Chapter 583: Seizing Jiang Fan

It was a sprouted seed. The topmost bud opened and closed, revealing delicate, sharp fangs. If anyone unknowingly touched it, they would be bitten and their body instantly paralyzed. Afterward, everything would be sucked dry.

Jiang Fan shivered, "No wonder... no wonder your corpse is still as pristine as ever after so many years. And no wonder so many people have come here to explore over the years. Logically, they should have discovered your corpse and your spatial storage artifact long ago. Yet, they remained in their original state, perfectly intact. It turns out that all those who coveted your possessions died without leaving a trace. They all became nutrients to sustain your body."

The very corpse left behind concealed such a sinister trap. Anyone could imagine what kind of person Six Paths Ascendant was in life. He was undoubtedly a ruthless and brutal overlord.

"They dared to touch the corpse of Six Paths Ascendant," Six Paths Ascendant sneered. "They were ignorant and fearless. Had they simply inquired about my reputation, they would have retreated far away, not daring to approach within three feet of my corpse."

It seemed Six Paths Ascendant was even more vicious and brutal than Jiang Fan had imagined. And this was the very wisp of remnant soul that had been accompanying him all this time.

Jiang Fan's eyes momentarily blurred. Six Paths Ascendant seemed to sense his thoughts, sighing faintly. "Jiang Fan, I actually quite like you. Intelligent, cautious, full of youthful vigor – I see a reflection of my younger self in you. Back then, I was also as spirited and righteous as you are. But you are luckier than I; every person you've met has been good to you. Your sect has shown you boundless grace, your loved ones truly cherish you, and even your friends are willing to die for you. You've lived the life I always yearned for, the most beautiful life.

"I even considered, at one point, whether I should possess someone else instead. Someone like you shouldn't be destroyed by me. I should find another body and become your friend, or perhaps your elder. Watching what the person I once most longed to be would eventually become. Unfortunately, my remnant soul is weak, and my time is running out. If I don't find a suitable body soon, I will dissipate entirely, turning to ash and dust. And I still have some crucial unfinished tasks. I need a body; I need to live another lifetime to complete them. Therefore..."

Six Paths Ascendant looked at Jiang Fan, and his chilling voice carried a hint of apology and reluctance. "Jiang Fan, I'll borrow your body. It would be best if you voluntarily allowed your soul to depart and yielded your body. I can promise to find you a new body. What do you say?"

Jiang Fan remained calm. He subtly shook his head. "Let's talk when you can actually possess me."

He leaped, flying backward towards the entrance. Six Paths Ascendant kept his hands tucked into his sleeves, sighing. "You should know that you can't escape. Even the Nascent Soul cultivators who came here became my sustenance. What makes you think you're different?"

He stood on the corpse's shoulder. He gently patted the corpse's face. "Come on, it's time to get to work."

As his words faded, the corpse, which had been dead for sixty years, suddenly opened its eyes! Revealing a pair of emotionless, blood-red eyes.

Jiang Fan's expression shifted. "A puppet?" Having encountered armies of the undead, he was all too familiar with this sight. The difference was, however, that Six Paths Ascendant's corpse was that of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Even as a puppet, it was still at the initial Nascent Soul stage! How could Jiang Fan possibly contend with that?

A low hum resonated. As the corpse slowly rose, a terrifying pressure swept forth. Jiang Fan, still in mid-air, suddenly felt an immense weight, as if Mount Tai were pressing down on him, and his body plunged straight towards the lava.

"Heavenly Thunder Six Sections: Cloud Shadow!" In that critical moment, Jiang Fan roared. Just as he was about to plunge into the lava, he transformed into a bolt of lightning, shooting upwards. He dashed towards the exit. But just as he was nearing it, *Swoosh*— A blur, and Six Paths Ascendant's corpse was suddenly blocking the exit. His remnant soul stood on its shoulder, his voice weary. "Jiang Fan, yield your body. This is your best option."

Against a Nascent Soul cultivator, any resistance from Jiang Fan was futile. It was like an ant trying to resist a human's crushing force.

"Then come and try!" Jiang Fan sneered. He didn't stop his advance in the slightest. Instead, he thrust both palms forward with force. "Five Thunders Righteous Heaven Palm!"

A palm print roughly three meters wide slammed hard onto the corpse. Since it was a puppet formed by devouring the essence and blood of others, it should inherently fear the power of thunder.

*Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle*— The corpse immediately emitted copious amounts of black smoke. It was death qi! However, this death qi was terrifyingly dense, far thicker than the death qi from Yao Yue's earthenware jar. Not only was it not dispersed by the Five Thunders Righteous Heaven Palm, instead, it transformed into a giant mouth, devouring the palm print whole. Only a few muffled thunderclaps were heard. The Five Thunders Righteous Heaven Palm was completely devoured.

Six Paths Ascendant said calmly, "The Thunder Dao can indeed suppress death qi. But nothing is absolute. When death qi reaches a certain level of power, ordinary Thunder Dao struggles to contain it."

As he spoke, the unharmed puppet corpse suddenly struck. A pair of iron arms suddenly gripped Jiang Fan's shoulders, forcefully pressing him into the ground. *Crack*— The ground cracked beneath them, and Jiang Fan's feet sank deep, leaving him unable to move. Even worse, his spiritual energy and Void Stream Thunder Energy were firmly suppressed. Only his arms could still manage to wield his purple sword.

*Rip*— However, a single sword strike against the puppet corpse only left a mere scratch. The palm-sized Six Paths Ascendant slowly floated away from the corpse and moved towards Jiang Fan's forehead. He subtly shook his head. "It's useless. My corpse has absorbed the sustenance of Nascent Soul cultivators for so many years; it has already achieved strength nearing the Spirit Transformation stage. Your spiritual energy is suppressed, so you can't unleash the true power of this purple sword. Accept your fate, Jiang Fan. I'll give you one last chance: let your soul depart your body and yield it to me. Otherwise, if I forcibly possess you, your soul will be shattered."

Jiang Fan gritted his teeth. "Dream on!"

Six Paths Ascendant sighed softly. "I have extended every courtesy." With that, he stepped onto Jiang Fan's forehead, poised to delve within.

Suddenly! Jiang Fan's eyes flashed fiercely! A materialized spike shot out without warning. It plunged into Six Paths Ascendant's soul at close range.

"Ah! Ah!!" Six Paths Ascendant suddenly screamed in terror. His palm-sized soul body suddenly trembled violently, as if on the verge of collapsing. But just then, his soul body suddenly stabilized, and his screams ceased abruptly. Six Paths Ascendant showed a mocking expression. "Did you think your plan succeeded just now? Did you feel a surge of wild joy?"

Jiang Fan's eyes narrowed. "You were guarding against me?" He had cultivated a soul secret art when he formed his Golden Core. He had always been preparing to unleash it on Six Paths Ascendant. He hadn't expected Six Paths Ascendant to be prepared.

"Heheheh..." Six Paths Ascendant found it amusing, his voice playful. "You're more cunning than a fox, kid. I'm merely a remnant soul; how could I not guard against you?" He reached into his body and pulled out a button-sized crystal core. "Did you truly think I spent my time in slumber without making any preparations? This crystal core is specifically designed to absorb soul attacks. Kid, your last resort is gone. The game... is over!"

Six Paths Ascendant let out a complex sigh. Then he stepped onto Jiang Fan's forehead. This time, he entered without any obstruction. The next moment, he appeared within Jiang Fan's spiritual platform. Jiang Fan's soul resided there.

Looking at the seemingly empty spiritual platform, which appeared to have only two walls, Six Paths Ascendant, with his hands clasped behind his back, said calmly, "There's no need to hide. If you allow me to devour you willingly, perhaps the pain will be less severe."

To his surprise, a voice, tinged with a subtle, knowing smile, drifted down from above. "Am I not standing right before you?"

Six Paths Ascendant froze, then slowly looked up, his pupils contracting sharply. His soul body began to tremble violently. Those two walls were not walls at all. They were a pair of feet! As his gaze traveled upward, he saw a colossal soul body, more than a hundred times taller than his own. It stood before him, towering like a mountain. And the face of that soul? It was none other than Jiang Fan's.

A mocking expression played on Jiang Fan's lips. "A mere remnant soul, aspiring to devour a Nascent Soul-level spirit. Six Paths Ascendant, you truly have big ambitions."