From the void above, divine thunder descended and struck the so-called Lady Qingyi in a blazing explosion, thereafter the entire soul realm turned to a blinding white! When Li Yanchu’s vision gradually returned, that false “Lady Qingyi” divine soul had completely vanished. + 10,000 merit points! At last, he felt the familiar sensation of the Great Dao responding. All unclean evil spirits would be purged by the Five-Lightning Spell[1]. Now, the entire divine soul realm was filled with Pure Yang Lightning aura. Before his eyes, everything began to ripple and distort like waves, becoming increasingly illusory. And in the next moment, Li Yanchu reappeared before Xu Lingsu and Xue San, and Xu Lingsu’s expression changed at once. Before her stood Li Yanchu, who was clad in talismanic armor with the Jiaoslayer in hand. His body was still radiating lightning and fire, like a deity from the Celestial Court. Xue San staggered back repeatedly with her eyes full of awe. Li Yanchu casually willed the talismanic armor away, and his aura gradually settled. It was no longer as blinding and untouchable as the blazing sun. “It’s done?” Xu Lingsu asked, her voice uncertain but filled with hope. “The demonic remnant has been slain,” Li Yanchu replied calmly. His tone was composed, as if he had done something utterly trivial. Hearing this, Xu Lingsu and Xue San exchanged a glance, and their faces both lit up with visible relief and excitement. Xue San’s breathing was heavy, and this young Daoist was truly something else. “Thank you, Daoist Master Li, for your aid!” “We will not forget this favor!” They spoke in unison. In response, Li Yanchu gave a slight nod. He recounted what had happened inside the divine soul realm. As Xu Lingsu and Xue San listened, their expressions turned pale. This matter had been far more dangerous than either of them had expected. “Thank goodness you saw through the remnant’s trick in time,” Xu Lingsu said, still shaken. “Had she managed to return to the mortal world by taking over your body... the consequences would’ve been unimaginable.” Xue San nodded repeatedly. “Exactly. Who would’ve thought that demonic remnant would be so cunning and so adept at manipulating the heart?” Just hearing about it made Xue San feel a chill deep in his bones. He figured that if it had been him, he’d have died just stepping foot into that illusory temple. But this Daoist Master Li had slaughtered his way through it all. Damn, that lad’s a beast. Li Yanchu frowned. “Why didn’t Lady Qingyi ever show up from beginning to end?” The other party had basically been AFK the whole time, and he found it kind of irresponsible, honestly. Xu Lingsu explained, “Lady Qingyi was afflicted and tangled deeply with the demonic remnant. Her strength was greatly depleted, and she couldn’t maintain consciousness throughout. I hope you won’t take offense, Daoist Master.” She was, without a doubt, a clever woman, and she had quickly picked up on the implication in Li Yanchu’s words and cleared up any potential misunderstanding. She had no intention of offending someone young genius. Who knew? One day, Li Yanchu might become a true pillar of the Daoist world. Talents like his often grew at terrifying speeds. They could choose to befriend him or keep a respectful distance, but under no circumstances should they make him an enemy. People with a natal horoscope as hard as steel were sometimes even more terrifying than children of destiny. Hearing this, Li Yanchu nodded slightly. As for these temple deities, he didn’t understand them all that well. Temple gods belonged to the Divine Dao and cultivated through incense offerings. They were different from cultivators like him, who trained by qi cultivation and condensing their yin spirit. Besides, Lady Qingyi’s cultivation must far surpass his own, so it wasn’t strange that she had techniques he didn’t understand. More importantly, he earned ten thousand merit points. So it had been well worth it. Seeing that he didn’t press the issue further, Xu Lingsu and Xue San quietly breathed sighs of relief. Thank goodness Hongtu is friends with him, Xu Lingsu thought. Otherwise, with this man’s ruthless nature, it wouldn’t have been so easy to persuade him. “Now that Lady Qingyi’s matter is settled, I’m heading back,” Li Yanchu said in a low voice. But just as he brushed past Xu Lingsu, he suddenly stopped. He reached into his robes and took out the jade talisman, holding it out to her. “This talisman didn’t come in handy after all. Here, I’m returning it to you.” Xu Lingsu accepted it, and replied solemnly, “Daoist Master, you acted righteously in helping Her Ladyship dispel the demonic thought this time. Once we’ve helped her regain consciousness, we will personally come to offer our thanks.” Li Yanchu smiled faintly before he cupped his hands toward the two of them, and with a flick of his body, he vanished into the vast night. There was a kind of effortless grace to him, just like the saying, “With peerless martial skill, the swordsman can slay a man within ten steps; over a thousand li, no one dares bar his path.”[2] Only Xu Lingsu and Xue San remained. They stared in the direction he had left, feeling a bit dazed. “Just like that... the demonic remnant was slain?” Xu Lingsu asked, “Xue San, what do you think of this Daoist Master Li?” Xue San thought for a moment, then replied slowly, “He’s outstanding[3].” Xu Lingsu smiled. “Yes. He’s decisive in battle, free in spirit, and more importantly, his natal horoscope as hard as iron. He’s destined to be a major figure.” Who would’ve thought the key to resolving the crisis lay in the hands of such a young Daoist? He’d neutralized a catastrophe before it ever broke loose. She turned to Xue San and said, “Now that the remnant’s been destroyed, we must focus on helping the Lady recondense her Dharma body as soon as possible.” Xue San gave a slight nod and was visibly more relaxed now. He sighed with emotion and said, “Lady Qingy once divined that an era of great upheaval is upon us. Shackles are gradually being broken, long-lost Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Lands are reappearing... This time, a Blissful Land will open right here in Wei City. That Daoist Master Li might just have a chance at seizing an immortal fate!” Xu Lingsu’s eyes lit up. “A Blissful Land is in Wei City!?” The Daoist tradition speaks of the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens and Seventy-Two Blissful Lands, filled with rare treasures and natural wonders. They were also said to contain opportunities for immortal ascension and secrets to eternal life. Li Yanchu quickly returned to Qingyun Temple. His pace was lightning fast, and under the cover of night, not even his shadow could be seen. His qinggong had already reached a profoundly advanced level. With a light leap, he landed silently in the courtyard. His landing was as soft as falling cotton, and not the faintest sound was made. Yet in the yard, Blackie, the black donkey tied to the post, suddenly stretched out its neck and looked his way. A flash of sharp, fierce aura flickered in its eyes, then vanished in an instant as the donkey calmly lowered its head. Li Yanchu glanced toward Blackie and chuckled softly. “Blackie, you seem to have gotten stronger again.” At this moment, Blackie stood quietly under the night sky, exuding a calm and grounded presence that felt oddly impressive. According to folk tales, high-ranking Daoist cultivators were often accompanied by strange beasts of heaven and earth. Just then, Li Yanchu smiled to himself and said, “Riding a donkey might not be so bad after all.” He then returned to his room and sat down. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ n̷o̷v̷e̷l̷f̷i̷r̷e̷.net Meanwhile, Blackie stood in the courtyard like a silent guardian, and its nostrils flared and exhaled two streams of warm mist from time to time. Tonight, Li Yanchu had helped Lady Qingyi sever her demonic remnant, which was an ordeal full of danger and strange encounters. Yet now, a new thought suddenly surfaced in his mind. Was his master, Daoist Xuancheng, really just an ordinary Daoist? At first, he hadn’t thought too much about it. But the Yellow Court Classics he’d been cultivating... The techniques recorded within were incredibly profound, and even among the cultivators of the Kingdom of Qian, very few knew them, like Qi Sight or Immobilization Spell for instance. And then there was that prestigious, high-level figure: Daoist Master Yuanyi, the head of Yongxing Temple. Not only did he know Li Yanchu’s master, but the two even seemed to have a history together? That made things... interesting. How could an ordinary Daoist possibly be acquainted with someone like the head of Yongxing Temple? And not just casually acquainted, there was clearly a story there. Could it be... my master is actually a hidden expert!? Li Yanchu wondered to himself, eyes slightly narrowing. 1. Here, the author repeats again that “lightning arts is the purest yang beneath Heaven”, but I have chosen to omit it (as I’m sure you all are already tired of seeing this sentence by now). ☜ 2. This line from The Swordsman’s Journey by Li Bai praises the swordsman’s exceptional martial prowess and courage. It also reflects the poet’s admiration for the chivalrous spirit and his own bold aspirations. ☜ 3. The Chinese raw 人中龙凤, which literally translates to ‘dragon and phoenix among men’, refers to those who are exceptionally talented, heroic, or distinguished. Both the dragon (龙) and phoenix (凤) are extraordinary, auspicious creatures in Chinese culture. In ancient times, only the emperor could wear garments with dragon motifs, and only the empress could be symbolized by the phoenix. Therefore, to call someone a “dragon or phoenix among people” is to praise them as the very best among their peers. They are exceptional and noble, like royalty among commoners. ☜