Chapter 92: Possession

"Not willing?" Lin Qian's words stunned Nan Xin. For a moment, he was at a loss.

He couldn't comprehend why Lin Qian would refuse. Clearly, the young man was so greedy, and faced with the massive treasury of the Dangyuan Sect, why would he decline? What could possibly make him unwilling now?

"Could it be that you have some concerns?" Nan Xin pondered for a moment, calming himself before speaking again. "An individual who has suffered so much is merely asking you for help to find release and is offering you such a great opportunity. Why are you suddenly unwilling?"

"You seem a bit anxious," Lin Qian remarked, pulling Ye Xin closer to him as he teased Nan Xin. "It appears that you've been waiting for this day—the day when the formation is broken—for quite some time."

Nan Xin sighed, his tone filled with melancholy. "Naturally. After suffering for so many years, the chance for relief is finally within reach. Of course, I would be eager."

"You're right about one thing," Lin Qian replied, glancing up again at the formation on the dome above before turning his gaze back to Nan Xin. His voice took on a mocking tone. "You're indeed eager for the formation to be broken. But you're not waiting for relief—you're waiting to be freed."

As Lin Qian's last words echoed through the chamber, the green flames in Nan Xin's hollow eyes began to flicker wildly. Lin Qian's words had clearly struck a nerve.

"I don't understand what nonsense you're spouting."

"Don't understand?" Lin Qian shook his head with a laugh, looking at Nan Xin. "In reality, you've been full of contradictions from the start. Just take the Dangyuan Sect, for example. If you truly were a member of the Dangyuan Sect, why do you speak of it as though it's someone else's sect?"

Lin Qian's words made Ye Xin suddenly realize something. "So that's it! No wonder I felt something was off. It's just as you say."

"For instance, if I were part of the Dangyuan Sect and mentioned the treasury to outsiders, I would say, 'This is our sect's treasury,' rather than, 'This is the Dangyuan Sect's treasury,'" Lin Qian continued, his gaze fixed on Nan Xin with a mocking smile. "Understand now, you impostor?"

As Lin Qian finished speaking, Nan Xin lowered his head, first chuckling softly before erupting into loud, manic laughter. "Heh heh heh, hahaha…"

When the laughter ceased, Nan Xin's once pale face turned cold, and the green flames in his hollow eyes were replaced by purple flames, the same shade as the skin of the horned corpse on the platform.

"You're quite observant, kid. So it was that small detail that made you start doubting me?" The purple flames in Nan Xin's eyes flickered intensely as he questioned Lin Qian.

Lin Qian merely shook his head slightly. "I began suspecting something was wrong when you first explained how I could help you."

"Oh? And why was that?"

"Thirty years ago, when disciples from Linhai Province first entered the Ancient Ruins and discovered this Dead Zone, only two survived," Lin Qian began. "If you were truly innocent and just wanted the formation broken for your relief, why would so many of them have died, leaving only two survivors? That alone suggests something is off about you."

Nan Xin shook his head in disbelief. "So, just because of that, you're certain there's a problem with me?"

"Not entirely. I initially considered that perhaps, at that time, you hadn't yet emerged to control the corpses, and they were killed by them," Lin Qian said with a cold smile. "But then you made a fatal mistake—you were too hasty in sending the corpses after my comrades."

"What?" Ye Xin gasped, her eyes wide with concern. "Are they alright?"

"Don't worry, they'll be fine. I had a backup plan in place. They'll survive," Lin Qian reassured her with a smile. "Besides, with Lei Qian and the others' strength, they can hold out for a while."

Ye Xin nodded slightly, relieved. If her companions, who had been chatting and laughing with her just moments ago, were to die, she would struggle to accept it.

Then she turned her gaze back to Nan Xin. "But what exactly is he, Xiao Qian? Why do you say he's an impostor?"

Looking at the completely changed Nan Xin, Lin Qian chuckled twice. "If I'm not mistaken, the soul inside that body belongs to this horned outsider!"

Ye Xin gasped, her eyes wide with shock as she stared at Nan Xin.

"I may not know exactly what happened back then, but it's clear that this formation's purpose is to suppress him," Lin Qian said, pointing up at the intricate formation on the ceiling.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Nan Xin began to applaud mockingly. "Not bad, not bad. You managed to figure that out. You're much smarter than those kids from thirty years ago."

"But did you know that there's more than one way to break free? Haven't you wondered why only two survived back then?"

Lin Qian's eyes narrowed as he pondered Nan Xin's words.

"Those disciples didn't die at the hands of the corpses. I tried to possess their bodies, but my soul was too powerful for them to handle," Nan Xin explained with a sinister smile. "After failing repeatedly, I eventually gave up and wiped their memories of me, leaving only the details of the ruins."

"I knew others would covet the treasures here and come to the Dead Zone. All I needed was someone with a stronger body."

"To my surprise, no one dared enter the Dead Zone for so many years—until you arrived."

"I was thrilled to discover that although you're only in the Nirvana Realm, your body is exceptionally strong. You fought these corpses bare-handed and easily overwhelmed them. Your strength far exceeds that of a typical Nirvana cultivator."

"I'm confident that you can withstand my soul and allow me to successfully possess your body. And once the formation is broken, I'll reclaim my original form."

"However, I didn't expect you to be so vigilant. Since I can't reclaim my body, possessing you will suffice."

At this, Ye Xin's face paled, and she shouted, "Xiao Qian, run!"

"Run? It's too late!" Nan Xin sneered. The purple flames in his hollow eyes vanished, and a faint, purple ghostly figure emerged from his body.

This ghostly figure no longer resembled Nan Xin but rather the horned outsider on the platform, identical to the corpse.

As Ye Xin watched in horror, the purple specter let out a triumphant laugh and rushed toward Lin Qian.

Without hesitation, Ye Xin darted in front of Lin Qian, trying to block the spirit's path.

But the purple phantom passed through her as if she weren't there, unimpeded, and swiftly entered Lin Qian's forehead.