Shen Luohe had sent everyone away, leaving only a few scattered lights flickering within the monastery.
“So that’s how it is... I was wondering why the great formation in this Demon Suppression Monastery looked so strange. It turns out the formation eye is extraordinary. He used the entire monastery as the base and drew upon the spiritual pulses using the dharma treasure underground to trace the formation lines.”
Nan Zhi narrowed her eyes. The withered mountains and thin rocks surrounding the monastery seemed to connect into faint lines. By tracing them mentally, she realized the layout of the pavilions was also tied to the formation.
Stripped of its complex techniques and diagrams, a formation consisted of only three essential elements: the base, the lines, and the eye.
For the past three days, Nan Zhi had been wondering why Daoist Qinglong, a high level cultivator, hadn't simply captured her and brought her back to the monastery when she was seeking shelter from the rain.
His external incarnation’s cultivation was low, so it naturally couldn't defeat Miaoyun, but there had been plenty of opportunities to seize her afterward.
Bianjing.
Yin Yang Road.
Xingyuan.
Now that she had found the clues and observed from a height, the answer to her confusion was clear.
Qinglong’s true body simply could not leave this Demon Suppression Monastery.
A cultivator’s natal dharma treasure was different from ordinary ones. The former required essence blood to refine and could be considered half of the cultivator’s own body.
Qinglong had anchored the Three Fire Candle Turtle Ruler beneath the monastery and inscribed a formation over it to obscure heavenly secrets.
This was why, despite his many atrocities, he had not faced a heavenly tribulation for so long.
If the formation was a signal transmitter, the Three Fire Candle Turtle Ruler was a signal amplifier. With its power, Qinglong could commit his outrages right under the nose of the Qingjing Sect without being detected.
The higher a cultivator’s level, the easier it was to attract karmic retribution.
Thus, high level powerhouses rarely acted on a whim.
Qinglong had been hiding like a coward inside this turtle shell of a monastery. But if she could break this formation...
The first thing to descend would undoubtedly be the rolling heavenly lightning aimed straight at him!
Nan Zhi’s mind cleared instantly. She unconsciously squeezed the wisteria at her waist.
“In that case, the advantage is still mine. We will see how things stand after tomorrow.”
The wisteria did not speak. Half of its roots danced in the wind, and a withered purple flower swayed twice in response.
...
When Shen Luohe led Nan Zhi to the bamboo pavilion, Daoist Qinglong was already waiting with his hands behind his back.
Today, his beard was gone, and his face was powdered. He wore a moon white robe with wide sleeves and a lotus crown held by a single jade hairpin. His phoenix eyes were filled with a deceptive tenderness.
His long held wish was finally about to be fulfilled. Daoist Qinglong was in a state of extreme excitement; the corners of his eyes were slightly red, with faint blood vessels branching out.
Shen Luohe kept his eyes downcast, holding a tray as he stood submissively behind the Daoist.
Nan Zhi’s nose twitched.
A familiar, strange fragrance began to spread through the air.
Seeing that she had arrived, Daoist Qinglong didn't seem to want to waste another word. He simply flicked his sleeve. Suddenly, the earth shook and the mountains swayed. The surroundings trembled violently; distant rocks collapsed, and buildings sank as the entire Demon Suppression Monastery rose into the air—
Rumble...
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Rumble!
The surrounding horizon vanished rapidly, replaced by a line of azure sky. Outside the bamboo pavilion, every inch of bamboo shook. Massive clouds from high above plummeted down, floating just within the bamboo grove.
The sun seemed much closer now.
Countless fragments of stone floated around Nan Zhi. Even without looking, she knew that a jagged, hideous crater must have been left where the monastery once stood.
Arrogant as he was, Qinglong wasn't entirely brainless.
Worried that someone might interfere with the planting of the Mayfly Wood, he had used his natal dharma treasure to lift the entire monastery thousands of feet into the sky!
“Gah! Gah! Gah!”
The white crane flew in circles above the bamboo forest. Sensing the changes, it grew agitated and cried out loudly.
“Too noisy. What if you wake my Xia Niang?”
Without even looking up, Qinglong flicked a finger, sending out a bolt of spiritual light. The white crane was struck head on and fell straight from the clouds. Blood seeped from its beak, and one of its wings was pierced through by a bamboo leaf. It crashed into the ground, leaving a large pit.
The crane’s pointed face was filled with confusion. Its body twitched as dark blood pooled from its nose and mouth.
This intelligent white crane couldn't understand why its once gentle master had suddenly changed.
Perhaps Immortal Danxia’s refusal to yield and her resolute choice of death had triggered something in him.
At this moment, he had likely fallen into a demonic state.
Even the slightest annoyance would result in immediate death.
Even for a spirit beast that had accompanied him for years.
Nan Zhi saw it clearly.
Resurrecting Danxia had become his heart demon, haunting him day and night until he fell into the demonic path and committed countless cruel acts.
Once a cultivator developed a heart demon, their cultivation would stagnate. Even if they attempted a tribulation, the chances of failure were higher; one wrong move could lead to cultivation deviation and a massive drop in realm.
Daoist Qinglong’s obsession with resurrecting Danxia probably wasn't just because of some illusory, self righteous “love.”
“Xia Niang, don't be afraid. It will be over soon.”
Daoist Qinglong sighed softly and took two wooden boxes from his robes, tossing them into the air. Instantly, the wind stirred the bamboo. Thousands of leaves transformed into a flowing cloud, stacking up to gently lift the half human, half insect Danxia.
Danxia was still in Nan Yi’s form. The wound on her neck had completely healed without a trace. Her eyes were closed tightly, as if she were in a deep coma.
The other wooden box contained a fungus that Nan Zhi had seen before, looking like a brightly colored cordyceps. It was a small, harmless looking thing.
“It is your turn.”
Daoist Qinglong spoke coldly to Nan Zhi. He was like a volcano that had been suppressed for too long; his murderous intent could erupt at any moment.
Nan Zhi had already bathed and changed into her Azure Sea Sky set. Her long hair was tied high with a cord, and a jade hairpin was tucked into it.
“Monastery Master, why the rush?”
She suddenly asked an irrelevant question.
“That Immortal Mo Chenghuai who laid out this formation was truly a genius in the art of formations. I wonder if he is still alive?”
“That is not for you to know.”
Qinglong’s eyes shifted. Even from several yards away, one could smell the strange fragrance emanating from him.
“Come here.”
The muscles in his cheeks twitched uncontrollably from excitement, making him look bizarre.
“Once my great task is complete, I will ascend to immortality and be free. I will not forget your contribution. For thousands of years, as long as the world exists, we will live. What are the Five Decays of Heaven and Man? What are the great disasters of heaven and earth? As long as I have Xia Niang, we can be a pair of free spirits, a loving couple forever.”
“At that time, you will be the master of this Demon Suppression Monastery and a disciple of the Qingjing Sect! The path of cultivation lies right before you, a supreme opportunity. What are you waiting for, child?!”
Nan Zhi’s eyes seemed dazed, as if she were mesmerized by the beautiful future he described. She unconsciously took two steps forward and reached out to take the Mayfly Wood.
The fungus seemed to possess a consciousness of its own. As soon as it touched her skin, it began to root rapidly. Countless tiny roots pierced through Nan Zhi’s fingertips and into her flesh.
Sizzle...
Sizzle...
The sound of the strange roots burrowing into her flesh was ear piercing, yet Nan Zhi kept her palm open, her thoughts unreadable.
A look of joy appeared on Qinglong’s face, and the corners of his mouth curled up.
Shen Luohe gritted his teeth, his hand hidden beneath the tray clearly gripping something.
In the next moment, a sudden change occurred.
Boom!
Boom!!
A flash of electricity lit up in Nan Zhi’s palm. Thunder surged. The brightly colored fungal threads had already rooted into her flesh, leaving them no way to dodge—
Rumble!!
Boom!
Nan Zhi clenched her fist with all her might. The piece of Mayfly Wood in her hand made a soft popping sound and suddenly shattered.
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