Reverend insanity: Heaven devouring demon venerable

Wei Xu sat cross-legged, his entire body screaming in pain. Every inch of him throbbed, his muscles strained from the intense effort of controlling the Puppetry Gu. The Gu's power was deceptively simple: it produced a type of strings that the Gu master could manipulate using mental energy. However, the number and length of the strings depended on how much primeval essence was used, and that was where the challenge lay.

Right now, those very strings were embedded in Wei Xu's aperture, weaving through his flesh as he tried to guide them toward his brain. The agony was almost unbearable. The strings weren't just lying on his skin—they were inside him, threading through muscle, bone, and nerve, their unnatural presence making every movement torture. But Wei Xu had no choice. He had to persevere.

Inside his aperture, he carried a Blood Qi Gu, a Gu his grandfather had given him before entering this hellish training. It was the only thing keeping him alive, continually replenishing the blood his body was losing from the internal trauma the strings were causing. Without it, he would have bled out long ago. Every time the strings moved deeper, a fresh wave of pain crashed over him, but the healing Gu worked tirelessly to keep him stable, knitting his damaged tissue and replenishing the life-giving blood.

Wei Xu gritted his teeth and focused, his every action guided by the zombie's cold, dispassionate instructions. The zombie, still nailed to the wall, watched intently, his glowing purple eyes seeing things beyond normal sight. He could see the orange glow of the strings even through Wei Xu's flesh and guided him with clinical precision.

"Move them slowly now," the zombie rasped, his voice echoing in the dim chamber. "They've reached your shoulders. You're at the most dangerous step."

Wei Xu's entire body tensed. *The most dangerous step?* What the hell had he been doing this entire time, then? He wanted to scream, to curse the zombie out for this nightmarish ordeal, but the pain had reduced him to silence. Sweat dripped down his face, his vision blurred. The strings were inching closer to his brain, each movement like a hot blade slicing through his nerves.

"You're going to pull the strings into your brain now," the zombie continued, his voice tinged with what sounded like delight. "Follow the strings I've left there for you."

Wei Xu's heart raced. *Strings? In my brain?* He wanted to yell, to demand what the hell those things were doing in his brain in the first place, but he swallowed his protests. Instead, he forced himself to stay focused, attaching his orange strings to the zombie's purple ones and letting them lead the way. The pain grew sharper as the strings penetrated deeper, and he could feel them snaking toward his brain, bringing an unbearable pressure that made his skull feel like it was about to split open.

Blood trickled from his ears, and his vision flickered in and out, black spots dancing across his eyes. If it weren't for the Blood Qi Gu's constant healing, he would have been long dead from blood loss. But despite the pain, the process continued. Wei Xu's mind was sharp, and his will was stronger than he had ever imagined. Each pulse of agony was a test, each flicker of light a reminder that he was still alive—still fighting.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the task was done. The strings had been set. Wei Xu collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, his body trembling uncontrollably. The zombie watched him, his eyes devoid of sympathy, but there was an unspoken satisfaction in his gaze. He allowed Wei Xu a moment to heal and recover, the room filled with the boy's ragged breaths.

Time passed, and though his body remained weak, Wei Xu managed to drag himself back into a sitting position. His ears were still bleeding, and his pale face was gaunt, but he was alive. "What now?" he asked hoarsely, his voice barely more than a whisper.

The zombie grinned, his decaying features twisting grotesquely. "Now, I explain," he said, his voice dark with amusement. "The Puppetry path is for controlling things that aren't alive, whether it be a dead body or something else."

Wei Xu's eyes narrowed. He already knew that much, but the way the zombie phrased it left a chill running down his spine. There was something far more sinister in his tone.

"Unlike the slavery path, we can't control souls," the zombie continued, his voice raspy, as if he relished every word. "But we don't need to. The body is just a shell. The soul lives without the body, but the body? Without a soul, it's nothing more than a sack of meat and bones."

Wei Xu tilted his head, his curiosity struggling to rise through the haze of pain. "Then why does the soul need a body?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

The zombie waved the question off, his purple eyes gleaming with amusement. "I'll explain that later. For now, focus."

Wei Xu scowled but didn't press the matter. He was too exhausted to argue, and the pain was still too fresh to risk provoking the zombie further.

"You're going to control your own body now using the strings," the zombie explained, his grin widening, revealing cracked, yellowed teeth. "But here's the thing: your strings are weaker than your soul. You can't control your body while your soul is in charge. That's why… you'll need to be asleep for this to work."

Wei Xu's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why sleeping?" he asked.

"Because when you sleep, your soul relaxes," the zombie explained, his voice carrying a strange intensity. "It's the time when it heals itself naturally, and that's when it has the least control over your body. That's when the strings can take over."

Wei Xu's mind raced, trying to piece everything together. He looked down at his hands, at the faint orange glow of the strings just beneath his skin. "And how do I make them work?" he asked.

"They're already trying to work, boy," the zombie said, his voice dripping with amusement. "But as I said, they're weaker than your soul. Once you're asleep, they'll take over instantly."

Wei Xu wanted to argue, wanted to tell him that it was impossible to sleep with these damned strings embedded in his body, but his exhaustion weighed heavier than his will. The zombie must have sensed his hesitation because he spoke again, his tone more commanding this time. "You'll get used to them. The strings are a part of you now, like your soul. Just sleep."

Wei Xu let out a frustrated sigh, but there was no point in arguing. He was too tired, his body too drained to put up any more resistance. With a last glance at the zombie, who remained as detached and eerie as ever, Wei Xu lay down on the cold, unforgiving stone floor. He didn't expect to sleep—not with the agony still coursing through his body and the eerie sensation of the strings still inside him—but to his surprise, the moment his head hit the ground, his body gave in. He fell asleep almost instantly, his exhaustion overtaking him.

As soon as Wei Xu slipped into unconsciousness, the strings tightened their grip, digging deeper into his aperture and brain with eerie precision. They moved slowly, driven by the knowledge stored within his own brain. The strings had taken over, playing the role of his soul now, and with that, they began to manipulate the essence within his primeval sea.

Deep within his aperture, his primeval sea stirred sluggishly at first, the waves faint and hesitant. But soon, the movements became larger, more forceful, as if stirred by an unseen force. The sea began to swell, crashing against the walls of his aperture like a storm gathering strength. Yet, it wasn't random. The strings, embedded deeply within his brain, had accessed the stored knowledge of how to refine his aperture and control his primeval essence. They moved with precision, guiding the essence with fluidity that Wei Xu could not have achieved on his own.

The strings, acting as a conduit for Wei Xu's will, directed the essence into controlled spirals and waves. With every movement, the essence impacted the aperture walls, refining them bit by bit, making them stronger, more durable. The process was automatic, governed by the knowledge stored in Wei Xu's mind, yet it was the strings that acted as the driving force.

The zombie, still nailed to the wall, observed the process with satisfaction. His purple eyes dimly glowing, he watched as the orange strings shimmered inside Wei Xu's flesh, controlling the refinement of his aperture with eerie precision. The boy's aperture walls were becoming stronger by the second, far more refined than before, all while Wei Xu's unconscious body lay still on the cold floor.

Seeing no abnormalities, the zombie's eyes flickered off, the faint purple glow disappearing as he returned to his deep, silent sleep. The boy's progress was proceeding smoothly, as expected.

Meanwhile, Wei Xu's body continued to advance in its cultivation, the strings working tirelessly to manipulate his essence and refine his aperture. His primeval sea, once chaotic, was now flowing with greater power and control. His body, though at rest, was advancing rapidly in cultivation, driven by the will of the strings that now governed him.

The room was silent, but the unseen work happening within Wei Xu's body echoed with the quiet hum of progress.