They bowed slightly, their tones respectful but devoid of fear. "Young Master."
Even though Qian Renxue rarely needed protection , after all, she could annihilate entire platoons of enemies herself , they never left her side unless ordered to.In the canyon massacre days ago, they had stayed hidden as instructed. They had seen her power firsthand — the cold precision with which she slaughtered all the evil soul masters, her expression untouched by the carnage.
Now, as they followed her down the corridor, she asked quietly, "I believe there are results."
Ci Xue stepped closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "Yes, Young Master. The members of the Order have found two suitable candidates, exactly as per your requirement."
Her golden eyes flickered faintly. "Good. Let's go."
---
Spirit City – Outer Quarters, Private Mansion of Cai Kun
The night was unusually quiet. The moon hung pale above the Spirit City skyline, its light glinting against the tiled roofs and flowing through the ornate windows of a richly decorated residence.
Inside, the air was unnaturally still.
Cai Kun, a Soul Sage of Spirit Hall, stood beside a long marble table in the center of a dimly lit room. His robes were spotless, his posture humble, but his heart raced beneath his composed face. Though to the outside world he was a respected Spirit Hall official, however he was also a member of the Twilight Hermit Order .
He bowed low as Qian Renxue entered, her presence immediately commanding the room.
"Greetings, Young Master."
Her gaze swept over the scene — two bodies lay side by side on the slab. One was a small girl, perhaps eight years old, her pale skin still soft and untouched by decay. The other, a young woman of sixteen, serene even in death, her long hair cascading like dark blonde silk across the stone.
The faint light of spirit energy shimmered around their forms — an effect of a Soul Sage's preservation soul skill.
Cai Kun began his report carefully, every word measured."The deaths of both are within the past seven days. Their bodies are preserved through a Soul Skill of Rejuvenation. The child was an orphan, killed by blunt trauma to the head. The young woman… a merchant's daughter. She took her own life after her family's caravan was attacked by bandits."
He gestured slightly, his hands trembling. "They are dead. Only the bodies remain intact. All external wounds have been healed by the soul skill."
Qian Renxue's expression remained unreadable. Her purple eyes were calm, but the air around her seemed to shift — subtle pressure, heavy enough to make Cai Kun's breath falter.
Finally, she lifted a hand dismissively. "That will do. Leave us."
Cai Kun bowed deeply, relief flickering in his eyes as he backed toward the door. "As you command, Young Master."The moment he left, the heavy door closed with a quiet thud, sealing the silence within.
Qian Renxue turned to the two shadow guards standing behind her. "Uncle Ci Xue, Uncle She Long — ensure no one disturbs me."
They bowed simultaneously."As you wish, Young Master."
Without another word, they moved to guard the outer perimeter, their spirit power cloaking the entire mansion.
Qian Renxue stood before the two lifeless bodies, her purple eyes glimmering with restrained anticipation and the quiet excitement in her heart. She had long theorized the possibility — the extension of her Virtual Persona, into another flesh. But until this moment, it had been nothing more than a dangerous hypothesis.
"Let's see… if theory can be turned into reality," she murmured,
The first body — that of the little girl — still carried the faint blush of life on her cheeks, preserved perfectly by rejuvenation soul skill. Her mind, however, was an empty shell — a vessel waiting to be filled. Qian Renxue exhaled slowly, closing her eyes as a thread of gentle yet intricate spiritual light extended from her forehead.
The light coiled and entered the child's head like a whisper of consciousness.
Moments passed.
Then the child's fingers twitched. Her chest rose with a sudden, delicate breath. Slowly, her eyelids fluttered open — revealing eyes that gleamed like amethyst crystals, carrying the depth of a consciousness far beyond her years.
Qian Renxue's lips curved in satisfaction. "From now on, you are known as Julia."
The girl blinked once, then smiled brightly — too brightly for an ordinary child. "Julia…" she whispered, touching her face as if recognizing herself for the first time.
Qian Renxue turned to the second body — the young woman of sixteen. Her skin was pale but untouched by decay, her expression serene, as though dreaming. This time, Qian Renxue's tone grew heavier.
"This one will be… a little more difficult," she said, her voice low.
She closed her eyes again. This time, the virtual persona she passed was the one in her second spiritual sea. As strands of violet and black energy were entangled with this persona, Qian Renxue transferred it to the body before her with utmost caution and concentration.
The room dimmed as her tainted virtual persona entered the woman's body.
The air trembled — and the woman gasped awake. Her golden hair fell loosely around her shoulders, but her eyes were deep crimson streaked with violet. Her beauty was mature, almost ethereal.
Qian Renxue's gaze softened. "Your name is—"
Before she could finish, the woman smiled bitterly, interrupting, "You've just given me a real body… to make me your scapegoat before the Rakshasa's altar, haven't you?"
Her tone was calm but sharp, as if she could peer directly into Qian Renxue's intentions.
Qian Renxue narrowed her eyes, then smirked. "Then you shall bear the name Eve — the one who strayed from her path, tempted by the darkness of the Rakshasa Goddess."
Eve tilted her head, lips curling into a faint, almost knowing smile. "A fitting name, don't you think?"
"Perhaps," Qian Renxue replied softly, folding her arms.
Silence filled the room for a moment — a strange tension of amusement and danger lingering in the air.
Then Julia giggled suddenly, breaking the mood. "In a way, we're talking to ourselves, aren't we? Hehe~ now we can officially be considered psychopaths, right?"
Her childish laugh was innocent yet unsettling.
Qian Renxue couldn't help but chuckle faintly. "Maybe," she said, reaching out to pat Julia's head.
Eve, meanwhile, merely smiled. calm and composed , her eyes gleaming with hidden meanings.
----
(Author notes: Now that Eve has appeared the question arises who does the skull she is holding belongs to?)