Ren Qing opened his eyes and let out a long breath.
Sunlight shone through the window onto the ground.
Ren Qing had originally only thought that the forms of the Marsh Person and the ghost shadow were neither real nor illusory, so he tried fusing the two together, and unexpectedly, it actually worked.
But if he wanted to use "Night Roaming" again to descend into Yellow Sand City, it would be somewhat difficult, since the Marsh Person had no fleshly body, and not even a soul existed.
However, since he had already obtained information, it did not really matter.
Ren Qing decided to rest in the Restraint Officer camp for a few days, then look for an opportunity to head to Yellow Sand City.
With the sturdiness of the sand ships at present, crossing a sandstorm should not be too much of a problem.
He had previously stored a great quantity of Ze Sand inside the Prison Within the Abdomen, so for the time being the Sand People's rations did not need replenishing, leaving him with leisure.
Ren Qing stretched lazily, then suddenly discovered that on the table not far away there was now an extra sheet of paper covered in writing, of unknown origin.
It was clearly from Li Tiangang.
After reading the contents, he casually destroyed it, his expression becoming helpless because of it.
"As expected of the Restraint Officers' Hall, they've already thought of a way to deal with the Marsh People so quickly."
Ren Qing estimated that the plan on the paper had already been perfected before he even arrived at the camp, and at present it looked quite feasible.
He did not intend to involve himself too much, since he was going to leave at any time anyway.
Li Tiangang told him the details of the plan mainly because he feared Ren Qing might rashly interfere and affect the course of events, and thus had not issued him any mission.
Ren Qing, unconcerned, visualized a technique in order to replenish his consumed soul.
At the same time, he also paid attention to what was about to happen in the camp.
The long day passed in an instant, and the sun sank to halfway down the mountain slope.
But the scorching heat had not lessened in the slightest. The high temperature was even enough to cause an ordinary person to die within just a few breaths, which showed the terror of the Water Marsh.
Luo Mingmeng drowsily awoke, holding her head with both hands, only feeling her skull was about to split open, veins bulging from her forehead.
Her memory became extremely blurry, and her control over her body was also somewhat clumsy.
Luo Mingmeng carefully tried to recall, and in her mind it was as if there was an extra thought. Because of it, her whole body trembled uncontrollably, and she muttered aloud:
"Ascend to immortality..."
"Why ascend to immortality?"
She groggily stood up, stepping out of the stone hut like a walking corpse, arriving at the open high platform within the camp.
Looking around, the once lively camp now seemed extremely desolate.
In her current state, Luo Mingmeng naturally did not give rise to doubt, and she continued to step toward the camp's exit.
When she passed by Ren Qing's stone hut, she seemed to sense someone inside from the corner of her eye, and instinctively glanced inside through the window.
She saw Ren Qing sitting cross-legged on the ground.
Luo Mingmeng was just about to speak, but in a daze, the figure vanished.
Ren Qing used Immortal in the Mirror to conceal himself. With Double Pupils he examined Luo Mingmeng, and found that her spiritual intelligence was like that of an ordinary beast.
Seeing this, he left the stone hut, leaping up onto the camp's city wall.
Many Restraint Officers were also gathered there, including the stern-faced Li Tiangang, all of them gazing in unison at Luo Mingmeng.
Luo Mingmeng continued walking out of the camp, very quickly leaving the range of the paper, and was exposed to the scorching sun.
But her expression showed no pain.
It was as if she suddenly recalled something, and she muttered excitedly: "Ascend to immortality, I'm going to ascend to immortality..."
Li Tiangang's expression did not change, quietly watching without any obstruction.
The Restraint Officers were instead fully armed and ready. They did not know the task's details, but seeing the Yin Runner realm pay such attention, they could not help feeling nervous.
A moment later, water vapor condensed above Luo Mingmeng's head, quickly taking human form, becoming increasingly vivid and lifelike.
Ren Qing glanced at Li Tiangang.
Not only had Luo Mingmeng's soul been tampered with by technique, her memories had also been modified to some extent. It seemed Li Tiangang had been plotting for some time.
Perhaps ever since Yan Feng transformed into a Marsh Person, the Restraint Officers' Hall had been searching for the secret of immortality.
The sun was about to set, and the temperature finally began to show a slight cooling trend.
But all the Restraint Officers present knew that what was about to come was the incomparably frigid winter night.
Just as the sun was half-hidden, the whistling sandstorm turned into cold wind, making everyone shiver uncontrollably.
Unless they were Restraint Officers whose techniques and bodies were closely related, they could not avoid being affected by the Water Marsh's harsh environment.
Luo Mingmeng still showed no reaction.
Water mist shrouded her dried-up body, the remaining moisture growing ever less, while her three souls and seven spirits were being completely absorbed.
"Ascend to immortality..."
Luo Mingmeng spread her arms wide, an inexplicable intoxication on her face.
The shape of the water mist gradually solidified, yet it lacked the ethereal immortal aura of Liu Chuan, instead appearing somewhat false and unreal.
As a Half-Corpse realm cultivator, Luo Mingmeng should by far not be comparable to Liu Chuan, and the Marsh Person produced should have been even stronger.
Ren Qing speculated that it must be related to Luo Mingmeng's complicated circumstances.
Li Tiangang must have discussed it with her in advance, giving her some sort of benefit, causing her to agree to lend her body.
After swallowing the Other Shore Flower, Luo Mingmeng had given rise to a false soul, while her main soul was protected elsewhere by Li Tiangang.
Her body, driven by the false soul, caused her movements to appear so stiff and strange.
Li Tiangang had chosen Luo Mingmeng precisely because her Half-Corpse cultivation ensured that once she turned into a Marsh Person, she would not lose control.
But what exactly he had done with the false soul, who knew...
The water mist had already digested Luo Mingmeng's false soul, the exterior gradually forming the appearance of a Marsh Person, though the triple-flower convergence at the forehead and ears was not obvious.
Seeing this, Ren Qing could not help but feel a stirring.
From the Blindless Method cultivated by the Great Dream True Person, it was clear that the uses of split souls far exceeded imagination. They were not only for scouting and resisting soul attacks.
Although he did not know how the Great Dream True Person turned a split soul into Grand Duke Taisui, the scene before him gave him inspiration.
Split souls should be usable as vessels for the Water Marsh Method's ascension.
Even if there were drawbacks, one could simply destroy the split soul and cultivate a new one.
Only, Ren Qing knew far too little about the Water Marsh Method. He still needed to go to Yellow Sand City, obtain the manual, and check its contents with the information flow.
As he pondered, the Marsh Person reluctantly finished forming.
The Marsh Person transformed from Luo Mingmeng floated in midair, its eyes hollow as it looked around, then finally headed toward the clouds above.
Li Tiangang could not help reminding: "Ren Qing."
"Alright."
Three Dream Seeds emerged on Ren Qing's forehead, and his primary and secondary souls fixedly stared at Qingxu Palace, fearing something unusual might occur.
He saw Luo Mingmeng become one of the group of immortals, dancing up and down around the ulcerated old Daoist, more and more resembling flies circling a corpse.
Ren Qing felt doubt in his heart: why did the cultivators of Yellow Sand City divide ascension into three realms, when clearly in the Self-Consumption Realm one could already Ascend?
As soon as he thought this, he saw a tongue surge skyward from within Qingxu Palace, easily seizing the passing Marsh Person.
Clearly, within the immortal dwelling, it was far from the outward appearance of peace.
Marsh People who Ascended in the Self-Consumption Realm were likely at the very bottom of the food chain, which explained why the Gobi people were so obsessed with the three realms of ascension.
But after all three realms were completed, just what kind of monster would a Marsh Person become...
At this moment the clouds scattered, the sand dunes became covered in ice crystals, and the Water Marsh sank into a cold night.
The Restraint Officers showed none of the unusual reactions from when Yan Feng turned into a Marsh Person, which showed that the false soul had massive flaws and was certainly not a true Self-Consumption Realm.
Li Tiangang did not bother to alter memories, instead signaling the Restraint Officers to disperse.
Ren Qing waited until those around had gone, then reported what he had just seen to Li Tiangang. The latter fell silent.
"In such a short few breaths, so many anomalies occurred, it is truly impossible to see through."
Li Tiangang then leapt down from the city wall, grasped Luo Mingmeng's corpse, and went toward a certain place in the camp.
Ren Qing curiously followed.
He found that Luo Mingmeng still possessed a trace of vitality, which showed that some technique was keeping her alive, preventing true death.
But her body was like a dried corpse, her foundation long since exhausted, making it difficult even to advance to the Ghost Envoy realm.
Only when Li Tiangang threw the dried corpse into a corner of the camp did Ren Qing notice a tender sprout growing between the bricks.
The sprout landed on the dried corpse, quickly taking root and sprouting, gradually forming into a half-human half-plant shape, faintly bearing Luo Mingmeng's features.
Li Tiangang spoke: "Since I agreed, I will not break my word. When Song Zongwu arrives, he will naturally help you break through the Half-Corpse realm."
Luo Mingmeng nodded, willingly sealing herself into the sheet of paper.
Ren Qing knew that for cultivators of good talent, the Ghost Envoy realm might take only a few years, at most with some risk of aberration.
But in the eyes of the small portion of average-talented Restraint Officers, the bottleneck between Half-Corpse and Ghost Envoy was like a towering mountain, impossible to climb.
Li Tiangang noticed Ren Qing's calm expression, and could not help frowning slightly.
In his eyes, as well as those of other Yin Runner realm cultivators, Ren Qing seemed to have an indescribable impatience toward cultivation, and lacked reverence toward techniques.
Thinking of Ren Qing about to touch the Yin Runner realm, Li Tiangang could not help but remind him:
"Ren Qing, advancing to the Yin Runner realm is no small risk. If you encounter a desperate situation, you will need an obsession to support you.
"What is your obsession?"
Ren Qing was dazed for a moment.
Resentments and grudges seemed not to be within his considerations.
Because of the information flow, strength felt as though within reach.
What he lacked most, lifespan, could also be steadily increased through various means.
After hesitating a few breaths, he finally gave a precise answer: "Longevity."
"Longevity?"
What Ren Qing lacked most was time.
And time was built upon the foundation of longevity. So long as he had longevity, everything else was merely a matter of sooner or later.
Li Tiangang nodded slightly. Feeling that Ren Qing's restless mindset had settled down, he turned and quickly headed toward the camp's center.
Ren Qing, looking at Li Tiangang's back, said: "Elder Li, I have decided to advance to the Yin Runner realm in the Water Marsh. I will depart shortly."
Li Tiangang was momentarily stunned: "Return to Xiangxiang. With the Great Dream True Person's protection, you'll have more assurance."
"No need, I have already prepared."
Ren Qing had already thought of a reason to leave the Restraint Officer camp, and took this opportunity to speak it aloud without the slightest awkwardness.
"Be cautious. If any accident arises, use the blood heart to contact us."
Li Tiangang did not nag further, and with a wave of his hand vanished.
Ren Qing returned to his stone hut. He decided to remain at most two more nights. If Song Zongwu had not arrived by then, he would wait no longer.
Since he sought longevity, then he would first begin by understanding the three realms of ascension.
"Wine God Technique... Food-Consuming Immortal Technique..."
"Perhaps I really can find the road to immortality?"