Feng Rui stretched out his hand, inspecting it carefully before glancing down at his own body.
"Who prepared this vessel?"
Silence reigned for a few seconds before one of the guards knelt and spoke. "It was Elder Yan."
"Mmm."
A terrible pressure fell over everyone present at that single, dissatisfied hum.
Feng Rui had only changed a little and they had countless doubts about the situation. But, none of them dared to suspect that "he" was an impostor.
Obviously, they were wrong.
Feng Rui was prolonging his words while desperately brainstorming his next improvisation, nearly burning out his brain in the process.
"Wrong," he finally said with cold indifference. "This body won't withstand the clash of energies. It's trash… It will soon collapse."
The suffocating silence that followed was enough to make the guards wish they could vanish into thin air. The general took a step forward.
"And yet, I'm expected to believe that, without a proper medium, the soul we needed just happened to settle into our vessel conveniently?"
The guards felt like they were sitting on needles. Had the general lost his mind?! How could he question the entity before him so directly?
The tension could be cut with a knife.
"What a coincidence," Feng Rui drawled, his tone languid but laced with danger. "The last person who dared to challenge me like this lost everything and met a fate worse than death. His name was Feng Rui too, if I recall correctly."
He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"Not only do you dare to cover this body with those disgusting seals, fill your house with impure artifacts, and paint the crypts with a story that mocks me, but you also have the audacity to question me to my face?"
Feng Rui ran a hand through his hair and started laughing madly, only to stop abruptly. He locked eyes with the general, his expression dull and lifeless like a dead fish.
Yes, he was very proud of his acting skills.
In the past, at that time he only wanted to shave the celestial demon, with his long, silky hair, did he think he was in a shampoo commercial every time he made that characteristic gesture?
But now, he was actually grateful for the experience. He even believed he might win another acting award at this rate.
He extended his hand and performed the trick he had always envied—ahem, hated.
"Come forth."
The guards exchanged hesitant glances just as the atmosphere darkened.
Even the sky seemed to dim under the overwhelming aura that spread across the courtyard.
Dozens of wandering spirits and lingering obsessions emerged from Feng Rui's body. His malignant core vibrated dangerously, the "stars" within it flickering out one by one, leaving behind only an abyss of darkness.
He had never contracted these ghosts, but if his theory about his cultivation was correct, then by hierarchy alone, he could command these lost souls—if only to make his point clear to the stubborn general and the clueless guards.
"So, should I use them to search for this 'medium'?"
The general's eyes widened slightly, and Feng Rui resisted the urge to sigh in relief.
Finally, he had guessed correctly.
There was no way his cultivation had progressed so much just from absorbing the energy of a few spirit crystals. His core was too dense, too stable. Unless… they had also been feeding him "that".
That's why, the last time he had died, he had made sure to examine the "medicines" they used on him.
They wanted him dead, but not to ruin their grand plan—only to accelerate it.
And with the World Tree Seed inside him, he had become more sensitive to certain presences.
Just a little, but it was enough.
After all, this was the culmination of everything he had studied as a player.
They were trying to summon the Celestial Demon by using part of his seal.
The same eternal prison he had forged, sustained, and paid for with everything he had.
"Where is the Ninefold Seal?"
The moment those words fell, all the guards dropped to their knees, pressing their foreheads against the ground. Even the general, whose expression had remained impassive until now, paled slightly.
"I don't like repeating myself."
"We… We will summon the Elder Yan," the guard answered, trembling but not stuttering.
"There's no need. Bring forth every spiritual treasure you can find. Feed this child all the divine energy treasures in your possession and have him cultivate. Otherwise, your plan will fail."
Feng Rui reabsorbed the spirits, swallowing down the blood rising in his throat from his internal injuries. The chaotic energy inside him had wreaked havoc on his body.
His malignant core held firm, and he suspected the World Tree Seed had something to do with it.
At last, he let his aura shift and stumbled slightly, his body suddenly weak and drained.
The perfect imitation of the "original" Feng Rui.
He could fool these ignorant guards.
But Elder Yan? That was a whole different problem.
What would he do if the elder started questioning him about the sect? Fake amnesia and memory loss again?
Tsk.
Feng Rui reached out, steadying himself against the wall, and looked up at his "father" with weary eyes.
"S-Sorry… I felt a little dizzy. Shall we continue?"
The general looked at him deeply, but Feng Rui did not show any weakness in his performance. He looked like a real person.
To anyone watching, he really did seem like someone barely clinging to consciousness.
The guards exchanged uncertain glances before assuming their previous positions, flanking the path ahead.
"Is your body unwell?" the general finally asked.
"I'm not sure… It's getting harder to control the energy inside me. But the doctor said that once I get older, the problem will resolve itself."
"Who told you that?"
The general's voice was cold with suppressed fury. His jaw tightened, and his knuckles turned white.
His son was facing such a dangerous situation, yet once again, no one had told him anything?
"The same doctor as always."
And, of course, Feng Rui didn't miss his chance to throw the physician under the bus again.
He wouldn't forgive him so easily for feeding him poison
It's not like the doctor would die from this, anyway.
"I'll deal with him later," the general muttered darkly. Then, after a pause, he added, "We'll go somewhere else first. The rest of you, do as instructed."
"Yes, General Han!" the guards responded in unison before disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Feng Rui was escorted to a waiting hall, a spacious wooden pavilion with open windows overlooking a meticulously maintained garden. He let himself sink onto an intricately carved wooden divan, feigning surprise as he watched the servants enter in single file, carrying trays overflowing with spiritual treasures.
Lustrous pearls contain the essence of nature.
Crystals bathed in the divine energy of the sun and moon.
Elixirs radiating a mesmerizing glow.
Even an ancient jade fragment inscribed with sacred runes.
If he weren't used to seeing such resources in his life as a player, he probably would've been left speechless.
'So many divine treasures… as if they were mere snacks. Wouldn't my dear stepmother jump to the ceiling if she found out? Well, it was an order from the General, after all.'
For a brief moment, Feng Rui entertained the absurd idea of reselling them at the Qilin Clan's auction house to pay off his future debts. But unfortunately, he had to absorb them instead.
"What… what is all this?" he asked, his voice trembling in feigned awe, as if he had never seen such riches before.
The servants exchanged subtle glances of disdain and ridicule, looking down on their young master, abandoned and ignorant of the world.
They had no idea what kind of heavenly fortune he had stumbled upon.
"This was the General's order. He expects you to cultivate properly and recover from your injury soon."
Feng Rui cast a hesitant, contemplative look at the treasures. In the end, he sighed and picked up the smallest pearl, pretending to be reluctant as he began his cultivation.
Power surged through his body instantly.
The scorching heat of divine energy clashed with the icy chill of the evil energy within his core.
By instinct, Feng Rui carefully guided both energies through his dantian. His original core was still not fully recovered, and his pearl was fragmented, making the process three times as difficult and dangerous.
Barely managing to stabilize the flow, he moved on to the next treasure, determined to make the most of the situation before some NPC inevitably interrupted and ruined his careful plan.
The divine energy purified him, dispersing some of the corruption lingering in his body. But the evil energy remained stubborn, clinging to him with the same persistence as when he used to grind for the top spot in every ranking.
Then, a gentle and soothing energy emerged from the World Tree Seed, subtly helping him refine both forces, molding them into something more stable.
A thread of golden energy intertwined with the darkness of his core.
His pearl stopped vibrating dangerously, and in its place, a new form of energy began to take shape—a balance between light and darkness.
Ding!
[The World Tree Seed has absorbed the divine energy with satisfaction. Please continue cultivating diligently.]
[Current state: Sealed (4% unlocked).]
[The host has partially stabilized his core. It is recommended to continue the process until complete harmony is achieved.]
Feng Rui half-opened his eyes and observed his body with curiosity.
The energy had settled better than before. Although he could still feel traces of corruption in his veins, it no longer threatened to tear him apart from the inside.
He could breathe without feeling like his existence was hanging by a thread.
With a satisfied smirk, he closed his eyes again.
'Alright. Let's continue with the feast.'