Volume 3, Chapter 133 – I Want to Cultivate a Doppelgänger Too

Qi Huang soared gracefully out of the Heyi Sect, the cool breeze sending a shiver down her spine. Only then did she realize her robes were drenched in cold sweat. Acting in front of so many cultivators had left her more nervous than she cared to admit.

Though she knew failure wouldn’t cost her life, the thought of letting the villagers down and losing face was worse than death to her.

Picking up speed, she soon arrived before her main body.

“Well?”

Cheng Hongling asked immediately.

“Don’t you trust my acting skills? Rest assured, in three days, that Lin fellow will personally come to the Honghua Sect to apologize.”

Even as she spoke, Qi Huang couldn’t help wiping the cold sweat from her brow.

“Acting skills? More like deception.”

Cheng Hongling rolled her eyes. As a righteous fairy, she couldn’t stand such underhanded tricks.

“Did it work or not?”

Qi Huang retorted defiantly.

“Fine, this time it counts as a great achievement. But don’t make a habit of lying. If you trick someone timid, fine—but if you provoke someone bold enough to choose mutual destruction, what then?”

Facing her doppelgänger, Cheng Hongling found herself speaking more than usual.

“You think I enjoy lying? It was the only way! If we didn’t get justice for those villagers, how could the Honghua Sect maintain its standing?”

Qi Huang sighed dramatically.

“At the root of it, we’re still lacking strength. We need to focus on cultivation when we return. Relying on deception will only lead to disaster.”

Cheng Hongling steeled herself, then fixed Qi Huang with a stern look. “Especially you. No matter how strong your divine sense is, it’s meaningless if your actual cultivation is only at the Spirit Gathering Realm. You’re as fragile as glass.”

“Who says strong divine sense is useless? I’ve heard Heavenly Tribulation Realm experts can crush enemies with divine sense alone!”

Qi Huang refused to back down.

“Heavenly Tribulation Realm? You dare dream that big? After the Divine Realm, every breakthrough demands endless time and effort—divine sense included. Why do you think there are so few Heavenly Tribulation experts in the cultivation world?”

A faint trace of disdain crossed Cheng Hongling’s face.

“They’re them. I’m me!”

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Qi Huang replied with absolute confidence. Her divine sense grew through Ghost Tomatoes, which ripened yearly—hardly a time-consuming process.

If she abandoned this advantage to follow conventional qi cultivation, how long would it take to become a true powerhouse?

Take the simplest example: had she focused on water qi instead of enhancing her divine sense with Ghost Tomatoes, she’d barely be at the fifth or sixth layer of the Spirit Gathering Realm by now. How then could she have obtained the Blue Scale Stones? How could she have confronted the Heyi Sect?

Moreover, ordinary cultivators had a fatal weakness—Qi-Leaking Powder. A single dose would render them helpless, leaving their physical bodies vulnerable to any martial artist.

“Speaking of which, I’ve been meaning to ask—how did you strengthen your divine sense so much? Is there some unique method?”

Cheng Hongling probed cautiously.

“Secret.”

Qi Huang shut her down without hesitation. She needed to keep some cards close—especially with the Spiritual Wisdom Soul inside her acting like a ticking time bomb.

Cheng Hongling’s expression darkened slightly. This lack of control over her own doppelgänger sat poorly with her.

“By the way, do you know how to enter the Sea of Consciousness?”

Qi Huang ventured, testing the waters. Knowing oneself and one’s enemy was key to victory.

“Why would you need to know that?”

Cheng Hongling replied impatiently.

“Just curious.”

Qi Huang played it off with a laugh.

“You’re a Spiritual Wisdom Soul—where would you get a Sea of Consciousness? Yours is inside me!”

Cheng Hongling pointed at her own head.

‘Little do you know, I actually have one.’

Qi Huang smirked inwardly. Clearly, her main body wouldn’t be of help here—she’d have to ask someone else.

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Upon returning to the Honghua Sect, news of Qi Huang’s success spread rapidly, further elevating Cheng Hongling’s already sky-high reputation.

Yet Cheng Hongling felt uneasy. Though her doppelgänger had resolved the crisis, its increasingly independent personality made her feel like she was taking credit for someone else’s work.

‘If this continues, won’t the main body become less useful than the doppelgänger?’

A strange sense of crisis gripped her, driving her to immerse herself in cultivation.

Meanwhile, Qi Huang had no intention of training. Instead, she quietly sought out Xu Mei to inquire about entering the Sea of Consciousness.

“Why ask this? You’re Hongling’s doppelgänger—your Sea of Consciousness is with her.”

Xu Mei was thoroughly confused.

“I know. I’m just curious. Master, please tell me.”

Suppressing her distaste, Qi Huang clung to Xu Mei’s arm, feigning childish pleading.

“Alright, alright!”

Xu Mei booped Qi Huang’s nose affectionately. “I truly can’t tell if you two are the same person. Your personalities are worlds apart—she’s never acted cute with me.”

‘You’re absolutely right. We’re not the same person at all.’

Qi Huang barely held back her laughter, though she kept the thought to herself.

“Let me explain. To enter the Sea of Consciousness, one must cultivate an External Incarnation. But you’re already a doppelgänger—you can’t cultivate another. Thus, you can’t enter your own Sea of Consciousness. In fact, as I said earlier, yours lies with the main body. You don’t have one.”

‘Who says I don’t?’

Qi Huang smiled faintly before pressing further. “Then do you know how to cultivate an External Incarnation?”

“I’m not sure. Ask Hongling. She must have done extensive research to create you.”

Xu Mei suggested, aware of the doppelgänger’s fragmented memories.

Qi Huang hadn’t expected the conversation to loop back to her main body. For now, she was stuck.

Later, Qi Huang secretly returned to Huatian Village. Repeating her previous method, she purchased a mountain of gifts for her family—this time, all protective talismans were of the Kinship-grade, sufficient to ward off low-level ghosts.

Yet Qi Huang remained uneasy. She resolved to earn more money, aiming to provide her family with Monarch-grade, Earth-grade, even Heaven-grade talismans. If possible, she’d extend this protection to the entire village.

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“Courier, how is the young man who sent these things? Did he mention when he’d return?”

Instead of examining the gifts, Li Fen anxiously questioned the courier about her son.

“Apologies. I only deliver items—I don’t ask questions.”

With that, the courier departed.

Li Fen stood frozen at the doorway, staring into the distance for a long moment before finally stepping inside.

“That child… It’s been so long since he left. Letters are no substitute for seeing him in person!”

The moment she entered, Li Fen began fretting aloud.

“Exactly. Doesn’t he know material things mean nothing? His safety is what matters.”

Old Man Huang Xinghu chimed in.

“Maybe he’s just too busy?”

Huang Kairong offered weakly.

“Even if he’s tied up, he could at least send Qi Huang! Now we don’t even see our daughter-in-law. People will think the marriage fell through!”

Li Fen sighed heavily.

Qi Huang heard every word. Unlike last time, her family showed no joy upon receiving the gifts—only worry for her well-being.

‘This method won’t work forever. No matter what I send, it won’t ease their fears.’

The realization struck hard. But as a woman now, returning would only deepen their distress without solving anything.

“Maybe I should go to the prefecture to find him.”

Huang Kairong’s sudden declaration sent a jolt of panic through Qi Huang. If her father actually went, she’d have no way to explain.

“Let’s not. It’s too dangerous.”

After a pause, Li Fen dissuaded him. She understood the risks.

“What’s there to fear? He sent so many high-grade talismans!”

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Huang Kairong remained confident.

“Then do you know where Qi Huang’s family lives?”

Li Fen pressed.

“That… I don’t. If I recall, she never told us, did she?”

“No. She only said her family were merchants.”

Li Fen took a deep breath.

“Then it’s hopeless.”

Huang Kairong conceded defeat.

Qi Huang exhaled in relief. Thankfully, she’d never fabricated an address—otherwise, her father would’ve rushed off without hesitation.

“Then we’ll wait. If he doesn’t return in a few months, I’ll go to the prefecture and search door to door.”

Huang Kairong declared finally.

Qi Huang’s heart clenched again. A few months? Even years or decades wouldn’t change the fact that “Huang Qi” could never return. Her transformation was irreversible—at least for now, there was no hope.

Weighed down by her thoughts, Qi Huang left her hometown, preoccupied with how to handle her family.

‘What part of me still resembles Huang Qi?’

She racked her brain until inspiration struck.

‘Right! My Heavenly, Earthly, and Human Souls—along with my Essence Soul—remain male. And now that my divine sense has reached the Incarnation Realm, if I could cultivate an External Incarnation like ordinary cultivators… wouldn’t that solve everything?’

The idea electrified her.

‘But I’m already a doppelgänger. Can I even cultivate another?’

Doubt quickly followed.

‘I’ll have to investigate. For my family’s sake—and my own safety.’

With renewed determination, Qi Huang accelerated toward the Honghua Sect.