I Just Can't Forget!

The world is divided into five continents: Eastern Ying, Western Huang, Southern Yang, Northern Ao, and Central Yuan. Above each continent stands a divine mountain: Star Zhao, Wen Xuan, Tian Qi, Kong Yuan, and Mount Henggao, respectively.

Legend has it that the ancient world was wild and chaotic. Five thousand years ago, during an invasion by Outer Realm Heavenly Demons, five Immortal Ancestors emerged, drove out the foreign demons, and each took charge of a continent. They established human order and laws on the divine mountains, spreading the immortal path for a hundred years. Once all beings were saved, the five ancestors abandoned ascension. They meditated and passed away on the divine mountains, sacrificing themselves to build a wall beyond the heavens, ensuring that the five continents would no longer be troubled by foreign demons.

From then on, people revered the Immortal Ancestors even more, regarding the divine mountains as sacred. To this day, the divine mountains have become the centers of their respective continents, with both sects and towns honoring those above them on the mountains.

You Su's hometown, Chuyun City, is located south of Central Yuan Continent and is protected by Mount Henggao. To see someone from a divine mountain immortal sect in such a remote place felt quite surreal.

Although the Spiritual Treasure Sect is not as renowned as Xuanxiao Sect, the foremost sect on Mount Henggao, it is still considered famous among cultivators in Central Continent. It was no wonder You Su was astonished.

"How many times have you encountered the Malevolent Spirit you just saw?" True Man Ling could understand. After all, they had only just met, and a few words wouldn't completely disarm the intelligent youth.

You Su was silent for a moment before replying, "Reporting to True Man, this is the first time."

True Man Ling sighed upon hearing this, "And how much do you know about Malevolent Spirits?"

"Please enlighten me, True Man."

"Beyond the five continents lies the boundless deep sea, and at the abyss of the deep sea is endless filth. This filth corrodes the land; it is the source of all Malevolent Spirits," True Man Ling said, hands behind his back. His tone was calm, but every word carried weight. "Malevolent Spirits pollute the immortal path. Mortals become playthings for them to manipulate, while cultivators are their coveted prey, for they are enamored with the refined Mystic Qi within cultivators."

"Some say cultivation is a process of removing dust and dirt, and that filth is the shed dust of cultivators; others say Malevolent Spirits are actually the inner demons of cultivators, thus insidiously corrupting the mind. Still others say they are the remnants of the foreign demons from thousands of years ago, rotting this world. To this day, there are countless theories about their origin, with no definitive conclusion. But one thing is irrefutable!"

The True Man's voice suddenly boomed, filled with righteous anger, "Malevolent Spirits are the common mortal enemy of all living beings in the five continents!"

You Su's heart was also churning like a stormy sea. He had only heard simple accounts of Malevolent Spirits from his Master in his childhood. But his Master, who feared nothing, treated Malevolent Spirits like mere insects. Influenced by this, You Su had never taken them seriously.

Only now, with what he had seen and heard today, did he realize the terror of Malevolent Spirits.

Seeing You Su speechless, True Man Ling assumed the young boy, who was still in swaddling clothes, couldn't comprehend the calamity of Malevolent Spirits. He sighed, "Do you perhaps feel that Malevolent Spirits are too distant from you?"

Before You Su could answer, the True Man seemed to recall a painful memory, his expression filled with grief. "Do you know who that Lantern Ghost ate?"

"It was my junior brother! My brother, who was as close as kin!" The True Man cried out in anguish. At this moment, he was no longer a renowned immortal master from a prestigious sect, but merely a heartbroken old man.

"The five divine mountains established the Evil Warding Department to protect the world. My junior brother and I were both members of the Evil Warding Department. For decades, my junior brother upheld righteousness and vanquished countless evils. Last month, he told me he was ready to break through to the Water Condensation Realm and had even prepared the elixirs! But on his last mission before going into seclusion, he fell victim to this Lantern Ghost! I pursued the Malevolent Spirit for over a hundred miles, only to find my junior brother already devoured by it. He had such a bright future... How many of our people in the Department have died fighting Malevolent Spirits to save others?"

No wonder the True Man had cried out so heart-wrenchingly when he captured the Malevolent Spirit earlier. You Su, affected by the emotion, could only say in silence:

"Please accept my condolences, True Man."

True Man Ling took a deep breath, composing himself. Cultivators emphasized a clear mind. If not deeply moved, an elder of his cultivation level would never lose composure like this.

"I know you must be curious why you, a blind person, can see this Malevolent Spirit, and why I am not surprised by it?"

"Reporting to True Man, I do have this question."

"That's because you've seen something more evil than it!" True Man Ling exclaimed suddenly, his words decisive. "I don't care if you lied to me! I just want to know where you saw it!"

True Man Ling keenly noticed that after he said this, the young man's brows furrowed slightly, and his fingers clenched a little tighter. Having seen countless people, he recognized this as a sign of nervousness, and his gaze towards the youth became tinged with anger.

"Why do you say that, True Man? I... I am just a blind person..."

True Man Ling seemed to have expected You Su to say this and snorted coldly:

"Stubborn fool! Malevolent Spirits are bizarre and varied, but not without their patterns! Legends speak of three hidden Great Evil Gods: the Lord of Flesh and Blood, the Lord of the Five Elements, and the Lord of Dreams. They stole portions of the Heavenly Dao's authority and distributed it to their followers, while they themselves hid in the darkest corners of the world, constantly breeding and observing. Therefore, the methods of most known Malevolent Spirits can be categorized into flesh and blood, five elements, and dreams. This Lantern Ghost belongs to the Dream Lord's lineage, and its actions naturally involve confusing the mind."

"The strength of Malevolent Spirits is also related to the extent of the authority they have obtained. And once someone has directly faced a more powerful subordinate of a Malevolent Spirit and survived, then weaker ones of the same lineage will be completely visible to them thereafter! This is a positional suppression, like an ironclad rule, from the greatest authority to the smallest!"

"Those who have seen deeper darkness will naturally no longer be intimidated by shallower evil! Even if you are a mortal! Even if you are blind! As long as you are conscious, this ironclad rule will take effect!"

True Man Ling's momentum grew, his voice rising until it seemed capable of shattering clouds and splitting rocks.

You Su's expression flickered, and he remained silent, his fists clenched. True Man Ling could feel that You Su was lost in deep confusion.

"But True Man, I have been congenitally blind. Before today, I truly haven't seen anything."

You Su's expression was strained. He vaguely guessed the answer to this question but still couldn't believe it.

"The Lantern Ghost is a subordinate of the Dream Lord. What you saw in your dreams naturally counts."

True Man Ling's calm words seemed to be the last straw that broke You Su. The young man staggered back two steps.

Watching You Su's distraught state, True Man Ling shook his head and sighed. He then took out a simple, ancient green jade pendant from his robes. The words "Evil Warding" were carved onto the pendant. Upon closer inspection, one could see a faint dark ink flowing beneath the jade's verdant hue.

"This Evil Warding Token can sense Malevolent Spirits in the vicinity. I tested you because after I captured that Lantern Ghost, this dark ink did not dissipate. However, after testing you, I found that you are not possessed by a Malevolent Spirit, but have merely been tainted by foul energy recently. Combined with your eyes, I can confirm that you have definitely seen a powerful Malevolent Spirit recently!"

"I don't know how you escaped alive. Perhaps that Malevolent Spirit was injured, perhaps it simply didn't care about you, or perhaps it had a greater scheme! Its existence is an extremely dangerous hidden threat, not only to you and your family but even to all the citizens of this city! Now, I need you to tell me everything! Only then can you save them, and save yourself!"

"Family..." You Su murmured, as if lost in a daze.

When people are distraught, their minds often flash with chaotic images. But You Su, having been blind since childhood, what else could he recall besides the strange dream this morning and the Lantern Ghost?

That's right, he remembered the soft, delicate touch of his junior sister's cheek, remembered his junior sister happily shouting "Happy Birthday, You Su!", remembered his junior sister's every teasing and scolding over the past three years, and remembered his few brief interactions with his Mistress over the past eight years.

But why... why did his junior sister and Mistress have such grotesque, disgusting faces in his dream! I just can't forget it!!