Soul-Washing Incantation
Li Zhengjun smiled slightly, slowly walked up to him, and said:
"Sun Chengling, I know your Sun Household's plan: to let the various families fight each other with my Li Household, and then take advantage of the situation to swallow everyone up."
Sun Chengling snapped out of his shock and finally remembered the purpose of his trip.
Subduing the Ginseng-Cloud Tiger resulted in mutual destruction for both the Li Household and the other families.
But now it seems that Li Zhengjun is so powerful, Sun Ming's side must have failed as well!
The centenarian closed his eyes and said resentfully:
"Patriarch Li Household, my Sun Household misjudged you. You... are very strong! In that case, give me a quick death!"
Although he was crippled, he had fought his way out alongside his brother Sun Chengfeng, and he would never beg for mercy.
Li Zhengjun hadn't expected the old man to react this way, and said:
"Wouldn't killing you be too easy on you?"
Having said that, Li Zhengjun grabbed the Iron-Arm Vajra with his left hand and used the "Mystic Terrace Spirit-Suppressing Soul-Binding Instruction" to subdue its true spirit.
Immediately afterwards, he raised his right hand and caught the Gale Falcon that had fallen to the ground, repeating the same method.
The two demonic Demon Beast, which had been suppressed by the beast-taming technique, had changed hands in the blink of an eye.
Sun Chengling stared, his eyes wide with rage, his Qi and Blood boiling.
Li Zhengjun was openly humiliating him, insulting his beast-taming techniques!
The spirit beasts that he had originally controlled now lost their true spirits, and all the shackles of the past vanished instantly, turning them into Li Zhengjun's most loyal spirit pets.
Sun Chengling suddenly thought of the Demon Beast [Hidden Snipe] that the family head Sun Hongpu had recently acquired. It was said to be the spirit pet of Sun Xing, who was killed by the Ginseng-Cloud Tiger.
At the time, the Sun Household didn't think anything of it, since the bird carried Sun Household magical incantation, so they felt safe using it.
Now it seems that the damned bird has likely been turned by Li Zhengjun!
Li Zhengjun seemed to know what Sun Chengling was thinking. After subduing the two Demon Beasts, he looked at the hard old tortoise.
The old tortoise seemed to sense something, and with difficulty turned its cracked head to look at its master, Sun Chengling.
There was no resentment or desire to survive in its cloudy eyes, only a pure attachment, as if it wanted to see him one last time.
Li Zhengjun was about to raise his hand, the Black-Shelled Turtle suddenly let out a whimper, then its limbs stiffened abruptly, and it spat out blood.
It severed its own meridians.
Sun Chengling was stunned.
He suddenly remembered that day ninety-six years ago, when he learned the art of beast taming from his father and subdued his first Demon Beast.
At that time, he was physically disabled and looked neither male nor female, so no one wanted to play with him.
Only this little Black-Shelled Turtle stayed by his side, and at that time he felt that the Black-Shelled Turtle was his best friend in life.
Later, Sun Chengling displayed his talent for cultivation, his realm became higher and higher, and the spirit beasts he tamed became more and more powerful. He gradually forgot about the companions who had accompanied him through his loneliness.
He tossed the Black-Shelled Turtle into a corner of his spirit beast pouch, and it gradually transformed from an inseparable companion into a tool that shielded him from blades and bullets.
When faced with the threat of being imprisoned, this old tortoise demonstrated its lifelong loyalty by committing suicide.
Sun Chengling opened his mouth, wanting to touch the old tortoise's broken shell, but his right arm had been severed at the shoulder, with only a few strands of skin and flesh still hanging on.
He stood frozen in place, his earlier spirit of bravely facing death suddenly vanishing completely.
Just then, Li Dongping and his men arrived with a group of prisoners.
Li Zhengjun sighed, impressed by the loyalty of the Black-Shelled Turtle, but he had more important things to do at the moment.
He made a hand seal, and a beam of mysterious light entered Sun Chengling's mind.
This Technique Method is the "Soul-Washing Incantation," which can alter the memories of the recipient according to the caster's needs.
If the Sun Household is to be brought down, then Sun Chengling must personally confess the Sun Household's crimes in front of his Lineage.
Sun Chengling trembled, and when he opened his eyes again, the sorrow in them had disappeared, replaced by a look of confusion and ecstasy.
He seemed to wake from a long dream, his eyes shining, and he looked around before bursting into laughter.
"I... I... I've tamed the Ginseng-Cloud Tiger!"
"Haha, good, good, good!"
Suddenly, as if remembering something, he hurriedly looked around, and only when he saw that the Vajra Iron-Armed Ape and the Gale Falcon were still standing safely to the side did he breathe a long sigh of relief and say repeatedly:
"It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright. These two are my precious darlings, they absolutely cannot be lost. If they were seriously injured, where would I find another one!"
His gaze shifted to the Ginseng-Cloud Tiger, then inadvertently fell upon the Black-Shelled Turtle, which was still alive and struggling to crawl toward him.
Sun Chengling was silent for a moment, a hint of disgust appearing in his eyes.
"Alright, alright, what are you still doing crawling in this state? You're about to die, so just lie still. What good are the pills for you? Fine, I'll give you a quick death."
After saying that, he raised his hand and unleashed a beam of magical light that struck the old tortoise's head squarely without the slightest hesitation.
The Black-Shelled Turtle couldn't understand what its master was saying, but it knew that its master was laughing, and it seemed that everything was alright.
Perhaps the owner attacks me because they can't bear to see me suffer?
Thinking this, it closed its eyes peacefully.
Sun Chengling didn't care at all. He straightened his clothes, turned to look at Li Zhengjun, and his face was full of smug satisfaction.
"Haha, Patriarch Li Household, the Ginseng-Cloud Tiger is now in my hands. Your Li Household's disciples are probably all dead or wounded by now, aren't they?"
"Those bastards under my command aren't very useful, but there are so many of them. They're all vying to be my Sun Household's dogs, each wanting to show off in front of their masters. My Sun Household only made a few empty promises, and they pounced on your Li Household like mad dogs, ready to fight to the death."
"Once you've both been severely weakened, I'll take over those bastards' territories and spiritual resources, and use that to get a Foundation Establishment Pill for my good nephew. For such a grand scheme, I must thank Patriarch Li Household for paving the way for me!"
He was under the influence of the Soul-Washing Incantation and the Heart-Questioning Talisman, and at this moment, all his thoughts poured out without any attempt to conceal them.
He became increasingly smug as he spoke, as if he could already see the Sun Household, under his planning, ascending to the pinnacle of Jade Wave Island.
Sun Chengling struggled to his feet, then suddenly sensed a presence on the rock wall behind him and quickly turned around to look.
It was already past midnight, and the night was deep. He looked closely and realized that the rock face was full of people!
Sun Ming and the other members of the Sun Household knelt on the ground in despair, looking at him in disbelief.
The other cultivators, having heard Sun Chengling say it himself and seeing the reaction of the Sun Household members, knew exactly what the truth was.
The crowd was filled with righteous indignation and could no longer contain themselves, so various curses rang out.
Seeing that the time was ripe, Li Zhengjun immediately drew his magic sword [Shaoming].
"You have all heard this: the Sun Household has deceived their superiors and subordinates, condoned Devil Cultivator, exploited all other families, and even plotted to annihilate my Li Household along with the rest of the family. Such actions are intolerable to Heaven!"
"Today, my Li Household will act on behalf of Heaven and behead this scoundrel to set things right!"
Having said that, he brought his sword down and beheaded him.
Everyone was stunned; no one had expected that Li Zhengjun would actually dare to kill the Sun Household's Grand Elder!
That was Sun Chengfeng's younger brother, a powerful figure in the Sun Household had dominated this sea area for decades. He was just killed with a single sword stroke?
Li Zhengjun, however, remained unperturbed, sheathing his sword and standing still, saying calmly:
"Fellow Daoist Yang Lei has already sent someone to report the evidence of the Sun Household's many misdeeds to the Ten Thousand Spirits Sect. As a result, the Sun Household will surely fall."
"The reason you all aided and abetted the wicked was largely due to being deceived or forced by circumstances. Now that the truth has come to light, I'm sure you all know what to do."
"Those willing to step forward and accuse the Sun Household of their crimes can seek out Fellow Yang Lei to jointly testify. Those who have concerns and do not wish to appear can also disperse on their own. As long as you do not continue to assist the Sun Household, it is a righteous act. Let's end today's matter here."
His words surprised all the cultivators.
The Li Household actually let me go?
Especially the disciples who supported the Sun Household, even though the heads and elders of their respective families, the main culprits, had been killed by the Li Household, they were still considered accomplices. They originally thought they were doomed, but they were spared!
Yang Lei was also quite surprised, and he sighed inwardly.
"Master Li Household, what a skillful method! First, you swiftly and decisively executed the ringleader, then you pardoned and released the followers, thus upholding both morality and winning over the hearts of the people."
"Cultivators can't be killed all at once. If the Li Household were to truly slaughter all of the dozens of members of the Sun Household, it might seem satisfying, but in reality, it would invite the intervention of the higher sects to suppress them. Such audacity from an outsider is something the Ten Thousand Spirits Sect absolutely cannot tolerate."
"By punishing only the ringleaders and not the accomplices, we have established our authority, cleared away obstacles for the main force, and satisfied both reason and emotion, while also saving face for the various families and the Ten Thousand Spirits Sect. In this way, the Li Household can truly establish itself in this sea area!"
Most of the cultivators who survived the calamity now both feared and respected Li Zhengjun.
Even those few who still harbored ulterior motives had no choice but to temporarily lower their heads and respectfully kowtow in gratitude.
For a time, words of gratitude filled the air.
"Thank you, Patriarch Li Household!"
Li Zhengjun smiled and nodded, then handed over the cleanup to Li Yuankai and Yang Lei.
He then led several newly tamed Demon Beast in a flash to find Jiang Liuyang.