Chapter 395: Preparations
‘We have some preparations we need to deal with first.’ Hui Yue sighed thinking about what they still needed to do. ‘Not to mention I need to practice this Soul Shaking Spirit Imprint. I need to learn how to move this new body as if it were my own. I have never experienced controlling two bodies at the same time so I imagine I will need some time to become proficient.’
Although Hui Yue was excited and felt relieved, he was also realistic. He understood that it was not going to be easy. Therefore, he sat down in a lotus position and once more read through the scroll explaining the ability.
Although Hui Yue had read the ability multiple times already, he still sighed in praise as he closed his eyes. Deep within, his consciousness appeared near his Wu Wei core, and upon focusing his will on his soul he managed to create a copy of himself with but a thought.
This copy was formed from Wu Wei and controlled by Hui Yue’s consciousness which had entered his Wu Wei core. Slowly the copy started mimicking his actions. When he moved within the Wu Wei core the copy would move, if he sat down, the copy would sit down.
Hui Yue found that copying one’s soul was not a hard task. To create a Wu Wei copy did not require anything but a mere thought. Unfortunately, it turned out that controlling the copy was far more difficult.
It was easy for Hui Yue to mimic his real soul, but when he wanted the copy to doing something different than his real soul the difficulty skyrocketed. The copy would more often than not just stand completely still and not even react to what Hui Yue requested of it.
Having so many problems controlling this new soul, Hui Yue could only imagine the trouble he would have controlling the copy outside of his body. With a casual wave of his hand, the copy dissipated into Wu Wei which settled back into his Wu Wei core.
Opening his eyes, he stood up. Hui Yue gently sighed as he dusted off his clothes. ‘I have a long way to go before I can control the copy.’ Hui Yue complained to Lan Feng. ‘First I need to control the copy within myself, and after that I need to release the copy and let it enter the metal body. Then I need to learn how to control it within the metal body.’
‘Well, I guess the only thing I can do is to keep trying,’ Hui Yue decided.
The days went by one after another as Hui Yue spent all his time learning how to control the soul copy. No matter what day it was he would spend his time training this art.
The days soon turned to months and although Hui Yue practiced a long time, he had only just learned how to fully control the soul copy within his mind.
‘Finally!’ Hui Yue said as a smile spread on his lips. ‘Now I can fully control the copy within my mind! On to the next step.’ He thought excitedly as he waved his hand which caused a human-sized figure to appeared in front of him. Closing his eyes he once more summoned a soul clone fueled by Wu Wei, but this time, he willed it to leave his body and merge with the clone in front of him.
Hui Yue had spent months training, and during this period he had not focused on anything other than training. While he was training, Wang Ju Long did everything in her power to ensure that no one interrupted him. Even Lao and Jo were told that he was in closed door training. Everyone even Wang Ju Long was unaware of what he was training or even what it was for; however, after seeing how focused Hui Yue was she knew it was very important.
Merging the soul copy with the figure was not difficult. The metal figure almost sucked up the soul, and the moment the soul copy entered the metal it started to twist and turn. Some of its outer body started to change to color of his skin while other parts peeled off turning into his clothes. After what seemed to take a minute, the metal figure no longer seemed formed from metal, but instead, looked like a replica of Hui Yue.
Hui Yue, although excited about finally being able to control the soul copy, was fully aware that he most likely would have to start learning how to move from scratch now that the soul was outside of himself. He could only imagine that moving it and controlling it would be even more challenging.
Sighing, Hui Yue closed his eyes and once more sat down. Moving the metal copy of himself was actually not as hard as he expected. Although it required much more energy and Wu Wei to control the metal body, the principles were still the same. This made Hui Yue ecstatic as he realized that he could control the metal copy, although it quickly consumed enormous amounts of energy.
Opening his eyes the copy stopped moving around the room. Moments after, strands of Wu Wei dissipated into thin air as the copy vanished.
‘There is one problem still.’ He complained to Lan Feng. ‘I am incapable of controlling the copy while I move so there are two options. Either I hide my real body somewhere and leave the palace with the copy, or I wait to attack the third prince until I’m done training and can control the copy and my real body at the same time. What do you think is best?’ Hui Yue asked the phoenix within his mind, but all he saw was a smile on Lan Feng’s face. ‘It seems you have forgotten something pretty important,’ Lan Feng laughed. ‘I am still here. Let me take care of your body, and then you can control the copy. This way we can kill the prince as soon as possible.’
Hearing his words, Hui Yue was at first startled and then smiled wryly. Of course, Lan Feng had controlled their body numerous times, and to forget him Hui Yue had made a major mistake.
‘Okay, then it’s decided. Let’s do that. I am going to write a letter to the princess asking for an audience in a week. This should give us enough time to prepare.’
‘I need to visit Gao Yan once more. I haven’t gone in all these months while I’ve been training, and it doesn’t seem as though Sha Yun has returned. I also need information about the prince’s skills. I do not believe that there is nothing written anywhere about how he fights. He has obviously been trying to keep it quiet, but even still rumors must have spread.’ Hui Yue mused to the phoenix who listened to him.
‘Stop just thinking about it and do it,’ Lan Feng laughed before he sat down in a lotus position and started to cultivate. Hui Yue nodded his head and with a wave of his hand the metal figure vanish into thin air. Although it seemed as though it vanished into thin air, Hui Yue knew it was safely stored in the Universe Box.
“Okay, time for a trip to the Black Lion,” Hui Yue said as he stood up and left the room. The entire mansion was quiet; everyone was busy doing their own thing and no one paid any attention to Hui Yue who slowly vanished through the front door. Only the guards patrolling the entrance noticed his departure and both of them bowed respectfully towards their master.
Hui Yue was in no rush today, so he did not run on the rooftops. Instead, he walked while looking around. His attention was taken from one thing to the next. Commoners were yelling out prices for their goods, maids standing to the side gossiping about their masters, messenger boys running errands were all just a few of the daily activities he saw people carrying out. The city was bursting with noise; there were people everywhere and everything was lively. For someone who had been shut inside for months, this display of liveliness was so rejuvenating that Hui Yue could not help but smile as he looked left and right.
Moving through town, Hui Yue stopped here and there. He purchased some food here and there from different stalls. Most was for Lao and Jo when he returned, but the rest was for him to eat on the way to the Black Lion.
The closer he came to the Black Lion, the fewer people he saw on the streets. When he reached the inn, the roads were deserted, and many tall buildings were blocking the sun making the narrow street descend into darkness.
Entering the inn, the innkeeper now recognized Hui Yue as an important person for Gao Yan, and he no longer stared at the white-haired young man; the customers, however, all couldn’t help but stare at him while he casually walked up the stairs.
Knocking on the door, Hui Yue went straight in and with a smile on his face moved towards Gao Yan. He felt no need to explain why it had been so long since he had last visited because Gao Yan should already be fully aware that he had been engaged in close door training.
Looking at Gao Yan, Hui Yue frowned. There was no smile on his face, no happiness in seeing his friend after months of training. Seemingly some of the news Hui Yue had asked about previously was not good news.
“Gao Yan,” Hui Yue spoke as he placed himself in a chair in front of his desk. “What is wrong?”
Hui Yue considered himself quite a stable person who was capable of controlling his emotions fairly well, yet something in the expression of Gao Yan made his heart clench and his palms become sweaty. The news could only be bad.
“Here is the news about which Saints survived and which Saints perished within the Grave of the Unknown,” Gao Yan started placing two memory stones on the desk in front of him. Hesitating for a moment, he placed the third stone on the desk.
“This is information about Sha Yun,” He said hesitatingly. “Go through it when you are alone and when you have a lot of time on your hand.” Gao Yan advised as he shook his head. The words caused Hui Yue to frown. “Something wrong?” He asked, but Gao Yan just shook his head. “Even I had problems finding information about Sha Yun and her group of beasts and mixed blood cultivators since they were not considered a strong force in the race for the treasures of the tomb.” Gao Yan excused, but the words he had said previously were stuck to Hui Yue’s mind.
Nodding his head he accepted all three stones. “I need to know anything you have on the third prince and his skills. I need to know what kind of fights he has engaged in in the past alongside his habits.” Hui Yue said, and Gao Yan nodded his head. “I will do what I can, but the third prince is very secretive with anything dealing with him. Come back in a week, and I will give you all I have found.” He said and Hui Yue stood up, nodded his head and turned to leave.
He did not walk leisurely through town on his way back but rushed back as the worry he felt over Sha Yun grew deeper and deeper.