We agreed to seek enlightenment together, but how did you end up seeking enlightenment for my mother

Xu Zhou did not make a choice immediately. After all, the water pipes next door were still being repaired, and he was worried that the noise of nurturing the free-form would attract too much attention. He had no choice but to suppress his restlessness for the time being and instead go to check the relic that had been refined.

[Relic: Succubus's Command Necklace]

[Restriction: Special Type 3]

[Effect 1: Can draw mystical energy from the wearer's body.]

[Effect 2: Every 24 hours, one command that cannot be refused can be issued to the wearer.]

[Relic Characteristics: Can only be worn by someone of the opposite sex. Using it will affect sanity and significantly reduce resistance to the opposite sex for a short period of time.]

Xu Zhou sneered inwardly. It wasn't hard to imagine what Lan Zhi was planning when she took this out. Combined with the effects of the injection, she clearly intended to completely control him.

Once this collar is put on him, his life or death will depend entirely on Lanzhi's word.

"Not bad, I just happen to meet the requirements for using this thing."

So the question is, who should use it?

Not long after, the chaotic noises from next door gradually subsided, and then two sets of footsteps faded into the distance.

Xu Zhou could no longer restrain himself. He closed his eyes, sank his consciousness into his sea of ​​consciousness, and activated the third option of "Rotten Wood Blossoms".

A notification sound, unlike any I'd heard before, rang in my mind.

Before cultivating the Free Spirit, should additional innate true essence be consumed to replicate existing supernatural abilities?

The question marks that were originally displayed on the talent panel disappeared along with this prompt, and were replaced by entirely new content.

【III. Nurturing Freedom and Unfettered Form: Borrowing the path as fuel to melt away shackles, transforming into a formless and unrestrained entity. (Condition: Consumes one Seed of the Path) (Hidden Effect: If additional True Essence is consumed, already possessed supernatural abilities can be copied)】

"this--!"

Xu Zhou was speechless for a moment. He never expected that the hidden content was actually the ability to copy supernatural powers. As this branch of information was fully revealed, he also vaguely understood what it meant to be free and unrestrained.

"It's not about directly ascending to the original body, nor is it about creating an additional clone. Instead, it's about first nurturing a 'seed' to be cultivated. After nurturing it to a certain degree with mystical energy, it will grow into a mature body that I can control."

After understanding the effect of this option, Xu Zhou's first thought was of that human-machine mother.

"If she carries my seed, then I really could have been 'born' from her!"

The suspicious point is that his physical sensation was that he traveled through time instantly, without leaving any seed of memory for Ya Qingyan, which makes no sense at all.

"Unless I already transmigrated to this world, but lost all my memories of waking up next to Ya Qingyan..."

When this thought comes to mind, even though there is little evidence from a rational perspective, emotions and intuition inexplicably give a firm judgment.

Rationality -10

The sudden drop in his sanity level made Xu Zhou tense up instantly, and he quickly shook his head to shake off the confusion about his self-awareness.

He decided to put the matter aside for the time being.

In this world, it is truly possible to fall into madness once one begins to doubt one's own existence.

"The more pressing issue now is that while Free Form can inherit talents and freely transfer refined celestial objects, its supernatural abilities need to be accumulated from scratch, unless it consumes its natal essence."

Xu Zhou touched his chin, finding himself in a dilemma.

"How come there are pre-made meals for aliens...?"

The energy transformation process has already begun, and the birth of a free and unrestrained form is imminent. So, should we consume the last remaining portion of our innate true essence to copy the supernatural power of "True Essence Burst"?

True Source Implosion, a type of explosive power, might be effective before death, but it's unlikely that True Source Implosion will actually work.

The present moment is the best proof.

"One cannot remain confined to one place forever; I must contribute to the future!"

After careful consideration, Xu Zhou decided to replicate the supernatural power. To be honest, with the current state of his body, he could hardly see any hope of achieving extraordinary power.

Since that's the case, why not leave the best opportunity for tomorrow?

Once he made up his mind, he no longer hesitated.

The stored pure energy gathered in his sea of ​​consciousness, and Xu Zhou clearly felt a ball of pure and clean energy slowly condensing within his body, containing a vibrant and lively aura.

There was a faint connection between him and this energy, but it was not yet fully formed, and he could not project his subjective consciousness into it.

The good news is that Xu Zhou doesn't have to wait for the seeds to fully germinate; he can now decide whether to store the existing natural resources inside.

The remaining vital essence was completely exhausted, and some kind of symbol was faintly imprinted on the energy cluster. As the gestation process ended, the reserve value dropped back to a low level, and everything had to start all over again.

Although he has lost the means to take others down with him, he now has an extra responsibility to protect.

[Obtain the Primordial Seed: Destruction - Judgment]

The moment the seed landed in Xu Zhou's sea of ​​consciousness, it eagerly conveyed its desire for energy, even emphasizing that it should ideally be his natal source.

"Why do you need your life essence for everything? Thousand-Eyed Soul-Stealing Demon, where are you? Brother, I really miss you."

The thought of his current lack of means to condense his life essence gave Xu Zhou a headache. He felt like a helpless old father, watching his precious child cry out in hunger, but unable to find any food for him.

Time waits for no one. With the energy conversion finished, Xu Zhou packed up his equipment and slipped out of the laundry room, continuing his journey toward the kitchen.

"Haojia shouldn't cause me any more trouble in the short term. What I really need to be wary of now are Chifeng and the Fan brothers."

Following the route in his memory, Xu Zhou quickly arrived at the end of the corridor indicated by the maid. Just as the maid had said, as soon as he stepped into this area, an extremely strong aroma of food wafted towards him.

The dim light illuminated the metal double doors in the distance. As footsteps drew closer, the damp smell mixed with the pungent odor of raw meat gradually overwhelmed the aroma, subtly making one want to vomit.

Xu Zhou sensed danger.

He had intended to wait for Wu Lulu to return before exploring together, but after waiting for several minutes without seeing her, and considering that the longer he stayed, the more dangerous it would be, he simply pushed open the door and went in alone.

With the iron golems around, he wasn't worried at all.

Upon entering the kitchen area, the first thing that catches the eye is not the stove as expected, but a neat food preparation area. The cabinets on both sides are filled with exquisite plates and decorative items, exuding the sophistication of an aristocratic mansion.

Xu Zhou gripped the short knife at his waist with his backhand and carefully pushed it inside. The food preparation area split into two paths, one leading to the pastry room and the other to the cleaning and processing room.

He quickly recalled the kitchen layout; both paths led to the stove area, the only difference being that one led directly to the front door and the other to a winding back door.

After a moment's thought, Xu Zhou decided to take a longer route and enter through the back door.

It must be said that the kitchen of the Earl's mansion perfectly showcases the extravagance of the nobility, with even the pastry room occupying a separate area. The entire kitchen is larger than two tennis courts combined.

As Xu Zhou approached the back door of the main kitchen, he vaguely heard the sound of a chopping board coming from inside.

The sounds were spaced far apart and quite heavy, sounding less like chopping vegetables and more like hacking at some hard object, with strange tearing noises interspersed throughout.

Xu Zhou glanced at the height of the door frame and decided to feel his way in first before deciding whether to put the iron golem in. What if the iron golem couldn't locate the enemy through the door?

Pushing the door open a crack, Xu Zhou slipped inside, crouched low behind the food preparation counter, and quietly peeked inside.

From this angle, you can just see a burly figure from behind.

A person dressed in a white chef's uniform slowly raised a cleaver and then brought it down heavily, each strike accompanied by a teeth-grinding scraping sound and the splashing of liquid.

Xu Zhou stared intently, his pupils suddenly shrinking.

Lying on the cutting board was clearly a complete woman!

Even though the man's head was facing him, his long brown hair was stained with blood, his eyes were lifeless and his face was pale, and his whole body would tremble every time the cleaver fell.

They were already dead beyond any doubt.