Chapter 62 Spirit術Illusion Technique

rwise, she will definitely take revenge for today’s humiliation.The Empress seemed to have noticed this as well. Her previously silent face, which had been observing the situation carefully, did not l...Chapter 62 Illusory Transformation of Spirit Arts

What was she doing when she was twelve and a half years old

Aiding Night Tianyi to consolidate his initial control over the Northern Frontier, playing hide-and-seek with Rong Jing, finding her brother serving as Crown Prince in Southern Liang, occasionally infuriating the old man by threatening to pull out his beard, sometimes having small fights with Leng Shaozhu to vent her frustrations. Oh yes, she was also pursuing Night Tianqiong and pretending to be lovesick. At twelve and a half years old, it seemed like she had been doing quite a lot!

Back then, she didn't know about having a father or some bizarre agreement.

"What's wrong Why did you not come to find me two years ago" Yun Shanyue glared at the Cloud Prince when he remained silent.

"We came. But your mother said that you were doing fine and told us to leave you alone for now!" The Cloud Prince sighed.

"I was doing fine Which of your eyes saw me doing well" Yun Shanyue thought about her mother upon hearing him mention her, confirming she was indeed alive.

"Little girl, how dare you say that you were not doing well You have the old emperor running around like a chicken with its head cut off and Night Tianqiong completely confused. How could this be bad Moreover, there is Little Jing who has been tortured by cold poison but still looks at your portrait daily..." The Cloud Prince said.

"He looks at... my portrait every day" Yun Shanyue caught onto these words keenly.

"Yes! In the Rong王府 (Rong Royal Manor), there are countless of your portraits, all painted by him from childhood to adulthood. Countless scrolls!" The Cloud Prince chuckled and said.

“In the Rong王府, where Why haven’t I seen those portraits Has he never mentioned them” Yun Shanyue asked in puzzlement.

"Oh, we secretly took your portraits with us two years ago. He probably didn't tell you that!" The Cloud Prince chuckled again.

Yun Shanyue rolled her eyes and glared at him; she was less angry but still felt a little resentful, "You guys even have the heart to come here and then leave."

"We've endured for ten years already. Another year or half-year makes no difference," The Cloud Prince sipped his tea and said with a sigh: "We're all dead people anyway. We fear that once we get involved in your life, it might cause you trouble. Furthermore, you are not just our daughter; you are the legitimate heiress of the Yun Royal Manor, attracting too much attention. To avoid dragging down the Yun Royal Manor, we thought it best to leave quietly. Since you’ve always been independent and have lived well without us for over a decade, we naturally trusted that you would be fine on your own. Even if thrown into difficulties, you can survive beautifully. What more is there for us to feel remorseful about"

"Are you praising yourself or me!" Yun Shanyue huffed.

The Cloud Prince chuckled, his voice smooth and pleasant.

Only then did she notice that since he entered the room, his voice had changed from the fake old and cautious sound of the Cloud Prince to a clear and melodious tone. It was not as pure as a young man's but with an additional magnetic quality, extremely pleasing to the ear. He sized her up and suddenly walked closer, staring at her face: "Is this your real face or an illusion You resemble my elder brother"

"No! Even siblings from the same mother can have different appearances!" The Cloud Prince shook his head.

“Take off your mask for me to see!” Yun Shanyue stared at him, unable to discern any sign of a mask on his face.

“It’s not a mask! It's an illusion. Alright, I’ll show you then. We just met after all; how can we let you not recognize your father” The Cloud Prince put down his teacup and sat cross-legged on the couch.

Yun Shanyue watched him intently, her eyes never leaving him as he started to perform some sort of illusionary technique

A moment later, she saw a mist gradually emanate from his hands. It looked like regular mist but had a unique translucent quality. The mist grew thicker and more numerous, forming a cloud above his palms that was layered like blooming flowers.

Yun Shanyue blinked not once as she stared at him intently. After some time, the mist detached from his hands, covering his face entirely in an instant. Then, astonishingly, the moment the mist dissipated, a completely unfamiliar face appeared before her.

How should one describe this face

It bore slight resemblance to the Cloud Prince's features but was entirely different without close scrutiny. It was a stunningly beautiful face that even words like 'handsome' would fall short of describing. Handsome did not do it justice at all. He had seen many handsome men, such as Rong Jing’s refined elegance, Night Qingran’s striking handsomeness and flamboyance, or Nan Lingrui’s charming and suave looks resembling peach blossoms. However, these seemed to pale in comparison.

There was a kind of beauty beyond age, like her first encounter with the State Tutor of Southern Liang who appeared on the Golden Hall wearing a mask at the old emperor's fifty-fifth birthday; his appearance was ethereal and timeless. It could be twenty, thirty, forty, or even fifty.

It wasn't that he was more handsome than Rong Jing or Yu Zishu, but there was an inherent elegance and gracefulness to him. His eyes, nose, and mouth were not individually the most finely crafted features one could imagine, yet they all harmonized beautifully together as if they were meant to be this way from birth. This was a face that would stand out uniquely among millions of people.

"You... Are you truly my grandfather's son Why are we so different" Yun Shanyue looked at the Cloud Prince and then her own grandfather, puzzled.

"Rude brat! How dare you speak like that!" The Cloud Old Prince blew his cheeks out in anger.

"I'm simply stating the facts. Look, my father looks like this, and you're far inferior to him," said Yun Qianyue.

"Impudent brat! I'm an old man, what can you possibly see" The Cloud Old Prince scolded before turning to the Cloud Prince with a furious expression, "Seeing your face makes me so angry. Get rid of it quickly!"

"If you don't like my appearance, haven't I been away from you for over ten years" The Cloud Prince waved his hand as if he were going to send her back.

Yun Qianyue grabbed his hand and praised him with a smile, "No need, let it be! Let me look at it for two more seconds. Tsk tsk, how pleasing to the eye! Is my appearance inherited from you"

"Nope! Your appearance is more like your mother's," The Cloud Prince shook his head with a smile.

"Then who do you resemble Are you some kind of mutation" Yun Qianyue was puzzled.

"They say I look like our great ancestor, the Cloud King from a hundred years ago." The Cloud Prince said with a smile.

Yun Qianyue suddenly understood, "Oh! So that's how the Great Ancestor Cloud King looked!"

"Where do you see resemblance to him You're just flaunting your face and disgracing our ancestor. Impudent brat!" The Cloud Old Prince seemed unwilling even to glance at the Cloud Prince, turning his eyes away in disgust, "Get rid of it quickly!"

"Don't listen to him! He's a grumpy old man who only knows how to shout all day," Yun Qianyue held tightly onto the Cloud Prince’s hand and looked closely at his face. She thought that this was her father! This is truly her father. "Tell me, how did you meet my mother You managed to get away with switching identities for our wedding."

"It's a long story! Your mother will tell you all about it later!" The Cloud Prince smiled at Yun Qianyue, his eyes filled with love.

Yun Qianyue pursed her lips and didn't dwell on the issue. She then asked, "I saw my mother taking her last breath after being poisoned by purple grass. How did you save her Could it be that she was only pretending to die How could she leave me behind"

The Cloud Prince sighed, "This is also a long story. But I'll briefly tell you now! Your mother heard someone was in danger and went to help him but ended up being poisoned by purple grass herself. You know that there's no cure for purple grass poison in the Heavenly Divine Empire, but it has a remedy somewhere else. Desperately, I made her take medicine to stop breathing before the purple grass poison could take effect, preserving a thread of life within her. Then, I took her away and saved her. At the time, the emperor was watching your mother closely; there was no other choice but to vanish using a desperate method. Your mother didn't want to leave you behind, but because that old man wouldn’t agree, he forced me into taking her away while leaving you here."

Yun Qianyue nodded, glared at the Cloud Old Prince for a moment and thought about how she had acted in the Cloud Mansion all these years— it was all thanks to this old man. If not, with both parents alive, she wouldn't have become an orphan.

"Rude brat, why are you glaring at me I am your grandfather! Don’t you know that I never wanted to part from you" The Cloud Old Prince angrily snorted.

Yun Qianyue suddenly felt less resentful and angry towards him. She stuck out her tongue, "I know, you can't bear not beating me up or scolding me! You feel uncomfortable if you don’t do it, so you couldn’t tolerate seeing me around." "You’ve got a good daughter there; I should have let you take her away long ago!" The Cloud Old Prince was so furious that his beard trembled.

"From what I see, you enjoy being tormented by her," the Cloud Prince chuckled.

The Cloud Old Prince coldly snorted, indicating he agreed with this statement.

Yun Qianyue suddenly felt very happy. Although she had been an orphan for years, her life hadn't been bad at all. The old man was lonely; if given the choice back then, she might not have left either. After all, a two-year-old child with the soul from the previous life could choose to stay or leave. It's just that there was always resentment in her heart for not knowing whether her parents were alive. But as Rong Jing said, there’s no perfect happiness in this world; nothing can be completely fulfilled. Now she is very satisfied with how things have turned out. At least both of her parents are still alive now and one of them has appeared before her, within reach and visible at a glance. He didn't want to abandon her or leave her behind but was forced by the old man’s threats on his life and solemn vows. Compared to not knowing anything about it, they had endured immense longing for their child these years. With this thought in mind, she felt that heaven had treated her very well; she was already quite happy.

"Is there anything else you want to ask" The Cloud Prince noticed the gloominess in Yun Qianyue's eyes dissipate and asked with a smile.

"No more for now, I'll ask later," Yun Qianyue shook her head and suddenly let go of his hand. She stretched out her hand towards him and said, "Do you think offering me candy can get rid of me No way! I want a gift."

The Cloud Prince found it amusing, "I don’t have much on me now. Whatever gift you want, just say the word; I’ll make up for it later!"

"There’s no such thing as making up for a gift later! No way!" Yun Qianyue shook her head and pointed at his face while staring straight into it: "I want this!"

“Which one” The Cloud Prince blinked.

“Your illusion technique, teach me.” Yun Qianyue said matter-of-factly without a trace of embarrassment. This was her father; as Rong Jing had said, she could exploit him thoroughly in the future, starting with this illusion technique.

"Little brat! You really are my daughter!" The Cloud Prince laughed happily and pulled Yun Qianyue into his arms.

Yun Qianyue obediently curled up in Yun王爺's arms, feeling his heartbeat and his refreshing breath, her eyes slightly warm, "Of course I am your daughter."

"Mm-hmm, my good daughter!" Yun王爺 smiled as he nodded, patting her.

"How many daughters do you have" Yun Qianyue suddenly remembered something and asked somewhat sourly.

"Just you!" replied the Duke of Cloud.

"How many sons" Yun Qianyue followed up.

"Only your brother!" the Duke of Cloud answered her question.

"Then what is Luo Yu to you" Yun Qianyue persisted.

"She's like a niece," sighed the Duke of Cloud, his tone somewhat helpless.

"What do you mean she’s like a niece" Yun Qianyue pushed him away and raised an eyebrow at him with a displeased look on her face.

"She grew up alongside us from young, but your mother and I never treated her as our daughter. Our only daughter is you," the Duke of Cloud seemed to understand what was in Yun Qianyue’s mind as he explained with a smile, "she stuck to your mother who had no choice but to take her along; she's been around for so many years."

Yun Qianyue hummed in approval, satisfied by the answer.

"You really know how to eat vinegar elegantly!" The Duke of Cloud chuckled as he looked at her.

Yun Qianyue blushed and felt somewhat embarrassed but quickly masked it with a huff. "Are you going to teach me or not"

"I will," the Duke of Cloud nodded, glancing at the sky, "but are you ready to learn now"

Yun Qianyue glanced at the sky as well. "It’s hard"

The duke replied, “Not hard, but not easy! It will probably take a night."

"Are you tired" Yun Qianyue recalled that he was also exhausted from his long journey to arrive hastily; Rong Jing was so tired he fell asleep as soon as he hit the pillow. He must be quite fatigued too, she pursed her lips and said, "If you are tired, forget about it! Wait until I return from the Lan family!"

"I'm not tired," the Duke of Cloud shook his head after a moment's thought, "Since you're going to the Lan family, you probably won't be going there in your own identity Will you use Hong Pavilion If that is the case, it would be inconvenient for you to reveal yourself right now. It’s better to learn this illusion technique. Not only can you change your appearance, but also transform your figure and hide it, replacing yourself with someone else. The two major martial arts organizations, Red Pavilion and Black Pavilion, have been feared by all the countries in recent years. The old emperor once suspected that your mother was a member of Red Pavilion but couldn't find any clues due to her excellent concealment; he could only feel helpless. Now if you go to the Lan family under the identity of someone from Red Pavilion, your true status as a legitimate daughter of the Duke of Cloud would certainly be revealed and it wouldn’t be ideal, especially considering how much the old emperor already mistrusts you at this moment."

"But Yitian and Yun Ting both know I’ll definitely go to the Lan family. If later on I transform into another person but don't show up myself, won’t they suspect something" Yun Qianyue frowned.

"It’s better to be suspected than exposed in broad daylight! Right now the situation is unclear, it's best to remain discreet!" The duke said.

"Alright then! I'll listen to you! Let me learn it right away," Yun Qianyue nodded, feeling that what the Duke of Cloud had said made sense. Originally she had considered disguising herself but simple disguises were useless in front of Yitian. Now with her father’s illusion technique, everything would be fine. She could pretend to be someone else from the bone marrow and it wouldn’t be difficult. Besides, perhaps she didn't need to disguise herself at all; just displaying her cold and hard-nosed personality might suffice. Xiao Qi wasn't it that said he couldn't recognize her now Then revert back to how she was before. She had been lazy and listless for so many years, upon returning to form, apart from Rong Jing, even Yitian wouldn’t know who she is. That would be the best. Also, there's no need to worry about becoming a minor figure in Red Pavilion causing unnecessary trouble for Yun王府.

"Alright then! Let’s go! We'll head to the secret chamber!" The Duke of Cloud stood up and walked towards the screen behind him.

"You little stink, be careful when you go to Lan family. Make sure to save that brat; don't let him die there!" At this moment, the old duke of Yun opened his mouth, "None of our descendants from Yun王府 die outside."

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes, “Got it!”

The old Duke of Cloud hummed a few times but said no more.

Seeing the duke disappear behind the screen, Yun Qianyue turned and walked towards the door. She opened it and called out softly to the outside, "Yuzhuo!"

"Miss Yun Qianyue, your servant is here!" Yuzhuo came in from the courtyard; she likely knew what was being discussed inside so she stepped back.

"Go to Moonlit Pavilion and tell them that I'll return early tomorrow morning! Ling Lian and Yi Xue know what to do," Cloud Shallow Moon said.

"Yes!" Jade Bracelet responded.

Cloud Shallow Moon turned back into her room. After passing through the screen, Prince Cloud had already opened a secret chamber and entered it; she followed him in. This secret chamber Cloud Shallow Moon had once visited out of curiosity as a child and found that there was an escape route leading outside the city walls. Back then, when her martial arts skills were still low, she often sneaked out through this hidden passage unnoticed by the guards. Later, with better martial arts skills, she could scale walls without being detected, so she stopped using it. She took a look around the chamber and saw Prince Cloud sitting cross-legged on the ground; she asked him in puzzlement, "Do you come back to the manor every year"

"Yes!" Prince Cloud nodded.

"Old fool! You really did keep it well hidden!" Cloud Shallow Moon muttered angrily.

Prince Cloud chuckled and said, "Because your grandfather loves you. Don't blame him. But I know that you don’t hold a grudge against him."

"Yes," Cloud Shallow Moon nodded. She was somewhat resentful but thought about the old man’s intentions. Her grandmother had passed away early, he never remarried, not even taking a concubine or secondary wife. For many years, he’d been very lonely. So she could understand why he didn’t want her parents to recognize her.

"Come here and sit down!" Prince Cloud pointed at the bed opposite him.

Cloud Shallow Moon sat cross-legged and suddenly remembered something else and asked, "Where’s my uncle"

"He’ll have to endure this for a while. After today's incident, the emperor will certainly monitor me and the Cloud Manor more closely. I gave him sleeping pills; he should sleep soundly for about a month! We can talk again when things calm down," Prince Cloud sighed.

Cloud Shallow Moon nodded.

Prince Cloud began teaching Cloud Shallow Moon the incantation. Due to her excellent memory, she managed to memorize it in one go. Then he started guiding her through practicing illusions. Unlike martial arts which relied on internal energy, illusion required gathering qi and essence from the body; this was accomplished by aligning the mind with the spirit to reach a state of purity and clarity where all distractions were eliminated. This was the most challenging part, after which she would be able to extract the purest essence within her body.

Thanks to Prince Cloud's explanation, Cloud Shallow Moon quickly grasped how it worked. But understanding it didn’t equate to being able to do it; while she had a natural talent for it, practice was another matter entirely. She needed to start from scratch and follow through step by step as he instructed, without skipping any steps. Prince Cloud’s requirements were very strict, and only after completing each phase perfectly would she be allowed to move on to the next.

Cloud Shallow Moon had a similar perfectionist attitude anyway; furthermore, with her father in front of her, her mind was clear, and she could focus entirely. Thus, she followed his instructions meticulously for every step.

Starting from nothing, little by little, qi began to appear in her hands, then gradually condensed, accumulating more and more. With each layer of essence accumulated, she advanced further.

She didn’t realize how hard it was until she started practicing. She remembered seeing a thick layer of mist gather on the palms of his hand when he restored someone’s appearance earlier, like flower petals. Now she felt that after great effort, all she could manage was a small cloud resembling a petal.

Time passed slowly; for how long, she didn’t know. Finally, her hands managed to gather three layers of mist resembling flowers. Prince Cloud then told her to stop, "That’s enough!"

Cloud Shallow Moon put down her hands and exhaled gently, feeling much lighter than before, with a clear mind as well. She looked at Prince Cloud and asked, "Is that all"

"Yes, it's good! For your first time, you’ve achieved great results in such a short period," Prince Cloud patted her head proudly: "Just like your mother; back then she could only gather three petals."

Cloud Shallow Moon laughed at his words. "Of course, as the saying goes, 'like mother, like daughter'!"

Prince Cloud smiled and pointed to a mirror nearby. "You can now go there and see your results."

Cloud Shallow Moon nodded and got off the bed to stand in front of the mirror. Using the night pearls’ light from the secret chamber, she clearly saw her reflection. It was much more ethereal than before. She blinked and asked Prince Cloud, "How do I check"

"Think about who you want to be and activate your illusion; then you will become that person," Prince Cloud said.

"Then what if I wanted to turn into Rong Jing" Cloud Shallow Moon asked.

"That should work too!" Prince Cloud smiled.

Cloud Shallow Moon took a deep breath, focused her mind on Rong Jing’s image and activated the technique she had learned. As a beginner, her movements were slow; after some time, she opened her eyes to see her reflection in the mirror was indeed Rong Jing's face. She softly exclaimed "Ah!" and turned back to ask Prince Cloud, "This… If anyone could become whoever they wanted by using this technique, wouldn’t it cause chaos"

"Therefore, it’s a secret art that isn't taught widely," said Prince Cloud smilingly: "In today's world, besides me, your mother and you, no one else knows! It was an accidental discovery between me and your mother; we never passed it on."

Cloud Qianyue heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Thank goodness! Otherwise it would be too frightening."

The Marquis of Cloud smiled. "Little girl, your heart is kind. You are truly the daughter of me and your mother!"

Cloud Qianyue was still shocked and looked puzzledly at her reflection in the mirror. "Father, how can this be so amazing"

"This is using the ethereal energy and essence from your body to form a mask over the surface of your face. Simply put, it's an illusion set up around you. It’s like wearing a mask, but unlike a real mask, this one is intangible." The Marquis of Cloud explained, "Indeed, it is somewhat miraculous."

Cloud Qianyue nodded and looked at the mirror for a moment before gradually withdrawing her ethereal energy into her body to reveal her own face. She asked, "How long can I maintain this"

"Since you have only briefly practiced it, you will probably be able to keep it up for about half an hour." The Marquis of Cloud replied, "This is a secret room, and we cannot rely on natural ethereal energy from outside. These are all the pure ethereal energies within your body. If you could use natural ethereal energy, such as that from plants or trees, you would be able to extend this period."

Cloud Qianyue nodded. "So it means if I were to practice this in a flower bed outside, it would help greatly"

"Yes, you could put it that way!" The Marquis of Cloud nodded. "But generally speaking, it’s best not to do so. All things are living beings. If you absorb their ethereal energy, they will wither and die. That would be considered killing life. It’s better to cultivate yourself, which is righteous and proper."

"Father, you truly are a great person!" Cloud Qianyue smiled.

"I’m not a good person, but I believe in the law of cause and effect. If it's not absolutely necessary, one should strive to do what’s morally right to avoid burdening oneself. Just like fifteen years ago when I defeated Tian Sheng’s 150,000 troops, although I tried my best to avoid casualties at that time, there were still tens of thousands of soldiers who died and got injured. Later on, it took me over ten years before you could recognize me as your father. That can be considered cause and effect." The Marquis of Cloud shook his head and sighed. "But if it’s truly unavoidable, you must do what needs to be done without too much concern for the consequences. In life, one should follow their heart to live a meaningful existence. My daughter should live freely!"

"Yes," Cloud Qianyue nodded, feeling warm in her heart. Such a father was truly great.

"However, this illusion drains your essence, and it’s best not to use it frequently. Using it occasionally is fine." The Marquis of Cloud reminded her. "When you go to the Lan family this time, you should wear a veil and only reveal yourself when necessary. Otherwise, it's better to show your true appearance."

"Yes," Cloud Qianyue nodded, thought for a moment, then added, "This time I want to take Huasheng and the other seven with me as well. But Linglian and Yixue have been by my side long enough for them to be familiar to Niyuanyi’s group. This would cause trouble."

"Call them over later; I’ll cast a spell on them to conceal their true appearances." The Marquis of Cloud thought for a moment.

"That’s best! How long can it last" Cloud Qianyue’s eyes lit up.

"My spells cannot be undone by anyone else. You will have to wait until I remove the spell once you return." The Marquis of Cloud explained.

"That's perfect!" Cloud Qianyue felt relieved, then added, "Then why don’t you just cast a spell on me Why do I need to suffer learning this all night and again when I come back"

"If I did the casting for you day or night, would Little Jing want to see an unfamiliar face every day" The Marquis of Cloud blinked his eyes. "Besides, he might not be happy that I taught it to you."

"Of course not! Forget it!" Cloud Qianyue immediately abandoned her idea. Even if it was for herself, she couldn’t do such a thing! She had been about to leave when another thought struck her: "What about Jing He can’t appear as the heir of Rong王府 either. Probably he will be using his identity at Chu Family’s main branch. If I change my appearance but not him, it won’t work!"

"Little Jing surely has a way." The Marquis of Cloud waved his hand and said, "Go now; the sun is up. He must have woken early too!"

Cloud Qianyue nodded and left the inner room. She saw that dawn had broken outside. The old marquis probably got up early as he wasn’t in the room; likely he went for a stroll in the back courtyard. Turning around to face her father, she said, "Father, wait here for a while. I'll send Linglian and Yixue over to find you."

"Alright!" The Marquis of Cloud responded and waved his hand. He sat down on the chair at the desk looking slightly tired.

Seeing that he looked somewhat fatigued, she said worriedly, "Brother will likely take sister-in-law to offer tea in the early morning hours; don't fall asleep and miss it! Brother's first day of marriage, you need to drink the new wife’s tea. You can skip morning court today. Rest after they finish their ceremony."

"Alright," The Marquis of Cloud waved his hand and smiled kindly. "Your father isn’t weak. Go now; be careful at the Lan family. But with Little Jing around, I don't need to worry too much."

Cloud Qianyue nodded and left the room. She walked through the morning mist towards Moonshallow Pavilion.

Upon returning to Moonshallow Pavilion, everything was quiet in the courtyard. Linglian and Yixue heard the noise and ran out of their rooms. Before they could say anything, Cloud Qianyue waved her hand at them and said, "Go first to find my father in Lord Marquis’s compound; let him change your appearances for you. We’ll talk after!"

The two nodded upon hearing this and turned around, walking out of Moonshallow Pavilion.

Yun Qianyue pushed open the door and saw that Rong Jing had indeed woken up; he was lounging on his bed, fully dressed, looking at her with an air of laziness typical of a weak scholar. She walked in and smiled at him, asking, "When did you wake up"

"Midnight!" Rong Jing murmured two words.

"And then you didn't sleep any more" Yun Qianyue looked at him as if he was a child who had been abandoned and asked with a suppressed laugh.

"Mm-hmm!" Rong Jing grunted unhappily, "I couldn’t sleep without you."

"So during the time I’ve been away from you, did you not sleep at all" Yun Qianyue raised her eyebrows.

"That’s different!" Rong Jing shook his head.

Yun Qianyue looked at him and saw that he lacked energy. She smiled and said, "I’ve been exploiting my father to learn an illusionary technique; would you like me to perform it for you"

"Mm-hmm!" Rong Jing nodded indifferently.

Yun Qianyue stood in front of him. As the saying goes, 'Once bitten, twice shy'. She quickly transformed into Rong Jing's appearance. Rong Jing suddenly sat up from his bed, staring at Yun Qianyue with disbelief in his phoenix eyes.

Yun Qianyue smiled at him and said proudly, "How’s that Impressive, isn’t it"

"Nonsense! Change back immediately!" Rong Jing's face showed clear anger.

Yun Qianyue was shaken by his irritation. The spiritual energy dissipated instantly. She looked at Rong Jing and remembered her father’s words that Xiao Jing might not be happy about teaching her this technique. She carefully asked, "What's wrong Are you unhappy"

"Should I be happy" Rong Jing seemed to hold back his anger.

Yun Qianyue frowned and said, "It’s just an illusionary technique. If you don’t like me turning into you, then I won’t do it."

"Then who else do you want to turn into Do you know what this is" Rong Jing's anger seemed to rise even more.

"We’re leaving the capital today for Lan Family. I need to show up as a minor noblewoman of Hong Pavilion, but ordinary disguises wouldn’t fool Nite Tianyi; he’d definitely recognize me. I thought it didn’t matter if he found out about my connection with Hong Pavilion. The most that would happen is some inconvenience in the future and needing to be more vigilant around Cloud王府 (Cloud Manor). But since I saw Father knew this technique, I asked him to teach it to me as a gift for meeting me. At least it can conceal my identity." Yun Qianyue explained, "I just thought it was interesting and useful; why get so worked up It’s surprising but you’re overreacting."

"Am I overreacting Do you know this isn’t an illusionary technique" Rong Jing almost growled.

“What is it then Father called it an illusionary technique; does he intend to harm me” Yun Qianyue frowned. She had never seen Rong Jing so angry with her, his face showing fear and timidity.

"Uncle Yuan really indulges you! You asked him and he taught you," Rong Jing seemed to realize his reaction was too extreme; he had never spoken like this to Yun Qianyue before. Seeing she looked frightened by his anger, he pulled her into a hug, his tone softening as he explained, "This is called Spirit Technique."

"Spirit Technique" Yun Qianyue raised her eyebrows. She seemed not to have heard of it.

"Uncle Yuan calls it an illusionary technique; that’s the minor version. The major version is a Spirit Technique. Illusionary techniques are just surface-level and superficial, some江湖術士 (mystical practitioners) might know them too. But a Spirit Technique is fundamentally different; it condenses one's essence into various forms. Essentially, it uses your essence to create what you imagine. You can imagine how much of your original energy you’re losing," Rong Jing said angrily, "If I had known that instead of talking with him last night, you were learning this technique, I wouldn’t have let you learn it no matter what."

"I didn’t feel like my energy was being drained. Learning it isn’t bad; it’s just surprising," Yun Qianyue frowned.

“How can you still not understand” Rong Jing got even angrier, pushing her away and shouting, “Do you want to become a deity A Spirit Technique actually taps into your body's original essence and bone marrow. It is far more dangerous than the evil practices of Southern Frontier. You’re an ordinary person, neither god nor demon; why would you need such power”

Yun Qianyue blinked and laughed, "You really think this is divine technique Can it help one become a deity or a demon It’s not that serious. If it were harmful, Father wouldn’t have taught me. You haven’t learned it; if you did, you’d know it doesn’t violate natural physiological laws but has its own rules and mysteries. It's just very amazing! Compared to the Southern Frontier's curse spells... well, there are some similarities."

Rong Jing glared at her angrily, "You have no remorse or understanding!"

"Rong Jing! I returned happily; now you want to fight with me" Yun Qianyue was angry. She wasn’t unrepentant and ignorant. It just seemed amazing, so she learned it. To her, this was more useful than a candy.

Rong Jing pursed his lips and glared at Yun Qianyue; she stared back without backing down. Since she had already learned it, what else could happen Her photographic memory meant there was no way to forget anyway. Besides, she really didn’t see anything wrong with this aside from its surprising nature. If necessary in the future, she wouldn’t use it unless absolutely needed. For now, going to Lan Family was just a temporary measure.d immediately and carried Ye Qingran off the roof.In darkness, Hua Sheng, Feng Yan, and Cang Lan exchanged glances involuntarily. They couldn’t help but feel that one thing could subdue another."How d...