Chapter 65: Senior Brother, Please Be Cautious!

“What we just experienced was most likely the legendary Heaven’s Grace Baptism.”

At this moment, Li Si was already untied. The talisman paper had been removed, and he had regained his freedom. He sat contentedly in the stone house, savoring the Hundred Herb Soul-Restoring Decoction.

Senior sister is really good, and the Hundred Herb Soul-Restoring Decoction is truly fragrant. Well, at least it doesn’t stink like the Great Soul-Returning Broth. This is all thanks to Little Mushroom.

Little Mushroom, I love you! Muah!

“Senior brother, what is Heaven’s Grace Baptism? I felt like I jumped into hot water, with hundreds of little hands massaging me…”

“Li Si, shut up!” Xu Shen snapped. Turning to Ji Chang, he said, “Senior brother, please continue.”

Indeed, with the Old Madam deeply absorbed in her ‘web addiction’ and offline, Xu Shen held the highest authority in the Floating Cloud Sect, but the most senior member was still Ji Chang.

“Actually, I don’t know much about it either. It’s the first time in my life I’ve encountered this. But my maternal grandfather, you know who he was, right? A Golden Core Cultivator, also from our Floating Cloud Sect, named Zhang Zongyun. My grandmother, Kong Yue, both fell in battle outside four hundred years ago. When they were young, they encountered Heaven’s Grace Baptism a few times.”

“Come to think of it, Li Si, your strength improved so rapidly. I suspect you received a Heaven’s Grace Baptism before,” Ji Chang suddenly looked at Li Si, startling him badly. Hey, can we talk properly here?

But Ji Chang’s expression was earnest and calm, devoid of his earlier gloominess.

“To be honest, I know part of the truth about Heaven’s Grace Baptism. Our Master can control it. However, doing so comes at a great cost. So, Sigouzi… the Master actually values you the most…”

Well, sure enough, Ji Chang was getting jealous again as he spoke.

Li Si, however, immediately understood. Correct, opening a Pure Land and bestowing Divine Grace Baptism was one of its functions, unrelated to his Fate Forge perk.

So, theoretically, the Old Madam could release Heaven’s Grace Baptism. Otherwise, how could he explain her giving him ten portions of Gray Fortune earlier?

Otherwise, when she was opening his meridians, why did she make everyone else leave?

And the stone house was so dim, naturally hiding any blue light pillar.

Sigh, external appearances were mere formality and didn’t matter. What mattered was, where was the Old Madam’s divine idol?

Li Si looked towards the Old Madam and couldn’t help but innocently recall that pale, white hand…

Could it be…

Ah, I shouldn’t look, I shouldn’t listen, I shouldn’t think.

Pah, I’m not that kind of person.

Next came a period of silence. Everyone wasn’t extremely jealous, just a little bit jealous—just how extraordinarily talented was this Sigouzi to earn such favor from the Old Madam…

“Senior sister, the water must be low at home, right? I’ll go fetch some,” Li Si quickly changed the subject. Yesterday, the sect activated the Divine Concealment Formation Array, which must have consumed a lot.

“I’ll go this time.”

Ji Chang stood up, unusually proactive. He had figured it out. This wasn’t about jealousy, but about how much he and the others had disappointed the Master. What merit did Sigouzi have? He was just foolishly running out every day to hunt Anomalous Weeds, Alien Trees, and daring to fetch water. That’s why the Master favored him and bestowed Heaven’s Grace.

So, starting now, he, Ji Chang, would strive. He would fight. He would go out every day to hunt Anomalous Weeds and Alien Trees. From now on, water fetching was his sole responsibility.

“No, Senior Brother Ji, that’s…”

Li Si was shocked. Senior brother, is it really ethical to steal my chance for a stroll outside?

Aren’t you afraid Little Mushroom will devour you?

Senior brother, you need to be cautious!

Li Si grew anxious. Others didn’t know the truth, but he did.

Ever since he gained the Evil God’s friendship and acquired several Evil God’s Marks at once, the situation had become extremely dangerous. If his estimation was correct, the Floating Cloud Sect’s camp in the Deserted Village might very well turn into a popular spot for hordes of Evil Entities, Evil Spirits, and all sorts of demons and devils.

Under these circumstances, you dared to go out alone? You weren’t tired of living; you were seeking a quicker death!

“Junior Brother Li Si, no need to dissuade me. You are so young, yet willing to run passionately for the sect’s future—how could I, your senior brother, do less than you!” Ji Chang was resolute. He needed to take responsibility for his past actions and atone for his mistakes. He, Ji Chang, even after three hundred years, remained that young man. For the Master! For the Floating Cloud Sect! For Heaven’s Grace Baptism!

Whoever blocked him, he would—

“Junior Brother Xu, will you stop me too?” Ji Chang stared at Xu Shen, who had also stood up. His gaze was stern—spell it out clearly.

“No, senior brother. Please go and return swiftly,” Xu Shen smiled faintly. Though he understood Ji Chang’s thoughts, it didn’t matter. In the Floating Cloud Sect’s current state, was keeping oneself safe a permanent solution?

No, it required everyone’s struggle, effort, and even sacrifice.

He hadn’t seen it clearly before. But now, he was willing to be the first. However, Ji Chang must be the second. They, the elders, needed to pave the way for the junior disciples, ensuring the flame passed on unceasingly.

They might never see hope while alive, but the path they paved would let future generations go farther.

No regrets in this life!

Xu Shen stepped aside. Ji Chang strode out, like a heroic knight singing his death song. Li Si panicked—damnit, it’s dangerous outside right now… huh? Why did the sky darken?

Oh no! Celebrity came to visit… wait no, Evil Spirits came to visit!

Li Si reacted instantly. Instinctively, he deployed a high-level Demon Sealing Domain that covered the entire stone house. Simultaneously, he hurled the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl.

Pearl: ???

Pearl: Aaaaah, I’m dead…

Li Si then leaped forward, catching the contaminated Wish-Fulfilling Pearl in one smooth motion. Remember, this was a standard tactical maneuver. As the ancients said—throw a stone to test the waters!

And in the brief moment he threw the pearl, Li Si had gotten a rough idea of the situation. Another feature of the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl was that no matter how strong, perverse, savage, terrifying, or bizarre the enemy was, it always bought Li Si an extra moment to see. After all, the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl could perceive both the Illusory Void and the Mortal Realm.

So Li Si now knew the visitor wasn’t human and came from the Illusory Realm. Their Formation Array outside the Deserted Village simply hadn’t triggered. Only an Evil Spirit could bypass it so directly.

“Junior brothers, what happened?”

Xu Shen also rushed out, quickly slamming the wooden door shut and slapping three Demon Sealing Talismans onto it—better than nothing.

But upon turning around, he saw: beneath a peach tree, a beauty sat on the far bank of a small stream. Long hair cascaded to her waist. She smiled coyly, with enchanting eyes. Especially her mischievous little feet, gently paddling the water surface.

“Hmph! Monster! Did you think I wouldn’t see your true form? Daring to tempt me with such tricks! Flesh over bone, no different from anyone else! Fiend-Slaying Sword Qi, explode wildly! Explode! Explode!” Xu Shen remained lucid. Without a word, he attacked. He had just mastered the Fiend-Slaying Sword Qi divine ability, perfect for today.

For a moment, a storm of Sword Qi filled the air. Sword light gleamed like a rainbow. Xu Shen moved like a dragon!

But the woman opposite continued calmly combing her hair, humming an unknown melody. It truly sounded pleasant. Other than the clear stream rippling slightly—seemingly catching a few lights glinting and twisting on the water surface, making the reflections shimmer.

Except, these reflections weren’t showing the woman. They were reflections of Xu Shen. From the very start, he had become the reflection. Oh, beside him in the reflection lay Ji Chang, and on the other side… Li Si also lay there…

The truly inseparable brothers!

Confusion magic?

It didn’t even need it.

The image itself was lethal. Merely seeing it meant certain doom.

This was the Evil Spirit’s triggered medium. Even Li Si had been caught. He had only glimpsed, earlier through the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl, an old tree branch extending from the Illusory Void, blooming with a delicately beautiful peach flower… and the next second, he was trapped in the reflection.

The three men lay side by side, like three plump babies. As the woman’s gaze grew increasingly tender, they grew visibly younger. It seemed they would soon truly turn into… tadpoles—damnit, this was terrifying horror!

Li Si couldn’t hold out. Clearly, the Old Madam’s sensitivity to the Mortal Realm wasn’t sharp this time. An Evil Spirit had come to their very doorstep, yet she hadn’t intervened.

Well then… fine, I’m outta here!

“Pop!” Li Si instantly teleported back to the Liang Shang Junzi safety point in Kao Mountain Town. Hmph, hate that? Then come chase me down! This is my turf, I have privileges here—come bite me if you dare!

“This Evil Spirit is quite bizarre,” Li Si mused gravely, safely away. “It trapped all three of us. My Heart-Clearing Domain, Disaster-Averting Domain, Purifying Domain – none triggered a warning or activated. It felt like it wasn’t attacking us directly, simply treating us like… babies.” Damnit, this time he’d hit a formidable foe.

His three essential defenses failing to trigger only meant two possibilities: One, the opponent’s power massively overwhelmed them. Two, it employed unique methods, rendering all his divine abilities useless.

Luckily, he wasn’t truly helpless. The Fate Forge’s information provided the crucial clue:

“Soul Alienation Contamination +30%!”

Yes, in that brief moment, his soul had been 30% contaminated.

That was truly rare. Soul Corruption, wasn’t bodily contamination bad enough?

“Zhang San! Sacrifice your Heart-Interrogation Mantra!”

Li Si directly issued a divine decree. He couldn’t learn it directly from Zhang San; Zhang San had to willingly sacrifice it. Timing was critical. If Zhang San hesitated, his two senior brothers would probably croak… Damned tadpoles! Damnit! These visitors were too perverse.

Happily, Zhang San was simple-minded… or perhaps very respectful. Coupled with that massive Divine Grace Baptism earlier, he unhesitatingly chose to sacrifice. While Zhang San ran around looking for fire to burn the Heart-Interrogation Mantra booklet as sacrifice, Li Si had already mastered it…

Indeed, all it needed was consent. Extremely abstract.

Swish!

Li Si casually cast a Divine Grace Baptism towards Zhang San.

“Zhang San, this is your reward. Go on, continue your duties!”

Li Si’s divine decree was gentle, leaving Zhang San stunned. Well… should he burn the Heart-Interrogation Mantra booklet still?

Cliffhanger! Just say it already!