Wan Dongzhi thanked him again. "Thank you, Senior. If not for you, who knows how much longer Ning Bai and I would have had to wait to see each other again."
"Not long. Only three years or so," Xu Tong said with a smile. "This lad is stubborn, and so is his consciousness. He's been fighting the Demon Spirit all along. Three years should have been enough for him to subdue it completely."
"Master!" Lin Yi hurriedly called out. "Since Ning Bai is all right now, please take a look at Junior Sister first!"
Xu Tong sat down, and Lin Yi hastily gave up his seat.
"This child is so gifted that she easily loses herself in battle. Once she enters that selfless state, she becomes susceptible to control."
"I've already cleared the demonic breath from her body, but she can't accept that state of losing herself. In truth, both the shadows and the bright moments are part of a person's complete self."
"Her refusal to acknowledge it means her consciousness is incomplete. She's the one who doesn't want to wake up."
Even as he spoke, Xu Tong infused a strand of true power into her.
Then he lifted Lan Xin into his arms. "I've stabilized her mind for now. The rest is up to her."
"Once these matters are settled, I need to go to the Southern Region to find Heavenly Dao Lake. I'm afraid this child will have to think things through on her own."
Lin Yi immediately said, "If you're going to the Southern Region, Master, I'll follow you."
"No!" Xu Tong said. "The master leads you through the gate, but cultivation is up to the individual. I've already taught you everything I should."
"The rest depends entirely on you. You seem to have grasped things quite