Liu Buli knew that Lu Wuming was telling the truth.
He also understood very well that if he said he wanted it, Lu Wuming would immediately give his heart and lungs again, without any hesitation or complaint.
Lu Wuming was indeed immortal, but immortality still felt pain. Liu Buli had never experienced, nor dared to imagine, the intense pain of having his heart and lungs ripped out.
For someone to go to such lengths for another, it could only be born from the deepest love.
Yet, hearing Lu Wuming's declaration of love, Liu Buli felt no emotion, but rather a strong urge to smack this foolish disciple.
How could he be so adept at ruining the mood?
Did he think Liu Buli wanted his internal organs?
It was clearly a commemoration of the love he felt when he had given his heart and lungs back then. What was this idiot thinking?
Liu Buli was about to get a splitting headache.
Fortunately, while Qiyu could be a bit absent-minded at times, she still possessed a touch of maidenly sentimentality. Understanding Liu Buli's meaning, Qiyu fell silent for a long time, then nodded with utmost seriousness. She said, "Little disciple, you are right. If it's such an important body, then it should indeed be kept."
Hearing Qiyu's reply, Liu Buli was momentarily stunned.
He blinked, thinking he had misheard.
His master was a deity, after all. Should not a deity's eyes be able to tolerate nothing?
He, a mere spirit occupying someone else's body, was attempting to seize control from the rightful owner. Should Qiyu not stop him?
Perhaps his expression was too telling, for Qiyu understood his thoughts with a single glance. She immediately offered a comforting smile and waved her hand, saying, "Little disciple, don't look at me like that. From the moment we first met, I told you I was a very selfish person. From that perspective, I don't even consider myself worthy of being called a deity."
Hearing her say this, Liu Buli knew she was referring to the War of the Gods.
He opened his mouth, intending to offer some words of comfort.
But before he could speak, Qiyu waved her hand, signaling him to wait, and continued, "Because I am selfish, I only care about the people and things that are important to me. Since I am dead now, you are the most important person to me, and what you are facing is the most important matter. As for whether the original owner of this body was good or bad, or whether he should disappear, I do not care. Because you are my disciple, I do not want you to suffer any harm."
Qiyu spoke with utmost sincerity.
Liu Buli knew these words came from the bottom of her heart.
In a sense, this deity did possess the cold indifference befitting a god. However, this indifference was directed towards everyone except Liu Buli. As Qiyu herself had said, Liu Buli was her sole exception.
To say he was not moved would be a lie. Liu Buli felt his eyes welling up, his nose stinging, and an urge to cry.
Qiyu's expression softened slightly, and she chuckled, continuing, "I suggested you change bodies earlier simply because I was worried about your soul. But if there is such an important reason why you cannot change bodies, then we will continue with this one. However, having two souls in one body will affect you, so I will teach you a method to expel him, and you will be the sole master of this body."
Liu Buli's eyes widened.
This divine master was truly a treasure he had stumbled upon.
To so brazenly speak of soul usurpation, was it fitting for his fated master?
Seeing his reaction, Qiyu couldn't help but snort. Her expression was one of immense pride. "Little disciple, you must understand that you have inherited all my abilities. Even if your era lacks spiritual energy and cannot produce powerful elixirs, you are my successor. Of course, I must ensure your safety! Otherwise, would I have to find someone else and start teaching all over again? Not to mention whether their talent is as good as yours, I would find it too troublesome myself!"
Well, that was indeed a valid reason to help him.
Liu Buli couldn't help but laugh, and finally bowed deeply to Qiyu, his voice heavy as he said, "Thank you, Master."
He actually had more he wanted to say.
But as the words reached his lips, Liu Buli hesitated and ultimately swallowed them back.
There was nothing more to say.
A thousand words were encapsulated in that single "thank you."
Though he also understood that Qiyu didn't particularly need this gratitude. After all, everything she did was her own decision. She wanted to protect her little disciple, and she was not acting for the sake of thanks.
In the time that followed, Qiyu's actions allowed Liu Buli to personally experience the benefits of having a divine master. First, she wrote out a soul-stabilizing elixir formula and placed it in his hand, earnestly instructing him to consume it regularly, both before and after successfully taking over the body, to fortify his soul. Then, she secluded herself in her room to diligently research methods for soul separation.
According to Qiyu, if Liu Buli were the original owner of the body, soul separation would be much easier. Similar to how ordinary Taoist priests exorcise ghosts, simply expelling the soul that did not belong to this body would allow Liu Buli to return to normal.
However, what he needed to do now was soul usurpation, and he was not like a typical ghost that could devour the other from the depths of their soul. Therefore, in Qiyu's opinion, this matter would have to be resolved through their alchemy skills. After all, they were experts in this field, and at a critical juncture, one must not forget their roots.
Liu Buli found her reasoning sound. To avoid disturbing her, he waited with Lu Wuming in the main hall.
Sitting together, they both fell into an unconscious silence. After an unknown period, Lu Wuming suddenly spoke, "Master, if Grandmaster cannot find a good method, then this body can be discarded. I will get you a new one. Did Grandmaster not say it was easier to extract your soul from this body? Then let him teach us this method. After we leave here, if you fancy someone's body, I will kill them and make their soul depart, and you can inhabit it. You won't have to worry about anyone else competing with you."
His words were terrifying and sinister, yet Liu Buli couldn't help but laugh.
He had to admit, this line of reasoning was undeniably characteristic of Lu Wuming. Liu Buli was also certain that Lu Wuming's words were not a comforting lie, but a genuine, heartfelt truth that he had truly considered.
It was precisely because he knew this that Liu Buli felt an unusual sense of helplessness. He raised a hand and pressed his forehead. Liu Buli asked, "Wuming, for a soul to return to a corpse, have you considered the possibility of the body decaying?"
Lu Wuming blinked.
From his utterly bewildered expression, Liu Buli knew that he had absolutely not considered such a possibility.
However, Liu Buli did not need to lecture him further. In the next moment, Lu Wuming continued to provide his answer. He said, "If it decays, it doesn't matter. We can just get a new one. Master, as long as you desire it, and as long as Wuming can accomplish it, no matter how many bodies, no matter whose body it is, I can get it for you. I can guarantee this, so rest assured."