"A Punishing Tribulation?" Han Xuhan yelped in shock, having recognized the characteristics of the lightning tearing up the sky.
"Correct. Did you really think your amateurish hands would be enough to create a formation that could fool heaven's eye? This Soul Exchange method you've used was a success by the merit of the materials and intricate instruments you've dumped behind it. But at the end of the day, you're a rookie who knows next to nothing of the dao of formations. It's quite audacious of you to think that you could get away with it without a trace. Now, prepare to bear the wrath of the Celestials for breaking the natural order. Prepare...to die."
The shadow spoke of their imminent demise in an easygoing tone.
Boom!
Boomboomboom!
Boom!
Daylight waned as red clouds surged far above the floating island. The sun disappeared, and the only source of light became the explosive lightning covering the sky. But even the bright red surges of the lightning weren't able to illuminate a single inch of the dark silhouette standing ten feet away in the room.
"Who are you, senior?" Han Xuhan asked, his voice shaky.
"An associate of your victim, Inspector Xie," the shadow replied with a nod towards his old body. Trapped in that body, Fang Xie's rage and helplessness could only be expressed through his face. Lips twisted, teeth gritted, fingers balled into fists, Fang Xie looked ready to launch a suicide attack on Han Xuhan. But he himself had injured that body just five minutes ago. He could barely stand up, let alone attack someone.
But just because he had been rendered helpless didn't mean he had nothing to rely on.
"Are you just going to stand there and talk uselessly? Do something!" Fang Xie snapped towards the black silhouette.
The shadow put its arms up in a motion of surrender.
"The only way you two can survive right now is by correcting the mistake you've made."
Pointing a finger at Han Xuhan, it added, "That means, you need to reverse the exchange of souls. If you're quick enough, whichever Celestial is about to wipe you two off might just be willing to overlook the slight. It's not easy dealing with the natural repercussions of such tribulations."
"...." Han Xuhan couldn't quite come up with a reply. He cast his eyes down and looked at his new body. In his mind, he could sense the existence of his incredibly well-structured meridians. Actually, it seemed quite different compared to a typical meridian system. The sheer complexity of the structure, additional pathways that he hadn't ever seen in a chart, strange coils with unknown purpose, and the smoothness with which qi could flow inside it were evident. It reminded him of compounded Logic-Gate structures in electronic circuits.
What wonders could he accomplish if he had a physique like this? Would he ever need to rely on so many external elements if his own cultivation could stand tall against his adversaries?
Stolen story; please report.
Yet, here he stood, about to face a wipeout the moment he had had the opportunity.
All roads ahead had been erased, replaced by a choice, a compromise to make between two doors.
"Looks like he's choosing death," Fang Xie said impatiently, glaring at the shadow. "Didn't you say you were going to intervene?"
Before the shadow could answer, Han Xuhan held a hand up, his face filled with a regretful smile.
"The way I see it, either I can choose to die right now under the heavenly tribulation, or die later under Inspector Xie's hand when he recovers his body. Which option do you think would be less painful?"
Fang Xie and the shadow exchanged a nearly imperceptible look.
BOOOM!
This time, the thunder was close, dangerously close. It wouldn't be long before it descended upon them.
Fang Xie reached his decision as fast as the lightning above.
"I swear on my dao heart, I swear under the heavenly authority, I shall not harm you, Han Xuhan, the original owner of my current body, directly or indirectly, or even entertain the idea of harming you in any manner so long as you do not ever try to harm me in any manner. With the Celestial gaze already above us, the validity of my oath can be taken for granted."
Han Xuhan grimaced. This wasn't enough.
"There's a couple of contracts inside the pouch on your waist. Sign them," he ordered.
Fang Xie gritted his teeth and followed the command obediently. Satisfied, Han Xuhan shook his head and said something that confused both Fang Xie and the shadow.
"Senior, if you do not wish to die with the two of us, show some sincerity."
Boomboomboomboom! BOOOOM!
The roof of the cabin suddenly cracked and caved in, as if a force of several tonnes had smashed down on it. Even Han Xuhan, possessing Fang Xie's fully enhanced body, felt his eardrums buzz painfully.
While both Fang Xie and the shadow looked around the room, expecting to see someone else hiding here, the person Han Xuhan had addressed made himself known...but from a place that Han Xuhan hadn't expected.
Fang Xie suddenly retched as if something was coming out of his mouth. Then a slightly different voice came out of him while his eyes widened in terror.
"You think you're so clever, boy. You'll live to regret this for a very long time. You have no idea the sheer problem you've created for yourself by going through this."
Han Xuhan gaped at his old self for a moment.
"Wait..you didn't travel over along with my soul? You're still fine?!"
That senior hadn't been harmed by the Soul Exchange! Wasn't it a principle of the Body Possession technique that everything apart from his soul would be separated during the transfer?
While he hadn't expected the process to exterminate the powerful, parasitic senior, he had not expected him to be alive and well inside his old body either.
This didn't bode well. A shadow of doubt began to emerge in his heart as he contemplated the implications of this strange development.
While Fang Xie continued to gasp for breath and kept casting terrified looks at the frozen shadow, the senior inside his body replied in a gloomy tone.
"Do you think that little Abyss Butterfly gave you a wholly accurate Body Possession Technique? Knowing how careful you are, I didn't expect you to fall into her trap. Since she wanted you to do something for her, obviously, whatever she 'gifts' to you would be laced with poison! I suspected that she had left some loopholes in the technique while walking you through the memory sequences. And I was correct! From what I've gleaned judging by this method you executed, it's easy to point out what went wrong. At the lower stages of cultivation, a cultivator cannot just be separated from his body without losing his foundation. So I assume you thought you could get rid of me and your troublesome minions this way!
But instead of cutting off the existence of your dao tower the moment you possess another body, the version of the technique she gave you makes your dao tower exist independently of your existence! So now, you possess a new body, but if you begin cultivation again, your soul and consciousness will end up in a dao tower that doesn't belong to you anymore, nor connected to your physical form! One person can only have one dao tower by the heavenly mandate! As long as your previous dao tower hasn't been fully destroyed, you can never freely cultivate anew! So you'll be tied to the new owner of this body forever!
This was her way of luring you into a corner. Now, you can only go to her to ask for help, and in return, I bet she'll ask of you much more than she did on your first meeting!"
"...What the fuck?!"
Han Xuhan was so dumbfounded that he didn't even manage to evade as the roof got smashed into smithereens by another striking lightning. The stink of burnt wood spread across the cabin, covering it in smoke and dust.
"What the fuck do I do?" he whispered, finally feeling truly powerless in this absolutely brutal world of immortals.
The man speaking through Fang Xie's current body sighed.
"You asked me to show some sincerity. I'll show you some. Trigger the reversion of the possession, and I shall leave you alone like you wanted me to. Clearly, you can't recognize a blessing even if it smacks you in the face. I wish you luck in figuring out the abomination of a dao tower you'll find yourself possessing...if you survive this. Goodbye! HURRY!"
As the voice faded, Han Xuhan made his decision while looking up at a furious tide of blood-red lightning approaching the ruined cabin from thousands of feet above.
"I'll order my minions to assist me again. Help me restart the formation, seniors."
"That can be arranged," the pitch-black shadow said in a relieved tone.