This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 312 Who are you?

The Demon Lord's murmur revealed a question, then his gaze returned to Xiao Xingchen.

"Go to the Demon-Suppressing Prison for me. If you can retrieve that item, it will at least make up for all the essence I've accumulated over the years."

"Are you sure? I've been inside that place once. Not only are there powerful demons, but also guards from the Ninth Heaven. And this time, I feel like something big is about to happen."

"You've been inside? Then why? Never mind, you're clueless, it's normal that you don't understand,"

The Demon Lord's look of utter disbelief at Xiao Xingchen left him speechless, but he still backed down. Not only did the Demon Lord now hold his life in his hands, but this Demon Lord didn't seem like the kind of person who would stop at nothing.

The person's reputation was severely misleading, and he even felt a sense of familiarity with them. Having such a knowledgeable person around was like having an extra lifeline.

He wasn't so concerned about how he had brought the Demon Lord out of the world. Strange things always happened to him, and he was used to it.

"What do you want me to do? Make sure I don't get stuck in there," he bargained.

The Demon Lord lowered his head in thought, then kept scrutinizing him. Suddenly, a smile appeared on his lips, which made Xiao Xingchen sense something ominous.

And that was indeed the case; the Demon Lord suddenly spoke.

"I've thought of something fun,"

Then the Demon Lord snapped his fingers, and Xiao Xingchen saw himself begin to transform, soon turning into the Demon Lord's appearance.

"You look much better now. Go to the Demon Suppression Prison like this. I'm sure it will be very interesting."

A playful glint flashed in the Demon Lord's eyes before he vanished without a trace. As for Xiao Xingchen, he was still reeling from the changes in his own body.

The black mist, which had already healed, gradually covered him and began to change his appearance to resemble that of the Demon Lord.

The moon-shaped inscription flashed, but was quickly obliterated by the Demon Lord's essence. Before Xi Zhu's astonished gaze, a face different from Xiao Xingchen's appeared on his body.

Then came the body; in the blink of an eye, the person lying in the secret room was no longer Xiao Xingchen, but another handsome man.

"This..." Xizhu rubbed her eyes hard, staring at the scene before her in disbelief. Was this really the same person?

With a loud bang, the door was kicked open, and Ling Xue and Ruoxue, sensing the commotion, rushed in, swords in hand.

Upon seeing Xizhu there, the two of them simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.

"You can stay here. There was a fluctuation just now, what exactly happened?"

Ling Xue still vividly remembered the image of the Ghost Sword vibrating in her hand. There was a power here that had caused her Ghost Sword to respond, a fact that even she found baffling, unsure of what was happening.

"Um... how about you take a look at him first?"

Xizhu awkwardly pointed at Xiao Xingchen.

"Who is this? Where is he?" Ruoxue's eyes flashed, then her expression changed drastically.

"Someone stole his body? This is outrageous!" Ling Xue was furious and was about to rush out, but Xi Zhu forcefully stopped her.

"Don't worry, the person is right here, and he's still alive."

"What nonsense are you talking about? This is clearly another living person," the two questioned simultaneously, leaving Xizhu somewhat at a loss for words. She could only try to answer.

"What would you think if I said he was Xiao Xingchen? Let me make it clear first, I'm not crazy,"

"Xiao Xingchen?"

The two were immediately startled, turned their gaze back to the bed, and then shook their heads.

"You're not crazy, I think we must be the ones who are crazy. What happened? Why is Xiao Xingchen's body gone? And who is this?"

"This is Xiao Xingchen; he's changed so much."

Xizhu was getting anxious; she really didn't know how to explain it.

"Really?"

"Why would I lie to you? This person has always had a secret, which is why I've stayed by his side all this time. And Shen Li and the others went to such lengths because of his secret. Now he's changed, and I really... really can't explain it. But this is Xiao Xingchen, you have to believe me."

These words forced Ruoxue to re-examine the person in bed.

Her delicate features resembled those of a scholar, and she had become much thinner. She tried to find some similarities between her and Xiao Xingchen, but after looking around, she even noticed discrepancies in their heights.

"Really?"

She turned back to confirm in disbelief, and Xizhu nodded emphatically.

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Faced with this eerie situation, none of the three knew what to say. Finally, Ling Xue broke the silence.

"When he wakes up, ask him if... what really happened,"

"That's the only way. This is the first time I've encountered something so strange. It seems my experience is still lacking; I need to travel more." Xizhu nodded in agreement.

And so, all three of them kept their eyes fixed on Xiao Xingchen.

When Xiao Xingchen regained consciousness, his body had fully healed. Although the black mist from the Demon Lord looked terrifying, the immense life force within it was undeniable.

At that moment, he truly believed it: the Demon Lord had paid a tremendous price to bring him back to life.

He quickly touched his face, and then his face darkened. At the same time, three sharp eyes were cast upon him, like three sharp swords jolting him awake.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"who are you?"

"Who else could it be? I am who I am," Xiao Xingchen asked knowingly, her expression towards the three women quite amusing.

Looking like this, even my own mother probably wouldn't recognize me.

"Tell me, who are you?"

Ling Xue didn't waste any words and immediately drew her sword. As the ghost sword attacked, Xiao Xingchen finally frowned. He put two fingers together and accurately flicked the blade.

With a sword's cry, the Ghost Sword was sent flying with a mournful howl.

"You really are a fake,"

With this attack, Ling Xue unleashed her full power; the real Xiao Xingchen simply couldn't deflect the ghost sword.

"Stop, stop, stop,"

Seeing that the misunderstanding was about to escalate, Xiao Xingchen quickly called a halt. He was also in a daze. In his vision, the Ghost Sword seemed to slow down. He even had a feeling that even if he did nothing, the Ghost Sword could not harm him in the slightest.

"What's wrong with me?" He spread his hands, wondering if the Demon Lord's power had made him improve.

He tried to awaken the Bronze Tree within him, but at that moment, the Bronze Tree vanished. His expression changed drastically. His cultivation method had long since gone astray; he was now relying entirely on the power of the Bronze Tree. But now, it was as if his divine tree had been dug out; he couldn't sense it at all.

Now he is just like an ordinary person, his body empty, without a trace of his former strength.