Possession

The Flying Yaksha raised a hand and pressed it against the stone door. Corpse qi surged, making contact with the restriction. A cold snort drifted out from within the stone cottage. "Did I not tell you? Unless something earth-shattering has happened, you are not to disturb me!" *That voice...* Qin Sang's heart stirred, his brow furrowing in private. He found the voice exceedingly strange—it sounded somewhat like Ji Wu, yet the tone was completely different from anything he had ever heard from him before. At this moment, there was no time to ponder such details. The thought merely flickered across Qin Sang's mind before he unhesitatingly commanded the Flying Yaksha to breach the restriction with all its might. At the same time, he channeled the power of the Ten Directions Yanluo Array, sending ghostly flames rushing out from the formation to pounce on the stone door in support of the yaksha. *Boom!* A deafening crash rang out. The restriction upon the stone door flashed faintly before being brutally shattered. Unable to withstand the force, the heavy stone door was subsequently smashed to pieces by a single blow from the Flying Yaksha's claw. Broken rock flew in all directions, kicking up clouds of dust. Fearless in the face of death, the Flying Yaksha took the lead and darted inside. Qin Sang's gaze pierced through the dust and haze, swiftly scanning the interior of the room for any trace of Ji Wu. He intended to kill Ji Wu first and then concentrate his efforts on Daoist Jiupao, which would give him a fighting chance. Qin Sang was on high alert. The window of opportunity was fleeting; only by catching his enemies off guard before they could join forces would he have any hope of success. He had to seize it! The stone cottage was spacious and empty. Its furnishings were extraordinarily sparse, with only a single prayer mat upon the floor. A Spirit Gathering Array was laid out within the chamber, allowing Qin Sang to take in the entire space at a single glance. The sight inside filled Qin Sang with astonishment. He easily located Ji Wu, who was seated right upon the prayer mat, but Daoist Jiupao was nowhere to be seen. Even if Daoist Jiupao's physical body had been destroyed, his Golden Core or origin soul should still be present. Yet aside from Ji Wu, there was nothing at all! "Who are you people?" Having come under sudden attack, Ji Wu remained impassive, sitting motionlessly upon the prayer mat. His sinister gaze locked onto the Flying Yaksha and Qin Sang. Both his expression and tone were entirely unlike anything Qin Sang had ever seen from him. Ji Wu's aura was formidable. Facing his gaze, Qin Sang felt a momentary tightness in his chest. Such a presence was something Qin Sang had only ever experienced from Core Formation stage experts. At this moment, even though Ji Wu looked identical to how he had appeared before, Qin Sang was certain that they were by no means the same person! Qin Sang froze briefly, then suddenly understood. *Possession?* He was utterly shocked. Daoist Jiupao had actually chosen to possess Ji Wu, and it appeared he had already succeeded. Ji Wu had completely turned into another person—it was far more fitting to address him as Daoist Jiupao now. No wonder! No wonder Daoist Jiupao had treated Ji Wu like his own son. Even while suffering from unhealed injuries and desperately needing medicinal pills, he had spared no expense to support Ji Wu's cultivation, pushing him all the way to the False Core stage. Ji Wu was actually the vessel Daoist Jiupao had prepared for himself! Daoist Jiupao had calculated thoroughly. Ji Wu had undoubtedly been chosen with meticulous care. Once Jiupao's Golden Core recovered and Ji Wu broke through to the False Core stage, he would carry out the possession and assume a new identity. Then, under the guise of Ji Wu, he could move freely throughout the Lesser Cold Domain without ever having to fear pursuit by the Yuanzhao Sect. Qin Sang estimated that Daoist Jiupao's motive for summoning Huang Shizhong back at this time was likely not innocent either. It was a flawless plan. Perhaps over the years, throughout Ji Wu's cultivation, Daoist Jiupao had long since secretly planted hidden techniques inside him. Qin Sang could not help but sigh inwardly. Ji Wu had traveled far and wide, working tirelessly for Daoist Jiupao—the master he revered—to seek healing pills. Ji Wu had nearly lost his life escaping Heaven-Pointing Peak, willingly giving up a Xuanzhen Pill in favor of the Guifu Pill. When the truth was revealed at the very end, what had Ji Wu been thinking? In the underworld below, could he truly rest in peace? Seeing that no one answered him, Daoist Jiupao glanced outside the cottage and pressed once more, "It seems Ink Flame has already died at your hands! My Demon Flame Sect lives at peace with the world, and I, Ji, have never crossed paths with either of you. May I ask what grievance you two hold against us that would drive you to storm our doors and slaughter an expert of my sect?" "'I, Ji'?" Qin Sang sneered, refusing to waste words with Daoist Jiupao. He barked a low command, "Kill!" Daoist Jiupao had already been cornered, yet instead of striking back immediately, he sat there leisurely inquiring about past grudges and whether they could be resolved. Qin Sang refused to believe Daoist Jiupao possessed such an even temper. There had to be a reason why he could not or did not want to stand, and he was merely trying to stall for time through conversation. Perhaps the possession was not yet complete, or the Guifu Pill had not been fully refined! Qin Sang was under no obligation to answer Daoist Jiupao's questions, nor would he voluntarily reveal his own identity. Acting decisively, he ordered the Flying Yaksha to attack! A towering surge of corpse qi erupted from the Flying Yaksha. With a single stride into the cottage, its figure flashed and vanished. Realizing his intentions had been seen through, Daoist Jiupao's expression changed instantly. He glared venomously at Qin Sang. "Relying on a mere subpar refined corpse to run wild before me—you court death!" Before his voice had finished echoing, Daoist Jiupao's figure suddenly flickered, finally leaving the prayer mat. *Whoosh!* The Flying Yaksha arrived, but its sharp ghostly claws tore through nothing more than an afterimage left behind by Daoist Jiupao. Immediately after, the Flying Yaksha twisted its arm and swept it horizontally. *Bang!* A dull thud sounded. The Flying Yaksha unleashed a blast of corpse qi, forcing Daoist Jiupao—who had been attempting to ambush Qin Sang—out of the shadows. At the same time, Qin Sang shifted repeatedly, darting behind the Flying Yaksha while deploying the Ten Directions Yanluo Array around his flanks. The first clash between the Flying Yaksha and Daoist Jiupao appeared evenly matched. "A Flying Yaksha!" Daoist Jiupao had no choice but to abandon his attempt to assassinate Qin Sang. Steadying his footing, he cast a deep, lingering look at the Flying Yaksha before turning his gaze toward where Qin Sang was concealed. His eyes flickered, and he no longer hid his voice. "The Ten Directions Yanluo Banners! Who on earth are you?! To enter without alerting the spirit formation, this old man must surely know you!" Hiding within the array, Qin Sang was both startled and pleased. He was pleased that the Flying Yaksha had not disappointed him; even if it could not defeat the man, escaping with his life would be no problem. He was startled that Daoist Jiupao, having only just completed his possession, still displayed such terrifying strength without showing the slightest sign of injury. Had the Guifu Pill truly healed his wounds completely? Turning a deaf ear to Daoist Jiupao's questions, he continued directing the Flying Yaksha in a fierce assault. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* Within the dim stone cottage, only two dark silhouettes could be seen darting back and forth at breathtaking speed, virtually indistinguishable from one another. Collisions rang out incessantly as chaotic spiritual power surged violently. The stone cottage's restrictions had already been damaged by Qin Sang, and now they were riddled with cracks. *Rumble!* Unable to bear the strain any longer, the stone cottage suddenly collapsed. Hiding inside the array, Qin Sang channeled ghostly flames to aid the Flying Yaksha, offering modest support. Yet he refrained from deploying his two magic treasures from start to finish. As the battle wore on, Qin Sang noticed that Daoist Jiupao's condition was not as solid as it appeared on the surface. The strength he displayed was not nearly as terrifying as that of the true Core Formation experts Qin Sang had encountered in the past. There was an opening!