Peak Master Nangong's Worn Limited Edition Armor

For the next full ke, Bai Zhirou bit the bullet and gave everyone a detailed explanation of her slightly artistically embellished “split personality disorder.”

Listening to her, the True Disciples were left utterly dumbfounded, their worldviews shaken to the core.

In the world of cultivation, cultivators emphasized refining both heart and body, striving for complete perfection without flaw.

Only when body and soul were aligned and the Dao Heart was clear could one's cultivation advance, allowing one to reach the heavens in a single bound.

As for possession...

In truth, many high-level cultivators looked down on such a practice.

After all, a body acquired through possession had a natural rejection toward one's soul, making complete harmony extremely difficult. Once possessed, progress in cultivation would grind to a halt, rendering further advancement nearly impossible for the rest of one's life.

Therefore, high-level cultivators nearing the end of their lifespan would rather risk everything on reincarnation to cultivate anew than resort to possession.

Yet Bai Zhirou's current “split personality” situation completely shattered their understanding.

“Wait a second.”

Gu Changqing opened his mouth wide, feeling his brain struggling to process it:

“Junior Sister Bai, are you saying...”

“...that whenever your emotions swing wildly or your life is in danger, your 'second personality' comes out on its own to fight for you?”

“And you stay fully conscious the entire time, aware of everything being done, except your personality changes?”

“And then your second personality just handles all those tough enemies for you?!”

“Not only that! When you're trying to master techniques, because you want to improve so badly, your second personality comes out again to practice for you? And by the time you regain control of your body, you've somehow mastered those extremely difficult techniques?!”

Bai Zhirou gave a solemn nod:

“Yes, exactly.”

“Holy crap!”

Gu Changqing slapped his thigh hard, his eyes turning red with envy as he pressed further:

“Now that you've listed all the benefits, what about the downsides?! Is there really no terrible price to pay?! Like... being left with an extremely weakened soul after every turn? Or cutting into your lifespan?!”

Bai Zhirou thought carefully.

Aside from the occasional social death, there really didn't seem to be any side effects.

She shook her head. “No.”

“Then what are you doing while your second personality is out?”

Bai Zhirou pondered seriously for a long moment:

“Watching the show?!”

Everyone: “...”

Cultivators might look glorious in front of others, but only they knew how much effort went on behind the scenes. Comprehending high-grade techniques took months at shortest and years at longest just to grasp the basics, and that was assuming one possessed exceptional talent.

Let alone the day-in, day-out meditation and refinement of martial moves.

Countless mediocre disciples made agonizingly slow progress even when cultivating day and night.

For most, their entire lives were nothing more than a transition from “Do not look down on a poor youth” to “May the departed rest in peace.”

But with a “second personality,” all you had to do was watch the show, and...

Nangong Yue's expression narrowed slightly, ignoring the disciples' shock.

She stared at Bai Zhirou and asked softly:

“May I... examine your sea of consciousness?”

The moment those words were uttered...

...Bai Zhirou's body stiffened abruptly, a trace of hesitation crossing her face.

This was a cultivator's deepest secret.

Immediately after, Jiang Ye's excited voice rang out in her mind:

“Let her look! Show her! I'm curious too to see if this NPC can actually see through it!”

With Jiang Ye backing her up...

...Bai Zhirou stepped forward two quick paces, stopping in front of Nangong Yue, and obediently lowered her head.

Looking at the nervous Bai Zhirou, Nangong Yue's tone softened unnaturally:

“Relax. Do not resist. I am merely checking whether your soul is intact; I will not harm you.”

“Mm.”

As Nangong Yue spoke, she gently placed her fair hand on top of Bai Zhirou's head.

A massive wave of divine sense belonging to a Nascent Soul grand cultivator slowly surged into Bai Zhirou's body.

Although her divine sense was vast—vast enough to burst a Qi Condensation cultivator's soul in an instant...

...she still exercised extreme caution, controlling her power carefully as she probed Bai Zhirou's uncultivated sea of consciousness.

After all, the sea of consciousness was delicate. Even a slight slip causing damage could compromise one's future cultivation foundation.

Nangong Yue's divine sense slowly reached the depths of Bai Zhirou's sea of consciousness.

That strand of divine sense instantly manifested into the likeness of Nangong Yue herself.

Since Bai Zhirou had yet to break through to Foundation Establishment, she had not built her Great Dao foundation.

As such, her sea of consciousness remained in a primordial state—dark and gloomy all around, with only the central region lit up.

But...

“Isn't this... way too big?!”

Shock flashed in Nangong Yue's beautiful eyes!

An ordinary Qi Condensation cultivator's sea of consciousness was, at most, the size of a water well.

Yet Bai Zhirou's sea of consciousness...

...was like a vast, boundless ocean stretching as far as the eye could see!!

In the center of that ocean...

...Bai Zhirou's soul floated quietly in the chaos, resembling a dazzling pearl.

Pure, harmonious, and completely natural, without a single flaw or impurity!

But just as Nangong Yue's divine sense was observing closely...

Suddenly!

She felt a terrifying, sharp pain shoot through between her brows!

She snapped her gaze toward the deepest recesses of that vast sea of consciousness.

Amidst that endless, gloomy chaos, she seemed to have glimpsed... an absolute horror.

Shaken to her core, Nangong Yue cut off the connection with that strand of divine sense without a moment's hesitation!

...

Inside the cave dwelling.

Gu Qingxue and the others were staring nervously at Nangong Yue and Bai Zhirou.

Right at that moment...

...Nangong Yue suddenly snapped her eyes open.

Secretly drawing a deep breath, she quelled the shock in her heart and slowly relaxed her furrows.

Immediately after, a brilliant light erupted from her beautiful eyes:

“Her soul is completely intact!”

“Furthermore, her foundation is rock-solid, and the breadth of her divine sense is something I have never seen in my life! Her future achievements... are bound to be limitless!”

Hearing their master's verdict, all the True Disciples let out a long sigh of relief.

Even Bai Zhirou wiped the sweat from her palms in secret, finally easing her mind.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ye, inside her mind, fell into deep thought instead.

With his experience as a veteran player, if he simply wanted to create a body that could move freely in this game...

...he would have several techniques and items capable of doing so once he reached Foundation Establishment.

However, the premise of those methods was that the relationship between him and Bai Zhirou had to be “two separate, independent souls.”

But now, even a Nascent Soul NPC couldn't find a single clue.

This indicated that their current condition was extraordinarily complex.

Rather than a simple “possession” or “parasitism”...

...their state was more like two separate, independent consciousnesses forcefully crammed inside a single, pure soul!

Just as Jiang Ye was pondering seriously...

...Nangong Yue's solemn voice resounded within the cave dwelling:

“Bai Zhirou.”

“You possess supreme talent and a resilient Dao Heart. This seat asks you...”

“...are you willing to take me as your master?”

Bai Zhirou's eyes instantly widened into saucers.

She was actually... going straight from an outer sect disciple to a Peak Master's True Disciple?!

And thinking back...

...Nangong Yue really had overbearingly stepped in to protect her multiple times whenever “she” got into deep trouble.

Even though none of those were actually her doing.

Bai Zhirou still cautiously asked in her mind:

“Senior, what... do you think about this?”

Jiang Ye replied nonchalantly:

“What else is there to think? Accept it right away! Are you stupid not to cling to a Nascent Soul thigh? The thicker the golden thigh, the better!”

Bai Zhirou hesitated no longer.

She hastily knelt respectfully on both knees, clasping her hands:

“Disciple Bai Zhirou pays respects to Master!”

“Hahaha! Good!”

Nangong Yue let out a hearty laugh, stepping forward to help her up.

“Under my seat, there are already five True Disciples.”

“You rank sixth, so from now on... I shall call you Old Sixth.”

Jiang Ye: “??”

...

“Yes, Master,” Bai Zhirou obediently accepted.

Nangong Yue was in high spirits.

With a flick of her wrist, she retrieved an inner armor emitting a faint silver shimmer from her spatial ring.

A top-grade Treasure Tool: 【Flowing Silver Ice Silk Armor】!

Handing the armor to Bai Zhirou, Nangong Yue teased her with rare playfulness:

“This armor is an undergarment I wore during my early years of traveling the world. Its defensive power is exceptionally formidable.”

“Consider it your disciple-acknowledgment gift. You... wouldn't mind that your master wore it, right?”

Overwhelmed by the gesture, Bai Zhirou hurriedly waved her hands, her face flushing red:

“No, no, not at all! How could I possibly mind! Thank you for the gift, Master!”

Nangong Yue looked at her with a beaming smile and suddenly added with a touch of humor:

“However, we must make a deal beforehand.”

“You may use this for self-defense, but you are not allowed to put it up for auction!”

“Something like... 'Peak Master Nangong's Worn Limited Edition Armor' is strictly forbidden.”

Bai Zhirou was intensely embarrassed! Her entire face turned bright red all the way to her neck, and she wished she could dig a hole and crawl into it right then and there!

She screamed inwardly in complete despair: