Chapter 86: Surprise! Found a Treasure
Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Surprise! Found a Treasure
Having watched the Hedgehog Girl follow him into the valley, Zhu Ge pointed to the edge of the pond.
"Sit down. We need to talk about a few things first."
He then plopped down himself.
The Hedgehog Girl, meanwhile, sat down while looking around the valley, her eyes full of curiosity.
She seemed less like a Transformed Demon Beast and more like a real girl of seventeen or eighteen.
"This is the Long Fern Pigs’ territory. It’s so pretty!"
The Hedgehog Girl looked surprised. "Master, you weren’t this strong yesterday. How did you get so powerful today?!"
Zhu Ge knew what she meant, but he didn’t feel like explaining.
He was the one asking the questions, not her.
After suppressing the restlessness in his body, Zhu Ge was completely free of any impure thoughts.
The being before him was just a hedgehog.
’In a hundred years, she’ll just be a pile of withered flesh and bone.’
"Master, why aren’t you saying anything?"
The hedgehog immediately scooted closer, planting her hands on the ground and leaning forward. Her nose sniffed around Zhu Ge’s face until her mouth was almost touching his.
"SPURT—"
Blood suddenly spurted from Zhu Ge’s nose.
"Back up! Don’t move!"
Zhu Ge wiped away the blood. He circulated his Blood Qi through his body once more to suppress the turmoil, then snapped at the Hedgehog Girl:
"Or I’ll kill you!"
’Kill?’
Hearing that word, the Hedgehog Girl quickly backed away and sat down obediently. She looked timidly at Zhu Ge. "I won’t move!"
Seeing the Hedgehog Girl had settled down, Zhu Ge let out a breath and said, "Tell me what you know. Explain everything you mentioned before, one thing at a time."
The Hedgehog Girl chirped, "Yes!"
Then she began her tale:
"I was originally a hedgehog in the city. By chance, I developed Spiritual Wisdom and entered the Spirit Realm. I’ve been studying under a scholar ever since..."
The Hedgehog Girl’s story was quite ordinary, but Zhu Ge still managed to hear what he wanted to know.
For example, when she was on the brink of death earlier, she had said she knew many things, including about the Martial Dao, Confucian Dao, Immortal Dao, and so on.
That was what Zhu Ge wanted to know about now.
"...Besides the three great paths of the current era—the Immortal Dao, Confucian Dao, and Martial Dao—I also know of the Path of Gods and Ghosts."
"For the Ghost Dao, the First Realm is Solitary Soul, the Second Realm is Essence Plunder, and the Third Realm is Demon. For the Divine Dao, the First Realm is Shrine Prison, the Second is Moon Walk, and the Third is Life Star."
’Confucian, Immortal, Martial, Buddha, Ink! Demons, Ghosts, Spirits, and Monsters!’
’In any case, the Great Realm is the end of all paths.’
"...So, with the Plague God Sparrow and the Red River Dragon Python fighting over Yuan Yang City—one a great god and the other a Great Demon—we can only obey orders at a moment’s notice."
The Hedgehog Girl sat properly, speaking nonchalantly, "But the Human Race isn’t so different in my opinion. And human food is tastier! It’s all the same to me who I listen to. Master, you’re so powerful, you’ll definitely be stronger than the Plague God Sparrow in the future!"
"Let’s not talk about that for now." Zhu Ge waved a hand, immune to the Hedgehog Girl’s flattery.
He had no idea what this Hedgehog Girl had learned in the human city, but he’d already heard her lay on the flattery several times during her story.
"You just said that a human’s soul is actually human-shaped?" Zhu Ge asked.
That’s right.
Just now, Zhu Ge had heard another crucial point.
The form of a Ghost God depends on the form of the soul, and the form of the soul depends on the race.
In other words, a human soul could only be human-shaped. It couldn’t be an egg.
"Of course!" the Hedgehog Girl said, as if it were obvious. "If a human’s soul isn’t human-shaped, what would it be? A bird?"
Hearing this, Zhu Ge took a deep breath.
’She... kind of has a point?’
’Then what’s with the giant egg in my mind?’
Zhu Ge immediately fell into deep thought.
’How did my soul leave my body?’
’The Shell Shedding trait.’
’Wait, could it be like this?’
Zhu Ge’s heart trembled.
’Astral projection!’
With a thought, Zhu Ge’s egg-shaped soul "shed its shell."
Fortunately, he had long been practicing how to use his traits without consuming his lifespan.
He had finally achieved some success.
But in the next moment, he used Shell Shedding once more.
"POP~"
In an instant, a great bird shot out from within the giant egg.
Or rather...
’A Kunpeng?!’
Zhu Ge was stunned.
He could sense information about this bird.
’This is my Kunpeng soul?!’
At that moment, the Hedgehog Girl was also stunned.
"Th-th-this... How do you have such a big egg and such a big bird?!" the Hedgehog Girl exclaimed in disbelief.
However, before the Hedgehog Girl could recover from her shock, Zhu Ge’s giant egg soul trembled again.
"POP~"
Another soul form appeared.
A Spider!
A massive Spider, as large as the Kunpeng soul, with faint silk threads on its legs connecting to the void.
’Could it be...’ Zhu Ge vaguely realized.
’Could it be that every simulation gives me a new soul?!’
"M-Master... You have so many souls! Doesn’t that mean you can possess many, many bodies?!" The Hedgehog Girl’s eyes were filled with shock.
’Possession?!’
Zhu Ge’s heart jolted. He had thought of that method as well.
’That’s right!’
’If I use the "Defiance" trait to possess a body, wouldn’t I be able to have two avatars?!’
He had to remember that his original soul was this giant egg; the Kunpeng and the Spider were both split off from it.
Previously, he had thought his giant egg soul would eventually hatch into a Kunpeng.
Now it seemed that Zhu Ge’s giant egg soul could only hatch a human.
’As for how to hatch it?’
’It must be by following the Cultivation Dao, just as the Hedgehog Girl said.’
’The Second Realm of the Immortal Dao is Golden Core, and the Third Realm is Nascent Soul formation.’
Right now, the giant egg didn’t even count as a Golden Core, let alone a Nascent Soul.
Only by first cultivating the egg soul into a Golden Core could it successfully transform into a Nascent Soul.
’Knowledge really is power...’ Zhu Ge’s soul returned to his body, and he looked at the Hedgehog Girl before him.
Without the Hedgehog Girl’s insight, Zhu Ge probably would never have thought to use his "Shell Shedding" trait for this kind of astral projection.
’If I get new traits in the future, couldn’t I have a third, fourth, or even fifth avatar...?’ Zhu Ge’s heart burned with excitement.
After her shock wore off, the Hedgehog Girl spoke again. "I knew I didn’t follow the wrong master!"
The Hedgehog Girl’s expression was full of worship. "Master, your main body cultivates the Martial Dao, but can’t you use your other souls to cultivate the great paths of the Confucian Family, the Mo Family, and others? That’s... that’s amazing!"
’Damn, why didn’t I think of that...’ Zhu Ge’s expression as he looked at the Hedgehog Girl held a hint of pleasant surprise. "Not bad. It seems you’ve thought of it too."
Just then, the character "囍" in his mind stirred, and a ball of Yin Qi floated out.
"Brother, that hedgehog just learned too much. She’s a leak risk. I’ll help you kill her!"
As it spoke, the mass of red Yin Qi surged toward the hedgehog, radiating killing intent.
"Ah! A Ghost!" the hedgehog shrieked. "It’s that vicious Second Realm Ghost that blocked Lady Yu’s Race!"
Hearing this, Hua Liusha’s Yin Qi grew even thicker.
"Sister!!" At the last possible second, Zhu Ge quickly stopped Hua Liusha.
Hua Liusha’s Yin Qi halted, then flowed back into Zhu Ge’s body.
"Hmph! Brother is biased!"
After saying this, the "囍" character went still.
’What’s with all this jealousy...’ Zhu Ge felt helpless.
The Hedgehog Girl recovered and exclaimed in amazement, "Master, you’re raising a Ghost? I thought this Ghost was the Xigui under the Plague God Sparrow’s command!"
"Could it be that Master, like those great aristocratic families, is raising a Ghost to act as a ’Sewing Master’ to craft Soul Clothing that protects the soul?"
’Huh?’
’It can be used like that?’
Zhu Ge felt like he’d hit the jackpot today, but his expression remained profound as he said:
"Mm, you saw through my plans."
"That’s right. That was my intention from the very beginning."