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Chapter 73 Soul Transference
Liu Shuyue opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know what to say.

The three souls and seven spirits are something everyone is born with. They are nourished by the body and constantly strengthen it. Under normal circumstances, the two are inseparable and cannot be separated. When a person dies, the soul and spirit will continue to exist for a period of time, just as the body still retains residual warmth. Eventually, the physical body decays and returns to the earth, and the soul and spirit will also transform into a wisp of spiritual energy, becoming nourishment for the birth of new spiritual seeds.

Only by forcibly imbuing an object with a soul can such a situation occur. For example, the spirit-summoning ritual used by folk healers—attaching a celestial soul to a paper doll and driving it to kill. The moment the spell ends, the celestial soul disappears, and the paper doll becomes an empty shell.

Because the thing being manipulated is itself a puppet.

The reason Liu Shuyue didn't respond was that she deeply understood that this matter could be a big deal or a small deal!
To put it mildly, the Immortal Master Ningguo willingly degenerated, practicing evil and demonic arts, turning himself into something neither human nor ghost.

Speaking more broadly...

Liu Shuyue didn't even dare to think any further.

"Why are you silent?" Liu Zhidong's voice returned to its gentle tone. "Is it because you're afraid? After all, we were born and raised in sects, and we don't know who our parents are. If they were to tamper with our bodies, the only way would be—"

"Are you sure?" Liu Shuyue couldn't help but interrupt. "Could it be that you were too badly injured at the time and misread it?"

"Heh... Indeed, such accusations are too serious. Let me continue with my story."

Liu Zhidong didn't pay any attention to her questioning and continued speaking.

"I spent two years recovering from my injuries and another ten years traveling to various countries... During this time, I also secretly helped the Liu family. It was during this period that I began to age abnormally, as if my time was coming to an end. This is far from the seventy or eighty years I had expected. If this continues, I may only live for another four or five years."

Liu Shuyue frowned as she listened. "You think this is also caused by the sect?"

"Who knows?" Liu Zhidong said dismissively. "Just as you hadn't met the previous disciple before you came here, I haven't met the last disciple either. Now that I think about it, when the sect reopens after a hundred years, the last disciple will still be barely surviving. Wouldn't that be quite awkward? But I think there's probably a deeper reason behind this, but we haven't found the answer yet."

"Since time is running out and I have no better choice than to use myself to verify my previous guesses."

Use yourself to...verify?
Liu Shuyue glanced at the mummified corpse subconsciously.

“That’s right, just as you see.” Liu Zhidong laughed again. “I succeeded. With the help of the Shadow Demon’s magic, I swapped my three souls and seven spirits with the demon, and then used the Golden Toad Shedding its Shell technique to avoid death when I lost my souls. The dried corpse on the lotus platform is my proof. When 'I' died, the Shadow Demon’s spirit attached to it disappeared instantly, and the empty body was left behind.”

Exchanging souls with a demon?

Liu Shuyue suddenly realized something and abruptly raised her head—

In the boundless darkness, a colossal figure appeared, almost blending into the darkness itself, like a spider with many tentacles.

This is the Shadow Demon, an extremely special kind of demon. It has no physical form and cannot be seen or touched by humans. It usually only appears in people's nightmares, sustaining itself by devouring emotions. The Shadow Demon could not possibly appear in a remote, uninhabited mountain forest, so it was undoubtedly captured and brought here by Liu Zhidong.

“Absurd…absurd…”

Liu Shuyue suddenly regretted coming here to find the truth. What had she heard?
Abandon human dignity and become one with demons!

Are these still the same brilliant and compassionate disciples she remembers?

"If I were you, I would choose to end it all here!" she said through gritted teeth.

"No, if I die, wouldn't all these investigations just vanish into thin air?" Liu Zhidong resolutely rejected the idea. "Of course, I won't allow myself to remain like this forever. Actually, I made many preparations long before the replacement, such as guiding the Liu family to attract your attention..."

"How could you possibly know I exist?!" Liu Shuyue interrupted angrily.

“Indeed, it’s amazing, isn’t it?” Liu Zhidong said calmly. “I forgot to tell you, during my ten years of travels, I also discovered some interesting little secrets. For example, there was a disciple with the surname Liu in the previous generation. In addition, the surnames Zhang and Li also appeared many times.”

She was stunned.

"So I had the Liu family publicize their relationship with you extensively... just enough to pique your curiosity. Whether you're called Liu Da or Liu Er, male or female, it doesn't matter, it doesn't even matter if you're a Qi Kingdom Immortal Master. As long as this news reaches your ears, I believe you'll definitely come to the Liu family. After all, we were all born into sects, how could a mere commoner family dare to pretend to have a relationship with an Immortal Master? Wouldn't they be asking for trouble?" The shadow demon descended, its six scarlet eyes staring at Liu Shuyue. "But what I didn't expect was that you could really endure it, only coming here five years after descending the mountain. Do you know how anxious I was waiting? It felt like an eternity!"

"That baby born into the Liu family, was it also you—"

“That’s right. Before the mountain gates were opened, I had them send away a batch of babies every year, both boys and girls. Otherwise, the Liu family wouldn’t be able to support this arrangement.”

"Where did the baby go?!" Liu Shuyue demanded.

"Maybe it'll just disappear along the way. After all, an ordinary person can't get out of this mountain forest on foot," the other person said casually.

"Enough! You are not worthy to be a disciple of the Lotus Cloud Sect! This conversation ends here. I don't want to hear another word from you!" She had reached her limit.

"And then? Are you going to kill me with the Demon-Slaying True Sword?" The shadow demon grinned, revealing a mouth full of broken teeth, as if laughing. "I actually hate demons even more than you do. During the long years I was trapped in this cave, I fantasized every moment about the moment I could escape! That's why I invited you here—Liu Shuyue, you are my new body. I will replace you and become the next disciple of the Lotus Cloud Sect, continuing to uncover the sect's unspeakable secrets!"

"You want me to give you my body? Don't even think about it!"

"It's not a matter of whether you want it or not... it's already happened, you see."

The spider's body crawled upwards and quickly disappeared into the darkness. Then, Liu Shuyue was surprised to see her own body move! She put down the jade tablet and waved in this direction.

Liu Zhidong's voice rang out again, "You thought our conversation just happened, but it actually took five days. This is the Shadow Demon's ability to extend the time of dreams and illusions without anyone noticing. During this time, I gradually took over your body."

Five days have already passed? Oh no!
An extremely unsettling thought flashed through Liu Shuyue's mind.

"Hmm? What are you trying to hide? Let me see..." Liu Zhidong actually sensed her change of heart. "Our souls are now intertwined, so I can sense what you're thinking. Chen Xuan... Who is Chen Xuan? Is he a disciple of the Lotus Cloud Sect in this year's cohort?"

"Get out of here!"

Liu Shuyue let out an almost uncontrollable scream in her heart!

In an instant, the waving body suddenly froze, and then one hand trembled as it reached for the talisman pouch at the waist.

"How could there be a reaction? You should be completely possessed by me!" Liu Zhidong exclaimed in surprise, then an even stronger force took control of his body. "Don't waste your energy! You've only been out of the mountains for five years, how can you compare to me who has been cultivating in seclusion for decades? Whether it's mental cultivation techniques, magic arts, or talisman techniques, I am far superior to you!"

After saying that, he took out the communication talisman that Liu Shuyue wanted to use from his bag. "Do you want to warn this person? Forget it. I have no intention of harming him, nor will I hurt anyone you care about. Because from today onwards, I am Liu Shuyue, and I will cherish and inherit everything you have."

“A person like you… has no right to help the world and care for the people!” Liu Shuyue growled with difficulty.

"I don't have it, but do you?" Liu Zhidong said dismissively. "In the end, we are all puppets manipulated by the sect. Even our souls don't truly belong to ourselves. What does it matter if we kill each other? Will the sect even give you a second glance? This century of training has made me realize one thing: I no longer owe the Lianyun Sect anything. From now on, I will live as myself."

As for this world... let it rot!

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding scenery suddenly blurred, and the next second, the cold and dark cave transformed into a magnificent room.

The room was bathed in bright white light, filled with a faint milky aroma, and accompanied by pleasant music.

Before Liu Zhidong could react, he found himself standing in front of a man.

The two looked at each other.

Finally, the other party spoke first.

"Are you OK?"

(End of this chapter)