"Wasn't that Magic Artifact given to Senior Brother Yun Chang's disciple?"

"Back then, that child subdued the Magic Artifact."

"Senior Brother Yun Chang even treated us to a drink."

Frowning in recollection, Daoist Yunxiong spoke up.

"That child died two years ago." With a slight lift of his eyelids, Taoist Yun Yang murmured softly.

"Died?"

"Yes, he died two years ago during the Bloodstained Calamity. He was traveling and was besieged by eighteen Blood-Dye Demons."

"Only the Magic Artifact returned, carrying a blood-stained corner of his clothing. No bones were left..."

With his gaze lowered, Taoist Yun Yang spoke indifferently, yet the hint of regret in his tone was not hard to detect.

To subdue a Magic Artifact like the Dual Heart Mirror naturally indicated an exceptional talent.

If he had survived the Blood-Dye Tribulation...

With the Dual Heart Mirror in hand, he would have certainly become a pillar of the Shenxiao Sect in the future.

Alas, fate is capricious.

Even prodigies fall and perish.

"If that's the case, it might just work."

"But as for Senior Brother Yun Chang..." Daoist Yunxiong hesitated, his face filled with doubt.

"Don't worry about Yun Chang; I will talk to him. Qi Xiu, come here." Taoist Yun Yang gestured for Qi Xiu to approach.

"The Dual Heart Mirror is an ancient Magic Artifact from our Shenxiao Sect's collection, originating from one of the Ten Great Ancient Demonic Sects, the Hell Dao. When our sect annihilated the Hell Dao, most of their artifacts were destroyed by our Thunder Magic. Only a few Magic Artifacts were fortunately preserved. This Dual Heart Mirror is one of them.

"The mirror has no other Divine Marvels, but it allows one to divide their mind for dual purposes, creating a second body. This body is connected to your thoughts and Taoist Skill. You are him, and he is you. The two of you cultivating together are like one entity. If you can subdue this mirror, you will be able to split in two, potentially solving your difficulty in focusing on multiple tasks simultaneously. However, this magic mirror is quite ferocious. Although it has been baptized by our sect's Thunder Magic for many years and has lost most of its ferocity, it should not be underestimated. The agony of a divided mind is not something ordinary people can withstand. If you're willing, I can arrange for you to give it a try. Even if you can't subdue it, it's fine; you can choose another reward then."

Dividing the mind for dual purposes, creating a second body?

Hearing about the Divine Marvel effects of the Dual Heart Mirror, Qi Xiu was instantly intrigued.

Although he now had "The Secret of the Primordial Dragon-Tiger Scripture" to command all forms of magic, calligraphy, alchemy, painting, and other Mysterious Abilities still required him to cultivate them painstakingly, stroke by stroke.

If the Dual Heart Mirror truly was such a Divine Artifact, with this second body, he could at least double his current pace of cultivation!

With this in mind, Qi Xiu no longer hesitated and nodded in agreement, "Disciple is willing to give it a try."

"Good. Disciples of our Shenxiao Sect must dare to fight and be bold. We do not even fear the thunder's might, let alone a mere Magic Artifact."

Nodding slightly, Taoist Yun Yang said, "Since that's settled, go back and prepare. In a few days, I'll take you to subdue the Dual Heart Mirror. Junior Brother Yunxiong, Junior Brother Yun Qing, we may need your assistance to act as protectors for this child when the time comes."

"Xiuer is my disciple; it's only natural," Daoist Yunxiong declared.

"Xiuer is my grand-nephew; it's only natural," Daoist Priest Yunqing chimed in.

"Are you copying me?" Yunxiong snapped.

"Are those few words exclusive to your Yunti Peak? By that logic, am I also copying you when I breathe?" Yun Qing retorted.

"Hey, you old goat! I bet you're still sore from losing last time. If you're not satisfied, let's take this outside and settle it one-on-one!" Yunxiong challenged.

"One-on-one it is! I'm not afraid of you!" Yun Qing shot back.

Watching the two elderly Daoists start squabbling in an instant, Taoist Yun Yang showed a hint of helplessness. Shaking his head, he chuckled lightly at Qi Xiu, "You'll get used to it. They've been fighting since they were children, and now, hundreds of years old, they still haven't changed a bit."

Qi Xiu gave a faint smile as he watched the two old Daoists wrestling and tugging at each other's beards, tears and snot streaming from the pain. Actually, this is pretty good too.

「Three days later.」

Taoist Yun Yang, Daoist Yunxiong, and Daoist Priest Yunqing, three Dao Body Realm Leaders, led Qi Xiu to a stone forest shrouded in dense fog.

A solemn and deadly atmosphere enveloped this hell-like stone forest, pervading the entire area. Thousands of huge and sharp rocks gathered together, seeming like a bizarre creation of nature. The stone forest towered into the clouds, with peaks and ridges piled upon one another, evoking a sense of oppression and fear in those who beheld it.

The rocks were hard and sharp, like the fangs of giants, and they emitted a suffocating aura. Deep black moss and swaying grey vines covered the rock walls, creating shadows and gloomy areas where light was scarce. When sunlight pierced through the few sparse clouds, it cast eerie, chilling, and variegated patterns of light and shadow on the rock walls.

The passageways between the rocks were narrow and winding, like a labyrinth. A thick, cold air permeated the passages, and the sound of occasional footsteps echoed through them.

"This place is called Hell Forest, and it was the main altar of the Hell Dao," Daoist Yunxiong began to explain, standing beside Qi Xiu, his voice measured. "Back when our sect destroyed the entire Hell Dao, its Sect Master, the Hell Daoist, cursed us with his dying breath. He vowed to return as a Fierce Ghost with all his followers and wipe out our Shenxiao Sect completely.

"In order to eradicate the evil curse of the Hell Daoist and prevent the Hell Dao from ever having a chance to rise again, our sect's founder at the time simply relocated this Hell Forest to within our sect's grounds. The intention was for the remnants of Hell Dao to be utterly extinguished under the watchful eyes of our Shenxiao Sect, generation after generation."

Gazing at the stone forest before him, filled with an endless, gloomy, and eerie aura, Qi Xiu felt a chill run down his spine even just standing outside it.

Deep within this stone forest, it seemed as if something had sensed their arrival. Countless, indiscernible figures paused, and chilling, resentful gazes converged in their direction.

"Is the Dual Heart Mirror located within this stone forest?" Qi Xiu asked.

"Yes, all the Magic Artifacts seized from the Hell Dao are stored here in the Hell Forest. We will take you in shortly. Remember, once inside, do not speak, do not listen to any sounds, just hold onto your master's sleeve, and no matter what happens, do not let go."

After instructing Qi Xiu, Daoist Yunxiong said, "Senior Brothers, we can go now."

Nodding, Taoist Yun Yang flipped his hand and took a jade token, about a palm long and two fingers wide, from his sleeve. The token was wrapped in golden silk. The exposed part showed intertwining purple-gold and azure blue, and one could vaguely see the two colors flowing.

Nine Heavens Shenxiao Imperial Thunder Command!

Merely glancing at the jade token, Qi Xiu felt the thunder patterns within his body tremble, as if they were about to leap out.

They had even brought the legendary Nine Heavens Shenxiao Imperial Thunder Command, said to be able to command the true thunder of the Nine Heavens and invoke Heaven's wrath as punishment! His Master and two Senior Martial Uncles were Dao Experts, yet they still found it necessary to carry the Nine Heavens Shenxiao Imperial Thunder Command. This showed just how perilous the place was!

Qi Xiu retracted his gaze and reached out to hold the sleeve of Daoist Yunxiong.

The group of four stepped into the ruins of the Ancient Demon Sect's headquarters.

The mist was heavy, the air cold and damp. The dense fog blurred their vision, and the stone forest's complex pathways and intersections made it easy to lose one's way.

Quietly holding onto Daoist Yunxiong's sleeve, Qi Xiu kept his gaze lowered to the ground, remembering his master's earlier instructions: Do not speak, do not listen to any sounds. Never let go, no matter what happens.

As they ventured deeper into the Hell Forest, sounds of dense footsteps began to emerge, as if countless invisible figures were closely following the group of four.

"It's the young Daoists of the Shenxiao Sect..."

"They dared to come here! Let's eat them!"

"Yes, yes! Make them like us, doomed to wander in this stone forest forever, unable to live or die!"

"Attack! Attack!"

"Kill!"

The shouts and roars of battle cries seemed to be right beside him. Qi Xiu's eyelids twitched, and he instinctively wanted to dodge.

ROAR—

At that moment, the Mo Jiao in his mind suddenly arched its neck and let out a long cry, the sound waves reverberating through his sea of consciousness.

The lingering whispers that had been echoing around him abruptly dissipated, and the seemingly imminent fatal attack also vanished in an instant.

An illusion?

His expression flickered slightly, but Qi Xiu remained silent and continued to follow his master, Daoist Yunxiong.

They passed by countless terrifying, towering, sharp rocks.

A deathly silent lake appeared before the four of them. The water of this lake was exceptionally bizarre. Half was bright red, and the other half pitch black. The two colors sometimes swirled and merged, and at other times, they seemed incompatible, repelling each other. The entire surface of the lake would shift between tumultuous waves and a stillness as calm and reflective as a mirror. It was as if two completely contradictory existences had gathered together in a strange way.

"The Dual Heart Mirror is in this lake," Taoist Yun Yang explained. "To subdue this Magic Artifact, you must jump into the lake and withstand its attacks. If you can overcome it, you will have subdued this Magic Artifact, and thereafter you can command it as you wish. But if you fail, though you will not die, you will also lose the qualification to subdue this Magic Artifact. Remember, you only have one chance."

After explaining the process of subduing the Dual Heart Mirror, Taoist Yun Yang turned to Yunxiong and Yun Qing and said, "When Qi Xiu enters the lake, he must not be disturbed in the slightest. You two, guard the east and west sides respectively. I have already informed the sect. Today, apart from us, there are no other fellow disciples in the Hell Forest. Therefore, if anyone dares to approach, don't bother with anything else—strike them dead first, and we'll talk later!"

"But if we strike them all dead, how can we talk then?" Daoist Priest Yunqing muttered softly, scratching his chin.

"Just strike when you're told to! Why all the nonsense? Haven't you understood Senior Brother Yun Yang's meaning? If they're struck dead, it's all on him," Daoist Yunxiong explained with an air of importance, kicking Daoist Priest Yunqing.

"Oh, oh, I see."

Exchanging a smile, the two old Daoists transformed into streaks of lightning and shot off to guard the east and west sides respectively, leaving Taoist Yun Yang behind, sighing and shaking his head.

With three Dao Body Realm Leaders acting as his protectors, Qi Xiu composed himself. He bowed to Taoist Yun Yang, then stepped towards the bizarre and grim lake of black and red water before him.

SPLASH—

The instant he touched the water, Qi Xiu's entire body was abruptly dragged to the bottom of the lake. It was as if some Divine Marvel Power had pulled him down.

Murky, dark water enveloped him. Qi Xiu's eyes narrowed slightly, a purple light glowing within them, as he slowly scanned the malevolent water.

HUM—

Hearing an unusual sound behind him, Qi Xiu whirled around. The water surged, and his gaze instantly sharpened. He saw that a mirror had appeared behind him at some unknown point. It was as tall as a man, its frame seemingly cast from bronze—russeted and streaked with rust, engraved with ancient, mysterious patterns. Yet, its surface was as pristine as new, almost unbelievably bright.

This was the Magic Artifact known as the Dual Heart Mirror?

Gazing at the Dual Heart Mirror before him, Qi Xiu was on guard against any potential attack from the Magic Artifact when a figure suddenly appeared on the smooth, pristine surface of the mirror.

"This is..."

Seeing the figure in the mirror, Qi Xiu's expression changed slightly.

Me?

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