The sword light gradually receded, and the spirit sword in Ye Luqing’s hand flew back with Xiao Qingxuan.
Ye Luqing’s expression slowly returned to normal, finally turning into a soft sigh.
“As expected of Half-Step Spirit Transformation, her divine sense is truly formidable.”
After breaking through to the Spirit Transformation stage, the primordial spirit condensed in the Nascent Soul stage advances further, and the soul transforms into “divine sense.”
She had activated the Six Desires Triggering Array halfway through their conversation, but Xiao Qingxuan’s emotions were like reinforced concrete—nothing a mere Golden Core Stage cultivator like her could manipulate.
She could only try to amplify Xiao Qingxuan’s emotions, making her happier when she was happy, guiltier when she felt guilty. But she couldn’t manipulate her at will like she did with Pei Ruyi.
“What a pity. Just one step away from planting the Entangling Silk Seed.”
She waved a hand, and the phantom of a pink seed vanished instantly.
With a thought, the familiar blue interface appeared before Ye Luqing’s eyes.
【Name: Xiao Qingxuan】
【Cultivation: Half-Step Spirit Transformation】
【Blackening Value: 110%】
【Devilification Value: 28%】
【Corruption Value: 78% (Phase 1)】
“The Blackening Value didn’t rise much, but the Corruption Value increased quite a bit.”
For the Destined Female Lead Xiao Qingxuan, Ye Luqing felt she couldn’t just copy the Pei Ruyi approach.
She had to make use of her own advantages and each person’s characteristics.
For Xiao Qingxuan, the most important thing was to play the part of “Ye Luqing” as a substitute.
She needed to make Xiao Qingxuan utterly addicted to her, even using methods like igniting desire to ensnare the woman’s body.
Once the flames of desire subsided, Xiao Qingxuan would naturally feel the guilt of betraying the original host.
And even so, Xiao Qingxuan wouldn’t be able to do anything to her, because she was the genuine “Ye Luqing,” merely “amnesiac” for the time being.
By following this sequence, after the intimacy, the Corruption Value would rise first, followed by the Blackening Value once the desire faded, and ultimately, her safety was guaranteed—she wouldn’t be stabbed to death by Xiao Qingxuan’s sword.
Perfect.
“But…” Ye Luqing frowned slightly.
The path ahead was set, but now a very serious problem lay before her.
The Dream-Building Lotus—how was she supposed to get through it?
After the original host’s soul dissipated, everything was now under her control.
It could be said that even if Xiao Qingxuan used the Dream-Building Lotus to pour six years of memories into her mind, it remained to be seen just how much it would affect her.
A more pressing issue was: after reshaping her memories, how should she face Xiao Qingxuan?
Should she go along with it and pretend to be that mute shut-in who only ever followed behind Xiao Qingxuan calling her “sister”? Or should she maintain her true self, letting Xiao Qingxuan’s disappointment and blackening deepen, thus making full use of the “substitute” attribute?
Without a doubt, Ye Luqing wanted the second option.
But it was still unclear what effect the Dream-Building Lotus’s memory shaping would have. Would it be like watching a documentary of “Ye Luqing and Xiao Qingxuan’s time together,” or would it completely rewrite her memories?
That was beyond her control. According to the System, the Dream-Building Lotus was a Heavenly Rank Immortal Plant unique to the Illusion God Sect, capable of directly influencing reality through dreams.
But to deal with something of such high status, she needed something of even higher status to suppress it.
Time to collect a debt from the System.
“Damn System, you really assigned me a wonderful task.”
“Next time, just give me the task after everything’s already done. I’m so capable, I’ll definitely complete it.”
“Right?”
Ye Luqing smiled benignly, then opened the blue system window.
From her voice dripping with sarcasm, it wasn’t hard to tell she was full of resentment.
As if knowing it was in the wrong, the System tried to play dead and retract the window, but Ye Luqing held it firmly in her grasp.
After struggling fruitlessly, the System’s voice slowly entered Ye Luqing’s mind.
【Sorry, this special storyline triggered too suddenly. I just received the notice too~】
【I’m really sorry (bows)】
“One thing at a time.”
“If someone notified you late, go find them. All I know is that you’re the one I’m dealing with!”
“Trying to pass the buck to me? Fine, I quit. Whoever wants to restore the World Line can go do it themselves!”
In a fit of anger, Ye Luqing plopped down on the ground, tilting her head as if she truly didn’t intend to keep handling the matter.
Hearing Ye Luqing’s near-roaring complaints, the System understood clearly.
This whole tirade, full of hidden barbs and aggression, boiled down to three words between the lines.
Need to up the price.
【Ah, fine…】
【As the precious savior, we will respect the host’s opinions】
【What request does the host have?】
Hearing the System’s gentle, compliant voice, Ye Luqing’s expression finally eased.
“I need a way to deal with Xiao Qingxuan.”
She didn’t directly mention the Dream-Building Lotus, nor did she specify what she wanted. Instead, she decided to first see what kind of help the System could offer.
It might even be better if the reward wasn’t related to the Dream-Building Lotus—then she could squeeze another payout from the System later to deal with it.
Her mind fell into a long silence. The System seemed to be pondering exactly what kind of help to give her.
Ye Luqing wasn’t in a hurry. She returned to the side room and opened the reward for this limited-time mission.
The method to condense a Nascent Soul.
The Nascent Soul is the truth of the Limitless, the essence of the Two-Five; gathering the Yang Essence of the Sun, merging the Lunar Yin Qi, sending thoughts into the heavens and earth, blending them into one.
The essence of the Two-Five is human nature, the truth of the Limitless is human life. When the two merge wondrously, the Nascent Soul begins to form.
“What the heck is this… gibberish…”
She raised an eyebrow. This kind of breakthrough method for Nascent Soul—among the transcendent-rank powers like the Thirty-Six Upper Sects, her Profound Firmament Upper Sect had countless copies, even with variations for different types of cultivators.
She had only just transmigrated not long ago and hadn’t yet gone to Scripture Peak to look up how an Array Cultivator breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage.
But in the next moment, a much more straightforward stream of thoughts entered her mind, even including specific steps and operational details.
In simple terms, it meant condensing spiritual power and harmonized true qi within the golden core, assisted by supreme yang materials like the Yang Essence of the Sun and supreme yin essences like the Lunar Yin Essence.
Once the Limitless truth and Two-Five essence reached a state of “wondrous fusion” like water and milk blending perfectly, the “Form Infant” could be refined.
Then, use one’s consciousness to command the Form Infant, detach it from the physical body, send it out into the vast world to perceive the Power of Heaven and Earth, and then return it to the Spirit Palace. When essence, energy, and spirit merge perfectly as one, the breakthrough is complete.
For an Early Nascent Soul Stage cultivator like Pei Ruyi, the Nascent Soul was still somewhat fragile. Carelessly releasing it could easily damage the spirit.
Meanwhile, cultivators at Late Nascent Soul or Peak Nascent Soul stages had already condensed their Nascent Soul into a primordial spirit, capable of releasing and even controlling it in battle.
Soul attacks from the Nascent Soul stage were the sure-win method against those below that realm, and one of the manifestations of the Nascent Soul’s status.
Even a cultivator at Golden Core Peak Stage who carelessly suffered a soul attack might be dazed at best, or turned into an idiot at worst.
Ye Luqing read with great interest. She already met the requirements in true qi and spiritual power, ready to break through at any time.
If not for the lack of precious auxiliary items like the Yang Essence of the Sun and Lunar Yin Qi, she would try to break through to the Nascent Soul stage right now.
But in the next moment, a system notification suddenly rang in her mind.
【Ding, system compensation has arrived. Please check it.】
