Dao Heart.

  It was a determination that could guide one's essence, energy, and spirit. Perhaps obsessive, perhaps incomprehensible to others...

  But only with a Dao Heart to guide could one break through delusions and advance on the difficult path of seeking the Dao.

  "Your temperament... did you just develop a Dao Heart?"

  Lin Ge also possessed a Dao Heart, so she keenly perceived the change in Xia Li's temperament—like dying embers suddenly rekindling.

  Xia Li was someone who had died once.

  And only just now had he truly come alive again. Therefore, after developing his Dao Heart, Xia Li wasn't like other cultivators—sharp-willed and full of vitality.

  Xia Li's Dao Heart was more restrained, unremarkable like embers, but also like embers—continuously smoldering, never to extinguish.

  Until...

  It became wildfire, surging flames, sky-reaching fire, converging starfire.

  "I don't really understand what's called a Dao Heart either... but I do feel like I suddenly have direction now."

  The fog had cleared. He wouldn't go with the flow anymore. He absolutely had to investigate the Mech-Corpse modification matter thoroughly—even knowing the danger, he had to proceed!

  If possible, he also wanted to carefully investigate the deeper meaning behind why the company had woken him to mine. What the company was scheming was definitely not just his bit of labor—there had to be deeper reasons behind it.

  Unfortunately, how could he have known all this back then? Just staying alive was exhausting enough. After receiving Hidden Wing's invitation, he'd agreed without a second thought to give it a shot.

  An unbelievable event happening once was coincidence.

  If it happened twice and could still be called coincidence...

  Then a third time was inevitable!

  The relationship between Lin Ge and Ning Ge, his relationship with Ning Ge...

  All of this resembled the light-cone hourglass the Heavenly Dao Computer's AI had shown him. He and Lin Ge were also in that hourglass, with a considerable probability of meeting.

  And Heaven's Mystery Pavilion had increased that probability, making Lin Ge meet him ahead of schedule.

  "Then it seems I did the right thing. Do you still blame me now?"

  Lin Ge asked with a grin whether Xia Li still blamed her for her previous offensive behavior. What could Xia Li say now?

  In terms of results, his connection with this world and Earth's new era had grown closer. He'd found something he had to do—something only he would care about.

  "I don't blame you anymore. But I still hope you'll be more respectful toward me. Whether you believe it or not, your mother and I were actually friends."

  "Friends? Sure. How old are you? You think I'll believe that!"

  "Whatever."

  With that, Xia Li walked into the Strange Grounds. He hadn't forgotten his main purpose in coming here.

  A winding path stretched between various Strange Grounds with different phenomena on either side.

  Some had heaven and earth inverted, others had endless rain that rose back to the sky after hitting the ground.

  There were places with undying flames burning eternally, and mysterious spaces shrouded in pitch darkness blocking all light.

  Xia Li walked slowly, sensing the auras within those Strange Grounds, searching for a feeling of compatibility.

  Suddenly.

  A feeling almost like a whim rose in his heart. Xia Li looked toward a broken, decaying space.

  It was an empty ground with only a pile of withered leaves.

  Within the clearing, a figure so transparent it was nearly invisible stood silently in place.

  Xia Li walked directly over to observe the figure, and the figure was also observing Xia Li.

  Then...

  The figure suddenly floated behind Xia Li, its volume rapidly increasing somewhat.

  【This spirit entity is mirroring your spiritual energy circulation pattern...】

  Heaven Chip analyzed that the figure behind Xia Li was imitating him. Knowing this, Xia Li simply took out the kinetic blade from his storage ring.

  And at that moment, a semi-transparent spirit blade rapidly formed in the figure's hand.

  The figure showed no intention of fighting Xia Li. Apparently this wasn't the classic trial of facing oneself as an enemy, but rather some more unusual test.

  Wordlessly.

  Xia Li swung the blade.

  Several breaths later...

  The figure used an identical motion to swing.

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  【The spirit entity is learning. Currently quite slow.】

  "Interesting."

  Xia Li continued swinging. Whether chopping or thrusting, the figure would replicate the same action with a slight delay. Different motions had different replication speeds.

  One slash was like striking twice.

  This was a shadow!

  An afterimage—continuously repeating his previous actions. But it was clumsy, clearly traceable—enemies would almost never be hit by the afterimage.

  But Xia Li just kept swinging, letting the figure familiarize itself with this motion.

  A hundred slashes...

  A thousand slashes!

  Until the figure's delay with Xia Li was only a fraction of a second—making each of Xia Li's attacks a double consecutive strike!

  After slashing came fist techniques, after fists came gunfire!

  The figure replicated everything, its motions becoming increasingly practiced, faster and faster, until the figure began actively changing moves.

  Xia Li chopped from the left—the figure suddenly changed to slash from the right.

  Xia Li punched.

  The figure thrust with its blade.

  【The spirit entity is requesting soul connection】

  【Connect!】

  Xia Li agreed directly. Then he felt he could control the figure.

  This feeling was strange.

  Like a clone but not quite—though he'd never used a clone technique anyway.

  After being able to control the figure, Xia Li sensed the figure could also perform "flashback."

  If a slashing motion was divided into five steps, the figure could flashback from the final blade-landing motion to the instant before the blade fell and slash once more.

  Following this feeling, Xia Li began slashing, continuously practicing, coordinating with the figure to find that most suitable timing.

  After over a hundred repetitive practices...

  One slash!

  The figure behind him followed up, then flashbacked for another slash.

  Equivalent to slashing three times in an instant!

  "Hiss..."

  After finally completing this slash, Xia Li felt dizzy and uncomfortable.

  【Master, I request control of this spirit entity】

  Heaven Chip now indicated it would take over, becoming Xia Li's shadow.

  【Alright, but that flashback rhythm from before is somewhat hard to grasp. Make sure to seize the most suitable timing.】

  【Master, that isn't flashback—it's instantaneous form reconstruction.】

  【Then I need you to complete the most precise reconstruction.】

  【Master, please wait. I'm performing frame analysis on your motions.】

  Frame analysis—dividing a continuous motion into before-and-after frames like photographs, making it easier to find the most suitable motion continuation points.

  Xia Li's single slash took a total of 0.5 seconds. With Heaven Chip's performance, it could be divided into over a thousand frames.

  After roughly several tens of minutes.

  Heaven Chip completed frame analysis of Xia Li's previous motions and calculated the optimal frames through computation.

  【Please slash】

  Heaven Chip had Xia Li slash. Without hesitation, Xia Li immediately executed a slash.

  The figure behind him suddenly became blurry.

  The semi-transparent spirit blade descended like a violent storm, slashing unknown times in that instant.

  【Duration: one second】

  【Slash count: twelve】

  Adding Xia Li's own slash made thirteen slashes in one second!

  This was the current limit of what Heaven Chip could achieve.

  【Slash again】

  Heaven Chip had Xia Li continue. Xia Li casually chopped once, and the figure suddenly slashed from different directions with different motions.

  If there were an enemy before Xia Li right now, they'd be chopped into who knows how many pieces in an instant.

  【Duration: 1.5 seconds】

  【Slash count: eight】

  【Same-move frame replication is more efficient. Move variation is slightly lacking. Insufficient computing power... processor performance insufficient】

  After Heaven Chip reported the results, Xia Li's face showed no expression, but internally he could barely contain his laughter.

  This technique really was compatible with him!

  It was equivalent to giving Heaven Chip a means to directly coordinate with his attacks, and even pushed Heaven Chip's computing power to its limits.