The resonance of a soul was much like the features of a mortal face.

Within the cultivation world, a myriad of mortal and magical disguise techniques existed. Yet, any such parlor trick was instantly rendered moot before a cultivator possessing a major realm advantage. An expert of that caliber could bypass the flesh entirely, sweeping with Divine Sense to read the intricate, unique signature of the soul beneath.

This principle was exactly why Ye Shanhu had sensed a profound 'difference' in Xu Changshou immediately after he devoured Li Xiaoming's Evil Spirit. She lacked the cultivation to pierce his sea of consciousness directly, but prolonged exposure to his original presence had ingrained his spiritual frequency into her instincts. The sudden contamination of his aura had triggered her intuition.

Similarly, Patriarch Li Daotu had failed to detect the counter-possession simply because Xu Changshou's soul had been in a state of chaotic flux, broadcasting the fractured signatures of both the predator and the prey.

Now, however, the paradigm had shifted. Having entirely digested Li Xiaoming's ethereal remnants, Xu Changshou possessed the terrifying ability to fluidly shift between their distinct spiritual frequencies.

Henceforth, when standing before Li Daotu, he merely needed to project Li Xiaoming's soul signature. He was absolutely certain the Foundation Establishment Elder would never harbor another sliver of doubt.

With the soul's frequency serving as ironclad proof, there could be no flaw.

Furthermore, this grim Fated Chance unlocked an unprecedented utility.

It offered a method of absolute disguise-a disguise that extended to the very root of one's existence, capable of fooling even the omniscient gaze of high-tier cultivators.

Naturally, it possessed strict limitations. To achieve flawless mimicry, he could only adopt the physical guise of Li Xiaoming in his youth.

However, pairing the Thousand Faces Talisman to mold his flesh, and manipulating his soul's frequency to match, he could construct an impenetrable illusion. No mortal or immortal could perceive the seams.

"Big Brother Changshou, are you there? Big Brother Changshou!"

Just as Xu Changshou rose from his meditation mat, a crisp, familiar voice drifted into the courtyard.

Currently, Li Ling'er cultivated directly under Li Daotu's oppressive tutelage. The Patriarch's regimen was draconian, granting her but a single day of respite each month.

Coincidentally, today was the fifteenth-her designated day of rest. Unburdened by the Great Dao, she had immediately sought him out.

"Ling'er is here. Hm? You have already grasped the sensation of Qi."

Pushing open the heavy wooden doors, Xu Changshou swept his gaze over the girl, masking his profound shock. She had already stabilized at the first layer of Qi Condensation.

Her speed defied all logical constraints. It was utterly terrifying.

She had arrived at the Sect a mere half-month ago. To capture the elusive thread of Spiritual Qi in such a brief window was a feat that eclipsed Xu Changshou's own meager beginnings. It had taken him three agonizing months of Secluded Cultivation to achieve the same result.

As expected of an Exceptional Spirit Root. The heavens truly favored such prodigies.

"Yes! Great-Grandfather said I have officially stepped onto the path of immortality."

"Congratulations, Junior Sister Ling'er. May your Dao be eternal."

"Hehe, Big Brother Changshou, does this mean I am an immortal now?"

"Indeed!"

Xu Changshou nodded with a faint smile. "However, according to the rigid hierarchy of the Sect, you must now address me as Senior Brother."

Li Ling'er's nose wrinkled as she pouted. "No way! You are my Big Brother Changshou, and you will always be my Big Brother Changshou. I won't call you anything else."

"As you wish. Suit yourself."

Xu Changshou offered a helpless shrug.

He found it perplexing. For reasons eluding his cold logic, the heaven-chosen girl clung to him with unwavering devotion. In her heart, his position seemed to eclipse even her mortal father Li Zheng, her uncle Li Xiaoxian, and the imposing Patriarch Li Daotu.

Yet, in Xu Changshou's calculating eyes, this dependence was a highly lucrative asset. With her limitless potential, binding her karma to his could yield unimaginable dividends.

Naturally, she was but a child. Once she matured and her cultivation inevitably left him eating her dust, this reliance would likely wither. He harbored no illusions that a future Golden Core Almighty would share her fated chances with a lowly miscellaneous worker.

"I thought becoming an immortal would be a grand adventure, but it is actually quite exhausting. Great-Grandfather only permits me one day of rest a month. Big Brother Changshou, from now on, can I seek you out on the first day of every month to play?"

"Very well."

After a brief calculation, Xu Changshou readily agreed.

His immediate future consisted of grueling Secluded Cultivation. The Sect required his talisman quotas on the first of each month-his sole mandatory break from the grind.

Conveniently, Ye Shanhu also arrived under the cover of darkness at the end of each month to collect her illicit supply.

He could easily synchronize his schedule. Emerge from seclusion at the month's end, finalize the talisman exchange with Ye Shanhu, submit his Sect quota at dawn, and entertain Li Ling'er through the afternoon.

Come nightfall on the first, the doors to his courtyard would seal shut once more.

A single day of respite to temper the Dao heart.

"Big Brother Changshou, I wish to ride the great flying skiffs. Will you escort me?"

Li Ling'er blinked, her large eyes practically glowing with anticipation.

Xu Changshou vividly recalled the novelty. When he had first ascended the mountain, the majestic public skiffs had captivated his mortal mind as well.

"Certainly. Today is the fifteenth, meaning Danxia Peak is hosting its market fair. Shall we seek out some worldly amusements?"

"Yes, yes! Thank you, Big Brother Changshou. You are the absolute best!"

For the remainder of the day, Xu Changshou indulged the girl. They soared through the clouds on the public skiffs and wandered the bustling stalls of the Danxia market, purchasing trivial, colorful trinkets. The young prodigy was intoxicated with joy.

She did not return to her peak until the moon hung high, and predictably, she did not appear the following day.

Li Daotu had undoubtedly locked her away.

Her talent was a beacon of infinite potential. The Patriarch comprehended her value better than anyone, and he would never permit her to squander her prime years on mortal frivolity.

Xu Changshou mirrored her dedication, instantly plunging back into the abyss of Secluded Cultivation for the remainder of the month.

However, having breached the tenth layer of Qi Condensation, his progress had slowed to a glacial crawl. The spiritual yield of his standard Qi Gathering Pills had deteriorated to the point of utter uselessness.

He weathered the stagnation until the month concluded.

Forced out of seclusion, Xu Changshou acknowledged a grim reality: to progress further, he required a superior catalyst. He needed Spirit Gathering Pills.

Like their lesser counterparts, Spirit Gathering Pills were a vital auxiliary resource, yet they contained a far denser concentration of Spiritual Qi, specifically formulated for cultivators approaching the Grand Perfection of Qi Condensation.

Naturally, such potency carried an extortionate price tag.

A single Spirit Gathering Pill demanded one entire Spirit Stone-ten times the cost of a Qi Gathering Pill.

Xu Changshou had considered visiting the medicinal pavilions himself, but remembering Ye Shanhu's impending arrival, he stalled.

When it came to the shadowy economics of the Sect, Ye Shanhu was an unparalleled expert. It was far wiser to exploit her knowledge of the market to secure the best rates.

Night fell.

Like a phantom, Ye Shanhu arrived exactly on schedule.

"The tenth layer of Qi Condensation!"

"The eleventh layer of Qi Condensation!"

The moment their eyes met, both cultivators recoiled, mutually stunned by the palpable pressure radiating from the other.

According to Xu Changshou's meticulous memory, Ye Shanhu had only recently shattered the bottleneck to the tenth layer. In the span of a single month, she had violently ascended yet another minor realm.

She now stood an entire minor realm above him, radiating an oppressive spiritual weight.

Ye Shanhu, however, was struck with a far deeper profound shock. She possessed an intimate understanding of his abysmal aptitude. He had only reached the ninth layer a mere two and a half years ago.

The chasm between the ninth and tenth layers was no trivial step; it marked the brutal transition into the Grand Perfection of Qi Condensation.

It was a barrier notoriously more impenetrable than the subsequent leap to the eleventh layer. Countless cultivators, bereft of a Barrier Breaking Pill, languished at that specific bottleneck for decades, their vitality rotting away.

Even with her superior resources, Ye Shanhu herself had been trapped at that very precipice for three agonizing years.

Yet, this impoverished miscellaneous worker had casually vaulted the chasm in two and a half. Considering his squalid background and muddy talent, it defied the laws of heaven.

Was it merely a product of fanatical diligence?

Impossible. There is a deeper karmic reason.

No matter. This is Junior Brother Xu's Fated Chance. The Dao is vast, and I have no right to pry.

Suppressing her turbulent thoughts, Ye Shanhu shook her head slightly, offering a radiant smile.

"Junior Brother Xu, I bring excellent tidings."

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