I Choose You

A small grove.

Fleeing in a hurry.

Daoist Lingguang concealed his aura, desperately escaping through the mountains and forests.

His hair was disheveled, his long beard singed, his treasure robes covered in dust, and his whisk was reduced to a bare stick. He was so grimy and downtrodden that not a trace of his former immortal demeanor remained.

All his magic treasures were destroyed, and his life's learning was completely defeated, broken one by one by Que Xin. Even his Dao heart was on the verge of collapse.

"In just ten years, how did he become so powerful..."

"Master, oh Master, what kind of technique did you teach him?"

Daoist Lingguang clutched his chest with one hand, overcome with grief. Images of his time learning from his master flashed through his mind.

When he was practicing the Pill Dao, Que Xin was climbing trees to steal bird nests; when he was practicing the Formation Dao, Que Xin was squatting to catch grasshoppers; when he was practicing the Martial Path, Que Xin would ride a dog, wielding a wooden sword, and run past him noisily.

He even shouted, "Come on, have fun, we have plenty of time anyway."

He couldn't stand it and complained to his master. His master said that everyone had their own destiny, and temporary success meant nothing. He told him to wait many years and then see.

Encouraged by his master, he cultivated even more diligently.

Years later, Que Xin had mastered the Pill Dao and the Formation Dao. His divination skills were unparalleled, and in the Martial Path, he could crush Daoist Lingguang into the ground.

Who could tolerate this?

Daoist Lingguang certainly couldn't. In a fit of rage, he stole a secret sect technique, crossed Northern Qi and Western Chu, and plunged into the ten thousand mountains of the Southern Border without looking back.

During these ten years, he first cultivated an supreme secret technique, then obtained the divine abilities of the Yellow Springs Dao, King Devil Hall, and Blood Sea Dao from the Southern Border. He combined the strengths of the four, believing his divine skills had reached Great Accomplishment. He planned to return to Northern Qi's True Heart Dao to reclaim everything he had lost.

He never expected that he would be even more outmatched. He was forced to retreat a thousand miles, desperately seeking another way out.

"Senior Brother, this is not how you cultivate immortality. Your haste for success has led you to the demonic path."

"Quickly stop! This poor Daoist will send you into reincarnation. You can cultivate the True Heart Dao in your next life, which is better than being hesitant and lost in this one."

"Senior Brother, you have lost your true heart. Don't be so deluded..."

Que Xin Old Daoist's voice echoed in his ears, as if the pursuers were right behind him. Daoist Lingguang did not respond, inwardly lamenting his misfortune.

A soul-tracking technique that could reach a thousand miles, a life-claiming aura.

Although this technique was common and not profound, and could be easily controlled by those in the Innate realm, it could lock onto him firmly from a thousand miles away. He feared that today's confrontation could not be resolved peacefully.

Without external help, he was doomed.

Daoist Lingguang was not afraid of death. At his level, at most his physical body would perish; dying wasn't that simple. He was afraid that Que Xin would use a secret technique to torture him, making him unable to live and unable to die, unable to even reincarnate.

Another moment passed. The voice in his ear grew louder. Daoist Lingguang knew something was wrong and dared not delay any longer.

He let out a low roar, his body suddenly expanding. Four arms grew from his back, and two heads sprouted from his shoulders. A vertical eye split open in the center of his forehead. He transformed into a three-headed, six-armed form.

It wasn't over yet.

Under the enhancement of the divine abilities of the Yellow Springs Dao, King Devil Hall, and Blood Sea Dao, his three-headed, six-armed body was covered in numerous bloodstains and demonic patterns. Blood qi, malevolent qi, death qi, and demonic qi transformed into various weapons.

The Demonic Body manifested, its pressure spanning heaven and earth. Infinite anomalies surged, and it seemed as if an outer realm demonic realm was sensing and manifesting.

The sky tore apart, and space shattered piece by piece. Its terror and pressure were beyond description.

"Que Xin, let's settle this score again!"

His six arms vibrated, commanding the mountains to rise and fall. A great demon emerged from the outer realm demonic realm, pressing down with its five fingers as if the sky were collapsing. A scorching airflow surged, like the end of days.

"Like a demon lord descending from the heavens, or a ghost god coming from the Yellow Springs. Senior Brother, you have quite the demeanor."

Que Xin Old Daoist arrived as if teleporting, exclaiming in surprise and admiration: "You've finally stopped pretending and completely given up on being human."

"Don't be so arrogant!"

"Senior Brother, you misunderstand. This poor Daoist is worried about you. Look at you, neither human nor ghost, your life force is unstable. This physical body probably won't last long."

"How dare you!"

A cup of tea later.

A small grove. Fleeing in a hurry.

Daoist Lingguang's physical body had collapsed. His primordial spirit, like a stray dog, was driven by Que Xin Old Daoist, heading north.

Que Xin Old Daoist ambled through the air, each step seemingly covering vast distances. He drew closer and closer to Daoist Lingguang.

Just then, a glimmer of spiritual light streaked over, transforming into an ancient and simple treasure mirror, which blocked Que Xin Old Daoist's path from afar.

This mirror was neither gold nor jade, neither copper nor iron. Its shape was ancient, its material pure and clean, simple and unadorned, without any carvings or decorations. The mirror's surface was a pale yellow, like aged ancient wood.

Though the mirror was small, it was as heavy as a mountain, causing Que Xin Old Daoist's expression to become extremely solemn.

"The Yellow Springs Ancient Mirror has finally made its move..."

At the same time, countless beams of light illuminated the surrounding sky and earth. Over a hundred gazes fell upon them, more than ten of which were like solid objects. Each gaze represented a powerful figure that he had to treat with utmost seriousness.

Sensing that Daoist Lingguang's primordial spirit had vanished and was nowhere to be found, Que Xin Old Daoist sighed: "Legend has it that the Yellow Springs Dao possesses a Yellow Springs Ancient Mirror, which illuminates life and death, reflects the netherworld, and connects the karma of life and death, possessing immense divine power. Seeing it today, it is indeed extraordinary."

"So be it. This poor Daoist will teach Senior Brother a lesson today and seek him out another day."

Seeing that he had backed down, the Yellow Springs Ancient Mirror paused in mid-air for a moment. Once Daoist Lingguang was completely untraceable, it then vanished into the void.

The surrounding gazes vanished one by one, replaced by disgruntled voices cursing and grumbling, as if disappointed that the situation hadn't escalated to a mutual destruction.

Old Daoist Quexin sighed, "Alas, with my senior brother gone, he's like a beast freed from its shackles, a trapped dragon returned to the abyssal sea. The world is vast, where can this poor Daoist find him? It truly pains me..."

"It truly pains me!"

Lesser Morality Temple.

Xiang Yuan sat cross-legged on the ground, circulating his qi several times. The groggy feeling gradually subsided.

He opened his eyes and looked out through the dilapidated roof. The world was dark, and a dense, fine rain was falling. He hesitated, debating whether to go out and continue his patrol.

A cold wind blew, chilling him to the bone. He couldn't help but shiver.

Could there be ghosts?

Like the deceased Lin Baoyi.

"No, no matter how small, this is the Morality Temple, the sacred ground of the Heavenly Venerable of Morality. It's ridiculous for ghosts to haunt here..."

"However, the temple has no master presiding over it... Hmm, a true gentleman does not stand beneath a dangerous wall. This place is not suitable for lingering."

Xiang Yuan stood up with a serious expression, trying to reassure himself while inwardly quickening his pace towards the temple gate.

Suddenly, a gust of strong wind swept him towards the center of the temple. He tripped over a dilapidated prayer mat and sat down heavily.

Ghosts!!

Xiang Yuan's heart pounded in terror. His vision went black as thick black mist mixed with blood-red demonic energy surged in, pouring into him through his nose, mouth, ears, and eyes, settling in the center of his brow.

A ball of black smoke appeared on Xiang Yuan's face, transforming into the appearance of Daoist Lingguang when he was demonized: a red face with fangs, grotesque muscles, a vertical eye on his forehead, and evil pupils filled with malice, making him more terrifying than a vengeful spirit.

Daoist Lingguang's physical body had been destroyed, and his primordial spirit was severely wounded. Knowing that the Southern Border was full of jackals and wolves, with demons lurking everywhere besides Old Daoist Quexin, he dared not linger. He activated a secret technique and fled all the way here.

It was like a pillow arriving when one was sleepy. He had encountered a fresh and young physical body.

He exclaimed that heaven had not blocked all paths for him, that destiny was on his side, and even thanked the master of this place, the Heavenly Venerable of Morality.

Kid, you're the one I've chosen!

"Little Constable, to be chosen by this seat is a blessing you've cultivated over ten lifetimes. Hand over your physical body to this seat, and this seat will ensure your name is known throughout the world. Thus, we shall be quits!"

Facing a mere Qi Refining Stage cultivator whom he could crush with a wave of his hand, Daoist Lingguang, no, Spiritual Light Old Devil, stopped pretending. He unleashed the might of the Left Emissary of the Yellow Springs Path and laughed wildly.

"Hehehehehe----"