Xianluo Peak: The Substitute Proxy

Xianluo Peak.

Zhuang Xun rummaged through his storage space, finding that everything he had collected back then was at least of the Spirit rank…

Not a single spiritual treasure he wanted.

“What the hell? Don’t I even have a single ninth-grade spirit tool?”

Zhuang Xun wanted to refine a substitute for his missing ninth-grade treasure—a proxy, for short.

In other words, something to suffer in his place here.

But that treasure required ninth-grade materials to forge.

That gave him a headache.

“I’ve figured out the Blood Origin Curse, but the materials for this proxy are way too demanding, aren’t they?”

Zhuang Xun flopped onto the bed, looking utterly dejected.

He couldn’t just sit here and wait to be screwed, could he?

Maybe try using Spirit-rank materials instead?

He got up and began searching his storage for materials with similar functions.

A moment later.

He stared at the dazzling array of Spirit-rank spirit artifacts spread across the bed, their flowing light elevating the surrounding spiritual energy by a notch.

“No idea if this will work.”

Zhuang Xun waved his hand lightly, and the artifacts on the bed flew out one by one, hovering in the positions of a Bagua formation.

He himself leaped to the central position, his steps light. The surrounding artifacts began rotating in a reversed yin-yang direction.

“It’s been a while since I last refined anything. Time to stretch my limbs.”

Heaven and earth reversed, the cosmos as a furnace…

Zhuang Xun’s eyes gradually turned detached. His hands were covered with a mysterious Dao aura, as if he himself had become the Dao… manipulating this Bagua array formed by the artifacts.

Yin and yang pressed down, merging spirits into form…

Shua! Shua!…

The artifacts hung in the air, twisted, shattered by an invisible force, turning into specks of spiritual light.

Boom!

A bolt of lightning struck from the cloudless sky, precisely smashing one artifact into fragments of light.

“…”

“You’re quite mischievous.”

【Daoling: I can’t casually strike people, but artifacts are fair game.】

“Thanks.”

Zhuang Xun didn’t stand on ceremony, focusing entirely on refining the proxy.

Now this was what you called a true filial daughter!

…

“What’s happening on Xianluo Peak?”

“Is someone going through tribulation?”

Ziyin, who had just seen off the Palace Lord of Gufeng Palace, watched the lightning flashes on the horizon, a surge of doubt rising in her heart.

No, Luoshui had only left a few days ago, and no one was in tribulation…

Wait!

Could Zhuang Xun be using heavenly thunder to break through Luoshui’s restrictions?

Though that idea was unrealistic, the thunder…

No, it was strange. She had to check it out!

Ziyin vaguely felt the heaven-sent thunder was odd and immediately flickered to Xianluo Peak.

But what she saw next convinced her of the painting’s authenticity.

“Heaven’s thunder aiding him, forging artifacts in the void of heaven and earth…”

“He really does have a heaven-defying skill.”

Ziyin let out a soft sigh and stood watching Zhuang Xun’s forging performance.

She was curious to see what other abilities this Zhuang Xun had, to make Xuanyuan Luoshui go to such trouble to capture him.

And to act like a completely obedient wife.

“Well, let me see what else you’ve got.”

….

Zhuang Xun focused entirely on forging, his mind solely on his work.

He completely ignored Ziyin watching from the sky.

Even though he had noticed her.

【Daoling: Father, do you want me to chase her away?】

No need. She’s just watching, won’t cause any trouble.

【Daoling: But she might distract you.】

Doesn’t talking to me distract me too?

【Daoling: You’re still pretty skilled, though.】

Practice makes perfect. It’s almost engraved in my DNA.

Zhuang Xun clasped his hands in a yin-yang gesture, forming seals of the human way.

All the spiritual light revolved like stars, slowly merging into the Taiji between his palms…

“Merge.”

The spiritual light burst forth, a rainbow of multicolored light illuminating the entire courtyard…

Accompanied by overflowing Dao rhythms.

An hour later.

The divine light dissipated, revealing a life-sized puppet identical to Zhuang Xun in appearance and build.

“Not bad.”

Zhuang Xun examined the puppet closely, then snapped his fingers.

Snap!

“From now on, you’ll take my place.”

The puppet nodded expressionlessly.

“You up there, seen enough of the show?” Zhuang Xun called out.

“…”

Ziyin’s expression shifted slightly. “What are you trying to do? Use a puppet to endure house arrest in your place?”

“More or less.”

“That’s a Spirit-Lock Prison. It will seal your spiritual energy. Forget it.”

Zhuang Xun chuckled and shook his head. “Palace Lord, look at what I used to forge it.

“This is a proxy. How would it use spiritual energy to operate?” He placed his hand on the puppet’s shoulder, and his body began to fade…

Soul-Shifting Art, Twin Dao.

A bit overkill, but helpless.

He had to show off a little, after all.

In an instant, Zhuang Xun and the puppet swapped positions, yet the shackle on his ankle didn’t stir.

“No problem, see?”

“Go inside.”

The puppet, dressed in the same ink-black robe as him, opened the door naturally, walked in, and sat cross-legged on the bed to cultivate.

It looked exactly like the real Zhuang Xun, with no flaw.

“…”

Ziyin swept her divine sense over the puppet and found it truly indistinguishable from a real person.

It had a similar soul but no heavenly restriction.

Only a talisman radiating Dao rhythm glowed brilliantly.

“What a marvelous technique.”

“Can you understand it?”

Zhuang Xun’s hands formed seals across his chest, tracing mysterious lines. His blood began to stir…

Gradually, a crimson blood bead condensed at his brow.

The Blood Origin Curse was deeply embedded in his essence blood. Without drawing and stripping his own blood, he couldn’t break free.

Even after completely removing the essence blood, some effects would persist.

His body would still suffer torment.

The only way to fully escape was to cultivate a Great Dao Body, renewing and sublimating his bloodline through broken rebirth.

Otherwise, he would bear the curse’s pain and control for life.

But now, Zhuang Xun had no other choice.

The world line had begun to shift. He had to keep watching over Qin Zhaoyu to ensure she didn’t fall into a death trap.

As for Xuanyuan Luoshui…

He, in his past life, was at least a morally upright young man. He couldn’t bring himself to violate the ethics of master and disciple.

Even if she forced him, worn him down with persistence.

He couldn’t cross that line in his heart.

Besides, he felt no stirring of emotion at all. How could he take responsibility for feelings?

Sorry… Luoshui…

This master can only be your master.

As for a Dao companion…

Wait until this master can feel like a normal person again.

The blood bead before Zhuang Xun’s brow gradually reflected his entire body, absorbing drops of essence blood pure with the aura of the Great Dao.

“…”

Ziyin remained silent.

Was it worth being so ruthless to escape the Blood Origin Curse’s tracking?

Draining all his essence blood would take a hundred years to recover—and damage his foundation.

And such pure Dao aura was extremely rare, something she had never seen.

Truly an unfathomable Daoist.

But that Luoshui managed to push him this far in such a short time…

Impressive, in a way.

…