Zhou Ming looked up and saw that the Lord Earth Spirit's big, round eyes were still fixed on him, so he couldn't help but ask, "Lord Earth Spirit, what are you looking at? Are you also interested in a woman's body?"
The Lord Earth Spirit pouted, stepped back, and said, "I sensed the power of the Dream Path from you. As expected, you really woke up from the dream. You actually have a Dream Path Gu worm on you?"
"Of course." Zhou Ming said indifferently, "I'm also very curious, is the method you used to make us dream an Immortal Gu or a Mortal Gu?"
"A Mortal Gu, Nightmare Gu. Only after forming a Mortal Path Killing Move can it achieve such an effect." The Lord Earth Spirit did not conceal it, directly telling the truth.
Zhou Ming's eyes lit up. Dream Path Gu worms, Dream Path Killer Moves—unexpected surprises came one after another, even making Zhou Ming feel a sense of unreality.
"Then, Lord Earth Spirit, does this mean I've passed the test?" Zhou Ming asked.
"Yes, you've passed. Only the last test remains before you."
The Lord Earth Spirit waved a hand, stopping the activation of the Dream Path Killing Move. Soon after, Cai Zhiyin and Qiu Hongyan slowly woke up from their nightmares.
Both of them looked as if they had just recovered from a serious illness. Their faces were pale, covered in sweat, and they were leaning on chairs, panting heavily, feeling weak all over, their eyes unfocused, and their heads throbbing.
"Cousin, Sister Qin..." Qiu Hongyan stretched out her hands, calling out pitifully.
Zhou Ming stepped forward, took Qiu Hongyan's tender small hand, gently helped her up, and softly said, "It's okay. Your Soul foundation is damaged. Just find an opportunity to replenish it."
"Mm." Qiu Hongyan nodded weakly, wrapping her arms around Zhou Ming's neck. Her head drooped, her entire face buried in Zhou Ming's chest. Her sickly appearance was particularly endearing.
Cai Zhiyin was more resolute than Qiu Hongyan. He gritted his teeth, stood up, and cupped his hands to the Lord Earth Spirit, saying, "Lord Earth Spirit, what was that just now...?"
"That was the experience of my main body." The Lord Earth Spirit's eyes filled with sadness, and his child-like face was full of hatred and anger.
"My main body was secretly harmed by Hei Mei with a woman's venomous wine and then ambushed by the two Gu Immortals, Hei Mei and Ni Ge. Fortunately, my main body's strength was strong enough. He endured and tore open a crack in Hei Mei's Immortal Aperture, escaping from her Immortal Aperture and not perishing on the spot."
"However, my main body was already severely injured and unable to heal, coupled with the outbreak of the woman's venomous heart. Knowing that his life would not last long, he sought a place, erased all external traces, set up an Immortal Gu Legacy, and buried himself in the sea."
"Whoever wishes to inherit my main body's complete Legacy must swear to avenge him against Ni Ge and Hei Mei, those two adulterers! Only then will I give him my main body's entire Legacy!"
"Lord Earth Spirit! I swear that after inheriting Senior Guo Nan's Legacy, I will definitely avenge Senior!" Cai Zhiyin immediately seized the opportunity, making a poisonous oath to earn the Lord Earth Spirit's favor.
Anyway, empty words of an oath were not a Vow Gu; there was no price for breaking them. He could easily say a hundred or eighty such things.
"Mm." The Lord Earth Spirit nodded, his expression softening considerably.
"Next, only the final assessment remains. Do you plan to rest for a while, or take the assessment immediately?"
Cai Zhiyin gave a wry smile and said, "If there's time to rest, that would naturally be best."
"Alright, this place is for you to rest. In one day, you can come back for the final assessment."
The Lord Earth Spirit was not vague. After leaving these words, he immediately disappeared.
After the Lord Earth Spirit left, the three rested for a while longer before getting up and wandering around the building. They found that although the palace was empty and devoid of human presence, various living supplies were very abundant.
A large table was also laden with all sorts of delicacies and rare dishes, making the three eager to eat. They sat down and feasted.
"Miss Qin, how did you escape the dream?"
During the meal, Cai Zhiyin couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, while also scratching his head awkwardly, "I'm ashamed, this time I almost fell here and would never have woken up."
Zhou Ming smiled faintly and recounted her experiences in the dream, except she didn't mention the Lucid Dream Gu, only saying that because her Soul was powerful, she regained her self in the dream and thus escaped the dream by a method of mutual destruction.
Her words left the other two deeply respectful and quite impressed.
After the meal, the three rested separately. Cai Zhiyin lay on the bed, recalling the many experiences along the way, and suddenly couldn't help but sigh.
"Miss Qin's intelligence and decisiveness are truly beyond my reach."
He then remembered when he first met Zhou Ming, how he had fallen in love at first sight and was full of confidence that he could win her over. Now, thinking back, it truly was frivolous and reckless.
Miss Qin, a Fairy-like figure, with unparalleled beauty and an independent spirit, surpassed him in both wisdom and Heart-Nature. How could he ever be worthy of her?
He also recalled Zhou Ming's initially indifferent attitude towards him, that cold, Fairy-like demeanor, and how, without realizing it, their relationship had gradually grown closer.
Even her address for him had changed from the initial "Young Master Cai" to the current "Brother Cai." Her attitude was no longer distant but grew more intimate. Cai Zhiyin's heart suddenly felt a flutter of hope again.
Perhaps, he really still had a chance?
Thinking this, Cai Zhiyin felt his thoughts drift, light and uncontrollable, filled with wild imaginings.
One moment he felt ashamed of himself, the next he couldn't help but impulsively declare his feelings for Zhou Ming. His mind was filled with various images of Zhou Ming from these past few days—her every frown and smile, every movement and stillness—making his thoughts chaotic, tossing and turning, unable to settle down.
'Worst case scenario, once I take over this Blessed Land tomorrow, I will confess my feelings to Miss Qin! A Fairy-like figure such as Miss Qin, even proposing to her with this Blessed Land would be worth it!'
'No, no, that won't do. Miss Qin's Heart-Nature is noble. If I use the Blessed Land as a betrothal gift to ask her to be with me, it would imply that she is with me for the Blessed Land, wouldn't that be an insult to her character!'
'Then I will first pursue her honorably, and then give her the Blessed Land as a betrothal gift. That would be Perfection!'
The Legacy test hadn't been passed, and the Blessed Land wasn't yet in hand, but Cai Zhiyin, who was already celebrating prematurely, found that after a bout of wild thoughts, he not only had no desire to rest but was instead internally agitated and found it even harder to fall asleep.
Just then, he heard the sound of women's laughter coming from a distance, and his heart filled with curiosity.
'It's so late at night, how can there be the sound of women playing? Could it be Miss Qin and my cousin...'
At this thought, Cai Zhiyin's desires churned. He sat up and unconsciously walked outside.
'Cai Zhiyin, oh Cai Zhiyin, you really are a beast! What if it really is the two of them playing by the sea? If you go and look like this, wouldn't you become a Smallman who peeks at women?'
Cai Zhiyin cursed himself internally, but his body honestly walked out of the main hall and tiptoed to the seaside. Under the moonlight, he easily saw the direction from which the sound came—those two beautiful figures playing in the sea.
Cai Zhiyin, as if by natural instinct, hid his body behind a large rock, fully concealing his aura, and secretly observed.
He saw the two women laughing and playing, swimming in the sea for a while, then coming ashore, panting as they lay on the beach, gazing up at the sky.
Originally, there was no cycle of sun and moon in the Blessed Land, but in this Water Ripple Blessed Land, it was arranged somehow so that there was a rising and setting of the sun and moon, and the passage of time.
Now, the bright moon hung high, its light pouring down like mercury, shimmering on the vast sea and illuminating the beach, draping the two infinitely beautiful bodies in a dreamy, illusory silver veil.
"Sister Qin, just as you said, after coming out to play for a while, my spirits really are much better!" The two nestled together, Qiu Hongyan said joyfully.
"I also cultivate the Soul Path, so I naturally have unique methods for recuperating Soul damage."
Zhou Ming gently stroked Qiu Hongyan's soft, long hair, her voice gentle.
"Little Hongyan, after we leave this Water Ripple Blessed Land, it will probably be time for us to part. If we have a chance to meet again in the future, don't be like me."
"Sister Qin, you're leaving?" Qiu Hongyan became very nervous, grabbing Zhou Ming's wrist with both hands and asking urgently, "Where are you going? Why do you have to leave?"
"Your cousin inherited this Blessed Land, so he naturally has to guard it and cannot leave easily. At that time, you will have to stay by his side, and of course, you will also stay in the Blessed Land."
"But I am going to the Furei Sea Area, so I naturally have to say goodbye to you all."
"Ah!" Qiu Hongyan said pitifully, "Sister Qin, please stay too, okay? I know my cousin is interested in you, I, I'm willing to give my cousin to..."
"Silence!" Zhou Ming's smile vanished, her voice cold. "Little Hongyan, I accompanied you through this journey in the Blessed Land, but it wasn't for your cousin."
"What!" Qiu Hongyan was startled. She looked up and saw Zhou Ming's burning gaze fixed on her, her beautiful face filled with tender affection. Her face flushed, and she lowered her head bashfully.
"Sister Qin, I..."
"Some words don't need to be said aloud." Zhou Ming sighed softly, reaching out to point at the shimmering sea, and whispered, "Hongyan flies far, light cannot reach; fish and Dragon dive, water forms patterns. Tonight we part, a small boat leaves; in days to come, longing in the bright moon tower."
Qiu Hongyan's gaze followed Zhou Ming's hand to the sea. She saw the bright moon hanging high above the sea, seemingly emerging from the waves. Its boundless moonlight undulated with the waves. Besides the splashing sound of the waves, occasionally there was the sound of fish and Dragon breaking the water as they leaped out. The moonlight was like frost, and the water and sky merged into one, peaceful and distant, captivating.
Unbeknownst to her, tears silently streamed down Qiu Hongyan's face.
A hand gently lifted her chin, and Zhou Ming's voice sounded in her ear: "Have you ever kissed a man?"
Qiu Hongyan paused slightly, then subconsciously shook her head.
"So, your first kiss is still intact?" Zhou Ming suddenly smiled, a mischievous grin appearing on her exquisite face, and she leaned down to kiss her.
The moonlight shone on the pair of beautiful women, and also on Cai Zhiyin, who, after witnessing everything from behind the large rock, walked away distraught.
After quite a while, their lips finally separated. As Qiu Hongyan's cheeks were flushed and her consciousness hazy, Zhou Ming chuckled softly, "Your first kiss isn't your cousin's, it's mine, Qin Wumeng's!"
...
The next day, Cai Zhiyin woke up groggily, feeling disoriented. The dream from the latter half of the previous night, filled with that kiss on the beach, left him distracted and dazed even into the next day.
When he saw Qin Wumeng and Qiu Hongyan, he awkwardly stumbled through a greeting, his unnatural behavior prompting Qiu Hongyan to ask:
"Cousin, are you alright? You look terrible. Didn't you rest well last night?"
"Yes, yes, I did." Cai Zhiyin shook his head, forcing a smile. "Yesterday's trial was too exhausting. My mind still hasn't recovered."
"Hehe, Sister Qin has a unique secret method for mental recovery. Cousin, look, my mind feels much better than yesterday. But I can't tell you, it's a secret between girls."
Qiu Hongyan giggled, her cheeks slightly flushed, like a ripe apple, looking quite adorable.
"Ah, is that so, hahaha..." Cai Zhiyin chuckled, brushing the topic aside.
The painful reality of last night shattered all his illusions, leaving him unable to accept it even now. He could only choose to temporarily skip it and think about it later.
"Brother Cai, your condition is too poor. Would you like to ask Lord Earth Spirit for another day of rest?" Zhou Ming asked.
"No need, I'm fine. Let's just start the final assessment!"
Cai Zhiyin quickly waved his hand, not wanting to drag this assessment out any longer.
"Alright then, let's go in." Seeing Cai Zhiyin's insistence, Zhou Ming no longer tried to persuade him.
The three of them once again stepped into the empty hall from yesterday.
As they entered the hall, the Lord Earth Spirit also appeared, hovering in mid-air, looking at the three of them.
"Next is the final trial. After passing it, you will receive the Gu Immortal Legacy. Are you ready?"
Cai Zhiyin took a deep breath, his tone firm. "I am ready!"
"Very good." The Lord Earth Spirit smiled and slowly began to speak: "Before this venerable one died, his heart was filled with towering hatred—hatred for heaven, for earth, for people, wishing to kill all living beings in the world."
"He was originally of the Righteous Path, but in the last moments of his life, he gradually stepped into the Demonic Path, which can be seen from the Legacy trials he designed."
"The initial stages were not difficult, still aiming to screen for a qualified inheritor of the Blessed Land. The further along, the more dangerous it became, with mutual slaughter and ten deaths for every zero chance of survival."
"When designing the final trial, this venerable one had completely fallen into the Demonic Path. He hoped the inheritor would know his tragic experiences, yet he was jealous of why future generations could obtain everything he had, so he set up a dream trial."
"Over these many years, batches of Gu Masters were screened by me, and all who managed to pass the previous stages fell in the dream trial, with none surviving."
"However, after the dream trial, there is actually a truly heart-wrenching act, which is this venerable one's final trial. He no longer wishes to leave his Legacy to someone of the Righteous Path, but rather to a Demonic Path individual who can abandon everything and be cold and ruthless. His hatred for himself, for everything in the world, and for so-called good and evil, he no longer cares about any of it."
"Therefore, his final trial..." The Lord Earth Spirit was expressionless, raising both hands and pointing them at Zhou Ming and Qiu Hongyan respectively.
"These two are your confidantes. Choose one of them to kill."
"One lives, one dies. You can only choose one. Then, with the sorrowful heart of having killed your loved one, inherit this sin-filled Blessed Land."
Cai Zhiyin froze.
Qiu Hongyan also froze.
Zhou Ming outwardly froze, but a chilling smile quietly curled on his lips internally.
As expected, the true intentions are revealed... Cai Zhiyin looked up, confused, at the Lord Earth Spirit, then confusedly looked left and right at Qiu Hongyan and Zhou Ming.
Was he... choosing? Between me and Sister Qin, choosing one?
Qiu Hongyan's heart went cold by half.
Cai Zhiyin lowered his head, then raised it again, his face bitter, and with a wry smile, asked: "Can I give up inheriting the Gu Immortal Legacy?"
"No." The Lord Earth Spirit's face was cold. "If you give up, both of them will die, and you will still have to inherit the Blessed Land Legacy."
Cai Zhiyin's expression changed drastically, and he angrily said: "Aren't you afraid that after I inherit the Blessed Land, my first choice will be to destroy you?"
"I don't care." A look of indifference appeared on the Lord Earth Spirit's small face. "I am the Land Spirit. Executing this venerable one's obsession is my everything. Life and death hold no great importance to me."
"Crazy, crazy! Your venerable one is a Devil Head, and you, this Land Spirit, are also a Devil Head!" Cai Zhiyin shouted, clutching his head.
"Thank you for the compliment. However, you should make your choice quickly. If you delay, both of them will die anyway."
At this moment, the Lord Earth Spirit truly abandoned his previous disguise, revealing his cold-blooded and ruthless nature.
Cai Zhiyin's eyes became dazed again. He slowly turned his head, his neck stiff like rusted machinery, looking at Qiu Hongyan, then at Zhou Ming.
His eyes were filled with collapse and pleading, as if begging the two of them to help him make a decision.
'It's time.' Zhou Ming whispered to himself, feigning a carefree smile, sighing lightly, and began to speak: "Cai, just let me..."
"No! Choose me!" Qiu Hongyan shrieked, pouncing on Zhou Ming and hugging him tightly, interrupting his unspoken words.
"Choose me, Cousin." She released her arms from around Zhou Ming, walked towards Cai Zhiyin, and suddenly grabbed Cai Zhiyin's trembling hands, gently pressing them against her face.
"Cousin, do you know? I once greatly hoped that one day, you would formally marry me and make me your wife."
"I hoped that one day, you would hold my face in your hands, just like now, and tell me you love me."
"I yearned for it day and night, for a very, very long time. I tried everything to stay by your side, only hoping you would accept me and fall in love with me."
"But now, I've given up that idea."
"Cousin, my heart already belongs to someone else."
"I'm sorry, I can no longer love you."
Cai Zhiyin stared blankly at Qiu Hongyan, as if astonished by her boldness.
Qiu Hongyan released his hands, letting Cai Zhiyin's hands fall. She stared at Cai Zhiyin, her voice firm: "Cousin, listen to me. My choice is not for you, but for Sister Qin!"
"You must choose me, otherwise, I will hate you for my entire life, and use all my life's strength to kill you!"
Cai Zhiyin's eyes were dull. He was like a broken toy. He looked up, his face dark, at the Lord Earth Spirit, and said: "Lord Earth Spirit, I choose..."
Pfft!
His head suddenly flew off.
"Tsk, who asked you to choose." Zhou Ming sneered, the Blade Light Gu in his hand shimmering.
This sudden scene instantly stunned Qiu Hongyan.
Thud, Cai Zhiyin's head fell to the ground, rolled once, and his gaze landed directly on Zhou Ming.
Still not dead, he stammered in utter shock: "Qin, Qin... you..."
Zhou Ming ignored him, only looking at the Lord Earth Spirit and asking: "Why didn't you stop me?"
The Lord Earth Spirit's face was calm: "Why should I stop you?"
"Heh heh, as expected, I couldn't hide it from you." Zhou Ming chuckled softly. The Yang Gu of the Yin-Yang Reversal Gu flew out of his Aperture and he immediately used it.
The white Yang Gu exploded into a ball of white light, enveloping Zhou Ming. Within the white light, Yin and Yang transformed, and Zhou Ming reverted to his male form, slowly emerging from the white light.
He was tall and upright, his white robes like snow, looking down on all directions with an extraordinary bearing.
"You, you are actually... male..." Cai Zhiyin's last words were left unfinished as he suddenly breathed his last.
"Qin, Sister Qin..." Qiu Hongyan was stunned, softly calling out, as if she hadn't yet reacted.
Zhou Ming gave her a brilliant smile, but then said to the Lord Earth Spirit: "Lord Earth Spirit, how is this final stage judged?"
"He is dead, so it naturally counts as yours. Kill this woman who loves you, and you will be the Blessed Land Master, inheriting the Gu Immortal Legacy." The Lord Earth Spirit's voice remained cold, stating without hesitation.
"Good." Zhou Ming nodded, then suddenly struck with his blade.
The blade light sliced across Qiu Hongyan's neck, and at the same time, Zhou Ming extended his other hand and gently pulled Qiu Hongyan into his embrace.
A faint, thin red line appeared on Qiu Hongyan's snow-white neck, then that red line rapidly expanded, and blood gushed out, staining Zhou Ming's white robes red.
Qiu Hongyan's head was severed from her body.
But she did not fall. She was still held in Zhou Ming's embrace, one hand around her waist, the other supporting the back of her head to prevent it from dropping.
"Little Hongyan, sleep. Have a good sleep. I will be with you forever in your dreams."
Zhou Ming's voice was gentle, like humming a lullaby, his eyes filled with deep love and tenderness.
Qiu Hongyan wanted to just fall asleep, but she resisted, struggling to keep her eyes open, staring fixedly at the familiar yet unfamiliar face before her, and with her last ounce of strength, she softly asked: "Qin... you, do you... love, love..."
"You don't need to ask." Zhou Ming said softly: "I did."
He moved the hand that was supporting the back of Qiu Hongyan's head to the front, cupped Qiu Hongyan's head, and deeply kissed her bloodless lips.
A satisfied smile appeared on Qiu Hongyan's face, and she slowly closed her eyes.
Her life ended then, without any further breath.
Their lips parted, Zhou Ming raised his head, and indifferently tossed the head to the ground.
Heh heh, the Deception Gu also ate very well today.