Chapter 223: Changing Face

Chapter 223: Chapter 223: Changing Face

Jiang Xu abruptly stood up, his face flushed with anger. He was about to march back to the Black Market and demand an explanation.

But as soon as he was on his feet, he felt that something was amiss.

Jiang Xu had read through the entire *Thousand-Faced Illusion Body* manual. Overall, he hadn’t noticed anything strange. He could sense that the contents were genuine; following the instructions in the book should indeed produce the described effects.

If it were a scam, the content wouldn’t have been so realistic—there would surely be loopholes. Besides, faking a manual this thick would have been an enormous amount of work.

’If I wasn’t scammed, then...’

Jiang Xu vaguely considered another possibility.

Could it be that the difference in learning difficulty between Tier One Techniques and Tier Two Techniques was the culprit, causing a subtle difference in how they were learned?

Jiang Xu had suspected this for a while.

With Tier One Techniques, once he reached the peak of the Skilled Level, it was difficult to achieve another breakthrough through his own Cultivation.

Previously, he had achieved Mastery of the Cold Ice Talisman through a moment of enlightenment.

And there was the Wind and Thunder Swordsmanship, which he hadn’t had a use for, that he had also broken through with thanks to Zong Ziqi’s guidance.

He had broken through with both of these without using Limit-Breaking Points. This indicated that Limit-Breaking Points were merely an auxiliary method for breakthroughs, not a restriction on other methods.

Furthermore, after a Tier One Technique reached the peak of the Skilled Level, the two words "Limit Reached" would appear.

Jiang Xu guessed that the words "Limit Reached" meant that under normal circumstances, this was the highest level he could achieve for a Skill through his own Cultivation.

’Mastery wasn’t a Realm he could normally reach. He needed to use special methods to break through his own limits.’

’Does that mean that as long as my comprehension becomes high enough, the "limit" of my Skills will also rise?’

’And that only after reaching the Master Level would I need Limit-Breaking Points to break through to "Perfect"?’

’Conversely, if the Skill I’m learning is too difficult, will its "limit" be lowered as a result?’

’Meaning, I’d need Limit-Breaking Points to break through to the "Skilled" level right from the "Beginner" level?’

From Jiang Xu’s perspective, the difficulty of a Tier Two Technique was immeasurably higher than that of a Tier One Technique.

This Thousand-Faced Illusion Body, in particular, was a whole level more difficult than the first two Tier Two Techniques Jiang Xu had learned.

Given this, Jiang Xu figured he probably couldn’t learn it just by reading the manual.

’If I really want to reach the Beginner Level, it seems I’ll have to practice it thoroughly.’

Jiang Xu sat cross-legged in the cultivation room. He first calmed his mind and focused his spirit. Following the book’s instructions, he guided the Magical Power from his Dantian through the meridians all over his body.

Gradually, Jiang Xu felt a weak but continuous stream of Magical Power begin to flow through the network of vessels just beneath his skin.

The process was exceedingly difficult. The slightest lapse in concentration could cause the Magical Power to dissipate or backfire on him, so he had to remain fully focused, carefully manipulating every last bit of it.

He needed to start with simple pathways, like the Taiyin Lung Meridian in his hand. He let the Magical Power flow like a trickle, slowly forming a thin Energy Membrane on the surface of his skin. As he grew more proficient, he would gradually expand this to cover the meridians all over his body.

Once the Magical Power could move freely across the surface of his skin, Jiang Xu took the next step: attempting to condense it into a thin Energy Membrane that covered his entire body.

He imagined the Energy Membrane covering his skin like a gentle layer of flowing water—delicate and flexible, able to change its form and color with a mere thought.

Next came the crucial stage: simulating the skin texture and color of another person.

First, he had to choose a familiar target as a reference. Jiang Xu thought for a moment, picked someone he remembered well, and began to imitate them. He recalled the details of their skin, such as wrinkles, blemishes, and variations in skin tone.

Then, he tried to manipulate the Energy Membrane on his body’s surface, making it change shape and color according to his will in an effort to mimic the target’s skin characteristics.

Jiang Xu casually summoned a Water Mirror and began to slowly transform while looking at his reflection.

He focused his attention on his reflection in the Water Mirror. Closing his eyes, he carefully recalled the facial features of the person he had in mind.

The man’s skin was somewhat dark, the wrinkles on his forehead like traces carved by time. He had a unique mole on his left cheek, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. His overall appearance was honest and simple.

After building a complete image in his mind, Jiang Xu began to adjust the Energy Membrane on his body’s surface.

He mobilized his Magical Power, like an artist using an invisible brush to paint a picture, meticulously tracing fine textures onto the Energy Membrane.

Under his precise control, the seemingly free-flowing Magical Power gradually solidified into the shape of wrinkles, as if the blood vessels and sinews beneath his skin were magnified and displayed on the surface.

Next was the process of simulating the blemishes. Jiang Xu cautiously gathered a small, dense cluster of Magical Power, fixed it to the corresponding spot on his left cheek, and then used delicate control to make the cluster take on the appearance of a mole with a realistic skin-like texture.

As for the person’s skin tone, he had to be even more careful in controlling the color and transparency of the Energy Membrane. He needed it to display that healthy, dark complexion while also maintaining the skin’s natural luster and three-dimensional feel.

He took a deep breath and sank his consciousness into his body, slowly releasing varying amounts of Magical Power to create a gradual transition from light to dark, from bright to dim.

After finishing all this, Jiang Xu was mentally and physically exhausted.

’I can’t believe cultivating this damn Magic takes so much effort!’

It was especially draining to not only control his Magical Power to form an Energy Membrane on his surface but also constantly make fine adjustments to it.

Even though Jiang Xu was already at the Foundation Establishment Realm, he was still thoroughly exhausted.

But despite his exhaustion, Jiang Xu was very excited. After all, this was his first time using this kind of Disguise Technique. He eagerly looked into the Water Mirror, wanting to see how his "makeup" had turned out.

But when Jiang Xu looked into the mirror, he was instantly dumbfounded.

The person in the mirror had crooked eyes and a twisted mouth. His face was a patchwork of black and white blotches. The mole on his left cheek was unexpectedly the size of a child’s fist, taking up almost half his face. It was so ugly it was downright horrifying!

"Holy shit!"

Jiang Xu was first startled, then he quickly canceled the Energy Membrane on his face. After looking in the mirror again, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He had been genuinely afraid that his face wouldn’t return to normal.

’This Magic is so hard...’

Jiang Xu looked at his panel, and his gloomy mood immediately vanished.

In the Magic column, the four words "Thousand-Faced Illusion Body" were prominently displayed.

[Thousand-Faced Illusion Body (Beginner): 1/100]

’So, I really do have to practice a little on my own first. It only appears on the panel after I’ve reached a certain point.’

’Sigh, it’s already this much trouble now. If it were a Tier Three Technique, would I have to cultivate for a month or so just to get it to appear on the panel?’