Chapter 390: That Tiny Bit of Accident

Zu An was stunned. The opponent was so much faster than him that he couldn't even see clearly, making it impossible to fight. He could only retreat swiftly, employing his improved Sunflower Phantasm to dodge. Fearing that his technique would be seen through, he occasionally interspersed it with wind-based skills while vigorously wielding the Tai'a sword, thrusting it continuously in all directions. Although he knew these thrusts wouldn't hit his opponent, he had no other choice. He could only swing the sword, leaving it to fate.

Suddenly, a crisp clang echoed. Old Man Mi's finger had evidently flicked the blade of the Tai'a sword. Zu An felt a colossal force transmit through the sword, causing him to lose his grip on Tai'a. He was sent flying backward, carving a dozen deep furrows in the ground before he could finally dissipate the immense power. He raised his hand to look; the web of his thumb was bleeding profusely, clearly injured by the recent impact. Sigh, the difference was indeed too great.

Old Man Mi stood where Zu An had been, holding the Tai'a sword. He lightly flicked the blade with his finger, and the Tai'a emitted a clear dragon's roar. He couldn't help but exclaim, "A fine sword, indeed it is!" He wasn't in a hurry to attack; instead, he wanted to see what other trump cards his opponent held. After all, his opponent had surprised him too many times today. He intended to extract all the opponent's secrets and valuable possessions, which would be more convenient once he had possessed the body.

"A fine sword? You're the one who's despicable; your whole family is despicable!" Zu An sneered, immediately activating the Tai'a sword's Might Domain. The Tai'a was a sword of formidable power. Despite being sealed, its innate imposing presence still lingered. Zu An had never used it before, as he possessed numerous trump cards and could achieve his objectives through other methods. Now, truly facing a life-or-death situation, he cast aside all reservations, unleashing every last-resort trump card he had. The Tai'a sword had long recognized him as its master, establishing a soul connection, so even in Old Man Mi's hands, it was useless.

The Tai'a sword let out a resonant dragon's roar, its entire blade quivering as a powerful, invisible oppressive force emanated outwards. Nearby, fierce beasts whimpered lowly, evidently terrified by the immense pressure, prostrating themselves on the ground and trembling. Old Man Mi bore the direct brunt, his perception of it far more acute. His entire body trembled uncontrollably, his heart filled with remorse and fear, and his eyes grew dim. He seemed to see the Emperor standing before him, furious, chastising him for daring to secretly appropriate the "Phoenix Nirvana Sutra." He also envisioned his former comrades, transformed into horrifying vengeful spirits, tearing at him and demanding his life.

Zu An used his mind to control the Tai'a sword, directing it to cut towards his neck. He knew the cultivation gap between them was too vast; the oppressive force could only stun Old Man Mi for an instant, and certainly not for long. Just as the Tai'a sword's blade was about to sever his head, Old Man Mi's eyes suddenly cleared, and he swiftly dodged to the side. Unfortunately, still suppressed by the Tai'a sword's imposing power, his movements were significantly slower than usual. Although he avoided decapitation, blood spattered as his right arm was cleanly severed at the elbow by the incredibly sharp Tai'a sword.

"Ah!" A piercing scream erupted as Old Man Mi, spurred by intense pain and the instinct for survival, fully recovered from the Tai'a sword's oppressive power. He instantly leaped back dozens of yards, staring at the Tai'a sword with terror, clearly traumatized by the recent encounter. Zu An inwardly lamented the missed chance; if his opponent had regained consciousness even a second slower, he would have been utterly defeated. Without time to lament, he seized the opportunity of his opponent's retreat, grabbed the Tai'a sword, and fled.

"You bastard, I'll make you wish you were dead!" Seeing Zu An flee, Old Man Mi instantly realized that the sword's oppressive power couldn't be maintained indefinitely, and all his reservations vanished. The thought of being dismembered by a mere scoundrel he utterly despised ignited a raging fury in Old Man Mi; he wished he could tear Zu An into ten thousand pieces. But then he remembered his plan to seize Zu An's body, which meant he couldn't actually harm it, and this only intensified his rage. Rage points from Old Man Mi: 1024!

Zu An's escape speed was too great, and fueled by intense hatred, Old Man Mi even resorted to his "Lotus Steps" skill. His steps formed blooming lotuses, and almost instantly, he, though starting later, arrived ahead of Zu An, blocking his path. Zu An frowned, lifting the Tai'a sword and unleashing the Snowflake Divine Sword technique. This time, Old Man Mi dared not be careless, giving it his full attention. Consequently, Zu An was no match, and after a few exchanges, the Tai'a sword was kicked from his hand. This time, Old Man Mi was wiser; he dared not retrieve the Tai'a sword, instead kicking it far into a nearby mountainside before grimly staring at Zu An.

Zu An's reaction was equally decisive; he pulled out a pitch-black dagger and moved it toward his neck. Old Man Mi was greatly alarmed; he needed Zu An's physical body, so he couldn't let him die. He hastily tapped his foot and rushed forward to stop him. Zu An, seizing the moment, reversed the dagger and thrust it at him. This was his last hope: that "Dagger of Poison" would scratch his opponent's skin and then, with its lethal property, finish off Old Man Mi. Old Man Mi hadn't anticipated Zu An's continued resistance at this point and was immediately caught off guard. Unfortunately, in the face of an absolute disparity in strength, no amount of schemes or tricks had any effect.

After several exchanges, Zu An's wrist went numb, and he could no longer hold the "Dagger of Poison." Old Man Mi seized the chance to seal all of Zu An's pressure points. He then held the pitch-black dagger before his eyes, examining it. "You truly give me endless surprises, young man. The material of this dagger is extraordinary; its quality is likely no less than that sword you just had." Watching him lightly caress the dagger's edge, Zu An's eyes widened. He silently prayed, "Why not test if it can slice hair with a touch? Better yet, lick it with your tongue!"

"Do you really want me to carelessly cut my skin with this dagger?" Old Man Mi suddenly sneered. Zu An's heart sank, but he still managed a strained smile. "I'm not that bored. With your cultivation as high as yours, what good would a mere skin scratch do?" Old Man Mi snorted, "You little bastard, you're as sly as a ghost, but too green to trick me. This dagger is entirely black and exudes a bone-chilling cold; it's likely coated with a potent poison. While I don't believe any poison you, with your cultivation, could find would affect me, after what just happened, I prefer not to risk another unforeseen mishap. It's best not to test it."

Despair filled Zu An's heart; he hadn't expected his final trump card to fail. He called out to Mi Li in his mind once more, but as usual, there was no response. "Game over," Old Man Mi sneered, delivering a swift hand chop to Zu An's neck. Zu An's vision went black, and he lost consciousness. His last thought was, "It's over, I'm truly going to be possessed by this old eunuch..." The thought of his body being taken over made him wish for immediate death, but he no longer had that chance.

Looking at the unconscious Zu An, Old Man Mi snorted, "This brat almost made me fall into a trap, but with so many magical treasures on him, won't it be even easier for me to reach the pinnacle of life after possessing him?" He was about to embark on a new life, in the body of a complete man, no longer fearing pursuit from the imperial palace. He was so exhilarated he almost threw his head back and laughed. At this thought, he wasted no more time. Raising his other intact hand, he caused another exquisite, radiant sunflower to coalesce between his fingers. With a touch of his finger, the sunflower was imprinted on Zu An's glabella, and a purple glow emanated from his brow. His consciousness swiftly occupied the opponent's body, and then he transferred all his cultivation into Zu An's body through an empowerment ritual.

Approximately half an hour later, Old Man Mi's body had withered into a mummy-like husk and finally fell lifelessly to the ground. Zu An's eyes snapped open, a faint purple sunflower subtly emerging deep within their depths. "'Hahaha, I succeeded, I succeeded!'" 'Zu An' stood up, letting out a wild, long howl to the sky. In the distant forest, countless birds were startled into flight, and many fierce beasts fled in disarray. The peerless beauty of the Chu family's eldest daughter, the youthful charm of the second daughter, and even the mature and alluring Lady Chu—all these images surfaced in his mind. All of it was about to be his.

As he reveled in the excitement, "Zu An" suddenly felt something was amiss. He looked down at his crotch, seeing the prominent bulge in his trousers, and his pupils instantly constricted. "No, this is impossible!" Immediately, he felt an intensely masculine aura spread from his lower abdomen, searing his newly transferred, fragile soul. His entire being convulsed with shrill screams and piteous wails.