolding before them.
The old man’s expression was grim as he unconsciously took a step back.
The reactions around him made the Star River Tortoise’s heart leap. He didn’t know what had happened, because he himself didn’t feel anything wrong. But the reactions of those around him made it clear that something strange had occurred on his body.
“It hurts so much… It’s so uncomfortable… It’s truly so uncomfortable.”
Just then, a voice filled with agony came from right beside the Star River Tortoise.
Hearing this voice, the Star River Tortoise shuddered violently.
He was all too familiar with that voice, because it was unmistakably the voice of his subordinate, the Diamond Turtle.
But wasn’t the Diamond Turtle dead?
Hadn’t the Diamond Turtle become stir-fried turtle meat?
Trembling with terror, the Star River Tortoise looked towards the source of the voice, his gaze falling on his own shell.
Only then did he realize what had happened to his body.
On his shell, one head after another was sprouting, and each of those heads was unmistakably that of the Diamond Turtle!
“I’m in so much pain… I’m in so much pain…”
“It truly is so uncomfortable.”
“Boss, I feel awful… Boss, help me…”
“My body is being torn apart…”
“Wuwuwu… don’t eat me…”
One after another, the Diamond Turtle’s heads grew on the Star River Tortoise’s shell, wailing in agony.
No matter who saw such a sight, they would feel nothing but a chilling horror.
The Star River Tortoise himself broke down on the spot.
Ever since entering the Bloodthirsty Territory, one incident after another had pushed the Star River Tortoise’s mind to its limits. Now, as events culminated at this moment, his mental defenses finally collapsed completely.
“AAAAAHHHHH…”
The Star River Tortoise let out a frantic scream, turned, and charged toward the cabin exit, seemingly trying to escape from this place.
But as soon as he approached the cabin door, a flash of light appeared on it. The next moment, the Star River Tortoise was rebounded, crashing heavily onto the floor.
Yet he paid no mind. He got up and charged at the door again, screaming.
The result, naturally, did not change.
He was bounced back again. Then he charged out again, got bounced back again, and charged again.
The array rebounding the Star River Tortoise was not without harm. After being flung back several times, he was shaken so badly that his body was covered in blood. Yet as if he felt neither injury nor pain, he continued his frenzied ramming against the cabin door.
The Demon Cultivators in the cabin watched this scene in silence.
The old man watched the Star River Tortoise’s actions but did not intervene to stop him, because even he found this sight deeply unsettling. He could completely understand the Star River Tortoise’s breakdown.
The Star River Tortoise went mad. The Diamond Turtle heads sprouting from his shell continued their mournful wailing. The scene was both eerie and terrifying.
After this continued for some time, the Star River Tortoise, after one final rebound from the array, collapsed completely to the ground, emitting no further sound.
Covered in blood, he was dead.
After the Star River Tortoise died, the Diamond Turtle heads protruding from his body also drooped down one by one, dead as well.
Only then did the old man act, using telekinesis to carry the Star River Tortoise’s corpse out of the cabin, to be given to the Devil Cultivators in other locations for study.
It was clear that the old man’s mood was heavy.
Whether such research would yield results, he likely couldn’t even be sure himself.
Bai Sha sighed inwardly.
Another Demon Cultivator was dead, and in such a manner. Even with her ability to restart, witnessing the previous scene had made her hair stand on end.
What exactly… was the Eerie?
Bai Sha couldn’t help but ponder, but the existing clues were far too few to support much speculation.
Time gradually passed.
