Volume 8, Chapter 521 – Tell Me, Who Is the Real Monster (Part 2)

In the end, Qi Huang successfully stripped her main body bare, leaving her like a little white lamb. This meant that the lofty fairy before her no longer held any secrets in her eyes.

Surprisingly, Qi Huang’s heart was calm at this moment. Beyond excitement, what filled her most was a sense of responsibility. She knew that for a girl, being seen completely naked by a “man” meant the loss of her purity. Even if Qi Huang was merely a woman with a man’s heart, she couldn’t pretend as if nothing had happened.

‘If she’s willing, I’ll take care of her for the rest of my life.’

Such a thought suddenly surfaced in Qi Huang’s mind.

“Hurry up and do it!”

Cheng Hongling urged through trembling telepathy. After all, she was currently in a state of complete vulnerability.

Qi Huang snapped back to reality, realizing she had been daydreaming. The other party probably only saw her as a mere doppelgänger, which was why she had let her guard down.

With this thought, Qi Huang’s mind cooled considerably. She picked up the Anemia Paste and completed the final step.

“Done!”

After applying the paste, Qi Huang whispered a reminder.

“Then quickly untie me. Before the medicine’s effects wear off, we need to proceed to the next step.”

Cheng Hongling steadied herself as she spoke. Clearly, she was already beginning to adapt.

“There’s still a next step?”

Qi Huang asked in surprise while loosening the bindings on the main body.

“Didn’t I mention it before? The key to the ‘Doppelgänger Method’ lies in a certain technique. Applying the Anemia Paste is just a prerequisite for performing it.”

Cheng Hongling reiterated.

“What kind of technique?”

Qi Huang pressed for details.

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“The ‘Character-Shifting Art.’”

Cheng Hongling explained to her doppelgänger before continuing, “You should know that a body can only have one Life Soul. This technique allows us to exchange the characters on our foreheads. That way, you can temporarily become the Life Soul and take control of my body.”

“There’s actually such a miraculous technique?”

Qi Huang was utterly astonished.

“It is indeed quite miraculous, but the risks are equally great. We must switch back before the medicine’s effects fade, or we’ll surely die.”

Cheng Hongling explained with a grave expression.

“How do we know when the medicine’s effects are fading?”

Qi Huang pondered briefly before asking.

“Remember the effects of the Anemia Paste? We tested it earlier. Once applied, after I summon you into my Sea of Consciousness, the essence and blood of your physical body will dissolve and merge into my limbs and bones. When it begins to condense again in my heart, that means the medicine’s effects are wearing off. At that moment, we must switch back immediately.”

Cheng Hongling provided a detailed explanation before adding, “According to the seller, one application of Anemia Paste lasts about six hours.”

“Six hours? That’s perfect! That means we won’t need to apply it a second time in one night. We can practice until dawn.”

A delighted smile spread across Qi Huang’s face.

“Yes, so we must make the most of our time.”

Having said this, Cheng Hongling wasted no time in teaching Qi Huang the “Character-Shifting Art”.

Since the “Character-Shifting Art” wasn’t particularly difficult, Qi Huang mastered it quickly, though it could only be performed within the Sea of Consciousness.

Cheng Hongling summoned her doppelgänger into her Sea of Consciousness, then guided her Life Soul to follow closely behind.

The souls of the main body and the doppelgänger arrived in the grand hall of the Sea of Consciousness. They had initially intended to perform the technique immediately, but Cheng Ling, the rebellious element, was watching them “like a tiger eyeing its prey”, so they hesitated.

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“Do we need to hide this from her?”

Qi Huang sought Cheng Hongling’s opinion. After all, Cheng Ling was Cheng Hongling’s doppelgänger, and she didn’t want to make decisions unilaterally.

“Cheng Ling is an unstable factor at best. The fewer secrets she knows, the better.”

Cheng Hongling made a cautious decision.

“Then how about we perform the exchange outside the hall? That way, she won’t be able to see.”

Qi Huang thought for a moment before proposing.

Cheng Hongling found this feasible, so she and Qi Huang moved to the entrance of the hall. To be safe, she even closed the hall’s doors and the “Window of the Heart”.

And so, the main body and the doppelgänger began performing the “Character-Shifting Art” on the narrow steps outside the hall. Just a few steps ahead lay the Sea of Consciousness, once the Life Soul stepped into it, it could take control of its own body.

After performing the technique, the characters on their foreheads detached and flew toward each other.

Moments later, the characters on their foreheads had swapped places. Qi Huang’s forehead now bore the character “命 ¹ Life “, while Cheng Hongling’s displayed “灵慧 ² Spiritual Wisdom “.

From this moment on, Qi Huang became the Life Soul of this body, while Cheng Hongling turned into the Spiritual Wisdom Soul. Of course, this was merely a “deceptive illusion” meant to fool the heavens, and it was only temporary.

“Quickly enter the Sea of Consciousness. You already know the ‘Water Exquisite Art’ I cultivate. If our Doppelgänger Method truly succeeds, focus on practicing it while you can.”

Cheng Hongling instructed.

“Mm!”

Qi Huang nodded firmly before stepping forward into the Sea of Consciousness.

A dizzying sensation later, Qi Huang regained full awareness. Before even opening her eyes, she felt an uncomfortable chill and stickiness all over her body.

Looking down, she saw her naked form lying on the bed, her fair skin glistening with the oily sheen left by the Anemia Paste.

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“It worked! It finally worked!”

Qi Huang trembled with excitement. Partly because the long-awaited “Doppelgänger Method” had succeeded, and partly because she had taken control of the main body’s form. Unlike her own body, which had been assimilated by Cheng Ling, this was a truly pure and untouched jade-like physique. The psychological stimulation this brought her was beyond words.

Though Qi Huang knew full well that the main body’s form was identical to her own, she couldn’t resist examining it curiously. Her eyes roamed uncontrollably, and her small hands even reached out to touch here and there.

“Well? Did it work?”

At that moment, Cheng Hongling’s telepathic voice rang out.

“Y-yes! It worked!”

Startled, Qi Huang forced herself to sound composed.

“Then hurry up and practice. This Anemia Paste wasn’t cheap.”

Cheng Hongling urged.

“Understood!”

Qi Huang hastily complied.

“Oh, and while you’re practicing, keep an eye on the situation in the heart. The moment you notice the condensed essence and blood of your body reforming, we must switch back immediately.”

Cheng Hongling reminded her again.

“Don’t worry. By tomorrow morning, you’ll have a body at the third layer of the Incarnation Realm waiting for you.”

Qi Huang declared confidently before casually draping an outer robe over herself and sitting cross-legged on the bed to begin cultivation.

Qi Huang was naturally very familiar with the “Water Exquisite Art”. First, she used her divine sense to guide the True Qi from her Qi Sea into her meridians, then began circulating it along the familiar pathways.

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Since Qi Huang’s divine sense had already reached the early stage of the Heavenly Tribulation Realm, controlling Incarnation Realm True Qi was as easy as commanding her own child, it wouldn’t dare disobey. It went wherever she directed, at whatever speed she desired.

Under Qi Huang’s formidable divine sense manipulation, the True Qi in Cheng Hongling’s body surged through her meridians at speeds hundreds of times faster than during her own cultivation.

As a result, Cheng Hongling’s body acted like a hole at the bottom of a lake, madly drawing in the surrounding water-attributed spiritual energy. The temperature in the room plummeted, and frost began forming on the floor and furniture.

Though Qi Huang wasn’t wearing much, she didn’t feel the slightest chill. She remained as steady as a mountain, continuing her cultivation while the True Qi in her Qi Sea rose like floodwaters behind a dam.

In just four hours, the True Qi in Cheng Hongling’s Qi Sea had overflowed past the threshold of the third layer, officially elevating the body’s cultivation to the third layer of the Incarnation Realm.

Since this was Qi Huang’s first time using the Doppelgänger Method, she decided to play it safe. Rather than pushing further, she switched back with the main body.

Feeling the noticeable increase in her cultivation, Cheng Hongling’s emotions were complicated. While it was certainly a pleasant surprise, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was reaping the rewards without effort. After all, this True Qi wasn’t cultivated by her own hands. But for now, she had no choice but to accept it.

“Well? Am I amazing or what? Just one night, no, just four hours, and I’ve raised you by a minor realm. If that Hua Yu can be called a monster, then what does that make us?”

Qi Huang asked smugly.

“Alright, alright, you’re amazing, okay?”

Cheng Hongling replied with a mix of amusement and exasperation.

“What do you mean ‘okay’? I am amazing!”

Qi Huang couldn’t help but correct her.

Knock knock knock…

Just then, a series of knocks sounded at the door, followed by Shi Yuqi’s urging voice:

“Disciple? Are you awake? Hurry and pack your things. You’re leaving with Elder Xiang and the others.”