Volume 9, Chapter 613 – Cheng Hongling’s Three Doppelgängers

“Since that’s the case, I’ll respect your decision.”

Cheng Hongling didn’t try to persuade them. With a thought, ten small paper lots appeared before her. “But you all know that the Divine Realm allows only three doppelgängers. I can’t guarantee that every sister will get to go out. To keep things fair, we’ll decide by drawing lots. Here are nine slips, each numbered one through nine. Pick one each, those who draw numbers one to three will become doppelgängers, the rest will wait for the next opportunity.”

Upon hearing this, the nine souls all hesitated, knowing that if their luck was bad, they’d have to wait decades longer.

“No one’s drawing? Then we’ll all wait several decades to leave together, that’ll be fair to everyone.”

Cheng Hongling was more than happy to do that and was about to put the lots away.

“I’ll draw! I’ll draw!”

The Heavenly Soul rushed forward. As the leader of the Three Souls and Seven Spirits, she naturally had to take the lead, and besides, she genuinely longed for freedom.

With the Heavenly Soul setting the example, the other two souls and six spirits all stepped forward to draw. Only poor Cheng Ling remained tied up.

Qi Huang, curious about the result, entered Cheng Hongling’s Sea of Consciousness to watch.

The outcome was decided quickly: the lucky ones were the Heavenly Soul, the Qi Spirit, and the Essence Spirit. The others were reluctant but couldn’t protest, blaming only their bad luck.

“Don’t be discouraged, sisters,” Qi Huang comforted them from the side. “You may need to wait, but by the time the main body’s cultivation improves further, the doppelgängers you receive will naturally be stronger. Going out early has its advantages, but going out later has benefits too, that’s fairness.”

Hearing this, the five souls’ expressions finally eased a little.

Cheng Hongling glanced tenderly at Qi Huang, feeling deeply grateful. She wasn’t good at comforting others, and Qi Huang had made up for that flaw perfectly.

With the matter settled, Cheng Hongling refocused on cultivating the three doppelgängers. Since she had consumed so much energy earlier, the process would take at least another three days.

Qi Huang stayed nearby to protect her, watching each doppelgänger gradually form. A strange feeling welled up within her, it was like watching a mother give birth to younger siblings.

‘From now on… I won’t be her only doppelgänger anymore.’

Qi Huang realized this but felt no disappointment. There were two simple reasons: first, she wasn’t even sure she truly counted as Cheng Hongling’s doppelgänger; second, she had her own aspirations beyond merely being one.

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After three days, all three doppelgängers were fully cultivated. To keep things fair, Cheng Hongling forced herself to allocate each one a Unity Realm-level body despite the massive consumption of resources.

“Since you’ll be moving about outside from now on, give yourselves names.”

Pale-faced and exhausted, Cheng Hongling reminded them firmly.

“Big Sister, since I’m the Heavenly Soul, I’ll be called Cheng Tian, the ‘Tian’ ¹ 恬 (Tián) = Tranquility, calm from tranquility.”

The Heavenly Soul was the first to speak.

“I’m the Qi Spirit, so I’ll be Cheng Qi!” ² 琪 (Qí) = Precious jade, fine jade

The Qi Spirit followed suit.

“I already had a name before, I’ll still be Cheng Jing ³ 晶 (Jīng) = Crystal, bright ,” said the Essence Spirit. She had once impersonated Qi Huang’s Essence Spirit to deceive Cheng Ling, a feat of great merit.

“Alright then. Since you’ve just become doppelgängers, I’m sure you’re eager to see the outside world. You may stay outside for now. But let me make this clear, without my permission, no one is allowed to leave my side even half a step.”

Cheng Hongling’s warning was stern.

Qi Huang shivered at her tone. For some reason, she thought of her own situation back then, but she also knew that this was standard for cultivators, so Cheng Hongling’s strictness wasn’t unreasonable.

“Yes, Big Sister!”

The three doppelgängers nodded excitedly. They had been confined for nearly twenty years; just being able to see the vast world was enough to satisfy them, they didn’t dare hope for more.

With that, Cheng Hongling led her three… no, four doppelgängers out of the cultivation chamber, immediately causing a huge stir.

“Isn’t that Fairy Hongling? My heavens, why are there four identical fairies beside her?”

“Look at the lotus marks between their brows, those are clearly her doppelgängers.”

“Four doppelgängers? I heard only Divine Realm cultivators can have four! Has Fairy Hongling reached the Divine Realm?”

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“Fairy Hongling’s a peerless talent, it wouldn’t be surprising at all!”

“My god… a Divine Realm expert at nineteen… doesn’t that make her talent comparable to those Nine Great Monsters of the cultivation world?”

“Forget them, those days are past! Now there’s only one true prodigy: the Holy Maiden of Huarong Sect.”

“True. Didn’t you hear? At the continent-level Evergreen Conference months ago, she single-handedly defeated even descendants of immortals!”

“I heard… I just forgot to correct myself. Either way, with Fairy Hongling around, our Honghua Sect will soon become one of the top sects in the Western Radiance Dynasty!”

Praise poured in from pedestrians along the way.

“Four doppelgängers? Has Cheng Hongling reached Divine Realm? My goodness… how old is she?”

“Nineteen!”

“Nineteen?! Our old Valley Master is one hundred ninety, and she’s only in the late Incarnation Realm!”

“Careful calling her ‘old’, you’ll regret it if she hears!”

“Looks like settling down at Honghua Sect was the right choice. With a Divine Realm cultivator protecting us, this is the safest place anywhere.”

“Right, and the environment’s amazing too. Makes me want to join Honghua Sect myself.”

“Shh! Do you have a death wish, saying that out loud?”

The female disciples of Shuiyu Valley were even more shaken, many secretly considering “switching sects”. In truth, after living here for a year, they had already grown used to Honghua Sect and saw it as their home.

Hearing everyone praise the main body, Cheng Tian and the other two doppelgängers raised their delicate chins slightly, as though the compliments were for themselves.

Qi Huang almost laughed but admitted privately that doppelgängers and the main body were essentially the same person, excluding her unusual case.

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Cheng Hongling subtly curved her lips in satisfaction. This was exactly the outcome she wanted. By displaying her strength immediately, petty troublemakers would learn to restrain themselves. As for the risk of exposing her power? She wasn’t worried, her greatest trump card wasn’t herself, but Qi Huang beside her.

“Ah! The world is so beautiful… seeing it with our own eyes is completely different from viewing it through the Window of the Heart, and there’s no suppression from the Heavenly Dao’s will at all!”

“Obviously! Why else would the main body work so hard to cultivate bodies for us?”

“As long as I can stay outside forever, I’d even gladly live as a mortal, aging and dying like anyone else.”

The three newly released doppelgängers breathed deeply, greedily savoring the air, afraid they’d lose their freedom in the next instant.

“Let me warn you all, I don’t need lazy doppelgängers. You know how dangerous the road ahead is. Starting tomorrow, only those I need will be allowed out of the Sea of Consciousness. In other words, strength equals freedom for you. Understand?”

Cheng Hongling seized the chance to remind them.

“Understood, Big Sister!”

The three doppelgängers nodded frantically.

Cheng Hongling soon brought her four doppelgängers home, startling her unsuspecting parents. Fortunately, the two elders had experienced similar shocks before and calmed down quickly.

“Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! It’s like having three more daughters!”

Cheng Yuan was thrilled, when it came to such an outstanding daughter, the more the better.

“Wonderful, yes… but can you even tell them apart?”

Jiang Linian voiced the ultimate soul-crushing question.

Cheng Yuan widened his eyes, studied them for a long while, then sighed in defeat: “I can’t… they’re exactly the same. I can’t even tell which one is Qi Huang.”

“Father, I’m Qi Huang,” Qi Huang said helplessly.

“My apologies! I’m so sorry!”

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Cheng Yuan laughed awkwardly.

“It’s not your fault,” Cheng Tian reassured gently. “We are essentially the same person, distinguishing us by appearance is impossible.”

“But we still need a way to tell you apart. Otherwise, how are we supposed to address you?” Jiang Linian fretted.

“Use hairstyles to differentiate us,” Cheng Hongling suggested suddenly. She turned to Cheng Tian: “You, from now on, wear your hair in a Feitian Headdress.”

Then she pointed at Cheng Qi and Cheng Jing: “You do a Fenxiao Headdress! And you, a Lingxu Headdress!”

“Ah?!”

The three doppelgängers’ faces twisted with silent complaint.

“Not happy? Then should I just write your names on your faces instead?”

Cheng Hongling’s expression was icy.

“Happy! We’re happy!”

The three doppelgängers nodded rapidly like pecking chicks.

“Pfft!”

Qi Huang found the scene hilarious and burst into laughter.

The three doppelgängers, embarrassed and indignant, turned to glare at her. Cheng Jing, the Essence Spirit doppelgänger, frowned and asked darkly: “And what about her? What hairstyle does she get?”

“Me?”

Qi Huang pointed at herself innocently, wondering why she’d been dragged into this out of nowhere.