As the pact was sealed, Feng Zhiming felt his consciousness drift back to the altar. His eyes fluttered open, finding Kura still seated before him, a faint line of blood trailing from her lips, evidence of the toll the ritual had taken.

“It seems you've reached an accord,” she murmured, her voice tinged with weariness.

Feng Zhiming nodded, a contemplative look crossing his face. “An intriguing lord indeed. The current circumstances demand that I quickly grow stronger.”

His mind wandered to a conversation he once had with a captain aboard a ship. “So it really does come down to strength in the end,” he mused.

A strange sensation gnawed at his abdomen, drawing his attention inward. His core, once pure, was now fully black, a sign of change. He had unknowingly Actualized his Ethereal Core, and it stood on the brink of breaking through to Spiritual Awakening.

“While you were away, another nine months passed,” Kura observed, noting his surprise. “Your body cultivated on its own.”

Feng Zhiming’s eyes widened at the revelation. “Nine months of cultivation while conversing with the one of Truth and Veracity… It felt like mere minutes.”

“This speed… it’s unnatural,” he murmured, gazing down at himself.

“Such is the power of the Caelum Juravi,” Kura replied, “and yet, you still fall short of the Dao Lords.”

Feng Zhiming rose to his feet, intent on leaving. Time was not a luxury he could afford.

“You realize you can no longer leave the Heart in your current state,” Kura's voice halted him in his tracks.

“My current state?” he questioned, turning to face her.

“Anyone who sees you would immediately know you’ve been in contact with my Lord,” Kura explained, her eyes meeting his.

He nodded, understanding the gravity of her words. If he reappeared on the continent now, the Maiden would surely send someone to strike him down again.

“So, you have a way to remedy the current situation.” Feng Zhiming inferred.

Kura nodded. “It coincides with eliminating the fatal truth of advancing in your cultivation. You’ll need to steal something of great importance, The Seal of Beast Suppression.”

The weight of her words drove Feng Zhiming to his knees. His core throbbed violently, on the verge of shattering and releasing the soul within.

“If that spirit emerges now, you’ll implode,” Kura warned. “Your bloodline is of the Yang attribute, an unknown lineage beyond the realms of the Unborn.” Her knowledge, a gift from her Lord, seemed to flow effortlessly.

Feng Zhiming’s mind raced. “If I can’t leave, and I can’t break through, then what am I to do? What does the seal have to do with this?”

Kura anticipated his question and responded without hesitation.

“The Seal of Beast Suppression is in the possession of Dao Lord Vitalis, the sect leader of the Celestial Haven Sect.”

Feng Zhiming looked up at her, still clutching his abdomen, pain etched across his face.

“Can’t you retrieve it for me? You’re powerful enough to face a Dao Lord,” he reasoned. It was a fair request; if the Lord intended for him to ascend, surely it would provide the means to do so.

“If it were for you, I would do anything,” she replied, her eyes softening as they met his. “But if I leave the Heart and expose myself, I too would become a target. The Maiden’s followers are numerous and command at least ten Dao Lords. Even I would fall against such numbers.”

“And if I fall, the Lord would lose his point of contact with this realm. I’ve already become his creature of communion,” Kura explained, her voice tinged with a rare vulnerability.

Feng Zhiming pondered the situation, the weight of it pressing down on him. If he couldn’t leave, he couldn’t retrieve the seal. And without the seal, his survival was uncertain.

“Well?” he asked, his voice edged with impatience, hoping for a solution. The Lord had promised much, surely there was a plan.

“There is a way,” Kura said, her tone measured. “A method that would allow you to leave without actually leaving.”

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Kura rose to her feet and gestured toward an old corpse lying nearby. Her eyes turned a dull gray, and the corpse began to stir, rising to its feet.

“The eyes you possess have another ability—the power to transfer consciousness, though it’s somewhat limited by your current cultivation,” the corpse spoke, its voice unmistakably Kura’s.

“You can only enter the body of another worshiper of the Lord of Truth and Veracity, and the host’s cultivation cannot exceed yours by more than two major realms.”

Feng Zhiming slowly lowered himself back to the ground, biting into another apple as the pain in his core eased.

“At present, there aren’t many who worship the Lord, thanks to the Maiden’s relentless pursuit of anything connected to creatures of the abyss. She seeks to eradicate anyone with ties to them. Within the Celestial Haven Sect, we have only one.”

The idea intrigued Feng Zhiming, even if it felt strange.

“And while your consciousness is away, your main body will not cultivate, so there’s no risk of forcing a Spiritual Awakening.” she added.

It was a perfect solution, or so it seemed.

“Your abilities will remain intact, except that you won’t have access to the power of your eyes.”

There it was—the catch. Feng Zhiming knew it was too good to be true.

“And should you die in the other body, your consciousness will disperse permanently,” Kura continued, her voice calm but firm.

Another catch.

“A plausible solution,” he muttered, rising to his feet once more. “I’ll need to get my affairs in order.”

He began walking down the altar, making his way toward Anissa, his mind already racing with the preparations he needed to make.

Anissa knelt on the ground, eyes closed, a sharp, focused aura radiating from her. It was clear that during the nine months that had passed, she had devoted herself entirely to meditation and cultivating her swordsmanship.

“Anissa, it seems our paths must diverge for now,” Feng Zhiming's voice broke through her concentration.

She stood, struggling to find the right words, but they eluded her.

Feng Zhiming approached her, placing a finger gently on her forehead. He transferred the messenger technique that the second elder had taught him, simultaneously imparting a wealth of information. He withheld certain details, such as the matter of the throne, but he conveyed his current standing in cultivation and the steps he needed to take to grow further.

“I understand,” she replied, her voice distant as she absorbed the knowledge he had given her.

“I need you to go to the City of Spirit Stones,” Feng Zhiming instructed. “Find the Circle of the Forgotten One and lead them alongside Hera. Grow it by any means necessary. Treat it as if you were building a sect. The young miss of the Zhuge Clan also seems to have a fondness for you, use that to your advantage if need be.”

Anissa dropped to one knee, nodding solemnly. “I am your humble sword, and I will carry out your will.”

Feng Zhiming gently lifted her to her feet. “There’s no need for such formality when it’s just us,” he said, brushing a hand through her hair. “Just remember your wish. If you want to follow me in the future, you need to become stronger than you are now. Strong enough to exact your revenge against Dao Lord Fury.”

Anissa’s cheeks flushed at his unexpected affection, but her expression hardened at the mention of Dao Lord Fury. Deep within her, a burning rage still simmered.

Feng Zhiming understood Anissa well. He knew that this small gesture of care would only deepen her loyalty to him.

“I will do as you say,” she affirmed, pausing before adding with a hint of warmth, “Dear disciple.”

Feng Zhiming chuckled, amused that their old facade was still intact.

Kura suddenly appeared behind them, her presence unsettling the air.

“You should give her that interesting Core you have in your storage ring, the one of Flesh and Viscera. It holds great power. If she can incorporate it correctly, it will strengthen her significantly.”

Feng Zhiming sighed and turned to face her, his eyes narrowing.

“First, you pry into things that are none of your concern. Second, you interrupt an important moment. And third, you presume to tell me how to treat my subordinates,” he said, his voice sharp as he walked closer, locking eyes with her.

“Just because I’ve been touched by what you call the abyss doesn’t mean she should be tainted as well. Open your eyes. She should wield the sword and nothing else. That is her path. Remember your place, creature of communion,” he added, his tone firm and unyielding.

Kura’s gaze faltered, and she replied softly, “It was merely a suggestion.”

Feng Zhiming turned back to Anissa, his expression softening. “Go now, and be the loyal sword you pledged yourself to be.”

Anissa nodded, her resolve clear. “At your command.”

With a wave of Kura’s hand, Anissa vanished, leaving only Feng Zhiming and Kura standing there.

“Well, let’s get this show going,” Feng Zhiming said as he returned to the altar.

“May I touch your head?” Kura asked, cautious of his unpredictable temperament.

Feng Zhiming nodded, granting her permission.

Kura’s finger touched his head, and Feng Zhiming felt his consciousness begin to drift. It left his body, exited the Heart, and swept across the Wildlands before finally arriving in a dimly lit room.

For a moment, everything went black. When he opened his eyes again, he was in another body.

As he began to adjust to his new form, an odd, almost pleasurable sensation drew his attention to his legs. Instinctively, he looked down, only to find a woman with dark hair, clearly at the Ethereal Core stage, engaged in an act that left him stunned and speechless.

She looked up, meeting his gaze with a sultry smile. “Instructor, don’t forget to guide me personally after this. I don’t do this for just anyone.”

“WHAT THE HELL!” Feng Zhiming screamed internally, his mind reeling from the unexpected situation.