Li Yan Was Taken Over, Daughter Red

When he saw Li Yan take out his Thread Pulling Lamp, Lamp Holding Siming's heart blossomed with joy.

Heh, now he could take Li Yan down ahead of schedule and deliver him to the White Jade Capital to settle the job.

Meanwhile, within the White Jade Capital.

The four Simings—Eclipse Moon, Longevity, Glutton Head, and Dysentery Butcher—were all watching the lamp-shadow projected upon the wall.

Within that lamp-shadow were none other than Li Yan and Lamp Holding Siming.

Glutton Head pointed at the image on the screen. "Everyone, that old bastard Lamp Holding is crafty enough."

"He deliberately left the Thread Pulling Lamp behind for Li Yan, and Li Yan actually went and used it."

Dysentery Butcher, who looked like a sickly scholar, shook his paper fan and sighed. "This time, Li Yan has likely walked straight into the net."

"They finally caught him. Now they can report back to those above."

"The commotion he caused was far too great. It affected the White Jade Capital's operations."

As the two Simings lamented, Longevity Siming, his hair hanging loose and wild, leaned lazily against the White Jade Tree.

"Sister Eclipse Moon, can Li Yan still turn disaster into safety this time?"

Eclipse Moon watched the scene on the screen. Rarely did she, veiled in black gauze and usually indifferent to everyone, offer her own opinion.

Eclipse Moon, who had always ignored others, slowly spoke. "This time, I fear the odds are grim. That one above is personally overseeing things. I do not believe Li Yan can escape."

For the first time, they heard Eclipse Moon admit that Li Yan truly could not escape this time.

Longevity Siming swept aside his tangled hair and let out a series of strange chuckles.

"I, for one, hope Li Yan can escape."

"If he gets caught, there will be nothing left to play with."

"I hope he can keep running forever! Forever!"

Hearing the strange tone in Li Chang Sheng's voice, Eclipse Moon's gaze held a trace of disbelief.

"Judging by your tone, do you truly hope he escapes?"

Faced with Eclipse Moon's question, Li Chang Sheng once more wore his frivolous, unruly smile.

"You tell me?"

This guy!

No one could fathom what the wild and uninhibited Li Chang Sheng truly wanted to play at.

Meanwhile, Glutton Head pointed at the image. "Look, Li Yan has been controlled!"

In the projected image, Li Yan took out that Thread Pulling Lamp.

The moment Li Yan used the Thread Pulling Lamp, countless shadows emerged beneath his feet.

One black shadow after another stretched hands up from beneath his feet. Countless black arms dragged Li Yan into the darkness.

Before the four Simings' very eyes, Li Yan suffered the backlash of the Thread Pulling Lamp's side effect and was completely taken over by the shadows!

Before the several Simings, Li Yan had fallen for Lamp Holding's scheme and suffered the backlash of this Siming Artifact, the Thread Pulling Lamp.

Glutton Head plopped down on the floor and patted his belly. "Looks like it's over."

"This Li Yan always thinks he can control everything. He even dared use the Siming Artifact Lamp Holding deliberately left behind."

Dysentery Butcher shook his paper fan, half-covering his face. "If you dare use someone else's Magic Artifact, you must be prepared for the Magic Artifact to devour its master."

"This young man still suffered from too little experience."

As everyone discussed Li Yan animatedly, they had no idea that every last bit of the projected screen was fake.

The view shifted to the Shadow Realm, half an incense stick earlier.

As Li Yan held the Thread Pulling Lamp, a system notification rang out in his mind.

[Siming Artifact detected: Thread Pulling Lamp. It carries a powerful side effect!]

[Side Effect: This Magic Artifact is Lamp Holding's exclusive Siming Artifact. When used by another, it will silently steal the host's spiritual power and seize the host's body and soul!]

[Side Effect Reversal: When using this Magic Artifact, you may steal Lamp Holding Siming's spiritual power, seize Lamp Holding Siming's body, and transform Lamp Holding Siming into a shadow without self-awareness!]

When he took out this Magic Artifact, Li Yan nearly laughed aloud.

When Lamp Holding had deliberately left this Magic Artifact behind, Li Yan had already sensed something was wrong.

On the surface, Lamp Holding had been beaten to death by the crowd, his body had dissipated, and he had even dropped equipment.

But on closer thought, only one of his six lamps had dropped. Something was definitely wrong.

This Magic Artifact was absolutely a trap that Lamp Holding Siming had deliberately left for Li Yan.

Yet Li Yan had turned the scheme against its maker. If someone dared give it to him, he dared take it!

When he took out the lantern before Lamp Holding Siming, he could feel it.

Lamp Holding Siming looked as though he faced a formidable enemy on the surface, but Li Yan still caught the subtle change in his expression.

At that time, Li Yan silently recited.

"Side Effect Reversal."

Then, carrying the Thread Pulling Lamp, Li Yan began to use it.

Lamp Holding Siming still did not realize the gravity of the situation. When he saw Li Yan begin to cast his art, Lamp Holding could not resist smugly speaking.

"Li Yan, you didn't expect this, did you!"

"This is what I left for you, and you actually dared use it."

"Once you cast the spell, the Thread Pulling Lamp will lock you down!"

Countless black hands emerged beneath Li Yan's feet. Like vicious ghosts crawling out of hell's abyss, they sought to drag someone into the shadows.

Seeing Li Yan fall for it, Lamp Holding Siming laughed even more wantonly.

But the next moment, he could no longer laugh.

Those countless black arms swam through the earth and ultimately all emerged beneath his own feet.

"What are you doing?"

"What is going on!?"

"Have you gone mad? I created you! Are you trying to rebel!"

But the black shadow hands completely ignored Lamp Holding. Countless arms seized Lamp Holding's thighs, crawled upward, and forcibly dragged him into the pool of shadows.

"Scatter! Scatter for me!"

"I am the master of this place!"

Lamp Holding Siming roared madly, but the shadow arms he dispersed reappeared at his side in the blink of an eye.

Useless!

Li Yan's Side Effect Reversal was overwhelmingly powerful. Even if Lamp Holding Siming was invincible within the Shadow Realm, he could not withstand the compulsory force of Side Effect Reversal.

Put plainly, my, Li Yan's, Dao stands above yours!

As for the projection outside, all of it had been forged by Li Yan.

Everything he wanted those outside the Shadow Realm to see was false.

He made the Simings of the White Jade Capital see Li Yan being controlled, buying time and preventing them from stepping in to save anyone.

Before long, the side effect conversion was complete. Lamp Holding Siming had become a shadow puppet utterly devoid of self-awareness.

When he appeared before Li Yan again, the six-armed Lamp Holding wore no expression as he said, "Master."

Li Yan nodded. "I want to examine your memories."

"Understood."

Without any emotion, Lamp Holding directly raised the lamp in his hand and projected his memories outward.

A glowing screen appeared in midair, playing images from Lamp Holding Siming's memories.

The Lamp Holding in those images was an ordinary mortal named Zhao Deng.

He had once been a shadow-puppet master in a small town. His wife had died in childbirth years ago, leaving behind a daughter.

Relying on his inherited shadow-puppet craft, Zhao Deng traveled the world with his daughter. The father and daughter depended on each other to scrape out a living.

For an ordinary mortal like him to survive to his fifties or sixties in such chaotic times was already a joyous thing. It was time to start looking for a good match for his daughter.

Yet one day, a cultivator came to his door and gave him a red pill.

The cultivator said that after watching his shadow-puppet performance, he had gained insight into Shadow Art. He had therefore gifted Zhao Deng this red pill and guided him onto the path of cultivation.

Zhao Deng curiously asked what kind of immortal pill it was.

The cultivator answered, "Daughter Red."