Sludge suction system

After reciting the last incantation, Wu Mai plunged the silver needle into the puppet. With a plume of thick black smoke rising, the witchcraft was complete. He let out a long sigh, a triumphant look on his face.

Before he could even recover, a sudden, sharp pain shot through his chest, like being struck by a heavy hammer. Wu Mai staggered, almost falling, and quickly clutched his chest. "What... what happened?" He frowned, cold sweat pouring down his face from the pain.

At first, Wu Mai thought it was because he had used too much energy to perform the witchcraft, but the pain became increasingly intense, as if it were tearing his chest apart. Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, his face turned ashen, and his lips were bloodless.

"Could it be..." Wu Mai's heart skipped a beat as he thought of the powerful witchcraft he had obtained from the Demon of Fiends. He had vaguely sensed that this power was too domineering when he used it before, and now he feared that the witchcraft within him had gone out of control due to the forced use of witchcraft. "That must be it. This witchcraft is too powerful, and I cannot fully control it yet." He gritted his teeth, trying to suppress the excruciating pain with his spiritual power.

However, the spiritual power that he could usually control at will was now like a wild horse, completely uncontrollable. Wu Mai's legs went weak, and he collapsed heavily to the ground, his hands tightly clutching the clothes at his chest, his body trembling uncontrollably.

Wu Mai knew he had to find a safe place immediately, or he would likely die on the spot. Forcing himself to remain conscious, he stumbled and staggered towards the secret chamber with his last ounce of strength. Along the way, his body trembled uncontrollably, each step seemingly requiring all his strength, knocking over tables and chairs with a screeching sound.

Finally, he arrived at the door of the secret chamber. Wu Mai's hands trembled as he groped for a hidden compartment beside the stone door. His fingertips touched a protruding stone, and with all his might, he pressed the mechanism. After a dull thud, the stone door slowly opened, and he fell forward, tumbling into the secret chamber.

Inside the secret chamber, the candlelight flickered. Wumai struggled to his feet and dragged his heavy steps toward the central magic circle inscribed with runes. His face was ashen, large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, but his eyes held a resolute determination.

Standing firmly within the magic circle, Wu Mai endured the excruciating pain, took a deep breath, and attempted to mobilize his spiritual power. He pressed his lips tightly together, chanting obscure incantations, trying to tame the chaotic power within his body. But that inexplicable force was like a ferocious beast; each impact felt as if his meridians were about to rupture inch by inch.

Wu Mai's face grew increasingly grim, his breathing rapid and labored, his chest heaving violently. Yet, he clenched his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, continuously channeling spiritual energy. The veins on his arms bulged high from the exertion, clearly visible in the candlelight.

Time slowly passed, and Wu Mai felt her power dwindling like sand in an hourglass, her consciousness gradually fading. But a voice inside her screamed: She must hold on, she must not be swallowed by this power.

In the fierce struggle against the power within his body, Wu Mai would sometimes wince in excruciating pain, sometimes groan in agony, his body trembling slightly within the magic circle. The mysterious power repeatedly assaulted his defenses, and although he resisted stubbornly time and again, his physical and spiritual strength was already on the verge of exhaustion in this fierce battle.

Meanwhile, in the far north of the Spirit Deer Kingdom, where ice and snow cover the land year-round, a chilling demon is imprisoned in a deep, dark cage woven from solid ice. The biting winds here seem to echo the wails of countless wronged souls, and the surrounding air itself appears frozen into sharp ice crystals.

On this day, the Demon King, surrounded by a thick black mist, was fast asleep with his eyes closed. Suddenly, he abruptly opened his eyes, his pupils flashing with a blood-red light, like two eerie, crimson setting suns. "Hahahaha!" A maniacal laugh erupted from the depths of his throat, causing the surrounding ice to crumble and fall. It turned out that he had realized that the wisp of divine consciousness injected into Wu Mai's body was successfully devouring Wu Mai's soul.

"Good, very good!" The demon laughed wildly as he rapidly formed hand seals, casting an ancient and evil spell. With his movements, the surrounding dark power surged towards him like a raging tide, the temperature inside the cage plummeted, and even space itself began to distort and deform.

The demon connected its power with Wumai through a wisp of divine consciousness, conjuring alluring images deep within Wumai's mind. In these illusory scenes, Wumai, clad in a magnificent robe symbolizing the authority of the high priest, embroidered with mysterious runes and radiating a profound light, stood on a grand altar, below whom thousands of believers knelt in devout worship. Sunlight streamed down, illuminating the gleaming artifacts in his hands, as the crowd chanted his name, their voices echoing across the heavens.

"Wumai, this is the high priesthood you've been dreaming of day and night." The demon's voice seemed to come from the deepest hell, booming in Wumai's mind. "As long as you surrender your soul, all of this will be yours. You will have unparalleled prestige, and the faith of your followers will be at your disposal."

"Think of those who slandered you on your path to becoming High Priest, those so-called nobles who looked down on you," the Demon continued, his voice carrying an irresistible allure. "Once you ascend to the position of High Priest, they will all grovel at your feet, at your mercy. You will control the divine authority of the Spirit Deer Kingdom, deciding the fate of the nation. Power, glory, wealth—everything will be in your hands." The Demon's face was twisted with excitement, his eyes fixed on Wumai, as if he could already see Wumai obediently submitting and becoming his puppet.

Wumai found himself in the illusion meticulously woven by the demon. At first, the scene before him was nothing more than a misty, ethereal realm shrouded in clouds. In an instant, a magnificent altar rose from the ground, soaring into the clouds, radiating a mysterious and majestic light.

Wu Mai looked down and found himself dressed in the magnificent robes of the High Priest, the embroidery exquisite and intricate, radiating a faint glow. He slowly ascended the steps of the altar, each step feeling as if he were walking on clouds. When he stood atop the altar and looked down, he saw the people of the Spirit Deer Kingdom kneeling in worship, their cries of "High Priest!" echoing like a tidal wave.

At this moment of supreme glory, a chilling wind swept by. At the edge of Wumai's vision, several familiar faces slowly emerged—those who had mocked and obstructed him on his path to becoming High Priest. Their faces wore contemptuous smiles, their eyes filled with disdain, as if this grand worship ceremony was nothing but a farcical spectacle.

Wumai's brows furrowed instantly, a surge of anger rising from the depths of his heart. "What right do you have!" he roared, glaring at the phantoms. "Now that I am the High Priest, how dare you be so disrespectful!"

But the phantoms showed no fear whatsoever; instead, their laughter grew even more arrogant. One of them sneered, "You? You're nothing but a pathetic wretch trying to climb to the top through crooked means. You think you're worthy of sitting on the throne of High Priest?"

Wumai's breathing suddenly became rapid, his chest heaving violently, and anger filled his eyes with bloodshot veins. He abruptly raised his hand, and a black magical power, carrying rage, slammed towards the phantoms. However, the phantoms easily dissipated, only to re-form nearby in the blink of an eye, continuing their mockery and ridicule of him.

Wu Mai completely lost his mind. He rushed towards the phantoms without regard for anything, unleashing a torrent of magical power from his hands. Each burst of power carried his anger, resentment, and madness, yet the phantoms could never be completely destroyed.

Amidst this chaos and madness, Wu Mai's obsession deepened, and his inner demons took root completely.

Suddenly, Wumai jolted awake, as if jolted from a bizarre and absurd dream. The surrounding scenery rapidly distorted and dissipated; the magnificent altar, the frenzied crowd of worshippers, and those phantoms that he hated so much vanished without a trace. He found himself still in the secret chamber, the runes of the magic circle emitting a faint glow, casting dappled light and shadow on the walls.

Just as he regained his senses, a strong wave of dizziness washed over him. Wu Mai clutched his head and crouched down in agony. In his mind, the demon's seductive words and illusory scenes of power flashed by like a revolving lantern. He shook his head violently, trying to shake off these chaotic thoughts.

As he slowly raised his head, the confusion in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by an eerie expression. His once clear eyes now held a deep, dark red hue, like will-o'-the-wisps flickering in the cold night—the aura of a demon.

A slight, chilling smile played on his lips as he stood up, his movements carrying a strange, sinister air. Wu Mai raised his hand, looking at his palm, as if he could see the dark power surging within. "Power... the position of High Priest..." he murmured, his voice filled with a ruthless determination to obtain it.

Wumai stepped out of the secret chamber, each step steady and resolute, completely devoid of his previous panic and pain. Passing servants, seeing his gaze, trembled in fear and involuntarily lowered their heads. At this moment, Wumai seemed possessed by a demon, radiating a chilling aura. He was no longer the Wumai who simply pursued power, but a puppet subtly corrupted and manipulated by the will of the demon, stepping step towards the abyss filled with darkness and bloodshed.