Mo Dafu did not enjoy his newfound power for long. The curse of the Yin Soul Curse soon began to take effect. He aged at a terrifying rate—almost a year of aging every single day. His hair turned white, his skin sagged, and his once youthful features withered away.
He was terrified. No matter what he tried, nothing could stop the inexorable march of time. The curse's effects were swift, and the more he struggled, the worse it became. If left unchecked, he would soon die, just like an ordinary mortal, his life force slowly draining away.
But just as Mo Dafu feared for his life, Yu Zitong's situation became even more perilous. When Yu Zitong's soul entered Mo Dafu's body, it wasn't long before he began experiencing the dangerous phenomenon of soul assimilation. This was a passive form of body-snatching, where the soul of an outsider—stuck within another person's body for too long—began to be subtly influenced by the host's soul. Over time, only one of the souls would remain, the other being completely erased.
Yu Zitong found himself in an increasingly desperate situation. He was unwilling to risk a direct confrontation for his survival, knowing that the legend of the Three Iron Laws of Soul Snatching was enough to keep him from acting recklessly.
These laws, well-known in the cultivation world, restricted the practice of soul snatching. First, a cultivator could never snatch the body of a mortal. Doing so would cause the body to collapse under the strain of the process. Second, the only way for a cultivator to successfully snatch a body was to target one with much weaker cultivation. The greater the gap in power, the safer the process. Third, a cultivator could only attempt to snatch a body once in their life. If they tried a second time, their soul would perish without fail.
These three laws had been rigorously proven by countless trials, and no one had ever broken them. The heavens had set these rules to ensure that chaos would not reign if cultivators began abusing such an unnatural practice.
Yu Zitong found himself caught between two impossible choices: Either he risked snatching Mo Dafu's body and causing its collapse, or he waited, and his soul might be swallowed by the powerful influence of Mo Dafu's original soul.
At his wits' end, Yu Zitong reluctantly contacted Mo Dafu, explaining the situation in full. He outlined the dire consequences and the dangers of both remaining passive and acting aggressively. Mo Dafu, after listening to Yu Zitong's reasoning, grew angry at first. But soon, his mind began to churn with possibilities, and he saw the opportunity to turn things around for himself.
Mo Dafu quickly agreed to Yu Zitong's terms. The two formed an uneasy alliance with three simple but crucial conditions:
Mo Dafu had to try and control his own consciousness to avoid being assimilated by Yu Zitong's soul. In return, Yu Zitong would teach Mo Dafu some secret techniques that could slow down his aging process and grant him temporary access to spiritual power.
Mo Dafu had to find a young boy with spiritual roots who could cultivate the Changchun Gong (Eternal Spring Art). He was to train this boy and, when the time was right, Mo Dafu would use the power he had regained to snatch the boy's body and start anew.
Once Mo Dafu successfully took over the boy's body and regained his strength, he would help Yu Zitong find a suitable body for himself. They would work together to snatch that new body, ensuring Yu Zitong's survival and helping him regain his former power.
The agreement heavily favored Mo Dafu, and Yu Zitong was well aware of it. Yet, given the dire circumstances, he had little choice but to accept it. After all, the danger of his soul being assimilated by Mo Dafu's was imminent.
Despite the seemingly advantageous terms for Mo Dafu, Yu Zitong didn't get everything he wanted. He had once asked Mo Dafu to help him seek assistance from his family's hidden sect, but the cunning Mo Dafu refused outright. This rejection left Yu Zitong with a bitter resentment that lingered, fueling his hatred for the man.
As the years passed, Mo Dafu failed to find a suitable candidate for his plans. Discouraged, he entered the Seven Xuan Sect, where, by chance, he discovered Han Li. Mo Dafu took Han Li under his wing, teaching him the Changchun Gong and guiding him in his cultivation—little knowing how much Han Li would later alter his fate.
Han Li, after listening to Yu Zitong's account, let out a long sigh. Many of the mysteries that had plagued him were now explained, though not everything was as clear as he would have liked.
Yu Zitong, however, stopped speaking, and Han Li's brow furrowed. His voice became colder as he asked, "You still haven't told me the cause of Mo Dafu's death."
Yu Zitong hesitated for a moment before speaking. "There's not much to explain. Mo Dafu underestimated your progress with the Changchun Gong. Your spiritual power was far beyond his, and when he tried to snatch your body, he failed and was instead consumed by your soul."
"So, the yellow light ball that entered my body at the beginning was Mo Dafu's soul, and the green one was yours?" Han Li spoke calmly, piecing everything together.
Yu Zitong awkwardly nodded. "Well, at the time, I thought you and Mo Dafu had perished together. I figured I might as well take advantage of the opportunity and use this body."
"Mm," Han Li replied, his tone laced with disdain. "But it seems more likely that it was all part of your plan, wasn't it? You deliberately left out the details about the success of the soul snatching technique. Your original design was for Mo Dafu to use the Soul Devouring Technique and for both of you to perish, leaving you, the opportunist, to take advantage of the situation and possess my body. I've guessed it right, haven't I, Master Yu Zitong?"
Yu Zitong fell silent for a long time, then sighed deeply. Eventually, he stopped trying to deny it, his defeat evident in his demeanor.
"You're clever," he admitted. "I did indeed design everything from the start. But I didn't expect you to be such a gifted cultivator. Your talent was far beyond what I had anticipated. In such a short time, you reached the sixth layer of Changchun Gong, just one step behind me. You easily consumed Mo Dafu's soul, and even my weakened state couldn't match you. I've lost much of my power because of you."
He paused, then suddenly his tone grew haughty. "But Mo Dafu, he was nothing but a mere mortal. He thought he could stand shoulder to shoulder with cultivators like us? He was foolish to even dream of ascending to the immortal realm!"
"Worse still, he used despicable means to ruin my spiritual body. He truly had no right to walk the path of cultivation." Yu Zitong's voice was filled with venom as he spoke, his hatred for Mo Dafu now laid bare.
"However, you... you are different. You possess innate spiritual roots and extraordinary talent. It would be a great loss for you to remain in the mortal world. If you help me find a suitable body and assist me in the soul snatching process, I'll be your guide and introduce you to the elders of my family. I can take you as my disciple. What do you say?"