The translucent figure hovered silently in the dimly lit cave, his arms folded behind his back as he studied Xiao Wei with an intensity that pierced through the silence.
"I have been watching everyone after they entered the door. They all had eyes only for my bow. Greed clouded their senses. But you... you only glanced at the bow for a brief second only. You didn't even chase after that Tier 3 Dark Sun Plant everyone else lost their minds over. Instead, you searched the cave, turning over every stone. Tell me, boy—what were you looking for?"he asked.
Xiao Wei met the ghost's gaze coolly, his arms at his sides, unafraid. His eyes burned not with defiance, but with calm certainty.
"What's your name?"Xiao Wei asked, his tone devoid of reverence or fear.
The soul blinked, surprised at the boldness. In life, people trembled before him. In death, fear still lingered around his legend. Yet this boy... this boy was different.
"Shi Ming and your name boy"Shi Ming replied evenly.
Xiao Wei gave no answer. He merely smiled faintly.
"Look, Shi Ming, if you want to know something from someone, you should be ready to give something first."Xiao Wei said.
Shi Ming narrowed his eyes.
"What do you want?"Shi Ming asked, irritation threading his voice.
The sheer gall of this Martial Apprentice brat, bargaining with him that once killed three peal Martial Saints.
"Your body"Xiao Wei said without hesitation.
Shi Ming went still, eyes locking onto Xiao Wei's with something between suspicion and amusement.
"So that's what you were searching for all this time. My body. But why? What use do you have for it?"Shi Ming asked.
Xiao Wei simply held his gaze.
"Just give it to me and you will find out"Xiao Wei said.
Shi Ming laughed, a cold sound that echoed through the cavern.
"You're a bold one, I'll give you that. And frankly, it doesn't matter to me anymore. So you can have my body."Shi Ming said as he raised his right hand and pointed toward the pedestal where the Green Emerald Bow had once rested.
"It's beneath that pedestal. Hidden for centuries. Move the pedestal and you find it."Shi Ming said.
Xiao Wei didn't waste time. He turned and walked briskly toward the pedestal. Now that the bow had long been taken by Shi Feng, the stone base seemed ordinary, yet it hummed faintly with the residual energy of the formation that had protected it.
With some effort, he pushed aside the pedestal. Dust billowed up in a faint cloud, disturbed after centuries of stillness. Beneath it, nestled in a hollow cavity, lay a body.
It was the body of a middle-aged man—not bloated or decomposed, but preserved unnaturally. His face was sharp, with an aquiline nose and narrow eyes that even in death seemed piercing. His hair was tied up in a martial bun, black with only a few silver strands. Though centuries had passed, his corpse looked as though it had been laid there only yesterday.
It was, unmistakably, Shi Ming.
The dim cave air hung heavy with an eerie silence as Xiao Wei's sharp eyes carefully scanned the body resting beneath the stone pedestal.
Xiao Wei crouched closer, feeling the faint pulse of residual Spiritual Energy that still clung in the dead body. He heard from people that Shi Ming killed a Tier 4 Level 9 Fire Tiger so he must be stronger than him.
"Were you in the Ninth Layer of the Martial Saint Realm, or had you already broken through to the Martial King Realm before dying?"Xiao Wei asked, his tone calm but edged with curiosity as he looked over the body with an expert's eye. Only those who had reached the Martial King Realm — the threshold of true power — were said to be able to preserve their bodies in such impeccable condition.
The translucent figure of Shi Ming, hovering nearby with an almost regal bearing despite his ghostly form, nodded slowly. His eyes gleamed faintly as he began to recount the tale long buried beneath the mountain's shadow.
"Yes… you are correct. I had reached the First Layer of the Martial King Realm but I had not yet consolidated my new realm before I died."Shi Ming said softly, voice like the whisper of wind through ancient trees.
He paused, his finger tracing a line along the chest of the corpse as if reliving the memories.
"At that moment, the fierce Fire Tiger — a peak Tier 4 Level 9 Monster — was also in the midst of its breakthrough to Tier 5. I sensed its power rising like a storm and grew greedy for its Monster Core. I believed capturing it would accelerate my Cultivation."Su Ming said as his eyes darkened, and a shadow of regret crossed his translucent face.
"But fate is cruel. As I attempted to slay the Fire Tiger, one of my enemies appeared — a rival Cultivator who sought my death. Though I was victorious in that battle, my injuries were grievous beyond healing."Shi Ming said as he let out a faint, bitter laugh.
"I knew I am going to die soon, so I chose this remote cave as my final resting place, hoping to find peace. But my ambition and greed were my undoing."Shi Mind explained.
Xiao Wei absorbed every word. Such a tale of triumph and tragedy was familiar in the Cultivation world, yet hearing it firsthand from a soul like Shi Ming was a rare privilege.
"Look there, that is my Storage Ring. It contains the resources I accumulated — medicinal herbs and rare materials… everything I had hoped to use when I took over a new body."Shi Ming said as he pointed his finger toward a shimmering object barely visible beneath the folds of the robes.
Xiao Wei's heart quickened. A Storage Ring of the Martial King Realm was no trivial treasure — it was a reservoir of power and opportunity.
"But I cannot use it now. That's why I offer it to you, in exchange you have to tell me something."Shi Ming continued with a sigh
Xiao Wei raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"What do you want to know?"Xiao Wei asked.
"Show me the black figure you summoned. It is unlike anything I have ever encountered."Shi Ming said.
Xiao Wei knew the man's curiosity was genuine, but trust was a delicate thing.
"I can show you but you must take an oath in the name of heaven that you will not reveal anything about me or the Shadow Soldier to anyone."Xiao Wei said solemnly.
Shi Ming's eyes narrowed, lips curling into a slight smirk.
"You are really very cautious, boy."Shi Ming said with an smile.
Xiao Wei's face was unreadable.
"I do not trust anyone easily. You may be a soul, but you still have years left in this form. If word leaks out about my secret, many would come hunting for me."Xiao Wei said.
Shi Ming considered for a moment, then raised a spectral hand, his voice heavy with solemnity.
"Very well, boy. I, Shi Ming, swear upon the heavens that I will not divulge any secrets of yours to any living soul. Should I break this oath, my soul will perish for all eternity."Shi Ming said.
"Do you accept this?"Shi Ming asked.
Xiao Wei's expression softened, relieved.
"Good. Then I shall show you."Xiao Wei said.
With a decisive tone, Xiao Wei spoke clearly.
"Arise."
In an instant, the Shadow Soldier materialized beside him—a figure formed from shadows. The translucent eyes of Shi Ming locked onto it immediately.
Floating forward, Shi Ming circled the shadowy form, inspecting every detail with growing fascination.
"It is not a Martial Technique, nor a clone… then what is it?"Shi Ming muttered.
Xiao Wei shook his head.
"Even if I explained, you wouldn't understand."
Suddenly, Shi Ming's eyes widened in surprise.
"Boy, I know you are boasting"Shi Ming said.
Xiao Wei raised a brow.
"I'm not."Xiao Wei said.
Shi Ming let out a low chuckle, then said in a hushed tone.
"Because if I'm not mistaken, this body is not something a mortal like you could possess. It may very well originate from the Immortal World."Shi Ming explained.
Xiao Wei's heart skipped a beat. The Immortal World was a realm far beyond the ordinary — a place whispered about in legends, said to hold the secrets of eternal life and transcendence.
"I can sense a soul within this shdaow body."Shi Ming said as he get more closer to Shadow Soldier.
"Boy, I am going to take over this body now."Shi Ming said with excitement.
Before Xiao Wei could respond, without warning, Shi Ming's translucent form suddenly surged forward like a streak of silver lightning. Without the slightest hesitation, the soul phased directly into the chest of the Shadow Soldier.
Xiao Wei instinctively took a step back, his eyes narrowing, every muscle tensing. His mind raced. What just happened? No one's ever tried to possess the Shadow Soldier before... What if he succeeds? Will the Shadow Soldier still obey me—or will it become Shi Ming's new vessel?
He clenched his fists, carefully watching the now-still figure. Xiao Wei knew one thing for certain: if Shi Ming managed to wrest control, he'd lose not only a powerful asset but also potentially release a threat that could turn on him.
But the Shadow Soldier didn't move. It stood perfectly still, as if caught in a silent struggle deep within. Xiao Wei didn't dare speak or interfere. He could only wait, heart pounding, for the outcome.