Chapter 168
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Chapter 168: Dragon and Phoenix Mix
When Yuance took the True Meaning Diagram, his heart churned with countless emotions—excitement, unease, nervousness, dread. He feared everything before him was a scam or illusion.
Losing money didn’t scare him, but a fake Diagram would crush his mindset.
Thankfully, his worst fears didn’t materialize. The moment he grasped the Diagram, his anxiety vanished.
“Hum…”
Upon touching the Diagram and sensing its essence, Yuance felt transformed. He could now examine his own internal structure through an alien perspective. Simultaneously, he detected a figure in the mirror linked to his true body by an unbreakable bond.
This connection confirmed the reality of clone cultivation…
His first observation lasted one hour of meditation. When it ended, his brows knotted deeply.
This expression startled Lin Qi and the newly arrived Flower Xingyu.
“B-Boss! Is the clone cultivation diagram fake?”
Yuance shook his head reflexively.
“No.”
“Whew…”
Both men exhaled in relief. Flower Xingyu then grumbled, “If it’s real, why the frown? You nearly scared me to death! My heart almost froze!”
Yuance sighed. “The True Meaning Diagram of doppelgänger cultivation is genuine. We could extract its essence for other doppelgänger techniques. But it’s too profound—Quantum Entanglement, observer effect… I can’t even comprehend these principles, let alone master them.”
He concluded grimly: “Learning this cultivation method won’t be simple.”
Flower Xingyu shrugged. “Obviously. If clone cultivation were easy, others would’ve invented it ages ago. We’ll grind through it—this’s a lifetime skill, even a family heirloom…”
“True… Mu Lin’s talent in creating this surpasses all expectations…”
Yan Yunyu overheard, cementing her belief that pledging loyalty to Mu Lin was her wisest life choice.
‘If even Yuance finds it hard, I’d need decades—maybe forever—to learn it. But with Brother Mu Lin here, I don’t need to…’
Her eyes softened as she gazed at Mu Lin.
…
Mu Lin ignored their chatter. Guided by Yan Yunyu, he now sat eating at a tavern outside Yuhu Academy—no ordinary meal.
Nine Yuan Yang lotus seeds replenished vitality. Three-hundred-year ginseng and lingzhi mushrooms stewed alongside a two-hundred-year-Cultivation Black Chicken and Red Snake…
This Dragon and Phoenix Mix meal left Mu Lin – with his dragon body – flushed red, sweating profusely, his vitality churning violently.
Eating to replenish his body’s energy and accumulate physical strength faster for his third transformation had been Yan Yunyu’s suggestion.
And it worked perfectly.
The dish used rare spiritual materials prepared by a quasi-master-level spiritual chef.
Thanks to the chef’s skills, the food’s energy wasn’t just preserved—it grew stronger through yin and yang fusion and spiritual energy merging.
The quasi-master chef’s special methods also made the Dragon and Phoenix Mix easily absorbable.
This single meal equaled eating a three-hundred-year-old tiger, instantly restoring most of Mu Lin’s depleted vitality.
Of course, such deliciousness came at a steep price.
1,300 Spirit Stones per meal.
Only Yan Yunyu’s connections made this possible – without her, no amount of Spirit Stones could’ve bought it.
“Intense!”
“One more meal and I’ll have enough energy for the second assessment… No, better finish three meals before breaking through.”
His past shedding experience taught him about over-limit breakthroughs – pushing beyond maximum capacity before advancing. This deepened foundations but required insane resources and time.
Ordinary Qi Practitioners couldn’t afford this. Only spoiled scions of powerful clans tried it.
But with his True Meaning Diagram of doppelgänger cultivation providing endless Spirit Stones, Mu Lin saw no reason to hold back.
“How much stronger will over-limit make me? 70%? 80%? Maybe… 90%?”
Sweating from the meal’s heat, Mu Lin daydreamed while his doppelgänger kept training nonstop.
He didn’t linger in fantasies. Soon, he activated a special artifact to contact Master Meng Rui.
Two reasons: first, to build a doppelgänger cultivation puppet as Yan Yunyu’s reward. Second, the spiritual meal’s effects sparked new ideas.
“That quasi-master chef doesn’t just make Dragon and Phoenix Mix. There’s also Hundred Refinements Monkey Wine, Yuan Yang Lotus Soup, Five Good Buns, Red Dragon Blood Wine…”
“Not just vitality meals – he makes Immortal’s Drunk, Ten Thousand Flowers Brew, Moonlight Nectar for spiritual energy too.”
These meals worked like pills but with no side effects. Daily consumption would skyrocket his Cultivation.
“Too bad they can’t be stored. Spiritual meals need fresh preparation for full effect – that’s why spiritual chefs lose to pill masters.”
Hence the puppet’s importance…
Contacting Master Meng Rui proved simple. The projection showed her lounging lazily on a bed, Mu Lin’s Flowers and Butterflies beside her.
Not that she’d reclaimed them – rather…
"Little one, don’t be too hasty. I’ll do my best to upgrade Flowers and Butterflies, though it’ll take time."
Master Meng Rui teased Mu Lin, thinking he was concerned about the artifact.
Unbeknownst to Mu Lin, another presence shared the room – a faint projection hovering beside the master.
The two had been discussing Qin Yuan earlier. Observing Mu Lin through the projection, the hazy figure remarked, "So this is the boy who reached late Spring Fountain stage so quickly while cultivating both magic and body? Impressive talent indeed."
The figure’s tone shifted abruptly. "Yet I still back Qin Yuan. His future triumphs are proven. Hatred drives him – he never yields to evil nor wallows in defeat. Since losing to you, he’s trained harder and grown stronger. Even his talent shows breakthrough potential."
Master Meng Rui nodded slightly. She acknowledged Qin Yuan’s resilience – after all, she’d personally rescued and trained him. But her silent thoughts declared: ‘You’re right… yet I choose Mu Lin.’
"Why?" demanded the figure, sensing her choice through the silence.
‘Because Qin Yuan’s merely talented while Mu Lin’s a once-in-a-millennium prodigy,’ she thought, though kept this to herself.
"You’ll regret this," the projection hissed, remaining to observe what made Mu Lin special.
Their mental conversation went unnoticed by Mu Lin, who only heard the teasing about Flowers and Butterflies. "Master, I actually came about a puppet design needing refinement," he corrected with an awkward smile.
Meng Rui’s grin widened. She welcomed his requests, fearing only his independence. "Speak. I’ll help however I can."
As Mu Lin explained his clone cultivation concept, the master shook her head midway. "Impossible. To refine spiritual energy into personal magic requires Essence, Qi, and Spirit – a mere puppet can only produce puppet energy…"
"I know. But my Substitute Paper Figure technique absorbs others’ vitality, spirit, and magic to create temporary paper clones. I want to build puppet bodies around them for permanence."
"Permanence? No!"
The sudden objection came from Yan Yunyu. The clever girl envisioned marketing these clones – perfect versions would ruin sales.
In that way, how could Mu Lin, as the seller, keep upgrading his products and earning continuous profits?
"Three years… no, we should divide puppets into three-year, five-year, and ten-year versions. We absolutely can’t let them last forever."
Hearing this, Master Meng Rui across from him nodded. "Permanent puppets shouldn’t be sold. We can also differentiate quality tiers. If your Substitute Paper Figure works, I’ll help make standard, deluxe, and premium editions."
"…"
Their conversation left Mu Lin speechless. Finally, he sighed: "Do as you see fit. Thank you for your help, Master Meng Rui."
The gratitude made Master Meng Rui shake her head with mixed emotions.
"Don’t thank me. I should be thanking you."
As she spoke, Master Meng Rui’s eyes held deep appreciation when gazing at Mu Lin. This reaction made sense – taking this project meant massive profits for her.
Everyone knew Master Meng Rui desperately needed Spirit Stones for crafting an extraordinary puppet to achieve her breakthrough advancement. While her regular puppets sold modestly, cultivation puppets were different.
These were items ordinary Qi Practitioners would bankrupt themselves to obtain, treasures even powerful clans coveted. In this world where personal strength ruled, most cultivators believed only their own Cultivation mattered.
Pills enhancing Cultivation and breakthrough-assisting treasures always remained highly sought-after, often sparking bloody conflicts upon appearance. Cultivation puppets belonged to this coveted category.
Such puppets would sell instantly. As co-creator, Master Meng Rui could earn ten to thirty times more Spirit Stones. More crucially, the realm of cultivation operated on strict hierarchies.
Without proper status, ordinary people couldn’t access high-level Information or materials. Like Mu Lin’s spiritual meal – without Yan Yunyu’s connections, money alone couldn’t buy it. Master Meng Rui faced similar limitations in acquiring rare materials.
But now, everything changed. When cultivation puppets emerged, powerful clans would eagerly trade precious resources for their offspring’s future. This would accelerate Master Meng Rui’s material collection and her own advancement. No wonder she looked so approvingly at Mu Lin.
The communication artifact buzzed as their connection severed. Master Meng Rui’s heart still raced, already envisioning her extraordinary puppet’s completion. She shared Yan Yunyu’s recent realization:
‘I expected returns from investing in Mu Lin later, yet he delivered surprises within a month.’
‘Choosing him was indeed my wisest decision.’
Suddenly remembering something, she turned sideways with a knowing smile.
"Well, oh self-proclaimed future-seer? Still think I was wrong to choose Mu Lin?"
The blurred figure remained silent at first, but eventually spoke words revealing true intentions:
"…How many cultivation puppets can you sell me?"
