Li Xuan followed the illusionary humanoid at a measured distance.

He could feel that the speed of the illusionary humanoid was truly on par with his own, yet in other aspects, it seemed somewhat inferior. Moreover, it had transformed from being unresponsive to possessing considerable independent intelligence.

Li Xuan’s lunch was quite hearty.

The illusionary humanoid clearly knew how much he wanted to eat, and this diligent illusionary humanoid washed and cooked all the food to the best of its ability, adding various wild vegetables and mushrooms from the mountains, roasting it into a heap of meat as tall as a small hill.

The meat pile emitted a fragrant aroma, and Li Xuan devoured it heartily, rubbing his belly contentedly afterward, while turning his thoughts to Xinci Temple.

...

...

In Xinci Temple, Jing Miao was assigning tasks to the monks, saying, "The flood has long receded, and the fields are fertile. You must go to the fields to work and increase the grain supply."

A monk said, "But if we go to farm, won’t that delay our time reciting sutras and praying to the Buddha?"

Jing Miao shook her head and smiled, "Zen lies in the commonplace. Only by bending down to work can the morning and evening meditation become more fruitful."

The monks, whether willing or not, could only comply.

Everyone knew that the young abbot now before them truly represented the Buddha.

Who would dare offend her?

Moreover, Jing Miao’s performance recently had been remarkable. Aside from being too young and beautiful, she fulfilled the virtues expected of the abbot of a great temple.

Virtue must match one’s position; without it, disaster will follow.

Jing Miao had virtue and the support of the Buddha, making her position secure.

And the once spoiled young lady had gone through so much that she was now as if reborn, with hardship and struggle rendering her composed.

She well understood that as more people took monastic vows, fewer would produce goods.

Thus, she needed to mobilize the monks of Xinci Temple to farm and work. She even intended to participate herself as an example to others.

The monks departed one by one, busying themselves with hoes.

Even though the autumn harvest had just passed, it was time to plant winter wheat.

Sown in October, it is harvested in the May or June of the following year.

Jing Miao looked down at her own hands.

Once delicate, her hands had now become somewhat rough.

She had no regrets; instead, she felt fulfilled, as if she had found life’s meaning.

She donned farm clothes suitable for work, removing the ornate abbot’s robes, and was about to leave when suddenly... a voice came to her ears.

"You don’t need to prepare my dinner tonight; I’ll eat at noon."

It was the Buddha’s voice.

Jing Miao was momentarily stunned, but then she felt profound Zen wisdom within the Buddha’s seemingly casual words, as if each syllable could lead to enlightenment. She placed the hoe that she had just picked up aside, joined her hands in respect, and said respectfully, "Namaste, my Buddha, this disciple understands."

Immediately, the Buddha’s voice sounded again.

"Also, prepare meals for one hundred and fifty people tomorrow."

Jing Miao: ...

This time, she didn’t comprehend any Zen wisdom, only grasped the word "gluttony."

...

...

The improvement in Li Xuan’s physique had increased his appetite as well.

He even began to wonder if he might starve if there were no meals.

He found it quite amusing; in the cultivation novels he had read in his past life, the immortals appeared to grow stronger without eating or drinking, how could they starve?

Yet, he indeed felt hunger.

However, the idea of "starving to death" was unlikely for now, and with the company of an intelligent illusionary humanoid, Li Xuan felt that life might add a bit of fun.

But when his thoughts shifted, replacing the illusionary humanoid of the "bald strongman" with a beautiful woman, he suddenly realized when the illusionary humanoid was switched, all its memories would reset.

In other words, the prior "bald strongman who cooked for him" had completely disappeared. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

He switched it back to "bald strongman," but the new "bald strongman" still couldn’t recall past events.

"Expand the range of action to ten miles in radius."

"Possess some independent intelligence, but this intelligence is confined to this illusionary humanoid, and once it disappears, the memories brought by this intelligence will vanish as well."

"Agility attribute same as mine, while other attributes are slightly inferior."

"This is the qualitative leap brought by the Deviant Monkeys’ [Illusion Skill]."

Such a change was indeed a qualitative leap.

Subsequently, Li Xuan tested the Demon Skills of "Skull Flower" and "Tiger Demon Tai Sui" with keen interest.

As for the results, they were mediocre.

These two Demon Skills seemed to have a completely fixed upper limit, with the only change being that the "Spirit" expenditure was reduced.

"Ghost Creation" was entirely like this.

"White Bone Manipulation" allowed him to remove the demon technique, yet the White Bone Demons could continue acting for a while.

After testing these simply, the sky had already dimmed.

Dusk climbed the mountain peaks as the waning moon cast a faint light.

Li Xuan yawned, using the sky as a blanket and the ground as a mat, preparing to continue the tests the next day.

After lying down, he grew restless after a while.

He was a healthy and normal man, and prolonged suppression suddenly sparked an unsettling thought in him.

And as this thought arose, his heart began to race.

He could create illusionary humanoids, and these humanoids could possess intelligence.

He could create an illusionary humanoid of any appearance.

Then, why couldn’t he create a woman?

He followed through with this idea, and soon enough, a beautiful woman with a familiar face materialized before him.

The woman, as if aware of his desires, softly slipped off her robe, tugged at the sash, and then slid over like a smooth fish...