I was born a god, the son of the Demon Lord.

"Tampering with the rules at the Heavenly Dao level?"

Xu Nanyi had only one thought in her mind: Is this thing a cheat code?

Xu Yuan said, "Therefore, when using the Heavenly Deception Technique, unless your strength is at the same level as the Heavenly Dao, you will not be able to see the hidden person at all."

Xu Nanyi was completely stunned.

Being on par with the Heavenly Dao? Doesn't that mean... no one can see it?

She turned to look at the two golden pagoda rings behind Tianxing and suddenly realized that the value of these things was even more outrageous than she had imagined.

"The number of pagoda rings represents the number of merit-based secret techniques you can use simultaneously."

Xu Yuan leaned against the tree trunk, unusually serious as he gave a scientific explanation: "Each ring represents a layer of heavenly protection. When all seven rings are fully opened, it means that seven secret arts are simultaneously bestowed upon you."

Xu Nanyi's mouth dropped open.

Tianxing clapped his hands with a grin: "Alright, alright, stop being envious. Once we finish this mission, the three of you will all receive three Floating Pagoda Rings. When we get back, I'll personally teach you the secret method of accumulating merit—"

He hadn't finished speaking.

A strange movement suddenly came from Xu Nanyi's dantian.

A dark golden light emanated from her body.

The Nine Netherworld Ghost Seal.

The completely black seal, engraved with ancient animal patterns, floated leisurely into the air, first rubbing against Xu Nanyi's cheek like a spoiled cat.

Xu Nanyi: "..."

It was quite embarrassed to act like that in front of so many people.

But Gui Xi clearly doesn't care about the mortal concept of death.

After it was rubbed, the beast-patterned markings on its surface suddenly lit up, and a crimson beam of light shot out from its beast eyes, soaring straight into the sky.

Everyone looked up.

A crack appeared in the sky.

A beam of golden light poured down from the crack, so fast that everyone's reaction was a beat too slow—

The golden light pierced straight into Xu Nanyi's forehead, and the "Merit and Virtue" mark on her arm instantly lit up.

Behind her, three golden rings lit up, rotating and emitting a soft and solemn light.

The treetops were deathly silent.

Lin Qingyue: "This is... a divinely bestowed merit?"

Xu Yuan blinked. "It seems...so it is."

Shen Xizhou's eyes lit up. "As expected of my older sister!"

Shen Jiuyuan crossed his arms. "She truly is the daughter I adopted!"

Tianxing's expression went through four stages: shock, bewilderment, disbelief, and existential doubt, before finally settling on collapse.

"Why should I?!"

"Heavenly Dao, come out! How many missions have I completed! How many errands have I run! How many beatings have I endured! Look at me—"

He didn't finish his sentence.

One of the two pagoda rings behind him suddenly went dark.

Went out.

Tianxing froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.

"No..." His voice trembled as he looked down at his empty space behind him.

"You're deducting my merit points?! Do you know how hard it is for me to accumulate a thousand merit points?! I've done so many immoral things over the years and finally managed to get a thousand—and you just deducted a hundred?!"

He turned his head and stared intently at the three leisurely rotating pagoda rings behind Xu Nanyi, then looked at his own lonely ring.

Her eyes were red-rimmed.

"I want that brick too." He pointed at the Nine Netherworld Ghost Seal. "Give me one as well."

The Nine Nether Ghost Seal slowly turned around in mid-air, its beast-patterned eyes rolling back.

Then he stamped a mark hard on Tianxing's forehead.

"Smack."

After covering it, it shook its body contentedly and floated back to Xu Nanyi's dantian.

Xu Nanyi stood on tiptoe and took a closer look.

"Trash...goods..."

Shen Xizhou laughed so hard he leaned on a tree branch and kept hitting it. Xu Yuan rarely laughed out loud. Lin Qingyue turned her face away and her shoulders were shaking. Shen Jiuyuan coughed three times to cover up the smile on his lips.

"Don't laugh!!" Tianxing covered his forehead, his ears turning bright red.

He rubbed his forehead vigorously, but it wouldn't come off. The stamp from the magical artifact wasn't something that could be wiped off so easily.

He coughed twice, forcibly steer the conversation back on track: "What are you laughing at? It's not funny at all."

No one cooperated with him.

"Our most important task now is to get in."

Tianxing cleared his throat, finally regaining a semblance of seriousness. "Now that we have one more person who can use the Deception Technique, there are just enough for four people to go in."

He gestured to Shen Jiuyuan and Shen Xizhou: "You two, keep watch outside."

Shen Xizhou pursed his lips reluctantly, but still nodded obediently.

Tianxing turned to Xu Nanyi and smiled like a chrysanthemum: "Little Yiyi~ Come, let me teach you the secret art of deception. Watch carefully, the first step—"

He had just gotten into position, raising his hands to demonstrate the first move.

"But I think I can do it." Xu Nanyi tilted her head.

Tianxing's hand froze in mid-air.

Two seconds later, Xu Nanyi reappeared in the same spot with a grin, and then raised her hand and slapped Tianxing's hand.

The force of that slap was so great that I barely felt it on my hand.

But Tianxing—

"Aww!!!"

He jumped up, clutching his hand, his face contorted in pain. "Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! You... how did you even learn the third-level Star Shifting Technique?!"

Xu Nanyi withdrew her hand and blinked innocently: "It's just... I suddenly realized it."

Tianxing looked at her, his lips trembling three times.

He recalled his painful experience of spending three months in arduous training to master the first level of the secret technique.

He was punished by copying the Merit Sutra eight hundred times before he finally understood the despair of the second stage.

I thought of myself, who still hasn't been able to reach the threshold of the third ring.

How can the difference between people be greater than the difference between people and dogs?

Lin Qingyue spoke up at the right moment, "Alright, let's not waste time. Ayuan, you take Xizhou and Jiuyuan outside to keep watch. Tianxing and I will take Nanyi inside."

Xu Yuan nodded in response.

Lin Qingyue had already flipped over and jumped down from the treetop.

Xu Nanyi followed.

The three pagoda rings behind her slowly disappeared, the golden light receded into her brow, and her aura completely vanished into nothingness.

Three figures swept silently toward the Second Prince's residence.

Shen Xizhou perched on a tree branch, watching them disappear. Suddenly, he muttered to himself, "If my older sister can learn something without even having to learn it, then won't I be able to too...?"

Shen Jiuyuan patted his head: "Your sister is your sister, and you are you. Don't think about it anymore."

Shen Xizhou: "...It's always so nice to hear my own father say that."