I'm prepared, I think?

Fang Hao examined the mirror closely, deep in thought. He then opened his mouth and uttered the symbol '𐒣', though he didn't quite comprehend its significance.

"Daoist Guan Xin, what do you seek in return?" Fang Hao inquired, his guard still up. He was well aware that nothing came without a price.

After a brief pause, the mirror transformed to display the word "Nothing." Fang Hao's brow furrowed in response. "State your purpose then. Your lack of desire for anything raises suspicion," he voiced his caution.

''Spiritual stones,'' the mirror spelled out, and Fang Hao's eyebrow raised. ''You desire stones? I might be able to offer you some of lower quality. As you can observe, my realm isn't high,'' he remarked, discreetly moving his spatial ring out of sight.

"Deal," the mirror responded, and Fang Hao's face eased. He nodded with a relieved smile, lowering his body and head in a show of agreement. ''I can agree to th...''

Suddenly, he dashed toward the cave's exit with an astonishing burst of speed, the force of his departure causing him to roll along the ground once he reached the outside.

Panting heavily, he cast a glance behind him as the entrance began to close. A sigh of relief escaped his lips; his back was drenched in sweat, and his face had paled considerably.

''There's no way in hell I'm striking a deal without getting some information first,'' he muttered vehemently as he got up and departed.

''Fellow sect member, you seem to be in quite a state,'' the cultivator residing next door remarked, addressing him.

Fang Hao paused and looked at the barrier covering the cave, rendered momentarily speechless. ''I'm facing some cultivation issues. I'm heading to the library to find answers,'' he replied somewhat embarrassed, brushing the dust off his robes.

''Wishing you a good day, senior brother,'' Fang Hao offered a polite bow before departing, his steps brisk and his eyes slightly twitching.

Inside his own cave, a young cultivator sat with a sword resting on his knees, releasing a sage-like sigh. "The younger generation is far too impatient," he murmured, shaking his head with a touch of wisdom. He then closed his eyes, resuming his meditation.

Fang Hao hurriedly returned to the library, entering its premises. He located a green-robed servant who was on standby and approached him. He began to open his mouth to speak but quickly closed it, pondering on how to phrase his question.

"Hello, how can I assist you?" The green-robed disciple asked, a touch of confusion in his voice as he noticed Fang Hao standing before him. Glancing behind him to make sure there was no one else around.

Fang Hao cleared his throat and asked with a serious tone, "Where can I find information about... souls? Items containing souls? Malevolent artifacts? Blood sacrifices? And... anything else related to these topics? Perhaps even body swapping?" He looked at the servant with an expectant expression, eager for an answer.

"This...this..." The man's mouth floundered open and shut, a look of pure bewilderment crossing his face.

The concept of body swapping seemed to completely baffle him, and he couldn't fathom why Fang Hao was staring at him as if he were the blood sacrifice itself.

"You can find information about the soul on bookshelf '83'," the man said in a flustered manner before quickly walking away, clearly wanting to avoid any further involvement. This person was crazy, he was going to do a blood sacrifice.

As he watched the man walk away, Fang Hao scratched the back of his head in frustration. Returning to the library within a day wasn't exactly what he had planned – he was supposed to focus on cultivating for at least a few weeks!

"Let's see what I find," he muttered to himself, immersing himself in the books that discussed the concept of the soul and methods to protect it.

Interestingly, he came across information about artifact souls, suggesting that high-level items could possess intelligence.

He delved into the reading for hours, gradually accumulating a basic understanding of the subject matter.

1) Without offering blood or soul fragments, significant consequences were unlikely to occur.

2) Presenting spiritual stones, particularly those of the lowest rank, proved too weak to yield significant results.

3)The entity, whether a being or a cultivator like Guan Xin, was weakened. If it possessed strength, he would have either perished or been controlled already. The powers wielded by such entities were immensely beyond his capacity to even look at.

After taking a deep breath, he set about writing a letter, sealing it carefully before returning the books to their places. He then proceeded to the Mission Hall, where numerous cultivators were focused on reading the notices displayed on a transparent screen constructed from spiritual energy.

These notices outlined missions of varying difficulties, each offering corresponding rewards. At the top of the list were missions that involved venturing to other worlds. Fang Hao briefly read the notices, his eyes skimming over the details.

Fang Hao's gaze became fixated on a particular mission on the screen, leaving him filled with a sense of wonder: Difficulty Rank 1, Mission Protection: World name: Nomadlands. Highest realm Muscle Realm Late. Protect the spiritual mine, kill any intruder.

Shaking his head, he moved towards an unoccupied desk and asked, "Is it possible for me to submit a mission request?" Fang Hao was interested in proposing a mission as a client.

"Sure, what's the mission you have in mind?" The girl with a friendly smile directed her attention to Fang Hao, awaiting his request and the corresponding token.

Handing over the token along with a sealed letter, he spoke softly, "I want this delivered if I don't return within a month." He regarded the letter with a mixture of emotions.

The girl nodded in understanding, her smile still warm. "Certainly, if you come back, we'll retain the mission fee, but the reward will be returned to you." She didn't find his request unusual and proceeded with professionalism.

A total of 20 rank 8 spirit stones, with a fee of 5 and a reward of 15," she stated matter-of-factly, treating it as a routine task. Fang Hao agreed with a nod and retrieved the stones from his spatial ring, noticing her odd glance but not dwelling on it.

After receiving the token back, he left the Mission Hall and returned to his cave. With his preparations in order, he hoped that if someone were to take over his body, they would face a living hell once that letter reached his family.

Feeling a sense of accomplishment for the preparations he had made, he began to feel a growing unease. "What if that thing can take my memories too?" he muttered to himself, his worry evident. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he tried to dismiss the unsettling notion.

"Fellow disciple, you have returned. Did you manage to resolve your concerns?" The cultivator next door inquired again, earning a hint of annoyance from Fang Hao.

"Senior brother, it seems you cultivate outdoors all day," the persistent cultivator remarked, earning an exasperated reaction from Fang Hao.

"Cultivating amidst nature brings me closer to the Dao, allowing my sword to embrace the essence of freedom and..." came a passionate and enigmatic response from the other cultivator.

Fang Hao couldn't help but cringe at the tone and continued nodding as he hastily entered his cave, seeking refuge from the ongoing conversation, at least the mirror didn't talk.

"Guan Xin, how many stones do you want?" Fang Hao queried, standing before the mirror. The response materialized: '5'.

Without further ado, Fang Hao placed the required stones onto the mirror's surface. Gradually, they emitted a gentle gleam before disintegrating into dust, their energy expended.

Moving to a prayer mat, Fang Hao commenced working on the mist formation. His intent was to master it prior to employing the method the enigmatic entity had suggested.

As he concentrated on his task, an odd thought emerged: "Is it watching me?" He cast a brief glance at the mirror, finding it to be entirely ordinary.

Shaking his head to dismiss such notions, he determined that if the entity's assistance furthered his goals, he was willing to pay its price, as long as that price wasn't his life.