Cultivating immortality relies on spatial abilities; defying fate to become the protagonist.

Chapter 22 Evil God
Gu Shihan noticed that the village was different after the sound of the black iron stone and the bowl colliding; the people seemed to have come to their senses.

An old man and a young man walked quickly toward her.

Gu Shihan stepped forward, bowed, and said, "It's getting late. Could we stay the night in the village?"

"No! You must leave the village quickly, hurry up!" The old man's expression was somewhat urgent.

"Uncle, why?" Gu Shihan asked.

"Alas! A few years ago, this stone statue suddenly appeared in our village's drying ground, as if it had taken root."

Gradually, whenever the night was quiet, the villagers began to sense the eeriness of the stone statue. After the statue arrived, people in the village would disappear without a trace, and those who disappeared were all women and children.

Later, we sensed something was wrong and had to send them far away, but for some reason, no matter how far we sent them, their final destination was always the stone statue square. Now... now the whole village is just us old men left.”

"You can't get out either?" Gu Shihan asked.

"Can't get out? Even if we do, we'll just end up back in the village. We... we can't die even if we want to..."

"Young lady, I can tell you're a cultivator. Perhaps you can escape." After saying this, the old man became dazed and walked away blankly.

Xingbai jumped down, circled the stone statue a few times, and said, "Hanhan, there is a secret passage at the foot of the stone statue. The missing people should have been taken away through the secret passage."

“Okay, let’s go take a look!” Gu Shihan said.

“It’s very dangerous! It could be caused by an evil cultivator.” Xingbai said, tugging at Gu Shihan’s skirt.

"Xingbai, there's no other way! This is the mission, I'm destined to be cannon fodder, but I need the life-changing value! I'll take the gamble!" Gu Shihan's eyes showed a newfound determination.

"Hanhan, don't worry, you still have me!" Xingbai pulled Gu Shihan to the foot of the stone statue, and gently pressed her little paw on a protrusion on one side. The stone statue split open, and a dark hole appeared.

A human and a fox entered the cave entrance, where stone steps led downwards into the darkness.

Gu Shihan dared not use the luminous pearl for illumination, lest she disturb the owner of the stone statue. Fortunately, she possessed divine consciousness, and even in the darkness, it could not stop Gu Shihan from descending.

"Xingbai, did you sense anything?" Gu Shihan asked telepathically.

"Nothing's wrong, there doesn't seem to be any danger!"

After walking for about fifteen minutes, the stone steps came to an end, and what followed was a long passageway.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, Gu Shihan stopped and scanned her surroundings inch by inch with her divine sense.

"Hanhan, the smell of blood is coming from the end of the tunnel. Put on a concealment talisman and continue forward!"

The further they went, the stronger the stench of blood became. "Hanhan, there's a large stone cave ahead. In the middle is a pool of blood, and in the center of the pool is a black crystal coffin with strong restrictive runes on it. It's estimated that someone is trying to resurrect the person inside the coffin."

"Then what should I do?" Gu Shihan was also surprised. The cultivation world really has all kinds of fantastical things.

"Ding dong! Dungeon quest: Slay the Evil God with a Magic Card. Fate-altering value +50, Failure reduces Fate-altering value by 100. Friendly reminder: Slaying the Evil God requires the Crimson Lotus Karmic Fire!"

The mechanical voice rang in Gu Shihan's mind once again.

"Red Lotus Karmic Fire? I don't have it?! What should I do? Xingbai, do you think the Moonflower Bracelet contains Red Lotus Karmic Fire? Is it still useful for me to try this at the last minute?"

Gu Shihan was stunned. This mission was great, 50 points to change one's fate! Unfortunately, she didn't have the skills!
"Hanhan, don't worry, let me look. There shouldn't be any missing from the Moon Essence Bracelet of Strange Flames. Found it! But, Hanhan, the Crimson Lotus Karmic Flame isn't so easy to refine. Your luck isn't very good. What if it gets burned away by the Crimson Lotus Karmic Flame? What will I do then?"

"Don't worry, it won't happen. There must be a reason why I'm here. It's not like 'everyone has their own unique talents!' Xingbai, you must have faith in your master. I am the owner of the Moonbracelet!" Gu Shihan said with a determined look. "Yes, Hanhan is so confident. I believe in you. Keep going! Go back to the Moonbracelet and refine it. When you start refining, take an Ice Heart Pill. Prepare a few more, and it's best to prepare some ice-attribute items, just in case." The little white fox chattered on and on.

"Aren't you coming into the space with me?" Gu Shihan asked.

"No, I need to check this area carefully. Anyway, I can't help you refine the strange fire, so I might as well learn more about the situation here. Once you refine the strange fire, you can immediately destroy the evil god. I estimate that his awakening will not be long."

Gu Shihan didn't say much. She flashed into the space, went into the bamboo house, took the jade bottle containing the Red Lotus Karmic Fire and some ice-attribute pills and Cold Jade Marrow, and went into the cultivation room.

After taking the Ice Heart Pill, Gu Shihan opened the jade bottle, and a wisp of blood-red flame floated out, swaying as it tried to rush out of the cultivation room.

Gu Shihan separated ten strands of divine consciousness to wrap around the flame, but before she even got close, she felt a sharp pain in her sea of ​​consciousness.

"It really hurts!" Gu Shihan knew she couldn't back down. The creatures of heaven and earth were extremely proud, and they would definitely look down on those who were afraid of them.

Gu Shihan hardened her heart and wrapped her spiritual threads around it. She burned one section of it while she burned two sections of it. The two sides were locked in a stalemate for almost an hour.

Gu Shihan was numb with pain, and was only holding on by sheer willpower, her consciousness trapping that wisp of flame and refusing to let go.

Just as Gu Shihan was about to collapse from exhaustion, the flames finally entered her brow.

The flames entered his body, causing excruciating pain in his meridians. His flesh and blood began to boil, and his clothes, hair, and everything else turned to ash.

Fortunately, Gu Shihan took off all her storage magic treasures when she planned to refine the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, otherwise she would have been reduced to ashes as well.

Gu Shihan felt pain all over her body, as if she were being burned. She felt a heart-wrenching pain spread throughout her body, making her gasp for breath. She no longer had the strength to fight against the burning pain in her body.

Her consciousness began to blur. Xingbai seemed to sense that something was wrong with Gu Shihan, so she entered the space and came to Gu Shihan's side.

It was frantic, pushing several pieces of ice jade towards the flames with its little paws, and cried out, "Hanhan, wake up! 'Defying the heavens to cultivate, defying fate! Wake up!'"

At this moment, Gu Shihan's physical body had been reduced to a skeleton under the burning of the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, and she could no longer even open her eyes.

Gu Shihan felt a pang of despair, sensing her spiritual energy dissipating and her life force rapidly fading away...

A strong sense of resentment rose in Gu Shihan's heart. "Cannon fodder? No! I'm not playing anymore, I won't be cannon fodder! Is it so hard for me to just live a good life?"
"Defying the heavens to cultivate, to fight against fate? Since we can't survive without defying the heavens, why should we accept our fate?! Why should we accept our fate?!"
No! I don't want to die, I don't want to be cannon fodder! I can do it! I know I can pull through, I still have Xingbai!

Gu Shihan's mind cleared somewhat, and she began to communicate with the Red Lotus Karmic Fire by circulating her cultivation technique. She thought to herself, "Heavenly Dao, since you brought me to this world, you have no right to control my life and death?! Red Lotus Karmic Fire, since you can recognize people as your masters, why can't I?! I don't want to die, I won't watch you obliterate me step by step, I want to change my fate! I want to defy the heavens and change my fate!"

"Hanhan, you'll be alright! The owner of the Moon Bracelet is definitely not a coward, I believe in you!" The little white fox looked at the raging fire, tears streaming down her face.

"Hanhan! Are you alright? Don't leave Xingbai behind! If you die, Xingbai will sleep in the Moon Bracelet again. You promised to take me to all the mountains and rivers in the world and let me eat all the delicious food in the world!"
"You wouldn't be such a coward, would you?! You wouldn't kill me with just one Crimson Lotus Karmic Fire, would you?! Crimson Lotus Karmic Fire, since your former master took you in, how could you possibly kill the owner of the Moonlit Bracelet?!"

"Cough cough!" A soft cough startled the chattering little fox. It looked up in surprise and saw the woman in the firelight slowly recovering.

"Hanhan!" The little white fox was about to rush over, but was forced back by the heat wave before it could get close.

"Silly boy! Master is alright!" A little red ball of fluff bounced twice in the firelight.

"You??? You are the Red Lotus Karmic Fire? You have become a living being?" Xingbai stammered.

"Yes, yes! What are you?! You're all white, not as pretty as me!" The red ball bounced around a couple more times.

(End of this chapter)