The Soul’s Transformation

Having dispatched the God Concealing stage cultivator, Su Hanxing relieved them of their spatial treasures, extracting useful elixirs and artifacts, which he then stored in his own spatial bracelet. However, this time, no treasures particularly caught his eye. Primordial Spirit Treasures, like the black jade longsword he once found, were truly once-in-a-lifetime finds.

Having inventoried the belongings of the two God Concealing stage cultivators, Su Hanxing oriented himself, then set off northward, intending to investigate the treasure hall the previous cultivator had mentioned. He harbored no great expectations for this journey. The Gate of Wonders, in terms of sheer power, far surpassed the Tianyan Sect, and the disciples they had dispatched this time were astonishing in both number and quality.

Though Su Hanxing was powerful, he was ultimately a lone wolf, and thus lacked the confidence to snatch a prize from such formidable opponents. He ambled leisurely northward, pondering his strategy. The previous secret chamber had yielded treasures like dragon scales and golden lightning, and now another treasure hall had appeared. How could the treasures within not captivate one’s heart and soul?

Soon, Su Hanxing arrived at the fork in the path the cultivator had described. Following the man’s directions, he took the right-hand path, and before long, he sensed the auras of numerous cultivators within the cave.

It seemed there were indeed some peculiarities here, and the individual’s words seemed to hold true. Su Hanxing nodded subtly. Concealing his presence, he suppressed his true qi fluctuations and aura to their absolute minimum, cautiously assessing the cultivation levels of the cultivators inside the cave.

The results of his investigation, however, sent a jolt through Su Hanxing. A significant majority of these cultivators were actually at the God Concealing stage. Even among those he could currently detect, there were already five or six such individuals.

Su Hanxing stealthily approached a Heart Scripture Realm cultivator, not wishing to alert the enemy. Thus, he merely observed the cultivator quietly from a distance, hoping to glean more information.

“As expected, they are Gate of Wonders disciples.”

Seeing the Heart Scripture Realm cultivator clad in a white Daoist robe, adorned with the symbols of the Five Elements, Eight Trigrams, and the Heavenly and Earthly Solar Terms, Su Hanxing understood immediately. He was naturally familiar with this robe; it was, indeed, the uniform attire of Gate of Wonders disciples. Disciples of major sects invariably took immense pride in their affiliations, and most would often wear their sect’s uniform daily with fervent pride. Su Hanxing understood this sentiment perfectly.

Armed with this intelligence, Su Hanxing decided to temporarily withdraw from the area. He knew that with his current strength, it would be difficult to contend with the Gate of Wonders, and a long-term strategy was needed.

Over the next few days, Su Hanxing repeatedly entered and exited the area to investigate the situation, swiftly charting its layout. According to his observations, the number of cultivators gathering there continued to increase. Some were Gate of Wonders disciples, while others were scions of influential families, numbering around thirty in total.

By a rough estimate, there were likely no fewer than fifty cultivators within, with at least thirty being at the God Concealing stage. This was far beyond Su Hanxing’s ability to contend with. He found himself at a loss. Unwilling to let such a grand opportunity slip through his fingers, yet genuinely unable to devise a suitable plan, he could only pace back and forth in a secluded spot.

Just as Su Hanxing was walking, a ripple of energy emanated from his portable cave-dwelling. Instantly, a wave of joy surged within him. He surmised that Chi Qiu had successfully refined the serendipitous opportunity within the dragon scale and emerged from her seclusion.

Su Hanxing hastily retrieved his portable cave-dwelling, then closed his eyes, extending his spiritual sense to investigate. Inside the cave-dwelling’s side room, on the large bed, the golden dragon scale was mysteriously dissolving away. A graceful figure, nearly seven chi tall and clad in a black silk dress, stood by the bed, silently watching the dragon scale vanish. As if sensing Su Hanxing’s gaze, Chi Qiu turned to look at the ceiling, yet saw nothing.

With a thought, a surge of true qi flowed into the cave-dwelling, enveloping Chi Qiu. Simultaneously, a soft whisper, carried within the true qi, reached her ears.

“Do not worry. I will bring you out now.”

Chi Qiu had been momentarily stunned by the sight before her when another wave of true qi suddenly enveloped her. Fortunately, Su Hanxing’s message came just in time, otherwise, she might have already activated her true qi and acted.

A moment later, Chi Qiu appeared within the Yinglong Tomb Cavern. She turned, her gaze sweeping across her surroundings, then fixed her eyes upon Su Hanxing.

Su Hanxing felt his mood lighten considerably. He approached Chi Qiu, scrutinizing her from head to toe. He then strode around behind her, continuing his inspection, which made her feel utterly uncomfortable.

“Have I changed a lot?” Chi Qiu asked, a touch of confusion in her voice.

Su Hanxing nodded. He walked to her front and said gently, “There are indeed significant changes.”

Chi Qiu regarded Su Hanxing with a touch of surprise, seeing his earnest expression, devoid of any pretense. At that moment, she truly began to believe that her appearance might indeed have changed. She brushed the bronze ring on her little finger, and a five-inch-wide bronze mirror materialized in her hand. Gazing into it, she discovered her formerly deep blue pupils had transformed into a brilliant gold, with faint flickers of lightning visible within.

Her once icy-blue hair had also deepened considerably, now resembling the profound, inky blackness of the deep sea, with only a hint of dark blue discernible upon closer inspection.

“It certainly looks more pleasing than before,” Chi Qiu mused, “but these eyes are perhaps a bit too flashy.” She had always favored dark, profound colors, so her hair’s deepened hue suited her preference, yet their striking nature caused her distress.

“Hehehe… Since it has happened, accept it. Little Chi, you’ve successfully refined the item within the dragon scale, and your gains appear to be considerable.” Su Hanxing looked at Chi Qiu with anticipation.

“The gains are immense. Don’t you possess that investigative technique? Why not examine me yourself?” As she spoke of the dragon scale’s treasures, Chi Qiu couldn’t help but smile. She had entered the dragon scale with her physical body, facing immense risks, and her current rewards fully justified them.

“Very well, I shall investigate.” Su Hanxing agreed with a chuckle, then activated his technique and gazed at her. The next instant, his smile froze on his face. He looked at Chi Qiu with utter disbelief, stuttering as he asked, “You… you’ve reached the Dharma Manifestation Realm?”

To Su Hanxing’s perception, Chi Qiu was shrouded in a dense mist, utterly impenetrable. His secret technique for discerning cultivation levels could only see cultivators up to the God Concealing stage. Thus, Su Hanxing’s disbelief was profound. Could Chi Qiu have truly overcome the chasm in cultivation, the formidable barrier on the path of cultivation, in mere days?

“Pfft—how could that be? I’ve only broken through to the God Concealing stage,” Chi Qiu explained, covering her mouth as she was amused by his reaction, his mouth agape, wide enough to fit a fist. “Your secret technique seems not entirely accurate.”

“Then why can’t my secret technique discern your strength?” Su Hanxing immediately let out a breath of relief upon hearing she hadn’t broken through to the Dharma Manifestation Realm, then questioned, a hint of confusion in his voice.

“How should I know? It’s your own secret technique,” Chi Qiu retorted, a touch of exasperation in her tone.

“If Little Chi wishes to learn it, I will certainly teach you everything I know.” Su Hanxing finally regained his usual composure. He smiled faintly, as if his earlier shock had merely been Chi Qiu’s imagination.

“If I were still in the Heart Scripture Realm, perhaps your secret technique would have some use. But now that I’ve broken through to the God Concealing stage, it is of no use to me.” Chi Qiu waved her hand, indicating her lack of interest.

“How long have I been cultivating? After waking from the dragon scale earlier, I saw myself in a room and thought I had cultivated for too long, and that the Yinglong Tomb had already closed.” Chi Qiu observed her surroundings and let out a sigh of relief upon seeing she was still in the tomb.

“About three days, much faster than I expected.” Within this cavern, it was difficult to judge the time, so Su Hanxing could only make an approximate guess. He looked at Chi Qiu, feeling that after this breakthrough, she had become considerably more lively, and her demeanor and actions had also grown more gentle.

Chi Qiu nodded, putting away the bronze mirror. Noticing Su Hanxing was still staring at her, she then asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice, “You don’t like my current appearance? The difference shouldn’t be that great, should it?”

Su Hanxing hastily averted his gaze and shook his head. “I apologize for my rudeness. Let’s talk as we walk. A great opportunity has appeared to the north, and you’ve emerged from seclusion at just the right moment.”

Awkwardly changing the subject, Su Hanxing began to move forward. Then, as if remembering something, he turned and asked, “The God Concealing stage is a state where the soul and physical body merge. Little Chi, did you encounter any difficulties during the step of the soul’s transformation into human form?”

Chi Qiu’s physical body and soul were not one, so it would ordinarily be exceedingly difficult to break through to the God Concealing stage. Yet Chi Qiu seemed to have broken through with remarkable ease, which left Su Hanxing quite surprised.

“I didn’t encounter any difficulties, but during the soul’s transformation into human form…” Chi Qiu shook her head, and then a faint blush appeared on her face, which, had Su Hanxing’s eyesight not been exceptional, would have been almost impossible to notice.

“Did you encounter a problem during the soul’s transformation into human form? The responsibility for this lies with me. I will certainly seek out treasures capable of mending the soul to aid your cultivation.” Su Hanxing believed that the issue with Chi Qiu’s soul transformation stemmed from his previous act of soul-swapping. He was immediately wracked with self-reproach and promised repeatedly.

“No problems arose; everything went smoothly, but… never mind, just see for yourself.” Chi Qiu shook her head, her face growing even redder. She wanted to explain something but didn’t know how to begin. Finally, in a gesture of resignation, she extended her hand and summoned forth her soul, which had already taken human form, to display to Su Hanxing.

In the palm of Chi Qiu’s hand, a miniature Chi Qiu, only about four inches tall, slowly materialized. This small ‘Chi Qiu’ differed from Chi Qiu herself only slightly in hair color; otherwise, they were identical. The hair of this soul-figure, like her eyes, was a brilliant gold, with occasional flickers of lightning dancing upon it, giving her a majestic appearance.

“From my observation, there seems to be no issue at all. In fact, it’s quite adorable.” Su Hanxing reached out and gently tapped the miniature Chi Qiu’s head. Instantly, Chi Qiu herself felt as if her own head had been lightly patted. She raised an eyebrow, then recalled the soul-figure back into her body.

“Think carefully, what should my soul look like?” Chi Qiu prompted him, seeing that Su Hanxing showed no surprise whatsoever.

Su Hanxing paused, his movements freezing, then a look of sudden realization dawned on his face. “That’s right, your soul should have been the appearance of your former body. How did it become like this?”

Su Hanxing finally understood why Chi Qiu’s demeanor and actions had grown much gentler after emerging from the dragon scale. It was likely because her soul had transformed into a female form. Now, Chi Qiu, in both her physical body and her soul, was a complete woman. Any lingering male characteristics from her past would likely never reappear.

As for this situation, Chi Qiu herself was unsure whether to be happy or worried.