Generally speaking, only a Xuanmen expert who has cultivated their spirit into a Yuan Shen will have the chance to seize another’s body when their own flesh has suffered irreversible damage, in order to preserve their soul.

However, not only does body-snatching go against the natural order, but more crucially, if the soul cannot fully integrate with the new body, it will result in fatal hidden ailments.

Even though Xuanmen experts possess many mystical arts, their cultivation will greatly regress after body-snatching; as for Henry Brooks, being an ordinary mortal with an extremely weak soul, it is almost impossible for him to fully adapt to a new body.

Once the hidden ailment erupts, the only outcome is the soul’s utter destruction.

After Henry Brooks woke up, the stabbing, tearing pain in his head was actually a sign that the soul’s hidden ailment was about to flare up.

“My soul is about to dissipate, and I can no longer help you, Earl Lefton, guard these Nine Domains, but perhaps this child can take on the duty of guardian?” the thunderous dragon rumbled.

“Lord Dragon Emperor, if you wish to place your last hope on this child, Earl Lefton will naturally obey, but his soul has this hidden ailment—he’ll find it hard even to cultivate, won’t he?” the decrepit voice asked in great surprise.

In his mind, Henry Brooks cursed the old man out thoroughly. Damn old dog, from the sound of it, you’re in deep trouble too, and you’re still being picky—what about me isn’t qualified to be the guardian? Hurry up and grab me as your last lifeline!

But Henry Brooks realized that whether he could survive still depended on George Charles King and the old man, so he was racking his brains for something to say to move these two monsters...

“We know what you’re thinking, but in the other realm, you showed selflessness and saved others. I also borrowed your strength to return to the temple, so I must repay this karmic debt...” George Charles King’s voice sounded like thunder rolling deep beneath the earth.

Henry Brooks froze in place.

“Dragon Emperor, even if the Nine Heavens fall, we cannot let the Supreme Emperor’s legacy leak out...” Though the old man’s status was lower than George King, at this moment he insisted without question.

“What if he can pass the trial of the temple’s legacy?” George Charles King said.

“Him, like this?” The old voice carried a sneering, contemptuous laugh.

“He can’t now, but perhaps he can in the future—pass the serpent bracelet to him, let him repay my karmic debt first. Even if my soul is scattered, I can rest easy...” George Charles King said.

“Sigh, fine, now we can only hope a blind cat catches a dead mouse.” The old voice spoke, clearly without any hope, only yielding to George Charles King’s insistence, and not caring what Henry Brooks was thinking.

Earl Lefton didn’t care at all about what he was thinking, and Henry Brooks felt a twinge of sadness, realizing that Earl Lefton truly regarded him as an insignificant ant. Why would they care what an ant thinks?

As if the matter was settled, George Charles King had fulfilled his last wish. The thunderous dragon that had gathered above the great hall gradually faded away, as if it had never existed.

A long time passed with no movement from the great hall, and Henry Brooks couldn’t help but want to shout, “Cang Yu, are you still there?”

“The last wisp of Lord Dragon Emperor’s soul has returned to the Nine Heavens!” Earl Lefton’s mournful voice came from within the great hall. “Now I will send your soul back to Taiwei Sect. I hope you will not let Lord Dragon Emperor down...”

...

Once again swept up by the fluctuations of an invisible vortex, the next moment, Henry Brooks found his consciousness had returned to Edward York’s body, still standing before the desk, with that faint, stabbing pain in his head once more.

Henry Brooks was dazed for a while, and seeing that Earl Lefton had been silent for a long time, he couldn’t help but softly call, “Senior Earl Lefton, are you still there?”

“I’m still here. If you have anything to say, just think it in your mind—I can hear it,” Earl Lefton’s aged voice sounded again. “There are no Dao Embryo-level Xuan cultivators in Taiwei Sect right now, so they can’t detect my presence, but you should still be careful.”

“You’re hiding in Taiwei Sect too?” Henry Brooks asked cautiously.

“When you reach a certain level of cultivation, your divine sense can reach across domains. It doesn’t matter whether you come or go. It’s just that we are too far apart, and transmitting thoughts consumes a great deal of energy.”

Perhaps because George Charles King’s soul had returned to the Nine Heavens, Earl Lefton’s voice was tinged with sorrow, and his attitude toward Henry Brooks was no longer cold, explaining as much as possible.

Henry Brooks asked, “Senior Earl Lefton, what are the temple and the Rakshasa otherworld you mentioned? Why was Cang Yu on Earth, and why did I come here from Earth?”

“These are things you cannot know yet. Even if you did, it would mean nothing to you now. All you need to know is that within the endless chaos, there exist countless spaces, and Earth is just one of them. Some of these spaces are completely separated by the chaotic void—without being a true god or demon, or without the aid of a divine artifact, one cannot cross between them. But there are also some spaces that are connected by special passages—Bloodcloud Wasteland is one such passage connecting the Rakshasa Domain and the Nine Heavens Domain...”

Cang Yu’s voice grew weaker as he spoke.

“The Dragon Emperor’s soul has returned to the Nine Heavens, and my remnant soul is extremely weak as well. I will soon enter the temple to rest. Before the Rakshasa fiends invade on a large scale again, I fear I won’t be able to awaken—if you have anything to ask, ask quickly!”

Henry Brooks no longer had the mind to think about anything else. Hearing that Cang Yu was about to fall into deep slumber, he hurriedly asked:

“What should I do?”