At night, moonlight spilled like water, and all was silent.
Inside the hotel room, Yu Xiaogang sat cross-legged on the bed. His face, which had been sunk in sleep, twitched slightly, and his brows stirred.
Then a vertical eye slowly opened in the center of his forehead.
Unlike its original enchanting purple hue, the Magic Spider Compound Eye now appeared almost transparent. Yet on closer inspection, faint wisps of dreamlike color could still be seen within it.
Using the Magic Spider Compound Eye's third-person perspective, Yu Xiaogang rose from the bed and began pacing around the room, occasionally making a few movements.
Just then, a new piece of information flowed into Yu Xiaogang's mind.
New Soul Skill "Nightmare": Release Spirit Power to connect with an enemy, trapping their consciousness in an Illusion Realm. The Illusion Realm will reveal the most terrifying images in the enemy's subconscious, though the caster can also shape the scene according to their own will.
"It seems to have inherited the traits of the Remnant Dream Martial Soul. But compared to the original Soul Skill, the Nightmare of the Magic Spider Compound Eye can use the caster's will to actively fabricate the contents of the Illusion Realm."
"However, this method can only be used on Soul Masters whose Spirit Power is weaker than mine. Soul Masters with Spirit Power on my level can easily spot the flaws, and against those with greater Spirit Power, it will have practically no effect."
Yu Xiaogang couldn't help recalling how Shi Nian had used Nightmare on Tang San in the original story. At the time, Tang San's Spirit Power had indeed been weaker than Shi Nian's; otherwise, Shi Nian wouldn't have lured him outside Heaven Dou City. But after the Purple Demon Eye broke through to the Mustard Seed Realm, it gained the ability to project Spirit Power outward. That was how Tang San had easily seen through Shi Nian's Nightmare and turned the tables on him.
"If I use Nightmare in the future, I'll have to stay alert, so I don't end up like that old Shi Nian, getting caught off guard and losing all my cultivation and treasures to someone else."
"But when will I ever reach the Mustard Seed Realm with the Purple Demon Eye?"
Yu Xiaogang couldn't help feeling a little troubled. The Purple Demon Eye cultivation method relied heavily on accumulation, and progressing through the purple energy he cultivated before sunrise each day was simply too slow.
There was still a "Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew" entry on the panel. Its task was to cultivate the Purple Demon Eye to the Microcosm Realm at 100%, but he had no idea when he'd complete it.
Yu Xiaogang sighed, then closed the Magic Spider Compound Eye in his forehead and opened his own eyes.
Yet the instant they opened, two beams of deep purple light flashed from his eyes.
Yu Xiaogang froze slightly. At that moment, the world had taken on an entirely different appearance before his eyes.
After cultivating the Purple Demon Eye to the Microcosm Realm, Yu Xiaogang had been able to use his eyes to detect certain fluctuations of energy. But back then, what he saw had been quite blurry, nothing more than faint outlines and traces.
Now, in his eyes, all kinds of mingled energy currents drifted throughout the room, flowing constantly through the air with extraordinary clarity.
"Is this the Microcosm Realm at its peak?"
Joy spread across Yu Xiaogang's face, and he hurriedly opened the System Panel.
[Name: Yu Xiaogang] [Soul Power: Level 41] [Martial Soul: Luo Sanpao, Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon] [Skills: Mysterious Heaven Skill—Fifth Stage (10%), Purple Demon Eye—Microcosm (100%), Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track—Great Mastery (5%), Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon—Great Mastery (5%)]
"So I really have reached the Microcosm Realm at its peak. It seems the Remnant Dream Martial Soul extracted by the system contained the Spirit Power Shi Nian had cultivated. As the Magic Spider Compound Eye evolved, that Spirit Power nourished my own cultivation, boosting the Purple Demon Eye to the peak of the Microcosm Realm."
Yu Xiaogang nodded, then returned to the bed and sat cross-legged. He swiped across the panel and selected the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew entry.
[Selecting the entry "Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew" unlocks the corresponding task: cultivate the Purple Demon Eye to 100% of the Microcosm Realm.] [Task completed]
Two clear dewdrops flew out of the panel, carrying a faint fragrance, and flowed into Yu Xiaogang's eyes.
A cool sensation slowly spread through him, and Yu Xiaogang's mind instantly cleared. The distracting thoughts buried deep in his heart began to dissolve, his thoughts stilled, and the whole world entered a profound peace unlike anything he had ever known.
Yu Xiaogang sat right where he was, his body relaxed as he savored this rare moment.
He didn't know how long had passed. When faint rustling noises came through the window and reached his ears again, Yu Xiaogang finally opened his eyes.
Two beams of purple light shone out, brightening the entire room.
Yu Xiaogang moved his eyes, looking around the room. In his field of vision, everything seemed faintly transparent. If he focused a little harder, he could even see inside the objects.
"This is the Purple Demon Eye in the Mustard Seed Realm. With Spirit Power supporting it, it can see through illusions."
In the original story, Tang San had seen through Xiao Wu's true form thanks to the Purple Demon Eye's ability to see through illusions.
Yu Xiaogang withdrew his gaze, and the purple light in his eyes vanished. Everything around him returned to normal.
But the next moment, new information appeared in Yu Xiaogang's mind.
After understanding it, Yu Xiaogang's face lit up with joy, along with a hint of realization.
The Magic Spider Compound Eye's original Soul Skill, Spirit Shock, had merged with the Purple Demon Eye after it reached the Mustard Seed Realm, forming an entirely new Soul Skill called Purple Divine Light.
He was delighted because this new Soul Skill was more powerful. The hint of realization came from its name—Yu Xiaogang had heard of it long ago.
"In the original story, Tang San only acquired Purple Divine Light after obtaining the Spirit Wisdom Skull. I got it ahead of time because of the Magic Spider Compound Eye."
"I wonder what changes will happen when I get the Spirit Wisdom Skull myself."
Yu Xiaogang shook his head and stopped thinking about it. He lay down on the bed, stretched out his legs, and let his body completely relax.
A wave of exhaustion swept over him.
The journey from Heaven Dou City to Spirit City had been bumpy, and on top of that, Yu Xiaogang had been preoccupied with the task. He hadn't been able to rest properly the entire way.
Now that the task was complete, a heavy weight had lifted from Yu Xiaogang's mind, though one matter still lingered there.
"The finals are about to begin. When the time comes, I'll have to make a decision about Xiao Wu."
Yu Xiaogang scratched his head, still feeling somewhat hesitant.
From a purely pragmatic perspective, if Tang San and Xiao Wu followed the original story, he could rely on the system to keep improving and fulfill his wish to become a god.
And even if Xiao Wu's identity was exposed during the finals and she ultimately sacrificed herself for Tang San, she could still be revived later, following the story's developments.
But people weren't made of grass and trees. Nearly nine years had passed since Yu Xiaogang had transmigrated here. He had inherited the original owner's memories and had truly lived in this world.
All the experiences he'd shared with them along the way had changed him in many ways. Though he often joked about it in his heart, Tang San was still his disciple, and Xiao Wu had become his goddaughter.
"How could a father leave his daughter in danger without saving her?"
Yu Xiaogang smiled, then sank into a deep sleep.
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