Xiao Ning's figure stiffened. His gaze swept toward the dim shadows beyond the cavern wall, where a faint rustle betrayed a presence.
A moment later, a woman stepped forward, her face half-veiled by the flickering light of the spirit lanterns embedded in the stone. Though her expression was unreadable, the longsword in her grasp pulsed with faint golden light—the unmistakable pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator could be felt clearly.
He didn't need to guess. From the dregs of Li Feng's shattered soul, her identity emerged with clarity.
Mei Lin. The former dao companion of this body's original master, and a Nascent Soul cultivator of considerable renown.
She had seen through him instantly—without hesitation or inquiry. A testament not just to spiritual acuity, but to an intimacy born of shared history.
Xiao Ning exhaled slowly. There was no use feigning ignorance.
"You're right," he said, voice calm despite the sword pointed at his heart. "I am not Li Feng. My name is Xiao Ning. I've... borrowed this shell after my own body perished."
Mei Lin did not speak. The blade in her hand trembled minutely, the aura around it thickening.
It wasn't just hostility—it was disbelief, pain, rage.
She could sense that something had changed, and that change had stolen away someone she once knew.
Xiao Ning's eyes fell on the sword. Its glow was stable. Clearly, this was not a woman shaken by grief alone, but one tempered through blood and fire.
Deceit would not survive long before her scrutiny.
This was no mere transmigration, nor some reincarnation tale from idle tavern rumors.
The jade book had carved his soul into Li Feng's crumbling shell, gouging out the remnants of its dying will. There was no room for falsehood here—only blunt truth.
He clasped his hands behind his back and lowered his voice. "My body was destroyed. Only a fragment of my consciousness survived."
"Even your soul was destroyed?" Mei Lin asked coldly.
"Indeed," he said, tone dry. "What remains of me stands before you, held together by sheer will and a sliver of spiritual sense."
Her brows knit together as she frowned. "To survive through consciousness alone… I've never heard of such a thing."
Xiao Ning let out a low chuckle, half mocking, half weary. "You've reached the Nascent Soul Realm. It is impressive. But beyond it, the world grows vast and strange. There are methods beyond what the cultivation manuals of this continent have recorded."
He turned slightly, his gaze distant. "As for Li Feng... though his soul was beyond saving, I owe him—and by extension, you—an explanation."
Mei Lin tilted her head slightly. Though her stance remained guarded, the edge in her voice had softened, if only slightly. "Then speak."
Xiao Ning folded his hands behind his back and straightened his posture. "In my original form, I surpassed the Nascent Soul Realm by far. A cultivator of your level would have been of little consequence. Crushing you would have required no more than a flick of the finger."
The temperature in the cavern seemed to drop slightly.
Mei Lin's eyes narrowed to slits. "You dare to mock me, even now? No matter who you once were, you now inhabit a shell no stronger than my own—and one with a heavily injured nascent soul at that."
Xiao Ning raised a hand in quiet placation. "Peace. I intended no insult. My words are merely truth. This body is weak, yes, but my knowledge remains intact. If you are willing, I can demonstrate what lies beyond your understanding."
For a long breath, Mei Lin said nothing.
"Prove it."
Xiao Ning's lips curved into a faint smile. He extended one hand, palm facing upward. A moment passed—then, with a shimmer of golden light, a scroll materialized in the air.
Strange symbols glowed upon its surface, etched with runes older than the common script of the cultivation world. Each character pulsed with faint solar essence.
"This is the Everlasting Nine Suns Sutra," he said quietly. "A supreme technique from my past life—something even cultivators at the Divine Enlightenment Realm would not part with willingly."
Mei Lin's eyes widened slightly, though her body remained still. Even from her distance, the scroll's oppressive radiance was unmistakable. It radiated the essence of sunfire—untamed and eternal.
Mei Lin's spiritual sense touched the scroll—then jerked back abruptly. She had expected danger, perhaps even a trap.
But what she encountered instead were fragments of something far beyond her understanding. Visions of celestial flames, stars collapsing and reforming, and blazing suns colliding in endless cycles.
"…What do you want in return?" she asked finally.
"A pact," Xiao Ning said, looking at her steadily. "Two terms. First: you must swear absolute silence about my true identity. If word spreads, powerful enemies may come hunting. Second: we shall rebuild the Shadowclaw Sect and avenge Li Feng."
Mei Lin remained silent for a long while.
Of course, she knew her dao companion was beyond saving.
But if this man was telling the truth… then this could be the opportunity she'd been waiting for. With the help of such an expert, not only could she save the sect—she might finally avenge him.
"Very well," she let out a slow breath and looked at him coldly, "But be warned—betray me, and I will end you, no matter what realm you once stood upon."
Xiao Ning nodded solemnly. "Then let us seal the vow."
He reached inward—into the fragmented nascent soul where Li Feng's lingering essence still faintly remained—and drew forth golden threads of qi. Mei Lin followed suit, her own spiritual force intertwining with his.
Between them, a glowing rune appeared, pulsing steadily with mutual intent.
"I shall guard your secret and you shall aid me in restoring the sect, and in exacting vengeance."
"As agreed," Xiao Ning replied.
The rune pulsed once, then split into strands of light, vanishing into their bodies.
Mei Lin studied him again, her gaze lingering on the familiar features that now held an unfamiliar presence. She saw Li Feng's broken nose and the scar on his lip—but none of his warmth, none of his hesitation.
The soul behind the eyes was a stranger.
Her gaze fell to the scroll.
"This technique," she said, looking at him with suspicion, "is it truly safe for me to cultivate?"
"The Everlasting Nine Suns Sutra is adaptable," Xiao Ning chuckled softly. "It harmonizes with the sun's essence, refining the dantian through cycles of burning and renewal. It requires strength—but more than that, it requires will. If you can endure it, you will emerge reborn."
Then, without pause, he explained the foundational layers of the technique—the breathing cycles, the sunfire condensation paths, and the critical early-stage pitfalls.
Mei Lin listened intently, occasionally asking brief but precise questions that reflected her depth of understanding.
By the time he finished, a sliver of dawn light had crept into the cave.
"I will begin stabilizing this body," Xiao Ning said, a faint bitterness in his smile. "It is riddled with flaws. I will require time to adapt."
"Very well," Mei Lin nodded in acknowledgement, "The sect is in turmoil. We shall plan once you have regained your strength."
With that, she turned and disappeared into the shadows beyond the cavern's entrance.
Xiao Ning remained still for a long moment before sitting cross-legged. With a breath, he directed his consciousness inward.
A faint shimmer appeared before his eyes.
[Name: Li Feng]
[Lifespan: 450 / 567 Years]
[Cultivation: Nascent Soul Realm (disabled)]
[Spirit Root: Dual Dark and Earth Root (damaged)]
[Cultivation Techniques: Shadow Leaf True Scripture (Main), Myriad Shadow Thoughts Art, Shadow Teleportation Technique…]