Ding Rou asked in mild surprise, “A heart demon?” “That’s right,” Li Yanchu nodded slightly. “The Buddhist and Daoist traditions, and even different Daoist sects, all have different understandings of the heart demon. Ordinary people have three souls and seven spirits. The three souls are Fetal Light, Bright Spirit, and Hidden Spirit[1].” “Fetal Light governs serenity and harmony, it is the qi of pure yang. Bright Spirit governs the yin aspect. It gives rise to a mind of planning and scheming, drives one to exhaust the spirit in pursuit of all things. Hidden Spirit urges mixture with others; it governs lust, desire, and leads to impure and chaotic thoughts.” “There is an unknown presence in this Blissful Land of Mount Jinting. It can stir the three souls and seven spirits, causing one to fall into the Demonic Dao.” Ding Rou’s expression changed slightly, her voice tinged with emotion. “It can stir the three souls and seven spirits?” Such a method was too unbelievable. Li Yanchu went on, “Exactly. The three souls are stored within the human body in a state of balance. Normally, none can completely dominate, but here in this Blissful Land, this presence, let’s call it the heart demon for now, can upset that balance.” “The heart demon strengthens a particular soul or spirit, allowing it to dominate the mind, pushing a person to let go of restraint and plunge headlong into the Demonic Dao. “Zhu Fugui had his Bright Spirit stirred, and his scheming and desire to seize opportunity overwhelmed him. He went so far as to destroy years of cultivation for a shot at immortality.” “Gongshu Peiyu had his Hidden Spirit stirred. His lustful desires awakened, so with just a glimpse of you, he harbored evil intent. As for you just now, what was stirred was the fourth of the seven spirits, the Thief Swallower, which corresponds to the emotion of fear among the seven emotions.” “That fear you felt arose because of all the deadly encounters you’ve faced since entering this cave heaven, it was only natural to feel dread. But in doing so, you gave the heart demon an opening.” Ding Rou fell silent, and she didn’t speak for a long time. The confusion she’d had earlier on why everyone seemed to have suddenly changed once they entered was now finally clear. She’d thought they were just revealing their true natures. But in fact, they had all fallen under its influence. Li Yanchu continued, “The terrifying part of this heart demon’s method is that it’s silent and subtle. It doesn’t force anything upon you; instead, it enhances something you already have. And when it takes hold, you believe you are acting according to your own will.” Ding Rou exhaled a long breath. “If you had told me all this just now,” she said with a soft smile, “I think I really would’ve been scared out of my mind.” That’s exactly why I waited until now to say it... Li Yanchu gave a small smile. “As you encountered more and more danger, cracks began to appear in your state of mind. That’s when the heart demon struck. Now that you’ve seen through it and can maintain clarity at your spiritual core, it won’t be able to drag you into the Demonic Dao.” "Why weren’t you affected? And how were you able to see through all this?" She was genuinely curious. Because I’m a pay-to-win player... Li Yanchu thought to himself, but on the surface, he replied calmly, "First, I have a talisman that protects my mind. Second... it’s probably because of that gift from the immortal." Back then, when the immortal placed a hand on his head in blessing, both Zhu Fugui and Ding Rou had witnessed it. Li Yanchu hadn’t hidden this matter from them. Ding Rou sighed lightly. "I think it’s because your heart is like iron and stone, unshaken by any outside evil or temptation." Li Yanchu froze slightly and didn’t respond. Ding's instincts aren’t bad. Yes. That’s me. A sharp, violent gust of wind suddenly swept through the air! A bloodstained corpse in Daoist robes dropped from the top of the side hall of the Daoist temple. Its entire body radiated an eerie, sinister aura. Its eyes were a solid white, and on its face were thick, black vein-like markings, stretching down from its face to its neck, and across its chest. Immediately, cold winds howled, and dark clouds churned overhead. The anguished cries of countless men, women, elderly, and children came rushing in like a tidal wave. Demonic whispers filled the air, trying to confuse and corrupt the mind! With such a dramatic, grandiose entrance, there was no doubt that this was no ordinary creature, but a formidable, millennia-old demonic corpse. Li Yanchu clashed with the eerie Daoist corpse dozens of times in quick succession, and lightning roared through the air. A chilling gust of yin wind surged forward, carrying a bone-deep cold that corroded even meridians. It made the thousand-year-old Daoist corpse seem even more terrifying and sinister. Li Yanchu’s gaze turned icy. With a single thought... The corpse, previously shrouded in dark winds, suddenly found the sinister gusts around it vanishing into thin air. Even the Daoist corpse paused for a moment, its steps momentarily halted. What kind of entrance comes with built-in buffs? Li Yanchu didn’t allow showy evil creatures to flaunt themselves in front of him! At that moment, Daoist talismans outlined in lightning and flame lit up on his body. His blood boiled, and he used the Daoist sacred artifact, the talismanic armor! He stepped forward, and the ground trembled beneath him. An explosive surge of force burst from his palm. The Daoist corpse was actually knocked back by the strike! Ding Rou’s eyes sharpened slightly. So domineering! At the same time, she couldn’t help but feel a deep admiration for Li Yanchu’s insight, judgment, and decisive action. This corpse must’ve been the one that broke free at the very end. Li Yanchu instantly activated the full power of the talismanic armor. The ancient, imposing armor enveloped his body, and his blood and qi surged like an ocean. “You just pulled a petty trick to manipulate hearts and minds, and you dare show your face before me?” Li Yanchu’s voice rang out like thunderclap. Perhaps the departing souls of those Daoist seniors from long ago had returned after all, but were corrupted by this being’s influence over the three souls and seven spirits, and thus fell into the Demonic Dao. The thought made Li Yanchu’s gaze grow even colder. Divine Astral Hands! Void-Splitting Palm! Follow current novels on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⁂𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⁂𝓷𝓮𝓽 The Daoist corpse was instantly torn apart by the surging, vigorous force of the palm strike. Clang! The Jiaoslayer left its sheath! The razor-sharp divine weapon cleaved the eerie and menacing corpse into pieces without resistance. From the moment this thousand-year-old corpse revealed itself in the side hall, to the moment Li Yanchu cut it down, it all happened in the blink of an eye. With overwhelming, unstoppable force, he obliterated the evil creature on the spot! The saber qi carried blazing yang fire and blood and qi. In no time at all, the corpse was reduced to ashes, and its soul was utterly destroyed! + 8,000 merit points! After withdrawing the talismanic armor, Li Yanchu felt a surge of battle spirit rise in his heart. This was exactly in line with the original intent of the Land Immortal who forged the armor. That great master had entered the Dao through martial cultivation, ultimately shattering the void and transcending. So to him, slaying evil was no different from chopping vegetables. Ding Rou was infected by Li Yanchu’s aura of fearless boldness and steady composure, and her heart calmed completely. In his eyes, there was not even a hint of fear. Even when facing a thousand-year-old corpse, he charged straight ahead, overpowering it with pure force. Seeing this, Ding Rou was deeply shaken by it all. But she didn’t notice that a shadow was silently rising from the ground right behind her. Suddenly, the shadow grabbed her by the ankle and yanked downward! Ding Rou gasped in shock and instinctively raised a protective talisman charm. “Li!” she blurted out the down-to-earth nickname without thinking. Boom! A brilliant saber qi descended from the heavens, and the ground instantly shattered! The eerie shadow clutching Ding Rou’s ankle seemed to suffer a severe blow. It immediately retreated at high speed, slithering like flowing water toward the side hall’s main entrance. Its speed was astonishing; in the blink of an eye, it was already at the door. “Stay right there!” Li Yanchu shouted thunderously. Just then, his five fingers spread wide. Divine Astral Hands! Crane Control Hand and Dragonbind Hand! A powerful surge of qi instantly tore at the shadow, locking it in place in a deadly tug-of-war. Boom! Li Yanchu’s figure flashed and flew forward, and with a fierce thrust, he drove the Jiaoslayer down into the shadow. Centered on him, the ground split open into a massive crater. The entire side hall of the Daoist temple hall trembled violently, and dust rained down from the rafters, nearly collapsing. The shadow was annihilated on the spot and reduced to ashes, scattered to the wind. Li Yanchu frowned. What the hell was that thing!? Where had it even come from? 1. You Jing (幽精) “The Hidden Spirit” – This part of the soul determines attraction and sexual orientation. The ancient Chinese believed that when a person’s heart was broken and they lost interest in the world around them, it was because this part of their soul was injured. The “Hidden Spirit” leaves the body frequently, visiting people, places, or things it is attracted to. If this part of the soul is too strong, it is a detriment to the other Yang aspects of the soul, leading to dullness and confusion. Tai Guang “The Fetal Light” (胎光) – This part of the soul is the life force in the body, the spark of life. Shuang Ling (爽灵) “The Bright Spirit” – This part of the soul determines a person’s intellectual ability. The ancient Chinese associated intellectual disability with its loss or injury. This part of the soul is believed to leave the body at night, causing dreaming. It occasionally dissipates with old age. ☜