"Would you really be this kind?" Chen Guan didn't believe Consort Ming would voluntarily reveal the cultivation method created by the Ancestral Emperor.
Consort Ming's eyes flashed with indignation: "Only now have I realized why the Great Black Heaven Demon Statue's seal had a tiny crack, allowing me to act periodically. That was no coincidence or flaw, but a carefully designed scheme all along."
"To escape, I would naturally conceal the true inheritance, making sure no one could easily discover its location."
"Over time, even the most perfect designs may develop flaws. But with me maintaining the arrangements I created, they only became harder to decipher. The Ancestral Emperor's calculations were truly profound."
"Your reasoning makes some sense," Chen Guan said. "But if no one saw through your schemes, wouldn't the Ancestral Emperor's inheritance be lost forever?"
"That's precisely his brilliance. Without Eternal Shadow and the Emperor's Command Scripture, no one could free me from the Great Black Heaven Demon Statue. These two could restrain me, preventing me from passing down his secret techniques. He even anticipated I would destroy the Emperor's Command Scripture, ensuring its legacy continued through Eternal Shadow..."
Consort Ming gritted her teeth tighter as she spoke, realizing every move had been within the Ancestral Emperor's calculations.
Yet Chen Guan disagreed. Perhaps this wasn't the Ancestral Emperor's true scheme, because he hadn't relied on Eternal Shadow or the Emperor's Command Scripture to free Consort Ming—he'd used his Cheerleader's Soul talent instead.
Unless the Ancestral Emperor could see past and future, this unpredictable variable couldn't have been accounted for.
"Even if Eternal Shadow can restrain you, that doesn't necessarily explain why you'd voluntarily reveal the secret technique," Chen Guan mused.
"You're mistaken. Everything was within that bastard's—" Consort Ming nearly cursed the Ancestral Emperor but swallowed her words upon remembering Eternal Shadow's presence. "Because only by passing 'The First' secret technique to you can I escape my current predicament and regain freedom."
"How so?" Chen Guan didn't understand.
"After being slain by Eternal Shadow, I could only survive in a petrified form. This petrification is irreversible—no mystical spirit, no matter how powerful, can escape this fate once petrified as a companion. We exist only by our human's vitality—when the human dies, the companion perishes without exception."
Consort Ming said through clenched teeth: "Only one who cultivates 'The First' secret technique possesses the miraculous ability to create worlds and reverse life and death. Only when you master it can you recreate my physical form and free me from this companion status. If I don't help pass down this inheritance, no one in this world will have such power, and I'll perish when you die. He gave me hope, yet placed the power of life and death in your hands, forcing me to help you cultivate 'The First' secret technique." Read full story at novel•fire.net
"I see," Chen Guan thought to himself. "There's one thing Consort Ming isn't saying—the Ancestral Emperor likely chose her precisely because she possessed the Joy Great Method. His Emperor's Command Scripture could counter her Joy Great Method, allowing successors to draw from her. So she wasn't just a vessel for passing down techniques, but also a cauldron for cultivation. She must have realized this but dares not say it, nor let me discover it."
Without revealing his thoughts, Chen Guan said calmly: "If what you say is true, I promise to grant you freedom once I master 'The First' secret technique."
"You must swear a binding oath for me to believe you," Consort Ming said, though she had no other choice but to gamble now.
"When I master 'The First' secret technique and gain the power to recreate Consort Ming's physical form, I shall grant her freedom. Should I break this oath, may I be struck by lightning and die a wretched death." After this solemn vow, Chen Guan added: "Provided the technique you give me is genuine. Any falsity voids this oath."
Consort Ming said coldly: "'The First' was created for human cultivation—useless to me. Moreover, I don't understand human techniques and couldn't alter them even if I wanted. Its authenticity will be evident when you practice it. His creation differs fundamentally from mystical spirit techniques—I lack the capability to modify it."
Chen Guan found her reasoning sound. The Ancestral Emperor had spent over thirty years collecting techniques to create this—it wouldn't be easily altered.
Now bound by life and death, if Chen Guan came to harm, Consort Ming would perish too.
"Then let's begin. Show me what makes the Ancestral Emperor's technique unique," Chen Guan said.
With a sigh, Consort Ming began reciting 'The First' secret technique word by word.
Chen Guan silently memorized the over 100,000 characters of profound mysteries. Even with his exceptional memory, Consort Ming had to repeat it multiple times before he could recite it flawlessly.
Though memorized, Chen Guan didn't immediately practice it. With so many intricate details, any mistake might have unknown consequences.
Despite perfect recall, Chen Guan pretended uncertainty, making Consort Ming repeat it numerous times—each recitation remained flawless.
"If you can't remember, I can imprint it directly into your mind using the Joy Great Method combined with the Prajna Method," Consort Ming said impatiently after days of repetition.
"I know your Joy Great Method, but what does the Prajna Method do?" Chen Guan asked.
"The Prajna Method is the Wisdom Method, granting infinite understanding. Any technique can be mastered at first sight—nothing in this world is beyond my learning," Consort Ming declared proudly.
"So the Prajna Method can simulate any technique?" Chen Guan pondered.
"Correct," Consort Ming nodded.
Chen Guan was impressed. If true, the Prajna Method would be invincible—mastering all techniques through simulation.
"Any limitations?" Chen Guan asked, skeptical of such absolute power.
"Common techniques require but a glance. Peerless or unique techniques require me to physically endure them once before simulation," Consort Ming explained.
Chen Guan demonstrated his Blood Palm technique for her to simulate. After one glance, Consort Ming replicated it perfectly, though weaker due to her Level 1 status compared to his Level 7.