144: Chapter 144: Guess why I cultivate so quickly?

Beside the blood pool.

White Emperor's Physical Body exploded with a bang, turning into a mist of blood that filled the sky.

Chief Steward Gu and the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's expressions changed simultaneously.

They had been hiding within the human emperor banner, preparing to catch White Emperor off guard. Both had been charging their ultimate moves from within the banner, intending to give White Emperor a surprise the moment they appeared.

Imagine two powerful experts of the same Realm suddenly jumping in your face and unleashing their ultimate moves.

Who could possibly block that?

But White Emperor didn't follow the usual path; he didn't even seem to try to block.

As a result, their ultimate moves hit White Emperor squarely, shattering his Physical Body in an instant.

Yet, White Emperor was indifferent to this, as his Primordial Spirit had already turned into a streak of bloody light, charging straight toward Xiao Ran.

"Not good!"

Chief Steward Gu wanted to intercept, but it was already too late.

The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox grit her teeth, her nine tails rising simultaneously as she tried to imprison that bloody light with demon power.

But White Emperor's Primordial Spirit was too fast!

So fast that even those in the Void Refinement Stage couldn't react in time!

In the next second.

The bloody light had already reached Xiao Ran!

Xiao Ran's pupils constricted, and he subconsciously raised the human emperor banner to block his front.

Black light surged!

But it was useless!

White Emperor's Primordial Spirit entered as if into an uninhabited territory, directly penetrating the human emperor banner's defense and crashing into the space between Xiao Ran's brows.

Xiao Ran's body stiffened.

The last trace of clarity in his eyes was instantly swallowed by a blood-red hue.

"Xiao Ran!"

Chief Steward Gu cried out in alarm.

The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's face turned deathly pale.

Elder Ying rushed out from the shadows, pressing a palm onto Xiao Ran's shoulder, attempting to force out White Emperor's Primordial Spirit with spiritual power.

But the moment his hand touched Xiao Ran, he was shaken off by a terrifying force!

"It's useless."

On the other side, Ancestor Dongfang sneered.

"Once White Emperor's Blood God Secret Technique is activated, no one can stop it. That kid is finished."

Elder Ying's face turned ashen.

He looked at Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran stood by the blood pool, eyes tightly shut, his aura flickering between light and dark.

Between his brows.

A blood-red light was slowly spreading.

That was the sign of the beginning of Possession.

...

Within the Sea of Consciousness.

Xiao Ran stood in a hazy, grey space.

This was his Sea of Consciousness.

All around was endless void; only the platform beneath his feet served as the final stronghold of his consciousness.

Beyond the platform was boundless darkness.

At this moment, the darkness was churning.

A streak of bloody light descended from the sky, landing on the platform.

The bloody light dissipated, revealing a figure.

White Emperor.

He still had that middle-aged appearance, but his body was translucent, emitting a faint, eerie glow.

It was his Primordial Spirit state.

"Xiao Ran."

"We meet again."

White Emperor spoke, his voice echoing in the Sea of Consciousness.

Xiao Ran looked at him, his expression calm.

"City Lord Bai, what a fine maneuver."

White Emperor smiled.

That smile looked triumphant, delighted, and carried a sense of long-suppressed release.

"This seat has waited for this day for far too long."

He spread his arms and took a deep breath.

"So this is the Sea of Consciousness of the Myriad Dao Guixu Body... truly extraordinary."

"So vast, so deep, and so full of vitality."

"Good, wonderful!"

Having said that.

He looked up at Xiao Ran, his eyes filled with greed.

"With this Physical Body, this seat can live for at least another three thousand years!"

Xiao Ran did not speak.

White Emperor did not care.

He stood with his hands behind his back and said leisurely.

"Xiao Ran, did you think just now that this seat was about to be defeated?"

Xiao Ran looked up and sneered.

"Was it not so?"

White Emperor shook his head calmly.

"Defeat? How could this seat be defeated?"

He raised his hand and pointed at the surrounding darkness.

"Look, what is this?"

White Emperor laughed.

"This is your Sea of Consciousness, but soon it will be mine."

He paused, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.

"Did you think this seat didn't know your trump cards?"

Xiao Ran remained silent.

White Emperor continued.

"I have been watching you ever since you won the Martial Arts Marriage Recruitment."

"You once disappeared for the duration of an incense stick after the auction; I noticed it long ago."

"At that time, I thought it might be your dao protector, but later when you came to see me, the way you looked at me wasn't right."

"And the fact that you never took Ling'er."

"So I knew someone had told you about my method of Possession."

"It was that old fellow, the Nine-Fingered Divine Beggar, wasn't it? He gave you a Silk Pouch—did you think this seat didn't know?"

"That old beggar, this seat knows him all too well."

"His favorite thing to do is leave backup plans for the younger generation."

"Therefore, from that moment on, I started guarding against him."

Xiao Ran stared at him and said gloomily.

"So, you intentionally let me leave the city?"

White Emperor nodded.

"Correct. This seat needed you to leave White Emperor City, to leave the range of any backup plans that old beggar might have laid out."

"Outside the city is where this seat truly holds the home-field advantage."

He looked at Xiao Ran, his eyes full of pride.

"Why do you think I had the Dongfang Family accompany you to the Dragon Burial Abyss? Do you think I really needed their help to deal with your dao protector?"

White Emperor could no longer restrain his triumphant expression.

"No, this seat only needed them to pin down your helpers."

"I knew exactly which people you had brought along and what their movements were."

He raised his hand and pointed to himself.

"And this seat's true goal, from the very beginning, was your Physical Body."

Xiao Ran was silent.

White Emperor continued.

"Did you think this seat would fight you head-on?"

"No, this seat isn't that stupid. I calculated every single one of your helpers clearly."

"The Nine-Fingered Divine Beggar's Silk Pouch can only be used once."

"This seat gambled that he wouldn't waste a life-saving item on intercepting my Physical Body."

"As expected, he didn't use it."

"He only immobilized my Physical Body but failed to stop my Primordial Spirit."

"And this seat has been waiting for exactly this Opportunity."

He looked at Xiao Ran, his eyes full of madness.

"What does a Physical Body matter? If it's destroyed, so be it."

"As long as my Primordial Spirit enters your Sea of Consciousness, your body is mine!"

Xiao Ran looked at him.

After a long while, a smile suddenly curled at the corner of his mouth.

"City Lord Bai, you old fellows are truly more calculating than the next."

"I admit that in this regard, I am not as good as you."

"But to say you've won... it's probably a bit too early for that!"

White Emperor was stunned upon hearing this.

"You're not afraid?"

Xiao Ran shook his head.

"Of course not."

White Emperor narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

Xiao Ran did not answer.

He simply pointed at the surrounding darkness.

"City Lord Bai, look."

White Emperor followed his gaze.

The darkness around the Sea of Consciousness was churning.

But that churning wasn't due to White Emperor's invasion.

It was because...

...something was waking up.

White Emperor's expression changed slightly.

"What is this?"

Xiao Ran smiled indifferently.

"City Lord Bai, have you ever considered a question?"

Upon hearing this, White Emperor instantly turned to stare at him.

"What?"

Xiao Ran said slowly.

"How could I, starting as an ordinary person, Cultivate to the Late Nascent Soul Stage within two years?"

White Emperor was taken aback.

Xiao Ran continued.

"The Myriad Dao Guixu Body is indeed powerful, but without Opportunity, it would be impossible to progress this fast."

He looked at White Emperor, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

"Have you ever considered that there might be something else inside my body?"

White Emperor's pupils shrank suddenly.

"What thing?"

Xiao Ran did not answer; he simply spread his arms.