Why can't Yan Li just use normal 'Possession'?

Her soul has been a ghost for too long and is fading. Even with the Soul-Nourishing Wood, she would lose her mind within a year or two, making a normal Possession useless as she would be a soulless husk.

Why does the Resurrection Art shatter the caster's core?

Because it is a "heaven-defying" art that rewrites the natural order of death. The universe imposes a catastrophic karmic cost on the caster for cheating its laws, usually destroying their cultivation base as payment.

Is Han Li just doing this for the Soul-Whistle Orb secret?

That is his stated price, but the subtext suggests he is genuinely moved by Yuan Yao's sacrifice. He sees a rare, selfless act that his own pragmatic philosophy cannot compute, and he grudgingly respects it.

The Resurrection Art

1,872 words

Chapter 575: Stirrings Across the Sea, the Resurrection Art

“That’s right. I obtained a jade slip from the young master of the Azure Yang Sect that mentioned the Soul-Nourishing Wood hidden within the Void Heaven Palace. So after preparing, I made a special trip into the palace to retrieve that divine wood. But I never imagined the palace would be far more dangerous than the rumors suggested. Had Fellow Daoist Han not saved me several times, with my nascent Nascent Soul cultivation, I fear I would have been buried within that hall. Now, after years of being nourished by the Soul-Nourishing Wood, Senior Sister Yan Li’s soul power has mostly recovered. While she still cannot actively seize a body, it is enough to use the ‘Resurrection Art’ to give her a new physical form.” When Yuan Yao reached this point, a glimmer of hope appeared on her face.

“The Resurrection Art? The secret art that guides a soul into a newly dead body to bring it back to life?” Han Li’s expression shifted slightly.

“Indeed. That very art.”

“Fellow Daoist Yuan, do you understand what you are doing? I’ll set aside the danger of the art for now. The mere cost of performing it is something most cultivators cannot bear. Not only does it require a cultivation at or above Core Formation to cast, but because this art defies the heavens, the caster’s cultivation base will suffer a loss so severe it is nearly unbearable. For a Core Formation cultivator, it will almost certainly drop by an entire major realm. Given your current cultivation level, if you perform this art, there is a nine-in-ten chance your core will shatter immediately, and you will fall back to Foundation Establishment.” Han Li stared at her face, his voice turning cold and sharp.

“I am well aware of that, Yuan Yao. This art is different from Possession. Possession seizes a living body, and as long as the Three Iron Laws are not violated, one can generally proceed without incident. But the Resurrection Art is a spell that reanimates the corpse of the newly deceased. Naturally, it demands a price.” Yuan Yao was silent for a moment upon hearing Han Li’s words, but then she spoke as if it were a trivial matter.

It seemed she had long since accepted the fate of her Core shattering.

“You have the Soul-Nourishing Wood to aid your senior sister. Is active Possession still impossible? Or perhaps you could wait until you reach mid Core Formation to perform the Resurrection Art for Yan Li. That way, you wouldn’t have to suffer a Core shatter. Re-condensing a Core after it shatters is incredibly difficult, several times harder than forming it the first time. It is safe to say that you would never have hope of reaching it again.” A flicker of sharp light flashed in Han Li’s eyes as he gave a solemn warning.

“The damage my senior sister sustained was too great. Her soul has existed in a spectral form for far too long, and she has already begun to lose her mind intermittently. This is not something the Soul-Nourishing Wood can prevent. At most, in another year or two, she will completely lose her sanity. By then, even if the Resurrection Art were performed, she would be reduced to a simpleton. Furthermore, I have recently found a very suitable body and have, at great expense, already set up the Resurrection Art formation. If no one disturbs me, I had planned to begin the art in a month or two.” Yuan Yao said this calmly. Though a trace of faint sorrow lingered between her brows, her resolve was clear.

Upon hearing this, a strange light flickered in Han Li’s eyes.

“By telling me all this, Fellow Daoist Yuan, are you hoping for my assistance?” After a long moment, he let out a light sigh and asked.

“Brother Han has just rendered me a great service. I should not be asking for more. However, the Resurrection Art must be performed in a place of profound Yin, and it absolutely must not be disturbed. The casting process creates considerable commotion; even with a formation to conceal it, it will easily attract the prying eyes of other cultivators. Because I am wanted by the Azure Yang Sect, I know no other high-level cultivators besides Brother Han. I dare not ask you to do more than what I have said. I only hope you can spare a few days to stand guard while I perform the ritual. This concerns the life and death of Senior Sister Yan Li. If you agree, you may name any condition you wish. If it is within my power, I will comply with every single one.” The woman raised a delicate eyebrow, her jade-carved face full of resolve.

Han Li remained silent, a contemplative expression on his face.

Following his past actions, he would naturally be reluctant to waste time here. He had plenty of his own troubles, and one fewer entanglement was always better.

But Yuan Yao’s willingness to shatter her own Core to save her friend stirred something buried deep within him.

After weighing the pros and cons, he calculated that with his current cultivation, as long as he didn’t run into a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, he would be relatively safe. Any ordinary cultivator who came to pry could be dealt with easily. Standing guard for her for a few days seemed like no great inconvenience.

Having thought it through, Han Li came to a decision and let out a wry laugh while rubbing his nose.

“It seems I am not made of iron and stone after all. I simply cannot find the words to refuse. Since Fellow Daoist Yuan is willing to shatter her Core to help Yan Li return to life, I will stand guard for you this once. I won’t mention any other conditions. Just tell me the peculiarities of the Soul-Whistle Orb. I have yet to refine it, as I have my concerns. And that place of profound Yin you mentioned—it isn’t on this island, is it? This place has already been exposed. It would be better to find another location to perform the art.”

Upon hearing Han Li’s words, Yuan Yao’s face lit up, and a look of gratitude appeared in her eyes.

“I am truly grateful for Brother Han’s assistance. Please do not worry. The place of profound Yin is not here, but on another small island. Although it is only a few days’ travel from here, it is far enough to evade the Azure Yang Sect’s immediate pursuit and give me time to finish the ritual. As for the Soul-Whistle Orb, it is simple. The Crying Soul Beast was also the Azure Yang Sect young master’s property. It was not fully refined, only half-completed. As a result, the controlling Soul-Whistle Orb has a defect. Anyone who refines it will suffer periodic, unbearable headaches. As the refinement deepens, the pain becomes increasingly difficult to suppress. I only refined a small portion of the orb to deal with the ghost mist in the Void Heaven Palace. Even so, it caused me sleepless nights and constant restlessness. I also have the later stages of the Crying Soul Beast’s refinement art. I doubt Brother Han can complete it alone, but I will still give it to you.” Yuan Yao pulled out a green jade slip and tossed it to Han Li, explaining as she did.

A wave of understanding washed over Han Li.

So that’s why the beast, despite its ability to devour souls and ghosts, seemed somewhat unremarkable compared to its reputation. It was an incomplete product.

A flicker of disappointment passed through Han Li’s eyes as he caught the jade slip. He gave it a cursory glance before tossing it into his storage pouch.

“Fellow Daoist Yuan Yao, this place has been compromised. To avoid any unforeseen trouble, we should leave the cave immediately and head to the place of profound Yin. The sooner, the better.” Han Li’s expression grew serious.

“Good! I was going to suggest the same. Let me pack up the cave a bit, and we will set off without delay.” Yuan Yao was momentarily taken aback, but then nodded in agreement.

…

Three days later, on another desolate island, Han Li stood high above, gazing downward with a focused expression.

“This island does indeed have a very dense aura of Yin. It must have been no easy task for you to find such a place, Fellow Daoist Yuan. Perhaps the abundant Yin energy here could reduce the loss you will suffer.” Han Li rubbed his chin, then turned to the beautiful woman beside him.

“Naturally. I once researched the data on the nearby sea regions and discovered that this nameless island was once known as a beast cemetery long ago. Before humanity established itself in the Chaotic Star Sea, low-grade demon beasts nearing the end of their lifespans would automatically come to this island to await their demise. Later, after human cultivators fully conquered the inner sea, most of the low-grade beasts were slaughtered, and this practice ceased. Even so, after all these years, the Yin energy on this island remains astonishingly heavy. But because the island is tiny and far from the usual trade routes, very few know of it.” Yuan Yao glanced at the island and spoke with a slight smile.

Having said this, she did not hesitate and gently descended. Han Li unhurriedly followed close behind.

They landed in a corner of the island, and Yuan Yao led Han Li to an empty, small valley. The ground was littered with black stones the size of fists.

Yuan Yao formed a hand seal, and with a flick of her jade hand, a beam of red light shot forth.

The air in front of the valley shimmered, and the scenery abruptly shifted, revealing a complex formation over ten yards in size.

The formation was incredibly intricate, with arrays nested within arrays and profound runes that were clearly no ordinary design.

But what caught Han Li’s attention was the translucent, exquisitely crafted white jade coffin lying in the center of the formation. It was about seven feet long and three feet tall, wreathed in strands of white mist, and made of extremely rare cold jade. It was undoubtedly worth a fortune.

A flicker of surprise crossed Han Li’s eyes.

There was no doubt that the body inside the cold jade coffin was the one Yuan Yao had prepared for Yan Li.

From what Han Li knew, the Resurrection Art required extremely specific conditions for the body. It needed to account for the attributes of the Spiritual Roots, the time of birth, and even the exact time of the original owner’s death, as well as whether the death was unjust and whether resentment or karmic taint had infected the body.

Only when all these conditions were met could the art be attempted.

As Han Li was closely examining the formation and the jade coffin, Yuan Yao wore a grave expression as she took out a black wooden box from her bosom and placed it on the lid of the jade coffin. She then quickly stepped back a few paces.

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Reading Guide Decoding

Shattering a Core for a Friend: The Price of ‘Huanhun’

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

The Resurrection Art vs. Possession: This chapter draws a crucial line between two different methods of cheating death, both rooted in the novel’s underlying Daoist cosmology of souls.

Possession (夺舍): Is a direct, violent takeover of a living person's body. It’s bound by the Three Iron Laws (no mortals, higher power level needed, once per lifetime) and is a crude, parasitic act. The original soul is destroyed. It’s a predator’s game.
Resurrection Art (还魂术): This is a completely different beast. It targets a body that has already died. The goal is not to steal a life, but to reclaim a life by implanting a preserved soul into a vacant vessel. It is described as an act that “defies the heavens,” which is why it carries such a terrifying price on the caster. It’s a much more sacred (and self-destructive) act, suggesting a deep emotional bond that goes far and beyond the standard mortal stream transaction.

The “Soul” and its Fragility: The chapter highlights a fragile but common trope in xianxia: a soul cannot exist indefinitely without a body. The “Soul-Nourishing Wood” (养魂木) is a rare treasure that can slow this decay, but it is a temporary fix. The ultimate degradation of the soul into a mindless state is seen as a natural, irreversible law of the cosmos, which is why Han Li warns that only a high-risk ritual can save Yan Li.

Chapter Overview

Get ready, fellow travelers, because this chapter is a masterclass in Mortal Stream pathos and cold, hard calculations wrapped in a deceptively quiet conversation. We witness Yuan Yao, the beautiful rogue cultivator we last saw fleeing with Green Fire Thunder, reveal the full, staggering price of her loyalty. She plans to use the ancient and forbidden Resurrection Art to bring her senior sister, Yan Li, back from the brink of soul-loss. The cost? Her own Core Formation. Yes, you read that right—she is willing to shatter her cultivation base and drop back to Foundation Establishment. Our favorite bean-counter, Han Li, is forced to confront this act of profound, self-destructive devotion. The chapter masterfully contrasts his own ingrained “never lift a finger without profit” philosophy with a rare, genuine sacrifice that he cannot help but respect. It’s a quiet scene—no explosions, no sword light—but the emotional and strategic weight is immense, setting the stage for a significant debt and a deeper look into the world's cruel mechanics of life and death.

Key Plot Points

The Revelation: Yuan Yao explains that she entered the Void Heaven Palace specifically to find the Soul-Nourishing Wood to preserve her senior sister Yan Li’s fading soul. After years of treatment, Yan Li's soul is stable enough for the next step but she is losing her mind and cannot perform a normal Possession.
The Resurrection Art: She plans to use the forbidden “Resurrection Art,” a spell that reanimates a newly dead body. The cost is catastrophic: a Core Formation cultivator will almost certainly see their Golden Core shatter, dropping them back to Foundation Establishment permanently.
Han Li’s Calculation: Han Li naturally tries to talk her out of it, pointing out the near-certainty of permanent crippling. He searches for a logical alternative, suggesting waiting for a better body or higher cultivation, but Yuan Yao explains that Yan Li’s soul is degrading too fast for any other option to work.
The Transaction: Han Li’s internal conflict is resolved when his pragmatic side finds a suitable “price.” He agrees to stand guard during the ritual in exchange for the full truth about the Soul-Whistle Orb’s defect, which has been causing him periodic headaches.
Setting the Stage: The chapter ends with them arriving at a remote, Yin-saturated island—an ancient beast cemetery—where Yuan Yao has already prepared a complex Resurrection Art formation with a cold jade coffin containing a suitable body.

Reading Guide

This chapter is a quiet bomb. Unlike the explosive artifact fights in the previous chapters, the drama here is purely philosophical and emotional. Pay close attention to the subtle cracks in Han Li’s usual armor. He knows this is a bad deal—risky, time-consuming, and offering only a vague informational reward (the Soul-Whistle Orb’s secret). Yet, he agrees. The narration frames it as a calculation, a “transaction,” but the text shows a man who is deeply, grudgingly moved by a loyalty he does not fully understand. It’s a rare moment of genuine, almost irrational sentiment breaking through his cynical shell. This isn’t just a favor; it’s a debt that will echo later in the story. The chapter also wonderfully sets up the “return to roots” of the main conflict, reminding us that beyond the politics of Chaotic Star Sea, there are still fundamental, life-or-death struggles over the very nature of existence.

Deep Dive: The Psychology of ‘Huanhun’

Why does Yuan Yao’s sacrifice hit so hard? Because in the logic of the Mortal Stream, it is stupid. It is a terrible investment. She is literally destroying her own future (permanent crippling of her cultivation) for a past that is already lost (a fellow disciple). In a world where every cultivator is a hyper-rational actor maximizing their own lifespan and power, Yuan Yao is acting irrationally. And that is exactly what makes her so compelling and so human. Han Li cannot process this immediately. He starts by giving her the rational out, the logical path, the advice any other cultivator would take. It is only when she confirms that she has already accepted the cost that his system breaks. He is not moved by her logic, but by the absence of it. This chapter is a brilliant subversion of the novel’s core rules, showing that even in this cold, dark forest, a few flowers of selfless loyalty can still bloom—and that Han Li, despite his best efforts, is not immune to their beauty.

Quick Q&A

Lore recap (TL;DR) drawn from this chapter's Cultural / Xianxia Notes — same text as the FAQ structured data on this page.

Why can't Yan Li just use normal 'Possession'?: Her soul has been a ghost for too long and is fading. Even with the Soul-Nourishing Wood, she would lose her mind within a year or two, making a normal Possession useless as she would be a soulless husk.
Why does the Resurrection Art shatter the caster's core?: Because it is a "heaven-defying" art that rewrites the natural order of death. The universe imposes a catastrophic karmic cost on the caster for cheating its laws, usually destroying their cultivation base as payment.
Is Han Li just doing this for the Soul-Whistle Orb secret?: That is his stated price, but the subtext suggests he is genuinely moved by Yuan Yao's sacrifice. He sees a rare, selfless act that his own pragmatic philosophy cannot compute, and he grudgingly respects it.