Chapter 318: The Dao of Stealing Spirit and the Dao of Praying for Spirit

Brother Dao, where exactly are you from?

Though never explicitly stated, all the other Daoists were deeply curious, and he was no exception.

But soon, he shook his head and let out a light laugh: "When the time comes, Brother Dao will speak of it himself."

Wait!

Could it be he's already told everyone else?!

emm…

Not likely, not likely—maybe he only told the Sword Sovereign.

Instantly, he swept his wide sleeves, his immortal body expanding boundlessly; behind his head, the Yin-Yang fish spun, and infinite chaotic qi spontaneously swirled around him.

It was far taller than even the Tongxuan-level world!

His immortal body stretched from earth to heaven; with one step downward, he walked forward as chaotic qi surged around him.

Since he had reached the extreme limit of Taixuan Realm's repulsive force, he must test just how far this boundary extended before deciding how to respond.

Yet, only one step forward!

The Seeing Hong Zun felt an insurmountable wall before him—vast, endless, and so thick that even his fully expanded immortal body appeared minuscule in comparison.

Boom—

Crushing pressure collapsed downward; an irresistible force surged straight at him!

All his techniques and great Dao were crushed in an instant, as if he had returned to the time when he first faced the Taixuan Realm's repulsion.

Seeing Hong Zun could not withstand it at all—he was blasted backward, crashing into the Tongxuan-level world.

But as he moved away, the crushing sensation vanished; his boundless immortal body instantly shrank back to ordinary human size, and his terrifying scale collapsed to its extreme limit.

At their level, size could be freely controlled.

Otherwise, this Tongxuan-level world, inferior to the Beast God Realm, could not possibly withstand the entry of a true immortal with fully expanded scale.

Huh~

With a single inhale-exhale of the world's instinct, Seeing Hong Zun rode the rolling chaotic qi into the realm's interior; the boundless light he emitted did not flicker at all.

After all, Seeing Hong Zun's size had been reduced to that of an ordinary human—insignificant compared to an entire world.

…

…

Boom—

Lightning tore open the black sky, turning heaven and earth white-hot.

Wild winds howled, surging through broken windows and door cracks, carrying fine raindrops that added a chill to the ruined temple.

By the lightning's glow, the altar's deity could barely be seen—one hand gripping a mace, eyes wide with fury, radiating solemn authority.

But its body was coated in dust; the incense burner on the altar had been overturned, ash scattered across the floor, several broken incense sticks lying everywhere.

Creak—

A grating, shrill sound came as the temple door opened—a frail old man led a thin girl, followed by a half-grown boy.

All three wore straw capes and conical hats, water dripping steadily from them.

Perhaps due to the biting cold outside, the girl and boy had pale faces, while the old man's complexion remained ruddy.

"First, light a fire."

The old man removed his hat and hung his cape aside, revealing a wide Daoist robe.

Strangely, though the rain outside was heavy, not a single drop of moisture clung to his clothing.

The boy and girl also removed their hats and capes; though damp traces remained on their clothes, they went to the corner, dragged in dry firewood, pulled out several unsoaked flint stones, and lit a fire with straw.

As the fire blazed up, the entire ruined temple seemed to warm considerably.

The old Daoist picked up the fallen incense burner, righted the altar table, swept away the dust, and bowed respectfully to the deity.

The boy and girl, crouched beside the fire, watched this with curiosity.

Creak—

Another sound came; the girl, the boy, and the old man all turned toward the temple door.

There, the door opened again, letting in cold wind and raindrops.

The newcomer wore a black-and-white Daoist robe, his hair half-black, half-white; though no rain gear was visible, not a single drop of moisture touched him.

"The rain outside is heavy—I'd like to borrow a corner to shelter. Apologies for the disturbance."

"..." The old Daoist stared at him for two long moments, then said slowly, "You're too courteous—we're all seeking refuge; no need for such formalities."

The Daoist smiled, then closed the door and strode in.

The girl and boy nervously shifted aside.

The Daoist made no pretense—he stepped forward to the fire, but did not crouch; instead, he stared ahead at the deity's grotesque, fire-lit face.

Boom—

Only when lightning once again bathed heaven and earth in white-hot light did he finally turn his gaze away.

Then, from his sleeve, he withdrew several silver-bright, Fang Fangzhengzheng objects, adorned with intricate patterns.

The girl and boy's eyes were drawn to them; even the old Daoist glanced twice.

"Please, everyone."

The Daoist extended the object forward; in the firelight, four large Fang Fangzhengzheng characters stood out clearly—COMPRESSED BISCUIT.

Beneath them, a smaller line:

Origin: Taishang Dao Sect.

This Daoist was, of course, Seeing Hong Zun.

After entering the realm, he figured his younger sister, the Sword Sovereign, and Brother Dao would take some time to arrive, so he began wandering through this world.

The three people before him were the first humans he had encountered in this world. Emm...

Should I give them a small gift?

Never mind, never mind—giving something upon first meeting is the way of a Dao-brother.

"What's this?" came the girl's clear voice.

But she quickly realized her mistake and hurriedly looked toward the old Taoist in panic.

The old Taoist did not grow angry; he merely smiled helplessly.

"This… is a kind of dried ration, though the taste isn't bad."

Seeing Hong Zun tore open the packaging.

Instantly, rich spiritual energy scattered in all directions. The old Taoist's previously indifferent expression froze, his gaze turning serious.

"A noble one has come to seek my master and disciples—what might your instruction be?"

"Merely a matter of chance."

Seeing Hong Zun tossed the remaining compressed biscuits to the three, then took the opened one and bit into it.

!. Read

The sound was crisp, making the two half-grown children swallow hard.

But without the old Taoist's permission, they dared not eat.

Seeing Hong Zun, however, paid no heed—he quickly finished the entire biscuit in a few bites.

The old Taoist's expression remained grave: "Might you be practicing the 'Spirit-Stealing Dao'?"

Nowadays, the Divine Path flourishes; all things are managed by the divine, including the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

In this age, cultivators wishing to inhale and exhale spiritual energy must first fast and bathe, select an auspicious day, then set up a ritual altar and petition the Tiangong. Only after receiving the Tiangong's approval, when the Spirit Bureau allocates spiritual energy, may they cultivate.

Even then, success is not guaranteed—it depends on celestial timing and the petitioner's own merit.

Such complications naturally led a group of cultivators to reject these restrictions and create the method of 【Spirit-Stealing】.

They need no approval from the Tiangong, nor allocation from divine spirits—they draw spiritual energy directly from heaven and earth.

These 【Spirit-Stealing Dao】 cultivators are closely monitored by the Tiangong; killing them brings great merit!

"Spirit-Stealing Dao? According to this world's understanding, I suppose I am." Seeing Hong Zun replied calmly.

Naturally, 【Spirit-Stealing Dao】 cultivators usually possess high realms and astonishing combat techniques, so ordinary 【Prayer-Spirit Dao】 cultivators—except for prodigies from major sects—do not seek trouble with them.

The old Taoist had no such intention.

"Then please, noble one, reclaim your treasure. My two young disciples and I cannot accept such a gift."

They were orthodox 【Prayer-Spirit Dao】 practitioners.

"But I think you really need it."

Boom!

The temple door shattered outright, shards scattering as cold wind howled into the temple.

Boom—!

At that moment, lightning flashed again across the sky; by its light, they saw a monstrous figure standing outside the door—a bear-headed, humanoid beast clad in golden armor, towering like a mountain.

On its shoulder rested a staff as thick as a bowl, its terrifying aura suffocating.

"Damned old Taoist! Give me back my brother's life!"

Its roar was more terrifying than the thunder, generating visible distortions as if a hurricane had erupted inside the ruined temple.

This roar alone could kill an ordinary person, causing blood to spurt from all seven orifices.

Logically, the boy and girl should have been obliterated—but when the roar reached Seeing Hong Zun, it vanished instantly, not even stirring the flame.

The two children noticed nothing amiss, but the elder did—and his face darkened.

To kill the bear demon, who had devoured countless people, he had already used up today's entire quota of spiritual energy!

Now he had only half a tenth of his magic power left—he was no match for this bear demon!

Thud! Thud!

The ground trembled as the bear demon stepped into the temple; its massive form made the entire shrine feel cramped.

It was not grotesque; rather, it radiated solemn majesty.

A faint, elusive fragrance drifted through—the scent of sandalwood.

Its aura was heavy and tranquil, subtly connected to the earth's veins, with a layer of earthy, yellowish qi ascending to heaven.

It was no bear demon—it was Xiong Shen, the mountain deity recognized by the Tiangong!

Xiong Shen stared at Seeing Hong Zun, his pea-sized eyes filled with wariness: "Who are you, Daoist? Step aside quickly! I am the Mountain God of Guashan—do you dare defy the Tiangong's laws?!"

Wonderful. Again.

Every person… every demon calls themselves 'this one'—when did these two characters become so cheap?

Only because it's me they've met—if Huo were here right now, he'd have already overturned the entire Tiangong.

A mere bear deity—Seeing Hong Zun paid it no mind.

He casually froze it in place, then turned to the old Taoist: "Well? I told you you needed it. What's your decision?"

"..." The old Taoist pulled out a talisman, formed the Spirit-Invoking Seal, and said, "No need for your noble assistance—I have my own method."

With the situation dire, he had no time to set up an altar; the talisman in his hand burst into blazing fire.

"Disciple Jiang Lin, forty-seventh successor of Yunhai Pavilion on Chengming Mountain, disciple of True Person Lingjing, I now petition Tongli Shenjun..."

Spirit-Invoking Method!

The old Taoist recited rapidly, finishing the entire incantation shortly after the fire ignited.

Yet when the talisman's fire burned out, not a shred of divine power descended.

The old Taoist's expression froze.

The Xiong Shen burst into loud laughter, his voice shaking the temple: "I am the Mountain God of Guashan. The Tongli Shenjun you Yunhai Monastery worships is a close friend of my lord, Tongwei Shenjun—how could I possibly trouble you over a mere serving Daoist!"

"Not to mention my elder brother, who won untold incense offerings for Tongli Shenjun—only to be killed by you, old Daoist. Do you think Tongli Shenjun will descend divine power to save you?"

Hearing this, the old Daoist's expression finally turned ashen.

Yet even as the Xiong Shen fell silent, he was filled with dread!

Could one really say such a thing?! (End of Chapter)