Please support me on Patreon, where you can read a bunch of extra chapters, not just for this novel, but for all the novels I'm working on. I upload at least 2 times daily for each novel.
Patreon.com/ThatGreatStuff
******
Pretending to be dead felt quite peculiar.
Bochang closed his eyes, needing neither thoughts nor actions; he seemed to drift into a world of utter darkness and nothingness.
Unable to see, hear, or feel anything.
"Is this what it feels like when someone dies? How terrifying... Indeed, being immortal is preferable."
Following the system's prompt, Bochang did not cancel the Feign Death skill and simply waited patiently.
Bochang didn't cancel the Feign Death skill; he simply waited patiently.
As his impatience began to grow...
Finally...
In this solitary world where only Bochang existed, another visitor arrived—a blue flame, within which seemed to reveal a graceful humanoid figure.
Perhaps due to their differing perspectives, they perceived different scenes.
Phantylia rudely intruded without warning.
Bochang was delighted to see her.
However...
Phantylia might not be as pleased to encounter Bochang, feeling like she had stumbled upon something uncanny.
"Didn't you already die?" Phantylia's face paled with shock. Realizing that Bochang wasn't dead, she suspected it could be a trap.
Without hesitation, she turned to flee—an instinctively prudent reaction.
"Now that you're here, why run away?"
Bochang merely formed the thought of controlling Phantylia in his mind.
Surprisingly, Lord Ravager halted immediately.
After all, they were now within Bochang's body, and as an outsider, Phantylia found herself at a disadvantage... She had only dared to seize control believing him dead.
Had she known Bochang faked his demise, Phantylia would have undoubtedly fled immediately.
A hasty retreat might have been better than being trapped inside Bochang's body now.
"I advise you to let me go; otherwise, I won't make it easy for you either," Phantylia threatened even at this point.
"Care to try your luck?" Bochang responded. "I certainly won't let you leave so easily, Phantylia."
As one of Lord Ravager's Emanators, capturing her alive seemed far more intriguing than simply releasing her. Moreover, with her apprehended, there was no need to worry about extracting Tingyun's whereabouts.
However...
Phantylia remained defiantly stubborn.
Bochang felt the task ahead was arduous and long.
"What exactly does the system mean by 'capture' Phantylia... Should I use the Monkey Talisman or the Sheep Talisman?"
Bochang wasn't sure.
Considering Phantylia is already within his body, the Monkey Talisman could be temporarily ruled out.
For now, let's use the Sheep Talisman.
Despite his body remaining in a state of feigned death, Bochang's mind remained active, and he could freely harness the talisman's power. Just as he prepared to invoke the Sheep Talisman, Phantylia unexpectedly broke free from his confinement.
Lord Ravager truly lived up to her name.
Even after enduring relentless blows, she still had strength left to resist.
Azure flames surged forth, rapidly expanding within Bochang's spiritual realm until they engulfed everything, transforming it into an all-consuming sea of blue fire.
Bochang distinctly saw a figure amidst the flames, closely resembling Phantylia from the Land of the Tree of Foundation... Perhaps this too was her own fabrication.
Her delicate features now bore a menacing expression, yet there was a hint of cruel allure.
"Since my benefactor wishes for death so fervently, I shall grant you a glimpse of my true might."
The azure flames roared ferociously, even causing Bochang to feel their searing heat.
Phantylia was engaging in a life-or-death struggle.
After all...
Once entering someone else's spiritual world, there were only three ways to depart:
First, forcibly exit by one's own means.
Second, obtain the target's consent.
Third, kill the target.
Bochang's strength is formidable, and he would never agree to such possession, eliminating options one and two outright.
For Phantylia, killing Bochang is the only way to escape this situation.
Of course...
If Phantylia were to kill Bochang here, she wouldn't need to leave; instead, she could directly possess his body, achieving her initial goal. However, whether it would succeed remains uncertain.
In any case...
Phantylia charges forward.
Bochang, having barely explored the Sheep Talisman's capabilities, simply unleashes its power ahead of him.
A powerful blast of magic forms a towering green beam.
It engulfs Phantylia head-on, eliciting a blood-curdling scream that echoes throughout the area.
Phantylia collapses, her once-aggressive charge now replaced by utter disarray.
The previously expansive blue flames shrink into a small, contained mass.
Within it, the figure lies motionless.
"So easily defeated? The Sheep Talisman's magic indeed has potent effects on spiritual entities, but unfortunately, when used directly, I must physically touch my target..."
As the intensity of battles escalates, engaging in close combat becomes increasingly challenging.
Engaging enemies in close combat was becoming increasingly challenging.
The ability to overpower Phantylia in hand-to-hand combat was solely due to Bochang's superior strength, allowing him to dictate the course of their fight. Against opponents with similar or greater capabilities, it wouldn't be so straightforward.
Phantylia, barely hanging on, struggled and asked, "What kind of... technique is this?"
"Want to learn it? I'll teach you," Bochang couldn't resist replying.
Phantylia felt immense pain engulfing her entire body.
Moments later, she lost consciousness, her blue flames flickering as if about to extinguish at any instant.
Observing this, Bochang cautiously nurtured them with the Sheep Talisman's magic.
To his surprise, it worked. The once wavering blue flames stabilized and even began showing signs of intensifying.
Thus, Bochang enveloped the blue flames with the Sheep Talisman's magic, both aiding Phantylia's recovery and preventing her from suddenly attacking.
The system's voice chimed in:
[Rewards being distributed—Congratulations on successfully capturing Phantylia.]
"Such obvious things don't need to be reminded!" Bochang muttered inwardly.
He canceled his feigned death state.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a sharp flame spear descending towards him.
Instinctively, Bochang tilted his head aside, narrowly avoiding the spear's attack.
"Calm down! Stelle, it's me, Bochang! I'm not dead."
Stelle responded coldly, "Phantylia, get out of Bochang's body, quickly!"
Just moments ago...
Stelle had witnessed Phantylia seamlessly merging into Bochang's body.
There was no way she could now trust "Bochang's" words; she hadn't forgotten how Phantylia once impersonated Tingyun convincingly, even fooling close friends like Bailu and Shinobu. This demonstrated Phantylia's exceptional mimicry skills, possibly including the ability to extract memories, allowing for such flawless deception.
"It's really me, Stelle. I've already captured Phantylia. If you don't believe me, watch this—I can still use the Invisible Hand..." As Bochang spoke, he used the Invisible Hand to grab Stelle.
With practiced ease, he began teasing her subtly.
Feeling incredulous, Stelle's cheeks flushed slightly as she vigorously swung her flame spear, severing the Invisible Hand. She swiftly leaped backward.
Narrowing her eyes, Stelle said, "No... I still can't believe it."
The gray-haired girl remained highly cautious.
Bochang sat up, gazing at Stelle, who had distanced herself and now pointed the flame spear at him, clearly bewildered.
"How do I prove that I'm myself? Need help ASAP!"