After Switching Bodies with the Villainous Demon Lord - Chapter 5

Duan Ze instinctively dodged in the opposite direction, casually folding the transformation talisman in his hand and stuffing it back into his sleeve.

From what the other person just said, one of his suspicions was confirmed.

Looks like the soul currently occupying Shizu’s body came from the Demon Lord Xiao Wuchen.

They’d swapped souls.

To be able to counter-kill a double-tailed bear with his own body, which was in a weakened state and had just been struck by lightning—probably only Xiao Wuchen could pull off something that crazy.

The two were standing very close. From the other person came a familiar cold fragrance and a thick stench of blood. Duan Ze steadied his mind with effort and said in a low voice, “Before you ask who I am, shouldn’t you first tell me who you are?”

“Smooth-talking brat. Where is this place?” Xiao Wuchen couldn’t be bothered to argue. He remembered that just a moment ago he was discussing plans with his ministers to attack the Cangyu Sect, but when he opened his eyes again, he was in this completely unfamiliar forested mountain full of irritating spiritual power. Not far away, there were even righteous cultivators moving about.

What pissed him off the most was—he had actually turned into a little kid. Fragile and delicate. Just fighting a third-rank double-tailed bear had already drained him dry.

“This place is—”

Before Duan Ze could finish, the kid standing behind him suddenly lunged onto his back, covering his mouth with one hand. “Shh.”

Duan Ze was pulled slightly backwards, air stuck awkwardly in his chest, and he obediently shut up.

Judging by his current height compared to the memory of his own body during the weakened period, for the Demon Lord to cover his mouth from this angle, he was probably half-hanging off his back. The thought made Duan Ze want to laugh a little.

Meanwhile, the disciples outside the cave had finished talking and were already headed in their direction.

“There’s a smell of blood. Everyone be careful,” came a hushed warning from the darkness.

“Shizu probably wouldn’t be here, right…?”

“Let’s check anyway. Shifu said we have to search every corner.”

The intentionally lowered voices grew closer and closer.

There was no more time to waste. Duan Ze used his divine sense to speak to the person behind him.

“If we want to get out of here, we’ll have to work together.”

As he said this, he raised a hand to push away the dagger pressed to his neck. Twisting his head, he saw Xiao Wuchen biting his lip hard, face pale as a sheet, cold sweat beading at his temples—he looked like he might pass out any second. But those pitch-black eyes were calm as still water.

The other also used divine sense to reply, “What do you have in mind?”

Staring at this face he was all too familiar with, Duan Ze paused for a moment. Before the other could make any sudden moves, he said, “No matter what happens in a bit, don’t speak. And don’t deny anything.”

Xiao Wuchen stared silently at him, his gaze sweeping over Duan Ze’s robes. His gut told him he couldn’t just let this guy go—this person might know the reason he ended up in this ridiculous form.

“Mm.” The child gave a stiff nod.

In the novel, it had always emphasized just how much Xiao Wuchen hated the original host. If he found out he was now stuck in the body of his sworn enemy, he’d probably off himself on the spot.

So for now, best not to let him know about the soul swap.

Duan Ze picked Xiao Wuchen up and secured the little guy’s head against his shoulder with one hand. He instructed, “Don’t move around.”

Xiao Wuchen narrowed his eyes slightly and gave a half-hearted “Mm,” while very naturally placing his small hand on the other’s vulnerable neck.

If this guy tried anything shady, he’d kill him on the spot.

Once sure the kid couldn’t see his face, Duan Ze pulled the transformation talisman from his sleeve and activated it.

The disciples of Cangyu Sect split into two groups—one guarded the entrance, while the other entered the cave.

The cave was damp and cold, the air reeking and thick with an eerie, chilling aura.

Everyone’s nerves were stretched taut. Even though they had enough people to subdue the double-tailed bear, they couldn’t be sure what else might be lurking inside.

As the group cautiously moved forward, a flickering light suddenly appeared deeper inside the cave, swaying as it approached them.

“There’s something!” The leading disciple raised a hand, and the others behind him stopped, drawing their swords toward the light. “Who’s there?!”

There were quite a few people in the cave now, making the already tight space feel even more cramped.

No one answered from the light—just silently kept coming closer. An icy chill started to spread quietly, and everyone’s heartbeats slowed with each flicker of light, like invisible hands were squeezing their chests.

“Shixiong, is that a ghost light…” one of the younger disciples whispered, edging closer to his neighbor.

That comment made everyone tense even more.

“How could it be?” someone scolded in a low voice.

Cultivators usually had excellent eyesight. Before the figure even got that close, they could already make out the person holding the light—it was shizu, who had gone missing during the ceremony. He was carrying a small child covered in blood, but still alive from the looks of it.

“Sh—”

The disciples lit up with joy, about to greet him, but Duan Ze suddenly raised a finger to his lips, signaling them to be quiet. Everyone nodded at once and hushed up.

The reason so many had volunteered to look for Duan Ze this time was largely because they hoped for a chance like this—to see High Immortal Duan Ze up close.

Shizu looked just as the rumors said—like a snow lotus from the Tianshan Mountains, pure and untouched. Cold elegance in his features, and under the pale light, his entire form looked even more delicate, like he’d been carved from ice. Ethereal.

No wonder people said he was the cultivator closest to ascension. The air around him practically shimmered with immortal energy.

Under all their starry-eyed gazes, Duan Ze walked up to the nearest disciple and said coolly, “I’ll return to the ceremony later. Lend me your sword.”

Transformation talismans changed voices too. As far as he remembered, he’d never actually spoken to Xiao Wuchen, so the guy shouldn’t know what his voice sounded like.

The disciple he’d spoken to blinked, clearly flustered. After someone shoved him forward, he quickly cast a purification technique on his sword and handed it over, not even daring to ask what it was for. “When will you be back?”

“Before dawn.” Duan Ze replied, then stepped on the sword, formed a spell seal, and flew off right in front of everyone.

Those outside the cave had no idea what had just gone down inside. They heard someone leaving and rushed over, only to find… nothing. Just a gust of wind. After a while, someone murmured, “Was that someone just now?”

“I think… shizu?” one with better cultivation thought he glimpsed a figure and guessed.

At that moment, the lead disciple emerged from the cave, his hand still trembling inside his sleeve. He looked at the others and said, “I’m going to report to the sect leader. You all, not a word about what you just saw.”

“Yes, Shixiong.” Once he left, the rest of the Cangyu Sect disciples exchanged glances, still dazed.

“Did you see that kid Shizu was holding?”

“Yeah. Do you think shizu disappeared because he went to save that child?”

“For shizu to personally rescue him, it must be a heaven-guided encounter.”

“If that’s true, maybe we’re about to have a new Xiao Shishu.”

“Yeah, isn’t that how Xie Shishu came into the sect too?”

“I just feel like something’s… off.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. Can’t put it into words.”

“…”

⸻

Although that Shixiong told everyone not to spread word of Duan Ze’s disappearance, the rumor that shizu was about to take a new disciple spread quickly within the Cangyu Sect, and even other sects caught wind of it.

Suddenly, everyone was buzzing with curiosity about what kind of prodigy their new Xiao Shishu would be.

Duan Ze was highly respected in the cultivation world. His disciples were all stars.

When Duan Ze first arrived in this world, the original host had already taken two disciples. The eldest had reached the Fusion Stage by age 500, known far and wide for his uprightness and heroism. When the war between the cultivation world and the Demon Realm broke out a hundred years ago, the eldest died saving the world, leaving people in mourning—his statue still stands in the mortal realm today.

His second disciple was Cangyu Sect’s current sect leader, Li Qingyuan. Though not as dazzling as the eldest, he’d taken the reins of the powerful sect at a young age and managed it smoothly for a century, earning great respect.

Later, Duan Ze came into the picture and took on a third disciple, Xie Qingyu. As the classic male lead in a power-fantasy story, once discovered, he shone like a diamond washed clean—within just a few years, he stood out among all other cultivators. In fifty years, he went from Qi Refining to Nascent Soul, the fastest ever recorded. He’s also the most likely to ascend.

Those who used to bully him when he was just a lowly servant all either started sucking up or ran away with their tails between their legs, terrified of revenge.

All three were legends among cultivators, so this new disciple of Duan Ze’s was bound to be equally astonishing.

Xie Qingyu had just walked off the competition stage when the news that there might be a new xiao Shidi came straight at him.

The ever-smiling eyes of the young man had unknowingly turned into a dark, icy pool.

He looked up toward the viewing platform and immediately dismissed the rumors in his heart.

Impossible. He clearly remembered Duan Ze only ever had two disciples—he himself wasn’t even supposed to be counted among them.

What the hell was going on?

Xie Qingyu’s hand trembled slightly, confusion and doubt swirling in his heart. The truth he’d clung to suddenly wavered.

All around him, the crowd’s voices became a distant, buzzing murmur. The world felt like it was slipping away from him.

With his head lowered, Xie Qingyu’s gaze was dark and unreadable. After walking a few steps, he raised his head again—and once more had that relaxed, sunny look on his face. But he didn’t head toward the rest area. Instead, he turned and ran toward the viewing platform—toward Duan Ze.

He was going to ask him directly—

Was Duan Ze really going to take a new disciple?

⸻

Author’s note:

Xiao Wuchen, “What are you laughing at?”

Duan Ze, “I just remembered something funny.”