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Li Che began pacing around Yan Xuan, muttering to himself, “Although I’ve never tried it before, my master once taught me a certain secret spell. My grandmaster…” He slowed his steps, as if recalling something carefully, then slowly said, “That is, my master’s master, once successfully used this method to save a friend who was on the verge of death.”
“Hmm?” Meng Qi looked at Li Che and asked, “What method?”
“A cultivator…” Li Che stood with his hands behind his back. His figure, clad in a blue robe with his long black hair draped his back, stood tall as he gazed upon Meng Qi. As long as Meng Qi knew him, this young talent of Canglang Academy always looked handsome and elegant, like a model gentleman. His gaze at this moment was clear and calm, “A cultivator truly embarks on the path of cultivation only after forming the inner core. The core produces aura to be stored in the spiritual sea, and it also enables the cultivator to maintain the clarity of their spiritual sense.”
Meng Qi nodded. This was something all medical cultivators, or rather all cultivators, understood.
“But if the core is damaged, aura cannot be generated, and the spiritual sea eventually dries up and breaks apart. The cultivator’s spiritual sense also becomes corrupted, affecting their mental state.”
“Exactly.” Li Che nodded, “The reason why a cultivator’s strength grows much faster after the Golden Core stage is precisely because of this inner core. The core not only allows aura to be generated continuously but also helps maintain the state of spiritual consciousness. The path of cultivation is long and arduous; without the core, not only would progress be difficult, but heart demons would also arise, making it easy to fall into qi deviations and fail in tribulations, ultimately leading to death.”
“Yes.” Meng Qi nodded again.
“So, as long as they still had their inner core, although reconstructing the spiritual sea is painful, cultivators can endure it with their own strength,” Li Che said slowly, “But Yan Xuan doesn’t have a core, so he can’t endure it.”
“My sect has a secret spell. According to my master…” He hesitated for a moment before continuing, “About three thousand years ago, an ancestor of our sect obtained this secret spell in the Starfallen Sea. Being a lost legacy, the spell is somewhat mysterious, and even after many generations, our elders still couldn’t figure out its true purpose. Until later, my grandmaster used it to save a friend of his.”
“Hmm?” Meng Qi still didn’t quite understand.
Li Che looked into her eyes and spoke in a low voice, “My grandmaster used this secret spell to temporarily swap bodies with his friend…”
Meng Qi was shocked and looked at Li Che in disbelief.
With a slight smile, the young medical cultivator continued, “At that time, his friend was severely injured and on the brink of death. After swapping bodies, Grandmaster was able to heal him.”
“But…” Meng Qi frowned. This was too incredible. Like Li Che, she began pacing, many thoughts flashing through her mind, “Swapping bodies…”
“Yes.” Li Che nodded, “An inner core not only allows aura to be generated continuously but is also the source of spiritual consciousness. Swapping bodies means the core also enters the other person’s body, allowing them to endure the pain of reconstructing the spiritual sea.” His voice grew more excited, “If we do this, Yan Xuan can take a chance.”
“But this is too…” Meng Qi stopped and looked sharply at Li Che, her eyes full of confusion, “What kind of spell is it exactly?”
“Uh…” Li Che scratched his head, “Even the ancestor who obtained it didn’t know either. The legacy was incomplete, only the first half of a certain secret spell. So, the ancestor gave it a name, calling it the Soul Transfer Spell.”
“What impact will it have on you?” Meng Qi immediately asked.
“Not much…”
“Li Che.” Meng Qi took a deep breath; raising her voice slightly, “We’re still trapped in the Seven Emotions Array. If something happens to you, we could be doomed and never get out. I hope you’re not hiding anything from me.”
Of course, Meng Qi wasn’t worried about Li Che dragging her down. The effect Li Che had just described was simply too wondrous—if it were a Comprehending Perfection or a Great Ascension cultivator who could use it, she wouldn’t be surprised. But from Li Che’s tone, he could also use it. Therefore, the secret spell must have some backlash on the user.
“Alright, alright.” Li Che gave in under Meng Qi’s gaze, shrugging helplessly. “I will tell you.” He paused, then said, “If I use this secret spell, my cultivation will likely regress to the Nascent Soul stage.”
“What do you mean by regress to the Nascent Soul stage?” Meng Qi pressed.
“It means I would have to start cultivating from the early Nascent Soul stage again, essentially losing a whole level of cultivation.”
“And what else?” Meng Qi didn’t believe it was that simple. The price was still too cheap to perform such a wondrous feat as swapping souls.
“Nothing much, really…”
“Li Che,” Meng Qi called his name again, there was a warning in her voice.
“Alright, alright,” Li Che weakly conceded, “Well, regaining the regressed cultivation would be more difficult than achieving it for the first time. When I face the tribulation to the Spirit Severing stage, it will likely be as severe as the tribulation from the Spirit Severing to the Void Comprehending stage…”
Meng Qi gasped. If the Nascent Soul tribulation was as severe as the Spirit Severing to Void Comprehending tribulation, wouldn’t that mean Li Che would be stuck at the Nascent Soul stage forever?!
“No,” Meng Qi shook her head. Her tone was firm, allowing no rebuttal. “We’ll find another way.”
“Meng Qi,” Li Che took a step forward, “With my talent, the Spirit Severing stage is probably my limit. Any further…” He smiled bitterly, “I know myself well; I may never reach it in this lifetime.”
“I’m not like Fellow Daoist Yan Xuan, Xue Chengxuan, or Pei Mufeng; they are all geniuses of our era. I know my limits in both cultivation and medicine, so…” Li Che’s tone was calm but determined, “Rather than living a mediocre life and dying silently, like countless ordinary medical cultivators in the Three Thousand Worlds, I’d rather take this chance.”
Li Che took another step closer to Meng Qi, almost standing right in front of her. He was taller than her, and the difference in height stood out as they faced each other, “Besides, if I can save Yan Xuan, I definitely want to. Regressing to the Nascent Soul stage to restore his spiritual sea is worth it!” He smiled.
“No,” Meng Qi shook her head. “We’ll find another way.” She insisted, “There has to be another way.”
“Maybe,” Li Che argued, “But we only have three days, and we can’t ask for help from others. It’s just the two of us…”
He emphasized, “This is the only feasible way right now.”
“Meng Qiqi, please allow me to do this.” Li Che’s expression was serious, his eyes gazed straight into Meng Qi’s, and his tone was more solemn than usual.
“No…” Meng Qi’s voice was low but remained as firm as before. Suddenly, an idea struck her, “Teach me the spell, and I’ll do it.”
“Not to mention that I can’t teach you the secret spell because the jade slip containing it is still in the sect. Even if I could, what kind of person would that make me?” Li Che smiled, “Besides, Meng Qiqi, doesn’t Senior Lin Yan regard you as a friend? Do you know how many medical cultivators in the Three Thousand Worlds look up to Senior Lin Yan as a goal?”
He continued, “As the one who suggested this idea, it’s my responsibility to test it and see if it can heal him.”
Li Che stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze clear and determined. He looked at Meng Qi, who also looked up at him. She could even see her small reflection in Li Che’s clear pupils. Compared to this pure-hearted young man with his clear gaze, she felt so insignificant.
“Meng Qiqi,” Li Che said again, “Don’t forget, I am also a medical cultivator.”
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