Han Xuhan had spent an extensive part of his recent days contemplating possible routes to take that would overturn his fated downfall.
Before the advent of the tournament, his plan had been to become a clerk or manager of one of the administrative organs of Crimson Snow Sect. With Xuan Zi, Kong Ye, and Mu Ran's goodwill, he could have led a decent, short, mortal life.
This was his best backup plan, and this was also his worst plan for his future self in another way. As someone so fascinated by the concept of wielding superhuman power, exerting political influence, and brandishing magical abilities, being forced into the shoes of an ordinary mortal in this world was tantamount to a life of mental torture for him. If there were other options, he would never choose that life.
And other options there were.
The first option, to turn into a Ghost cultivator, was not reliable due to its potential impact on his current life. He knew little about Ghost cultivation. But he knew that choosing that road would force him to cast aside much of his current life. Moreover, he was unwilling to put the control of his cultivation over to someone he did not know.
So he had put the option inside his pocket and moved on.
The second option turned out to be something he had wondered about frequently, turning away each time due to the unsavory concept. To possess someone else's body, a healthy body suitable for cultivation, was an irresistible notion for someone in his shoes. So he had not wasted the opportunity to exploit his 'customer' and squeezed the method of possession out of Lady Caizhi that day.
Lady Caizhi hadn't held back when showing him the memory sequences of her brethren undergoing the process. He had learned exactly how to use precious materials to set up a formation that could fool heaven and earth, inside of which an exchange of souls would take place between two bodies.
It had left him shaken at the time. The materials needed were expensive, and the exchange of souls couldn't be done without some sacrifices either.
Firstly, both participants would lose all spiritual aspects of their cultivation after taking over the other body. They would only have their enhanced bodies left to rely on.
Secondly, the blood essence of talented, strong cultivators would be needed to sustain the exchange of souls. This could only be done with the help of complex instruments or formations that Han Xuhan had no way of acquiring by himself.
But he excelled in acquiring resources. It had been but a simple task to venture into the realm of laws and ask Qian Yun and Feng Jun for a favor. The Holy Land of Laws may be ruined, but it still carried enough in its wreckage to assist some talented young acolytes in creating some Sentient Contracts and Law Fragments for specific purposes.
These alternative instruments had done the most work today. Zhanxian and Tun Shi Tian had merely run around supplying the formations with more materials and fuel. Thus, a compounded array of laws and rudimentary formations had fallen into his hands, capable of accomplishing exactly the same thing as the formation he had seen in Lady Caizhi's memory.
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As for the blood essence supply, Han Xuhan had grudgingly chosen the Phoenix Faction disciples for this purpose. The process would not kill them, but it would probably do enough internal damage to cripple them temporarily. Blood essence, the most important enhancement of a cultivator's body, was recoverable with enough time, rest, and expensive medical treatment.
The third sacrifice to be made was to form a permanent mental bond with at least one cultivator who would assist the active soul in completing the transfer and maintaining clarity under the Soul-Confusion formation. This mental bond was so easy to abuse that unless a person trusted another with his life, they would not resort to forming the bond. But Han Xuhan had nothing to worry about here. Both Zhanxian and Tun Shi Tian were already connected to his mind through his dao tower. How much more deeply could they be linked to his mind? Not to mention, after the soul transfer took place, his cultivation would be lost, which means his dao tower would no longer exist.
How could Zhanxian and Tun Shi Tian abuse the mental bond if they ceased to exist?
That's right. Han Xuhan had been fully prepared to lose his three minions, alongside the old monster hiding in his dao tower when he entertained the idea to choose this path.
As for the third possible route he could have taken, the fusion between him and his minions was out of the question. He didn't want to be turned into an abomination physically and mentally just to keep cultivating. And he definitely didn't trust that old fart hiding inside his dao tower. Who knew what kind of sinister scheme lay hidden in this dangerous route?
The arrow had been shot. Now he could only await the result.
The result of performing the last requirement of the Body Possession method, which could also be termed a Soul Exchange technique, was apparent immediately.
A searing pain that couldn't quite be associated with any part of his body exploded inside his nerves. Following that, he lost track of all five of his senses once more.
But a new type of sense formed inside his consciousness, making him perceive again the familiar world of shimmering colors and flashing lights.
Something seemed to click inside him, instilling a sense of correction in his mind.
Vaguely, he seemed to hear something.
He could hear!
Gradually, he realized that not only could he hear again, his eyes were also beginning to work normally. The world of colors had disappeared, giving way to the normal world. He could see the ceiling becoming clearer and clearer every moment.
One after another, he felt a continuous series of things falling into order inside his consciousness. It was almost like a displaced limb being forced into its correct position. Only, the entire process appeared spiritual instead of physical.
Vision, hearing, smell, touch, and taste, all returned. But the distinct difference in his renewed perception made Han Xuhan shudder.
His vision was unbelievable! It almost made his head hurt; the sheer focus, strange shades of colors he had never seen, the speed and fluidity with which he could move his eyeballs, and the overwhelming mountain of details popping into his mind every time his focus moved onto something new.
And this was merely one of his five senses. He could smell practically everything in the room. The scent of blood, furnished wood, burnt wood, a bundle of unique scents that strongly reminded him of sweat and tears, the stink of cold metal dipped in heavy medicine, and many more that he couldn't recognize!
And now that his hearing had fully recovered, he realized that the sounds he had been hearing were someone's coughs. This person seemed to be in serious pain as he continued to retch and gasp for breath.
Han Xuhan took a deep breath and tried to sit up. As he pushed himself off the wooden floor, it creaked and began to cave in, although the change was very minuscule. Han Xuhan noticed the areas where his nails had been placed on. The wood there looked like it had been chopped on by a dull knife.
And his hands...his clothes...
Eyes widening, he examined his body. Then he looked at the only source of the sound in the cabin.
His own familiar face looked back at him, pale and visibly terrified.
"...It worked!" Han Xuhan roared jubilantly in Fang Xie's deep voice.
He had possessed Fang Xie's body! And in turn, Fang Xie had been forced into his old body! He had actually pulled it off!
"Indeed, it did," said an unfamiliar, choppy voice from behind.
Both Han Xuhan and Fang Xie whipped their necks towards the source of the voice, expecting to see one of the fallen disciples who had been sacrificed for the formation.
A pitch-black humanoid silhouette sat lazily in a corner of the room. If one had not focused on that area closely, they wouldn't have noticed it. Seeing their astounded faces, the shadow stood up.
"I never imagined I would have to intervene, Inspector Xie. But it seems you've lost. In fact, you're well on the track to losing your life too. Truly humiliating for someone of your stature, if you ask me."
Fang Xie ignored the jibe and asked the question that had arisen in both of their minds.
"What do you mean by that? Why would I be on the track to lose my life?"
The shadow cocked its head and said in a low whisper, "Listen to the sky."
A bright red light flashed through the window, illuminating the room for a second. Through the window, a sky torn by blood-red lightning froze their gazes. And the following explosive thunder made the entire floating island of the Stardust Sect vibrate.
"That is the wrath of a Celestial," the shadow whispered.