Chapter 544: Possession

“Master.”

“Mm.”

Tong Li leaned back in his soft chair, looking over from the side. His voice was kind but extremely faint:

“You went to see the Zhu Mansion’s Patriarch?”

“Yes.”

Ming Nianwei nodded.

“Your disciple is now the Zhu Mansion’s Sacrificial Master. Since the Patriarch has returned, it was only right that I go and see him.”

“That makes sense.” Tong Li pushed himself up, standing unsteadily.

Ming Nianwei hurried forward to support him.

“Zhu Ju came to my small courtyard yesterday, but unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling well and couldn’t see him.”

After a couple of light coughs, Tong Li asked with a smile:

“What is the boy like?”

“Well…” Ming Nianwei hesitated for a moment before replying in a low voice:

“He seems rather ordinary.”

“Ordinary?” Tong Li shook his head.

“At the mere age of fifteen, he became the head of a family. Facing turmoil from both within and without, not only did he protect his family’s assets, but he also managed to align with the Zhou Family and establish a firm foothold in the Prefecture City.”

“He has taught literature and martial arts, cultivating two young talents, Qian Hu and Yangg Yi. He takes excellent care of his younger brother and sister. If he can stabilize the situation within the next twenty years, he might even stand on equal footing with the Nie and Zhou families.”

“This young man…”

“Is incredible!”

“You’re right, Master.” Ming Nianwei nodded.

“Although Zhu Ju is not old, he is very mature and cunning. That’s how he’s so capable.”

“Mm.” Tong Li understood, then sighed softly.

“What a pity!”

“A pity about what?”

“It’s a pity he started on the path of Martial Arts too late. He also injured his body, making it difficult for his Hard Skill to reach Perfection. In a world where the strong are revered, the most he can become is a wealthy man. It will be hard for him to achieve anything great.”

“Yes.”

Ming Nianwei lowered her gaze and agreed in affirmation.

“How has your Cultivation been progressing lately?” Tong Li paced into the courtyard and asked.

“I came upon the Profound Mystery Cave Origin Record by a fortunate coincidence many years ago. It leads directly to the pinnacle of Magic. If you can cultivate it properly, forget Seventh Grade—even reaching the Sixth Grade won’t be difficult.”

“Heh…”

“Your master was once a Sixth-Grade Cultivator.”

Huh?

Ming Nianwei looked up, her face filled with astonishment.

“Master, you were Sixth Grade?”

“Yes.”

Tong Li nodded.

“I was once Sixth Grade, but my Cultivation regressed for certain reasons. I was even trapped in the Celestial Eagle Thief Dungeon…”

“But enough of that!”

He waved his hand and, as if casually, stroked Ming Nianwei’s long hair, a strange light glinting in his murky eyes.

“My good disciple, you must cultivate diligently.”

“Magic is difficult to master, but it has an advantage over Martial Arts: its turning point doesn’t come until the age of forty.”

Martial Arts Cultivation is based on Qi Blood.

For an ordinary person, Qi Blood is most vigorous at thirty, after which it weakens year by year. This is why there’s a saying: if you don’t reach Sixth Grade by thirty, you never will.

Magic is different.

Magic is based on the Divine Soul, and the Divine Soul only begins to weaken after the age of forty. That gives one an extra ten years.

Ming Nianwei was now in her early thirties and still had a chance to become a Sixth-Grade Mage.

However, she felt none of her former excitement. Instead, an inexplicable terror filled her heart.

A formless halo of light enveloped her Sea of Consciousness, allowing her to see certain things clearly.

The chilling Magical Power that probed into her body like a spider’s web, the seemingly gentle yet rapacious gaze…

‘Why didn’t I notice this before?’

Enchanting Soul Technique!

Realization dawned on Ming Nianwei.

Previously, whenever she saw Tong Li, a feeling of deep affection and reverence would naturally well up inside her.

Under the influence of this emotion, she would subconsciously ignore many things.

Such as:

Tong Li using their physical contact as an opportunity to circulate his Magical Power and probe her Physical Body; touches that seemed ordinary but had in fact crossed a line.

But now, under the cover of the Formless Divine Light that Zhu Ju had left in her mind, everything was laid bare.

Her outward expression remained the same, but her heart had turned to ice.

“Good child.”

Tong Li said with a smile:

“My time is short. Taking you as my disciple in my final days must be our fate.”

“Having you to inherit my legacy, I am already content.”

Ming Nianwei looked up.

The smile that should have been kind and benevolent, when its disguise was pierced by the Formless Divine Light, was utterly terrifying.

That gaze,

was not one you give to an heir, but one you give to food on a dinner plate.

*

*

*

“GULP… GULP…”

Beads of sweat covered Ming Nianwei’s forehead as she hugged a water flask, continuously pouring water into her mouth. Her eyes were filled with bewilderment.

“It seems you’ve discovered something is wrong.”

Zhu Ju sat opposite her, speaking in a calm and unhurried tone:

“Have I ever lied to you?”

“Young… Young Master Zhu.” Ming Nianwei’s voice trembled.

“That man harbors malicious intent! We can’t let him stay in the mansion. We should strike quickly and kill him.”

“Hmm…” Zhu Ju smiled faintly.

“That’s not what you said before.”

“Th-that’s because I was deceived by him and didn’t know the truth,” Ming Nianwei said hastily.

“Tong Li didn’t just teach me Magic; he also taught Miss Zhenzhen. I’m afraid he considered Miss Zhenzhen a backup.”

“You’re right,” Zhu Ju nodded.

“He did indeed leave a hidden trick inside Zhenzhen, but it’s irrelevant now.”

“Besides…”

“Over the past year, he has repeatedly helped the Zhu Mansion solve its problems. How could I do something so ungrateful?”

“But…” Ming Nianwei said anxiously.

“His intentions are sinister!”

Zhu Ju smiled without a word.

It was true that Tong Li’s intentions were sinister, but his target was Ming Nianwei, not Zhu Zhenzhen.

“Young Master Zhu.”

Gritting her teeth, Ming Nianwei took out a book.

“This is the Profound Mystery Cave Origin Record that Tong Li taught me. It’s a Secret Technique that leads directly to the Primordial Spirit.”

Zhu Ju sat up straight and took the book.

As he flipped through it briefly, his expression gradually grew solemn.

“The Divine Dao?”

‘There’s still a Divine Dao legacy in this world?’

“Young Master Zhu,” Ming Nianwei asked in a low voice,

“What is the Divine Dao?”

“That’s a story from a very long time ago.” Zhu Ju put down the book, a thoughtful look on his face, and began to speak slowly.

“In the Ancient Era, the myriad realms were chaotic and disorderly. The Human Race was weak, so ancient sages comprehended the Divine Dao to worship Divine Spirits in exchange for the protection of all living beings.”

“After that, the All Gods established the Celestial Court and the Underworld, set the laws of heaven and the rules for humanity, and created a golden age for the Human Race.”

Ming Nianwei frowned.

This was completely different from the ancient legends she knew. Or rather, she had no knowledge of this at all.

“The All Gods were born from the faith of living beings, yet they turned around and enslaved them. To expand their faith, they waged war year after year, driving their believers to conquer the myriad realms and spread their beliefs, gradually earning the enmity of all races.”

“To resist the Divine Dao and strengthen themselves, the Immortal Dao was born.”

Zhu Ju continued:

“However, the Divine Dao was powerful, and the Immortal Dao was no match for it at the beginning. This lasted until an Immortal found a special method to turn the faith of living beings into a deadly poison, using it to kill the All Gods.”

“Thus, the Immortal Dao flourished.”

As he said this, his expression changed slightly.

The method of turning faith into a deadly poison to kill the All Gods seemed identical to the concepts of the Great Dao being poisonous and the Immortal Dao being severed.

‘Could it be…’

‘Is there some connection?’

Shaking his head, Zhu Ju continued.

“The legacy of the Divine Dao is now difficult to cultivate. This Cultivation Technique has been integrated into Magic. Those who practice this technique have active Divine Souls, making it easy to deceive the perceptions of others and make people trust them.”

“No wonder…”

‘No wonder everyone in the Zhu Mansion, from top to bottom, holds this Elder Tong in such high esteem. His status is comparable to mine, the Patriarch.’

“Then…” Ming Nianwei asked cautiously.

“Is there a problem with my Cultivation?”

“Not a big one,” Zhu Ju said with a smile.

“It will just be a little easier when you’re being possessed. You’ll be able to avoid some unnecessary pain.”

Ming Nianwei’s face fell.

“There is one thing he didn’t lie to you about.”

Zhu Ju continued.

“Tong Li doesn’t have much time left. He is burning his Physical Body to nourish his Primordial Spirit. In less than a year, his Physical Body will be completely spent, and he will have to possess someone.”

“And don’t even think about running.”

“He left a mark on you. The moment you leave Taiyuan Prefecture, he will sense it, and I’m afraid he will take action ahead of schedule.”

Ming Nianwei’s expression grew even more grim.