Volume 8, Chapter 485 – Sooner or Later, You Will Be Assimilated by Me

To avoid alerting the enemy, Qi Huang refrained from using her divine sense to probe the situation. Before long, Cheng Hongling informed her that Cheng Jing had completed the task.

“That’s wonderful! What’s the method to reverse the assimilation?”

Qi Huang couldn’t wait to ask. If there was a way to regain her masculinity, she would prefer to be a man. After all, with her current strength, she could easily enjoy the pleasures of having multiple beauties by her side.

“Let’s wrap things up first. The suppression from the Heavenly Dao’s will is becoming more pronounced, aren’t you feeling the headache yet?”

Cheng Hongling’s expression shifted unnaturally as she changed the subject.

Qi Huang focused for a moment and realized that her head was indeed starting to throb with pain. Reluctantly, she set aside her questions for now.

“What a shame. If not for the Heavenly Dao’s will, we could’ve kept Cheng Jing undercover for longer. That would’ve been ideal.”

Qi Huang sighed regretfully.

“You’re thinking too wishfully. If that were the case, cultivators could abandon their bodies at will, effectively escaping the cycle of life, aging, and death. How else would the Heavenly Dao maintain control over the masses?”

Cheng Hongling rolled her eyes at Qi Huang.

“Fair point.”

Qi Huang chuckled self-deprecatingly before asking, “How should we swap the soul fragments back? If we summon them openly, Cheng Ling will realize she’s been deceived immediately.”

Cheng Hongling frowned slightly, pondering for a moment before replying, “Did you know? That Huang Tian told Cheng Jing that Cheng Ling’s assimilation can only be slowed or halted, never undone.”

“What?!”

Qi Huang’s expression darkened instantly. Did this mean she was doomed to remain a woman for the rest of her life?

“Don’t panic yet. There’s no guarantee Huang Tian was telling the truth. So, I suggest we swap the soul fragments in secret. That way, once Huang Jin returns to your Sea of Consciousness, he can continue acting as a mole.”

Cheng Hongling proposed.

“It’s pointless. That guy betrays us every other day. The moment he’s influenced by assimilation again, he’ll immediately report everything to those female soul fragments.”

Qi Huang shook her head with a bitter smile.

“Then let’s just delay it as long as possible. Who knows? We might stumble upon something useful.”

Cheng Hongling remained optimistic.

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Qi Huang nodded subconsciously, and the two proceeded to swap their soul fragments covertly in the outside world.

“Remember, once you’re back, keep pretending to be the mole. Dig deeper into the details about the assimilation for me.”

Qi Huang instructed Huang Jin.

“Don’t worry, Big Bro. I’ll get it done.”

After reverting to his original appearance, Huang Jin confidently pledged once more.

“Your promises are as reliable as your betrayals, equally flimsy.”

Qi Huang mocked him before taking him back into her spatial ring.

The moment they returned, Huang Jin’s eyes glazed over briefly before widening in shock. He then turned to Qi Huang and roared, “You scheming bastards!”

“Uh…”

Qi Huang was taken aback. ‘If you’re acting, you don’t have to curse me to sell the act, do you?’

“Sisters! You were tricked just now! The one who spoke to you wasn’t me, it was Cheng Hongling’s soul fragment!”

Huang Jin only escalated his “performance”, turning to the female soul fragments to expose everything.

“Damn it! You’re not acting, you’ve actually betrayed me again?!”

Qi Huang was dumbfounded.

“What’s going on?!”

Huang Tian paled in shock and immediately gathered the other soul fragments to question him.

Huang Jin then laid out every detail of Qi Huang and Cheng Hongling’s “scheme”, acting as though he were the victim, his tone dripping with righteous indignation.

“I knew this would happen.”

Qi Huang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She immediately recalled all seven soul fragments into her Sea of Consciousness. She had no intention of enduring a verbal lashing from these “women”.

Once outside the spatial ring again, Qi Huang reported to her main body about her soul fragment’s latest betrayal.

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“That soul fragment of yours switches sides faster than a blink. Good thing we acted quickly, otherwise the whole act would’ve fallen apart before we even finished.”

Cheng Hongling teased.

“Yeah, his betrayals are as frequent as a chronic pissing problem, unpredictable and unstoppable.”

Qi Huang sneered sarcastically at her own soul fragment.

“At this rate, your female soul fragments will report everything to Cheng Ling immediately. They’ll never trust Huang Jin again.”

Cheng Hongling reminded her.

“True. It seems the only way to solve the assimilation issue is to dig through Cheng Ling’s memories directly.”

Qi Huang mused thoughtfully.

“Don’t worry. Now that we know how to slow assimilation, you’ve got time.”

Cheng Hongling reassured her.

“But how do we slow it? What exactly did Cheng Jing tell you?”

Qi Huang pressed again.

“Uh… I think it’s better if you don’t know.”

Cheng Hongling’s expression turned awkward once more.

“What?! Why not? I’m the one afflicted, I have the right to know!”

Qi Huang was on the verge of losing her temper.

“Funny. You’re just a doppelgänger, you don’t even have basic human rights, let alone the ‘right to know’.”

Cheng Hongling shot back with a mocking smirk.

“Didn’t you say you never treated me as just a doppelgänger?”

Qi Huang argued.

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“Then what about you? Do you want me to treat you as a doppelgänger… or as Huang Qi?”

Cheng Hongling’s eyes gleamed as she posed the question.

“Why do you keep asking me this lately? What’s the difference?”

Qi Huang sighed in exasperation.

“Of course there’s a difference. If you choose to be my doppelgänger, we’ll essentially be one person, at most, sisters. But if you choose to be Huang Qi… then we’re two separate individuals.”

Cheng Hongling trailed off meaningfully.

“…”

Qi Huang fell silent, her heart in turmoil. ‘Being her sister would be great, no more boundaries between us. But that would also mean no further development in our relationship. On the other hand, choosing to be Huang Qi opens up more possibilities… but also greater risks. If we ever clash, will she still tolerate me the way she does now?’

Moreover, “a woman’s heart is as deep as the ocean”. Qi Huang had no idea what answer Cheng Hongling truly wanted to hear.

Unable to decide, Qi Huang could only endure the awkward silence.

“Fine, I won’t push you. Tell me when you’ve made up your mind.”

As always, Cheng Hongling was forgiving, perhaps because she too feared an answer she didn’t want to hear.

“Let’s check on Cheng Ling in my Sea of Consciousness first. She’ll be thrilled when she learns the truth.”

Cheng Hongling lightened the mood with a joke before leading Qi Huang into her Sea of Consciousness.

Once inside, the two of them stared intently at “Cheng Ling”, waiting for the moment the truth would dawn on her.

“What do you want?”

Cheng Ling grew uneasy under their scrutiny and finally spoke up.

“Nothing.”

Cheng Hongling replied indifferently.

“Then why the hell are you staring at me like that? Are you insane?”

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Cheng Ling snapped, but then smirked. “Oh, my bad. I forgot you are insane, Qi Huang. I just didn’t expect it to be contagious.”

“Oh, it is contagious. And soon, you’ll catch it too. Wanna bet?”

Qi Huang shot back.

“Oh? I’d love to see you try.”

Cheng Ling sneered confidently, until her smile froze. Huang Tian had just informed her about the earlier deception.

“You two are truly despicable!”

Furious, Cheng Ling glared at Cheng Hongling. “Especially you, Cheng Hongling! To think you’d go so far for an outsider, even deceiving your own Spiritual Wisdom Soul! Have you no shame?!”

“Hah, see? I told you insanity was contagious. Look at you now, raving like a madwoman.”

Qi Huang seized the chance to mock her.

“Stop trying to drive a wedge between us. You’re my Spiritual Wisdom Soul, but what about her? She bears the same ‘Spiritual Wisdom’ mark on her brow. Back then, you abandoned Honghua Sect for your own selfish desires, while she risked her life to return and save everyone. Over the years, she’s contributed endlessly to our sect—loyalty and righteousness combined. That’s why I chose her.”

Cheng Hongling declared solemnly.

‘Was I really that good?’

Qi Huang’s face flushed slightly. It was true she had saved Honghua Sect, but her initial motive had been her main body’s identity plaque. Still, her subsequent contributions to the sect were undeniable.

“How noble of you to whitewash her deeds. But don’t celebrate too soon. Huang Tian wasn’t lying. My assimilation cannot be undone, only delayed or suppressed. I’m curious, how do you plan to save her? And once the Yin-Yang Eyes see her, you’ll regret it.”

Cheng Ling sneered coldly.

“No need to worry about that. Let me make this clear, my divine sense has already reached the Heavenly Tribulation Realm. Soon, I’ll separate the remaining two male soul fragments as independent doppelgängers. So what if the Yin-Yang Eyes see me then?”

Qi Huang replied calmly.

“I underestimated you.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Cheng Ling’s face, but it soon twisted into a malicious grin.

“But the stronger you become, the happier I am. The method Huang Tian revealed to you is only a temporary fix. Sooner or later, you will be assimilated by me. Everything you’re doing now is just paving the way for my victory.”