Rebirth of a Quasi-Immortal Spirit

Since the "Nourishing Essence Technique" appeared with Gao Zhun and others, the number of high-level spirit beasts in the corresponding trial realms of various families and sects has decreased sharply, and the essence blood of various demon beasts on the market has also become scarce. However, this anomaly has not attracted widespread attention except for a very few people.

After emerging from the Enlightenment Fruit Secret Realm, Gao Zhun and Ah Zhong were immediately busy. Logically speaking, Gao Zhun's strength now far surpasses that of others of the same level, and she should have no worries about the seven-year agreement from back then. She should have been able to relax because of this. However, Gao Zhun was even busier because of her conversation with Wu Ya Mozun. She decided to thoroughly investigate the two secret organizations that she had previously glimpsed.

The breakthroughs for these two secret organizations are, one, the Xuanyuan family, led by Xuanyuan Hao; and the other, the Yun family, led by the person who betrayed Ah Zhong, named Yun Ji.

As for Xuan Yuanhao, Gao Zhun asked Xuan Yuanhuanyu to arrange a meeting between her and the other party, while as for Yun Ji, Ah Zhong personally took charge, hoping to obtain some useful clues.

After months of maneuvering and arrangements by Xuanyuan Huanyu, Gao Zhun finally got his wish and entered the prison where Xuanyuan Hao was being held.

Xuan Yuanhao was now disheveled and unkempt, a far cry from the spirited man she had been when they first met. Thinking back to how he was a whole realm higher than her back then, yet was no match for her now, Gao Zhun felt a pang of emotion.

"Xuanyuan Hao, do you still recognize me?" Gao Zhun didn't bother with any beating around the bush and went straight to the point.

Upon hearing the voice, Xuan Yuanhao raised his head. His cloudy eyes cleared slightly when he saw Gao Zhun. He gave a bitter smile and said, "It's you. Since you're here, could you please have something to say to me? Over the years, I've thought about many things, but unfortunately, all I can see here are four walls, and I can't find anyone to talk to."

Xuan Yuanhao's attitude surprised Gao Zhun, which made her somewhat patient with this person she once hated: "Speak, there's still plenty of time."

Hearing Gao Zhun's words, Xuan Yuanhao fell into reminiscence.

"That year, I was only fifteen years old. My cultivation at the early stage of the Golden Core realm was enough to make me proud. I was confident that I would be able to advance to the Nascent Soul realm in less than five years and successfully become a member of the direct line of the Xuanyuan family. Although compared with a prodigy like Xuanyuan Huanyu, I might be just an ordinary member of the direct line."

"The turning point also happened that year. That year, I left home and chose another city to do a mission. On the way, I met a fellow Daoist surnamed Xu. He was also fifteen years old, but he was already a Nascent Soul True Monarch. Compared to him, I felt that he was more talented than Xuan Yuan Huan Yu. But he told me that he was not a genius, but a fortunate opportunity."

“Innate talent cannot be forced, but acquired opportunities are different. Looking at Fellow Daoist Xu's appearance, I knew he had ulterior motives, but I still couldn't resist the temptation. So he introduced me to an organization. To my shame, even now, I don't know the name of that organization. Fellow Daoist Xu only told me that it was set up by people from the upper realm to prevent the demon race from invading our human race. Its purpose was to disrupt the relationship between humans and demons. Only in this way could the human race not be paralyzed by the demon race and thus suffer a catastrophic disaster.”

"When I first heard about this, as a fifteen-year-old boy, I was full of vigor and indignation. I readily swore allegiance to the organization. My first mission after joining the organization was to enter Yongcheng, where there was a place where I was needed."

"You know what happened after that." At this point, Xuan Yuanhao suddenly sobbed. Looking at Xuan Yuanhao like this, Gao Zhun felt heartbroken, but also felt that he was too easy to fool.

Gao Zhun shook his head and said, "So, now you've figured it out. If that organization really did what was best for humanity, how could they have made you commit such a heinous crime against humanity? In the end, a mistake is a mistake. If crying here could bring those mortals back to life, I'd cry with you until the world ends. Xuan Yuanhao, shouldn't you make amends for what you've done?"

"Make amends?" Xuan Yuanhao looked at Gao Zhun blankly, then suddenly looked at her as if he had grasped at the last straw: "I can make amends? If I can make amends... tell me how!"

"Not hopeless yet," Gao Zhun thought to himself.

"Here you go." Gao Zhun took out a mask from his storage ring: "Wear this, and from now on you will no longer be Xuan Yuanhao. Then, I need you to find the Fellow Daoist Xu who once recruited you into the organization, and then find a way to infiltrate their ranks. As for what happens next, I will give you instructions."

Xuanyuan Hao took the mask, still somewhat incredulous: "Give this to me, can I leave now? No, no, this is the Xuanyuan family's prison, no one can escape here."

As he spoke, Xuan Yuanhao was about to return the mask to Gao Zhun, but Gao Zhun stopped him: "Take a drop of your essence blood."

Upon hearing this, Xuanyuan Hao immediately spat out a drop of his essence blood. Before he could react, Gao Zhun injected that drop of essence blood into the prepared substitute puppet. The lifeless puppet immediately came to life, and a moment later, a Xuanyuan Hao with disheveled hair appeared next to the real Xuanyuan Hao.

"This, this..." Xuan Yuanhao pointed at the identical version of himself, speechless for a long time. Even their auras and cultivation levels were exactly the same. What on earth was this...?

"This is a secret technique I practice. Alright, quite a bit of time has passed, let's hurry and leave this place."

Gao Zhun wasn't lying. This essence blood puppet technique was a secret method in the "Essence Nourishing Technique". The puppet that absorbed essence blood could transform into a person exactly like the essence blood owner, serving as a substitute. Of course, it would also work on her own body if Xuan Yuanhao's essence blood was used. However, she wasn't that bored to stand in the Xuan Yuan family's prison in place of Xuan Yuanhao.

"Finally out." Xuan Yuan Huan Yu, who was waiting at the entrance of the prison, relaxed when she saw Gao Zhun appear. But when she saw the strange man beside her, her eyes widened again: "Who is he?"

"Xuanyuan Hao, there's no time to explain. Let's leave first." With that, Gao Zhun affixed a Celestial-grade Concealment Talisman to each of the three of them, making them undetectable to anyone who wasn't at the Tribulation Transcending stage.

"You said you'd go ask, why did you bring everyone out?" While remaining hidden, Xuan Yuan Huan Yu thought it over and over, and finally asked Gao Zhun telepathically.

Gao Zhun: "I have my reasons for releasing him. Don't worry, he is no longer the Xuanyuan Hao he used to be. He himself said that he wants to atone for his actions."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuan Huan Yu couldn't help but want to look at Xuan Yuan Hao, but she was annoyed to find that everyone was now covered in invisibility talismans, making it impossible to see their human forms, let alone verify whether Gao Zhun was telling the truth by looking at their expressions.

Xuanyuan Hao, you better not be lying to us. Helpless, Xuanyuan Huanyu could only pray silently in her heart.

Once they reached a safe area and deactivated their invisibility, Xuan Yuan Huan Yu couldn't see Xuan Yuan Hao. She looked at Gao Zhun and asked, "Where's Xuan Yuan Hao?"

"Didn't I say that?" Gao Zhun tried his best to make his expression look completely innocent. "I told him to leave first when we were halfway there. He should have left by the teleportation array by now."

"You!" Faced with Gao Zhun's words, Xuan Yuan Huan Yu was filled with both hatred and shock: "Xiao Zhun, ever since I entered the Xuan Palace, I've noticed that you, Ah Zhong, and Senior Wu Ya have all been acting mysteriously. Senior Wu Ya even told us to listen to you, which is why I agreed to let you come to the Heavenly Prison to see Xuan Yuan Hao. But look at what you've done!!"

Seeing that Xuanyuan Huanyu was really angry, Gao Zhun smiled awkwardly, still trying to make light of the situation: "Well, didn't Senior Wuya tell you all to listen to me? Anyway, I won't harm you. Besides, you're my dear cousin. At worst, as compensation, I'll go with you to the Demon Realm to find Mo Nishang. What do you think?"

"That's more like it." Xuan Yuan Huan Yu nodded. After a moment, she caught sight of Gao Zhun's smirking expression and realized that she had been tricked again. She said fiercely, "What do you mean by accompanying me to the Demon Realm as compensation? I think you've been planning to go to the Demon Realm for a long time, haven't you? You had this idea when you went to the Gao family that time. What, now that you're so skilled and bold, you dare to do things that you didn't dare to do before?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Zhun smiled obsequiously and said, "How could that be? It's only because I have you, my cousin, as a powerful helper, that I dared to go. How about it, shouldn't you give Mo Nishang a copy of your 'Nourishing Essence Technique'?"

“That’s true,” Xuan Yuan Huan Yu sighed. “You’re getting less and less lovable as you get older. You used to be so well-behaved, like a little kitten, but now you’re just a little fox!”

"Kittens always grow up eventually, don't they?" Gao Zhun muttered to herself, but in her heart she was wondering how things were going with Ah Zhong. However, there were still about three years left until the seven-year agreement, and she couldn't just wait around and waste time. She absolutely had to go to the Demon Realm. She had to meet Gao Zhilin, who was rumored to have appeared there.

After agreeing on a departure time with Xuanyuan Huanyu, Gao Zhun took the teleportation array back to the Gao family for the time being. He had been selling things to the Treasure Appraisal Pavilion for some time now, and he was quite excited to think about how much commission he would receive.

However, before Gao Zhun could go to find Jun Wuhen, the communication stone Jun Wuhen had given her rang first.

"Gao Zhun, where are you? I heard you had a great harvest in the Enlightenment Fruit Secret Realm. How about sharing some of the fruits with me?"

Upon lighting up the communication stone, Jun Wuhen transmitted these words.

Enlightenment Fruit? Although she didn't know why Jun Wuhen valued those few fruits so much, since it involved sharing the spoils, there must be benefits. And how could Gao Zhun miss out on something so beneficial? (166 Reading Network)