This feeling of being mysteriously targeted by someone left Li Guanqi thoroughly vexed.
Yet beyond irritation, what he felt even more was a touch of dread.
Whether it was Cang Lu back then or Li Shenzhi now, neither had suffered possession!
Back then, he had probed Cang Lu's three ethereal and seven corporeal souls just as he had done today.
And just like Li Shenzhi today, there hadn't been the slightest anomaly.
Their souls and spirits were entirely their original selves!
Such methods... were practically impossible to guard against.
This time, he had been able to notice something amiss thanks to that faint trace of aura he recalled. But after this, the person lurking in the shadows would definitely grow far more cautious and do everything possible to erase their presence.
The next time "he" appeared, he would surely be even more covert!
Looking down at the corpse at his feet, Li Guanqi let out a melancholy sigh.
Li Shenzhi... Li Guanqi had once wondered whether this man might become a brother at his side.
The world was unpredictable, but he didn't dare let someone like this approach him unchecked!
The lesson Cang Lu had left behind was simply too profound.
Li Guanqi looked at the mangled corpse, his brow knitting slightly.
For from start to finish, just as he had suspected, Li Shenzhi had no idea he was no longer himself.
Perhaps the shadowy figure's method was like planting a seed within Li Shenzhi's body. It needed time or some kind of nourishment to slowly take root and sprout, ultimately overtaking Li Shenzhi's entire soul.
When that time came, Li Shenzhi... would no longer be Li Shenzhi.
*Buzz!*
A small opening parted in the Sword Prison space, and Lu Kangnian flashed inside the domain in an instant.
Immediately after, Ji Yuchuan's figure slowly manifested within the domain as well.
Both looked toward Li Guanqi with grave expressions, Ji Yuchuan's gaze turning icy as he glanced at the corpse on the ground.
A look of concern crossed Lu Kangnian's face as he asked in a grim voice, "Is it the same situation as Cang Lu?!"
Ji Yuchuan said nothing. Over this period, he had already thoroughly investigated everything concerning Li Guanqi's past, including "Cang Lu"—the fellow who had brought about no small change in Li Guanqi.
Li Guanqi took a deep breath, gathered Li Shenzhi's remains, handed them over to Ji Yuchuan, and said solemnly, "Yes. It's 'him' again. I only noticed it because I caught a sliver of that aura when I clashed with 'him' previously. But... after this, our enemy will surely be even more cautious."
Hearing this, Lu Kangnian looked thoroughly solemn. Such uncanny, unpredictable methods, coupled with a predatory gaze lurking in the dark... Even Lu Kangnian felt an inexplicable pressure, to say nothing of Li Guanqi, who was the actual target.
"Brother Ji, Mirror Pavilion probably already knows of Li Shenzhi's death. I'll have to trouble you to make a trip to Luoxia Domain for this matter, or Uncle Xi can go instead. In short... make our explanation clear. Whether they believe it or not, we have no way to prove it. If they demand compensation, compensate them as best we can... Li Shenzhi doesn't seem to have any family left in the Xuantian Dynasty anyway. I recall his father succumbed to illness long ago. Still... sigh."
Ji Yuchuan bowed and cupped his fists, murmuring, "Rest assured, Pavilion Master. Leave this matter to me. I shall set out at once."
Li Guanqi's eyes narrowed slightly. He closed them in deep thought for a long moment before opening them again and sending out a message: "Uncle Xi, come meet me!"
"Sect Master, let's talk in your study."
Lu Kangnian nodded. Ji Yuchuan, left on his own, raised a hand to trace a talisman and instantly vanished beyond the domain borders of the Great Xia Sword Sect.
After Li Guanqi followed Lu Kangnian to the study, a knock sounded at the door right on cue.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
"Pavilion Master."
*Creak.*
"Come in. Uncle Xi, please sit beside me."
The elder in splendid robes bowed with a nod and took a seat beside Li Guanqi.
Li Guanqi cut straight to the chase: "Sect Master, is there any dharma artifact or similar treasure capable of recording everyone's identity and aura?"
Lu Kangnian's eyes filled with contemplation. Looking up slightly at the ceiling, he thought for a moment before shaking his head with a furrowed brow... "Given the methods this person has demonstrated so far, I'm afraid ordinary dharma artifacts wouldn't work at all."
Xi Yunhuai also inquired about the specific situation, and his brow furrowed deeply upon hearing the details. "If their methods are truly this covert, they might be impossible to guard against! Whether in bloodline or divine soul, everything truly belonged to 'Li Shenzhi' himself. It's like... a speck of dust landing on our clothes. Would you say I am still me? I am still me, and I might not even know that dust has settled upon my robes!"
Li Guanqi sighed. Xi Yunhuai was right; such methods were impossible to guard against.
"Sigh... The only reason I was able to detect him this time was because I noticed that peculiar aura. The next time he appears, he won't be so careless."
Worry surfaced in Lu Kangnian's eyes. For someone to repeatedly probe and approach Li Guanqi, there had to be a specific motive. The man glanced at Xi Yunhuai, but in the end, he didn't ask why. He felt this had to be Li Guanqi's secret. Since Li Guanqi didn't wish to bring it up, he wouldn't pry.
Meanwhile, atop a deserted mountain peak, Song Zhi'ang sat on the grass in a daze. Tugging at blades of grass, she muttered bitterly under her breath, "Hmph! Infuriating!"
*Rustle.*
"Hahaha, little girl, why so troubled?"
Song Zhi'ang whipped her head around and saw an elderly man gazing at her with a gentle, genial smile. With his hands clasped behind his back, the elder walked toward her step by step. In her perception, his aura was as profound as an abyss, utterly bottomless.
When she got a clear look at his face, she gave a sudden start!
For the person who had arrived was none other than the thirty-sixth Sect Master, Han Chengxian!
Song Zhi'ang hurriedly rose to her feet and bowed rather stiffly. "This humble girl, Song Zhi'ang, pays her respects to the Old Sect Master."
Han Chengxian waved a hand dismissively, plopping down beside her with a chuckle. "What Old Sect Master? Nowadays, I'm merely another disciple of the sect. Come, sit. No need to be so tense."
Half-doubting, Song Zhi'ang sat back down beside him, her heart filled with bewilderment toward this elder whose strength reached to the heavens.
The elder offered a slight smile, gently stroking his beard as he said softly, "This old man had nothing better to do, and I happened to see you sitting atop this peak looking thoroughly weighed down by gloom, so I came over to see. Care to tell this old man what could possibly be troubling you so? You're so pretty, and you've even received the inheritance of an Incarnation cultivator. What is there to fret about?"
Hearing praise from a figure of Han Chengxian's stature filled Song Zhi'ang with quiet delight. Compared to her father Song Kangning's belittling remarks, she much preferred the elder's praise.
Sitting a short distance away from the elder, Song Zhi'ang pursed her lips, unsure of what to say, and even less sure whether she should confide in him.
Yet when she thought about how she had nowhere else to turn and no one who understood her, perhaps confiding in this elder wouldn't be so bad after all.
Chapter 749