The shadow was still talking when it suddenly realized Feng Buzhi had gotten up and walked away.
"Hey? Why are you leaving? Where are you going? Stop right there! I haven't finished talking!"
The shadow hurried to block Feng Buzhi's path.
The other days had been one thing.
Back then, Feng Buzhi could do whatever he wanted. But now, his body had already fused with the Weird.
This was a crossroads in Feng Buzhi's life, one that would shape his future!
At least today, he had to change Feng Buzhi's mind!
He had to!
Feng Buzhi said, "Didn't you say Qian Zheng was about to leave Zhao Gang's team through Promotion, and that there'd be a speech you wanted me to go see?"
The shadow stared blankly for a moment. "Huh? Why are you suddenly listening to me again? No, you're changing the subject. You're messing with my head, you..."
Feng Buzhi walked past the shadow toward the town. The shadow quickly caught up and once again blocked his way.
Just then, the shadow saw Feng Buzhi repeatedly circling his finger.
While he was wondering what Feng Buzhi was up to, his body abruptly stopped, as if he had collided with something solid.
A small ball made of Mist appeared in front of him. It was somewhat hard, and it was this little ball that had just stopped him.
What was this thing?
The shadow stared at the Mist ball in confusion, only to see it turn into vapor and disperse. At the same time, he noticed Feng Buzhi's finger again.
"That was you? You made that Mist ball?"
"How did you do it?"
"There wasn't any sign of you using the Weird power inside your body. That Mist ball just now seemed to have formed from the Mist itself. Did you gain some kind of ability in the Abyss?"
Feng Buzhi shook his head. "My mind realm has just made some progress. I think I've reached the Subtle Realm you mentioned. This ability appeared after I broke through to the Subtle Realm."
As Feng Buzhi spoke, he held out a finger. Mist swirled endlessly at its tip, leaving the shadow dumbfounded.
It took a long while for the shadow to recover.
The shadow protested, "That's impossible! It can't be! To break through the Subtle Realm and reach a higher mind realm takes someone incredibly powerful. You'd need to be at least Sixth Rank to have even a chance—and even then, it'd only be a chance. Is it fun for you to lie to me like this?"
Feng Buzhi asked in return, "Why would I lie to you?"
The shadow replied as if it were obvious, "To mess with my head, of course! You refused to go to the Abyss Altar to receive the inheritance, then suddenly you went. How is that not messing with my head?
"And you refused to lift the curse, and kept ignoring my advice.
"I think you're just trying to piss me off. I'm just some helpless thing, after all. Even if you torment me, I can only endure it in silence, because you're the only one I can talk to..."
As the shadow spoke, its mood turned sad. Its anger gave way to melancholy.
Feng Buzhi asked, "After the Clear Mind Realm comes the Subtle Realm. What comes after the Subtle Realm?"
The shadow replied, "I think it's called the Domain Realm. Why are you asking? Your talent is extraordinary, and you've already reached the late stage of the Subtle Realm, but it's impossible for you to break through any further. Don't get ahead of yourself.
"The most important thing right now is to follow the path I laid out for you. Take the Weapon Shifter route. You can think about breaking through your mind realm after you reach Fourth Rank."
Feng Buzhi said nothing, letting the shadow continue.
In its current state, no matter what he said, the shadow would think he was trying to provoke it.
Feng Buzhi quietly headed toward the town, and the shadow gradually calmed down.
As if remembering something, the shadow quickly continued, "Oh, there's something else I forgot to tell you. You're already entering the Mutation Stage. Once you complete it, you'll need to prepare to advance in rank.
"And the key to advancing is the soul.
"So it's time for you to bring those Goblin heads and make an offering. That'll also let you lift your curse."
Feng Buzhi said thoughtfully, "The Town Crystal's [Personal Information] mentioned soul level. Is that the soul level you're talking about?"
The shadow replied, "You could put it that way. Once you complete the Mutation Stage, you should be able to clearly sense your soul.
"Your Mutation Organ will catalyze your soul and help it grow.
"On top of that, making an offering to the Town Crystal will help strengthen your soul. That's an extra reward.
"Advancing in rank means, on the one hand, your Mutation Organ and body fuse more completely; on the other, the Weird and your soul become more closely joined.
"Your soul needs to be strong enough for that. Otherwise, the Weird will corrode it and might even devour it completely.
"In short, advancing in rank means your Mutation Organ, body, and soul fit together perfectly as one. Then you'll enter First Rank, and your strength will increase dramatically.
"With your mind realm at the Subtle Realm, and those Goblin heads to offer, raising your soul level should be easy.
"If you don't plan to be the first to undergo Promotion, then you might as well train here until you reach First Rank before undergoing Promotion. You'll gain quite a few benefits that way."
Feng Buzhi asked, "The higher your mind realm, the easier it is to raise your soul level?"
The shadow replied, "That's right."
Feng Buzhi asked, "In that case, let's leave this curse for now. If you're worried those heads might rot, then let Pei Chao offer them instead."
The shadow asked in confusion, "Have Pei Chao make an offering with those heads? That might work. Wait, why are you changing the subject again? Can't you listen to me just once?
"That's a Human Race curse. You should be able to hear the curse's whispers, right? They keep surfacing in your mind. Doesn't that bother you?"
Feng Buzhi gave a slight nod. It didn't bother him much, especially now that his mind realm had improved again. The curse's whispers had grown even fainter.
As he thought about it, Feng Buzhi suddenly sensed something.
With a thought, a streak of blood appeared at his fingertip. A moment later, he drew it back into his body.
That streak of blood was the Red Name Curse afflicting him.
Once his mind realm reached the Domain Realm, he had gained the power to control the Weird beyond himself, including the curse within his body.
Feng Buzhi realized that he could remove his Red Name Curse even without going to the square to offer those Goblin heads.
He felt he could completely purge the Red Name Curse in just a few dozen minutes.
Then, if he did the opposite, could he make his Red Name Curse even stronger?
Before you continue