Chapter 6: The Dead Cultivator’s Mask
Through the translucent interface of the codex, Xiao Ning watched Mei Lin’s approaching figure materialize in the dim light of the cave. Her brow was furrowed, her gaze sharp as if trying to pierce through layers of illusion.
"Your qi... it feels different," she murmured, her voice tinged with suspicion. The moment she had stepped back into the cavern, an unsettling sensation prickled at her senses, though she couldn’t quite place its source.
"Different?" Xiao Ning inwardly scoffed. Of course it was different—he had unlocked the Paradox Meridians, a phenomenon so rare that even his past life held no record of such a thing. He knew little about the other two core paradoxes, but this one alone defied all logic.
Not only did it mask his cultivation level flawlessly, but it also granted him abilities far stranger—and far deadlier—than anything he’d encountered before.
Mei Lin’s gaze remained watchful as she studied Xiao Ning, her suspicions gradually intensifying. "It feels like a strange combination of old and new qi," she remarked. "But how is it possible? Your Nascent Soul were on the verge of collapsing before you went into seclusion."
Xiao Ning inwardly smirked. The Paradox Meridians allowed him to manipulate his aura at will, rendering his true cultivation level virtually undetectable. It was a formidable advantage that he intended to use to his fullest.
"Soul Reconstruction isn’t an easy process, You wouldn’t understand it even if i explain it to you."
Mei Lin’s frown deepened as she digested his words. "Your cultivation... I can still sense it’s at the Late stage of Nascent Soul Realm," she said slowly. "The sect won’t believe such miraculous recovery—not after the funeral rites."
"Easy deal." With a mere thought, Xiao Ning activated the paradox meridians masking function. His Nascent Soul aura collapsed inward, replaced by the power of the Core Formation Realm.