Chapter Forty-Four: Doppelgänger

On the first floor, spiritual energy surged from all directions, converging within his dantian, while another current transformed into threads of Buddhist power that streamed into the golden wheel of the Buddha at the center of his brow. When Zhang Xiao examined it with his divine sense, he saw that the golden wheel overflowed with Buddha’s aura, and a Buddha identical to himself sat cross-legged within. Though the Buddhist energy swirled around this figure, it was not absorbed by him.

A sudden inspiration flashed through Zhang Xiao’s mind. He focused all his divine sense into the Buddha, and immediately his body, seated on the bed, trembled. From the crown of his head emerged a tiny golden figure, no larger than a palm. The little golden man blazed with radiant light, Buddhist energy spiraling around him, truly wondrous to behold. Standing atop Zhang Xiao’s head, the little man laughed heartily. “I really am a genius, to have thought of such a method!”

This little golden man was none other than a manifestation of Zhang Xiao’s divine sense—a true avatar, though still weak at this stage. For all its imposing presence, it was but a wisp of divine sense from the first floor of cultivation; a strong gust of wind could scatter it, causing Zhang Xiao serious harm.

Delighted at this discovery, Zhang Xiao quickly summoned the avatar back into his body. The little golden man was mischievous by nature—if not kept in check, he would surely stir up trouble within Zhang Xiao’s sea of consciousness. Channeling his entire reserve of Buddhist power, Zhang Xiao radiated golden light; countless scriptures condensed from Buddhist energy floated around him, each one a passage from the Prajna Zen Sutra.

He released his avatar and began pouring his Buddhist power into the golden man in batches. With every scripture infused, the little man grew more substantial, his Buddhist energy ever stronger. In a single day, Zhang Xiao had channeled the entire first layer of the Prajna Zen Sutra into the avatar.

Once the little golden man received these teachings, he began cultivating at a rate even faster than Zhang Xiao himself—unburdened by emotion or distraction, his progress was nothing short of miraculous. In half a day, he had perfected the first layer. Yet Zhang Xiao did not continue with the second; channeling the first had already left him exhausted. Besides, he had promised Xiaofang to meet her today.

Leaving the branch stronghold, Zhang Xiao headed straight to the city, arriving at a restaurant called Prosperity International—the most luxurious in City Z before the Cataclysm. Though it had been battered and ruined in the upheaval, it was later taken over by the Heavenly Demon Pavilion, renamed the Celestial Pavilion Restaurant, and refurbished into an even grander establishment—the city’s premier den of extravagance.

Though currency was now obsolete, one could pay with monster pelts, herbs, or materials. As Zhang Xiao arrived, he saw Xiaofang waiting at the entrance. Today, Lanfang wore a pink dress, her usually plain features animated by a rare playfulness that drew many admiring glances. For a moment, Zhang Xiao saw the Xiaofang of days past, before the world had changed. Striding forward, he pulled her into his arms and said, “You look beautiful today.” Blushing, Lanfang lightly punched his chest. “You’re so improper.” Zhang Xiao only laughed, leading her inside.

He had chosen this restaurant because, before the Cataclysm, it was the most renowned in town—a place he had longed to visit, though in those days he could scarcely afford a single dish. Now, it meant little, and he brought Lanfang straight to the largest, most opulent private suite. The staff here were well-trained and sharp-eyed; seeing his silver-threaded Daoist robe and bearing, they knew at once he was someone extraordinary. They performed their duties flawlessly, their attentiveness beyond reproach. Though Zhang Xiao was indifferent, Lanfang was clearly delighted; vanity, after all, is universal.

“Xiaofang, I’ve prepared an estate in the suburbs for us. We’ll live there from now on, and I can guide your cultivation,” Zhang Xiao said—the estate arranged by Xia Tan at his request. He needed to refine the Pill of Life and didn’t want to be disturbed. Lanfang hesitated, as if struggling to speak. Smiling, Zhang Xiao asked, “What’s wrong?” Lanfang replied, “It’s just, I have a close friend in the sect who’s always helped me. Do you think…” “Bring her along,” Zhang Xiao said at once. “Guiding two is no more trouble than one.” Lanfang was overjoyed, abandoning her meal to seek out her friend.

With a resigned sigh, Zhang Xiao said, “Very well, I’ll go with you.” He handed the waiter a beast pelt from his bone ring as payment—the skin of a level 40 monster. The waiter’s face lit up; the commission from a single pelt would cover a month’s wage.

By chance, Lanfang’s friend was Ni Weilan. When she saw Zhang Xiao, both were momentarily surprised, then laughed. Lanfang asked curiously, “You two know each other?” Zhang Xiao quickly explained that he had asked Ni Weilan and her companions for directions and had helped with their task—not mentioning that he had sought them out to repay a favor.

With introductions complete, the three proceeded to Zhang Xiao’s estate, once a villa district now transformed by the Maoshan Sect into a picturesque retreat, complete with rock gardens and ponds—a perfect place for leisure and cultivation. Over the next months, Zhang Xiao guided Lanfang and Ni Weilan by day. Though he did not know the Kunlun Daoist arts, his dual study of Buddhist and Daoist disciplines gave him remarkable insight, allowing him to point out and correct their mistakes.

By night, he continued to infuse the Prajna Zen Sutra into the little golden avatar. In this way, half a year soon passed. With the complete essence of the Prajna Zen Sutra within him, the avatar rapidly achieved the fourth layer, fueled by the golden wheel and Zhang Xiao’s own Buddhist energy. Only the Invincible Diamond Body remained unperfected; otherwise, the fifth layer was within reach—a speed that would have driven Zhang Xiao mad with envy were the avatar not his own extension.

Meanwhile, Zhang Xiao himself devoted his efforts to the Supreme Lunar Sutra, his avatar and true self cultivating yin and yang in harmony, accelerating his progress. He also began refining the Pill of Life—a crucial elixir for himself, Lanfang, and Ni Weilan, all of whom needed it to advance swiftly. Besides guiding the two women, he now had the daily task of tending the pill cauldron. The Pill of Life required alternating civil and martial flame for forty-eight days, then twenty-seven days of gentle nurturing in the cauldron. Any carelessness would ruin the batch.

Under Zhang Xiao’s guidance, Lanfang and Ni Weilan steadily improved, soon approaching the Foundation Establishment stage. Their slow progress was due to the simplicity of their techniques, but Zhang Xiao’s persistent corrections ensured their foundations were solid. Once they broke through, they could enter the inner sect and learn more advanced arts, where their progress would surely become rapid.

“Ha! Take this!” The sounds of combat echoed in the estate as a golden monk and Zhang Xiao exchanged blows. Zhang Xiao relied on his Invincible Diamond Body, defending without attacking, while the golden monk—his avatar, now grown to full human size and identical to Zhang Xiao save for the shaved head—launched a fierce barrage of strikes, the force shattering the plants and grass nearby. Lanfang and Ni Weilan sat at a distance, cheering.

The avatar’s attacks grew ever stronger, but Zhang Xiao’s perfected Invincible Diamond Body allowed him to withstand them all. Meanwhile, he practiced the Seven Arts of Maoshan, his fingers tracing spell after spell—Soul-Eating Curse, Mind-Shaking Curse, Enchantment Curse, Blood Transformation Curse, Flesh Decay Curse, Soul-Hooking Curse, and Spirit-Severing Curse—each blending into a black mist that enveloped the avatar. The avatar hastened to activate the Invincible Diamond Body in defense. Any single curse was nothing to fear, but combined, their power was astonishing—a recent discovery by Zhang Xiao.

The Seven Arts of Maoshan targeted heart, mind, blood, flesh, emotions, soul, and spirit—seven forms of attack that few could withstand. Though those of deep cultivation had little to fear from them individually, when united, they became nearly unstoppable. Zhang Xiao used this technique to spar with his avatar, both to hone the arts and to help the avatar perfect the Diamond Body.

Suddenly, a surge of spiritual energy swept toward the rear courtyard. Ecstatic, Zhang Xiao hurried there with his avatar, leaving the puzzled women behind. In the courtyard, the pill cauldron radiated five-colored light as spiritual energy poured into it. The Pill of Life was about to be born. Zhang Xiao and his avatar stood guard, watching as the light grew brighter, illuminating the thick-walled cauldron like a great lantern.

With a thunderous crash, the cauldron exploded into fragments, and twelve pills aglow with five-colored brilliance shot into the air. Zhang Xiao and his avatar leapt forward, catching the pills as they writhed and struggled in his hands. Each contained enough energy to restore a Golden Core cultivator’s entire reserve—naturally, they did not submit easily. But the Invincible Diamond Body was unyielding; Zhang Xiao quickly placed all twelve into a jade gourd.