Chapter 36: Mission Complete, Passing Power to Liu Erlong
Outside the territory of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, on a barren stretch of land more than ten miles away—
"Couldn't kill him in one strike… what a pity."
A person in black, her face covered by a mask, withdrew her weapon. She glanced once toward the direction of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, then swiftly vanished into the distance.
Moments later, Yu Yuanzhen and Yu Luomian arrived at the scene.
What met their eyes was a grim sight—two men lying on the ground, both gravely injured and afflicted with a vicious poison.
Yu Luomian panicked and quickly explained, "Big Brother, this wasn't me! I didn't hire anyone!"
Yu Yuanzhen gave a low grunt. "Enough, Second Brother. I know it wasn't you."
He knelt beside Yu Xiaogang, retrieved some healing and detoxifying pills from his soul tool, and administered them to the wounded men.
"Xiaogang," Yu Yuanzhen asked coldly, "who attacked you? I'll avenge you."
Yu Xiaogang recalled the masked figure's movements. Though the attacker hadn't used their Martial Soul to hide their identity, their soul power's aura had been distinct—an aura refined by the Death Spider Emperor.
"Father," Yu Xiaogang said through clenched teeth, "the assassin was from Spirit Hall."
Yu Yuanzhen froze at the words. Spirit Hall… if it truly was them, then there was little he could do.
Still, raising a little chaos at Spirit Hall's doorstep might be possible—after all, he still held the Pope's Decree and was nominally a guest elder of the Hall.
"Do you have any proof? Any idea who sent them?" Yu Yuanzhen asked again.
Before Yu Xiaogang could answer, Flender hurried to speak, eager to prove himself. "Patriarch Yu, I know! Spirit Hall must've stolen Xiaogang's Martial Soul Theory. They tried to silence him before the truth got out!"
Yu Yuanzhen frowned. "Martial Soul Theory?"
As the Patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Yuanzhen naturally understood Martial Soul research. His clan had its own cultivation system. To him, Yu Xiaogang's so-called theory was something only an uneducated soul master would blindly worship.
"Father… It's not about silencing me. It's personal," Yu Xiaogang said bitterly.
He had thought he could deceive Bibi Dong, gain access to Spirit Hall's archives through her influence—but retribution had come far swifter than expected.
Yu Yuanzhen glanced at his son's expression and immediately understood.
He knew his son's temperament all too well. If Xiaogang had been capable, would he have ever been expelled from the family?
He'd exiled the boy for two reasons: first, because Xiaogang couldn't bear the mockery of his peers; second, because he consumed far too many clan resources, sparking resentment among the younger generation. Expelling him had been both punishment and protection—if someone had truly snapped, they might have killed Xiaogang.
"I understand," Yu Yuanzhen said flatly. "I'll go after that assassin and buy you some time."
"You two should leave. Disappear. Change your names, hide your identities, and fade from the world of soul masters before Spirit Hall sends another killer."
Without another glance at his son, Yu Yuanzhen gestured for Yu Luomian to follow him and headed in the direction the assassin had fled.
Yu Xiaogang didn't dare linger. Once the poison was neutralized, he fled the area as fast as he could.
He would find some remote border town—far from Heaven Dou City—to hide himself away.
"Bibi Dong… Liu Erlong… just you wait. I'll make you regret ever looking down on me."
"Father… one day, I'll prove myself. I'll make sure you never have to be ashamed of me again."
Flender, still young and naïve, looked at the great clan's politics through rose-colored glasses. He had no idea what had truly just happened.
"Xiaogang, what do we do now?" he asked, following close behind.
Yu Xiaogang thought about his now-ruined Martial Soul Fusion Technique plan. There was no longer any reason to keep flattering Flender.
Staying together would only attract attention—and Flender's dream of founding an academy was directly opposed to Xiaogang's need to hide his identity.
Night fell.
While Flender was still resting, Yu Xiaogang quietly slipped away into the darkness.
Flender had no means to track him—once Xiaogang disappeared, he was gone for good.
---
Outside Heaven Dou City, at the Liu Family Manor—Liu Erlong's home.
At that moment, Qi Tian once again heard the familiar chime of the system.
[Ding! Congratulations, host. Mission complete—you have successfully altered Liu Erlong's destiny.]
[Reward issued: Innate Talent — True Dragon Physique.]
[Note: Upon mission completion, the host will no longer be able to possess the target body 'Liu Erlong'. Please handle any resulting consequences accordingly.]
"Huh? The mission's already complete?" Qi Tian blinked in surprise.
"So fast? Bibi Dong really doesn't waste time… I've barely been gone, and she's already finished off Yu Xiaogang?"
This was his first completed mission—and a successful one at that.
Liu Erlong's fate had officially changed. She would no longer fall victim to Yu Xiaogang's emotional deceit, nor spend the first half of her life in pain and regret.
Still, Qi Tian couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret.
"So after the mission's done, I can't possess Liu Erlong anymore?" he muttered. "What a shame."
His Blue Silver Grass martial soul was naturally weak. Its cultivation speed was slow—he'd been relying on possessing Bibi Dong and Liu Erlong to build up his soul power!
"Well, it's fine. Now that I've obtained the Mysterious Heaven Skill, as long as I can grasp its basics, my cultivation speed should rise sharply."
"Still, since I won't be possessing Erlong anymore, I should at least let her know."
With that thought, Qi Tian spoke gently through Liu Erlong's consciousness.
"Erlong, starting tomorrow, I won't be using your body anymore."
For a moment, Liu Erlong didn't understand. After a long silence, she asked softly,
"Benefactor… Did I do something wrong?"
"Is it my temper? You don't like it? I can change—please don't leave."
Liu Erlong's voice trembled slightly. She had always been gentle toward those she cared about, yet fiery and unyielding toward those she despised. To her, Qi Tian's decision could only mean he'd grown tired of her.
Qi Tian chuckled helplessly.
"Erlong, you're overthinking. You've done nothing wrong. It's not that I don't want to—it's that I can't. My soul can no longer merge with yours."
Liu Erlong fell silent.
When she had been at her lowest point, it was Qi Tian who had appeared.
He had guided her in gathering herbs to save her mother, enhanced her martial soul, and even connected her with Spirit Hall. His help was like a towering mountain of grace—unforgettable and life-changing.
Even though she had never seen his face, she couldn't help but develop feelings for this mysterious soul who had saved her again and again.
"Benefactor… will we ever meet again?" she asked quietly.
Qi Tian smiled.
"Don't worry. We'll definitely meet again."
He wasn't lying—after all, meeting her using Bibi Dong's body still counted, didn't it?
"Erlong, I'll pass you a cultivation technique. Try to see if you can learn it."
Her eyes lit up.
"A cultivation technique? Thank you, Benefactor!"
Qi Tian was referring to the Mysterious Heaven Skill. Since the system had clarified that this was a "parallel world," sharing the technique wouldn't cause any unforeseen consequences.
'Perfect,' he thought to himself. 'I can test it through her body—see if it can be cultivated safely without disrupting my current foundation.'
"Erlong, let me test the technique using your body first," he said. "If it works, I'll pass it on to you."
"But remember—this technique was seized from another source. You mustn't reveal it to anyone, or you might bring disaster upon yourself."
Sensing the gravity in Qi Tian's tone, Liu Erlong immediately nodded in understanding.
"I promise, Benefactor. I won't tell a soul."
—
End of Chapter