Malevolent Spirits Arise from Greed, Anger, and Obsession; Spiritual Power and Dharma Idols Shake Heaven and Earth

A malevolent, eerie eye suddenly appeared in Chen Dengming's mind, as if a portal to hell had suddenly opened in the deep darkness.

Chen Dengming felt as if his body was falling rapidly, and the image of an altar flashed through his mind from time to time.

Those eyes darted around like drills, trying to penetrate his heart and uncover the many secrets hidden deep within his soul.

At this moment, Chen Dengming didn't even have time to take out another Evergreen Token. His entire spirit and mind seemed to be sucked into another eerie space by his pupils, and he was unable to resist.

"Road"

A sinister low growl, accompanied by rapidly approaching pupils, entered Chen Dengming's mind.

It seemed as if it wanted to drill into his mind and examine the secrets within it concerning the Southern Journey and the Daoist tradition.

That place was described by the Second Ancestor Longevity as Curse land where the Dao lineage was broken. Once a cultivator above the Qi Refining stage entered, their cultivation would drop, and they would slowly die and their Dao would dissipate. However, remnants of the Human Immortal Orthodox Lineage remained, coveted by those who sought the Dao but had no Dao.

Chen Dengming felt his whole body stiffen, as if his Qi and Blood were freezing inch by inch. His thinking was slow, and he was unable to resist. It was as if he were trapped in a maze, possessed by a ghost, or afflicted by an evil spirit.

And this is no ordinary evil spirit.

Just as he felt his mind being rapidly invaded by an evil thought, the intense tension drove him almost to madness.

But the crazier he became, the calmer he became, just like when he created the name "Mad Blade" in Nanxun. He seemed crazy, but in reality, he was extremely calm and cautious.

"Dao, Dao, Dao, fellow Daoist... I, your humble servant, will protect you..."

Soul House, the Little Array Spirit was so nervous that she stammered, then let out a sharp cry and suddenly unleashed a Red Rhombus.

However, almost instantly, the Red Rhombus was infected by the evil and cold power, and it burrowed directly into the Soul House along the Red Rhombus.

The Little Array Spirit immediately fell silent.

In that brief moment, Chen Dengming suddenly entered a state of profound tranquility, drawing close to heaven Unity of Heaven and Man.

The spirit about to be invaded by the evil eye transformed into countless tiny dots, coalescing like bubbles in an orange soda, detaching from its possessed Physical Body and gaining liberation.

At that moment, his mind relaxed, his spirit left his Physical Body, and he keenly sensed an evil and sinister power within him.

Suddenly, the Mnemonic of the Spirit Refining Art and the Sacred Heart Art, a Supreme Lore martial art from the mortal realm, flashed through his mind. In this state of Unity of Heaven and Man, his Divine Sense grasped the subtle and ineffable connection between the two.

The fusion of martial arts and Tao!

For a long time, he had been researching the feasibility of Martial Immortal Divine Ability, but he had never succeeded.

But in that instant, he seized a new opportunity.

In an instant, his spirit condensed his Divine Sense, integrated it with the Spirit Refining Art, and combined it with the Mnemonic of the Sacred Heart Art and the Astounding Eye Technique, thus stirring up the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

Whoosh--

Instantly, a large amount of Spiritual Qi gathered and combined with Divine Sense to form a pair of captivating, icy eyes— Divine Ability manifestation!

These eyes, sharp and imposing, instantly clashed with the sinister, malevolent single pupil within his body.

The two Divine Sense powers clashed together, their three eyes locked in a battle like Thunder Fire striking.

A chilling and malevolent force instantly overwhelmed Chen Dengming's Divine Sense power, causing it to crumble completely.

However, the membrane technique quickly took effect, devouring and absorbing this evil and chilling Divine Sense power, transforming it into its own power, and forming a new barrier.

Suddenly, a strange scene unfolded in the woods.

Chen Dengming stood stiffly in place, his body shrouded in a sinister Evil Qi. Two icy eyes floated above his head, and the Divine Sense power he unleashed fought against the evil Divine Sense within his body, barely managing to force out a trace of sinister and obsessive evil power.

A sharp shout suddenly came from within the Soul Guiding Banner in his hand.

The ghostly figure of the brothers Zhu Xun flashed within the banner, taking the initiative to rush out of the soul banner, opening its fangs and mouth to devour the wisps of evil power. The ferocity in its eyes intensified rapidly, and its Soul Body began to accumulate waves of evil aura.

Chen Dengming felt his Divine Sense power rapidly depleting, and he could hardly maintain the state of his Divine Ability form anymore. The Divine Sense power that rushed into his body was retreating step by step. Once it was completely forced out of his body, his Physical Body would be taken over by evil spirits, and he would completely lose his soul.

But in that situation just now, if he hadn't immediately separated his spirit from his body and fought back in unity with the Unity of Heaven and Man, even his spirit would have been infected and devoured by the evil spirit, and his body and spirit would have been completely controlled by the evil spirit.

Even though Chen Dengming was anxious, he could not change his mindset.

Otherwise, the defeat will be even faster, leading to utter ruin.

At this critical juncture of extreme tension, he had no other choice but to completely align his mind with the state of Unity of Heaven and Man.

He calmed his mind, and the Zen Indestructible Vajra Zen Skill Technique flowed through his thoughts.

Only by forgetting oneself can one achieve unity of the three elements. If Heaven and Earth are invincible, I am invincible. Only by forgetting oneself can one achieve Unity of Heaven and Man.

At this moment, he seemed to have completely forgotten the existence of his physical Physical Body, his spirit merging with the surrounding world, truly entering a state of Unity of Heaven and Man, rather than merely approaching it.

Boom--

His mind was buzzing, Domain of Thoughts seemed to have broken free of some kind of restriction, beginning to extend and expand continuously. In the midst of the Unseen, he vaguely sensed a vast, empty hall.

His spirit seemed to rise from heaven and earth into that great hall in an instant.

A mysterious rune flashed and merged into his spirit.

In an instant, his thoughts contracted sharply, returning to his Divine Ability form. His Divine Sense power suddenly surged, unleashing an astonishing burst of divine light that formed a beam of light that seemed almost tangible, piercing into his body.

The Divine Sense power, which had been steadily declining, suddenly surged stronger.

The evil, single-eyed creature seemed to be struck by two bolts of lightning, a rune imprinted on its pupil. It immediately let out a shrill scream, as if it were violently trembling and smoking inside Chen Dengming's body, before exploding with a bang.

Chen Dengming breathed a sigh of relief, only to feel the attraction coming back to his Physical Body after he had lost contact with it. His Divine Sense was exhausted and his spirit was weak. It was as if a gust of wind could make him lose consciousness and faint on the spot.

Immediately following the body's gravitational pull, the spirit returns to the Physical Body.

A warm, gentle sensation, like soaking in a hot spring, instantly washes over the body, soothing the weary spirit.

"Dao, fellow Daoist, are you alright?"

At this moment, a voice came from the Little Array Spirit inside the Soul House.

Chen Dengming forced a smile and replied, "I'm fine, Ling'er, where are you?"

"I'm alright, fellow Daoist. You actually defeated that evil spirit? You're amazing! I thought we were all doomed."

Chen Dengming, both relaxed and amused, said, "How can you talk like that? We're fine."

"Alright, alright, fellow Daoist, quickly gather up the remaining evil energy around you, but don't feed it to Fellow Daoist Zhu anymore. If he eats any more, he will become an evil spirit as well, and can only be slowly digested in the future."

Chen Dengming was startled, and only then did he hear a series of "crackling" sounds.

Opening his eyes and turning his head, he saw Zhu Xun's ghostly spirit wandering around in the forest, constantly gulping down the evil energy dissipating in the air.

However, upon closer inspection, its Soul Body had turned grayish-black, filled with a strong evil aura, its Soul Power had increased considerably, and its face had become even more ferocious, as if it were wearing a mask of hatred.

Chen Dengming frowned, made a hand seal to activate the Soul Guiding Banner, and shook the banner.

Whoosh--

Suddenly, a gust of Yin Wind swept over Zhu Xun, attempting to pull him back into the banner.

"Gah--"

Zhu Xun a strange cry, constantly opening his mouth to greedily absorb the evil power in the air. When he realized it was in vain, his pale blue eyes suddenly glared angrily at Chen Dengming, filled with extreme malevolence.

"Fierce Ghost is Fierce Ghost. Now it's too malevolent and stronger, and it's not so easy to control."

Chen Dengming frowned, pursed his lips, and made a 'clucking' sound, like a farmer calling his chickens, guiding the brother into the Soul Guiding Banner.

Zhu Xun hearing the 'hissing' sound, Zhu Xun's fierce expression softened somewhat, and his struggles lessened. Like a deflated balloon, he spun in the air, gradually shrinking and retracting into the banner.

Chen Dengming looked around, mobilized his remaining spiritual energy, and activated the Spirit Subduing Bottle to absorb the scattered evil power.

"Dao, fellow Daoist, the power of evil spirits is composed of the seven emotions and six desires. This evil spirit's power should be greed, anger, and lust. Although it has dissipated now, it will revive if it gathers together for too long. Remember to deal with it promptly."

"Okay, Ling'er, remember to remind me in time."

By the way, do the seven emotions and six desires, greed, anger, and attachment affect a person's mind?

Chen Dengming suddenly realized something and asked in a deep voice.

"Yes, it will have some impact. It will amplify the greed and anger in people's hearts. It will be even more pronounced for people who are more profit-driven or who are easily angered."

Therefore, Dao, fellow Daoist, you must never be entangled by evil spirits; it's very troublesome."

Two faint glints flashed in Chen Dengming's eyes, then faded away.

He already had many guesses in his mind.

But now, whatever the speculation.

Xu Wei's current predicament is so tragic; he can't even guarantee how much longer this soul, whose lifespan is about to end, can live.

Xi'er has already paid the price for this.

And as for Luo Lüo Bing, even if he was truly influenced by evil spirits, he was unwilling to show any more forgiveness.

If the other party has no ulterior motives and does not pursue benefits that are not rightfully theirs, will they also be less susceptible to evil influences and less likely to amplify their greed and anger?

But these assumptions are useless now. As he said, old friendships are over, and from now on, he should take care of himself.

At the same time.

Inside the Luo Family, Lüo Bing's delicate body trembled, and she suddenly woke up, hearing her maid's soft call in her ear.

"Master, Master, you've finally woken up! This servant will go and inform the Vice Master."

"Xi'er."

"Sister Xi'er? Patriarch, Sister Xi'er... she's already gone."

Lüo Bing's previously confused gaze settled, and in an instant, various images from the past flashed through her mind like dreamlike shadows.

In these countless scenes, she appears to act no differently than usual, yet she does things that are beyond reason, making her seem cold, devoid of humanity, and completely driven by self-interest.

The power of evil spirits, though devoid of wisdom and logic, is driven solely by the needs of desire itself.

But she is no less intelligent.

The combination of these two factors can be described as using any means necessary to achieve one's goals.

At this moment, she understood everything completely, but she only felt pain for a short while before her icy expression returned to normal.

She has no regrets, because everything she did was done in accordance with her heart.

That evil force merely amplified the desires in her heart; if she hadn't been willing, it would have been difficult for them to completely lead to disastrous consequences.

Now, they are reaping the consequences of their actions.

However, a question that had arisen before resurfaced in my mind.

How could such an evil being exist within the Repentance Cave of the Wonderful Sound Sect? Even Sect Leader Han seems unaware of it?

A series of faint calls resurfaced from the depths of my heart.

"Heh heh heh, that old codger of the Wonderful Sound Sect is really persistent. Once I've thoroughly studied this section, I really have to go to the Wonderful Sound Sect to see Root Bones that old thing still has left. His obsession has turned into an evil spirit, keeping him clinging to life in this world."

In the Western Regions, at the bottom of a desert, in an ancient temple, bursts of wild laughter echoed throughout the hall, causing the runes on the surrounding walls to occasionally flash with spiritual light.

In the desert outside the palace, an old man in a cloak exclaimed in horror upon hearing this, "Your Venerable Lord, could the Spirit Transformation from the Wonderful Sound Sect truly still exist? Wasn't she rumored to have perished a thousand years ago?"

A disdainful snort came from inside the ancient hall, "Everyone fears death, even a Nascent Spirit Transformation. Clearly, she had a backup plan when she perished a thousand years ago, turning into an evil spirit to prolong her life, hoping to obtain the Dao lineage and live a second life."

"Back then, that Nascent Soul True Lord of the Wonderful Sound Sect and I were sworn enemies. I was puzzled afterward and even considered some possible reasons. Now it seems that I was probably also influenced by that ancestor who turned into an evil spirit."

Upon hearing this, the old man outside the desert bowed awkwardly. "My Venerable Lord, I was ignorant back then, but fortunately, I am not stubborn. Now, following you, my Venerable Lord, I am living a much more comfortable life."

As he spoke these words, he also felt immense fear towards the Nascent Spirit Transformation Ancestor of the Wonderful Sound Sect who had transformed into an evil spirit.

This person is truly ruthless, willing to live on as an evil spirit after death, unafraid of being annihilated in both body and soul.

However, this is indeed a dirty trick. Evil spirits cannot even be considered a continuation of their original owners, because they lack intelligence and memory, and only possess the purest obsession from their previous life. As long as the obsession is strong enough, evil spirits are difficult to eliminate and often revive.

Therefore, in a true sense, that Spirit Transformation had already died, leaving behind only a lingering obsession.

"My Venerable Lord, why did you secretly help that boy out of his predicament this time?"

A gust of sandstorm swept in, engulfing the old man's figure and voice.

The sounds emanating from the ancient temple, faint and intermittent, drifted through the wind and sand.

"He succeeded in using his innate talent for Daoist tradition without realizing it."

One hour later.

Eight hundred miles away from Jiamu Pass, in the forest, came Chen Dengming's voice, which was tinged with laughter, and a series of sobs, rising and falling in pitch.

"Alright, Hei Zi, wasn't the situation urgent before? Your master was hurriedly taken away by his senior; it was truly not intentional to leave you behind."

"Waaah! Waaah--"

"Hey, that's about it. You're so clever, you can find me by smell, how could I lose you? Even if there are enemies, they won't make things difficult for you. Who knows whose leopard you are?"

"Waaah--"

In the forest, the ground trembled, and a fat leopard, over ten feet tall, lay on its back, legs spread wide, revealing the words carved on its belly to show its loyalty to its master. Its eyes were resentful, as if it were saying, "Born a Chen Family Leopard, and will die a Chen Family Leopard."

"Alright, alright, get up. We can't stay here any longer. Take me away and back to the sect."

Chen Dengming kicked the Black Cloud Leopard into the air, then leaped onto it.

The Black Cloud Leopard flapped its wings, took off with a powerful run-up, and quickly disappeared into the clouds.

Chen Dengming closed his eyes, holding a High-grade Spirit Crystal in his hand to quickly restore his still incomplete spiritual energy. At the same time, he recalled the situation when he fought against the evil spirits and combined the Sacred Heart Art and the Spirit Refining Art to form Divine Ability power dharma form.

Looking back now, the scene is still vivid in his mind, but he finds that he can no longer recall the final moment when he was close to the Unity of Heaven and Man.

I vaguely remember that the spirit seemed to sense a vast and magnificent space, and a mysterious rune that drew upon the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

But the memory remains as if it were always separated by a hazy, frosted glass, making it impossible to sketch it out more clearly.

But one thing he could confirm at this moment was that his connection with heaven and earth seemed to have strengthened.

At this moment, I am not in a state of utmost emptiness and stillness.

It's as if you're already in a state of extreme tranquility, which greatly enhances your ability to detect and react to various messages from your surroundings.

If this delicate state can be maintained, it would certainly be a wonderful thing.

This means that from then on, his perception became more acute, and his reaction ability and so on became much stronger.

But Chen Dengming believes the benefits are likely more than that.

Perhaps he can now easily enter a state of Unity of Heaven and Man, and without relying on Technique Method, he can still manipulate the power of heaven and earth.

In this way, many martial arts techniques of the past, including Physical Body strength, may be able to leverage the power of heaven and earth, unleashing unimaginable power with every move.

"Could that rune just now be related to the Human Immortal Orthodox Lineage? Could it be that I have actually come into contact with the Human Immortal Orthodox Lineage without even realizing it?"

Or, to put it another way, when I realized my Divine Ability, I gradually became qualified to come into contact with the Daoist tradition?

Chen Dengming was completely absorbed in observing the control panel.

"Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator [Chen Dengming]"

Lifespan: 87/338/779

Spirit Roots: Metal, Wood (Superior Grade 50/100)

Martial Arts: <Chen Family Martial Arts General Outline> (Superior 1/100)

Daoist Techniques: <Gu Refining Art> (Grandmaster 0/100), others omitted.

"Really."

Chen Dengming's eyes lit up with delight as he saw the changes on the panel.

The martial arts principles that had been stuck at a perfect level and difficult to break through, have now truly broken through, leaping from the mortal realm of martial arts to the extraordinary level.

Does this mean that he has unlocked part of the secrets of the Human Immortal Orthodox Lineage?

If one continues to study and cultivate diligently, will one one one eventually possess terrifying combat power comparable to that of Sha Star at the same level?

Although he is not warlike and does not enjoy fighting, it is not unreasonable for him to have strong fighting ability to protect himself.

Of the four words he pursued—'immortality'—immortality itself wasn't difficult for him. As long as he didn't become a lazy bum and instead diligently cultivated, he could live indefinitely.

It would be difficult to survive.

If it weren't for the Longevity Token and the mysterious runes that appeared, he might have died several times over today. Therefore, strong combat power is still very necessary.

"I need to study this breakthrough in the Martial Arts General Principles more carefully when I get back. My Gu Refining Technique has also broken through to the Grandmaster level. It seems that the King Gu has been successfully refined. My Lifespan Limit has been extended by another twenty years as a result."

Chen Dengming took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly.

Those who survive a great calamity are sure to have good fortune in the future.

He then thought of Xu Wei, his eyes flashed, and he immediately took out the Soul Guiding Banner. Then, nervously and cautiously, he extended his Divine Sense to check on Xu Wei inside the banner.

Strictly speaking, Xu Wei isn't truly dead yet. Having survived such a calamity, could she be destined for good fortune?

(Two chapters today, totaling over 1700 words, as promised. Tomorrow's update will be no less than 8000 words. Please vote with monthly tickets!)

This book contains many foreshadowing elements and details, so please try not to skim or skip chapters, otherwise you'll find it confusing. Thank you!