As soon as Han's spiritual energy probed into the Jade Slip, he saw the words clearly:

"Soul Fusion Technique—uniting the soul with the ancestral spirit, tracing the bloodline, the true meaning of the Holy Ancestor revealed within the heart…”

"This seems to be a secret cultivation technique of the Light Fox Clan?" Han thought aloud. "It says only their bloodline can practice it."

"Bloodline related?" Bai Ruoyue immediately lost interest. "Doesn’t seem useful to us. We humans can't cultivate it."

"Yeah, it’s of no use to us," Han agreed. "But if you ever head to Tianyue County, you could sell it to the major trading guilds there. They collect all sorts of oddities like this."

Han didn’t comment further and quietly tucked the Jade Slip away. What he initially thought was a great opportunity had turned out to be an ancestral secret technique, limited to a particular clan.

“What will you do with this skeleton?” Bai Ruoyue asked.

“Bury it,” Han said, thinking there was no need to mistreat it. The skeleton hadn't wronged him in life, and it even gifted him a secret technique. It deserved a peaceful rest.

Bai Ruoyue nodded in approval. I was right about him after all!

After finding a secluded spot to avoid disturbance, Han dug a small pit and carefully buried the bones. As they headed back, Han kept thinking about the Soul Fusion Technique.

According to the technique, once mastered, it would allow one to awaken the power of their bloodline, trace it back to its origins, and merge the soul with the true will of their ancestors.

The benefits of achieving this were vast.

But, as the Jade Slip stated, only the Light Fox Clan could practice this technique.

Han was intrigued but, unfortunately, wasn’t born into the Light Fox bloodline.

On their way back to the Taibai Martial School, someone suddenly called out to Han.

"Han!"

Han turned and saw that it was Yun Duo, running toward him with a few guards trailing behind.

"I went to Taibai Martial School looking for you, but you weren't there. Didn't expect to run into you here. Were you out near Black Cloud Town?"

Bai Ruoyue had already stored away the beast corpses and spiritual plants in her Taibai Bag.

Yun Duo smiled and greeted Bai Ruoyue with a "Sister Bai," which Bai Ruoyue returned with a nod.

"Do you need something from me?" Han asked.

"The people from the Guard House are looking for us. It’s related to the Taoist from yesterday."

"Oh, I see. Sister Bai, should I go to the Guard House then?"

"Go ahead."

After parting ways with Bai Ruoyue, Han followed Yun Duo toward the Guard House. Along the way, Yun Duo’s guards frequently shot Han secretive glances. Han didn’t mind. Being handsome did come with its perks; it was something everyone who looked good had to deal with.

"What’s this about the Guard House needing us? Did they say what happened?" Han asked.

"The Taoist is dead," Yun Duo replied.

"Dead?" Han looked at Yun Duo. "He was locked in a cell and constantly watched—how did he manage to kill himself?"

"It doesn’t seem like a suicide..." Yun Duo hesitated and added, "He died mysteriously, without any warning."

If it wasn't suicide... then it must have been murder.

Upon arriving at the Guard House, a martial artist led them inside.

"I'm sure you've already heard, the killer is dead, but there are still many unanswered questions."

"We've called you here to get a more detailed account of the whole situation."

"How did the Taoist die?" Han asked.

"There were no signs. No one had interacted with him, and he didn’t show any unusual behavior. He just died suddenly."

"It’s definitely sudden..." Han thought for a moment and then recounted the events of the previous day, with Yun Duo adding some details.

"Mr. Zhou caused injuries to the suspect during the capture?" the martial artist asked.

Han frowned. What does that mean? Is he implying something here?

"Against a ruthless cultivator, I could only fight with everything I had."

"I don’t think there’s a law in Daqi that forbids injuring a cultivator during a capture, right?" Han shot back.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The martial artist chuckled. "Of course not. I’m just gathering information. We’re documenting everything."

Once all the details were recorded, Han left the Guard House.

"Han, I’m going to see my teacher. Do you want to come?" Yun Duo asked.

Han initially thought to decline; he’d already visited Taolin twice that day. But then, the Soul Fusion Technique came to mind, and he changed his mind.

Upon reaching Taolin, Yun Duo went into the attic with Lu Qingmo for a meeting, while Han stayed outside, admiring the flowers.

There was something special about this place—every time Han came here, it felt like his mind calmed, as if some kind of Daoist method had been set up by Lu Qingmo.

When Lu Qingmo emerged, Han took out the Jade Slip and explained what had happened.

"This is a legacy Jade Slip. I can’t believe the Light Fox Clan even lost their Soul Fusion legacy," Lu Qingmo commented as he examined the contents, then explained in detail to Han.

"Every powerful demon race has its strong ancestors. Their cultivation often involves contemplating their ancestors, and each clan has its own Soul Fusion technique."

"It’s a secret technique that only their geniuses can practice, and even if it leaks, others can’t learn it."

"The difference in bloodline is as vast as the distance between heaven and earth," Han muttered, impressed.

"You’re mistaken," Lu Qingmo shook his head.

"This Soul Fusion Technique may seem to emphasize bloodlines, but it’s really a soul technique. Whether it can be cultivated depends on the soul's origin. Only a soul belonging to the Light Fox Clan can fuse with their ancestral will."

"Even if a Light Fox cultivator takes over the body of another race, they can still use this technique. The reverse is true too."

"A Light Fox’s soul can awaken the will of its ancestors, even without a body, by tapping into another Light Fox’s bloodline or an ancestral relic."

"Awakening the true will of the bloodline is simply the easiest way to do it."

Han suddenly understood. The bloodline requirement was a red herring—what really mattered was the soul’s origin.

But the difference between souls was even more profound than that of bloodlines.

"If we could also merge our souls with something we contemplate, would that allow us to achieve a similar effect to the Soul Fusion Technique?"

"No, that’s not how it works," Lu Qingmo denied. "Without the Soul Fusion Technique, you can’t awaken the true will. You can only try to fuse with what you visualize, but it’s extremely difficult, and even if you succeed, you won’t remain yourself."

Lu Qingmo gave Han a critical look. "Trying to fuse your soul with something you visualize is no small feat. If you try to merge with something like Black Mountain or the Holy Ones, whose soul could match theirs?"

"Fusing your soul with Black Mountain? You’ll be crushed by the mountain gods."

Han fell silent, thinking deeply about what Lu Qingmo had said. The idea of merging his soul with something so powerful was both dangerous and profound.

…

Later, in the Immortal Tree Secret Realm, Han looked up at the towering, limitless Immortal Tree.

What Lu Qingmo said made sense, but Han also felt that certain things about Lu Qingmo didn't align with reason.

His visualizations weren't hard to find; they were within his grasp.

If he could complete the Soul Fusion Technique, the benefits were immense, and Han found himself tempted.

"The real problem is, I’m not a Light Fox. I can’t cultivate this technique. And even if I could, would it allow me to awaken the true will of the Immortal Tree?"

As his fingers absentmindedly traced the massive Immortal Tree, Han thought back to the Soul Fusion Technique.

If… if I were a fox who had cultivated for a thousand years...

Suddenly, Han felt something strange in his soul.

The Sea of Consciousness, once transparent and colorless, now shimmered with white light, emanating... a demonic aura.

His gaze fell on the Sea of Consciousness, and he saw, to his shock, a pair of fox eyes staring back at him.

Wait... what? His soul was becoming demonic?

But... I’m still in a human body!

So... what am I now?