Wayfarer

Chapter 855: Heartslain Bodies

Chapter 855: Heartslain Bodies

Yu Fuli, well aware of the enmity between Xiao Nanfeng and Han Gucheng, was curious about their meeting. He summoned both of them to his study.

He sat behind his desk, sipping on a cup of tea as he listened to some music. Just then, a shout came from outside. "Your Majesty, Eastern Aspect Xiao and Immortal Emperor Han are here!"

"Enter," Yu Fuli commanded.

With a wave of his hand, the music abruptly stopped. Han Gucheng and Xiao Nanfeng walked into the study.

"Greetings, Your Majesty," they said, bowing slightly.

Yu Fuli glanced at Xiao Nanfeng with a smile. "Has Madam Rouge left?"

"How did you know, Your Majesty?"Xiao Nanfeng was perturbed.

"Is it hard to tell? Judging from the situation, it looks like you helped her break through. Someone like her, with a heart as steadfast as a rock, would have found it incredibly difficult to modify her cultivation even with the Yuqing Grandmaster's insight. To think you could have succeeded where she didn't..."

"You flatter me, Your Majesty. It was just a minor change—likely nothing significant."

Yu Fuli shook his head but didn't elaborate. Xiao Nanfeng, who had yet to embark on the path of heart cultivation, couldn't understand the profound subtleties involved. Matters of the heart were delicate, and even seemingly minor shifts could lead to monumental transformations. The 'slight' change in Madam Rouge's heart could have enhanced her power immensely.

Then, Yu Fuli turned to Han Gucheng and scrutinized him. "Hmm? Are you really Han Gucheng?"

"Han Gucheng greets His Majesty," Han Gucheng said again, giving the Heavenly Emperor a deep bow.

Yu Fuli shook his head. "You're not Han Gucheng."

Xiao Nanfeng was astonished, as was Han Gucheng himself.

"Your Majesty, how could I not be Han Gucheng? Admittedly, this is just an avatar, not my main body," Han Gucheng said.

Yu Fuli shook his head. "You're Han Gucheng's main body."

"What?" Xiao Nanfeng was taken aback. He looked toward Han Gucheng, who had a similarly confused expression on his face.

"You must be mistaken, Your Majesty. Surely I'm aware of my own circumstances...?"

"Your cultivation is relatively ordinary, but your aptitude for heart cultivation is exceptional. You cultivate the Heartslain Bodies, don't you?" Yu Fuli asked with a smile.

"How did you know, Your Majesty?" Han Gucheng asked cautiously.

"The Heartslain Bodies allows cultivators to divide themselves into three bodies: the good, the malicious, and the obstinate. These bodies differ from ordinary avatars; they're as real as your main body but represent different facets of the self. This form of yours, surrounded by an aura of merit, must be your good body."

Han Gucheng gave Yu Fuli a complex look before he nodded. "Your Majesty's insight is unparalleled. Indeed, this is my good body. I currently only have two bodies at present; the other hasn't been subdivided further."

Yu Fuli stared at Han Gucheng and added, "Not only are you Han Gucheng's good body, your body is incomplete. Something seems to be missing."

Han Gucheng nodded again. "Before I came here, my other self tampered with this form, erasing some of my memories. It is indeed incomplete."

Xiao Nanfeng was shocked. Could cultivators manipulate their own avatars? Han Gucheng's forms seemed to have individual consciousness, unlike his avatars, which shared the same consciousness. It was a strange and unsettling notion.

On the screen was a peculiar space, dominated by a massive altar shrouded in black fog. The symbols on the altar were obscured, but it emanated an overwhelming aura of power.

"The primordial altar indeed," Yu Fuli said with a smile.

In addition to the altar, there were countless Enlightenment Grounds visible. Near the altar, a group of figures could be seen.

Saint Lun Hui sat nearby, sipping on Immortal tea. He was surrounded by a green aura of formidable power.

"That's Saint Lun Hui's main body," Han Gucheng explained.

Not far away stood Han Gucheng's three wives and his son Han Bing, all of whom were observing Han Gucheng's other body curiously.

Han Gucheng's other body was focused on a mountain of ice. He flew around the mountain and ran his hands across its surface.

"What mountain is that? Why would my other self erase this memory?" Han Gucheng's good body murmured, frowning.

"The cursed spiritual power of the Superior..." Yu Fuli exclaimed.

"Your Majesty, you recognize that mountain of ice?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"More than recognize, in fact. To think Han Gucheng was scheming for that..." Yu Fuli smiled.

"What is he plotting, Your Majesty?"

"If I'm not mistaken, Saint Lun Hui is trying to merge the Enlightenment Grounds, while Han Gucheng is seeking to use the icy mountain as a medium to retrieve a cursed effigy from the altar for symbiosis."

"There are cursed effigies in the primordial altar?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

"Throughout history, many hegemons of their era have offered cursed effigies as sacrifices to the altar in exchange for power. These entities can be retrieved, and the altar can even purge their malevolence," Yu Fuli explained.

"So Han Gucheng wants to live in symbiosis with a purified cursed effigy?" Xiao Nanfeng asked, frowning.

"It's possible. And the cursed effigy he's targeting is rather extraordinary." Yu Fuli smiled.

"Your Majesty, what cursed effigy is he intending to retrieve?"

"If that icy mountain is to serve as the medium... perhaps the Superior," Yu Fuli replied.

"The Superior?"

"You should be aware of the Body of Yin, from which the Shangqing, Taiqing, and Yuqing Yin Bodies derive. The Superior was the one who authored Body of Yin."

"The Superior ended up in the primordial altar? You mean that he was sacrificed?"

"Indeed. He was jointly sacrificed by the three Qing Grandmasters."

Xiao Nanfeng was stunned. To think that the Superior, who had taught the three Qing Grandmasters, had been betrayed by them and offered up as a sacrifice!

And now, Han Gucheng was intending to claim that legacy for himself. His ambitions were truly staggering.