Chapter 275: The Fusion Program

On his way back to the hut, Han Xuhan took a detour to Xuan Zi's mountain peak. When Xuan Zi heard in detail about what had transpired inside the Totality of Autonomy after he had left Xuhan to his devices, the old man looked impressed and disturbed at the same time.

"Disciple Xuhan, there's a reason why the phrase 'deal with a demon' has carried negative connotations since ancient times. But I suppose you were helpless in that matter; even I cannot be of any assistance. But I should warn you about something else- don't let your paranoia dictate your future."

Han Xuhan scratched his head awkwardly and decided not to voice the antagonistic argument in his heart. 

"Yes, sect master, I understand," he said obediently.

"No, it seems you don't. Nevertheless, you will soon. I hope the heavens bless you with another enlightenment by the time this tournament ends. Only an enlightenment can assist your chaotic dao heart at this point."

Before Xuhan took his leave, Xuan Zi handed him a purple medallion, made out of a carved crystalline substance that seemed to emit constant heat, almost hot enough to cause discomfort. 

"Since the demon can take over your body from now on, you should keep this medallion with you all the time. Even if you are outside my scope of perception in some corner of the archipelago, this medallion will help you contact me. Just pour a drop of blood into it once a day."

"Er...how do I use it to contact you, Sect Master?" Xuhan said doubtfully.

"Just send a trace of your qi inside when you need to. Leave the rest to me."

Satisfied with his new trump card, Han Xuhan quickly returned to the Heavenly Hailstorm Mountain Peak, just in time for the dinner. 

The two minions, Zhanxian and Tun Shi Tian had woken up, and Yuen Zhou had come to dine with Hai Yin Zhe in tow. The smell of spices sizzling on thick slabs of fish meat saturated the air. A small bonfire cackled outside the yard. All in all, the evening seemed strikingly joyous compared to the preceding day. 

"How do you two feel?" he began to interrogate the minions as he sat down by the bonfire. 

"Nauseous," Tun Shi Tian replied.

"Scared. Everything seems a bit scarier than before, somehow," Zhanxian said in a low voice. "Even the fire is making me want to hide inside the hut. Strangely enough, I'm still aware that this apprehension is irrational, but I can't help it!"

Zhanxian's analysis was much more helpful and informative compared to Little Tian's. Han Xuhan made a mental note to ask the mental demon about the difference between both minions' mental state after the training session. 

Hai Yin Zhe crawled over to Xuhan's lap and stared fixedly at the fire. Yuen Zhou took her seat nearby and fixed a similar gaze at Xuhan. 

Growing a bit uncomfortable under her scrutiny, Han Xuhan couldn't help but ask, "Something on your mind, sister Zhou?"

"Yeah, I wanted to ask you about how much progress you've made in seeking out that weight allotment map, martial brother," she said. "We'll have to work hard from tomorrow to secure a good position in the tournament. Are you certain you can find the time and opportunity to accomplish the task?" 

Han Xuhan looked her straight into the eyes and lied unhesitantly for his Sect Master. 

"You'll have it in your hand by tomorrow evening. I'll go visit the sect master and make my best attempt. You know I just can't barge in and ask for something he's been reviewing himself. You have to have some faith in me, martial sister."

Yuen Zhou snorted. "If I had no faith in you, would I entrust you with the matter? I'm only reminding you so that you don't forget amidst your numerous concerns. The map is very important to me."

"I understand," Han Xuhan replied, trying to recall which backpack of his the map was in right now. After he had examined it himself and discovered Fang Xie hiding in plain sight, he had sunk far too deep into his thoughts to remember where he placed it. He couldn't help growing curious as well. His discovery of Fang Xie inside the map was entirely accidental. What else was inside the map that had attracted Yuen Zhou's interest? What had he missed?

The meat of a spirited fish didn't feel too different from the meat of a normal fish. While eating, Han Xuhan couldn't help but contemplate the moral ground behind hunting and eating a creature that had the potential to transform into a humanoid form and walk among the cultivators as a peer. 

Perhaps the fish in his mouth had such a destiny too, only to be barred by a cultivator who wanted to eat good one evening. 

"Guys, do you think these spirited swordfish had it in them?" he said while biting down on a bony piece.

"Had what in them?" Xiao Wu asked, curious.

"The potential to become a cultivator? To stand atop the world of cultivation, as honored as any hero in history? To take a handsome human form-"

"Good thing we're eating them then. I don't need the competition," Mu Ran declared as he bit down on his piece extra hard.

Han Xuhan couldn't refute him.

After the dinner ended, everyone except him returned to their rooms to rest and cultivate. Han Xuhan sat outside and directed the cleanup by his minions, after which they walked over to the backyard of the hut again. 

"Let's run some tests I've been thinking about, minions. Meditate for a minute and quieten your mind. We are going back to the dao tower soon."

Some time later, all three of them stood in the center of the island which represented Han Xuhan's spiritual world. The Tupshu that had been occupying the island under the demon's control was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps the demon had taken it out to do some sightseeing inside the ocean of light. 

Happy to have a moment of freedom, Han Xuhan quickly tried again to evaluate the validity of Mu Ran's theory of the zeroth layer. He and his minions did their best to sense the spiritual connection between them and the island, moving from place to place in hopes of getting different results. 

Unfortunately, it seemed that the demon hadn't been wrong. They couldn't really sense anything, let alone compare whose spiritual connection was better than the others. 

Han Xuhan could only sigh despondently. He had gotten too ahead of himself. Cultivators like Mu Ran and Yuen Zhou were special. How could their perception of cultivation always be applicable to his situations? 

"Tun Shi Tian, go jump inside Hai Yin Zhe's pit and check if it is still possible to visit the burning planet through it. If the passageway connecting the pit with the planet is still intact, you'll need to pay a visit to that cavern within the endless maze again."

"What? Why?" the owl was confused upon hearing his sudden order.

"I need you to lead Hai Yin Zhe there and awaken her glyph as well."

Tun Shi Tian gasped. "You want to fuse with Hai Yin Zhe too? What for?"

"You'll know when it is time for you to know. Ascertain whether it is possible first."

The skeleton owl swooped into the pool in the center of the island that held Hai Yin Zhe's pit. Under Xuhan and Zhanxian's watchful gaze, he froze at the bottom of the pit after a minute of shuffling around in discomfort. 

"It's happening," Zhanxian muttered in a low voice, having experienced the journey through the invisible passageway multiple times himself. 

A dim flash of red light emerged from the floor of the pit and in the next second, Tun Shi Tian could be seen no more.

"So the passage still exists," Han Xuhan said to himself. "Let's give him a moment to fly around and explore wherever he has been transported to. We need to be sure there are no new anomalies on that side. In the meantime, Zhanxian, guide me through that memory sequence of the treasure tracing technique from Abyss Guild's Guildmaster."