Chapter 150: Actually, You Can Clone Yourself

Ning Xianyu currently felt that the young emperor's breathing was steady and his life was not in immediate danger. However, Nian Laisheng was, after all, an elder who had lived for many, many years, so he must know much more than she did.

Nian Laisheng sighed and said, "That is because what you brought back are only two of her souls and six of her physical魄 (animal souls); the most important soul and physical魄 are still trapped back in the spatial realm of the Flowing Stream Stone."

Upon hearing this, Ning Xianyu immediately let out a long sigh: "Why didn't I notice that at all?"

Did this mean she had to go back and retrieve that remaining soul and physical魄?

She did not want to go back; she was lazy, and she was not some selfless saint who felt compelled to save everyone she met.

Bringing the young emperor out had merely been a convenient side task for her; she had never intended to sacrifice herself for others.

Nian Laisheng instructed, "Since you failed to notice, your grand-master is teaching you now: you must bring back her remaining soul and physical魄, shatter that spatial realm, and retrieve the Flowing Stream Stone."

Ning Xianyu sat to the side, pulling out some snacks to eat: "No way. Didn't you see that down there, one person wants to flay my skin while the other wants to use me to mend the heavens? Why on earth would I go back?"

Nian Laisheng sighed: "My good grand-disciple, with Ancestor Xuanyuan around, who dares to flay your skin?"

Ning Xianyu snorted, ignoring him.

With no other choice, Nian Laisheng drifted closer and continued to persuade her: "As for the matter of mending the heavens, you can simply discuss it with Ancestor Xuanyuan. It is not strictly necessary for you to die."

This remark piqued Ning Xianyu's interest: "Are you saying that mending the heavens doesn't actually require me to die?"

Nian Laisheng replied, "From what I can see, Ancestor Xuanyuan is extremely fond of you. He would rather risk being sealed away for ten thousand years as a cosmic sacrifice than see you get hurt. Given how much he cherishes you, he surely wouldn't wish for your death."

Ning Xianyu frowned, thinking that these people must all be out of their minds.

Everyone kept claiming how much Ancestor Xuanyuan doted on her, but she honestly couldn't see it at all.

That arch-fiend doted on her clearly just to use her as raw material to patch up that hole in the sky—he was merely cherishing the material.

Nian Laisheng continued, "Besides, you impersonated the emperor, brought her out, and even struck the Grand Tutor. You have already formed a karmic tie with the Yulai Kingdom. Therefore, you must save her to resolve this karma; otherwise, you will likely suffer a deviation in your cultivation and die from inner demons."

Ah?

Ning Xianyu asked in astonishment, "Is it really that easy for cultivators to develop inner demons?"

Instead, Nian Laisheng frowned and asked, "Cultivators dread forming karmic ties with mortals above all else. You are already at the Nascent Soul stage yourself; how could you not even know something like this?"

Ning Xianyu replied very frankly, "I only started cultivating on the mountain a little over a year ago. Back when I was following Xuan Yuan Tunhan, I was only at the Qi Condensation stage, and all my subsequent cultivation from Qi Condensation to Nascent Soul was boosted by him."

Therefore, she knew nothing about this; they shouldn't bother her with such matters.

Nian Laisheng was so shocked that his ghostly face looked as though it might crack.

Things like that were actually possible?

"My good grand-disciple, how old are you this year?"

Ning Xianyu answered, "Seventeen? Eighteen?"

Nian Laisheng: "...My, my sterling reputation..."

Seeing him grow emo, Ning Xianyu kindly consoled him: "Don't be like that. Besides, I am the breathing soil; I'm different from ordinary people."

Nian Laisheng suddenly froze: "Did you just say you are the breathing soil?"

Ning Xianyu covered her mouth: "You didn't know?"

Upon careful reflection, it seemed that indeed only she and Xuan Yuan Tunhan knew about this; no one else was aware.

"Then why did you agree with me earlier when I said Xuan Yuan Tunhan wanted to use me to mend the heavens, and even help me figure out a solution?"

It was precisely because of those words that she had mistakenly thought Nian Laisheng knew as well.

However, Nian Laisheng explained: "I thought you were talking about the Universe Sword. When mending the heavens, one must use the Universe Sword to sever the connection between the Fiend Star and the sky, and that single slash will kill you."

Unexpectedly, both of them had misunderstood each other's intentions.

One thought it was a matter of the breathing soil causing her death, while the other thought it was a matter of the Universe Sword causing her death.

Clearly a misunderstanding, yet they had somehow managed to converse on the same wavelength.

Ning Xianyu covered her face in despair. She had just blurted out such a vital secret.

What a pig brain she had!

Besides, she was now destined to die without a doubt; no matter how she calculated it, she was a goner.

Nian Laisheng did some mental math: "That's not right, my good grand-disciple. You have even less reason to be afraid. Your body is the breathing soil—you can infinitely generate and divide yourself."

What?

Nian Laisheng was as overjoyed as if he had won a grand prize: "Grand-disciple, I was worried before that using the Universe Sword would kill you, but now it seems it won't!"

"Your body can divide; you can split off an avatar. Even if one dies, there will always be another."

He had originally thought it such a pity that such a wonderful grand-disciple would eventually die to save the world, but now that his grand-disciple wouldn't die, the Ten Directions Mountain would have a successor. He was utterly delighted.

Ning Xianyu asked in surprise, "What avatar? How do you split?"

Her current body could actually make divisions?

She had no idea at all.

[Little System, you better explain this.]

Why hadn't it informed her of such crucial intelligence? It was simply too detestable!

The system said with great embarrassment: [Hehehe, the original author didn't write anything about the breathing soil in the book, so how was I supposed to know?]

Ning Xianyu grew even angrier: [Then didn't you absorb all the knowledge in this world? You still haven't processed this?]

The system shamelessly replied: [Both the breathing soil and the mending stones are top-secret matters, unrecorded in any books, so I still couldn't find any useful information.]

[Actually, in a world like this, many inheritances have been broken off; there is no way I can know everything.]

Ning Xianyu figured it was just making excuses for its own flaws—pure sophistry.

Seeing her daze off, Nian Laisheng quickly pulled her attention back.

His grand-disciple was still so young and utterly adorable, except that her mind had a few screws loose and she always liked to zone out.

Perhaps it was because her head was full of dirt that she acted so dull.

"I've only ever heard about avatars, never witnessed one. Why don't you go ask Ancestor Xuanyuan? He has lived the longest among all cultivators; he should know."

"Furthermore, the body of the breathing soil can actually alter its appearance at will. If you master the traits of the breathing soil, your future cultivation will undoubtedly skyrocket, and it will bring unexpected benefits."

So, when all was said and done, she still had to go back and find Xuan Yuan Tunhan, or else she would never learn about the avatar technique.

Ning Xianyu pondered that while she didn't particularly care about having an avatar, she certainly could change her physical form.

However, since Nian Laisheng had mentioned so many benefits regarding the breathing soil's body, she was truly tempted.

One might ask: in this entire world, what body could possibly compare to that of the breathing soil?

It allowed for infinite division, meaning immortality, possessed powerful damage-resistance, and could even shapeshift.

Good heavens, she was practically the most powerful piece of modeling clay in the world—she could transform into whatever she desired. She had essentially unlocked a cheat code.

Ning Xianyu felt that she was now even more powerful than the male and female protagonists; the greatest cheat code of this world resided right within her.

Hahahahaha, this world was about to become her domain.

Ning Xianyu let out a long laugh toward the heavens, feeling that she was ridiculously formidable right now.

She was the savior of the world; she was going to accept the worship of all mortals, lie back in luxury, and build a harem!

Nian Laisheng floated up, wanting to bring his grand-disciple back down to earth from her delusions of grandeur.

"Grand-disciple, hurry up and go save people. Otherwise, if the emperor's soul remains separated from her body for too long, she will truly die."

"Even if you are the breathing soil, once you form an unseverable karmic entanglement with mortals, you are very likely to perish as well."

Ning Xianyu was extremely startled: "Is it really that serious?"

Nian Laisheng said with utmost solemnity: "It is precisely that serious, because mortals are the race favored by the Heavenly Dao; they are the true masters of the future."