"Humm…" The second consciousness looked thoughtful.
"You spoke of Qi practitioners. Are you referring to those two people fighting last night?" he asked.
"Indeed," the worm replied. "Qi practitioners can freely control the energy of their surroundings and gain enlightenment from heaven and earth."
"They were really powerful…" First consciousness muttered.
"Powerful?" The worm sneered. "They are nothing but bottom feeders of the food chain, not worth mentioning. If I weren't trapped in a worm's body, I could have killed them just by breathing."
"You were that amazing?" the first consciousness asked, startled.
"Of course," the worm answered proudly.
"If those two were merely bottom feeders, then how strong is the strongest Qi practitioner?"
"I can't explain it with words alone," the worm said. "You need to reach a certain height to truly comprehend it."
"Hm… alright. Your time is up," the second consciousness said calmly. "I can't just let someone leave after invading my consciousness, can I?"
"You..!" Once again, the worm suppressed its rage, trying to coax him instead. Compared to the first consciousness, the second one was far too dangerous and troublesome.
As he spoke, the second consciousness tightened his grip. The worm screamed in pain. "Stop! I can tell you the secrets of becoming a Qi practitioner!"
"Oh?" A faint smile appeared on his lips. "Now I'm interested."
The first consciousness, however, looked uncertain.
"But… promise me you'll let me go," the worm pleaded.
"Do you really think you're in a position to negotiate?" the second consciousness replied coldly. "I might accidentally crush your soft little neck."
The worm shivered. He had endured countless hardships over thousands of years, but this was the first time he had been humiliated by mere mortals.
"Becoming a Qi practitioner requires certain conditions," the worm said hurriedly. "First, temper the body. Second, hone the senses. Third, surpass the body's limits. Each step is harder than the last.
"One cannot become a Qi practitioner simply by desire. There are twelve levels in the Mortal Martial Realm, from first level to the thirteenth. The first level merely lays the foundation and is often not even counted."
"Train the body? How?" the first consciousness asked.
"There are many methods," the worm explained. "Intense physical training, basic martial techniques, repeated refinement of the flesh. As for honing the senses, that requires years of training, life and death battles. Only then can one fully awaken them.
"As for surpassing the body's limits, it differs from person to person. But these are the fundamentals."
"So it means i need to reach the thirteenth martial warrior realm to become a Qi practitioner?" Second consciousness asked.
"Essentially, yes. But reaching the thirteenth level doesn't guarantee success. Without talent, that is where one's path ends."
Both of Qin Hao's consciousnesses fell into deep thought.
Sensing an opportunity, the worm threw out his bait. "I have lived for nearly ten thousand years. I can impart supreme martial techniques and make you a true Qi practitioner."
The first consciousness was clearly tempted, his eyes lighting up.
"I don't believe you," the second consciousness said, narrowing his eyes. "What if you give us flawed or fake techniques? Wouldn't that put us entirely at your mercy?"
The worm cursed inwardly. He had fully intended to do exactly that. Too cunning…
"How could I?" the worm said hastily. "Trust me. I'll be useful. I can teach you mystical arts, powerful movement techniques…."
He rambled on endlessly.
The second consciousness rubbed his chin, appearing slightly convinced. The first consciousness finally spoke up. "Alright… let's not kill it."
The worm's eyes gleamed. Kekeke, still so naive… he sneered inwardly.
"You do seem rather useful," the second consciousness said.
The worm sighed in relief. At last, he had convinced the most troublesome one.
"But…" the second consciousness paused.
"But what?" the worm asked irritably.
"I don't trust you," the second consciousness said flatly.
"What!? Again…ah, wait, wait!" Before he could finish, the second consciousness grabbed the worm's head and applied force. "I can't allow a parasite to linger inside my consciousness," his voice echoed coldly. "You're far too dangerous."
"No…" The worm let out a miserable scream as his body suddenly burst apart. From within, a hazy humanoid figure floated out, its only distinguishing feature a pair of long, pointed ears.
"Insolent mortal! How dare you!?" it roared.
The second consciousness seized the struggling soul and began absorbing it.
"Stop!"
"No…!"
"Aaaaah!"
No matter how much it begged, he did not stop. The soul grew fainter and fainter until it vanished entirely, completely absorbed.
Suddenly, both of Qin Hao's consciousnesses fell into a trance. The worm's long memories and accumulated experiences began merging with them. The memories were countless, and the process took an immeasurably long time.
After three full days, Qin Hao finally woke from his long slumber. He scratched his head in confusion. His body was still half leaning against the tree he had fallen from. "Phew! Fortunately i wasn't attacked by any beast."
"These memories…." Crystal clear recollections were imprinted deep within his consciousness. Some contained secrets so shocking they completely overturned his understanding of the world. Others were so exaggerated that they felt utterly unbelievable.
"Don't think about anything else for now. Your main focus should be martial arts. If you can't learn them, I'll take over," the second consciousness said, its voice echoing in his mind.
"No thanks. I can learn them myself," Qin Hao replied, dismissing the idea without hesitation.
"You do realize we're the same person, right?"
"Still… I feel uncomfortable."
"And you think I don't?" The second consciousness scoffed, its tone dripping with disdain. "I feel terrible sharing space with someone like you."
"What do you mean, someone like me?" Qin Hao shot back. "Didn't you just say we're the same? That means you feel terrible about yourself."
"Hmph!" The second consciousness grunted, clearly displeased, conceding defeat in the battle of words. After a pause, it continued, "You can feel it, can't you? Try spreading your divine sense."
Qin Hao focused his mind.
In the next instant, a vast wave of spiritual power surged outward like a tide, covering an area roughly thirty meters in diameter. According to the worm's memories, this was known as divine sense.
"But the worm's memories say divine sense can only be formed after becoming a Qi practitioner," Qin Hao thought, puzzled. "Then how do I already have it?"
Through his divine sense, even the smallest speck of dust appeared as clear as if it were right before his eyes. The sensation was entirely new, both strange and exhilarating.
"With this, I won't have to worry about becoming prey to powerful beasts anymore. Is this what they call receiving fortune amidst danger?" Rejoicing inwardly, Qin Hao sprinted forward.