"Actually, dual cultivation isn't impossible. It would be perfect if Fu Mengzhen didn't find out about my secret." Zhao Xing thought it over and realized that this was the only way to break through the situation. He then began searching for a way to achieve both outcomes.
"Let me ask the Divine Mirror and see if there's a way."
Zhao Xing took out the Eight Directions Divine Mirror again and called forth its spiritual essence.
The spiritual essence of the Divine Mirror was quite helpful and quickly found a feasible method.
"Use the Dao Enlightenment Headband created by Wei Tianchen to help."
"Huh? Will it work?"
"The soul fusion of the Desire Dream Dual Cultivation, the union of yin and yang, originates from the heart," the Mirror explained. "You're worried about revealing secrets because, during cultivation, your thoughts are scattered, which leads to revealing hidden things within your heart."
"If you can focus your mind, you won't be affected."
"While the Dao Enlightenment Headband isn't a divine artifact, its special effects are comparable to one."
"It ensures that neither you nor Fu Mengzhen will have distracting thoughts during dual cultivation."
Zhao Xing took out the Dao Enlightenment Headband from the Red Jade Ring. He hadn't expected this scholar-crafted artifact to be useful in this situation.
"Right, the Dao Enlightenment Headband itself is designed to enhance focus and strengthen the mind. It can solve the issue of leaking secrets and even improve cultivation efficiency."
The concern about revealing secrets stemmed from the mental distractions during cultivation. However, the Dao Enlightenment Headband could prevent those distractions, ensuring that the soul would only focus on cultivation. Even during soul fusion with Fu Mengzhen, there was no fear of leakage.
"It's worth a try," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
After Wei Tianchen's death, the control spells on the Dao Enlightenment Headband had been reset.
There were originally two attached spells.
The first was the Activation Spell: "Mind is as Mind, Heart is Heart."
This meant that from the moment the golden hoop was worn, it would fully focus on cultivating the Mind Sealing Method.
The second was the Reinforcement Spell: "Thunder from the five organs to clear the soul's worries."
Was this related to self-destruction?
Actually, it wasn't.
The Reinforcement Spell's function was only to unleash thunder from the internal organs if distracting thoughts grew too strong, shattering the thoughts generated within the soul.
Wei Tianchen had tricked him. This thing wouldn't self-destruct; it would only shock someone.
At that time, Zhao Xing hadn't dared to risk it.
Zhao Xing first learned the control spell of the Dao Enlightenment Headband, then recited the spell again.
"Mind is as Mind, Heart is Heart, Desire Dream Method."
As for the Reinforcement Spell, it wasn't necessary to add, since he currently had only a skeletal body and no internal organs, so the Reinforcement Spell wouldn't work.
"The spell added by the scholar is similar to the purification spells I've seen during the Xuanhuang period—the Heart-Calming Spell and the Mind-Calming Spell," Zhao Xing thought.
"However, the spell of the Dao Enlightenment Headband, relying on the artifact, is far more powerful."
"Old Wei really knew how to use people's hearts. He knew I wouldn't run away."
Zhao Xing sighed as he put on the Dao Enlightenment Headband.
At that moment, the only thought in his mind was to rush to Fu Mengzhen's chamber and dual cultivate with her.
"Your Majesty, you've come to see me?" Fu Mengzhen was sitting at the dressing table, and when she saw Zhao Xing, her joy was palpable.
"I've come to dual cultivate with you," Zhao Xing said, and before Fu Mengzhen could respond, he hoisted her up and threw her onto the bed.
"Ah~ Your Majesty, don't be in such a hurry~" Fu Mengzhen playfully pouted, but still clung tightly to Zhao Xing.
Their skeletal bodies collided, like gears meshing, beginning to rub together.
Zhao Xing's Daoship Bone was lower in level than Fu Mengzhen's heavily-taxed Dao Bone by several levels.
With this pressure, their bones quickly began to crack.
But Zhao Xing didn't resist because he knew this was a normal process.
No breaking, no establishment. Only after breaking can something be established.
Fu Mengzhen's white bone power invaded his skeletal body, and then a flame exploded from his True Spirit fire seed, spreading across his body.
The three forces of the white bone power, heart power, and spirit fire seed intertwined along his skeleton, forming a vivid illusion.
Since Fu Mengzhen was stronger, she took the lead during the early stages of the cultivation. She was the one guiding the formation of the illusion, determining how the scenes would unfold.
However, Fu Mengzhen was also very careful. She treasured this opportunity and knew that in the beginning, she wouldn't benefit from the Desire Dream Method at all. She was merely letting Zhao Xing gain strength from their dual cultivation.
This approach was necessary because of the great disparity between their strengths. One of them had to serve a sacrificial role, and Fu Mengzhen had to work hard to maintain balance in their dual cultivation.
Once both of them reached a similar level, then they could progress at the same pace.
At the beginning, Zhao Xing worried that the cultivation might be problematic because the Heart Confusion Drug from Old Wei was still in effect.
However, he quickly realized that there was no negative impact. During the Desire Dream Method cultivation, Fu Mengzhen's guided illusion repeatedly created scenes of the collapse of Dao hearts, which actually had a beneficial effect.
Three days later.
"Zheng~"
Fu Mengzhen sat beside the bed, gently playing the guqin, her music resonating softly.
On the bed, Zhao Xing was wrapped in the True Spirit flames, his body contorting as though it was about to fall apart.
The True Spirit flames were ignited by the music, growing fiercer and fiercer, the green flames burning intensely.
It was like reincarnation and rebirth. In the Desire Dream illusion, Zhao Xing began to experience the highs and lows of life.
Each cycle of cultivation was like experiencing an entire lifetime, though the theme remained focused on cultivation.
Zhao Xing's first cultivation was as a prodigy, a rare genius in cultivation. In the first half of his life, he could call the winds and summon the rain, and his life was full of success. But in the latter half, his cultivation was shattered by enemies, his marrow drained, and his entire family was exterminated. Afterward, he went through the myriad vicissitudes of life, facing numerous setbacks and hardships.
However, to truly succeed in this cycle of reincarnation, one must walk the path of cultivation.
If one falters and gives up, not only would it be wasted effort, but it would also lead to further harm.
Originally, Fu Mengzhen was worried that her partner wouldn't be able to accept this, so she reinforced the process with the sound of her guqin. But she never expected the flames to stabilize in just three days.
This signified that her Dao companion had no hesitation. After being knocked down, he immediately sought to rebuild and take revenge. He picked himself up, stepped into the "correct path" of the Desire Dream Illusion for cultivation.
"Your Majesty, your cultivation speed is incredible," Fu Mengzhen said, her eyes dreamy, gazing at the white bones in the flames.
Seeing that her partner had extra energy, she decided to press forward and immediately put Zhao Xing through the second round of the illusion.
In the second round of the Desire Dream Illusion, Zhao Xing descended into a cultivation kingdom. He was a "Heavenly Calamity Star," an unlucky figure. He lost his parents at a young age and grew up eating from the charity of others. After many hardships, he reached adulthood. He went out to do business with his cousin from the same village, only to encounter a fierce storm at sea. Everyone survived except for him, who fell into the water, caught a cold, and was left with only half a life. Even after healing, he was left with a disability in his leg.
To treat his leg injury and make a living, he had to work as a servant in a martial arts academy. Even just gathering energy was a struggle, requiring ten times the effort of others. He was often abused and humiliated by the official apprentices.
After enduring years of hardship, he finally succeeded in gathering energy and earned the opportunity to join the military. But as soon as he arrived, the military was attacked, and he was captured by an enemy tribe.
Taken to the enemy's land, he was assigned to dig for minerals underground, where he spent another thirty years in total darkness.
During that time, Zhao Xing silently gathered energy and waited for an opportunity. Finally, the human army arrived to liberate the mine.
However, just as he gained hope, it slipped away once again. Everyone was properly dealt with, except for one careless officer who forgot about him and left him behind in the enemy's land. Each time Zhao Xing gained an opportunity, it inevitably slipped through his fingers.
In the end, no matter how hard he worked, Zhao Xing only reached the second stage of cultivation in that life, "Timing, Fate?" He sighed and died unwillingly in a foreign land.
"Did the second life pass so quickly?" Fu Mengzhen was a little surprised. She had witnessed the entire process of the second life. The key to drawing power from the second illusion wasn't how high the cultivation achievement was, but rather the ability to bounce back every time hope was gained and then lost. Zhao Xing never let negative emotions control him.
If the Desire Dream Method were dominated by emotions and one fell into despair, the cultivation would be meaningless. The longer the delay, the worse the outcome.
However, Zhao Xing was able to make the correct choices in line with the Desire Dream Method each time, which greatly exceeded Fu Mengzhen's expectations.
Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, Zhao Xing and Fu Mengzhen had been dual cultivating for seven years in the Eighteen Sophora and Willow Courtyard.
With the aid of the Dao Enlightenment Headband, Zhao Xing's cultivation efficiency was maximized each time.
He was a "cultivation king," rarely taking any breaks. When he couldn't endure the fatigue, Zhao Xing would retrieve medicine from Wei Tianchen's storage to offset his exhaustion.
In the seventh year, just after passing, Zhao Xing's right foot grew a bit of flesh.
Even Fu Mengzhen was astonished, thinking that Zhao Xing was truly a genius.
By the ninth year, Fu Mengzhen was no longer fully a sacrificial partner; she too could absorb power from the Desire Dream Illusion.
Their progress began to align, and they experienced the illusion together.
The difficulty for one person was greater than for two.
Each person's true spirit fire seed and mental power were different, and the variations were infinite.
For instance, in one life, Zhao Xing encountered a meaningless "cultivation."
At the start, he wasn't rich or poor. He lived in a small county, with a family that was just average, not too wealthy nor poor. The family was full of love, the couple was harmonious, and there was no exposure to cultivation in their environment.
It was only when the Desire Dream Illusion ended that Zhao Xing and Fu Mengzhen's lives remained in that small county.
"Your Majesty, it's all my fault—" Fu Mengzhen immediately began to blame herself after awakening.
After they parted, they quickly realized the only point of breaking the illusion was a mention in a tea house in the small county. Someone casually mentioned a cultivation method.
Zhao Xing had developed the desire to pursue the path of cultivation, but Fu Mengzhen, stuck in the role of a wife, prevented him.
"It's not your fault," Zhao Xing shook his head. "Some people never dare leave their hometown. They may have bold thoughts, but they're soon worn down by trivial matters."
"In the local customs, they waste their whole lives."
The most mundane of the Desire Dream Illusions turned out to be the hardest to breakthrough in cultivation.
This was because failure did not bring experience. The next time they entered, they still had the mindset and wisdom of an "ordinary person," not the mentality or intelligence of a Demigod or an Emperor-level being.
"The dual cultivation method has temporarily come to an end." Zhao Xing thought as he left Fu Mengzhen's cave.
Fu Mengzhen watched his departing figure, lost in a daze.
Now, aside from her head still exposed with bone, the rest of her body had already been reborn. Her flesh was full, her skin crystal clear, as soft and tender as a baby's. The progress was so great that it was unimaginable by past standards.
Zhao Xing's progress was about the same as Fu Mengzhen's.
His flesh had already grown back, and most importantly, his Dan (elixir) had reappeared in his Qi Sea.
"This means I can restore the Extreme Land (Jilu) in a short time. Also, I can now open my inner world!"
Back in his own cave, Zhao Xing threw out the Eight Directions Divine Mirror and took out the Azure Water Golden God Gourd, setting up a barrier. He wasn't in a hurry to open his inner world but instead patiently spent six more years restoring the Extreme Land and re-sealing the Heavenly Timing Law.
He always remembered that timing, geography, and oneself must be in balance. This was something Zhao Xing kept in mind.
"Hunyuan Realm, open!"
Zhao Xing moved the sealed realm core from his pelvis into his dantian.
The nourishment from life energy and spiritual power allowed the seal on the realm core to reopen.
A projection appeared in front of him.
The long-awaited world projection reappeared!
"It's been so long, I wonder how the Soul-Devouring Grass is doing. Has it caused any damage?" Zhao Xing thought.
The Soul-Devouring Grass had reached its peak in the Baihan Realm. This legendary-class soldier reached the Demigod level at its peak.
If it had caused damage, it would be extremely detrimental to the evolution of his inner world, perhaps even destructive.
He sank his consciousness and immediately entered his inner world.
What he had expected, a scene of ruin, did not appear.
The primordial ocean, the boundless continents, and the Yin-Yang Nine Star System still existed. That deep blue, god-level primal species was still fine.
"Swish~"
Zhao Xing swept his consciousness across the entire realm and found that the Soul-Devouring Grass had remained in the primordial ocean.
"Hmm? It's so well-behaved, hasn't caused any destruction?"
Zhao Xing found that his imperial-level soldier was still living well.
[Li Yin Tree (Mutated)]
[Status: Peak]
[Quality: Imperial Level]
[True Spirit: Eight Tribulations]
[Secret Arts: Pointing Scarlet Immortal, Li Yin Charm, Ten Thousand Sounds Domain]
[Description: After years of listening to the Demigod musician's celestial music, its spiritual intelligence was greatly opened, and its acquired learning merged with its innate secret arts, greatly enhancing its power.]
[Remaining Life: 4.3 Eons]
[Sun-Moon Vine (Mutated)]
[Status: Peak]
[Quality: Imperial Level]
[True Spirit: Eight Tribulations]
[Secret Arts: Eight Emblems Sun Wheel, Moonlight Feather Array, Merchant Realm]
[Description: After years of listening to the Demigod musician's celestial music, its spiritual intelligence was greatly opened, and its acquired learning merged with its innate secret arts, greatly enhancing its power.]
[Remaining Life: 7.6 Eons]
The [洞溟花] (Cave Ocean Flower), [日月藤] (Sun-Moon Vine), and [璃音樹] (Li Yin Tree) were all obtained in the Ling Luo Realm.
The [洞溟花] was a descendant of the Flower God Clan, with research value in extracting 'Plant God Symbols,' though it didn't possess much combat ability.
In addition, there were the Seven Domain True Spirit Bamboo and Black Sky Moon Tree, both at the Eight Tribulation True Spirit level, forcibly raised to their peak in the Transmission Tower.
These five soldier species were all controllable.
Only the Soul-Devouring Grass, being an eleven-stage true spirit at the Demigod level, could not be controlled by Zhao Xing.
[Soul-Devouring Grass]
[Quality: Legendary]
[Status: Peak]
[Realm: Eleven-Stage True Spirit]
[Innate Secret Arts: Nine Abyss Devouring Realm]
[Description: Originating from the Li Xinghe Domain, the Soul-Devouring Grass survives by devouring the Void's Six Nothingness. In its adult stage, it is equivalent to the Human Race's Reincarnation Emperor level, and at its peak, it is Demigod level. It is a battle-type soldier species.]
[Lifespan: 14 Eons]
"It looks like after returning to the inner world, it's still suppressed by the Hunyuan Dao Tower," Zhao Xing thought, looking at a high tower in the sky above the primordial ocean. Its presence prevented the Soul-Devouring Grass from causing widespread destruction.
"Back then, it was possible to subdue it. Now, it's an eleven-stage Demigod, so it's probably no longer feasible," Zhao Xing sighed. He tried to send out a soul fragment to brainwash it, though he didn't hold much hope, considering the great disparity—after all, he was just an Eight Tribulation True Spirit now.
"Swish~"
Unexpectedly, as Zhao Xing sent out a soul fragment, the Soul-Devouring Grass proactively accepted it and allowed Zhao Xing's soul force to enter.
"Huh? What does this mean?" Zhao Xing was a bit surprised. He thought his soul force would be crushed by the Soul-Devouring Grass, but instead, it accepted it and established a spiritual connection.
"I want to go outside." The Soul-Devouring Grass' true form projected a youthful figure, about fifteen or sixteen years old, resembling Zhao Xing in appearance but with a rebellious expression. "It's too boring being locked in the primordial ocean."
"Oh, you want me to let you out?" Zhao Xing asked curiously.
"No, I don't want to leave. I just want to go outside occasionally," the Soul-Devouring Grass said. "I'll help you fight, and you give me some delicious food, like last time."
The brat has grown up and realized that the outside world isn't as beautiful as it seemed! It took Zhao Xing a while to understand the Soul-Devouring Grass' thoughts.
When the Soul-Devouring Grass first gained spiritual intelligence, it had encountered a master like Bai Han Venerable, a powerful figure. If it weren't for the time it tore through the spatial barrier and let Bamboo Sword Venerable in, it would never have been able to defeat Bai Han Venerable, who had the Heavenly Change Divine Needle in its lair.
"I thought about overturning this world, but during my battle with Bai Han Venerable, I ended up at a disadvantage and got thoroughly beaten." The Soul-Devouring Grass thought, recalling the fight. "Now that I think about it, the inner world is much better. It's well-stocked, safe, and comfortable."
However, it still longed for the outside world but didn't want to help Zhao Xing fight such strong enemies. So, in order to avoid feeling wronged, it decided to ask for some good food.
"Like last time? That's not possible." Zhao Xing shook his head. Last time, he had fed the Soul-Devouring Grass the remaining portion of a World-Breaking Divine Stone, which was a divine item used to open inner worlds.
Where could he find another similar divine item to feed it?
Even if he did, he should feed it to a god-level primal species first, not this mischievous child.
"You won't?!" The Soul-Devouring Grass flared up.
"It's not that I won't," Zhao Xing said helplessly. "Such good things are rare. How about something a bit lower quality?"
"That's acceptable, but it can't be too bad," the Soul-Devouring Grass thought for a moment before agreeing.
In the end, Zhao Xing and the Soul-Devouring Grass made a deal: if they went out to fight, he would give it some good food.
Zhao Xing then inspected his inner world and noticed that the rate of expansion had slowed down. The god-level primal species was still in the nurturing phase.
He took out the Heavenly Change Divine Needle and closed his inner world again.
[Hou Bian Law: Nine Ze Divine]
[Description: Nine Ze Divine is a born divine spirit, with the divine item 'Heavenly Change Divine Needle' and 'Nine Ze Hou Bian Law' created based on the life structure of this spirit and its descendants, with a total of nine layers.]
[Current Progress: Third Layer (3000/10000)]
The Nine Ze Divine Hou Bian Law had been unlocked. Even though Zhao Xing's physical body was not yet fully restored, the Hou Bian Law itself was meant to be performed in stages.
"The complete Nine Ze Divine is a born divine spirit. The first three layers correspond to the Demigod realm."
"The other two sets of secret arts from the Heavenly Change Divine Needle are 'Rock Star God' and 'Pulo God'."
"My body is still incomplete, but I can still partially change. There should still be some enhancement effects." Zhao Xing thought to himself.
If his body fully recovered, he could immediately become a descendant of the Nine Ze Divine, reaching the Demigod level!
When Zhao Xing received the inheritance in the Baihan Realm, he had already comprehended the Heavenly Change Law Domain. However, because Bai Han Venerable wanted to seize his body, he never had the chance to implement it.
"Now, I have five soldier species, all at the Eight Tribulation Emperor level, with the Soul-Devouring Grass being at the Demigod level."
"Once my flesh regenerates, I can use Hou Bian Law myself and achieve Demigod combat strength."
"Plus, I have the many divine items left behind by Wei Tianchen and the Qi Luck God Bone from Xuerui."
"In the White Bone Divine Domain, as long as I don't face a strong god-level being, I should have some self-defense capability."
Zhao Xing couldn't wait for his flesh to fully regenerate, because the Eight Directions Divine Mirror had told him that Ai Yisuo, a subordinate of Dan Ye, had already arrived in Mo Yuan City for nine years.
He was undergoing the Divine Guard assessment.
If Ai Yisuo became a Heavenly Patrol Guard or successfully bribed someone, Zhao Xing would be in danger.
One option was to send Fu Mengzhen to take the test, but there was a conflict here. If Fu Mengzhen wasn't affected by the drugs, she would likely pass. However, if she was affected, her chances of passing would be slim.
Once she woke up from the drug's influence, she would no longer be an asset but another burden. So Zhao Xing had no choice but to handle this on his own.
"Yu Shen Mo Yuan established the Heavenly Patrol Guards, probably inspired by Yuan's creation of the Fire Source Divine Hall. Even the assessment is a replica, it requires all kinds of professions."
"As a Shennong, if I participate in the Divine Guard assessment, I have two options: one is purely agricultural, and the other is purely combat-focused."
"Among the two, the pure agricultural Shennong has less competition."
"Because cultivators from the Yang Realm who enter the No Tribulation White Bone Divine Domain are all exceptional in combat."
"If I choose the combat test, I'll not only compete with others of the same type, but also face warriors, mechanists, illusionists, and other professions."
"On the other hand, if I choose agricultural work, other professions can't compete with me."
"However, the White Bone Divine Domain is integrated with the Yin realm of the Southern Continent. To make progress in such a special environment, one must have a deep understanding of the Dao of Life, self-techniques, and geographical techniques."
"I've been here for ten years, yet I haven't seen many strong Shennong or Shennong techniques," Zhao Xing thought silently.
He wasn't the only one to notice something was off. Everyone kept their Dao hidden, which led to a lack of information exchange in Mo Yuan City, especially in cultivation. The publicly available techniques were mostly low-end Shennong techniques.
"I don't know what the level is like. I'll just try everything."
"At least, I can always take the test, as long as I pay a small fee."
Mo Yuan City's universal currency was Soul Crystals. Thanks to the accumulation from Wei Tianchen and Bamboo Sword Venerable's previous actions in Fu Bone City, Zhao Xing still had about a million high-level Soul Crystals. The fee for the assessment was minimal.
"Xiao Bai," Zhao Xing called out to Bai Lanjun.
"Lord Zhao, what can I do for you?" Bai Lanjun addressed Zhao Xing as Lord Zhao, while Hu Qing and Yan Jun still referred to him as Senior Zhao.
"Get some money and head to the Dao Palace to inquire about when the Heavenly Patrol Guard's Shennong assessment will open and what the rules are."
"Understood."