Chapter 614: Epilogue: Dimensional Strike

The shrike is born evil, a true murderous bird.

It feeds on negative emotions, nourishing its flesh and abilities.

And isn't this Zhuyou Sanren the same?

Except he founded his practice on the people's faith; from himself, to his disciples, to the entire Chénghuáng Miào of Jūnzhú Shān, everywhere exudes goodness and faith.

Except for this Shíjiǔ Dòngtiān.

His methods are too clever; he hides the evil within Shíjiǔ Dòngtiān with incense and merit, making it impossible for anyone to glimpse even a fraction, thus shaping himself into a 'purely good person'.

"She's too stupid."

Zhuyou Sanren said: "It believes human nature is evil; the goodness feigned on the surface collapses with a single blow, so no one can truly destroy it as long as negative emotions exist—it is immortal."

But it forgot why people wrap themselves in false goodness to conceal their innate evil.

"Because evil makes one a target of everyone's arrows."

With a flick of his whisk, Zhuyou Sanren's gaze locked onto me, smiling narrowly: "But faith differs; faith lets people see hope, makes them willing to sacrifice without regret, even in death faith can lift the corners of their mouths—it is cohesion, it can be forged into bronze walls and iron barriers, rendering blades and spears useless."

I have to say, Zhuyou Sanren's mouth is truly suited for discussing the Dao.

His words are pearls of wisdom, highly persuasive.

I don't understand: "But why do you need to disguise yourself?"

Zhuyou Sanren's eyes flashed, as if I had struck some sore spot; even his usually steady smile stiffened a bit.

"You are originally the abbot of the Jūnzhú Shān Daoist temple, whose creed is 'cultivate goodness, accumulate virtue, benefit the world and the people'; you have always done so. In Wang Fanchen's mouth, you are not only the benefactor who saved his life, but also the master who brought him into the Dao, and an enlightened, kind sage. Your nature is good—why then disguise yourself with goodness?"

I surveyed the whole Shíjiǔ Dòngtiān and continued: "Your disguise began when this Shíjiǔ Dòngtiān appeared, right? And what opportunity caused you to fall to this state?"

"No one is perfect." Zhuyou Sanren's tone shifted: "Even I, as a recluse, cannot live a lifetime without fault."

"Knowing one's faults and correcting them is the greatest virtue." I pressed: "Over these hundreds of years, your steps of kindness have spread across all of China, rescuing who knows how many lost souls back to the right path. Since you can save others, why can't you save yourself?"

"I..."

"You can raise a city god with incense and merit; why can't you raise yourself the same way?"

Zhuyou Sanren was left speechless by my retort.

Before, I already felt I had many things I couldn't figure out.

But there is no longer time or condition for me to clarify these issues.

Today I stand here simply to directly set fire to Shíjiǔ Dòngtiān and bear the killing karma I have created.

If Zhuyou Sanren hadn't jumped out himself to mock me with a few remarks,

If he hadn't mentioned the shrike, my train of thought could never have suddenly opened.

Those tangled thoughts that could never be sorted, just like opening the Ren and Du meridians, became smooth and unimpeded.

Yeah, why has Zhuyou Sanren come to this point today?

Given his past cultivation, does he need the existence of Shíjiǔ Dòngtiān?

What exactly does he intend to hide using Shíjiǔ Dòngtiān?

I instinctively turned my head toward that huge stone.

"Silver-tongued, flattering looks—you're asking for death!"

Behind me, Zhuyou Sanren suddenly struck; his whisk sliced the air, crackling like a whip, lashing straight at the back of my head.

I flipped, my whole body soaring into the air, transforming into a phoenix form, looking down at Zhuyou Sanren from above.

His whisk strike missed; when Zhuyou Sanren lifted his head to look at me, his face changed dramatically.

At this moment, I first felt what is called a dimensional strike.

Zhuyou Sanren fears no shrike; to him it is merely a stupid bird.

He also fears no Wang Fanchen, for the position of city god was raised by him for Wang Fanchen; he controls Wang Fanchen with the Líxīn Suǒ, each backlash he re‑raises, and Wang Fanchen remains under his sway.

He fears neither Liu Junyan, who is strong, nor her three disciples, who are also not weak; among the strong, there is no fear or lack thereof.

But he fears me.

To be precise, he has always feared only the Nirvana Phoenix.

I don't need to fight him; I only need to… I fiercely flap my wings, and masses of Nirvana fire rush head‑on toward Zhuyou Sanren.

I raised my head and let out a cry, turned my body, again fanned the Nirvana fire, and charged toward the huge stone.

Then I flipped, folded my wings, and shot like an arrow off the bow toward the ridge of the Sānshēng Diàn…

Zhuyou Sanren's roar came: "Feng Wu Jiu, you're crazy! Do you know how much killing karma you'll create?! Even if you don't care about those doomed lovebirds trapped in Shíjiǔ Dòngtiān, don't forget your man is also in there! You also sought a Yuānyāng Tóngxīn Suǒ!"

The Yuānyāng Tóngxīn Suǒ scorched by Nirvana fire is thus scorching Liu Junyan's soul.

This is why I just told him 'let him suffer a bit with me'.

I sneered: "Zhuyou Sanren, what am I afraid of?"

"This is Shíjiǔ Dòngtiān; you have hidden all its evil well. Even if I create more killing karma, it will be dissolved by the incense and merit you've accumulated around Shíjiǔ Dòngtiān, right?"

"As for my man… you also said we sought a Yuānyāng Tóngxīn Suǒ; we are inseparable lifetime after lifetime, I don't fear Nirvana fire—I won't die, so neither will he, right?"

"It's just being scorched by Nirvana fire, enduring some hardship and punishment—my man Feng Wu Jiu isn't that delicate!"

"I advise you to worry less about others' affairs and seek your own blessings."

"By the way, a friendly reminder: guard well the secret you've hidden in this Shíjiǔ Dòngtiān—up there… a pair of eyes has always been watching you."

Upon shattering the ridge of the Sānshēng Diàn, I turned again and surged upward.

Above Shíjiǔ Dòngtiān, on the mountain peak, stands the Dēngtiān Diàn.

Whenever Wang Fanchen suffers backlash, he must return to the Dēngtiān Diàn to heal his wounds.

Even if that day he took a break to visit the Dang Pu, he would surely return to the Dēngtiān Diàn afterward.

Zhuyou Sanren's ability to continually control Wang Fanchen relies on this.

The incense and merit of the Dēngtiān Diàn are like the string of a kite, constantly restraining Wang Fanchen; no matter how high he climbs, he cannot truly escape Zhuyou Sanren's grasp.

But now it's different, the Heart‑Separating Lock has already been destroyed.

The string holding the kite has snapped.

Wang Fuchen will sooner or later walk down from the Dēngtiān Diàn and settle all this.

This is also the fundamental reason why Zhu You Sanren is going all‑in today.

He must, while Wang Fuchen is healing his wounds and before he comes to settle accounts, properly hide his secret, even destroy it.

And that secret lies within the Shíjiǔ Dòngtiān.

Wasn't he hiding it well?

Wasn't he calm and composed?

Then I'll burn the Shíjiǔ Dòngtiān.

When the Shíjiǔ Dòngtiān is burned bare, the tell‑tale signs that ought to surface will surface…