Chapter Thirty-Two: What Are Creatures Like You Made Of?

A moment later, Xia He left the treatment room and returned to her own quarters. Her eyes flickered incessantly, betraying a thoughtful, contemplative state.

She had to admit, Xia Ye’s words had left her deeply shaken and sent her emotions into a whirlwind. A surge of unprecedented impulse welled up within her, refusing to subside.

"No need to wait for that time—I am willing!"

This was the reply she had given Xia Ye before leaving. The confusion that had clouded her mind suddenly vanished, and the seed that had just been planted within her instantly sprouted.

After all, unlike Xiao Zizai, she had spent her life from the past to the present living in the shadows, suffering not only from internal self-doubt but also from endless external harm. Thus, she could empathize with his vision all the more.

If she could do something to change that…

Then she would do it!

Having made the choice to join, Xia He was prepared to cast aside her past. Xia Ye had promised to grant her a rebirth, and she found herself looking forward to it.

"The Empress..."

She couldn't help but curl her lips at the thought of her "new title."

"I only hope I can truly be worthy of it..."

Meanwhile, inside the treatment room.

"You three heard what I just said. Do you have any thoughts?" After Xia He departed, Xia Ye looked toward the three figures standing against the wall and smiled faintly.

"This world is sick, and you are all its malignant tumors. I am truly curious: when a beast’s soul controls a human body and wields supernatural powers, what exactly does that feel like?"

He immediately shook his head.

"No, you are even worse than beasts. Even beasts possess emotions, understand loyalty, and know how to protect their families. They understand why they fight and do not strike without cause..."

"But you are different. People like you are capable of anything, and you even take pleasure in it. So, can you tell me... what exactly are you?"

As he spoke, Xia Ye rose and walked before the three of them. His expression darkened, and a terrifying aura emanated from him, causing their bodies to tremble uncontrollably.

"!!!"

It was a shudder from the soul, indicating that his cultivation of the internal spirit far surpassed theirs. For the three of them, who specialized in the cultivation of the spirit and were already well-known, this was simply inconceivable!

"Do not be surprised. Compared to what I am about to do, this is merely an appetizer..." As his voice trailed off, Xia Ye looked up with a grim smile.

He knew clearly that although these three could not move, their souls remained exceptionally alert, capable of sensing everything twofold. This was the effect of the "Soul-Locking Pill"; otherwise, how could this place be called... "Hell"?

The next moment, under their terrified gazes, Xia Ye threw Shen Chong onto the operating table. A disposable surgical sheet had already been laid out; everything was prepared.

He was genuinely curious about the internal construction of creatures like them. Abandoning the convenience of his supernatural abilities, he turned to the most primitive of methods—dissection.

"Learning has no end. When one encounters something novel, one must explore it thoroughly!" Picking up a scalpel as thin as a cicada's wing from the side, Xia Ye grinned at Shen Chong.

"Don't worry, don't be nervous. My hands are very steady. I guarantee you will feel every blood vessel and meridian being sliced open. Since you enjoy torturing others so much, you’ll surely enjoy this, won't you?"

With that...

*Pfft!*

A faint sound of flesh being parted echoed as the blade cut into Shen Chong’s skin. Guiding the blade with his *Qi*, Xia Ye began the dissection.

Next, under the helpless gaze of Dou Mei and Gao Ning, his hands moved like illusions, fluid and graceful. In no time, he had peeled back Shen Chong’s skin, revealing the muscle tissue beneath.

At this point, Xia Ye slowed down, operating with precision, occasionally checking Shen Chong’s soul state to ensure the man had the most exquisite experience possible.

Under his masterful knife work, Shen Chong was "peeled" away layer by layer like an onion. Before each layer was removed, every fiber of tissue within it had been sliced to shreds, beyond any hope of further decomposition.

To ensure he felt it more clearly, Xia Ye fed him another Soul-Locking Pill. Now, as he began to dismantle the blood vessels and meridians, he made sure to keep his promise and let him enjoy it to the fullest.

The dissection lasted for an hour before it concluded. All that remained on the table was a pile of shredded flesh and bone meal. With a wave of his hand, Xia Ye gathered the wisps of *Qi* dissipating in the air, condensing them into a ball of energy in his palm.

"Heh, so this is the 'Seed of Calamity,' is it? It’s truly a fine thing, but in your hands, it was a waste of heaven’s gifts..."

After examining it briefly, Xia Ye smiled. He squeezed the orb, extracted its essence, placed it into a jade bottle, labeled it, and tucked it away carefully.

Next, he took out a pill, crushed it into powder, and sprinkled it over the pile of flesh and bone. The remains began to squirm and fuse, and within moments, they were restored to their original state.

One must understand that descriptions like "bringing the dead back to life" and "snatching people from the hands of the King of Hell" were not mere rumors. Though these methods were unseen by the outside world, that did not mean Xia Ye could not perform them.

After all, the human body was, when stripped down, a simple matter. As long as the soul, flesh, and innate *Qi* remained, and provided one was familiar with the structure and had sufficient life force to replenish the body, recovery was possible. It was like a machine; once dismantled into parts, it could be fully reassembled.

Following this...

*Snap!*

Xia Ye clicked his fingers, and the restored Shen Chong stood up automatically, returning to the corner of the wall as if nothing had happened.

"You, come here!"

He pointed to Gao Ning, gesturing for him to lie down. He changed the sheet and raised the knife once more!

And so...

About two more hours passed.

It was late into the night when Xia Ye finally stopped, tearing off the third surgical sheet and tossing it aside.

By now, he had successfully collected the "supernatural elements" from all three of them. He smiled in satisfaction and commanded the trio:

"Each of you take a shovel to the back of the house and bury yourselves..."

"Oh, and do be careful when you shovel. Don't damage your colleagues."

As the three walked away woodenly and the door closed, Xia Ye tidied up and sat back down at his desk. He opened the drawer.

He took out his computer from a hidden compartment and created a third document in the "Experimental Subject Files" folder:

【Experimental Subject File:】
【Subject No. 003 — Qingqiu Empress】
【Subject: Xia He】
【Gender: Female】
【Age: 21】
【Experimental Stage: Not yet initiated】
……