The sword light gradually faded into the distance, and the Soul Sword in Ye Luqing’s hand flew back together with Xiao Qingxuan.
Ye Luqing’s expression slowly returned to normal, finally letting out a soft sigh.
“Truly worthy of a Half-Step Nascent Soul; her divine consciousness is indeed formidable.”
After breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm, the Nascent Soul refined from the Golden Core further advances, and the soul transforms into what is called “divine consciousness.”
Halfway through their conversation, she had activated the Six Desires Marionette Array, but Xiao Qingxuan’s emotions were like reinforced concrete—no mere Golden Core Cultivator like herself could manipulate them.
All she could do was try to amplify Xiao Qingxuan’s feelings—making her happier when she was happy, more self-critical when she was self-critical—but she couldn’t control her at will like she had with Ruyi Pei.
“Such a pity, just one more step and I could have planted the Thread-entwining Seed.”
She waved her hand, and the faint image of a pink seed instantly vanished.
With a thought, the familiar blue system window appeared before Ye Luqing’s eyes.
[Name: Xiao Qingxuan]
[Cultivation: Half-Step Nascent Soul]
[Blackening Value: 110%]
[Demonization Value: 28%]
[Corruption Value: 78% (Stage One)]
“The Blackening Value hasn’t risen much, but the Corruption Value has increased quite a bit.”
Regarding Xiao Qingxuan, the Fated Female Protagonist, Ye Luqing felt she couldn’t simply copy Ruyi Pei’s path.
She needed to leverage her own advantages and each individual’s unique traits.
For Xiao Qingxuan, the most important thing was to play the role of “Ye Luqing,” the proxy perfectly.
Make Xiao Qingxuan utterly immersed in herself, even if it meant igniting the Infatuation Fire to bind her body.
Once the Infatuation Fire subsided, Xiao Qingxuan would naturally feel the guilt as if she had betrayed her Original Host.
Moreover, even so, Xiao Qingxuan couldn’t do anything to her, because she truly was the genuine “Ye Luqing,” only temporarily “amnesiac.”
With this method—first increasing the Corruption Value after some risqué moments, then the Blackening Value after the Infatuation Fire fades, all while ensuring her safety without Xiao Qingxuan stabbing her with a sword—it was perfect.
“However…”
Ye Luqing frowned slightly.
The future path had been planned out, but now a serious problem stood before her.
How was she supposed to get through the Dreamforging Lotus stage?
Since the Original Host’s soul had dissipated, everything was now under her control.
It could be said that even if Xiao Qingxuan used the Dreamforging Lotus to pour six years of memories into her mind, just how much influence that would have was still uncertain.
More urgently, after the memory reforging, how was she supposed to face Xiao Qingxuan?
Should she go along with the act of being that introverted mute girl who only called Xiao Qingxuan “Sister” and followed her around?
Or should she maintain her true self, allowing Xiao Qingxuan to be disappointed and blacken further, thereby making good use of the “proxy” attribute?
There was no doubt Ye Luqing wanted the latter.
But it was still unclear how the Dreamforging Lotus shaped memories—did it simply show a documentary of “Ye Luqing and Xiao Qingxuan’s Interactions,” or did it completely alter her memories?
This was beyond her control.
According to the system, the Dreamforging Lotus was a Heavenly Grade Immortal Plant unique to the Illusory God Sect, capable of directly influencing reality through dreams.
But to deal with such a high-level artifact, one needed something of an even higher level to suppress it.
Time to collect the debt from the system.
“Dog System, you really gave me a good task this time.”
“Next time just send the mission after the work’s done. I’m so capable, I’ll definitely complete the task.”
“Right?”
Ye Luqing smiled kindly and immediately opened the blue system window.
From her heavily sarcastic tone, it was obvious she was full of resentment now.
It sounded like she knew she was in the wrong, and the system tried to play dead and retract the window, but Ye Luqing held it firmly in her hands.
After struggling in vain, the system’s voice slowly echoed in Ye Luqing’s mind.
[Sorry, this special scenario triggered too suddenly, I only just got notified myself]
[Red Bean Paste Private Marseille (bows)]
“One thing at a time.”
“If you got notified late, go complain to whoever. I only know you’re the one coordinating with me!”
“Playing hot potato with me? Fine, I quit. Let the World Line repair whoever it wants!”
Ye Luqing sat down on the ground in frustration, her head tilted as if she really didn’t want to deal with this anymore.
Listening to Ye Luqing’s near roar of complaints, the system understood clearly.
This whole attitude was basically three words: Need more money.
[Sigh, alright…]
[As a precious Salvation Task host, we will respect your opinion]
[What demands does the host have?]
Hearing the system’s gentle and obedient tone, Ye Luqing’s expression softened.
“I want a method to deal with Xiao Qingxuan.”
She didn’t mention the Dreamforging Lotus directly, nor specify what she wanted, planning instead to see what help the system could provide.
In fact, it was better if the system didn’t give her anything related to the Dreamforging Lotus.
That way, when dealing with the Dreamforging Lotus, she could still squeeze the system for more.
Her mind immediately fell into a long silence, as if the system was contemplating what kind of assistance to provide.
Ye Luqing wasn’t in a hurry.
She first returned to the side room and opened the reward for this limited-time system mission.
Condensing Nascent Soul Method.
The Nascent Soul is the true Ultimate Principle, the Essence of Two and Five, gathering the Yang Essence of Heaven’s Father and the Yin Essence of Kun Palace, focused into the universe, blending harmoniously.
The Essence of Two and Five refers to the human aspect; the True Ultimate Principle refers to human fate. When these two merge perfectly, the Nascent Soul is born.
“What’s all this… gibberish…”
She raised an eyebrow.
This explanation for breaking into the Nascent Soul Realm was the kind that the thirty-six Supreme Sects of the superpowers would all have their own versions, including Xuanxiao Supreme Sect.
Some even had different methods for various types of cultivators.
She had only recently transmigrated and hadn’t had the chance to visit Scroll Peak to study how Formation Cultivators broke into the Nascent Soul Realm.
Yet the next moment, a more straightforward thought entered her mind, even including specific steps and details.
Simply put, it was to condense spiritual power and harmonized true qi within the Golden Core. During this process, one would assist with Heaven’s Father’s Yang Essence—an extremely yang, unyielding heavenly treasure—and Kun Palace’s Yin Essence—a pure yin energy.
Once the True Ultimate Principle and the Essence of Two and Five reached a perfectly blended state like water and milk, a “Shape Infant” could be refined.
Then, by commanding the Shape Infant with one’s own consciousness, it could detach from the body and disperse into the vast heavens and earth, sensing the power of Heaven and Earth.
Upon returning to the Soul Palace, the perfect unification of essence, qi, and spirit would complete the breakthrough.
Beginners in the Nascent Soul Realm, like Ruyi Pei, had relatively fragile Nascent Souls. Reckless external projection could damage their spirit.
But cultivators in the late Nascent Soul and Nascent Soul Peak stages had their Nascent Soul condensed into a Nascent Spirit, able to project it outside and even control it for battle.
Soul attacks from the Nascent Soul Realm were an absolute winning tactic against cultivators below Nascent Soul, a defining characteristic of the realm’s power.
Even a Peak Golden Core Cultivator, if hit by a soul attack, could be stunned at best, or reduced to a fool at worst.
Ye Luqing read with great interest.
She already had the necessary true qi and spiritual power, ready to attempt the breakthrough anytime.
If not for lacking precious auxiliary materials like the Yang Essence of Heaven’s Father and Yin Essence of Kun Palace, she would try breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm right away.
Yet suddenly, a system prompt sounded in her mind.
[Ding, system compensation has been delivered. Please check carefully.]