Longzang

Chapter 290 Returning
The illusion faded, the swordsman in plain clothes disappeared, and two more giant swords appeared on the vast land, each embodying the true meaning of a sword move, equally capable of slaying a Dharma body.

Wei Yuan looked up at the lotus pillar. The demon's charred body was no longer ferocious, but only filled with indescribable sorrow. She gazed up at the statue atop the lotus pillar, wanting only to see her daughter one last time.

Wei Yuan suddenly understood her and the swordsman's feelings at that time. The little girl had suffered so much, and it would have been better for her to be free sooner. But in the final moments, she still wanted her daughter to live a little longer, even if only for a short while. This struggle, this pain, was so heavy that it was hard to breathe.

Actually... it would be better to go back.

Beneath the lotus pillar stood a jade platform, still faintly glowing. Ji Liuli had been observing the flow of Yin energy along the way, and finally arrived before this jade platform. He pointed at it, and countless star-like points floated up on the platform, forming an extremely complex pattern.

As Ji Liuli looked at it, a sudden flash of anger crossed his face. He said, "This is the Great Treasure Vase Imperishable Pure Land Reincarnation Array of the Esoteric Buddhism! The name sounds nice, but in reality, it just binds the soul in the Imperishable Pure Land, slowly refining it so that it cannot be reincarnated. Hmph, no Dharma King of the Esoteric Buddhism who has practiced this has ever had a good death!"

Zhang Sheng was also shocked: "Suppressing so many souls and preventing them from entering reincarnation, isn't that stealing the power of Heaven? How did he become an immortal? Isn't he afraid of divine retribution?"

Ji Liuli's expression was strange. He said, "Of course he's not afraid! Don't you think the layout here looks familiar?"

Everyone was a little confused.

Ji Liuli said, "In my anger, I forgot that you are unfamiliar with formations. Simply put, this is the place where the Witch Clan holds their sacrificial rites, and that statue is the altar."

Ji Liuli was referring to the eerie statue atop the lotus pillar, its hands raised as if offering something. In Wei Yuan's illusion, the little girl lay on the statue's hands; she was supposed to be sacrificed.

"The formation here has been modified; the setter was extremely skillful. They made the souls bound in the plaza only see the little girl, believing her to be the culprit who interrupted their reincarnation, and everyone hated her. By using the formation to obscure the secrets of heaven, the setter transferred the heinous crime of stealing from heaven onto the little girl. Then, by sacrificing her, they returned the sinner to heaven and earth, thus avoiding divine retribution. All the sins and punishments will fall on her, and it is unknown how many reincarnations she will need to atone for them."

Ji Liuli's voice was suppressed and low, and in the end there was only a sigh: "No wonder that monster was so troublesome. In this state... it would have been better if it had died sooner."

Sun Yu suddenly erupted in fury: "How unjust Heaven is!"

Ji Liuli said, "Under the laws of Heaven, there is no right or wrong; it doesn't care about fairness or unfairness."

Sun Yu could only feel futile anger and cursed the heavens. Since his master's tragic death, his temperament had changed considerably.

Ji Liuli continued, "I will reverse the great formation in a moment to release these souls. However, since they have already escaped the cycle of reincarnation, it's as if they have no record in the world, and therefore have no basis for existence, making it impossible for them to enter reincarnation again. Oh, can you use the yin energy and resentment energy here?"

Ji Liuli asked Sun Yu, who immediately shook his head: "It's barely usable to transform the ethereal into the real, but it's useless for simple resentment. I'm a healer, not a demonic cultivator."

"Then let it disperse, but there will be natural disasters in the vicinity for many years."

Wei Yuan frowned slightly, but then thought that the Azure Netherworld should be able to suppress the overflowing resentment.

Ji Liuli manifested the Nine-Story Pagoda and placed it on the jade platform. The Nine-Story Pagoda once again emitted a hazy, clear light, covering all the starlight rays on the jade platform and replacing the jade platform as the array's hub.

Ji Liuli gripped the Nine-Story Pagoda with both hands and slowly spun it. At this moment, the Nine-Story Pagoda seemed to weigh a ton, and Ji Liuli struggled to spin it.

The entire underground space suddenly trembled, and countless chains gleaming with an eerie light appeared on the plaza, crisscrossing and firmly sealing it off. As the nine-tiered tower rotated, some of the chains tightened noticeably before snapping one by one.

As the chains cracked, the souls of the boy and girl began to appear. Their pupil-less faces showed panic and fear as they looked up together.

Even within the grotto-heaven, the faint rumble of thunder could be heard. These souls were no longer tolerated by heaven and earth, and soon a tribulation of lightning would descend to wipe them all out.

These young boys and girls were born in a daze, unaware of how to grow up. Now, having just broken free from their constraints and gained a fleeting moment of intelligence, they are about to face heavenly tribulation. The only memory they will retain is that of perishing in the lightning tribulation. No, they won't even retain any memories; they are not accepted by heaven and earth and will be completely erased.

Wei Yuan sighed inwardly. If reincarnation truly exists, then whoever is reborn into these young men and women must have been uncultivated in their previous life.

As more and more chains broke, the souls of a dozen or so young men and women flew up, rising higher and higher. Just as they were about to touch the dome, a flash of lightning turned them into wisps of smoke.

Suddenly, a dozen or so young men and women burst out of a palace on the outskirts of the city, but collapsed as soon as they stepped out of the palace gates, their bodies rapidly decaying.

At this moment, the formation accelerated its operation, chains snapped in large sections, and countless souls slowly floated into the air. These souls had gained their own sentience, and were filled with terror, scattering in all directions, yet still inevitably rising slowly.

Sun Yu sighed, unable to bear watching any longer.

At this moment, something strange happened across the vast land; the door in Jade Mountain slowly opened!

All the surrounding spirits seemed to sense something, and the two spirits moved with extraordinary speed, instantly rushing into the vast landscape and entering the gate.

Wei Yuan realized what was happening and immediately sealed off his sea of ​​consciousness. Ji Liuli also added a layer of protection for him.

Ripples spread across the dark pool, and two souls rose from the water. They appeared to be the two spirits who had just entered the gate, but now they were completely clear, all the previous drowsiness, decay, and evil aura gone, as if they had been reborn.

The two newborn souls were still somewhat dazed when they emerged from the vast landscape on their own.

Wei Yuan felt that he could control them to stop or do something if he wanted to. However, he was more interested in seeing what these two newborn souls were going to do, so he refrained from interfering.

The newly born souls entered the halls at the edge of the plaza, and then two teenagers emerged from the halls. They walked directly to the high platform in the center of the plaza, knelt down before Wei Yuan, touched their foreheads to the ground, and remained motionless.

Sun Yu scanned the area with his divine sense and was instantly shocked: "They're alive?"

These two boys were full of life, intelligence, and spirit; they were just a little weak, but they looked like living, breathing people.

Countless souls struggling in the air seemed to sense something and all flew towards Wei Yuan. The Nine-Tiered Demon-Suppressing Pagoda shone brightly, enveloping the entire platform and keeping all the souls outside. One soul accidentally touched the light, let out a scream, and burned to ashes.

Ji Liuli's expression turned ugly, and he immediately lowered the light.

Just now, she had essentially killed a mortal, and was now burdened with some karmic debt. Although the Heavenly Mystery Palace had its own secret methods, capable of suppressing or transferring the karma even if she killed tens of thousands, the inability to annihilate a mortal still left Ji Liuli feeling uneasy.

Upon touching the light of the Demon-Suppressing Tower, the spirits would only be injured, not perish. However, this led to more and more spirits attempting to collide with the light. They seemed to realize that if they couldn't pass through the light, they would be sucked into the lightning from the sky.

Ji Liuli shouted at Wei Yuan, "If you take them in, you will have to bear their karma. There are tens of thousands of them! Even a True Lord wouldn't dare! Moreover, this is going against karma and usurping the power of Heaven. The curse on you won't extend upwards to the old ghost. Instead, you will have to bear their future sins!"

This sounds like it's all harm and no benefit, and being entangled in karma is the state that immortals fear most.

At this moment, countless spirits had completely surrounded the high platform, and countless faces appeared in the light of the Demon Suppression Tower, some struggling, some fearful, and some pleading.

Looking at these faces, Wei Yuan suddenly said, "With a single thought from me, tens of thousands of lives can be born, and tens of thousands of lives can be lost."

Ji Liuli said sternly, "They are not tolerated by heaven and earth, and they were destined to die! This is not your fault!"

Wei Yuan sighed, "But now that I'm here, they have a glimmer of hope. To deny them a chance to live is tantamount to killing them."

"Absolutely not! Do you even want to become an immortal?!" Ji Liuli said resolutely.

Wei Yuan turned to look at Zhang Sheng, who stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly, "The path of our predecessors may not be the right path for us, and we don't have to follow all the taboos of the ancients. Do what you want to do, and I will take care of all the consequences and sins for you."

Ji Liuli immediately panicked: "Stop it... How can you take responsibility?"

Zhang Sheng said, "It's just that no one has done this before, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. If there really is no road ahead, then we'll carve one out ourselves."

Ji Liuli laughed in anger, “Opening up a path to immortality? You really have a way of thinking! Which path to immortality isn’t explored and discovered by generations of people? You already had a great path to immortality, why did you have to get entangled in these karmas?”

Zhang Sheng said slowly, "We have cultivated great power, so we should expand our territory and protect the mortals. If we can abandon our mortal people for the sake of our own immortal path, then even if we stand on the Thirty-Three Heavens one day, we will probably be all alone. In all the heavens and myriad realms, there will only be one immortal. What is the point of being such an immortal? To live in the world just to be a lonely person?"

"You! ...I can't argue with you, but it's no use! I'll just burn all these souls!" Ji Liuli was furious.

Zhang Sheng suddenly smiled and said, "My great wish for immortality is actually quite mundane: when one attains enlightenment, even one's chickens and dogs ascend to heaven."

Ji Liuli was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what he meant and said angrily, "Explain yourself clearly, who is the chicken and who is the dog?"

The tense atmosphere eased slightly, and Wei Yuan said, "Senior Sister, I've made up my mind. Let's take over the Demon Suppression Tower."

"I'll say it again, they are intolerable to Heaven and Earth. Helping them reincarnate will only bring them sin, not merit. It will only bring harm and no benefit. Think it through!"

Wei Yuan said, "In the future, I will lead them to expand our territory and create a prosperous world. Even if they themselves have no merit, the sect has merit, and the human race has merit."

Ji Liuli glared at Wei Yuan and said, "Bullshit!" Then she put away the Demon Suppression Tower.

Countless souls converged into the mighty Yangtze River, plunging into the vast landscape and flying into that gate. Moments later, one new soul after another emerged from the pool, heading towards the surrounding halls and returning to their respective bodies.

One by one, the young men and women emerged from the wooden niche. They were still somewhat stiff and wooden, but they all instinctively walked to the foot of the platform, knelt down and bowed to Wei Yuan, touching their foreheads to the ground.

The light in the vast landscape dimmed slightly, and Wei Yuan felt an inexplicable heaviness in his body and mind, as if he had been tainted by something impure. However, seeing the tens of thousands of young men and women who had been reborn, Wei Yuan felt it was all worthwhile.

Suddenly, a faint, ethereal sword filled with the power of annihilation appeared in Zhang Sheng's hand. He said, "No one is to speak of what happened today. Let us all swear an oath with this sword!"

Today's events revealed Wei Yuan's ability to reincarnate people, a power that usurps the authority of Heaven. If this were to be leaked, the consequences would be unimaginable. Putting aside other matters, if any petty person were to become jealous and secretly inform Heaven and Earth of this, Wei Yuan might face a tribulation of lightning.

All the cultivators nodded, then turned their heads together to look at one person.

Master Chuhe flew into a rage: "Why are you all looking at me?! Do you think I'm the kind of person who talks like that?"

But with Ji Liuli's Demon-Suppressing Tower in front and Feng Tingyu's Greatsword behind, after a chaotic scene, the old Taoist was still forced to make a vow of his primordial spirit, and the Dharma Image True Man lost all face.

At this moment, the formation was destroyed, and many Yin spirits returned to their places. The vast amount of Yin energy and resentment in the square had nowhere to go, and suddenly became restless, as if a vortex eye appeared, and all of it was thrown behind the lotus pillar.

Everyone rushed over to investigate and saw that there was a pool of blood beneath the demon on the lotus pillar. Wei Yuan had seen the illusion before and knew that the bloodstain was originally the woman's tears of blood in her final moments, which even true fire could not burn away, and contained endless obsession and resentment.

The bloodstains have now absorbed all the yin energy, transforming into a pool of dark water. From this water, several lotus leaves slowly rise, and a white lotus blooms. It is pure and flawless; though born in the most yin, desolate, and filthy place, it seems to be the purest thing in the world.

The old Taoist priest, Chu He, stared wide-eyed, his mouth slowly opening wide enough to swallow two steamed buns. He pointed at the white lotus and stammered, "This, this is the Impure Earth White Lotus! It actually grows like this! I never expected it! How could I possibly have imagined this? That's right, this is a supreme treasure of heaven and earth! It can break through realms, purify the soul, enhance one's aptitude, and prolong life!"

Wei Yuan was suddenly filled with emotion. Xu Wangu had painstakingly planned and arranged for many years to create such a grand scheme, yet he was unaware that the longevity elixir was right before his eyes.

But looking back on the illusion, perhaps he no longer needs to extend his lifespan at this moment.

(End of this chapter)