“Eastern Azure Dragon Formation?” Ding Rou was surprised. “You’ve heard of this formation?” Li Yanchu asked. Ding Rou shook her head. “I’ve heard my master mention it. It’s recorded in the Daoist ancient texts, but only by name. I don’t know anything beyond that.” Li Yanchu gave a slight nod. So what exactly did my master teach me...? Outwardly, his expression remained calm, but inwardly, waves of astonishment surged. No wonder his master was on such close terms with the Celestial Master of Mount Longhu. He continued explaining the Eastern Azure Dragon Formation. “Among the Twenty-Eight Mansions, the Eastern Azure Dragon comprises seven stars: Jiao, Kang, Di, Fang, Xin, Wei, and Ji[1]. This Azure Dragon Formation is a protective formation meant to guard the physical body from being invaded by external evil, and it’s a defensive-type formation.” Ding Rou asked softly, “Guard the physical body?” Li Yanchu walked over to one of the ancient bells and lightly tapped its surface with a finger. “That’s right. It’s used to protect the cultivator’s physical body when the primordial spirit leaves the body. These bells should have originally been engraved with sacred incantations and arranged according to the positions of the seven stars of the Azure Dragon. They would also have been empowered by a high-level Daoist.” Ding Rou gently nodded. “Then this must have been set up by Daoist predecessors of Mount Jinting’s Blissful Land, when disaster struck. They sent out their primordial spirits to fight the enemy and laid down this formation.” “Exactly,” Li Yanchu confirmed. “Only, it’s clear now that those predecessors’ primordial spirits never returned. That’s why their physical bodies were possessed by evil entities.” There was a hint of regret in his voice. “What?!” Ding Rou’s face changed in shock. She looked at the ancient, weathered bells. “You mean... this formation failed to protect their bodies?” If that were true, then not only did the Daoist ancestors die in battle with their spirits, even their physical forms couldn’t rest in peace. Li Yanchu replied, “That’s right. If their spirits had returned to the formation, these bells would’ve shattered. The Eastern Azure Dragon Formation is notoriously taxing on magical implements.” “But when we first arrived, these bells were scattered all over the place, toppling in every direction and utterly disordered.” Ding Rou’s expression turned a bit grave. Li Yanchu continued, “And more than that, since the Eastern Azure Dragon Formation wasn’t destroyed, it’s likely that after one of the predecessors’ bodies was taken over by a demonic entity, the demon ended up trapped inside one of the ancient bells.” He pointed to the most intact bell, the one with the least amount of dust settled at its base. “No one knows what form these demons exist in, or how they managed to ignore the bell’s protections and directly possess the physical bodies. But they disrupted the formation from the inside out.” He walked over to the bell and slowly explained, “In the Azure Dragon Formation, this location corresponds to the Horn Star, the first of the Eastern Seven Mansions. It’s called the Horned Wood Flood Dragon, known to be highly aggressive and ominous. “The demon that possessed the cultivator’s body here was trapped and unable to escape. It must have been when the spiritual resonance of the bell faded over time that it finally broke free. It’s likely roaming inside the Daoist temple hall right now.” Ding Rou was startled. So the demons here weren’t just randomly attacking people, nor were they always present. It was as if some limit or seal had been suppressing them. Most likely, one of the Land Immortals of Mount Jinting had used some powerful method to contain them. But this one was freshly unsealed... Ding Rou glanced around. She didn’t feel the malicious gaze she had sensed before, and yet, there was an unshakable sense of unease in her chest. The two of them continued exploring the side hall. But they found nothing divine or mystical; there were no sacred artifacts, no trace of immortal fortune. Ding Rou grew increasingly wary of their surroundings. The atmosphere felt stifling and oppressive, filling her with dread. Fresh chapters posted on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✶𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✶𝕟𝕖𝕥 Then, Li Yanchu suddenly stopped walking, and he turned to look at her deeply. “You seem very afraid?” Ding Rou flinched. “Wait, aren’t you?” Li Yanchu said nothing. Instead, he stepped forward and grabbed her hand. A powerful wave of inner force surged into her body. Ding Rou instinctively tried to pull away, but the moment that warm energy entered her, she suddenly felt a soothing heat flood through her entire body. An indescribable sense of comfort and safety washed over her. It was pure yang inner force; it was dense and vigorous martial qi and blood. As it spread through her meridians, Ding Rou’s fear slowly began to ebb away, and her breathing steadied. "Look into my eyes!" Li Yanchu’s voice was low and commanding. Ding Rou froze for a moment, then instinctively met his gaze. But in Li Yanchu’s eyes, there wasn’t a trace of tenderness or emotion, only a vast, overbearing aura of lightning spell surged within them. Ding Rou felt a sharp sting in her eyes, and she instinctively wanted to look away. Li Yanchu frowned. As expected! He thought for a moment, then chose not to use a Five-Lightning Talisman. Instead, he pulled out a Spirit Officer Summoning Talisman. A wave of pure yang divine aura flared instantly. White smoke began to rise from Ding Rou’s body, as if ice had been dropped into boiling oil. "Ah!" She couldn’t help but cry out, trying to back away, but Li Yanchu held her firmly in place, not allowing her to move. “What are you doing?!” Ding Rou exclaimed in alarm. Li Yanchu spoke calmly with a deep and steady voice, “Don’t speak. Focus. Observe this divine aura carefully, as it will benefit your primordial spirit.” His tone held a sense of unshakable authority, infused with the power of Daoist Mantra of Truth, the kind that pierces through confusion and awakens the mind. Ding Rou’s thoughts cleared in an instant. She had long held deep trust in Li Yanchu, even to the point of dependence. What had just happened was merely a reflex. Now that he had spoken, she truly held her breath and focused her mind, quietly observing the immense and boundless divine energy before her. At first, her eyes ached, her head pounded, and fear welled up in her chest. Every part of her instinct screamed to recoil and retreat. The weight of Divine Dao was oppressive, while the Five-Lightning Spell was also the True Law of Heaven and Earth Both the lightning spell and Divine Dao were part of the Righteous Dao, so any practitioner of evil arts or those with impure hearts and intentions would be unable to withstand them. By all rights, Ding Rou, a properly initiated Daoist priestess, should have been cleansed by the lightning spell and nourished by the Divine Dao. Yet now, she showed signs of fear, as if she were tainted. She was no different from some heretical demon. After Li Yanchu’s shocking jolt to the mind, she too realized something was wrong. Gritting her teeth through the fear and pain, she forced herself to focus, observing the vast divine presence before her. White smoke continued to rise from Ding Rou’s body. But in truth, under Li Yanchu’s Qi Sight, this wasn’t smoke at all, but black mist, thin as strands of hair, which was almost impossible to notice. Ding Rou’s gaze, once filled with fear, gradually turned resolute. And in that moment, she also came to understand that the pure yin constitution was not about being shrouded in yin qi, nor did it imply fear of the Five-Lightning Spell. It referred to women born in yin year, yin month, and yin hour, with a unique life fate. It was a rare, special constitution. It had nothing to do with yin qi in the sense of demonic miasma, but rather the yin aspect of the Dao of Yin and Yang. At last, Ding Rou returned to normal. Her mind was upright, and her spirit was strong. As the saying went, “When the heart is calm, the spirit is at peace.” She looked once more at the dark, silent temple, and found she was no longer so afraid. Li Yanchu let out a breath of relief, releasing her hand. “Good thing I made it in time. And even more fortunate, your nature is pure and kind.” Ding Rou looked at him with a gaze she couldn’t quite conceal. She knew that just now, Li Yanchu had saved her once again. “What exactly was that just now?” she asked. Li Yanchu replied slowly, “It’s a heart demon. You were being drawn in by a heart demon. Just a little more, and you would’ve fallen into the Demonic Dao.” 1. In traditional Chinese astronomy, the Twenty-Eight Mansions are lunar constellations that divide the sky along the Moon's path. They are grouped into four regions, each associated with a mythological beast and a cardinal direction. The Eastern region is represented by the Azure Dragon and includes seven mansions: Jiao (Horn), Kang (Neck), Di (Root), Fang (Room), Xin (Heart), Wei (Tail), and Ji (Basket). These stars mark the eastern section of the sky and are linked to the spring season and the element wood in Chinese cosmology. ☜