Chu Ge and his wife were clearly unaware of what was happening in the distance.
They were fast asleep.
The pills Little Flame had refined today had an exceptionally good effect on both of them. They had cultivated for an hour before bed without feeling anything. During their sleep, their bodies and souls began to combine and evolve on their own, producing effects that Qiu Wuji himself hadn't even imagined before choosing this pill.
Because of Qiu Wuji's clone, she still didn't quite understand what was going on.
It was clearly an illusory body; theoretically, this body didn't exist, it was only a soul. For example, if she left this world and returned to the book, her body would be gone, leaving no empty shell for Chu Ge to play with.
The thought alone was chilling, oh dear, so terrifying…
But since it was a non-existent body, it looked exactly like a real body in daily life; it got dirty, it got hungry, and now it even had its period.
This wasn't cultivation.
Theoretically, the power required to create a body was extraordinary, far beyond what this mere soul-splitting energy could achieve. Even the abilities of a true body couldn't create a physical body out of thin air; it required a vast amount of treasures as the foundation for evolving a body, with a very low success rate, and even if successful, the body probably wouldn't be this vibrant.
After all, the abilities of a human cultivator who hadn't yet ascended were truly insufficient.
Normally, Qiu Wuji seemed quite used to it, and rarely discussed this topic with Chu Ge… How could she casually discuss her body with a man? Really, should she touch it to see if it was real?
However, the true nature of this body remained an unsolved mystery hidden deep within Qiu Wuji's heart, one of her main research areas in the mortal world. What did she mean by "not wanting to aim too high before fully understanding the world"? Clearly, she hadn't even seen through her own body; how could she have any thoughts of the stars and the sea?
She didn't feel anything when she took the pill while awake at night, but after falling asleep, her soul sea calmed down, and in a hazy state, Qiu Wuji actually began to dream.
A lucid dream, like introspection, where she saw herself.
She saw a phantom body, suspended in the empty void, like a thin mist, transparent and elusive.
That should have been her true form.
Then gradually, color appeared, transforming from simple lines to vibrant hues—a manifestation of herself, originally meant to deceive the eye, to make others appear real.
Qiu Wuji was almost certain that this was the state he was in when he first transmigrated, holding a sword to Chu Ge's neck.
The turning point was when he truly came into contact with Chu Ge, and after Chu Ge's various tests, confirmed that this was indeed Qiu Wuji.
Then another line appeared in the void of the dream, originating from next door, scattered like stars across the void.
This body, without any support, began to have something to rely on; it was the interaction between his imagined world and reality.
When his manifested form merged with his imagined Qiu Wuji, the illusion became reality.
The female protagonist really did come out of the book…
After he confirmed this, the phantom body became a real body.
So… the first and second Qiu Wuji who appeared were actually different.
Was it his fantasy coming true?
Or did she first emerge and gain acceptance, giving Qiu Wuji, who originally didn't know what she looked like, a clear image, and thus it came true?
Or was it a combination of both, mutually influencing each other?
He didn't know.
What Qiu Wuji could see was that the colors, which were originally just a manifestation of his soul, began to fill his bones and flesh. Everything a human should have gradually took shape; the soul became a real person, a real person completely contrary to common sense—clearly a cultivator, impervious to heat and cold yet hungry, but since she was hungry, she didn't have menstruation.
Because this body was something he imagined…
He wanted this woman to live with him, so she would be hungry, dirty, sleep, and possess all the necessities of life.
He didn't seriously consider the matter of menstruation, subconsciously assuming that cultivators had already slain the Crimson Dragon, so this body didn't have menstruation.
When he seriously considered it and looked forward to having a child, menstruation came precisely on time, as accurate as a coincidence… but it wasn't a coincidence.
Upon realizing this, Qiu Wuji's mind went blank.
She even doubted whether Qiu Wuji truly existed, and whether everything was merely that man's fantasy.
But she should… still exist, right? Otherwise, what was the meaning of her current thoughts?
I think, therefore I am.
When fantasy materializes, then a self emerges.
Yes, Chu Ge's ability must be the materialization of fantasy; this body is merely an example… The truly terrifying thing is that, because he inherited his mother's spatial abilities, he materialized an entire world!
Too terrifying… Qiu Wuji wasn't entirely certain. She felt she should observe further, as some things didn't make sense, such as his abilities being insufficient…
Honestly, if she hadn't truly fallen in love with Chu Ge now, and had realized this situation earlier, Qiu Wuji suspected she might have actually killed him.
This kind of situation, where everything is someone else's imagination, even the timing of his menstruation is controlled by his imagination, is something most people would find difficult to endure. For a cultivator who has dedicated his life to seeking "truth" and "self," it is absolutely unacceptable.
But now… Qiu Wuji opened his eyes, sighed helplessly, and punched the big bear beside him: "You're quite the expert on women's bodies, aren't you?"
…Next door, Chu Ge was also dreaming.
Of course, his effect wasn't as good as Qiu Wuji's… The pill's effect was to promote the stable fusion of body and soul, thus revealing the mystery of Qiu Wuji's body. Chu Ge had a normal body and soul, so naturally nothing special happened, except that he dreamed he entered the world of the book.
Or perhaps the world of the book entered his dream?
Zhuangzi's dream of the butterfly, nothing more.
The two were simply combined more closely… In a world where heaven is round and earth is square, there is no universe or starry sky; the sun and moon represent the two polarities. The world has an end; the sun rises in Fusang and sets in Yanggu.
Chu Ge, dressed in the Pure Yang Sword Three armor, stood with his hands behind his back at the edge of the sea and sky, looking at the sun below the horizon for a long, long time, and suddenly said, "Rise." The sun rose and the moon set.
The world of the book was dawning.
Beyond the sea, Chu Tiange, sword drawn from the mountains, escaped the jaws of a demonic beast. Suddenly, he looked back: "Isn't the sunrise a little too early?"
A barefoot giant chased after the sun, causing the earth to tremble: "The Way of Heaven..."
The demons stirred, shadows lurking.
An early sunrise, unprecedented in history... This must be the Way of Heaven using the blazing sun to deter the wicked.
On this side of the sea, in the Yunji Mountains, Qiu Wuji sighed: "Zai Xiu, you really made a mess, be careful to beat you up."
In the heart of the flames, the phantom of the flames swayed, whispering to himself: "The sense of existence is getting stronger and stronger... If I had known you were so awesome, I would have been stupid to seek death..."
Chu Ge's voice suddenly reached his ears: "If you see an outsider, how about you bring a big hammer?"
Yan Qianlie was stunned: "What?"
"Cosplay a little and make others confused."
"...Can I tell others that when you think about how great Tiandao is, this girl might actually be a little kid wearing crotchless pants and playing in the mud?"
"Maybe, all the ways of heaven may be boring, and they created the world because they were so boring."
"..."
"Stop talking, it's daybreak and it's time for me to get up and wash up."
Chugo left the world in the book, opened his eyes, and woke up from his sleep.
It's still early morning in the real world, and the sky is only slightly bright.
Next door, Qiu Wuji had already left his room to wash up, and the sounds of daily life once again filled the air.
Chu Ge let out a long sigh. Was that a dream? Why the hell did I dream about Yan Qianlie! It should have been Qiu Qiu! Why would I dream about that guy, just so he could cosplay as Ragnaros?
How incredibly boring!
A phone rang next door.
Qiu Wuji rubbed his face and ran back to his room to get his phone: "Mengmeng?"
Zhu Mengmeng's crying voice came from the phone: "My dad suddenly jumped off a building..."
Qiu Wuji: "???" Old Zhu's behavior on the hospital bed didn't seem like he would attempt suicide. Something was definitely wrong.
Luckily, he had impulsively cast a defensive spell on Old Zhu... and just one night later, something really did happen.