Volume 4, Chapter 262 – I Am Cheng Hongling, I Absolutely Cannot Fail

Upon hearing these words, even though her capacity for fear had been stripped away by the Spiritual Wisdom Soul, Qi Huang still felt a chill crawl down her spine.

“Did she really go through with it? If that’s the case, then doesn’t that Human Skin Mask contain those red patches? What will happen to me?”

Uncertain about the true nature of these red patches, Qi Huang’s mind became a whirlpool of anxiety.

After exchanging a few more words, Cheng Yuan left the room, leaving Cheng Hongling alone.

Seated on a stool, Cheng Hongling began carefully flipping through the Incarnation Art. After a moment, her beautiful eyes suddenly brightened, and she murmured to herself:

“If I can cultivate a doppelgänger to take my place in the Honghua Sect, then even if I leave temporarily, it shouldn’t cause any major issues. This would kill two birds with one stone!”

Excited by this realization, she eagerly delved deeper into the manual. However, her delicate brows soon furrowed in frustration.

“But the Incarnation Art requires one to be at the Incarnation Realm to cultivate. I’m only at the Unity Realm, how can I possibly manifest a doppelgänger?”

Taking a deep breath, she continued reading, hoping to find a solution.

“The Incarnation Art demands a powerful soul as its foundation, which is why it requires cultivation at the Incarnation Realm. However, since childhood, I’ve been using the Tongming Comb to strengthen my Divine Sense. My current Divine Sense surpasses that of an ordinary Unity Realm cultivator, perhaps I can attempt it!”

Her eyes sparkled with renewed determination as she flipped through the pages.

Yet, moments later, her expression darkened once more as she read aloud the words that crushed her hopes:

“If one attempts to cultivate this art before reaching the Incarnation Realm, their soul will be unable to withstand the splitting of their spiritual essence, inevitably leading to the disintegration of their Life Soul, resulting in a tragic death!”

“What should I do?”

Standing up, she began pacing anxiously.

At that moment, hushed voices drifted from her parents’ room next door.

Curious, she extended her Divine Sense to eavesdrop. Since it was daytime, she wasn’t worried about stumbling upon anything inappropriate, her parents were always proper and restrained.

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“A short separation makes the heart grow fonder.”

Cheng Yuan, having just reunited with his wife, gently held her hand before urgently asking:

“My dear, how is the red patch on your face?”

“It’s fading more and more!”

Jiang Linian lifted her veil, revealing the crimson blemish.

“So red! It looks even worse than before!”

Cheng Yuan was visibly startled.

“Don’t worry, husband. I deliberately darkened it with powder.”

She reassured him before swiftly wiping away the makeup with a handkerchief.

Upon closer inspection, Cheng Yuan saw that the mark had indeed lightened significantly. He exhaled in relief but then frowned in confusion.

“But why would you make it appear darker? Wouldn’t it be better if it disappeared completely?”

“Better? I don’t think so.”

Jiang Linian shook her head.

“What do you mean?”

“Do you know why I was sent to a wealthy family as a child bride? Not because my parents were greedy, but because they couldn’t protect me. From the age of six, people kept trying to abduct me. Eventually, my father lost an eye, just like what happened to Hongling when she was little. The only difference is that our family back then was far poorer than the Cheng Residence is now.”

Rather than answering directly, she recounted her past.

“So that’s how your father lost his eye!”

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Cheng Yuan finally understood, then immediately realized her implication.

“You’re afraid that if the red mark disappears, it’ll attract malicious attention and bring disaster upon us?”

“Yes. I don’t want to lose the life we have now. Marrying you has been more than enough happiness for me, and we’ve been blessed with such an outstanding daughter.”

She didn’t deny it.

‘So that’s why!’

Qi Huang finally grasped the reason behind her “mother’s” unusual behavior. She didn’t want her beauty to invite trouble.

“My dear, don’t worry. I’ll protect you! Besides, as you said, our daughter is exceptional. What villain would dare target you?”

Cheng Yuan comforted her.

“Husband, I know you’ve done your best for this family. But our daughter is already burdened with the fate of the entire Honghua Sect, not to mention the matter of the Golden Fate Blossoms seeds. She’s under enough pressure, I can’t add to her troubles.”

Jiang Linian spoke with heartbreaking selflessness.

“My dear, it’s my fault for being useless. I’ve let you suffer.”

Cheng Yuan’s voice was thick with guilt as he tightly clasped his wife’s delicate hands.

“Suffer? You married an ugly woman, you’re the one who’s suffered! I’m truly content with everything we have.”

She reaffirmed, but then her tone shifted.

“My only worry now is whether this red mark will be passed on to our daughter. That child is proud by nature, she’d never accept such a flaw. How could I ever face her if that happens?”

Hearing this, Cheng Hongling’s delicate fists clenched tightly.

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“For my sake, for the Honghua Sect, and most of all, for Mother… this time, I must gamble with life and death!”

Half a day later, she declared with unshakable resolve.

With that, the fourth dream concluded, and Qi Huang was thrust into the fifth.

This time, the setting was an unfamiliar stone chamber. The thick stone door blocked out all outside noise, leaving the surroundings in absolute silence.

Qi Huang glanced around. Though she had never been here before, the familiar layout confirmed it was one of the Honghua Sect’s cultivation rooms.

Cheng Hongling sat cross-legged, repeatedly skimming through the Incarnation Art before finally setting it aside. She took a deep breath and whispered to herself:

“Success or failure—life or death—it’s all in the hands of fate now!”

Steeling herself, she prepared to begin cultivating her doppelgänger.

Qi Huang unconsciously held her breath. Though she already knew the outcome, a sliver of hope lingered in her heart—

Perhaps the red mark didn’t transfer to the Human Skin Mask?

But then she immediately scolded herself.

‘No! How can I think like that? If the red mark remains, it’s the main body that’ll suffer. If that’s the case, then I’d rather bear it myself! At least my mind is still male, I don’t care as much about appearances!’

In an instant, her perspective did a complete 180. Now, she fervently hoped the red mark had been successfully split off.

Of course, an even more ideal scenario flickered in her mind—

‘What if the red mark wasn’t split off at all, but later healed naturally on the main body? That way, I wouldn’t have to bear the consequences either. A perfect outcome!’

But Cheng Hongling’s next words shattered her fantasies.

“No! The path of cultivation is defying the heavens, how can I leave it to fate? My life and death are mine alone to decide!”

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Her eyes snapped open, sharp and unyielding.

With that, she began cultivating the Incarnation Art. The process was similar to Qi Huang’s own experience, but the effort required was exponentially greater, after all, she was only at the Unity Realm.

“Has anyone ever cultivated a doppelgänger at the Unity Realm? If so, what became of them?”

The answer came swiftly, if such a prodigy existed, they would’ve been renowned across the cultivation world. The fact that no such legends existed meant the outcome was likely grim.

As time passed, Cheng Hongling’s delicate frame began trembling violently. She had overestimated herself—every step, from opening her Sea of Consciousness to maintaining internal vision, demanded 100% of her focus. If this continued, she would inevitably fail.

“No! I am Cheng Hongling! I absolutely cannot fail!”

Gritting her teeth, she persevered. By the time she used the Soul Tether to pull her Spiritual Wisdom Soul into reality, her Divine Sense was nearly depleted.

The excruciating pain of soul-splitting sent waves of dizziness crashing against her consciousness like tidal waves.

“O-only… the physical body… remains. I… I can’t… disappoint everyone who believes in me!”

Trembling, she tried to encourage herself. Her face was deathly pale, her lips bloodless, and her body swayed unsteadily.

Affected by the main body’s agony, the newly emerged Spiritual Wisdom Soul clutched its head in torment, unable to utter a single word.

Since Qi Huang was reliving memories rather than dreaming, she experienced every ounce of this pain as if it were her own.

‘Help! My head is splitting apart!’

She screamed silently. This agony was identical to what she had endured before losing consciousness. But without a physical form, she couldn’t even vent her suffering, trapped in an endless torment, as if trapped in the deepest pits of hell with no hope of escape. At this point, she would rather die.

Cheng Hongling bit her lip hard, using the pain to stay conscious. She continued shaping the Spiritual Wisdom Soul’s physical form but, unsure how long she could last, prioritized splitting off the facial skin first.

Her eyelids grew heavy, but she kept biting her lip to stay awake, blood dripping from her chin. Yet despite her efforts, the moment the entire face was separated, her consciousness was swallowed by darkness, and her body collapsed limply to the floor.