"I like your straightforwardness; since you've been so direct, I won't beat around the bush either. I need your help to integrate those unruly monsters in the Sealed Land for my use." Master Candle Dragon was quite satisfied with the other's stance, pulled over a chair, sat opposite him, crossed his legs, and looked at Thanatos in the Soul Nourishing Jar as he stated his request.
"Ah!" Thanatos let out a screech upon hearing this answer, not unexpected to him, and spun three times within the Soul Nourishing Jar, speaking with a hint of pain, "I've been trapped there for too long! Master Candle Dragon, you should know that it's not some vacation paradise. If it's possible, I never want to go back in this lifetime."
"Of course, I understand! But that is a land I must fight for; my subordinates need those monsters' bloodlines to complete their own deficient heritage. You're my best candidate at present! Mr. Thanatos, you won't let my effort of wresting you from your father be in vain, will you?" Master Candle Dragon leaned back in the chair, crossed his arms over his chest, and shook his head at Thanatos in the Soul Nourishing Jar, somewhat conflicted.
"Master Candle Dragon, do I still have a choice at this point? I comprehend your demand, but I don't understand the purpose behind your actions. You know the consequences of releasing those monsters, right? With the current strength of the Hell Demon Race, they surely can't subdue them! Are you intending to completely destroy the Demon Race?" Thanatos hesitated for a moment before voicing his doubts.
Hearing this, Master Candle Dragon chuckled and retorted, "Do you still have any attachment to your tribe? I thought you had long been filled with hatred towards them!"
Thanatos fell into silence upon hearing this question, speaking with a muted tone after a long while, "Actually, my enemies have long been eradicated when I rebelled, including that biased father of mine whom I've made to experience the pain of losing his most beloved."
At this point, seeing the change in Master Candle Dragon's gaze, Thanatos hurriedly explained, "Don't misunderstand me, I'm saying this not as forgiveness towards him. The torment of being trapped in the Soul Gem for thousands of years has filled me with hatred towards him. Seeing his misfortune is still a delight for me, but this doesn't mean I'm willing to see my tribe exterminated by outsiders. Master Candle Dragon, I'm no child! I understand that if my tribe is exterminated and only I remain, no matter how powerful I become, I'll be nothing but a wandering ghost, unable to make my voice heard in this world ever again!"
"Wise judgment!" Master Candle Dragon acknowledged, thumbs moving restlessly as he spoke, "I have no need to zealously annihilate your lower-tier demons. As long as they are willing to surrender, I don't mind granting them some space sufficient for survival. I might even let you become their new leader. As for your father and those nobility, you likely don't care about their fates, correct?"
"Naturally! My disgust for them is profound. May I impudently ask, Master Candle Dragon, if you win, what do you plan to do with my father? I'm simply curious; purely curious!"
"Imprisonment! The world henceforth only needs one master!" In response to Thanatos's inquiry, Master Candle Dragon revealed his ultimate goal.
"Honorable Master Candle Dragon, Thanatos is willing to fight for your objective!" Thanatos said, making a one-knee kneeling gesture within the Soul Nourishing Jar towards the outer Candle Dragon. Receiving the other's joyful acceptance of his allegiance, he then stood up and continued, "Since you want me to integrate those Hell Beasts in the Sealed Land, I must ask you for one thing!"
"Speak, what do you want?"
"A body! I need a body strong enough for me to possess, and this person must possess adequate power. Also, I need sufficient resources, equipment, and manpower; the guys you want me to subdue are no ordinary foes!"
Having listened to Thanatos's request, the prepared Master Candle Dragon let out a chuckle and clapped his hands. Shortly after hearing the signal, the door behind him was slowly pushed open, and a young man entered the room, arriving behind Master Candle Dragon and standing with hands clasped in respect.
"Resources, equipment, and manpower will all be allocated to you when I need you to execute the plan. As for the person whom you most urgently want to possess, I've long chosen one. How is it? Take a look, do you like it?"
Master Candle Dragon motioned towards the Soul Nourishing Jar, and the young man behind him astutely approached the jar. Seeing this scene, Thanatos eagerly emerged from the jar and circled the young man three times, feeling slightly disappointed, "Not a Demon Race bloodline? What a pity!"
"Mr. Thanatos, I ask you not to overly concern yourself with bloodline. My words don't mean to disparage your race or its heritage, merely asking you not to underestimate the young man before you. Do you remember the lad who led you out of the Sealed Land and caught you off guard?"
Upon hearing this, Thanatos recalled the young man who almost drove him to a dead-end, causing anger to flare up and his Soul Body to sway with disdain, "Of course I remember! That little brat contained six strands of the Power of Origin within him, his abilities unusually strange, which caught me off guard. I've heard from your subordinates that his name is Pei Yan, a creation resulting from collaboration among the Masters of Origin from several realms!"
With this, Thanatos understood the implication of Master Candle Dragon's words, exclaiming excitedly, "Are you saying that this young man is also a Child of Origin like Pei Yan?"
"Indeed, he is precisely a newly cultivated Child of Origin! Come and demonstrate your power to Mr. Thanatos!"
At Master Candle Dragon's command, the young man unhesitatingly unleashed his Primordial Qi. Sensing the Six Paths Origin Qi contained within the other's body, Thanatos nodded in satisfaction yet questioned, "Though possessing Six Paths Origin, he operates very differently from the Pei Yan brat. Why is this?"
Upon hearing this, Master Candle Dragon swept strands of hair away from his forehead with a chuckle, "Such a state is rare and unreplicable; numerous attempts to duplicate have failed, considered a stroke of fortune for that kid! He has been handpicked by me for you, so why aren't you satisfied? If you truly insist on possessing someone from the Demon Race, finding a Pure-blooded Noble for you isn't entirely impossible, although..."
"No, I extend my sincere gratitude to Master Candle Dragon's generous favor; I am willing to possess this person and pledge my ultimate loyalty!" Not waiting for Master Candle Dragon to finish speaking, Thanatos knelt on one knee again, demonstrating his loyalty.
"Very well, since so, you should get to know each other, and prepare for the upcoming possession." With that, Master Candle Dragon stood up, pointed at the young man beside him, and introduced with a smile, "His name is Shitang Longsi. Oh, right! I almost forgot to tell you, he shares a deep-sea hatred with Pei Yan, just like you!"
