"Fellow disciples killing each other, bloodshed between father and son, sibling rivalry—it is all too normal," Wulu said, dismissing it with nonchalance.

"Brother Wulu, why the sudden sentimentality?" Yuan Ming asked, puzzled.

"Haha, it's nothing, just some old memories that came to mind. Speaking of which, where are you headed, Brother Yuan? If there's anything I can help with, do not hesitate to let me know," Wulu chuckled, swiftly changing the subject with a smile.

"Brother Wulu has many connections, and those you've befriended are indeed of a higher status than myself. In fact, there is something I would like to trouble you with," Yuan Ming replied, taking the opportunity.

"But speak, Brother Yuan, as long as it is within my power, I will certainly lend my support," Wulu's expression tightened slightly, unsure if the other had missed the perfunctory tone or was doing so on purpose, but he quickly continued with a smile.

"Hehe, no need to be nervous, Brother Wulu. I just wanted to inquire if you know where to procure some high-quality Frost Attribute spiritual materials," Yuan Ming asked with a chuckle.

"It seems Brother Yuan is looking to refine a Magic Artifact! However, as a mere newly registered disciple, I'm afraid I'm of no help. If even the Sect's Qingfu Hall doesn't have them, you might try your luck in the outside market," Wulu said, his demeanor relaxing as if he had let out a sigh of relief.

"Market?" Yuan Ming said, surprised.

"It's essentially a trading spot where loose cultivators and some sect cultivators gather, similar to the previously mentioned Toad Valley, but with a mix of good and bad, real and fake items. With some luck, you might find the spiritual materials you seek," Wulu explained.

"How can I find such a place?" Yuan Ming inquired further.

"According to what I know, the nearest one from here is the Black Rock City Market. Isn't the White Deer Hill alliance meeting about to start soon? It's considered a major decennial event of the Five Sects of the Southern Border and Northern Territory, and I expect it will be quite lively there soon," Wulu pondered before answering.

"Brother Wulu truly is experienced and knowledgeable; thank you for sharing this," Yuan Ming said, not expecting that his casual question would be so fruitfully answered.

"Hehe, it's just a small matter, not worth mentioning! Honestly, I've only heard about it, and with my status, I'm likely to be looked down upon there. If you decide to go, Brother Yuan, be careful on the road," Wulu added, his tone growing serious as he advised.

"Thank you for the pointer; I will keep that in mind," Yuan Ming responded earnestly.

After asking Wulu for directions to Black Rock City, the two parted ways.

...

Upon returning to his quarters.

Yuan Ming closed the doors and windows, summoned the incense burner, and lit a stick of Black Incense, placing it inside.

Having resolved to make attending the White Deer Hill alliance meeting a top priority, he knew he needed to use the time wisely to maximize his powers.

Besides attempting to truly refine the Green Fish Sword into a Magic Artifact, he was still filled with anticipation for the incense possession, attempting it once every seven days.

As the green smoke curled upwards, Yuan Ming's vision began to blur, yet his Divine Thought remained exceptionally clear.

In his mind, he meticulously recalled the face of the Emperor of Da Jin, sketching out his features bit by bit, paying close attention to every detail, continuously whispering a name to himself, "Liu Tianming."

Liu Tianming was indeed the name of the Emperor.

Since advancing to the second level of the Moonlight Technique, Yuan Ming's Divine Soul Power had also increased, and fragments of memories started to emerge in his mind, though they remained somewhat scattered and incomplete.

Yuan Ming needed time to sort through these fragments to piece them together.

It was in these memories that Yuan Ming saw his past as a study companion to the young Emperor and learned his name.

The next moment, his consciousness plunged into darkness and then brightened again.

The surroundings were dim, the air filled with the scent of vegetation, and Yuan Ming's vision, through his host's body, only saw an open area ahead, densely vegetated everywhere.

In his direct line of sight, about twenty-five yards away on an open patch of ground, stood a wooden dummy clad in full armor, human-height, with a target hung on its chest, and nothing else within several yards around it.

"Your Majesty, everything is ready; we can begin," a shrill voice spoke from the side.

"Everyone, stand back; I am about to perform the technique," a familiar young voice declared.

"Great, it worked!"

Yuan Ming was overjoyed inside, just as he had speculated, he had once again possessed the body of the young Emperor.

The next instant, the young Emperor assumed a horse stance and began to chant the mnemonic.

Seizing this rare opportunity, Yuan Ming immediately concentrated, beginning to feel the flow and changes of Mana within the body of the young Emperor.

Each of these immersive, firsthand experiences was a precious treasure for him, greatly facilitating his own understanding and mastery of the Burning Explosion Skill, allowing him to bypass many detours.

The fingers of the young Emperor stretched out, a firelight ignited at the fingertips, a hot power gathering, and a fist-sized Fireball with flickering flames began to expand, soon reaching the size of a human head.

At the same time, the Emperor's mana in his Dantian also began to deplete rapidly.

However, unlike last time, just before his mana was about to run out, the Emperor decisively shouted, "Go."

The fireball then "whooshed" out of his fingertips, shooting towards a wooden dummy seven or eight zhang away, hitting the target squarely.

There was a loud "boom."

Intense flames soared into the sky, and the armor on the wooden dummy detonated violently, scattering pieces of various sizes along with countless sparks in all directions. The dummy itself burst open from the immense impact.

A powerful current of air also exploded, impacting everything in all directions.

The surrounding flowers and plants, several zhang away, were also affected, toppling over from the central point of the exploded dummy.

"What immense power!" Yuan Ming felt a surge of excitement inside. The Burning Explosion Skill that the Emperor had cast, exhausting all his mana, was quite a bit stronger than his own.

Once the aftermath had dissipated, a large group of eunuchs and palace maids rushed over from all directions, carrying copper basins and wooden buckets to extinguish the scattered sparks.

"Good, good, good..." Just then, a series of clapping sounds approached, followed by three praises.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor turned around, and Yuan Ming's gaze also shifted to look behind him.

He saw a gaunt old Taoist priest dressed in an Eight Diagrams Cloud Pattern Purple Gold Taoist Robe, wearing a golden silk lotus treasure crown, coming their way, his hand touching the three long whiskers on his chest.

He did not seem to walk fast, but the two small eunuchs following him were panting and could hardly keep up.

Yuan Ming recognized him at a glance—it was none other than Master Yu Hu, the State Preceptor who had taught the Emperor the Nine Elements Technique.

"State Preceptor," the Emperor greeted with a smile.

"Hehe, Your Majesty is talented and diligent in cultivation. You've made quick progress..." Master Yu Hu stopped in front of the Emperor and spoke.

"I have much to improve still. I hope the State Preceptor will not hesitate to give guidance," the Emperor said. Although he spoke modestly, Yuan Ming could feel the thrill and slight pride inside him.

Hearing this, Master Yu Hu's face showed hesitation, as if he indeed had something to say.

Yuan Ming was about to focus and listen when, before Master Yu Hu's response could arrive, his consciousness sank and he plunged into darkness.

When his Divine Soul returned to his body, he looked at the incense burner before him, his eyes still brimming with excitement—not for any other reason, but because he had sensed an important rule regarding incense possession.

Incense possession indeed was not entirely random; it was closely related to his mental state, or perhaps his intentions.

Reflecting on it, Yuan Ming initially possessed the Emperor because he was facing difficulties in the Ten Thousand Mountains, desperately wanting to cultivate mana, and a strong will naturally emerged from his heart, as if making a vow, and the incense burner fulfilled that desire by granting him the Nine Elements Technique.

Afterward, when he possessed the body of Wang Shun, the coachman at the General Mansion, it was due to his past and his longing for home. This seemed more like a subconscious pull rather than an active guidance of his mind.

In the times that followed, he almost always ended up in bodies within the General Mansion, driven by the unchanged desires of his subconscious, though the specific person he possessed was not precise.

The experiences of possessing Wang Shun twice and the Emperor twice allowed Yuan Ming to further conjecture about some rules of possession.

However, his initial experiments had not been successful.

This time, Yuan Ming's thoughts were firm, focused entirely on the Emperor, making his intentions even purer.

Furthermore, after cultivating the Second Level of the Moon Technique, his memory had mostly recovered; he not only remembered the Emperor's name but also recalled many related memories.

This was probably the key to his successful possession of the Emperor this time.

Besides, the Black Incense inserted in the incense burner likely not only affected the success of the possession, but the duration and effects of the possession as well.

At least when he used the three original Black Incenses that came with the incense burner, not only did they last quite long, but he could also completely control the body of the person he possessed, though he did not know what changes occurred to the possessed person at the time and whether there would be some effects afterward?

Of course, these were just the differences he could perceive at the moment. His intuition told him that the Mysterious Incense Burner and Black Incense probably had many more secrets that he was yet to learn.

Especially its effects on repairing and nurturing the Divine Soul, not only did spirit beasts like Huo Chan'er relish it, even Silver Cat Xi Ying spent a lot of effort getting close to it.

The unique effects of the incense burner could greatly mitigate the backlash that powerful Soul Cultivators like himself often faced, making it a heavenly object for someone like him.

At this moment, Yuan Ming's mind was cluttered, and he couldn't calm down.

He closed his eyes and activated the Moonlight Technique to calm his inner turmoil. After a period equivalent to thirty minutes, he finally managed to suppress those thoughts.

He opened his eyes and, with great care, began to slowly input mana into the incense burner, aiding the restoration of the Tai Chi Diagram.

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