Chapter 508: Awakening Ceremony

As soon as Li Yan entered the stone watchtower, he sensed something was wrong.

Sha Lifei, at this moment, seemed utterly insane, mistaking Li Yan for one of the malevolent spirits, thrashing wildly and swinging the bone club at him.

Li Yan twisted his wrist, sidestepped, and applied the technique "Golden Beam Holding the Sea," pinning Sha Lifei to the ground, the bone club rolling away with a clatter.

"Old Sha, wake up!"

Li Yan's expression was cold and stern as he called out in a low voice.

Unfortunately, Sha Lifei continued shaking his head like a wild beast.

Seeing the black mist over the old man's eyes, Li Yan said nothing—he pressed his left hand down on Sha Lifei's chest, while his right hand formed a seal and chanted: "Qing Jia! Heaven grants salvation, sternly suppressing the Northern Feng. The Divine Lord receives the Mandate, sweeping away all misfortune… Swiftly, as the law commands!"

Upon finishing the incantation, he pointed a finger at Sha Lifei's forehead.

This was the "Northern Emperor's Exorcism of Misfortune," specifically used against spirit possession, spirit collisions, soul confusion, and other abnormal states.

Sha Lifei's spirit had clearly been tainted by a malevolent entity.

Indeed, as soon as the incantation took effect, Sha Lifei gradually calmed down, the black mist over his eyes swiftly dissipating.

"Young Master Li, you… you're here too?"

Seeing Li Yan, Sha Lifei was startled and delighted, yet also uneasy.

He knew what Li Yan had gone to do; to say he wasn't moved would be false, but he was now even more worried.

This place was simply too terrifying.

"We're brothers—no need for idle talk."

Li Yan cut him off with a low voice, then briefly summarized the general situation of the Shituolin, telling him what he had experienced.

Much fear stems from the unknown.

Sha Lifei had only felt darkness and the venomous gaze lurking in the shadows—fear naturally magnified.

Hearing Li Yan clarify what lay outside, he clenched his teeth in fury: "So that's it! A bunch of envious, cursed ghosts—no wonder they've been dogging my heels like I owe them money!"

As he spoke, that same reckless, unyielding tone returned.

Li Yan chuckled silently, glanced around, and asked: "Tell me, how did you find this place?"

"I stumbled into it by accident."

Sha Lifei scratched his head: "When I got to this hellish place, I could only see three feet ahead—anything farther vanished from sight."

"I wandered around randomly, drawing the attention of those cursed ghosts, who chased me nonstop—somehow, I ended up here."

Li Yan nodded, then picked up the bone club on the ground to examine it.

"I found this thing here too."

Seeing this, Sha Lifei hurriedly asked: "Young Master Li, what's wrong? Is there something off about this place?"

"Yes."

Li Yan carefully inspected the bone club and said gravely: "The River God Lord has already been reborn—this must be the work of the one who built this place."

"Here, he established his spirit and constructed this tower—perhaps we can find traces to uncover his identity…"

As he spoke, Li Yan frowned deeply.

He had initially assumed the bone club was made of human bone, but upon closer inspection, it was wrong—it was far more slender than human bone.

It resembled a series of monkey forearms, twisted and linked together through special methods into a staff.

This object was the Qiang monk's ritual implement.

The Shituolin is a spiritual space—everything here is illusory, impossible to carry out.

Li Yan couldn't comprehend it, and his spiritual powers were suppressed here, so he memorized everything precisely, planning to draw the images later and seek information after exiting.

After carefully memorizing it, he led Sha Lifei forward.

As he suspected, this was a spirit-built tower—though differing from Buddhist and Daoist methods, it was still measured by levels.

The stone watchtower looked large from outside, but inside it was modest; Li Yan and Sha Lifei circled through it and had seen the entire first level.

This shrine bore Qiang style, yet also contained Buddhist elements.

The tower's architecture typically reflects the cultivator's method—suggesting this man was likely a Qiang shaman who also practiced Buddhism.

The carvings on the stones confirmed this.

They depicted Qiang worship of sun, moon, and stars, alongside lotus flowers, swastikas, and prayer flags.

But what most intrigued Li Yan were the statues enshrined here.

The statue enshrined a Buddha, resembling the old monk he had seen, surrounded by divine dragons.

Beside it crouched a small golden monkey, like a child, holding a censer in its hands.

What kind of path was this?

Li Yan grew increasingly curious.

He had never before seen a spirit-building with a pet.

Of course, these incomprehensible things could only be recorded for now—he'd need to ask others for details later.

What mattered more now was determining the old ghost's cultivation level.

Li Yan and Sha Lifei ascended the stairs.

The upper palaces were no different from the first level—just smaller in area, with identical statues.

The higher they climbed, the more grave Li Yan's expression became.

They had climbed five levels.

This meant the opponent's cultivation reached five-story height.

And judging by the condition, this was from many years ago.

Now that the River God Lord has been reborn, this old monk must be a key figure—perhaps his cultivation has even improved…

Crack!

As Li Yan pondered, the stone watchtower suddenly cracked, then a violent wind erupted, bricks tumbling down in a clatter.

"This place won't hold!"

Li Yan grabbed Sha Lifei and dashed outward immediately.

Though the stone watchtower appeared sturdy, it was merely a remnant left by someone's spiritual cultivation here—no foundation at all.

It had already reached its limit protecting Sha Lifei these past days.

Boom!

The instant they burst out of the tunnel, the stone watchtower behind them collapsed completely; the stones, blown by the Shituolin 's dark wind, instantly turned to dust and vanished.

The traces left by the Qiang monk were completely erased.

But neither of them had time to care.

"Roar!"

A shrill, eerie wail rang out.

Black mist churned around them, shadowy figures surged—countless malevolent spirits glowed with red eyes, surrounding them from all directions.

"Nuo Gao, left bearing the Three Stars, right bearing the Three Prisons, heaven overturned, earth inverted, all nine paths sealed…" Li Yan immediately formed a seal with his left hand and stepped the Dipper's Pace.

Spiritual powers were suppressed here, but ritual techniques still functioned.

Moreover, ritual implements still manifested.

Li Yan didn't understand the principle, but he knew his newly acquired brocade armguard, "Thousand Thoughts," was immensely powerful.

Hummm!

As the Northern Emperor's protective incantation took effect, the demon-subduing coins on the armguard's scale-like plates trembled violently, the Gangsha qi surging wildly.

In an instant, a protective barrier formed around him.

Moreover, the fierce, piercing killing intent shredded the malevolent spirits that rushed in.

Li Yan stood with hand raised; within dozens of meters, howling winds surged, and black shadows were sucked in and erased.

"Young Master Li, mighty indeed!"

Sha Lifei laughed heartily, feeling greatly relieved.

Li Yan shook his head slightly: "These things will ultimately be your burden to face—first, calm your spirit and see if you can find a way out."

Sha Lifei didn't waste words—he collapsed and fell asleep.

He hadn't cultivated yet; this was the only crude method available.

Perhaps due to extreme mental tension followed by sudden relaxation, Sha Lifei fell asleep quickly and began snoring.

His figure gradually faded.

Li Yan exhaled in relief, his mind activated—the protective incantation erupted fully. The howling wind surged, the piercing killing intent radiating outward from him, sweeping across all directions.

In an instant, the surroundings fell deathly silent again.

Li Yan looked on and shook his head slightly.

Without spiritual perception, he couldn't gauge the strength of these spirits—he'd focused only on rescuing Sha Lifei, never expecting them to be this weak.

The legendary "Cold Forest" could never be this feeble!

Perhaps they hadn't even touched the true power of this place.

After glancing around once more, Li Yan had no desire to linger—he held his spirit firm, and his form gradually vanished. Just as he was about to depart, Li Yan suddenly felt something stir—he looked up at the sky, his brow furrowed.

Though spiritual powers were suppressed, he faintly sensed something in the air watching him…

…………

Creak~

Inside the ruined temple, Li Yan awoke and pushed open the door.

Outside, daylight blazed brightly—the long-missed warm sun reappeared, and the snow in the gorge began to melt.

Li Yan turned his head to look at the ruined temple.

This place was heavy with yin-sha qi; the monks' souls on the ground had likely become malevolent spirits of the Shituo Forest. If left unchecked, their bodies might undergo strange transformations.

He stacked the corpses, then took a small bottle of fire oil from his backpack, poured it over them, and set them ablaze.

He once again activated the Jia Ma spell, riding a storm of howling snow as he departed; behind him, the ruined temple gradually collapsed into roaring flames…

Back at the bamboo hut, Sha Lifei had awakened.

!.

He was helping Lu San set up the ritual altar; the white fox beside him carried items to assist, while the Yu family father and son continued roasting tea.

Preparing this spirit tea took considerable time; they were seizing the good weather for the first drying, striving to finish before Li Yan and the others ascended Mount Qingcheng.

"Young Master Li, you're back?"

"How did it go?"

"It's all prepared."

Lu San pulled a strange herbal sachet from his robe. "Using the secret method from the Zhilan Scripture, I grafted the Hunhun herb onto a spirit wood to create this."

"During tonight's ritual, Old Sha only needs to hold this in his mouth, endure the pressure, and he'll awaken his spiritual ability from fear."

"Yeah, it'll definitely work!"

Li Yan stared at the herbal sachet, unable to suppress a sigh.

Cultivation, sometimes, truly depends on fate.

Some awaken spiritual abilities young; others possess extraordinary talent; but someone like Sha Lifei can only risk life and death to gamble on luck.

The key is, this path has thresholds.

How many have the chance to obtain spirit herbs, let alone have a Chu Witch expend great effort to erect an altar, or access a legendary cultivation ground like the Shituo Forest?

Even then, failure remains likely.

The group fell silent, their moods heavy, silently preparing for the ritual; before they realized it, night descended once more.

This time, they moved outdoors.

The Chu Witch's altar differed from Daoist ones—it used three fire basins as pillars, symbolizing sun, moon, and stars.

Lu San was solemn, dressed in animal hides and a crown of flowers and leaves, holding a staff made of animal tails.

These were all ordinary ritual implements.

Along his journey across mountains and valleys, whenever he encountered bloodthirsty demonic creatures that had gained sentience, he slew and sacrificed them to forge these tools.

He wore this attire for the first time—proof of his seriousness.

"Begin!"

Lu San gave a slight nod to Sha Lifei and Li Yan.

Both stood at the center of the altar.

Sha Lifei had long since reached the threshold; drowsiness surged like a tide. He quickly placed the Hunhun herb sachet in his mouth, lay down, and slipped into sleep.

Li Yan, meanwhile, sat cross-legged in meditation.

He had mastered the technique; entering the Shituo Forest was effortless.

Soon, he closed his eyes.

Seeing both men asleep, Lu San donned a Nuo mask and danced in the firelight, clicking his tongue, swinging his animal-tail staff.

The ancient incantations were audible only to Lu San.

Far off, the Yu family father and son guarded with blades; the white fox watched the surroundings warily; while Shu Da, Shu Er, and the falcon Lidong monitored the ten-li radius…

………

Li Yan opened his eyes again—he had entered the Shituo Forest.

There, Sha Lifei, who had arrived earlier, gazed around with wide-eyed curiosity.

"What's wrong?"

Li Yan asked.

Sha Lifei's eyes held a strange glint. "Man, I've been feeling a cold breeze in my mouth—my mind has never been this clear. I can see farther than ever."

"It's the Hunhun herb sachet."

Li Yan explained: "The Hunhun herb naturally benefits the soul, and Lu San refined it into a ritual item—it enhances your soul's sensitivity."

"But the pressure from those things is greater. I'll build a tower to shield you—if you can't hold on, come inside immediately."

"We still have chances. Don't be reckless."

"Alright… alright…"

Sha Lifei nodded with a smile, though inwardly he sighed.

Li Yan's words were merely comfort.

He had already asked Lu San in detail: if this failed, his next chance to awaken would be even slimmer.

Li Yan said no more. He formed the hand seals, focused his spirit, and watched silently ahead.

As in the illusion, countless stones materialized out of thin air; the gang and sha energies flowed, and amid howling winds, a palace slowly emerged.

This ability to create from nothing was truly wondrous.

But it could only be used within the Shituo Forest.

After all, this was a pure spiritual space; outside, conjuring matter from nothing was the domain of immortals.

The palace rose higher—one story, two stories, three stories…

Li Yan did not wish to reveal too much; his complete palace still needed the Yin Sea, Luo Feng Mountain, and Gan Si Lian Wan Tian Palace.

Not only would it take immense time and effort, but the disturbance would be too great.

Three stories would suffice to protect Sha Lifei.

As Li Yan conjured the tower from nothing, Lu San outside activated his spell, scattering incense into the three fire basins.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Three flames leapt up; a mysterious energy circulated.

Within the Shituo Forest, strange phenomena appeared.

From all directions, yin winds howled—as if every malevolent spirit in the Shituo Forest had been drawn here.

Sha Lifei gritted his teeth and sat cross-legged.

Around him, three flames suddenly appeared.

These were the three fires Lu San had summoned from outside, driving forth Sha Lifei's own fires—though they resembled the Life Flames on Li Yan's Dala Fa Shen, they were fundamentally different.

The three Life Flames were both protection and symbol.

Sha Lifei had to endure it alone—if fear extinguished his flames, the ritual would fail, his soul would be damaged, and he'd need at least half a year to recover.

Hhh~

The wind howled; agonized screams echoed endlessly.

In an instant, black mist surged around them, filled with shadowy figures, their blood-red eyes dense as stars.

Fortunately, Lu San's altar held strong.

Though the black mist churned and the Life Flames flickered, they still held firm, keeping the horrors at bay.

Sha Lifei, having endured this struggle with the spirits, had grown bolder; he clenched his teeth, staring fiercely at the surroundings.

Li Yan glanced over, fearing he might disturb Sha Lifei, and stepped into his own palace.

This feeling was much like cultivation.

Li Yan vaguely understood: building towers here for cultivation, even if possible, was merely a spiritual detachment—slipping through cracks into the Dala Fa Realm.

It was like a stowaway—lowest rank of ghost immortal.

To others, this might be a heavenly opportunity; but Li Yan had seen enough to know that if he pursued this path, he'd be better off remaining in the mortal world, living freely and joyfully.

Ascending to godhood might not be as glorious as imagined.

At that moment, Li Yan's heart stirred—he looked upward.

That feeling of being watched…

Came again…

(End of Chapter)