Chapter 85: Farewell, Senior Sister
Chapter 85: Farewell, Senior Sister
The temple was completely silent.
Zhang San was still breaking through to his next stage, unaware of the outside world.
Li Si stood there, seemingly in deep thought.
After a long while, he finally frowned. “Why should I trust you? Sneaking around like this, just scaring me with a pair of eyeballs? Come out and face me if you dare!”
“Hehehe, don’t bother with childish taunts, boy. Calling you junior brother is a mark of respect. How I act is far beyond your judgment. In life, I fought and died for the Floating Cloud Sect. In death, transformed into an Evil Spirit, I still seek ways to protect it. Taking some… compensation is only reasonable.”
“Do you think I shared all this just to give you time? No! Go back and tell that old fossil: if the Floating Cloud Sect wants to survive the Evil God Cult’s purge, it must accept my protection! Show some sincerity! As long as I can ascend to Evil Immortal, I can carve out eight hundred miles of safe territory for your precious sect!”
“Now! Tell me the location of the Hundred-League Law Seal! I will permit you to take fifty people, including this little Spirit Cultivator you value so much.”
An invisible power rippled through the Void, as if something was watching intensely, ready to step out at any moment.
Li Si suddenly seemed to comprehend everything. “Ah… so that’s it. You used spying to disrupt my cultivation. You focused my attention on Zhang San’s breakthrough as a distraction. Your ultimate goal… was to prevent me from reaching Golden Core. Because once I possessed Golden Core cultivation, I could control the Hundred-League Law Seal.”
“Shut up!”
The Evil Spirit finally lost its temper. The invisible power that had hung in the Void surged violently, but not towards Li Si. Instead, it shot straight at Zhang San, who was in the midst of his breakthrough.
It was clever, honestly. Even now, it was still trying to hold hostages.
But this wasn’t born from kindness, nor stupidity.
Its earlier long-winded rant… it had hoped Li Si would back down without a fight. It truly didn’t want to face him head-on.
Because even without Golden Core cultivation, Li Si could still manipulate the Hundred-League Law Seal, albeit with limits.
Conversely, by holding people Li Si valued hostage… when the Evil God Cult’s army arrived at the gates, Li Si might be forced to compromise.
Wouldn’t taking fifty people back to the Floating Cloud Sect be a good outcome?
From every angle, this mysterious Evil Spirit seemed certain of victory, firmly in control, even manipulating the Evil God Cult’s army as its pawn.
However, there was one uncontrollable variable: Li Si.
He suddenly reached Golden Core.
Yes. In that fleeting moment, the “Golden Core swallowed within, my destiny mine alone” stage… it was done.
He hadn’t rushed to save Zhang San – no need.
He hadn’t even tried to control the Hundred-League Law Seal – again, no need.
He simply unleashed the highest-grade Soul-Searching Curse, and the high-grade Deduction Method.
The latter worked silently. The former exploded spectacularly.
Nine Soul-Searching domains unfolded, sweeping across a hundred leagues. Not a Formation Array, yet overwhelming one. Within this area, all links between the Mortal Realm and the Illusory Realm… were suppressed.
Like nine towering pagodas!
All monstrous spirits and apparitions were crushed, including the Evil Spirit reaching for Zhang San. It thought its Illusory Void powers gave it freedom, like a fish in water, unstoppable. Yet, in this very second… it met utter disaster!
The entire Mortal Realm and Illusory Void seemed to turn into solid, impenetrable walls.
The Evil Spirit shrieked. A large, ink-black blob of flesh plummeted into the Mortal Realm. But before it could hit the town, it exploded into thousands upon thousands of eyes!
Each eye sprouted dense, hairy black threads, floating like eerie, fuzzy balls of string in the town’s night sky, weaving a vast, sinister net.
The Evil Spirit roared madly:
“STOP! STOP! Don’t force mutual destruction! You can kill me, but I can utterly corrupt this entire town before I die! Soul Corruption added to Aberrant Corruption! Thousands won’t survive!”
“Let me go, Junior Brother Li! Brother Li! I was wrong! Remember my life, dedicated to the Floating Cloud Sect’s desperate battles, never betraying it! Remember even in death, my obsession was the Sect! If I did wrong… your real enemy is the Evil God Cult’s army! They are coming! NOW! Beg you! Give me a chance! Never again!”
Li Si visibly hesitated for a moment, then spoke solemnly. “Very well. I grant you that chance. Go now. Delay the fleet approaching from the south. Just hold them for one hour… and then you may leave freely.”
“Agreed! Remember your promise!”
The thousands of eyes hovering in the night sky suddenly contracted. But before they could complete the transformation…
Li Si flicked his hand, changing his seals.
The nine Soul-Searching domains snapped shut like invisible steel cages, instantly binding the Evil Spirit firmly mid-air.
Simultaneously, an urgent light burst from the four Divine Idols placed around the town!
Light coalesced, forming the spectral outline of the Hundred-League Law Seal, immense, solid, and crushing. Like a falling mountain!
Thousands of eyes exploded into thick, viscous liquid, releasing extremely potent Aberrant Corruption.
Each eye screamed silently. Under the press of the Hundred-League Law Seal, no sound could emerge.
They were squeezed, compressed, engulfed like caviar… driven deep into the earth.
Silenced forever.
“Farewell, Senior Sister.” Li Si spoke softly. “This junior brother will uphold your final wish: Be filial to Master. Cherish our sect siblings. Make the Floating Cloud Sect our home. And forever oppose the Evil God.”
He sighed deeply. If he had truly captured the Thousand-Eyed Evil Spirit’s main body earlier… he might have shown mercy. Unfortunately, that had still been an avatar.
Just an avatar. Yet it screamed so realistically, pleaded so earnestly, begged so desperately…
Did it think he, Li Si, had an intelligence below zero?
As for how he knew… Hah. Did they think his Deduction Method was just for show?
One look, and he saw it wasn’t human.
“Third Avatar of the Thousand-Eyed Evil Spirit destroyed. White Fate Firewood obtained: 400 portions. Thousand-Eyes Mask obtained ×2.”
“Hundred-League Law Seal absorbed: 300% Soul Alienation Contamination. Current Contamination Absorption Limit: 1%.”
“Hundred-League Law Seal absorbed: 300% Aberrant Corruption (Physical). Current Contamination Absorption Limit: 1%.”
“Purification via Fate Forge possible.”
—
Information streamed past. Li Si’s face remained expressionless. He stretched out his hand, and two finer crafted Thousand-Eyes Masks landed in his palm. He quite liked these. Absent-mindedly, he rubbed one. The mask trembled and let out a tiny, distorted, silent shriek. Ah. So lacking in charm.
He tossed the masks into his Cosmic Bag. Immediately, he proclaimed a Divine Decree.
The order rang out: All able-bodied men in Kao Mountain Town were to prepare for battle.
Over the past month, a fair number had received basic training. Each would now head to the temple to receive a Divine Art – a low-level Demon Slaying Thorn.
They had also practiced this simple combat skill near the well-monster zones. Results were uncertain, but with an enemy army approaching the gates… options were gone.
Soon, the sleepy Kao Mountain Town was ablaze with lights. Everyone was roused. Shouts, children’s cries… chaos ensued.
Yet, it didn’t descend into true disorder. The Temple Priest Group, the Temple Warrior Group, the Kaoshan Alliance guards, and the Lanshan Sect coordinated efficiently.
For now, everyone lined up to receive new Divine Art blessings at the temple – each person given three charges of Demon Slaying Thorn.
More complex Dao Techniques were beyond them anyway. The Demon Slaying Thorn was simple and practical. Aim at a target, shout the incantation, and it unleashed automatically. No hand seals needed.
Now, it was a test of command – fierce winds test strong grass, turbulent times reveal true heroes.
Li Si observed coldly from above. He would provide limitless Magic Power. He would only personally deal with the enemy’s high-value targets.
He had poured enormous resources into this place. If they couldn’t hold the walls with terrain advantage… then Kao Mountain Town wasn’t worth keeping.
Deep down, Li Si realized this path was dead end. Enemies could come endlessly. Even with the Fate Forge, how many waves could he withstand?
It might be wiser to take only those with potential and seek refuge with the Old Madam. Even confess everything.
Of course, he still had one hundred Martial Arts Talisman Puppets. He deployed them now. They marched with chilling discipline, forming ranks near the central temple compound. Their sheer presence offered some frail comfort to the terrified civilians.
As for Li Si… his true self had already teleported back to the Floating Cloud Sect’s small village.
Inside his Quiet Room, he immediately focused on swiftly mastering the Divine Heaven Thunder Control Technique.
This was arguably his most potent hidden card.
This time, he had to strike with the full force of a lion against a rabbit. Spare no one. Leave no survivors.
The basic Dao Technique requirements for the thunder technique weren’t excessively high (Intermediate level was the minimum). But Li Si demanded perfection. He boosted them all the way to the Advanced Divine Ability tier.
A higher starting point elevated the thunder technique’s initial level too. Mastering even the basics required 10 portions of White Fate Firewood… plus a mandatory 1 portion loan fee to pay the Old Madam…
Li Si mentally checked his savings: 1799 portions of White Fate Firewood remaining. Choosing to master the thunder technique would wipe out 1100 portions instantly.
I hope the “friends” visiting tonight bring me quite the surprise. Otherwise, I’ll be deep in the red, Li Si sighed inwardly. He made his choice: Master.
BOOM!
The next instant, a thunderclap detonated inside his mind, blasting his consciousness into pure, blank silence. When his thoughts finally reassembled… he found himself… viewing the world through the eyes of a young girl? No… this appeared to be the Old Madam’s youthful form.
So this is what she looked like then, Li Si noted calmly, utterly unmoved. This opportunity was rare, but this special illusionary learning state offered no insights into her life – not her name, not her thoughts. Everything unrelated to the Divine Heaven Thunder Control Technique remained obscured in Mist – a necessity, as she was a True Immortal.
Even without that Mist, Li Si wouldn’t pry.
He watched her. From her youth, she studied, refined, tested through countless battles… until finally reaching the Great Ascension stage. Only then did she perfect the thunder technique known today as the Divine Heaven Six Thunder Control Method.
The technique was staggeringly complex. Its activation required hand seals at least ten times more intricate than other abilities.
It was also split into: Greater Six Domains, Lesser Six Domains, and the Six Domains Mountain Chain – a continuous barrage of thirty-six domains. Achieving that… would unleash thunderstorms covering a thousand miles, unleashing devastating strikes for the duration of an incense stick…
Too brutal.
That, however, required Great Ascension power. Just the Magic Power cost began in the millions of points.
Li Si ultimately settled for mastering the Lesser Six Domains. Even that consumed at least 100,000 Magic Power points per activation.
And even after his recent advance to Golden Core… his total Magic Power capacity was only a mere 116,000 points.