Spiritual Energy Revival (15): 

During this period, Zhou Qinghao’s strength grew too quickly, and his Heavenly Spirit Body was undergoing its second awakening, so his overall condition was not very good.

Dirt kept seeping out of his body, his golden core could no longer absorb spiritual energy, and a strange smell lingered all over him.

If he were living in the cultivation world, he should now be finding a place with abundant spiritual energy to go into seclusion, tempering his golden core in preparation for the tribulation that precedes the Nascent Soul stage.

But in the world he was in now, spiritual energy had long been scarce, and it had already entered the Age of the Decline of Dharma for thousands of years. The records of the Nascent Soul stage in the Xuanmen were only fragments, and people did not clearly understand the stage, nor how to advance into it.

Gu Juntian thought that before crossing over, he had been a great figure in the cultivation world, but without memories, he too did not know the exact details of how a golden core advanced to Nascent Soul. He only knew there would be a tribulation.

His own cultivation was weak, so Zhou Qinghao would have to face the tribulation of advancing to Nascent Soul by himself.

Gu Juntian brought Zhou Qinghao to his secret base.

This place had been discovered by the body’s original owner twelve years earlier, back when his health had not yet deteriorated. At that time, he was constantly busy outside, occasionally returning to the Bureau of Demon Control, where piles of matters awaited him.

Every now and then, when he wanted some private space, he would slip away to this place and lie down for a while.

Running over from the bureau, spending a few hours alone, then running back again… Every time he did this, he would feel completely relaxed and full of motivation once more.

But after the original owner was injured, he rarely came here. In recent years, only after practicing demonic techniques did he occasionally come again.

Gu Juntian pointed to the spiritual spring inside the cave and said to Zhou Qinghao, “Qinghao, you can soak in the spring. It will benefit you.”

Zhou Qinghao looked around at the environment inside the cave.

The Bureau of Demon Control itself was built on a feng shui treasure land, filled with spiritual energy.

The mountain forest behind it also contained denser energy than most other places.

This entire mountain had been cordoned off, and sometimes new recruits of the bureau trained here in the wild.

This cave was extremely well-hidden, and with the formation Gu Juntian had set up, plus a boulder blocking the entrance, it was nearly impossible for ordinary people to find.

And inside, the spiritual energy was even denser than at the bureau.

Partly, this was due to the spirit-gathering formation laid out in the cave, but more importantly, because of the spiritual spring within.

“When I first discovered this cave, it wasn’t yet a spiritual spring, only a small pool. Over the years it has changed quite a bit,” Gu Juntian said. “Qinghao, your Heavenly Spirit Body is undergoing its second awakening. Soaking in the spring will make you feel more comfortable and help you complete the awakening sooner.”

But once it was used this way, the spring would be depleted. That was a pity.

Yet Zhou Qinghao was far more important than the spring. If it was gone, another could be found. Making Zhou Qinghao feel better mattered most.

Zhou Qinghao took off his clothes and entered the spring.

The water was a bit cold, but to a cultivator it was nothing.

Once inside, the discomfort on his body truly disappeared.

But… was this really a spiritual spring?

His adoptive father had told him to soak here—could it be just to make seizing his body easier?

All kinds of thoughts flashed through Zhou Qinghao’s mind. Suddenly he opened his eyes and stared straight at Gu Juntian.

Why should he accept fate? Why should he let his adoptive father use his body?

After he died, would his adoptive father use his body to marry and have children?

Wouldn’t that be too great a loss for him?

One thought after another churned in his mind.

When he imagined Gu Juntian possibly being with someone else, Zhou Qinghao’s eyes turned red.

“Adoptive father…” Zhou Qinghao suddenly spoke.

Gu Juntian, who had been arranging formations, looked at him. “Qinghao, what is it?”

As soon as he finished, Gu Juntian realized something was wrong.

Zhou Qinghao’s condition seemed unusual. A piece of knowledge flashed in his mind—Heart Demon!

Before advancing to the Nascent Soul stage, there was a Heart Demon Tribulation. Zhou Qinghao was experiencing it now!

A heart demon was usually a cultivator’s obsession or suppressed thoughts.

And the methods of overcoming a Heart Demon Tribulation varied endlessly.

Generally, it required dispelling the thought, letting go completely, and then advancement would follow.

What was Zhou Qinghao’s heart demon?

Thinking of Zhou Qinghao’s feelings toward him, Gu Juntian suddenly realized—it might be himself.

And just as that thought formed, Zhou Qinghao lashed out with spiritual energy, dragging him into the spring, and immediately bit his neck.

Confirmed. Zhou Qinghao’s heart demon was him.

Zhou Qinghao loved him too much!

If the heart demon was the one a cultivator loved, the solution was simple.

That person only needed to provide enough comfort.

“Qinghao, I’m here. I’ll always be with you. I love you…” Gu Juntian patted his back.

“Liar!” Zhou Qinghao snapped, his eyes even redder. Spiritual energy burst from him, shredding Gu Juntian’s clothes to rags.

Gu Juntian kept soothing him: “I’m not lying. I’ll always stay with you…”

But Zhou Qinghao did not believe him.

Gu Juntian didn’t truly like him—how could he possibly always stay?

Sooner or later, Gu Juntian would seize his body.

He should kill Gu Juntian and perish together with him.

But Gu Juntian’s voice kept echoing in his ears, and he could not bring himself to strike.

Zhou Qinghao shoved him down against the edge of the pool and fiercely began… well, dual cultivation.

Gu Juntian: “…” This really wasn’t the best place for it.

His back scraped against the rocks, and though the original owner’s body was far stronger than most, wounds still appeared all across his back.

Zhou Qinghao’s movements were especially rough, clawing and scratching at him.

Gu Juntian’s body was covered in marks, hardly fit to look at.

Yet despite the pain, there was also great joy.

Both physical and emotional joy.

Zhou Qinghao’s heart demon was him, and during its outbreak he turned affectionate with him… how wonderful!

Gu Juntian guided the spiritual energy with his divine sense and saw Zhou Qinghao’s golden core already showing faint signs of cracking.

Once it shattered, the Nascent Soul would emerge.

Spiritual energy from all around, and from the spring itself, rushed toward them, washing over Zhou Qinghao’s body and pouring into his golden core…

Before leaving with Zhou Qinghao, Gu Juntian had handed his work to others, saying simply that he would rest for a few days and contact them later if needed.

The Bureau of Demon Control happened to have no major matters at hand, so it wasn’t until the third day that someone tried contacting Gu Juntian—only to find him unreachable.

They instinctively tried contacting Zhou Qinghao, only to find him unreachable too.

Gu Juntian and Zhou Qinghao had both disappeared!

The bureau grew anxious and began searching.

But since the two had left of their own accord, no one knew exactly where they had gone.

“Where exactly did the director and Zhou Qinghao go?”

“They wouldn’t be in trouble, right?”

“Of course not—Captain Zhou is so strong!”

“Last month that octopus demon—the branch thought it was Foundation Establishment stage, but it turned out to be Golden Core… and Captain Zhou dealt with it effortlessly!”

…

While the bureau was discussing, the two other Golden Core cultivators of the Xuanmen, besides Zhou Qinghao, suddenly arrived together.

They were Master Rongfu and Daoist Guanyun.

Before spiritual energy revived, Master Rongfu was an unknown monk in a small town temple. Afterward, for reasons unknown, he suddenly opened his heavenly eye and could see ghosts.

Unafraid of them, he sent them on one by one. Over time, his strength grew, and he successfully reached Golden Core, becoming a leader of the Buddhist sect.

But he did not concern himself with affairs, instead wandering the land, ferrying spirits.

Daoist Guanyun’s situation was different. He came from the Xuanmen and already held a respected position.

Even before spiritual energy revived, he practiced constantly, striving to cultivate.

Once it did revive, cultivation became his sole focus.

With great talent, his progress was astonishing, and he smoothly advanced to Golden Core, becoming a leader of the sect.

But he too ignored worldly matters, being a cultivation fanatic who now trained daily.

These two were the highest-ranking people in the Xuanmen. When they came to the bureau, normally Zhou Qinghao or Gu Juntian should have received them, but both were absent.

So the bureau’s group of Foundation Establishment cultivators had to greet them instead.

Seeing them, Master Rongfu pressed his palms together, recited a Buddha’s name, and said, “Everyone, someone informed me that the bureau chief attempted to seize another’s body, so I came to investigate.”

Daoist Guanyun added, “I came for the same reason… Where is Gu Juntian?”

Both were older than him, their status equal to his, so they addressed him by name.

“Director Gu isn’t here,” someone from the bureau said.

“And Zhou Qinghao?” Daoist Guanyun asked.

“Zhou Qinghao and Director Gu are missing,” they replied. “Could you have been mistaken? How could Director Gu possibly want to seize another’s body?”

“This matter is serious. We must be cautious,” said Daoist Guanyun.

At that moment, officials from the state also arrived.

They too had received a report claiming that Gu Juntian dominated the bureau, abusing its resources, and even intended to seize Zhou Qinghao’s body.

None of them knew who had reported it, but the accusations were clearly written, even naming Zhou Qinghao as the intended victim. As soon as they received the information, they rushed over.

All three parties realized someone was hiding in the shadows, hoping to see the bureau embroiled in scandal.

But regardless, the matter had to be investigated thoroughly.

Zhou Qinghao could not be allowed to come to harm. As for Gu Juntian—if he truly had done something he should not, he must be brought to justice!

When they learned the two had been missing for several days, the three groups grew deeply worried. Daoist Guanyun immediately took out a magical tool to divine their whereabouts.