Chapter 665: Choice

In the instant when the heavens and earth suddenly darkened, Li Jing felt completely stunned, utterly unaware of what had happened.

A massive hand appeared in the air, like a giant arm reaching down from the sky.

An overwhelming pressure bore down from above, and just the aura assaulting his Yuan Shen nearly made Li Jing vomit blood and shatter his liver and gallbladder.

He was on the verge of shouting, "What demon from where?"

Thunder rumbled, and Li Jing couldn't make out what it was saying, but he still remembered.

This place was a military camp, where the soldiers had only minor cultivation methods, no different from ordinary mortals.

And he, if he didn't step forward now, how could the soldiers in the camp face this hand that was like a divine might?

Anger surged in his heart, and Li Jing struggled to grip the sword hilt at his waist. He had been sitting in the tent, but now even standing up felt impossibly difficult, as if several mountains were weighing on his shoulders.

Suddenly, the pressure on his shoulders vanished.

Li Jing had been resisting the force from above with all his might, and with the pressure gone in an instant, he shot up from his chair like a spring, bursting through the tent's roof. With his left hand on the sword and his right gripping the hilt, he looked up at the sky.

What is this...

Black and white auras filled the air, with Yin and Yang fish symbols rotating steadily, their rhythms profound and their paths mutually consuming, now seeming boundless.

Ren Jiao's innate treasure, Tai Ji Yin Yang Tu.

Li Jing instinctively scanned the sky, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

He saw...

The figure of a young Daoist appeared beneath the Tai Ji Tu, holding the treasure with one hand and a Xuan Huang tower above his head. His tall, slender form didn't use any divine abilities like Fa Xiang Tian Di, yet he appeared immensely majestic.

"Yi... Xing Jun!"

Li Jing shouted loudly. He had wanted to rush forward to see if there was anything he could help with, but his Dao body stiffened, and he dared not move.

What he saw now:

A massive hand pressed down on the Tai Ji Tu, held firmly at bay, but Tai Bai Xing Jun's figure trembled slightly.

High in the sky, there seemed to be a faint old Daoist sitting cross-legged, surrounded by auspicious clouds and endless majesty.

The soldiers in the camp didn't seem to feel the pressure they had endured earlier; they were all looking up at the sky as if nothing had happened, their faces full of bewilderment.

At least they were bewildered, which meant they were unharmed.

But Li Jing felt even more tense, staring up at the figures locked in confrontation.

That old Daoist in the high sky...

Tai Bai Xing Jun's somewhat strained form...

Just who was this divine being?

And why had Xing Jun appeared here and now?

Right at that moment!

The young Daoist in the air suddenly turned his head toward the direction of Chen Tang Guan, his lips moving as if transmitting a message.

Without warning, Li Jing's heart echoed with Li Chang Shou's voice. He turned toward Chen Tang Guan, his eyes wide, momentarily at a loss.

"Protect Yin Shi; he must be after the fetus in her womb!"

Li Jing's hands trembled. He looked down at the bustling military camp, at the soldiers, then turned toward the city, as if he could see through the high walls to his bewildered wife.

The fetus in her womb...

Clang—

Li Jing drew his long sword. His long hair flew wildly, his armor dull and lusterless. Through the shadow of the Tai Ji Tu, he faced the vaguely visible old Daoist in the clouds, channeling his immortal power and roaring:

"Li Jing of Chen Tang Guan is here!"

Yet, he didn't know what this declaration meant or what effect it could have.

In the end, against such an existence, his weak cultivation was as powerless as that of a mortal.

At the same time, in the rear courtyard of the Li residence.

The moment the sky-covering hand appeared, Tai Yi's hand trembled instinctively, protecting the fetal spirit of Ling Zhu Zi.

At that point, the fetal spirit was only two fist-lengths away from Yin Shi.

Yu Ding Zhen Ren and Yang Jian subconsciously moved to rush toward the military camp, but the paper Daoist of Li Chang Shou beside them used his power to form a barrier, directly blocking Yu Ding and Yang Jian.

The master and disciple quickly realized what was happening, each breaking into a cold sweat.

That was a Sheng Ren; how could they stop it by going over?

Even if they rushed from here, even with Yu Ding Zhen Ren's full teleportation, they wouldn't make it in time to block that hand.

In a flash, the Tai Ji Tu unfolded.

A streak of green light shot from the ground into the sky, and beneath the center of the Tai Ji Tu, Li Chang Shou's true form appeared, holding up the treasure with one hand...

All of this happened so quickly; Li Chang Shou was now forcing the Tai Ji Tu's power to barely hold back that hand, and it had only taken the blink of an eye.

The cost was that Li Chang Shou couldn't spare any attention for the paper Daoist, which immediately turned back into paper and fell to the ground beside Tai Yi Zhen Ren.

Only then did Li Chang Shou use voice transmission to remind them not to act rashly and to protect Yin Shi.

Yin Shi was still deep in sleep, immersed in that dream.

Yu Ding and Tai Yi breathed a slight sigh of relief. Yu Ding Zhen Ren flashed through the window and exchanged a glance with Tai Yi, seeing the hesitation in each other's eyes.

Yu Ding asked immediately:

"How should we proceed?"

"How... how should we proceed?"

Tai Yi looked at his outstretched hand gripping the fetal spirit, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

The sudden appearance of the Sheng Ren, Li Chang Shou's voice transmission reminder, and all of Li Chang Shou's careful arrangements beforehand made Tai Yi realize...

Ling Zhu Zi's reincarnation would be an important piece in the Feng Shen calamity for the Sheng Ren.

But why was the Sheng Ren appearing to seize Li Jing?

Yu Ding asked again:

"Should the reincarnation continue?"

Tai Yi's eyes showed confusion. He looked at Yin Shi, then suddenly turned back toward the city outside.

The massive hand formed by the Sheng Ren's Dharma was clashing with the Tai Ji Tu, slowly pressing it down at a visible pace...

Li Chang Shou's figure held up the Tai Ji Tu below, but he didn't urge them to proceed with the reincarnation.

Tai Yi's arm trembled, and he frowned at the fetal spirit, seeing the tiny infant inside sucking its thumb.

This Zhen Ren suddenly felt a pang of reluctance.

If the reincarnation continued, it meant Ling Zhu Zi would be drawn into the vortex of heavenly struggles.

Which third-generation Daoist disciple's reincarnation could alarm a Western Sheng Ren to appear?

Tai Yi Zhen Ren was unwilling.

He had only wanted his disciple to cultivate peacefully to Jin Xian or Da Luo, and now he suddenly didn't want Ling Zhu Zi to leave his side.

The dangers of the Hong Huang he had experienced and understood all too well, and even as a Sheng Ren's disciple with his current cultivation, he was still powerless to protect his own disciple...

No.

Tai Yi Zhen Ren snapped back to his senses, quickly recalling the various anomalies before Ling Zhu Zi's decision to reincarnate. Only now did he understand that Ling Zhu Zi's fate had been set by the heavens even before reincarnation.

So be it.

This was Ling Zhu Zi's shackle, as well as his opportunity.

Even if they forcibly went against the will of the heavens, under the heavens' schemes, how far could he, a Sheng Ren's disciple, protect Ling Zhu Zi?

All living beings were ultimately pawns under the heavens.

Without becoming a Sheng Ren, one was merely a chess piece.

"Very well."

Tai Yi's fingers trembled slightly as he slowly withdrew the hand blocking the fetal spirit and gently pushed it.

The fetal spirit emitted a faint glow and sank into Yin Shi's abdomen.

A very faint and obscure heartbeat emerged from within, and the pearl fetus could now truly be called a fetus.

Tai Yi Zhen Ren instinctively stepped back half a pace, a slight bitter smile on his lips.

Beside him, Yu Ding Zhen Ren sighed softly. Just as he was about to say something to comfort his senior brother, a sudden change occurred in the Chen Tang Guan military camp.

That massive hand vanished into thin air, and the shadowy figure of the Sheng Ren in the high sky flickered and disappeared.

At the same time,

Directly above Chen Tang Guan, a vast Sheng Ren pressure descended.

Seven-colored light flashed, tearing a hole through the Tai Ji Tu's illusory aura;

The two Sheng Ren of Western Jiao used the same trick again, and another massive hand reached down from the sky, grabbing toward the pavilion in the Li residence.

Tai Yi Zhen Ren and Yu Ding Zhen Ren exchanged a glance, and with perfect understanding, they released their own great Daos and shot into the sky.

In that instant, as the two Zhen Ren decided to confront the Sheng Ren, above the pavilion, the youth in armor had already opened his third eye, facing the hand directly.

Yang Jian!

"Heavenly Court general! Qing Yuan Miao Dao Zhen Jun is here!"

The Sheng Ren seemed oblivious, and the hand smashed down rapidly.

Is this a Sheng Ren!?

Is this a Sheng Ren!?

The tragedy in his own home from years ago, those images etched deepest in his heart, were about to play out again on Ling Zhu Zi's family.

Yang Jian's eyes bulged with rage, his third eye erupting with divine light, and bloody auras surrounded him.

Ba Jiu Xuan Gong!

Third eye...

Suddenly, a hand pressed on his shoulder, cutting off Yang Jian's surging aura against the Sheng Ren's immense pressure.

"Your master will handle this."

A flash of jade light streaked by, instantly appearing in the sky and transforming into a massive cauldron dozens of zhang high.

Yu Ding Zhen Ren sat within the cauldron, chanting incantations so rapidly that they sounded like a single buzz. The cauldron glowed brightly, with countless shadows flickering on its surface.

Throughout Chen Tang Guan, wisps of light points emerged on the foreheads of mortals and vanished in an instant.

The descending hand had already pressed onto the cauldron.

The cauldron sank violently, cracks appearing all over it.

Yu Ding Zhen Ren's face turned deathly pale, his hands forming seals at lightning speed, and the cauldron held firm for a few moments.

Right then, beams of light pillars rose from various parts of Chen Tang Guan, totaling thirty-six, forming a brilliant light curtain.

Jue Tian Duan Xian Great Array!

In just those few moments!

Li Chang Shou, dragging the Tai Ji Tu, charged from outside the city into the city.

One paper Daoist after another transformed into human form, rising from the front and rear courtyards of the Li residence, forming the Bei Dou Guard God Array, Liu Shen Hui Xuan Array, Wu Xing Hu Tian Array, Yan Si Xiang Si Ji Array, San Xian Array...

Layer upon layer, they protected the pavilion where Yin Shi was.

"Pah—"

In the cauldron, Yu Ding Zhen Ren lowered his head and spat out a mouthful of blood. The cauldron could no longer hold, and the hand from the Sheng Ren smashed it straight toward the ground.

Yang Jian and Tai Yi Zhen Ren struck out together to support the cauldron's base but were forced down, both sustaining injuries.

Even the weakest Sheng Ren was still a Sheng Ren; without an innate treasure, a Sheng Ren's disciple couldn't contend at all.

As the cauldron pressed down, Yu Ding Zhen Ren exhausted all his strength to stabilize it, but the situation was irreversible...

In Li Chang Shou's eyes:

The great array he had painstakingly set up for years was destroyed in less than half a moment.

The layers of arrays formed by the paper Daoists were shattered in an instant under the Sheng Ren's power.

He was only a breath away from that hand.

In the end, the gap in strength was too vast; it wasn't a matter of strategy or planning.

High in the sky, the Sheng Ren's voice turned into rolling thunder again, shouting the same words: "This child has affinity with my Western Jiao."

That hand had already reached the pavilion, probing downward.

"Shifu, please wait!"

Li Chang Shou shouted loudly, though he called him "shifu," his voice couldn't hide its anger.

Zhun Ti didn't respond; the hand continued to grab down, as if intending to abduct Yin Shi, enlighten her, and thereby control the child of the great calamity in her womb.

What about their trump card?

Or rather, the trump card of Chan Jiao?

The decree from his second shifu that he had asked Tai Yi Zhen Ren to seek...

Li Chang Shou dragged the Tai Ji Tu and rushed forward at full speed, his gaze fixed on the massive hand smashing down, silently counting down in his heart: five, four, three...

Finally,

That hand halted abruptly, and the Sheng Ren in the high sky frowned slightly, looking down.

In the pavilion, before Yin Shi's abdomen, a gray light emerged, condensing into a small palm-sized banner.

The banner seemed to show shadows of countless beings and scenes of the world's evolution, but if you stared closely, it was all chaotic mist, revealing only the outline of a triangular banner.

As soon as this illusory banner appeared, the descending hand immediately began to retreat, and Zhun Ti's expression in the high sky turned as dark as water.

The small banner swayed gently, and chaos churned on its surface. A seemingly ordinary beam of light shot out from the chaos, piercing straight through the palm of the massive hand, ignoring roofs and all obstacles.

Innate treasure, Pan Gu Fan!

The sharpness of the Opening Heavens Divine Axe, the first killing treasure of the heavens, tempered with the blood and flesh of innate gods and demons, condensed with Pan Gu's killing intent!

Chaos Wuji Sword Qi!

Zhun Ti grunted in the high sky, and the hand developed cracks, starting from the palm and shattering, bursting with light that wasn't particularly dazzling.

The hand collapsed, turning into clouds like a tall building, and Zhun Ti's figure in the sky recoiled slightly, a inch-long wound appearing on his left palm.

At the same time, Li Chang Shou arrived with the Tai Ji Tu, sealing off the entire sky with a wave of his hand. He flicked his sleeve, and the Li Jing he had grabbed along the way stumbled a few steps, standing in the air here.

The shadow of the Pan Gu Fan slowly dissipated, and Yuan Shi Tian Zun's Sheng Ren aura vanished completely.

Li Chang Shou was fully on guard.

They had gone this far today; if Zhun Ti struck again, he would expose some trump cards to block him as much as possible.

He only needed to hold out for a few rounds, and then Zhun Ti would lose face, threatening even the one designated as the main figure of the calamity.

If Zhun Ti didn't back down, his own Sheng Ren could act directly.

Ling Zhu Zi's importance wasn't enough; he, an ordinary authority god, would have to make up for it.

Below in the mid-air, Yu Ding Zhen Ren's face was ashen, his breathing rapid; he could only close his eyes and regulate his breath.

Tai Yi Zhen Ren and Yang Jian's injuries weren't severe; Yang Jian now gripped his San Jian Liang Ren Qiang, glaring at Zhun Ti, while Tai Yi Zhen Ren clutched his chest, with nine fire dragons circling around him.

At that moment, though he tried his best to control his words to avoid escalating the conflict and putting their side in a difficult position,

He couldn't help but let out a cold laugh...

"Heh, Sheng Ren."

Zhun Ti in the high sky chuckled lightly, then casually pointed at Li Chang Shou and the others, sighing with composure:

"Li Chang Geng, you went to great lengths to wipe out ninety percent of my Western Jiao disciples, and now you deserve this retribution."

Li Chang Shou replied calmly:

"Why does Shifu's words sound like you're justifying evil deeds as noble?

Well, yes, Sheng Ren should be the model for all living beings in the heavens. Living beings have good and evil, so evil ones need a representative."

Zhun Ti wasn't angered; he simply said:

"Dao gate used my Western Jiao disciples to fill the calamity's fate, so I must seek justice for them.

Do you really think you've protected the Li Jing family today?"

Li Chang Shou frowned slightly, suddenly realizing something, and whipped around to look down at where Yin Shi was.

His eyes shot out divine light, catching a flash of blood light shooting up from deep in the earth and vanishing into Yin Shi's brow.

That blood light...

Twelve Pin Hong Lian?

No, no—it was an evil aura on par with the Twelve Pin Hong Lian!

Demon Ancestor Origin—Extermination Heaven Evil Aura!

Li Chang Shou looked up with furious eyes, his anger turning to laughter.

One Sheng Ren, a dignified Sheng Ren, had gone to such lengths to scheme against a mortal's spirit, first threatening Li Jing to draw him away temporarily.

Then breaking through all his layered arrangements, exhausting the efforts he had put in over the years, destroying arrays and paper Daoists.

Fortunately, he had planned ahead, having Tai Yi Zhen Ren seek Yuan Shi Tian Zun's protection, allowing them to arrive in time and safeguard the Li family.

Yet this Sheng Ren still wouldn't let go, using such evil aura to corrupt a mortal woman who had just started on the path of cultivation, all to harm the fetus in her womb.

Zhun Ti smiled leisurely, his figure turning into mist and dissipating as if he had never been there.

His voice lingered in Li Chang Shou and the others' ears, fading away...

"The Demon Ancestor Origin Evil Aura is insoluble; I obtained it by chance while repairing the West and now gift it to my nephew.

The difficulties of Ling Shan, I will settle slowly.

Now, in this world, I have no disciples, so I act without restraint."

Li Chang Shou clenched his fists, suppressing the urge to chase after him, knowing that pursuing would be futile.

His Equilibrium Great Dao, even at its limit, fell short and couldn't reach the Sixth Sheng Ren.

Suddenly, fluctuations of spiritual power came from below. Li Chang Shou's expression changed, and he used escape techniques to dive straight down.

In the pavilion, flames flashed, and Tai Yi Zhen Ren's figure burst from the fire, his eyes laced with flames, fixed on Yin Shi.

Yin Shi was still in the dream, but the "immortal sending child" dream had taken a disastrous turn.

A faint red evil aura gathered at her brow, spreading throughout her body and invading the fetus.

No, not right!

The fetal spirit seemed to sense something and emitted a faint glow, actively absorbing the evil aura everywhere.

Tai Yi Zhen Ren's eyes widened, and he stepped forward quickly, his raised hand trembling. Suddenly, he struck toward Yin Shi's brow.

A hand like an iron hoop grabbed Tai Yi's wrist.

The pale-faced Yu Ding Zhen Ren arrived in time, directly stopping Tai Yi.

"Shidi, let go..."

Tai Yi Zhen Ren's voice trembled.

Yu Ding Zhen Ren said gravely:

"Shixiong, she is now Ling Zhu's mother."

"Save Ling Zhu Zi now, there might still be a chance. Yes, there's still a chance... Shidi, let go, release me!"

"Shixiong!"

Yu Ding Zhen Ren thundered, and Tai Yi Zhen Ren's eyes, bloodshot, glared at Yu Ding.

From outside the window, Li Jing flipped in, stunned by the scene, but immediately lunged forward, tightly holding the unconscious Yin Shi.

Li Chang Shou's figure flashed in. His right fingers quickly pointed at Yin Shi's forehead, his left hand forming a sword finger against his right hand's back, slowly lifting it.

A clump of evil aura was drawn out by his fingertip, but wrapped around it was a layer of shadow.

Yin Shi's soul.

How could she resist a Sheng Ren's strike?

Now, her soul had fused with the evil aura.

This... this...

Li Chang Shou slowly lowered his hands, returning Yin Shi's Yuan Shen to its place.

"Xing Jun, foster father!"

Li Jing panicked and shouted, "My wife, how is my wife, foster father?"

Li Chang Shou said nothing, taking out over a dozen treasure pouches from his sleeve, pouring out jade pots one by one. He waved his hand to draw symbols around Yin Shi, temporarily suppressing the evil aura in her body to prevent the fetal spirit from absorbing it.

What to do?

Li Chang Shou closed his eyes, his mind racing. The Tai Ji Tu enveloped the small building, making the place incredibly quiet.

Soon, he opened his eyes, looking at Li Jing with a complex gaze, and said calmly:

"Li Jing, do you want your wife, or the child in her womb?"

Li Jing's hands trembled, as if all his strength had drained away, and he knelt by the bed.

"I want my wife; foster father, please protect my wife!"

Li Chang Shou hummed in agreement and was about to act.

"No! I disagree!"

Tai Yi Zhen Ren said firmly:

"Return Ling Zhu Zi to me! We won't reincarnate! Return Ling Zhu Zi to me!"

Li Chang Shou frowned at Tai Yi, closing his eyes helplessly, his hands trembling slightly.

Outside the window, Yang Jian gripped his spear shaft tightly, his anger turning into deep hatred.

Yu Ding Zhen Ren sighed and held Tai Yi firmly.

Buzz—

A wisp of Tai Qing Dao Rhyme quietly passed, and a jade box flew from Li Chang Shou's sleeve, opening to reveal a golden pill that vanished into Yin Shi's abdomen.

That was the treasure carrying Ling Zhu Zi's power and memories, prepared by Li Chang Shou and Tai Yi Zhen Ren for after the reincarnation, to restore his Dao realm and memories.

"Master."

After a moment, a soft call came, and faint golden light flashed before Yin Shi, forming a three-inch-tall illusory figure.

Ling Zhu Zi.

Tai Yi Zhen Ren trembled all over, whispering:

"Disciple, let's not do it. Let's go back and cultivate..."

"Master,"

Ling Zhu Zi bowed with a Dao salute, then looked up with a slight smile.

"It's we who chose them; they are innocent people, aren't they?"

"This is the Sheng Ren's scheme! It's the filthy Sheng Ren of Western Jiao's scheme!"

Tai Yi Zhen Ren roared lowly:

"This isn't your fault; I'll take all the blame and infamy. I'm used to being scolded anyway!"

"But Master, they are innocent."

Ling Zhu Zi looked at Li Chang Shou, then turned his gaze to the sleeping Yin Shi, staring at her face.

"Is this... my future mother..."

Tai Yi Zhen Ren:

"She isn't! She isn't yet!"

"Master,"

Ling Zhu Zi said softly,

"Since I am to reincarnate, I must abandon my previous self. If I harm an innocent life to survive now, how can I face the heavens for the rest of my life?

Please, Master, allow it!"

The three-inch-tall Ling Zhu Zi knelt down, saying firmly:

"Your disciple is willing to absorb this evil aura and bear this karma!"

"You!"

Tai Yi Zhen Ren's voice trembled, then he waved his hand soundlessly, as if drained of all strength, retreating weakly to sit in a chair, staring blankly at the roof.

"Thank you, Immortal! Thank you, Immortal!"

Li Jing called out repeatedly to Tai Yi Zhen Ren.

Li Chang Shou breathed a sigh of relief, gesturing for Li Jing to step back. Facing Ling Zhu Zi, he felt a mix of emotions and said softly:

"I'm sorry to put you through this."

Ling Zhu Zi shook his head with a light smile:

"Shishu, you've worked hard; don't feel guilty about this."

"I'll do everything I can to protect you and Yin Shi,"

Li Chang Shou said seriously,

"and I'll pay any price. You just need to stay strong and not yield to the evil aura."

"Thank you, Shishu."

Ling Zhu Zi nodded, took a deep breath, and turned to return to Yin Shi's body.

"Shixiong!"

Yang Jian called from outside the window, and Ling Zhu Zi turned to look, giving him a slight smile.

Yang Jian laughed:

"When you're born, you should call me shixiong."

Ling Zhu Zi laughed:

"Then we'll have to compare our skills."

The two exchanged Dao salutes, and Ling Zhu Zi's figure leaped down, with rays of immortal light shimmering.

In Yin Shi's body, the spiritual fetus burst with light, beginning to absorb the faint red evil aura.

Li Chang Shou pondered quickly, using his power to protect Yin Shi's body, ensuring the evil aura transitioned smoothly.

From his sleeve, twelve paper figures flew out, transforming into twelve men and women of various ages, reciting the Twelve Pin Demon-Subduing and Evil-Expelling Sutras.

He continued his actions, administering Nine Revolutions Spirit Pills to Yin Shi to heal her Shen, infusing massive merit into the spiritual fetus to block the evil aura as much as possible.

He also repeatedly formed sword fingers, intercepting strands of the evil aura midway before they reached the fetus.

Soon, the unconscious Yin Shi calmed down, her brows gradually relaxing.

She murmured something, one hand reaching toward her abdomen.

"Li Madam,"

Li Chang Shou called softly, using his power to move her hand away.

Yin Shi murmured:

"Don't... don't hurt my child..."

"He's fine,"

Li Chang Shou responded, pointing at her forehead to make her sleep deeper.

Then, Li Chang Shou placed his palm toward the spiritual fetus, his eyes showing determination, and slowly drew it upward.

The Ling Zhu Zi's soul, surrounded by blood light, slowly emerged. Because he had actively absorbed the evil aura in Yin Shi's body, he was now being consumed by it.

The recitation around them grew louder, and divine light burst from Li Chang Shou's fingertip, instantly enveloping and purifying Ling Zhu Zi's soul.

Tai Yi Zhen Ren closed his eyes, not daring to watch more, while Yu Ding Zhen Ren sat cross-legged, forming seals with his hands and sending a jade light into Ling Zhu Zi's soul forehead.

Li Chang Shou's Dao Rhyme circulated in his heart, and a hint of joy flashed in his eyes. He drew a complex symbol with his right hand and imprinted it on Ling Zhu Zi's forehead.

In an instant, the endless evil aura was drawn by the symbol, surging and condensing deep into Ling Zhu Zi's soul.

At the same time, Li Chang Shou said slowly:

"Teacher granted a protective talisman; I've secured Ling Zhu Zi's Shen, but the evil aura's origin has fused with his soul, so there may be many hidden dangers in the future."

"Really?"

Tai Yi Zhen Ren perked up immediately.

Li Chang Shou nodded with a smile and whispered:

"I'll think of ways to help him further; for now, this is just suppression.

But because of this, Ling Zhu Zi's soul is damaged, and his memories have dissipated."

"That's as it should be for reincarnation,"

Tai Yi Zhen Ren murmured, sitting in the chair and letting out a long breath.

The recitation grew clearer, and Li Chang Shou slowly returned Ling Zhu Zi's soul to its place, gathering the scattered evil aura into his palm, wrapping it in merit, and sealing it in a treasure pill.

This Zhun Ti...

That guy is really something.

Li Chang Shou was inwardly complaining when he sensed over a dozen familiar auras rushing toward them, warming his heart. He quickly prepared voice transmissions to reassure them.

'This Li Chang Geng can actually suppress such evil aura.'

In the outer void, a certain old Daoist merged with the universe muttered with a frown, snorting coldly.

This one must be eliminated; he's a major threat!

Why was the universe suddenly sealed?

The old Daoist looked up abruptly, his face changing dramatically.

The universe was enveloped in a faint green glow, and as the old Daoist tried to flee, a massive hand descended from above, slamming him flat.

"Tai Qing Shixiong, are you really going to strike at me over a third-generation disciple!?"

A weak response came from the void:

"We have... affinity..."

Before the word "affinity" fully faded, countless palm shadows condensed in the void, bombarding the old Daoist relentlessly, beating him until he spat blood nonstop, his great Dao trembling on the verge of collapse.

Yet, amid the palm shadows, a subtle Dao Rhyme actively healed the old Daoist, preventing his injuries from becoming fatal.

After all, Sheng Ren cannot die.