The Immortal Ascension

Chapter 59: The Three Iron Rules

Doctor Mo's joy didn't last long. The power of the Yin Soul Curse soon manifested, and he began to age at a terrifying rate—almost a year's worth of aging in a single day.

He was terrified and tried every method he could think of to control the bizarre phenomenon occurring in his body, but to little avail.

If things continued this way, it wouldn't be long before he would die naturally, like an ordinary old man, succumbing to exhaustion. Fortunately, Yu Zitong's Primordial Spirit was faring even worse.

It turned out that after Yu Zitong entered Doctor Mo's body, over time, he began to experience a phenomenon of assimilation with the host's Primordial Spirit.

"Assimilation" is a passive form of Possession, where a foreign Primordial Spirit, after lingering in another's body for an extended period, is unconsciously influenced and gradually assimilated by the host's Primordial Spirit. In the end, only one consciousness can remain—a sinister phenomenon.

Seeing this, Yu Zitong had no choice but to consider active Possession.

His reluctance wasn't due to any sense of kindness but rather his fear of the three iron rules of Possession, which were legendary in the Cultivator world:

First, a Cultivator must not perform Possession on a Mortal, as the Mortal's body would be unable to withstand the act and would collapse on its own.

Second, Possession can only succeed if the Cultivator's cultivation level is higher than the target's, and the greater the disparity in cultivation, the safer the process, as it reduces the risk of backlash.

Third, a Cultivator can only perform Possession once in their lifetime, regardless of their cultivation level. Attempting a second Possession would cause the Primordial Spirit to inexplicably perish.

These three iron rules, which have never been broken despite countless attempts, have restrained many evildoers who sought to stir up trouble through Possession, as well as those who tried to use this technique to escape calamity. The heavens have issued a warning against such Heaven-Defying acts, ensuring that Cultivators cannot use this technique to plunge the world into chaos.

Therefore, if Doctor Mo were a Cultivator, Yu Zitong wouldn't have been afraid. He could have fought to the death with him, vying for control of the Physical Body. But Doctor Mo was just a Mortal, with no cultivation whatsoever, and his body couldn't withstand the act of Possession. It was likely that the body would collapse halfway through the process.

Moreover, even if Yu Zitong found another body to inhabit, he couldn't escape the fate of assimilation. He would face the same awkward predicament, only worse. His cultivation would rapidly diminish with each entry and exit of his Primordial Spirit, and soon he would be unable to move freely, trapped in someone else's body until he was completely assimilated.

After all, as a Primordial Spirit, he had no Physical Body to meditate and replenish his energy. The cultivation he carried would deplete with each use and gradually fade over time. He didn't know how much longer he could hold on.

Thus, unless Yu Zitong could find a Cultivator with low cultivation who could withstand Possession, he would never risk leaving his Primordial Spirit again to attempt it.

Under the dual pressures of Doctor Mo's body potentially collapsing due to the blood curse, leaving his Primordial Spirit with nowhere to hide, and the danger of being assimilated by Doctor Mo's Primordial Spirit, Yu Zitong, who clung to life, had no choice but to temporarily set aside their enmity. Reluctantly, he contacted Doctor Mo and explained the situation and the stakes involved.After hearing this, Doctor Mo was initially angry, but he quickly realized the great opportunity it presented. Without hesitation, he made a three-part agreement with Yu Zitong, revealing his true nature as a cunning strategist.

First, Doctor Mo would follow the method taught by Yu Zitong to control his consciousness and avoid assimilating the other's Primordial Spirit. In return, Yu Zitong would teach him some secret techniques to slow down his aging and temporarily gain magical power.

Second, Doctor Mo would search for a child with a Spiritual Root capable of cultivating the Eternal Spring Art. He would teach the child to cultivate this art, and when the time was ripe, Doctor Mo would use the temporarily gained magical power to perform Possession and be reborn.

Doctor Mo once had doubts about this and wanted to cultivate the art himself. Naturally, he achieved nothing and was mocked by Yu Zitong. Only then did he realize that those without a Spiritual Root could not cultivate magical power, and he was what Cultivators called a talentless person without a Spiritual Root.

The final point was that after successfully performing Possession, Doctor Mo, having ample buffer time, would help Yu Zitong find a suitable Physical Body and assist him in performing Possession.

The above terms seemed more favorable to Doctor Mo, but this was unavoidable. After all, Yu Zitong was facing the imminent danger of assimilation. Being in a disadvantaged position, he had no choice but to accept some losses. However, whether he truly suffered a loss was something only he knew.

During this process, Yu Zitong once suggested that Doctor Mo seek help from his Family's secluded residence. However, the experienced Doctor Mo refused without any room for negotiation, which made Yu Zitong gnash his teeth in frustration for a long time afterward.

What happened later was nothing noteworthy. Doctor Mo failed to find a suitable candidate in the first few years and, disheartened, joined the Seven Mysteries Sect. Then, by chance, he took in Han Li and taught him the Eternal Spring Art, and so on. These events were not much different from what Doctor Mo had described, and Han Li himself had even experienced some of them.

After hearing all this, Han Li let out a long sigh, and most of the doubts in his heart were resolved.

However, seeing that Yu Zitong had stopped and was not continuing, Han Li's expression turned cold, and he said in a chilly voice:

"It seems you haven't told me the reason for Doctor Mo's death!"

"There's nothing to explain. Doctor Mo simply misjudged Your Excellency's progress in the Eternal Spring Art. His magical power was far inferior to yours, so the Possession failed, and he was instead devoured by you." Yu Zitong hesitated for a moment but still spoke the truth.

"So, the first yellow light sphere that entered my body was Doctor Mo's Primordial Spirit, and the second green one was yours," Han Li said nonchalantly.

"Well... at the time, I also thought that Your Excellency and Doctor Mo had perished together! To avoid wasting this Physical Body, I wanted to borrow it for a while." He sounded somewhat embarrassed.

"Hmph! I doubt it was just a thought. You probably planned it deliberately."

"Yu Zitong, when you first taught Doctor Mo the Possession technique, you likely had no good intentions. You deliberately didn't mention that success or failure was related to the depth of one's magical power.""According to your original plan, Doctor Mo used the self-destructive Soul Devouring Technique, and I had the fourth layer of the Eternal Spring Art. Our spiritual powers were roughly equal, so once the possession began, we would end up killing each other, both perishing. Then, you, the third party, would reap the benefits, taking advantage of the situation to seize my body and succeed in the possession. Am I right, my dear Cultivator Yu?" Han Li calmly and confidently laid out his judgment in one breath.

Yu Zitong remained silent for a long while after hearing this, eventually letting out a sigh. He did not refute Han Li's words, instead appearing somewhat dejected.

"Originally, when I praised you, it was just casual flattery. But now, I genuinely admire you. You are truly intelligent, surpassing even Mo Juren, that old fox."

"You guessed correctly. This was indeed my design. However, I never expected your aptitude for cultivation to be so exceptional. In such a short time, you’ve already reached the sixth layer of the Eternal Spring Art, only one layer below me. Not only did you effortlessly devour Doctor Mo's Primordial Spirit, but even my own Primordial Spirit, weakened as it is, was no match for you. Instead, I lost even more of my Origin Qi."

But then his tone shifted, suddenly becoming arrogant:

"Mo Juren was nothing more than a mortal. How dare he think he could stand on equal footing with us cultivators, calling us brothers? He wasn’t worthy!"

"What’s even more intolerable is that he used despicable means to destroy my physical body and even dreamed of stepping into the Dao of immortality. What a pipe dream!" Yu Zitong added through gritted teeth, revealing the deep-seated hatred he had long harbored for Doctor Mo, now laid bare without restraint.

"But you are different, Your Excellency. You are born with a Spiritual Root, your aptitude is extraordinary. It’s truly a waste for you to remain in the mortal world. If you are willing to help me find a suitable physical body and assist me in the possession, I am willing to act as your guide, introducing you to the Elders of my Family and having them take you as a disciple. What do you say?"

(End of Chapter)