Chapter 253: Mastery of the Thousand-Faced Illusion Body

Chapter 253: Chapter 253: Mastery of the Thousand-Faced Illusion Body

The man looked troubled by his question.

It made sense. Getting something like that right now wouldn’t be cheap, and it was the kind of item that had a price but no sellers.

But Jiang Xu had more faith in the power of Spirit Stones.

He placed a Middle Grade Spirit Stone into the Broker’s hand.

"Is this enough? There’s more if it’s not. This is just for the information. If I actually manage to buy or acquire it, you’ll get a commission."

The man was stunned.

After all, the man was only at the Qi Cultivation Early Stage. A single Middle Grade Spirit Stone was more than he could earn in a very long time, not to mention the promise of even more Spirit Stones upon success.

So, the man immediately said:

"Senior, this Passage Order is actually similar to a Magical Artifact. It’s bound by its owner. You can’t just snatch one from someone and use it yourself."

"What’s more, once bound, the binding cannot be undone by the owner, nor can it be willingly transferred. The only way is for the Duo Bao Pavilion, the Seven Stars Association, and the Beast Taming Sect to reforge it."

"That’s why the Passage Orders are so incredibly scarce right now."

"But I know of an unbound Passage Order that would meet your needs, Senior. It’s just that..."

The Broker trailed off, a clear hesitation in his voice. Obviously, what he was about to say was either complicated or came at a steep price.

He glanced at the Middle Grade Spirit Stone in his hand, a flicker of conflict in his eyes, before continuing.

"This Passage Order is currently being offered at an extremely secretive trade meet. The owner doesn’t want Spirit Stones; it seems he wants someone to do something for him. But it’s clearly no ordinary task. He’s already attended two trade meets with no success, and I hear this will be his last time attending this one."

"With my status and Cultivation, I can’t get into the trade meet, so I can’t find out what the owner wants. I’m afraid you’ll have to attend yourself, Senior."

Jiang Xu’s expression didn’t change upon hearing this. He simply said, "Tell me the details. How do I get in?"

The Broker took a deep breath, collected his thoughts, and continued.

"The auction is in one week, held at a secret, underground trading venue. The entry passes alone are quite expensive. If you’re serious about it, Senior, this junior can help arrange for your entry. But whether you can ultimately win the item will depend on your own strength and determination."

Jiang Xu nodded slightly, satisfied with the answer. He knew it wouldn’t be simple, but at least now he had a clear path forward.

"Don’t worry. I’ll cover all the expenses for your arrangements. After it’s done, whether I get the item or not, I’ll give you a reward that will make you very happy."

This was exactly what the man wanted to hear. Overjoyed, he immediately left to make the arrangements for Jiang Xu.

Before he left, he gave Jiang Xu a Sound Transmission Talisman and set a meeting place for seven days from now.

Jiang Xu wasn’t worried about the Broker taking the Spirit Stone and running.

After all, he was just a Junior Cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Early Stage. He wouldn’t dare offend a Foundation Establishment expert like Jiang Xu even if he had a hundred times the nerve.

Besides, the man made his living in the Demon Communication Workshop; he wouldn’t dare stir up trouble here.

And even if he had a moment of madness and did run, Jiang Xu could always find him with the Seeking Technique.

...

For the next seven days, Jiang Xu did nothing but continue his Cultivation of the Thousand-Faced Illusion Body.

On the last day, he finally finished his Cultivation, completing the two hundred points of proficiency.

’There’s still plenty of time before the meeting. I might as well just upgrade the Thousand-Faced Illusion Body to the Mastery level.’

Jiang Xu called up the panel and mentally tapped the "+" next to Thousand-Faced Illusion Body.

Instantly, ten of his Limit-Breaking Points vanished, and the status for his Thousand-Faced Illusion Body changed:

[Thousand-Faced Illusion Body (Mastery): 0/400]

As Jiang Xu mentally tapped the "+" for Thousand-Faced Illusion Body, he clearly felt a wondrous power surge from the depths of his soul. In sync with the consumption of his Limit-Breaking Points, it transformed into a torrent that poured into the Skill itself.

His consciousness felt as if it were being pulled into another dimension by a powerful and mysterious force.

He felt his spiritual world illuminated by an invisible mirror, which reflected a constantly shifting figure.

It was as if a master painter were using Jiang Xu’s consciousness as a brush and the myriad forms of the universe as ink, painting an endless stream of figures in the mirror like a flowing ink wash scroll.

In a single instant, the figure in the mirror had changed countless times—from familiar friends and relatives to passersby met by chance, from wizened elders to naive children, from common street vendors to Golden Core Zhenrens atop mountain peaks. Each one was rendered with such lifelike detail, they seemed real.

Every pore, every glance, was so exquisitely detailed and realistic it was nearly impossible to tell them from the genuine article. This wasn’t merely a change in appearance; it was a complete simulation of their demeanor, temperament, actions, and even their spiritual aura, reaching a level of fidelity that was identical to the original person.

After countless transformations, the reflection in the mirror finally settled on Jiang Xu’s original appearance from his life on Earth.

At that moment, his mirrored self and the Jiang Xu of the present seemed to transcend the boundaries of time and space, meeting and merging to form an ineffable resonance and connection.

Then, light and shadow intertwined and the scene distorted. Darkness flooded Jiang Xu’s vision, as if he were falling through layers of dreams. When light returned, he was back in the familiar room.

He could clearly sense that his Thousand-Faced Illusion Body had now entered the realm of Mastery. He could now transform at will into anyone he had ever seen, perfectly simulating both their external appearance and internal aura to a degree that was almost impossible to detect.

Jiang Xu was in a daze. ’That final reflection of my Earth self...’ he thought. ’Perhaps that’s what my soul truly looks like.’

After a long while, Jiang Xu finally snapped out of it. He roused his spirits and prepared to test out his Master Level Thousand-Faced Illusion Body.

’Master Level Thousand-Faced Illusion Body... I wonder what’s different about it.’

After some experimentation, Jiang Xu found that the Master Level Thousand-Faced Illusion Body was, in his opinion, nothing short of heaven-defying.

When changing his appearance and physique, Jiang Xu felt as adept as a chameleon.

With a single thought, he could instantly alter his height, build, skin tone and texture, and even the fine details of his facial structure and features. He could even simulate different states of aging, making it impossible to tell the difference from reality.

But that wasn’t all.

The Beginner Level of Thousand-Faced Illusion Body could only alter parts of his appearance.

The Skilled Level could change his entire body.

And now at the Master Level, it went beyond mere appearance; his ability to shape the identity and temperament of different personas had reached a state of perfection.

Jiang Xu could now precisely replicate a person’s mannerisms. His every movement could reflect their unique personality traits and habits, as if he had instantly become someone else entirely.

Whether it was the reserved elegance of a nobleman, the resolute courage of a warrior, or the refined grace of a scholar, he could portray them all flawlessly, without a single imperfection.