One Body, Two Souls

The Sea of Consciousness of Qian Renxue remained a vast expanse of white, with the Light Mirror suspended in mid-air, clearly reflecting the image of Xue Qinghe slumped outside.

She watched the clean, efficient actions performed by her own body in the mirror, excitement flickering in her golden pupils, her small face filled with adoration.

"Master is so amazing!" She clapped her small hands, her translucent feet bouncing in the sea of clouds, golden hair flying with her movements.

"He controlled Xue Qinghe completely in one go! As long as he stays obedient, once he ascends the throne, won't the Heaven Dou Empire be as good as in my hands? Master is truly brilliant!"

Her eyes darted around, and she recalled that strange Slave Contract, her small fists clenching tightly. "I want to learn that too! Once I learn it, I can control so many people to help Martial Soul Hall!"

Just as she was brimming with joy.

Not far away, the black ball of light that Chen Qingxuan had once stripped away was changing—it was being pulled, enlarged, and elongated by an invisible force, its edges gradually becoming clear until it finally condensed into a humanoid black shadow, its outline blurred and indistinct.

The black shadow slowly stood straight and walked toward Qian Renxue step by step, causing faint ripples in the sea of clouds beneath its feet.

Qian Renxue felt the world go dark, an inexplicable chill shooting from her spine to the top of her head, as if her Sea of Consciousness had frozen over.

"Master? Master, is that you?" She called out tentatively, but received no response.

Something was wrong.

Alarm bells rang in Qian Renxue's heart, and she instinctively twisted her body, feeling as if a block of ice were pressed against her back, chilling her to the bone.

Something was there!

She exerted force suddenly, her soul body erupting with a burst of power that broke free from the invisible restraint, and she stumbled forward a few steps.

She turned to look and saw the figure clearly—it was a girl identical to her in every way.

The black outline faded, revealing delicate features, long silver-white hair cascading like a waterfall, and purple pupils like gems soaked in a cold pool; even her clothing and height were exactly the same as her own, as if she were a reflection stepped out of a mirror.

"Who are you? Why are you in my Sea of Consciousness?" Qian Renxue's golden pupils contracted sharply, her small body tensed like a bowstring, her hands instinctively shielding her front.

"I am you, Qian Renxue." The silver-haired woman curled her lips, a hint of playfulness flashing in her purple pupils, her smile carrying a touch of wickedness and a sense of familiarity.

"Audacious! How dare you impersonate me!" Qian Renxue glared at her, fury igniting in her golden pupils, her small frame standing straight.

"My grandfather is the Great Elder of Martial Soul Hall, Qian Daoliu, and my master is even more terrifyingly powerful!"

"Leave at once, or you won't be able to escape once they arrive!" She said, trying to puff out her chest to project a deterrent posture, though she could not hide the lack of conviction in her voice.

"Hee hee, Qian Renxue, you really are cute." The silver-haired woman flickered, appearing instantly before Qian Renxue and reaching out to pinch her cheek.

"Let go of me!" Qian Renxue slapped her hand away and stumbled back several steps, her golden pupils filled with panic.

"Don't come any closer! If you come any closer, I'll call Master!"

She realized with despair that her soul body, aside from being able to run and speak, could not exert any power at all, and she could only watch helplessly as the other approached.

"You're hurting me." The silver-haired woman pouted, a flash of grievance appearing in her purple pupils before she replaced it with a cunning smile.

"I won't tease you anymore. I'm being serious: I am you, and you are me. We were always the same Qian Renxue."

"You're lying!" Qian Renxue shook her head vigorously, resisting, "I am me, one and only! Where does this 'you are me, I am you' nonsense come from? If you're going to lie, at least make up a decent reason!"

"Then you should take a good look." The silver-haired woman said, tapping her fingertip between her own brows.

In an instant, Qian Renxue felt the world spin.

Previously, her vision contained only the silver-haired woman, but now it was as if she had gained dual perspectives—one was her familiar view, while the other clearly reflected the image of "herself," with even the anger and panic on her face visible in perfect detail.

She tried to lift her hand, and the arms in both perspectives moved simultaneously, without the slightest discrepancy.

"This... what is going on?" Qian Renxue was completely bewildered, her golden pupils wide, her small head blank, as if countless question marks were swirling inside.

"As you can see, our vision is shared." The silver-haired woman's voice echoed in her mind, yet also seemed to come from across from her.

"You didn't feel it earlier because I had blocked the connection. Now that I've released the permissions, you can naturally see what I see."

She paused: "It's not just vision; our memories are shared as well. I am fully aware of all your experiences."

"That's impossible..." Qian Renxue muttered to herself, instinctively turning to run, her translucent figure stumbling through the sea of clouds.

"Master! Master, where are you?!"

She was panicking now, her heart feeling as if it were being gripped by an invisible hand; the fear that "she was no longer herself" threatened to drown her.

"Thump!"

The silver-haired woman suddenly lunged, pinning Qian Renxue into the sea of clouds, straddling her waist, her purple pupils locking onto her eyes with a firm tone: "Calm yourself!"

She pressed down on Qian Renxue's struggling shoulders, "I have always lived in your subconscious, of the same root and origin as you."

"It was your master's energy that allowed me to break free from the subconscious and condense into a physical form."

"I am real, and so are you. Both of us are Qian Renxue."

Qian Renxue stared at her blankly, emotions surging in her golden pupils—from initial shock and anger to disbelief, and finally, a sliver of dazed acceptance.

She looked at that face identical to her own, feeling the familiar aura emanating from the other, and the defense in her heart against the "impostor" began to loosen, bit by bit, without her realizing it.

"You..." The silver-haired woman opened her mouth, wanting to say something.

Qian Renxue suddenly exerted force from her waist, twisting her body to flip the silver-haired woman and pin her underneath instead.

She lowered her head, her hands fumbling over the other's body, from shoulders to waist and abdomen, feeling the contours that were indistinguishable from her own.

"Hee hee, haha... what are you doing~ that tickles, that tickles!" The silver-haired woman couldn't help but laugh as she was prodded, her purple pupils filled with mischief as she twisted her body to dodge, "Stop it, stop it now!"

A few breaths later, Qian Renxue ceased her movements, looking down at the silver-haired woman pinned beneath her, and muttered softly, "It really is the same... aside from the hair and eyes, everything is exactly the same."

"Then hurry up and get off, you're making me so uncomfortable," the silver-haired woman pushed at her shoulders, speaking with dissatisfaction.

Qian Renxue did not move; instead, she pinned the other's wrists down into the sea of clouds, leaned forward slightly, and stared intently into her eyes with golden pupils, asking seriously, "Why did Master bring you out?"

"How would I know?" The silver-haired woman pursed her lips, speaking with indifference.

"Anyway, now that I'm out, I have no intention of going back, nor do I want to."

"Hurry up and let me go, or I won't be polite!"

Qian Renxue's eyes darted, a cunning smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth: "I can let you go, but you have to call me Big Sister."

"Dream on!" The silver-haired woman retorted immediately, taking advantage of Qian Renxue's momentary distraction to drive her knee upward.

"Ugh!" Caught off guard, Qian Renxue's body tilted instantly, and the silver-haired woman seized the chance to flip over, pinning her underneath.

The two immediately began to scuffle, their translucent figures rolling and grappling within the sea of clouds, golden strands of hair tangling with silver-white ones.

"I existed before you, I am the big sister!" Qian Renxue shouted while struggling.

"On what grounds? I can beat you right now, so I am the big sister!" The silver-haired woman refused to yield, reaching out to tickle her armpits.

"I am the big sister!"

"I am the big sister!"

Childish cries echoed through the vast, white Sea of Consciousness as the two nearly identical figures brawled in the clouds, indistinguishable from one another, yet amidst this chaotic entanglement, a strange sense of rapport began to bloom.