Exorcising demons

"My wife, how shall we make love?"

The groom sounded a bit impatient, as if he had never been with a woman before.

The bride was taken aback by the question and it took her a while to reply, blushing, "How could my husband ask me such a question? How could I possibly know?"

The groom said unhappily, "But I've heard that when a woman gets married, the women in her family pass on their experiences."

The bride said softly, "It's very, very simple."

"Ah, my wife, why are you gripping my waist?"

"No, don't say that... Even though my husband hasn't taken a concubine, doesn't he have even a maidservant? Besides, haven't we been to brothels?"

The bride spoke in a voice barely audible.

"I've never been to a brothel, nor have I ever had a maidservant. Women only hinder my martial arts training."

The groom replied as follows.

"What a talent!" Xu Qi'an squinted at the dream, trying to see through the hanging curtains to see who the groom was.

Tang Yuanwu, the leader of the Double Blades Sect, had a cold expression and seemed to disdain the matter, but his gaze kept glancing at the bed curtains.

Yuan Yi laughed and said, "He's a martial arts fanatic."

Li Shaoyun walked away hurriedly with a stern face.

At this moment, the bride exclaimed in surprise, "Husband, where are you going?"

The curtains swayed slightly, as if a young man were dressing, replying to his wife as he did so, "It's time. I'm going to practice my spear for an hour. My wife, please rest early."

The bride cried out in alarm, "But... but we haven't..."

The bed curtains were lifted, and the groom emerged, handsome with a defiant look in his eyes, rushing out in a hurry.

The moment they saw the boy, everyone turned sharply to look at Li Shaoyun.

Li Shaoyun's dark face flushed red instantly, as if flames were rising from within his body and illusory black smoke was billowing from the top of his head.

Commander Yuan Yi scrutinized him repeatedly and said:

"That shouldn't be the case. A few years ago when you came to Leizhou City to report on your work, you were having a great time at the Imperial Academy of Music)."

Li Shaoyun's lips twitched. "Fine, I was only seventeen when we got married."

Tang Yuanwu nodded and said seriously, "So, it was your lady who taught you how to have sex?"

Li Shaoyun: "."

Liu Yun didn't say anything, but the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, as if she was trying not to laugh.

This is social death, huh? Xu Qi'an pursed his lips, suppressing a laugh.

He cleared his throat and said, "Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and find Nalan Tianlu's consciousness."

Yuan Yi and Tang Yuanwu composed themselves and nodded slightly.

Li Shaoyun breathed a sigh of relief. The memory of losing his virginity was so vivid that he would occasionally think about it in his dreams. He never expected to be naked in front of everyone today. This was even more painful than going to the battlefield to fight the enemy.

After traversing Li Shaoyun's dream and searching through the mist for a moment, they suddenly heard the clamor of a bustling city and looked closely.

Colorful lanterns are hung high, and crowds throng the streets, creating a bustling scene of a vibrant night market.

"Whose dream is this?" Xu Qi'an wondered to himself, then saw a man and a woman holding hands, walking slowly towards him.

The woman was tall and slender with a beautiful face and slightly thick eyebrows, giving her a heroic and spirited appearance. She was holding a man's arm, pointing at the roadside vendors, and occasionally skipping around, appearing lively and cheerful.

The man was handsome, tall and slender, and dressed in the uniform of Nightwatchers.

Tang Yuanwu took a deep look at the lively and cheerful dream girl, then slowly turned his head and neck to look at his disciple, Liu Yun, who was known for her aloofness.

This female knight-errant, renowned in the Leizhou martial arts world for her heroic spirit that rivals any man, finally blushed, lowered her head slightly, and dared not look at the sect leader's expression.

Yuan Yi laughed and said, "Beautiful women have always loved heroes; Lady Liu has excellent taste."

Li Shaoyun's face was full of schadenfreude.

Another one has died. Xu Qi'an felt complicated because he realized that his dream hadn't appeared yet; previously, he had been afraid of having a dream that would expose his identity.

Now, they are afraid of seeing scenes of frolicking with courtesans in the Imperial Academy of Music.

Perhaps it's related to a past life, such as fighter jets, cars, skyscrapers, and so on.

"To confirm whether the dream is affected by the precepts, let's give it a try," said Commander Yuan Yi.

"Let's have a fight?" Li Shaoyun raised an eyebrow.

Yuan Yi nodded.

Li Shaoyun nodded excitedly, ran a few steps, and threw a flying knee at Yuan Yi, but it was easily blocked by the opponent.

After a brief exchange, the two sides ceased fighting. Yuan Yi analyzed, "In the dream world, one is unaffected by the precepts, or perhaps the second layer is unaffected by the precepts and cannot unleash their Qi. Our current combat strength depends on the strength of our Primordial Spirit."

Depending on the strength of the Primordial Spirit, Xu Qi'an's eyes flashed as he looked at Li Shaoyun and said:

"Let's try it together."

Li Shaoyun was open to any kind of battle, licked his lips, and eagerly said:

"Very well, I've long wanted to test your skills."

Liu Yun, Tang Yuanwu, and Yuan Yi took a few steps back, looking quite interested.

As Li Shaoyun said, they were very interested in this mysterious figure who called himself Xu Qian, and for the time being, they could regard him as a companion.

But when it comes to vying for the Blood Pill, he becomes a rival.

Now is the perfect time to get a sense of the situation.

Seeing Xu Qi'an nod, Li Shaoyun knew that the other party was ready, so he no longer hesitated. He took two quick steps, spun around, and kicked out with his right leg with a "crack," like a taut whip.

Xu Qi'an raised his hand to block, but was sent flying backward, looking extremely disheveled.

That's it?

The three spectators were stunned, finding it hard to believe.

The Primordial Spirit is far too weak.

Such skill levels are common among the martial arts practitioners in Leizhou. They're only at the level of a fifth or sixth-rank martial artist.

Just as shock and disappointment welled up inside them, they saw Li Shaoyun clutching his leg, staggering backward, his face contorted in pain.

Upon closer inspection, Yuan Yi's pupils contracted slightly; Li Shaoyun's right foot had vanished, leaving an empty space below his ankle.

"He... he devoured a portion of my soul power."

Li Shaoyun was enduring excruciating pain, as if his soul was being torn apart. Aside from that, the physical damage was secondary; this small part of the wedding wouldn't have a significant impact on him.

Devouring soul power? Tang Yuanwu put away his contempt and glanced at Xu Qian in the distance with some apprehension.

Yuan Yi frowned, wondering if they were from the Daoist School sect or the Witch God Sect. The other party's actions were beyond his expectations. Apart from Liu Yun, all three of them were fourth-rank cultivators.

A powerful Primordial Spirit can devour the soul power of others; this is not something a martial artist can do.

In other words, although Xu Qian's Primordial Spirit is inferior to theirs, he might be able to devour them.

"It's just a small amount of soul power; it shouldn't affect you."

Xu Qi'an returned and said, "I just found out I can absorb soul power too."

After giving a brief explanation, he didn't elaborate further and continued on his way.

The crowd exchanged glances, said nothing, and followed, no longer daring to underestimate the mysterious Xu Qian.

So the Heart Gu can devour soul power, but it doesn't feed it back to me; instead, the Seven Deadly Gu consumes it all by itself. It's also possible that the Sealing God Nails prevent the Seven Deadly Gu from feeding back to me.

In this way, I found a way to quickly nourish the Heart Gu, which is to devour souls. Xu Qi'an's thoughts burned brightly.

The dream I'm currently experiencing presents a great opportunity.

The Heavenly Gu is the foundation of the Seven Absolute Gu, and it has already reached its peak on its own without needing to be nurtured. Along the way, he focused on cultivating the Poison Gu, and after consuming the venom of the ancient corpse, the Poison Gu grew to a considerable size.

The Dark Gu and Power Gu are being nurtured in a steady and orderly manner, neither too strong nor too weak, belonging to the second tier.

His Corpse Gu, Love Gu, and Heart Gu had been stuck and hadn't made any progress, but now he had found a way to accelerate the growth of the Heart Gu—devouring soul power.

As for the love potion, he planned to wait for the Imperial Advisor to arrive before carefully cultivating it.

Is it your Human Sect's "juicing machine" that's stronger, or is my Southern Frontier's Love Gu technique superior? It's a pity he's no longer the martial artist he once was, otherwise Luo Yuheng would have undoubtedly been defeated.

All that's left is the Corpse Gu.

Suddenly, Xu Qi'an froze, staring blankly ahead.

Ahead lay a dreamlike scene: a clear blue sky, rolling grasslands, and a tall, brown horse grazing with its head down.

The dream was monotonous; apart from the horse, there was nothing else.

Li Shaoyun and the others stopped behind Xu Qi'an, gazing into the dreamscape. The Zhenfu General, who had just died, wondered:

"What's this, a horse?"

He stared at the horse for a moment, then suddenly gasped and said:

"Have you noticed that the more I look at this horse, the more I find its features delicate and attractive, and I can't help but want to ride it?"

Tang Yuanwu analyzed, "That's certainly a feeling. Dreams are a reflection of a person's inner world, and based on the charm displayed by this horse, it's not hard to imagine that the dream's owner has a special fondness for horses."

"I didn't, you're lying, don't wrong me!" Xu Qi'an mentally made a classic denial, then realized why he had dreamed of a mare.

Dreams are determined by the body and consciousness. When a person is hungry, they will see delicious food in their dreams.

Similarly, before entering the pagoda, he used the Heart Gu technique to deal with the middle-aged monk, and thus instinctively developed a fondness and affection for animals.

Of all the animals, the one he was most familiar with was the mare.

Yuan Yi pondered for a moment and said, "Is there a horse demon among us?"

"Impossible!"

Tang Yuanwu shook his head. "If Demon Race, they would have been forcibly converted by the Buddhist School long ago and wouldn't be able to enter the pagoda at all."

"Hiss!" Li Shaoyun gasped. "Is this guy a pervert? Horses are already pitiful enough being used as mounts. Let them go."

Xu Qi'an's lips twitched slightly, and he said calmly, "The world is full of wonders, nothing is strange."

That's so embarrassing!

This is so damn embarrassing!

I would rather die than admit that this was a dream.

The group quickly disappeared into the distance amidst Li Shaoyun's clicking of his tongue.

Before long, they heard shouts of battle, deafening shouts of battle.

A magnificent war scene slowly unfolds before his eyes; this is Nalan Tianlu's dream.

On the desolate wilderness, a man in a blue robe looked at Nalan Tianlu with gentle eyes and said, "Today you will surely die."

Dongfang Wanrong, accompanied by disciples of the East Sea Dragon Palace and Buddhist School monks, hurriedly arrived.

Seeing this, she breathed a sigh of relief and said with a sense of weight lifted from her shoulders, "Wait for me here."

Dongfang Wanrong approached Nalan Tianlu, who was dressed in a wizard's robe and covered in blood. She muttered incantations. After a while, Nalan Tianlu's body trembled, and he looked at Dongfang Wanrong with slightly empty eyes.

"You"

"Teacher, I'm Rong'er."

Nalan Tianlu paused for a moment, then said in a sleepwalking voice, "So... big?"

Upon hearing this, Dongfang Wanrong was filled with mixed emotions of sorrow and joy. She was only thirteen years old when the Battle of Shanhai Pass took place, a time of innocent naivety.

"Teacher, after your death, your soul was suppressed within a Buddhist School pagoda. Twenty years have passed since then."

Dongfang Wanrong said quickly, "Disciple has come to save you."

She recounted the "deal" between the Witch God Cult and Buddhist School, saying, "You must now allow us to leave your dream world. Once the Buddhist School ascend to the third level, communicate with the tower spirit, and briefly control the Floating Pagoda, they can break the seal for you."

"Twenty years later, how is the outside world treating Wei Yuan? And how is Wei Yuan doing now?"

Nalan Tianlu asked in a dreamlike voice.

At this moment, he was in a semi-conscious, semi-asleep state.

Wei Yuan is dead. Dongfang Wanrong dares not reveal the truth, fearing that it will provoke her teacher and awaken him. Once he wakes up, the dream will naturally shatter.

Then, the martial arts figures of Leizhou will be able to escape their predicament.

"It's a long story, teacher. I'll tell you after you're out of trouble."

Before Dongfang Wanrong could speak, a sharp shriek suddenly rang out.

Turning around in astonishment, they saw a disciple of the East Sea Dragon Palace, who suddenly let out a long roar to the sky.

Dongfang Wanqing acted decisively, stopping the disciple, her eyebrows furrowed. "What are you doing?"

The disciple looked bewildered.

Zen Master Jingxin said in a deep voice, "His mind has been affected. There was no problem with the others along the way, but after we saw Rain Master Nalan's consciousness, he immediately let out a long howl to warn the person controlling him."

"I... I don't know anything."

The disciple was shocked, angry, and aggrieved.

Dongfang Wanqing frowned and looked into the depths of the thick fog. Suddenly, the fog trembled, and a figure rushed out, shooting towards Dongfang Wanqing like an arrow.

The latter crossed his arms and pressed them against his chest.

Bang!

Dongfang Wanqing slipped and fell backward.

Zen Master Jingxin clasped his hands together and chanted the Buddha's name. "Do not kill."

The figure that had been attacking froze instantly, unable to launch an attack on Dongfang Wanqing. This person had dark skin and an arrogant look in his eyes; it was none other than General Li Shaoyun, the Commander of the Garrison.

At the same time, the monk Jingyuan strode forward and punched Li Shaoyun in the chest, sending him flying backward.

Behind them, the thick fog trembled again, and two more figures rushed out, their target clear—Dongfang Wanqing.

Tang Yuanwu either dodged or rammed into them, scattering the East Sea Dragon Palace disciples who were trying to resist, thus creating a passage for Yuan Yiqing.

Kidnapping Dongfang Wanqing was a plan devised by Xu Qi'an.

In the dream world, the martial artist is too passive. The most effective way to control the dream witch Dongfang Wanrong and get her to lead them out of the dream is to kidnap Dongfang Wanqing.

Li Lingsu once said that the Dongfang sisters had relied on each other since childhood and had a deep bond. She was not afraid that Dongfang Wanrong would refuse if she threatened her younger sister's life.

The head monk, Hengyin, clasped his hands together, using precepts to restrict the actions of Yuan Yi and Tang Yuanwu. The precepts of a Zen master are implemented through the Primordial Spirit and have little to do with the physical body.

While the disciples of the Buddhist School and the East Sea Dragon Palace were tied up by Li Shaoyun and his two companions, Xu Qi'an, along with Liu Yun, emerged from the thick fog and attacked Dongfang Wanqing.

"Wanqing, come here!"

"Dongfang Wanrong shouted."

"You continue communicating with Rain Master Nalan; I can stop him," Dongfang Wanqing said calmly.

"Master, please let us leave quickly," Dongfang Wanrong said urgently.

She had no intention of turning the tables on the people of Leizhou in her dream; the bigger the commotion she made here, the more likely she would attract those wandering martial arts Rogue Person.

A force of nearly two hundred people was beyond their ability to handle.

"But I haven't defeated Wei Yuan yet," Nalan Tianlu murmured.

Liu Yun, like a sharp knife, pierced into the ranks of Buddhist School warrior monks, blocking the first wave of reinforcements that came to stop Xu Qi'an.

With her fifth-grade Transformation Primordial Spirit, she managed to hold her own against a group of equally uncouth martial monks, albeit with difficulty.

Xu Qi'an, possessing special abilities, was tasked with dealing with Dongfang Wanqing's Primordial Spirit.

Without saying a word, as he approached Dongfang Wanqing, he let out a sharp shriek, using the power of the Heart Gu to shake Dongfang Wanqing's Primordial Spirit, creating a brief dizzying effect.

He slapped the top of the head of the aloof beauty.

With this palm strike, he could devour at least 30% of the opponent's soul power.

Soul power is similar to physical strength. As long as it is not completely devoured, the Primordial Spirit will not suffer essential damage. At most, the Primordial Spirit will be depleted and will require a long period of recuperation.

"Snort!"

After recovering from the brief dizziness, Dongfang Wanqing made a response befitting a martial artist, clenching her fist and striking Xu Qi'an's palm.

The fist and palm collided without making a sound. The next moment, Dongfang Wanrong was overwhelmed by a soul-tearing pain. She staggered back, staring at her arm in disbelief.

The entire forearm had disappeared, leaving only emptiness below the elbow.

Xu Qi'an flew backwards, like a kite with a broken string.

Dongfang Wanqing judged that her Primordial Spirit was not strong, even weak, but it could devour soul power. She believed that her soul power would at most suffer some loss, but before that, she could destroy this guy with a weak Primordial Spirit.

She vanished in a blur and gave chase.

Dongfang Wanrong patiently communicated with Nalan Tianlu's consciousness, using her dream witch abilities to provide guidance.

"Teacher, the Battle of Shanhai Pass is over, but the Witch God Cult still exists, and Jingshan City still exists. This is just one of the wars you have led; many more wars await you in the future."

"The Battle of Shanhai Pass was lost?"

"Yes, we lost."

"The Great Feng's victory in this war is like adding oil to a blazing fire; the Witch God Cult has no chance left."

"No, the Great Feng is currently weakened, its dragon veins have collapsed, and it is at its most vulnerable. Teacher, the Witch God Cult needs you."

"The Witch God Cult needs me? Yes, the Witch God Cult needs me."

Nalan Tianlu's empty eyes gradually regained focus.

Dongfang Wanrong was overjoyed and was about to speak when she heard someone shout:

"Dongfang Wanrong, if you don't want your sister's soul to be scattered, then take us out of this dream."

Turning around, I was immediately filled with shock, anger, and disbelief.

The younger sister, Dongfang Wanqing's, Primordial Spirit was held in the other party's hand. Her originally solid body was now illusory, like a shadow that would dissipate with a gust of wind.

A dignified peak fourth-grade Nascent Primordial Spirit, defeated so swiftly?

"You, your Primordial Spirit."

Dongfang Wanqing struggled unwillingly, gritting her teeth.

She thought she could shatter the other person's Primordial Spirit, but she didn't expect that although the person's primordial Primordial Spirit was weak, it was incredibly resilient and impossible to shatter.

The martial artist had no special abilities in the Primordial Spirit realm and was helpless against the means that could devour soul power. After several exchanges, she became a fish caught in the net.

"How could you possibly disperse a primordial Primordial Spirit at the third rank?"

Xu Qi'an smiled.

They succeeded. Li Shaoyun and the others were overjoyed and hurriedly retreated towards Xu Qi'an.

Just as Liu Yun was about to leave, the head monk Hengyin's eyes flashed, and he clasped his hands together, saying, "Turning back is the shore!"

Liu Yun froze, unable to move a step no matter what she did.

With a whoosh, a group of martial monks and Zen masters surrounded her, and Jingxin and Jingyuan also rushed over and subdued Liu Yun.

Zen Master Hengyin placed his palm on Liu Yun's head and said, "Benefactor, please release the Second Palace Master of the East."

Xu Qi'an frowned. "What if I don't want to?"

Hengyin said calmly, "Don't blame this humble monk for taking blood today."

"Kill me if you want, stop talking nonsense," Li Shaoyun cursed.

"Don't kill him!"

Tang Yuanwu, his face grim, looked at Xu Qi'an and said, "Brother Xu, please show mercy."

This hastily assembled team is not stable. Liu Yun is the most outstanding disciple of the Double Blade Sect, but she has nothing to do with Xu Qian and his group. They may not be willing to give up the hostage for Liu Yun's sake.

All eyes naturally fell on Xu Qi'an.

Liu Yun pursed her lips tightly.

"Good!"

Xu Qi'an released his grip, and Dongfang Wanqing, facing him and with her back to her own people, retreated step by step.

Seeing this, Zen Master Hengyin withdrew his hand, Liu Yun gave Xu Qian a deep look, and quickly returned.

Dongfang Wanrong felt a sense of relief and shouted, "Come here!"

Amidst the figures of Buddhist School monks and people from the East Sea Dragon Palace rushing towards her, she said:

"Teacher, please let us out."

Nalan Tianlu's gaze was no longer empty. He nodded and stared at her intently, then chuckled softly, "I never imagined that we, master and disciple, would meet again."

The next moment, everyone disappeared from the dream.

"Oh no, what do we do now?"

Li Shaoyun cursed, "How are we supposed to escape from the Subordinate Second Rank rain master? Not only did we come here for nothing, but our lives are now in his hands. We don't even know if there's a precept against killing on the second level. If killing is allowed, we're finished!"

As he spoke, the dream returned to normal, and Nalan Tianlu's head was cut off by Wei Yuan, and his Primordial Spirit was taken away by the Arhat of Salvation with a golden bowl.

Yuan Yi didn't speak, but his face was ashen.

Xu Qi'an said, "If we can't escape the dream on our own, then we need someone else's help."

What's the meaning?

The three fourth-rank martial artists were taken aback.

Liu Yun's eyes were full of anticipation.

Dongfang Wanrong was the first to open her eyes, looked around, and found herself in an environment that resembled a dungeon.

The lighting was dim, and the ground and walls were made of black rock, with a dark and gloomy color.

The second floor was not large, and stood rows of angry-looking Vajra stone sculptures, some wielding swords, some holding clubs, and some holding knives.

Her gaze swept across the room and she saw her teacher, Nalan Tianlu, who was sitting cross-legged between two Vajra statues. The Vajra on the left held a sword with the tip pointed at Nalan Tianlu, as if to stab him.

The Vajra on the right holds a stone hammer high, as if it might strike down at any moment.

Nalan Tianlu's Primordial Spirit is not real enough; it exists in a semi-illusory state.

Dongfang Wanrong withdrew her gaze and looked at the long corridor behind her, where nearly two hundred people from Leizhou were standing.

Their eyes were closed, like statues, their expressions constantly changing—sometimes sad, sometimes happy, sometimes anxious, sometimes embarrassed—but none of them could wake up.

The Dragon Palace of the East Sea and the Buddhist School monks opened their eyes.

Like Dongfang Wanrong, they looked around curiously.

"We're out, this is the second floor."

The disciples of the East Sea Dragon Palace exclaimed in delight.

Dongfang Wanqing took a few steps forward, looked at Nalan Tianlu's Primordial Spirit, tried to take a few steps, then stopped and said:

"My martial arts intuition tells me that if I take a few more steps forward, there will be danger."

Dongfang Wanrong hurriedly said, "Quickly step back, don't wake the teacher, or the dream will be shattered."

At that moment, she saw the head monk, Hengyin, take out a three-edged vajra awl from his sleeve and pierce the chest of a man from Leizhou.

Blood splattered instantly, and the martial arts practitioner, still in his dream, had his life taken away.

"Senior Brother Hengyin."

Zen Master Jingxin frowned.

Zen Master Hengyin remained unmoved. "I am subduing demons and eliminating evil spirits."

His gaze swept across the area, locking onto the man in blue not far away, and he said:

"This person, in particular, has repeatedly offended Buddhist School, made enemies of Buddhist School, and even nearly killed his junior brother Yinshun."

He walked towards Xu Qi'an, holding the Vajra Cone.

Dongfang Wanrong looked at Monk Jingxin and said, "This person can control other people's minds. To prevent anyone from being secretly manipulated by him, Master, you'd better use the precepts to verify his identity."

As she spoke, she also used her dream witchcraft to screen the disciples of the East Sea Dragon Palace.