“Greetings, Senior. This junior’s name is Shucao. Senior calls yourself Taiqing True Monarch—could you be that Nascent Soul cultivator of the former Taiqing Sect?!”
After hearing the elderly man’s title, Shucao spoke in surprise.
After all, the strongest cultivator she had ever seen was only at the Foundation Establishment stage.
Suddenly meeting a Nascent Soul stage cultivator—this span was hard not to find astonishing.
“Hehe. To be precise, I am a Simulated True Spirit copied using his True Spirit as a template. However, the original body has long since died, so I believe this title can also be used on me.”
“Simulated True Spirit… may I ask Senior, what exactly is this True Spirit?”
“The True Spirit is the root of living beings in Shenzhou. Within it resides the true self of every living being that possesses independent consciousness. Physical body, soul, and True Spirit together form every true being in Shenzhou. The True Spirit is stored within the soul.”
“When a living being’s physical body dies, the soul that has lost its physical body will also slowly dissipate, then enter the Place of Attainment of the Dao Lord of Reincarnation, where the True Spirit is washed away, and afterward it is reborn once more within Shenzhou as a completely new life.”
Seeing Shucao’s expression of only half-understanding, the elderly man said with a smiling face.
“In the past, when this large array had just been completed, Taiqing True Monarch used a certain treasure to copy his True Spirit. The Simulated True Spirit that was copied, like an external incarnation, can possess independent consciousness as well as the original body’s memories.”
“At the same time, the replica can also exist independently of the main body. The main body left me here precisely so that I could preside over the operation of this trial array.”
Hearing this, Shucao immediately recalled the mysterious small characters full of human emotion that she had seen during the first trial earlier.
“May I boldly ask Senior—were those small characters that appeared out of thin air which this junior saw during the trial written by Senior?”
“That’s right. The tasks issued during the trials were all created by me using the large array. At the same time, I can also know everything that occurs throughout the entire trial.”
“So at the end of the first trial, Senior specifically said those words to me?”
“Mm. Because you were simply too interesting, so I couldn’t help taking a few more looks.”
Luo Tingsheng stroked his beard again and slowly said.
“The original intention of the first trial was to test whether the disciples who entered could make choices decisively. Because in the cultivation world, there will always be situations that require one to make a timely choice.”
“Therefore, as long as one made any choice before that runaway spirit beast crashed into the people, one could pass. But little girl, you directly chose to confront that spirit beast head-on, and were even able to eliminate it. This is truly unprecedented.”
“Many thanks for Senior’s praise. At that time this junior was only anxious to save people, and thus made such a choice.”
“Having this kind of temperament is quite good.”
Luo Tingsheng put his hands behind his back and looked at the Shucao before him with a peaceful expression, then continued.
“Little girl, the reason I made an exception this time and teleported you here is more because I am somewhat curious about you.”
“I wonder what aspect of me Senior is curious about?”
“Naturally it is that peculiar power of yours. In my eyes, there is not even the slightest fluctuation of spiritual power on little girl’s body. Although those little Qi Refining fellows think you must have cultivated some kind of technique to conceal your cultivation, under my perception, there is still no spiritual power fluctuation on your body whatsoever.”
“This is clearly abnormal. Although I am only the Simulated True Spirit of Taiqing True Monarch, in terms of perception, I am not much inferior to the original body. Moreover, those spells you released—what you used was not spiritual power, was it?”
“Uh… about this…”
At this moment, Shucao said in a flustered manner to An Qianhua.
“What should I do, Sister Qianhua? This person doesn’t seem like someone I can fool with the special nature of my cultivation method.”
“It’s fine, little Shucao. Just tell him that you achieved this effect by relying on a treasure on your body. Although he says he is Nascent Soul stage, there are definitely things he has never seen before. When encountering a peculiar situation like yours, he will certainly think you have some background behind you and won’t dare to question you too deeply.”
Seeing that Shucao was slightly hesitant, Luo Tingsheng spoke again.
“Little girl, every cultivator has some secrets. I only want to satisfy a bit of my own curiosity. If it is truly something that cannot be spoken of, then it does not matter.”
After thinking for a moment, Shucao said.
“Since Senior answered those questions for me, then I should not let Senior be disappointed either.”
Thus Shucao took a deep breath and said solemnly to Luo Tingsheng.
“To be honest, this power is something I obtained from this treasure on my body. As for why there is no spiritual energy on my body at all, it is due to reasons of my sect and truly cannot be revealed.”
“A treasure… reasons of the sect, is it.”
After hearing Shucao’s explanation, Luo Tingsheng lowered his head and pondered for a while, murmuring.
“Could it be that the Sacred Sect’s experiment actually succeeded?”
Seeing Luo Tingsheng lowering his head in thought, Shucao slowly spoke.
“Senior, are there any other questions?”
“Haha, no more, no more. Many thanks to little girl for answering my questions.”
“Then Senior, may this junior leave now?”
“Eh eh, don’t be in such a hurry. I pulled you over not only because I wanted to chat with you.”
As he spoke, Luo Tingsheng waved his large hand, and several light screens appeared in front of the two of them.
On the light screens were some cultivators currently fighting against phantom enemies.
“This third trial tests talent and the degree of understanding toward techniques. The disciples can only use one technique passed down by our Taiqing Sect, then fight against a phantom enemy until they achieve victory.”
Looking at the light screens before her eyes, among which there were also some familiar figures, Shucao lightly complained.
This doesn’t test talent at all!
“Then at the end, I will select the candidates to comprehend the Innate Dao Rhyme according to each of their talents.”
So it’s here. Isn’t this completely something that can be manipulated?
Of course, these few complaints of Shucao’s were only thoughts in her mind and would not be heard by Luo Tingsheng.
Next, Luo Tingsheng said to Shucao.
“So little girl Shucao, are you interested in that Innate Dao Rhyme?”
“The Innate Dao Rhyme… me?”
“Mm. Because this time, among the disciples who came from outside, there are fewer people than before. Therefore, among the current nineteen disciples, the talent of several of them is not particularly high. Letting them go comprehend the Innate Dao Rhyme would still be a bit of a waste. If little girl is interested in the Innate Dao Rhyme, I can free up a quota for you.”
“This is also possible? This junior is not a successor of the Taiqing Sect.”
“Of course it is possible. After all, the one presiding over the trial is me. Giving the quota to someone more valuable is also a better choice for me.”
At the same time, Luo Tingsheng also thought.
If this person is related to the Sacred Sect, letting her go comprehend the Innate Dao Rhyme can be considered selling the Sacred Sect a favor.
“Since Senior is so generous, then this junior will not decline the courtesy.”
Shucao made no pretense of refusal.
After all, she had already been full of curiosity toward that Innate Dao Rhyme earlier.
Moreover, if a Qi Refining stage cultivator faced this kind of opportunity and still chose to refuse, it would look a bit too suspicious no matter how one looked at it—after all, it was a treasure that could increase the success rate of Foundation Establishment.
Let me take a look at what this so-called Innate Dao Rhyme is actually about.
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