Thud. Thud.

Swiftly moving in the darkness, the sound of footsteps could be heard. The youth looked forward as his eyes scanned upon the surroundings. The scenery slowly changed as the desolate wasteland turned into a familiar forest of ice trees and frozen sculptures once again. Liu Xun carefully advanced as he took a wide berth against any of these ice sculptures. Who knows which one of them contained a dormant demonic beast?

Crunch. He bit into a golden qi burst pill as he emanated blue qi around him.

System, activate area scan.

[Roger, activating Area Scan...]

A blue pulse was released into the surroundings as it passed through all surrounding objects within a 500-meter radius. All matter was scanned by the qi as the pulse reverberated into each molecule present, sensing for any signs of life.

[No enemies present, the host is safe to proceed.]

--

Liu Xun heaved a sigh of relief as he proceeded forward with quick momentum. Looks like there isn't any immediate threats at the moment. He heaved a sigh of relief as the youth slowly waved his hand as he spoke once again.

"System, status."

[Opening status menu...]

Cultivator:

Liu Xun

Roots:

Mortal

Cultivation Level:

Qi Gathering Stage 6 [459/611 (678)]↑35 (-10%)

System Credit:

177 -

Inventory:

Cons: 1x Premium Gacha Talisman, 1x Fireball Talisman [SSR], 1x Exemplary grade minor regeneration pill

Misc: [System Subscription Channel], [System Rulebook], [Deceiver Detective System Update]

Active:

Purple Heaven Gathering Pill (Duration: 62 days)

Skills:

Passive:

Minor GuanXin Knowledge

Archaic Sun Aura Wisp [20%] (+50% to cultivation speed, minor resistance to yang elements)

Shadow Concealment Aura (87%) - ON ( Currently Qi Gathering Stage 3)

Auto Appraisal Lv 1 - ON

Intuitive Combat Lv1 - ON

Draconic Language Proficiency - Master

Support:

Area Scan Lv1

Appraisal Lv1

Movement:

Shadow Grasping Illusory Steps (93%)

Weapon:

Crimson Dragon Beheading Axe (Incomplete) [53.8%]

Basic Yang Divine Scorching Eyes

Talents:

Movement Cultivator Adept (+15% to efficiency of Movement arts and effects)

Intuitive Cheater - ON (Grants minor reflexes boost alongside Intuitive Combat)

Okay, so I still have this last gacha talisman left. I better use it now before I get caught with my pants off again.

The youth thought in his mind as he slowly muttered the words.

"System, use the premium gacha talisman."

[Roger, activating the premium gacha wheel...]

The colorful wheel hovered in front of him once again.

Similar rewards were present again, but Liu Xun himself could not be bothered to look at them since he was preoccupied with moving forward.

"System, just spin the wheel."

[Spinning the wheel...]

The wheel began to rotate as it hovered by the youth's side.

Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack.

System, how far have I left the campsite?

[Host, you are 23.4 kilometers away from the camp.]

Okay, since I am away from everyone. Do all the sign-ins for today now!

[Affirmative, signing in x10 now...]

[Congratulations Host Liu Xun for signing in at the “Yin Frost Basin”. You have obtained the white prize - White Qi Replenishment Pill!]

[Congratulations Host Liu Xun for signing in at the “Yin Frost Basin”. You have obtained the grey prize - Woodcutting Ax!]

[Congratulations Host Liu Xun for signing in at the “Yin Frost Basin”. You have obtained the blue prize - Twin Reprievers (Dual Blades)!] [Congratulations Host Liu Xun for signing in at the “Yin Frost Basin”. You have obtained the gold prize - Celestial Aurorial Yin Root!] [Congratulations Host Liu Xun for signing in at the “Yin Frost Basin”. You have obtained the grey prize - a mantou (bread)!] [Congratulations Host Liu Xun for signing in at the “Yin Frost Basin”. You have obtained the grey prize - a mantou (bread)!] [Congratulations Host Liu Xun for signing in at the “Yin Frost Basin”. You have obtained the white prize - Foundation Mounted Archery Mastery Book!] [Congratulations Host Liu Xun for signing in at the “Yin Frost Basin”. You have obtained the grey prize - a mantou (bread)!] [Congratulations Host Liu Xun for signing in at the “Yin Frost Basin”. You have obtained the grey prize - a mantou (bread)!] [Congratulations Host Liu Xun for signing in at the “Yin Frost Basin”. You have obtained the white prize- 1x Yin Frost Orchid!]

[Notice: Host is unable to do sign-ins for a week. There is no penalty for not signing in for the duration of the week.]

Hmm, not bad...I managed to pull a spare ax, a qi replenishment pill, a new type of weapon, an...SSR(gold) root!? Too bad that it is another Yin-based item, meaning it was completely unsuitable for him. Well, the other thing besides that is a Mounted Archery skill book, four mantous...The Million Suns sure strikes hard on that.

The Million Suns is cheering at your x10 pull! You have been given half a talisman (50 points)!

The Million Suns is laughing at your mantous. You have been given a small pill (5 points)!

The Most Ancient One sweats at your bad luck. You have been given a small pill (5 points)!

The Thousand Deceivers likes your courage! You have been given a small pill (5 points)!

Oh! An Yin Frost Orchid! Senior Qin would like this. Now, if I could only come back from this alive. The youth silently thought to himself as he gathered all the items into his system storage. Looking at his recent haul, he has quite the stock of items for the fights as he had two energy replenishing pills, a stock of weapons just in case, a demonic shard fragment that consisted of a core inversion senior. There is also that fireball talisman which seems seemingly unusable due to it being a weapon of mass destruction.

Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack.

The wheel continued to move as Liu Xun rushed forward. The sounds of clashing could be heard from the distance. There was a large mountain in front of him. It stood in the way between him and the fight. It seems that Senior Gan and Millie who had left earlier had already begun their fight against the enemies. It is currently unknown to Liu Xun whether the Northern Overlord has come over to the Western Region. He could see bright flashes of light appearing in the sky as the clashes happened. It seems like the fight had started already.

I got to hurry. The fight has already started.

He thought to himself as he tightly gripped his ax. He slowly recalled the two people who were up ahead. They were two people who were very nice to him throughout the journey. The yellow-robed old man who constantly gave him advice as well as pills with a stubborn look on his face. The silver-haired lady that always laughed lightly by his side. Perhaps it was rash on his part to help strangers he had known more than two weeks yet, but Liu Xun personally felt he had to move forward or else he would end up regretting it the rest of his life.

Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack.

The wheel continued to spin as the youth took hurried steps. The incline got steeper as he got higher up the mountain. The frosted trees surrounding casted multiple shadows under the moonlight as the foreign surroundings crept over the brave youth who advanced. Countless ice sculptures littered the grounds, still and lifeless. Crunch. Another burst pill was eaten.

"System, area scan again."

[Roger scanning...the area is clear without any enemies within 500-metres again.]

"How much qi do I have remaining?"

[423/678 qi remaining.]

"Well system, how do I use this Demonic Possession Stone?"

[The same as usual. Press it on your forehead and give it consent to activate.]

"Alright then."

The youth in black robes chose to stop on the spot as he looked at the dull purplish-black stone in his hands. Inside it lays the soul of a demonic cultivator. Who knows what kind of devilish existence could come out? He gently placed the stone on his forehead as he felt a cold and eerie chill seep into the depths of his conscience.

[Warning host, demonic possession has been initiated...]

"Hmm, besides this chill...I feel nothing really different."

The youth said to himself as he looked at his palm. There was no visual difference in his qi aura. Perhaps it was slowly rising up due to the stone's temporary boost, but he could not feel the presence of any demonic beings in his body. Well, it would be a pity to miss out on the experience of a senior even if it is a demonic practitioner. At least, the stone managed to give the necessary power boost to ensure that I would not be a huge burden in the upcoming fight. Even though I have control over the demonic cultivator's soul, it would be really unpleasant to deal with another being who may act against me at any point.

The youth felt his qi as he could feel the surge in power. It had long exceeded his maximum capacity as it overflowed through his meridians. He could feel the overwhelmingly large power pool and reservoir in that small body of his. Is this how small it feels to be qi gathering? Unlike before where he felt content with his power in comparison to the Essence Foundation seniors, he felt like a tiny ant previously compared to now! The overwhelming power of a Core Inversion cultivator!

----

---

--

-

"Oh really, boy? Nothing different, eh?"

Another voice came out while the youth was being distracted by his increase in qi. Wait, what? Liu Xun was completely flabbergasted as he turned to look at his surroundings. There was no one else present. He turned around as he looked again carefully. Still not a single soul in sight.

"System, area..."

"Hey wait a moment there, kiddo. Do not waste any energy pointlessly."

The words from a hoarse voice came out. It felt really close as if a whisper to his left ear, yet there was no one present. This instantly creeped Liu Xun out as he immediately swung his ax to his left in retaliation. Swoosh. He hit nothing but thin air. Another miss. It was as if he was dealing with a specter or such.

"Hey hey, what did I say about conserving energy," the voice mentioned in a slightly exasperated tone, it then continued its words. "Just chill, it is just me. Your resident possessing demonic soul. Kekeke!"

The voice reached out again as it gave a cackling laugh.

Liu Xun was surprised. He began to notice the slight difference. Yes, he had not previously felt anything wrong with his body since he had control over it. Yet occasionally, the right side of his face would twitch and move on its own. He could also feel some parts of his body relinquishing control towards an unknown source.

"Hey, just let me borrow part of your body, okay? So, who are we going to fight today?"

Liu Xun felt uncomfortable as the right side of his face began to talk in a raucous manner. This was unlike the left side which he had complete control over. In fact, only half his mouth opened as words spewed from the right half of it. It sort of worried him not only how weird he looked, but also what would happen if the being actually gains control. And also was it possible for it to gain control?

[Do not worry host, the soul cannot obtain control, even over your dead body. It has been set to a lower command bracket despite his strength being far greater than yours.]

"Don't worry, you can grab control back easily as it is the rules of the stone. I cannot disobey. Just let me control some of the hard parts. I cannot expect a Qi Gathering chick like you to actually use my Core Inversion qi and power properly with your lacking skills right? Just let me fight part of the fights that you cannot handle, you can have an arm or so. Then I won't be so bored lingering around. HAHAHA!"

The coarse and rude voice laughed out without restraint. The control over his body was slowly eroding away. Still, Liu Xun felt that he could easily wrestle back control when needed. It makes sense to let this senior handle part of the fight as his words were facts. There was the other consideration that if the senior is pleased and displays his abilities. He himself might be able to get some of that senior's skills, a win-win in that sense. It would be unfavorable to displease the senior considering he has done no harm as of yet and looks rather receptive to being reasoned with, despite his coarse language and unruly behavior.

"Alright then, senior. I will trust you for now. So how much of my body can you use effectively?"

Liu Xun acquiesced control to the demonic soul.

"Ohhh, I can use it fully if you gave me permission to. But you wouldn't be learning shit then, right? It looks like you are an ax cultivator, eh? I have seen quite a few of those troublesome bastards. Slow but mountain-crushing strength. It sure doesn't suit your disposition at all, haha. Slender with fine sharp features, you are the prime example of how those retarded righteous sword cultivators look like. Well, I am also a sword cultivator in a sense, albeit a demonic one."

The voice continued to introduce his abilities while responding to the question.

"Still, I would probably be able to swing an ax better than you could. Hey, do you have any spare weapons? It would be difficult for the both of us to share just a single ax, right? I cannot sense anything at the moment on your body, but you do own one of them right? Those shitty cheat systems. They always have this special inventory that no normal cultivator could sense. That was the shit that brought me to my end, a hidden item from an inventory. Heh, the brat I fought did put a good fight still so I will applaud his valiant effort despite him cheating."

Looks like the demonic cultivator harbors a slight grudge against system users, but it seemed to be pretty trivial.

"A Core Inversion demonic beast. Assumingly at least high Core Inversion stage..."

"Holy mother of cow...you are a real crazy one! You...you actually dared to go and pick a fight with a possible high or peak Core Inversion stage being despite being qi gathering? Even with my power boost, you are only pseudo-Core Inversion at the moment. And I thought I used to be the mad man back then. I shall relinquish my title to you. How about it? The Chaotic Maniacal Hundred Saber Slash King. Nice, right?"

"No, thanks. And this Core Inversion beast, also has possibly hundreds of minions around Core Formation stage..."

"What!? Are you trying to kill me!? Well, I am already dead. But man, you sure are suicidal. Assuming we are both from the XianTian realm, what about this beast's name? I may have passed quite a while ago, but I may have heard a thing or two about this demonic beast since it is that strong. Those beasts could easily live up to several thousand years if they hide in their tiny caves away from my saber after all, HAHA!"

"It is Shaggoroth."

"OH, so it is that freaking meat sack huh! It used to run around back then while I was still alive. I let it off since it loved to be a pain in the righteous cultivators' asses. As they say, an enemy of an enemy is a...what was that again...oh right, rabid dog that can be used! Haha! It would probably indeed be high or even peak Core Inversion by now. Anyways, back to my point, weapons?"

Liu Xun pondered at the demonic soul's words as he then gathered his thoughts for a short moment. Was it okay to show this senior everything. Well since he had the control rights, it should be fine.

"Hmm, why are you quiet all of a sudden?"

The voice continued to question.

"System, can I temporarily show the soul my status?"

[Yes, you can. Since you both share the same body, both of you can view the status page at once. He can also hear this voice through the share function.]

"Oooooh, so this is what that damnable system sounds like. Sounds very pretty, hey lady want to go out for lunch?"

[...]

"Hmph, how rude."

The demonic voice continued its monologue.

"Come on now, we have to hurry the fight has already started. System, status."

"What the fight already started, there is no one he...you have allies?"

"Well, yeah...you cannot expect me to charge against all that alone right? And can't you hear those clashes?"

"WELL THEN SAY THAT EARLIER! I thought that was just some dogs fighting out of nowhere. I almost assumed that my current host is a suicidal battle frenzy maniac that just wants an impossible fight to the death against all odds! I guess I will have my title back then. Well, how strong are they?"

"Errr...early Core Inversion and middle Essence Foundation."

He replied solemnly, knowing the news wasn't really good.

"Okay, I changed my mind. Even if you are not suicidal level crazy, you are still pretty darned crazy. A pseudo-Core Inversion and early Core Inversion versus a high Core Inversion and hundreds of Core Formation..."

"What about the Essence Foundation..."

"That doesn't mean squat. Not even Core Formation, how much can that thing even contribute!"

"But isn't Core Formation to Core Inversion..."

"Hey look here, kiddo. It is 100 or possibly 100s of Core Formation to a Core Inversion. And you currently aren't even in Core Inversion, but the sub-realm before it. The peak of the peak of Organ Refinement. You would still need to assist the early Core Inversion to fight that fucking meat sack! And 100 Core Formation could easily pose a threat to a Core Inversion depending on the scenario. Like in a formation, I would be more scared of 100 Core Formations than a single early Core Inversion. Anyways, they are just demonic beasts but you get my point. Though the quantity is not as important as the quality, it still matters! Anyways, weapons?"

[...Host do you still want the status?]

"Yes, please."

[Affirmative, bring out status.]

Cultivator:

Liu Xun (Shang Junye)

Roots:

Mortal (Heavenly Bane)

Cultivation Level:

Qi Gathering Stage 6 [459/678]↑35

Pseudo Core Inversion [560 678/560 678] (Temporary)

System Credit:

242 ↑65

Inventory:

Cons: 1x Fireball Talisman [SSR], 1x Exemplary grade minor regeneration pill, 1x White Qi Replenishment Pill, 1x Celestial Aurorial Yin Root, 1x Yin Frost Orchid

Misc: [System Subscription Channel], [System Rulebook], [Deceiver Detective System Update], 1x Foundation Mounted Archery Mastery Book

Active:

Purple Heaven Gathering Pill (Duration: 62 days)

Weapons:

1x Woodcutting ax, 1x Twin Reprievers (Dual short blades)

Skills:

Passive:

Minor GuanXin Knowledge

Archaic Sun Aura Wisp [20%] (+50% to cultivation speed, minor resistance to yang elements)

Shadow Concealment Aura (87%) - ON ( Currently Qi Gathering Stage 3)

Auto Appraisal Lv 1 - ON

Intuitive Combat Lv1 - ON

Draconic Language Proficiency - Master

???

Support:

Area Scan Lv1

Appraisal Lv1

???

Movement:

Shadow Grasping Illusory Steps (93%)

???

Weapon:

Crimson Dragon Beheading Axe (Incomplete) [53.8%]

Basic Yang Divine Scorching Eyes

???

Talents:

Movement Cultivator Adept (+15% to efficiency of Movement arts and effects)

Intuitive Cheater - ON (Grants minor reflexes boost alongside Intuitive Combat)

"Ohhh, so this is what a system menu looked like. I had one of my friends boast about his menu and shit. Now I can see what he actually meant. This looks pretty darn impressive indeed."

The demonic soul mentioned in a fairly impressed tone.

"Hmm, poor roots. Looks like your life would be slightly hard...oh you got an amazing root. What! It is a yin-oriented root-Kapui! Useless! Brat, your luck sure is shitty."

The voice spoke as it continued to appraise the status and its details.

"Ohh two small regenerative pills that could probably work up to Bone Tempering, not too useful but it would help in the middle of the fight. Oho, another ordinary ax and what is this? Two fancy jade green Core Formation short blades! This is just perfect! Let us use all of them!"

"All of them, but there is only one other hand..."

"Come on, there is no way that a Core Inversion cultivator would just fight like that. Come look at this!"

The demonic soul began to withdraw the ax and short blades from the inventory as they floated in front of Liu Xun. The two short blades then flew directly behind him as they hovered by his side. The ax was then held onto by the right hand as the right side of his face raised a slight smirk.

"Just perfect! Lesson number one, sword and blade cultivators always play with flying toys. This ax would be pretty useless under autonomous control since it is of ordinary material. Even more so, it is aerodynamically unstable. Therefore, I hold it and insert my qi so that it is now Core Inversion level, capish? The two short blades would help to ward off small foes and less severe attacks, so an aerial attack and defense system."

Liu Xun nodded his head as he digested the senior's words. If he had a notepad, this would be where he starts taking down notes. Anyways, that is beside the point. He also noticed there were a few ??? in his system menu beside the new additions from the sign-ins. Perhaps, these were the senior's skills which he may or may not have a chance to learn. And oh god, 560k? You need 560k to not even reach Core Inversion? He had been pretty proud to gather about 660 qi over the last three weeks, but it seems that the path to cultivation is long and harsh. The qi gain in the future may also be slower with slumps. It could also perhaps be faster with better pills, roots and cultivation skills.

"Shang...Junye."

Liu Xun slowly muttered those words.

"Yeah, that is my name. However, that is no longer relevant. Shang Junye is dead. Just call me Senior for now. I will be gone soon anyway."

The voice replied in a nonchalant tone. He was clearly remembering his names and his previous experiences and escapades. However, the soul soon asked another thing.

"So...what is with the clacking sound and that wheel, anyways?"

The voice pointed out as it questioned the existence of the floating spinning wheel. Liu Xun finally realized that he had been distracted by his conversation with the senior that he ignored the wheel that was slowing down. The wheel was already at the point about to stop. Oh man, his heart was not prepared for this sudden surprise!

Clack. Clack.

The wheel was almost stopping as it crept past each tiny section. The surrounding region had dozens of rare prizes, five SRs, two SSR, and the UR segment! Oh, he could possibly grab something good just before the fight! The wheel seemed to be stopping very close to the UR segment as the needle slowly inched forward.

"Come on! Just a bit more!"

Liu Xun begged as he looked at the wheel with a fervent gaze.

"A bit more what?"

The demonic soul asked confusedly.

"To hit the UR segment. It is basically the second-best prize on this wheel which is initiated by the system."

"Ooooh, that light pink-purplish area? You won't hit it."

The voice announced in a pretty determined tone.

"W-whaaat?"

Liu Xun asked confusedly, he could not tell how the senior could tell.

"Once you reach my level, you can tell the speed, momentum, acceleration, and everything to the tiniest details. And the conclusion is that if the wheel was fair, it would stop just after that pinkish segment."

The voice spoke in an as-of-that-matter-of-fact explanatory tone.

Liu Xun was instantly disappointed as he sighed, losing the chance for another big prize.

[The system told you it was fair...if the sponsors want it to be.]

Clack.

Clack.

The needle moved twice in the end as it landed on the next segment.

[Congratulations Host Li Xun! You have drawn SSR Grade- White Viradiance (A mixed word between viridian and radiance)!]

An intricate 3-meter viridian jade green spear with fine white streaks glowed subtly in the dark. It hovered in front of the youth as the man was momentarily at a loss for words. The weapon itself was mesmerizing and faint traces of power could be felt from it as it radiated with a strong and righteous aura.

"Not bad, not bad at all! A Core Inversion or Nascent Soul-tier Spirit Weapon! Finally, an item that I could wield freely without expending energy to buff up! Kiddo, you don't have to be disappointed about not hitting the better prize. You need to understand that what you need is not the best prize you can get, but the most appropriate one for the situation. Look at the pink-purplish region...it has a 'Second Life Pill' which can bring back anyone under Dao Formation back to full health as long as he/she is alive. Is it great? Heck yes! Is it useful for you now? Well, if you want to get chopped up to need to use it, then sure. This jade spear can ensure that you would not need to use that pill. And if you need still to use that pill in this case, then the situation is beyond your capability of handling anyways."

Liu Xun nodded as he digested the senior's words. Senior was right, he needed more power urgently now and not life-saving measures! He also noticed that he had been adequately delayed from the battlefield due to all of these pulls and soul entry stuff. He decided to rush the paste as he looked forward.

"Senior, are you okay with us moving forward now?"

He asked politely but confidently.

"Yeah, sure. I feel much better with this spear. Though I usually use swords, a spear is basically a sword with a long handle. I can keep this ax away now. Let us go and kick some ass!"

The voice said in an excited tone as the ax disappeared into the inventory while the right hand picked up the glowing jade spear. It was kind of weird looking at a demonic cultivator picking up a glowing radiant righteous spear. The synergy probably was not the best, but it was still much more optimal than before. The two souls and single body thus rushed up the mountain with hasty momentum.