Chapter 106: To Open the Heavenly Eye, One Must Extinguish Worldly Emotions

From the moment the evil demon Yincheng broke free of the Long Hu chains, to her conversation with Huaiwu Cave Lord, Sima Lingzhen’s Zi Su Ba Fang Palace suddenly appeared, shattering the closed-world technique the two had jointly formed.

Then, in the end, whether Huaiwu Cave Lord or the evil demon Yincheng, both were cut down like melons and vegetables…

That's it.

The power of the Wanli Zhaojian Talisman was finally exhausted; all sounds and images in everyone’s minds ceased abruptly, then fell utterly silent.

“Good. The demons are gone—this atones for the debt I owed the Ai clan for letting me study their Lian Qi technique. Next, I must return to the sect to refine the Three Treasures and prepare for Core Formation…”

Wei Lingjiang quietly exhaled in relief.

Her eyelids lowered in silence, resting gently; her pale, slender fingers slowly withdrew from her sleeves.

After the Wanli Zhaojian Talisman was activated, would someone come to slay the demon and uphold the Dao? And would that person be strong enough to capture or kill Huaiwu Cave Lord and Yincheng…

In her heart, she had no absolute certainty.

Although the Yuanchen Sect’s thirty-year Dao Line Examination was imminent, and not far from Fuyu Lake lay a Yuanchen Sect Dao Line mountain gate…

Logically speaking.

It should have been safe…

But under heaven, where is there such a thing as flawless planning?

One only fears that in haste, unforeseen disaster may arise.

Though Jin Guang’s divine talisman could protect Chen Hang from even a Primordial Spirit True Person’s attack for a time, Wei Lingjiang had no worry for his safety.

Yet deep in her heart, she had prepared for the worst.

That the demon-slayer’s spiritual power was insufficient, allowing Huaiwu Cave Lord or Yincheng to barely escape and flee to safety.

The divination text given by Taiwen Miaocheng Daojun had clearly stated: only by capturing and killing that demon could the debt be repaid and the chance to pass the Three Calamities be gained.

Now that the demon had finally been captured and slain by Sima Lingzhen of the Yuanchen Sect, all was settled—Wei Lingjiang finally let her guard down.

…

“But this person who came… was it really Sima Lingzhen of the Tangting Sima clan?”

“When I stayed at the Yi family in Shangyu, I met this person once—arrogant, conceited, reckless and unruly. I never imagined that after all these years, he’s still the same…”

Wei Lingjiang shook her head lightly.

She had heard only that Sima Lingzhen entered the Yuanchen Sect’s lower academy through family connections, but didn’t know whether he became one of the Ten Disciples or accumulated enough Dao merit.

Later, he successfully entered the Yuanchen Sect’s upper sect and became a disciple under a Reversing Void Master.

But now, after so long, he had already leapt ahead of her—achieved Golden Core, become a True Person of orthodox Immortal Dao.

His spiritual power, though strong, was not extraordinary—merely a fourth-grade or at most third-grade Golden Core, with an ordinary foundation.

A Primordial Spirit fruit still held a sliver of possibility, but Reversing Void? That required risking one’s life, needing great fortune and immense opportunity just to barely succeed.

But no matter what, Sima Lingzhen had already achieved Golden Core—far ahead of her own Dongxuan Third Layer…

“Even if I force myself to open the mercury and form a Core now, I’d only reach second-grade… Thirteen major Core-forming herbs have already been prepared for me by the elders, even the hardest to refine—Divine Talisman Fire—has reached peak mastery, yet I still faintly lack that final edge…”

Thinking of this, Wei Lingjiang felt a pang of headache and helplessness, her brow slightly furrowed.

As she turned her gaze, she saw Qingzhi squinting at her with narrow eyes, one corner of her mouth curled high in amusement.

“Freaking out again?”

Wei Lingjiang was unfazed.

“Didn’t you see? Didn’t you see?!”

“What?”

“That female demon pinched his chin! Hahaha! Hahahaha!”

Seeing Wei Lingjiang finally deign to look her way, Qingzhi thrust her hands on her hips and burst into cackling laughter:

“You’ve never touched Chen Hang, never pinched his chin—but that evil demon Yincheng did! Miss! Ugh—”

Wei Lingjiang swiftly raised her hand, pinching the flesh on Qingzhi’s cheeks hard enough to puff them out, silencing her.

“Qingzhi talks too much.”

Wei Lingjiang’s face remained expressionless as she extended another hand and vigorously rubbed Qingzhi’s chubby face:

“Wrong, aren’t you? Do you know you’re wrong?”

“Mmm… poke… wrong…”

Her entire face, like dough, was squeezed and flattened at will; after futile struggles, Qingzhi’s eyes welled with tears, her speech muffled as bubbles formed from her lips.

“Good.”

Wei Lingjiang nodded.

“...Wrong? Hahaha! Qingzhi wrong? Qingzhi is always right!”

The moment Wei Lingjiang released her, Qingzhi—who had just been begging—immediately changed expression, scrambling to the corner of the room.

Once far enough away, she dared to thrust her hands on her hips and laugh triumphantly:

“Whatever Qingzhi says is right! Qingzhi is never wrong!”

Wei Lingjiang’s lips curled slightly; she gestured with a flick of her hand. Qingzhi, still laughing, instantly turned pale with fear and floated helplessly toward Wei Lingjiang.

In midair, she widened her eyes, clawing wildly.

“Full of defiance? Can’t sleep unless you’re beaten?”

After a while, amid Qingzhi’s wailing pleas, Wei Lingjiang finally released her face and smiled:

“When you first came to me, wasn’t it because you feared someday someone would beat you to death for your mouth, so you wanted to find someone to bury you?”

Qingzhi clutched her cheeks and scurried away from Wei Lingjiang, disgruntled.

She stopped at the door, about to revert to her old ways—when she saw Wei Lingjiang’s eyes, smiling faintly, hiding something unkind.

She shivered, cleared her throat with forced dignity, and grinned apologetically:

“My mistress has the bearing of an Emperor! Three thousand years older, ranked among Immortals! Let’s all become Immortals together!”

“Nonsensical babble again? Freaking out?”

Wei Lingjiang chuckled slightly, shaking her head, and ignored her.

“But, Miss…”

Qingzhi hesitated at the door for a long while, then scratched her head in confusion and ventured:

“You really intend to give up your own Dao merit and Yan Xi True Person’s Outer Mansion to exchange for an entry credential, and take Chen Hang back to the sect?”

“Is it not enough?”

Wei Lingjiang’s smile faded; she spoke coolly:

“I’ve accumulated sixty-four great Dao merits—even the Yuanchen Sect’s ‘True Explanation of Consuming the Divine Qi of Chongxu Zhide Daojun’ could be exchanged for one viewing. How much more so with Yan Xi True Person’s Outer Mansion? Even if entry into the sect is difficult, securing a lower academy slot should be more than sufficient.”

“But if you give up those two mansions, what about the Dan Yuan Gathering?”

"The Dan Yuan Gathering is a grand assembly where all prodigies of the Eight Sects and Six Clans compete in battle. In such a venue, how could one or two seniors' mansions possibly sway the outcome?"

Wei Lingjiang shook her head: “Even if there’s some influence, it doesn’t matter. Don’t overthink it.”

“Fine. I’ll accept your words as true, then.”

Qingzhi sighed like an old woman, stepped before Wei Lingjiang, and stared into her eyes:

“But have you considered whether he’ll agree?”

“What?”

“Chen Hang probably won’t want to follow you back to the Chiming Sect. Your words suggest you intend to guide him into the Dao, grant him the Immortal Scroll—but this boy was once kidnapped, once a concubine…”

Qingzhi spread her hands:

“In these days together, you’ve seen his nature—polite terms aside, he’s utterly unyielding. I think he won’t want to return with you, won’t want to owe you a favor.”

Wei Lingjiang fell silent.

Long moments passed.

Then she softly lowered her gaze:

“You don’t understand him.”

Qingzhi scratched her head, bewildered.

“You’re not wrong—he dislikes owing others, especially… especially owing you…”

Wei Lingjiang paused for several breaths, then continued in a flat tone:

“But the proposal to go to Chiming Sect—he likely won’t refuse. He seeks immortality, and always uses it as an excuse—but in this Xudu Heaven, to attain true Immortal status, to achieve the immortality he speaks of, there is only one way: within the Eight Sects and Six Clans!”

“What if he stubbornly refuses to go to Chiming Sect?”

Qingzhi pressed.

Wei Lingjiang glanced at Qingzhi, raised her palm like a blade, and slashed the air with a strange smile:

“He won’t be stubborn. When he returns, after I speak—he won’t have a choice.”

Qingzhi felt an inexplicable chill down her neck and shrank back, silently grumbling:

“Knock him out and drag him away? So you really used my plan after all! But Miss, you’re only a Qi-Condensation spiritual body—you might not even beat Chen Hang…”

Though she thought this, Qingzhi still asked one more question:

“Even if everything else is settled, won’t Zhuojing the old witch forbid this?”

Wei Lingjiang glared at Qingzhi.

“Zhuojing the old… forget it! Just Zhuojing the old witch!”

Qingzhi squared her shoulders and glared back:

“Zhuojing the old witch has never had a consort! You’re her disciple—I bet she won’t let you find one!”

“Even if you bring Chen Hang back to the sect, the old witch won’t let him live comfortably in Chiming Sect!”

This time.

Wei Lingjiang finally fell truly silent.

Yet before she could speak,

outside the door,

a voice, unusually calm and cold, suddenly rang out:

“Male-female affection is but human nature; even the Daoist Lord Taiwen Miaocheng once became ensnared by it and could not extricate himself—how much more so you and I, ordinary mortals?

My heart is not so narrow as to fixate on a mere Qi Condensation cultivator and pick at his faults.”

Qingzhi stared blankly, frozen, gazing at Wei Lingjiang for a long while, puzzled by how abruptly the voice and tone had changed.

Long moments passed.

Only then did she realize someone had spoken outside the door.

Instantly terrified, she leapt forward in three strides—had Wei Lingjiang not grabbed her, she would have jumped straight out the window to flee.

“Zhuojing… Zhuojing Great True Person…”

Qingzhi felt like crying but had no tears.

“Master?! How did you come here?”

Wei Lingjiang was both startled and delighted.

When she hurriedly opened the door, she saw standing in the corridor a middle-aged Daoist nun with phoenix-like eyebrows arched into her temples and eyes like cold lightning.

In her hands, she held a Three Treasures Jade Ruyi, its handle carved with three dragons and two tigers made from tsavorite, water sand, yellow lacquer, and star essence, radiating brilliant light so dazzling it hurt the eyes.

Seeing Wei Lingjiang rush out joyfully, Zhuojing True Person smiled faintly and nodded in satisfaction:

“Lingjiang.”

“Disciple bows to her beneficent master.”

Wei Lingjiang released Qingzhi and bowed deeply to the ground—but before her body could touch the floor, a gentle magic force lifted her, sparing her from contact with the dust.

“And the Ruyi Boy, it has been a long time since we last met.”

After being lifted, Wei Lingjiang also greeted the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi in her master’s hands.

The Jade Ruyi’s light flickered, and from within came a clear, youthful laugh, returning the greeting.

“This time, your use of others’ strength against them was well done. The demon of Evil Anger and Yin Victory has been eradicated; your Master Changmei has already sent a boy to the Ai family to declare the debt settled—henceforth, even if the Ai family suffers misfortune, it will not taint your cultivation.”

Zhuojing True Person nodded and said:

“From now on, you may safely cultivate the Three Treasures within your grotto-heaven, preparing for Core Formation—no more worries from external affairs!”

“This success is entirely due to my master’s boundless blessings.”

Wei Lingjiang invited Zhuojing True Person inside, served tea with her own hands, and smiled:

“Yet, Master, the opportunity to pass through the Three Calamities—you mentioned it—but forgive this dull disciple, I still have not glimpsed its trace.”

Zhuojing True Person’s motion of raising her cup paused slightly, then her eyes revealed deep resignation.

The opportunity to pass the Three Calamities—

It was calculated by the Two-Principle Destiny Disc, but whether it is truly real remains unproven.

Not even she, let alone a True Person himself present here, could offer any definitive answer.

“The Dao holds fifty; Heaven’s transformation yields forty-nine; mortals escape the one… but how easily can one seize that single escape? Even a True Person’s stature cannot calculate it with perfect precision.”

Zhuojing True Person shook her head lightly:

“All human efforts are exhausted—now we must simply listen to Heaven’s will. To overthink the opportunity foretold in the divination is useless; better to set it aside for now.”

With that, she turned her gaze to Qingzhi, signaling her to leave.

Qingzhi, who had been drenched in cold sweat for a long while, felt as if granted a great pardon—like a startled, plump rabbit, she dashed out with a blur.

Before leaving, she slammed the door shut with force.

“Master?”

“You’ve stirred your heart? Chen Hang?”

“I—”

Wei Lingjiang, flustered, opened her mouth—but Zhuojing True Person cut her off.

“Master Changmei has already won over Master Shang to our side. With her willing to speak on your behalf, many Elders within the Five Palaces and Three Observatories will lean toward you, viewing you as a candidate for Dao Heir.”

Zhuojing True Person spoke calmly:

“Master Shang has grand ambitions. To secure her, Master Changmei and several of your senior uncles and aunts have spent heavily—this debt, do not forget it when you ascend your throne.”

“Is it that very Master Shang, who once presided over Zhuoguang Palace?!”

Wei Lingjiang’s expression brightened, then turned solemn: “Master, I shall forever cherish the kindness of my senior uncles—I swear I will never forget!”

“Those Elders’ support is but a minor matter in the struggle for Dao Heir. What is truly precious is that Master Shang enjoys an intimate bond with Zhou True Person, the current master of Chisong Palace.

Zhou True Person, the lord of an entire palace, once owed a great debt to the previous Sect Master!”

Zhuojing True Person’s expression remained unchanged:

“If she also chooses to aid you, then all others—Sima Fang, Xie Tan, and the rest—will fall behind you…”

“But this True Person cultivates the Supreme Emptiness and Detachment Dao…”

Zhuojing True Person gazed straight ahead:

“Disciple, do you understand what I mean?”

Wei Lingjiang’s face froze instantly.

“Master—”

Long moments passed before she spoke, her voice rough.

“To secure your position as Dao Heir, our sect elders have run everywhere, accumulated countless debts, and spent vast fortunes—now, you cannot retreat! How can you retreat?!”

“Moreover…”

Zhuojing True Person looked at the pale, dazed face before her and sighed deeply within:

“I recently received news—news that may not be favorable to you.”

“Master, please speak.”

Wei Lingjiang’s fingers had turned white from clenching, yet she held them motionless, answering mechanically.

“The head of the Wei family, Wei Shao, has returned from Xu Huang Tian and struck a deal with the Red Essence Tao Rong Wanfu Divine King.”

Zhuojing True Person turned her gaze away, as if unable to bear the complex emotions on that small face:

“Wei Shao… he now holds the Wind-Fire Cushion…”

A low thunder rolled across the sky—“Boom!”

Wei Lingjiang snapped her head up, her face instantly ashen!

…

…

Clear sky, boundless, warm wind, light clothing.

Chen Hang slowly drew his gaze back from the deep, splendid, and magnificent Purple-Su Eight-Sided Palace, his expression thoughtful.