Inside a dimly lit cave, Xiao Ning sat cross-legged in silent meditation.
"Although the Paradox Meridians have stabilized the Nascent Soul, this body's foundation remains woefully inadequate," he murmured.
Anyone else hearing those words would have been astonished. Li Fang, whose body Xiao Ning now inhabited, had been no ordinary expert. It had taken an ambush by several late-stage Nascent Soul Realm cultivators to bring him down, and even then, he had fought until the bitter end.
Yet Xiao Ning remained dissatisfied. In his eyes, both Li Fang's Nascent Soul and his fourth-stage body refinement were riddled with flaws.
Ordinarily, a fourth-stage body refiner was no weaker than a Nascent Soul Realm expert. Li Fang had cultivated both paths, however, a testament to his exceptional talent. Indeed, it was his powerful physique that had preserved his Nascent Soul even after it was shattered.
With a thought, Xiao Ning summoned his status panel.
[Host Designation]: Xiao Ning (Li Feng Shell)
[Lifespan]: 465/567 years (Critical)
[System Masking]: Core Formation Realm (False)
[True Power]: Late Nascent Soul Realm
[Soul Integrity]: 29% (Critical)
Seeing his remaining lifespan and soul integrity, Xiao Ning's expression darkened. Both were in a critical state, and any further deterioration could threaten his very existence.
"Strange... where are the other statuses?"
A prompt appeared.
[Extend: Y/N]
Yes.
The panel expanded.
[Spirit Roots]
- Dark Yin Root: Damaged (37% purity)
- Earth Vein Root: Fractured (29% circulation)
[Meridians]
- Twelve Heavenly Gates: Eight blocked (Soul Occupation Backlash)
- Thirty-Six Lesser Pathways: Twenty-four corrupted (Qi Deviation Scars)
[Dao Foundation]
- Dantian Sea: Cracked Jade Lake (Leaking 23% of qi per hour)
- Soul Palace: Fractured Ivory Pagoda (Soul light flickering)
[Notable Afflictions]
- Nine Serpents of Heavenly Blight: Manifesting as black veins along the heart meridian
- Ghost Moon Brand: Left palm (Residual soul-possession backlash)
"What?"
Xiao Ning's pupils contracted. He had already sensed the damage to his meridians and Dao Foundation, but these afflictions were another matter entirely.
The Nine Serpents of Heavenly Blight... The name alone reeked of ancient malice. He had never encountered anything like it, not even in the obscure medical scrolls he had once studied.
And as if that weren't enough, the Ghost Moon Brand still lingered within him. Even among Nascent Soul cultivators, this curse was notorious for its tenacity and the misfortune it brought to its bearer.
"I had hoped, at the very least, to possess a passable mortal body..." he muttered, furrowing his brows. "But this is a complete disaster."
Stabilizing his foundation would take years, assuming he could even find the appropriate methods. As for removing the Ghost Moon Brand, that was another matter entirely. Even with the right tools, cleansing it would be like trying to scrub ink from silk.
Xiao Ning's consciousness sank into the quantum sea of his Paradox Meridians, where the remnants of Li Feng's cultivation remained.
The Shadow Leaf True Scripture coiled through his meridians like a wounded serpent. Its pathways, which should have been clear and unobstructed, were now leaking murky qi.
The body refinement method was in even worse condition. The fourth-stage Ironbone Fortification resembled a crumbling citadel, its foundation riddled with unstable shortcuts taken during Li Feng's desperate rise to power.
A notification appeared before him.
[CODEX ALERT]
The host's current cultivation body contains 1,743 critical flaws.
[Purge Protocol Available]
Eradicate all traces of the host's previous cultivation methods:
- Shadow Leaf True Scripture
- Ironbone Fortification
Cost: 3% Soul Integrity (temporary) and 15 years of lifespan (accelerated decay).
Risk: Temporary cultivation collapse, with a 72% chance of falling to the Core Formation Realm.
"What a stingy Codex. Nothing comes easy," Xiao Ning spat.
He had no desire to gamble with either his lifespan or soul integrity. However, leaving even a trace of Li Feng's cultivation methods in his meridians would be a liability. Repairing the damaged circulation alone could take years, let alone dealing with his other problems.
"Worse than a loan shark."
Despite his complaint, his fingers were already forming the activation seal.
Cultivators didn't survive by clinging to sentiment.
The Codex didn't ask for further confirmation. The moment Xiao Ning completed the seal, the purge began.
His bones cracked like dry twigs beneath a heavy foot. Ironbone Fortification, the technique that had once made his body as tough as steel, began to disintegrate. His muscles weakened, and Xiao Ning bit back a scream as his strength drained away.
Next came the Shadow Leaf True Scripture. Li Feng's prized cultivation method resisted the purge, sending black vines bursting from Xiao Ning's skin. Before they could spread, however, they withered and crumbled into ash.
[Soul Integrity: 26%]
[Lifespan: 450/567 years]
The Nine Serpents of Heavenly Blight seized the opportunity.
A surge of poisonous energy erupted from his core and scraped its way up his throat like molten ash. Xiao Ning's vision blurred, and his breath caught as the curse burrowed deeper into his body, feeding on his moment of weakness.
"Do it."
A silver flame erupted within him.
In an instant, every trace of Li Feng's lingering cultivation was consumed. His martial techniques, spiritual essence, and even the stagnant qi lodged in his veins were reduced to nothing. The flames scoured his body clean, and the cave walls glowed red beneath the intense heat as cracks spread through the stone.
When the flames finally subsided, Xiao Ning lay at the bottom of a scorched pit.
[Current Realm]: Nascent Soul Realm
[System Masking]: Core Formation Realm
Xiao Ning let out a weak laugh.
"At least that's over."
He summoned his status panel once more.
[Host Designation]: Xiao Ning (Li Feng Shell)
[Lifespan]: 450/567 years (Stabilizing)
[System Masking]: Core Formation Realm
[True Power]: Early Nascent Soul Realm
[Soul Integrity]: 26% (Critical)
[Spirit Roots]
- Dark Yin Root: Extinguished (Purity 0%; reduced to ash during the purge)
- Earth Vein Root: Dormant Core (29% circulation; now inert and severed from the meridians)
[Meridians]
- Twelve Heavenly Gates: All unblocked (Soul Occupation Backlash erased)
- Thirty-Six Lesser Pathways: Pristine (Qi Deviation Scars eliminated)
[Dao Foundation]
- Dantian Sea: Voidwell (A bottomless pit; qi neither leaks nor accumulates)
- Soul Palace: Smooth Oblivion (No fractures, no pagoda, only a featureless expanse)
[Notable Afflictions]
- Nine Serpents of Heavenly Blight: Purged (Ash residue detected in bone marrow). The host has acquired the ability to detect Heavenly Blight.
- Ghost Moon Brand: Erased (A faint silver crescent remains on the left palm)
[Cultivation Methods]
- None (All previous cultivation methods, flaws, and curses incinerated. No active techniques remain.)
[CODEX ALERT]
Absolute Purge Complete.
The host's body and soul now resemble Primordial Clay: no flaws, no foundation, and no predetermined destiny. All 1,743 critical flaws have been eradicated.
WARNING: Voidshell status may incur penalties from the Grand Dao.
Before Xiao Ning could consider the warning, another prompt appeared.
[EMERGENCY PROTOCOL — RECOMMENDED]
Voidborne Ascension Pact
- Requirement: Become the Codex's Vessel and allow the system to rewrite the host's body.
- Cost: Autonomy (the Codex gains 51% control over cultivation choices).
- Reward: Eternal Paradox Body (Flawless meridians, adaptable spirit roots, and a frozen lifespan).
[Y/N]
Xiao Ning let out a cold snort.
"Become a vessel? Let you control my cultivation choices?"
He wanted to laugh, but no sound escaped.
"No!"
"Trying to outsmart me?"
With a smirk, he activated the Paradox Meridians to their maximum capacity.
His cultivation began to transform. The Nascent Soul within him gradually dissolved, condensing into a core. The core then dispersed into a sea of spiritual energy, which vaporized into mist before disappearing completely.
The Paradox Meridians allowed his cultivation to simultaneously exist and not exist. When activated to their full capacity, they could conceal his cultivation so completely that he appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary mortal.
A final status panel appeared.
[Name]: Li Fang
[Lifespan]: 25/120 years
[Cultivation]: Mortal
[Spirit Roots]: Dark and Earth Dual Spirit Roots (Disabled)
Xiao Ning examined the result and chuckled.
"Well, that looks pleasantly ordinary."
The Paradox Meridians were truly marvelous. By concealing the very existence of his cultivation, they had effectively shut down the Codex's ability to assess his true state.
Xiao Ning rose to his feet and brushed the dust from his robes.
"Now, let's get down to business."