Chapter 132: To Be My Father (First update, seeking monthly votes)

What?

Ah, eh, what? What kind of thing is that...

These names, why don't I understand any of them?

At this moment, within Ren Yidao's illusion, the artifact spirit was not imitating his appearance.

The Qian Mirror artifact spirit currently looked like a child half a person's height, but atop its neck there was no head, only a mass of constantly shifting mist.

Although the artifact spirit's independent consciousness had only just been born, it was not entirely without a brain.

The time it had existed was far longer than the entire Li Family Dynasty; it still possessed some of the most basic common sense of the world.

Sensing the confused emotions transmitted by the artifact spirit, Ren Yidao gave a casual laugh:

"Cough, cough, just joking, don't take it to heart."

"Hmm... I'll just call you 'Heavenly Mirror' then."

Qian, is Heaven.

Jian, is Mirror.

Therefore, Qian Mirror can be Heavenly Mirror.

【Heavenly Mirror...】

After a moment of silence, the artifact spirit nodded slightly, seemingly quite satisfied with this name.

Ren Yidao had always known his ability to name things was not good, but he did not care about that, waving his hand indifferently:

"If one day in the future you are dissatisfied with this name and want to change it yourself, that is up to you."

Gently patting Heavenly Mirror on the shoulder, Ren Yidao knelt on one knee, pulled it into his embrace, and smiled at it:

"I have accepted the offering you presented."

"And I bestow the gift you desired."

"From this day forth, your name is Heavenly Mirror; you gain a soul and enjoy freedom."

While he spoke, all sounds within the Qian Mirror fell silent, and the universe stood still.

The power within the entire Qian Mirror underwent an earth-shattering change because of these words.

A violent aura surged into the petite body in his arms, and the artifact spirit's body began to become solid, taking on texture.

The mist on its neck also began to condense, finally transforming into a fair, faceless head with long hair.

Watching this scene, Ren Yidao blinked in a daze, then laughed from the heart.

"Congratulations."

Ren Yidao had some intuition about what he had actually done, but he did not fully understand what it meant.

This was not entirely caused by his power; it was more like his actions had given a small push, triggering a change in the origin.

Was this merely naming?

No, this was a Consecration.

Using the body of an Incense Dao God to Consecrate and name it.

As for what Consecrating an artifact spirit of a Supreme Treasure with a status equal to the Divine Path Bell would bring to this world, he did not care.

If the sky falls, there are taller ones to hold it up; don't panic.

Besides, he felt that Heavenly Mirror should be a good child.

Not to mention, Ren Yidao just felt that this development was very interesting.

And for him, this reason was already enough.

"Tianjian, this is the life you wanted, truly living."

The faceless artifact spirit fixedly "gazed" at Ren Yidao's face, then broke free from his embrace, stepped back, and prostrated its body.

Three bows, nine kowtows!

This was a grand ceremony, and an incomparably solemn one at that.

Three bows and nine kowtows: to worship emperors, to sacrifice to ancestors... to serve gods.

Ren Yidao subconsciously wanted to avoid it, but his body was pressed firmly in place by a powerful external force, and he accepted Tianjian's grand ceremony in its entirety.

Only after Tianjian finished the ceremony did his body regain its freedom.

"... That works too."

Although he was somewhat resistant to being bowed to like this, since things had reached this point, he did not want to deliberately correct anything.

It was also quite good.

Calculating the time, Ren Yidao knew it was time for him to leave.

Lowering his head, he smiled and asked Tianjian, who was standing respectfully by his side:

"Have you decided? You really aren't coming with me?"

It was not that Ren Yidao did not want to quietly take the Qian Mirror's artifact spirit with him, but that it did not want to leave itself.

Tianjian was silent for a moment, then finally shook its head firmly.

It was not willing, and it was also not able.

The Qian Mirror was its true form; if the artifact spirit were truly separated from the true form, its strength would vanish by more than half.

This world was not safe.

Once an artifact spirit with independent consciousness wandered outside and its identity was exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

As such a piece of bait, it did not know what deep-sea behemoths it would attract to fight over it.

Tianjian needed to slowly sever the connection between itself and the true form, finally successfully separating into an independent individual.

This step could not be rushed; it needed to avoid prying eyes and proceed slowly.

"Alright then, if you need help, remember to tell me."

I will help if I can, but if I cannot, there is nothing I can do.

Ren Yidao was merely being polite, but Tianjian nodded seriously and bowed respectfully.

"That's enough, don't be so formal, send me out."

"If we dawdle any longer, they will likely start to worry."

Tianjian nodded, then bowed deeply to Ren Yidao, sending him out of the space of the Qian Mirror.

And after Ren Yidao departed, Tianjian slowly stood up and muttered to itself:

【... Today's events are a great grace of fortune.】

Ren Yidao felt that he had not exerted much effort, like a thief who had stolen the fruits of victory.

But Tianjian knew the truth itself.

Without Ren Yidao's conferral, it would have needed to spend at least another thousand years of time before it could have today's fortune.

Today's events were the first step toward it gaining freedom, and also a crucial step.

【Such grace of Opening the Spirit and recreation, grace of bestowing a name and conferral, grace of liberation...】

【He shall be my father.】

Tianjian recalled Ren Yidao's appearance and gradually modified its own faceless visage.

But it was not exactly the same as Ren Yidao; it also added some other elements.

For instance, that woman who looked very intimate with him...

A moment later, Tianjian had transformed into a fair and delicate young child.

And its appearance combined both Ren Yidao and Li Qiushui, looking just like a miniature combination of the two of them.

The outside world.

Dozens of figures appeared in the great hall; they were the princesses and princes who had left the Qian Mirror.

Although they were already awake, most were dazed and had not yet figured out what exactly had happened.

Who am I? Where am I? Fox Cafe is the best in the world!

Hm?

What is a Fox Cafe?

"Ah, my head, it's so messy..."

They felt as if their brains had been ravaged, as if massive amounts of knowledge had been forcibly stuffed inside, yet they remembered nothing upon waking.

It was a sensation like just waking up from a hangover, with the aesthetic of knowledge having flowed through the brain yet leaving nothing behind.

They did not know what had happened, but the others in the great hall were clear.

Passing the Questioning the Heart, those who failed would be expelled from the Qian Mirror.

Everyone appearing in the great hall at this moment had already lost the qualification to vie for first place in the Questioning the Heart.

And at this moment, there were still three people who had not yet emerged from the Qian Mirror!

A flash of light, and Li Qiushui appeared in the great hall.

Two more people!

She looked around, and her brows furrowed slightly after failing to find Ren Yidao's figure.

And just at this moment, the second-to-last person, who had the attention of all, appeared.

"This..."