Cultivating Immortality :I Obtained The Villain's Ascension Code-Chapter 4: I Am Not Li Feng

Xiao Ning’s figure stiffened. His gaze swept toward the dim shadows beyond the cavern wall, where a faint rustle betrayed a presence. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

A moment later, a woman stepped forward, her face half-veiled by the flickering light of the spirit lanterns embedded in the stone. Though her expression was unreadable, the longsword in her grasp pulsed with faint golden light—the unmistakable pressure of Nascent Soul could be felt clearly.

He didn’t need to guess. From the dregs of Li Feng’s shattered soul, her identity emerged with clarity.

Mei Lin. The former dao companion of this body’s original master. And a Nascent Soul cultivator of considerable renown.

She had seen through him instantly—without hesitation or inquiry. A testament not just to spiritual acuity, but to an intimacy born of shared history.

Xiao Ning exhaled slowly. There was no use feigning ignorance.

"You’re right," he said, voice calm despite the sword pointed at his heart. "I am not Li Feng. My name is Xiao Ning. I’ve... borrowed this shell after my own body perished."

Mei Lin did not speak. The blade in her hand trembled minutely, the aura around it thickening.

It wasn’t just hostility—it was disbelief, pain, rage.

She could sense that something had changed, and that change had stolen away someone she once knew.

Xiao Ning’s eyes fell on the sword. Its glow was stable, Clearly, this was not a woman shaken by grief alone. Her cultivation had been tempered through blood and fire.

Deceit would not survive long before her scrutiny.

This was no mere transmigration. No reincarnation tale from idle tavern rumors.

The jade book had carved his soul into Li Feng’s crumbling shell, gouging out the remnants of its dying will. There was no room for falsehood here—only blunt truth.

He clasped his hands behind his back and lowered his voice. "My body was destroyed. Only a fragment of my consciousness survived."

"Even your soul was destroyed?" Mei Lin asked coldly.

"Indeed," he said, tone dry. "What remains of me stands before you, held together by sheer will and a sliver of spiritual sense."

Her brows knit together as she frowned. "To survive through consciousness alone... I’ve never heard of such a thing."

Xiao Ning let out a low chuckle, half mocking, half weary. "You’ve reached the Nascent Soul Realm. It is impressive. But beyond it, the world grows vast and strange. There are methods beyond what the cultivation manuals of this continent have recorded."

He turned slightly, gaze distant. "As for Li Feng... though his soul was beyond saving, I owe him—and by extension, you—an explanation."

Mei Lin tilted her head slightly. Though her stance remained guarded, the edge in her voice had softened, if only slightly. "Then speak."

Xiao Ning folded his hands behind his back and straightened his posture. "In my original form, I surpassed the Nascent Soul Realm by far. A cultivator of your level would have been of little consequence. Crushing you would have required no more than a flick of the finger."

The temperature in the cavern dropped.

Mei Lin’s eyes narrowed to slits. "You dare to mock me, even now? No matter who you once were, you now inhabit a shell no stronger than my own—and one with a heavily injured nascent soul at that."

Xiao Ning raised a hand in quiet placation. "Peace. I intended no insult. My words are merely truth. This body is weak, yes, but my knowledge remains intact. If you are willing, I can demonstrate what lies beyond your understanding."

For a long breath, Mei Lin said nothing.

"Prove it."

Xiao Ning’s lips curved into a faint smile. He extended one hand, palm facing upward. A moment passed—then, with a shimmer of golden light, a scroll materialized in the air. Strange symbols glowed upon its surface, etched with runes older than the common script of the cultivation world. Each character pulsed with faint solar essence.

"This is the Everlasting Nine Suns Sutra," he said quietly. "A supreme technique from my past life—something even cultivators at the Divine Enlightenment Realm would not part with willingly."

Mei Lin’s eyes widened, though her body remained still. Even from her distance, the scroll’s oppressive radiance was palpable. It radiated the essence of sunfire—untamed and eternal.

Mei Lin’s spiritual sense touched the scroll—then jerked back, stunned. She had expected danger, perhaps even a trap. But what she found instead were fragments of a world far removed from her own. Visions of celestial flames, stars dying and reforming, suns colliding in a sea of light—each more impossible than the last.

"...What do you want in return?" she asked finally.

"A pact," Xiao Ning looked at her deeply. "Two terms. First: you must swear absolute silence about my true identity. If word spreads, powerful enemies may come hunting. Second: we shall rebuild the Shadowclaw Sect and avenge Li Feng..."

Mei Lin remained silent for a long while. Then, slowly, she lowered her sword, lost in thought.

Of course, she knew her Dao companion was beyond saving.

But if this man was telling the truth... then this could be the opportunity she’d been praying for. With the help of such an expert, not only could she save the sect—she might finally avenge him.

"Very well," she ley out a sigh and looked at him coldly, " But be warned—betray me, and I will end you, no matter what realm you once stood upon."

Xiao Ning nodded solemnly. "Then let us seal the vow."

He reached inward—into the fragmented nascent soul where Li Feng’s lingering essence still lingered faintly—and drew forth golden threads of qi. Mei Lin followed suit, her own spiritual force intertwining with his. Between them, a glowing rune appeared, pulsing with mutual intent.

"I shall guard your secret and you shall aid me in restoring the sect, and in exacting vengeance."

"As agreed," Xiao Ning replied.

The rune pulsed once, then split into strands of light, vanishing into their bodies.

Mei Lin studied him again, gaze lingering on the familiar features that now wore unfamiliar expressions. She saw Li Feng’s broken nose, the scar on his lip—but none of his warmth, none of his hesitation. The soul behind the eyes was a stranger.

Her gaze fell to the scroll.

"This technique," she looked at him with suspicion. "Is it truly safe for me to cultivate?"

"The Everlasting Nine Suns Sutra is adaptable," Xiao Ning chuckled. "It harmonizes with the sun’s essence, refining the dantian through cycles of burning and renewal. It requires strength—but more than that, it requires will. If you can endure it, you will emerge reborn."

Then, without pause, he explained the foundational layers of the technique—the breathing cycles, the sunfire condensation paths, and the critical early-stage pitfalls. Mei Lin listened intently, occasionally asking brief but incisive questions that showed her depth of understanding.

By the time he finished, a sliver of dawn light had crept into the cave.

"I will begin stabilizing this body," Xiao Ning smiled bitterly. "It is riddled with flaws. I will require time to adapt."

"Very well," Mei Lin nodded in acknowledgement, "The sect is in turmoil. We shall plan once you have regained your strength."

With that, she turned and disappeared into the shadows beyond the cavern’s entrance.

Xiao Ning remained still for a long moment before sitting cross-legged. With a breath, he directed his consciousness inward.

A faint shimmer appeared before his eyes.

[Name: Li Feng]

[Lifespan: 450 / 567 Years]

[Cultivation: Nascent Soul Realm (disabled)]

[Spirit Root: Dual Dark and Earth Root (damaged)]

[Cultivation Techniques: Shadow Leaf True Scripture (Main), Myriad Shadow Thoughts Art, Shadow Teleportation Technique...]