Hours later, the Jiangshi opened its eyes.

Han Yu stood ready.

The Jiangshi rose slowly, its movements controlled.

Then it looked at him and smiled.

The expression froze Han Yu for a brief moment.

It was a smile, yes.

But it was deeply unsettling.

Too wide.

Too eager.

Too unnatural.

A chill ran down Han Yu's spine despite his cultivation.

"…interesting," he muttered.

The Jiangshi bowed slightly.

"Master… I am happy… to see you," it said.

Its voice carried a strange liveliness, almost cheerful, yet lacking the natural balance of genuine emotion.

Han Yu began testing immediately.

In terms of physical strength, the Joy based Jiangshi underperformed. Its durability and power were lower compared to the Green Class units. The difference was noticeable.

However, its behavior told a different story.

It spoke more.

It reacted more.

It even attempted to engage.

There was a clear inclination to please Han Yu, almost as if it derived satisfaction from his approval.

After extended observation, Han Yu came to a conclusion.

"This one has higher cognitive development," he said.

Its intelligence was greater.

Its personality, though primitive, showed signs of expansion. It was closer to a human mind, albeit a distorted one. Han Yu instructed it to stand aside, then prepared for further experiments.

This time, he did not limit himself to safe options.

He began testing other emotions.

The results varied greatly.

Some failed immediately.

When he attempted to use Anticipation and Surprise energy, the process collapsed at the infusion stage. The energies refused to stabilize within the Dantian. No Dao Script symbol formed. The curse cores destabilized and the bodies either decayed or disintegrated.

"These cannot anchor," Han Yu noted.

He wondered if the other emotions would produce more dramatic effects.

He started with Disgust.

From the moment the energy was introduced, Han Yu felt something was wrong. The transformation became erratic. The body twisted unnaturally. Flesh bubbled and deformed.

By the time the Jiangshi stabilized, its appearance had become grotesque beyond reason. Its skin sagged and split, revealing layers of decaying tissue beneath. Pus seeped constantly from its surface, dripping onto the ground with a thick, viscous sound.

The stench was overwhelming.

It surpassed even the worst rotting corpses Han Yu had encountered.

Even worse was its aura.

A suffocating sense of revulsion radiated from it, assaulting the senses in a way that went beyond smell or sight.

Han Yu immediately acted.

He sealed the Jiangshi inside a storage coffin and layered it with talismans, one after another, until its presence was contained.

"This cannot remain here," he said firmly.

He transported it to a remote section of his peak, a place originally intended as a dungeon. The area had been constructed for containment and punishment, though Han Yu had never made much use of it.

Until now.

He released the Jiangshi within a sealed chamber and began testing.

Despite its horrific appearance, its base strength remained within expected parameters. It matched an Iron Bark Jiangshi in durability and physical capability.

Its true power lay elsewhere.

The pus it emitted was highly corrosive. It melted flesh and materials with alarming efficiency. More troubling was the secondary effect. Anything touched by it began to decay over time, as if infected by a spreading rot.

Han Yu tested it on animals and captured beasts.

The results were clear.

They did not die immediately.

They deteriorated.

Their bodies broke down slowly, their vitality draining away until nothing remained but decayed remnants.

Han Yu watched silently.

"This… is dangerous," he said.

Not just in combat, but also in presence and the influence it exerted.

Han Yu did not linger in the dungeon after completing his observations on the Disgust Jiangshi. Even for someone who had spent years surrounded by blood, corpses, and cursed constructs, that particular creation left a lingering impression that was difficult to ignore.

The sealed chamber behind him now carried layers upon layers of talismans, reinforced barriers, and suppression formations. It would remain there for future study, though for now, he had no intention of bringing it anywhere near his primary workspace again.

Returning to his workshop, Han Yu stood in silence for a long moment. Trust had created stability and obedience. Joy had created intelligence and personality. Disgust had created corruption and decay. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

He exhaled slowly.

"The Eight Emotions…"

His gaze deepened.

"…each one is a path."

The Eight Emotions were proving far more complex than he had anticipated. Each one altered the Jiangshi in ways that went beyond simple enhancement. They were not merely modifiers. They were foundations that reshaped the entire nature of the creation.

Han Yu took a breath and centered himself.

"Next," he said quietly.

This time, he chose Sadness.

The energy itself felt heavy even before he summoned it.

Within his Soul Space, the Eight Emotions Lotus responded to his intent, gathering a faint bluish hue into one of its petals. When Han Yu guided that energy outward, it carried a quiet weight that seemed to press against his mind.

He prepared another corpse.

The process was now routine. Each step flowed seamlessly into the next, refined through repetition and precision. When the moment came, Han Yu guided a wisp of Sadness Energy into the forming Jiangshi.

The integration proceeded without immediate failure.

That alone gave him confidence.

He watched closely as the energy condensed within the Dantian, forming its own Dao Script character. The structure resembled the previous symbols, yet its presence felt different. It did not radiate outward. It sank inward, as if pulling everything toward itself.

Hours passed before the transformation completed.

The Jiangshi's body stilled before its eyes opened.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then…

It began to cry.

Soft at first.

Then louder.

"Wu… wu… wu…"

The sound filled the workshop.

Tears streamed endlessly from its eyes, flowing down its face without pause. Its expression twisted with sorrow, yet there was no clear cause, no trigger, no event that justified such grief.

Han Yu stood still, observing as the aura changed.