The Cycle of Reincarnation in the Four-Courtyard House: A Journey Through the Heavens

The deep, secluded, and rarely visited areas of the dense forest are ideal places to cast spells.

Shi Shaojian found a spacious and flat open space, took out the incense burner, talisman paper, sandalwood, and talisman rice that he had prepared in advance from his cloth bag, and arranged them in an orderly manner, thus forming a simple altar.

He studied Maoshan Taoist magic under Shi Jian from a young age, but instead of focusing on his studies, he preferred to delve into unorthodox methods. He only mastered a smattering of orthodox Maoshan skills, but he was extremely proficient in all kinds of evil arts that harm others for personal gain.

The most insidious of these was his long-practiced technique of astral projection.

This technique is extremely vicious. At midnight, when the yin energy is at its peak, he can sit still in one place while his soul leaves his body, travels thousands of miles, and enters houses through walls.

Any woman he sets his sights on will be secretly defiled by his departed soul in her sleep, without a sound or anyone noticing.

The woman who was affected was completely unaware of what was happening. When she woke up the next morning, she could only vaguely remember having a bizarre and absurd nightmare the night before. At most, she was disoriented and restless, completely unaware that she had been afflicted by evil magic, and unable to find any trace of the caster.

At this moment, the altar was in place and everything was ready. Shi Shaojian sat upright on the futon, closed his eyes, and held the stolen strand of hair in his hand, his smile becoming increasingly eerie.

At midnight, the yin energy in the dense forest reaches its peak, the night wind stagnates, and ghostly shadows sway, making it the perfect time to unleash the secret arts of the soul.

Shi Shaojian's eyes suddenly turned white, and his physical body sat cross-legged. A wisp of ethereal soul slowly rose from his body. This soul was so light that it floated directly into the air.

He clutched the strand of hair taken from Ren Tingting tightly in his hand, like a precise guiding compass.

Guided by the vital energy of this strand of hair, Shi Shaojian's soul did not need to find its way. It directly penetrated the night mist, crossed mountains and streets, and headed straight for Ren Tingting and Li Xiao's residence with ease. It was extremely fast and arrived above the house in an instant.

The town was now completely silent. The entire house was quiet, the lights inside were off, and only the moonlight shone through the windows, casting a soft glow on the ground.

The peaceful and leisurely life of the past few days had relaxed Ren Tingting, and she was already fast asleep.

Ren Tingting, who had long since become a married woman, had a rosy complexion and delicate, translucent skin, which made her look even more alluring. However, she was completely unaware that a villain had broken into her bedroom.

Under the hazy moonlight, Ren Tingting's alluring figure ignited a fire in Shi Shaojian's heart, stirring up wicked thoughts that he could no longer suppress his greed.

With a slight movement of his soul, he couldn't wait to transform into a faint black shadow and pounce directly on Ren Tingting on the bed.

But just as his soul was about to touch Ren Tingting's body, a sudden change occurred!

A jade pendant of imperial green, worn close to Ren Tingting's neck, suddenly lit up without warning. The warm, emerald green jade body instantly emitted a faint golden light, completely enveloping her entire body without leaving any blind spots.

Caught off guard, Shi Shaojian's soul slammed into the golden light shield. The seemingly gentle halo contained a vast and domineering power.

With a muffled "bang," a powerful recoil force erupted, sending his illusory soul flying.

"ah--!!"

A piercing scream suddenly exploded in the room, and Shi Shaojian's soul trembled violently. He felt excruciating pain in his soul, as if it were being burned by raging fire and torn apart by sharp blades. His originally clear soul had become much thinner.

This jade pendant is no ordinary object; it is a protective magic artifact personally crafted by Li Xiao.

He had engraved a double magic array inside the pendant, one layer for defense and one layer for damage reflection, making it both offensive and defensive, with endless uses.

These two formations can withstand both physical and spiritual attacks. As long as one's cultivation level does not exceed that of Li Xiao, no cultivator can break through this defensive shield in a short period of time.

Li Xiao is a true master of the Void Refinement Realm, and his cultivation is practically invincible in this world.

The protective magic artifact that he personally carved and refined was far beyond the reach of a half-baked cultivator like Shi Shaojian. Even if his father, Shi Jian, came, he would still be defeated.

The moment this protective artifact was activated, Li Xiao, who was exploring the Shangri-La secret realm a thousand miles away on a snow-capped mountain, instantly felt a fluctuation in his mind.

Previously, Li Xiao had spent several days with Evelyn in Cairo before traveling alone to Shangri-La.

In The Mummy 3, a magical spring of immortality is hidden in this snowy sacred mountain.

The spring water of the Immortal Spring has miraculous effects; mortals who drink it can be cleansed of their bones and marrow and even live forever.

Such rare treasures of heaven and earth are no longer of much use to Li Xiao, who has now entered the Void Refinement Realm.

But if you bring it back and leave it to your family, it would be an extremely rare and priceless opportunity. That Daoist nun named Ziyuan was able to live from the Qin Dynasty to the Republic of China because she drank the water from the Fountain of Immortality!

That's why Li Xiao specially set off to the Snowy Secret Realm to find the Fountain of Immortality and seek an opportunity for immortality for those around him.

However, the protective artifact he had given to Ren Tingting was suddenly triggered, instantly interrupting his continued exploration.

The magical artifact was connected to his mind; whenever it was attacked, it would immediately transmit a response. The intense fluctuations at this moment were enough to show that Ren Tingting had just been attacked by some evil spirit.

Li Xiao's expression turned cold, and a chilling glint flashed in his eyes. He didn't dare to delay for a moment and instantly disappeared from the snow-capped mountain.

The next second, Li Xiao appeared in Ren Tingting's bedroom, and Ren Tingting, who was lying on the bed, was awakened by the screams that Shi Shaojian had just made.

Inside the bedroom, the golden light barrier slowly disappeared, and Ren Tingting opened her eyes on the bed.

When she finally saw the strange white figure in front of her, Ren Tingting's heart clenched, as if her entire heart was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

In that terrifying moment, a familiar figure suddenly appeared beside her bed, and a gentle aura dispelled the cold and eerie atmosphere that filled the room.

When she saw the person's face clearly, Ren Tingting jumped off the bed and snuggled into his arms.

"Brother Li!"

In her heart, Li Xiao was her greatest source of confidence. As long as he was by her side, she had nothing to fear from any demons or monsters in the world.

Shi Shaojian, who was standing to the side, was severely injured by the protective golden light and was already at his last gasp.

Just as Li Xiao suddenly appeared, the Daoist aura emanating from him stirred up a tidal wave in Shi Shaojian's heart.

Throughout his cultivation journey, the most powerful person he had ever met was undoubtedly his master, Shi Jian. But the young man before him now exuded a Daoist aura that was even more terrifying than that of his master.

He knew very well that he had met his match tonight, encountering a peerless master hidden among mortals!

The opponent's cultivation level is unfathomable. Not to mention that I am now only a soul body, even in my prime, I probably wouldn't be able to withstand a single blow from the opponent.

The instinct for survival instantly took over, and Shi Shaojian dared not linger for even a moment. His soul abruptly changed direction, transforming into a blur as he crashed into the wall.