Hermit in the Mountains

On October 10th, as night fell, Changsheng Peak was as tranquil as ever, but tonight there was an added sense of solemnity.

As we entered the wooden cabin and bamboo grove, Big Yellow sat energetically by the entrance, its bright eyes scanning the surroundings.

On the mountaintop, a large red creature lay prostrate on a rock by the pool, occasionally emitting a low "coo coo coo" sound, its sharp gaze fixed on the wooden house halfway down the mountain.

A blue ox lay in front of the wooden house, its back to the house, its head facing outwards, its eyes wide open like copper bells.

In short, martial law has been declared at Changsheng Peak.

For the past ten days or so, in addition to deduce the formation, Gu Changsheng had been quietly collecting various Yin-attribute materials and successfully deduced the "Jade Rabbit Gazing at the Moon Visualization Method".

Tonight, Wang Bing'er will face her final test. Success will allow her to defy fate, while failure will mean death and the end of her life.

During the day, Gu Changsheng informed Yang Dashan and Zhang Yuanfu to close the mountain, prohibiting anyone from going up the mountain and postponing all matters for a few days.

In the living room of the wooden house, Gu Changsheng sat cross-legged, with a phantom red figure sitting directly in front of him.

In the blink of an eye, Gu Changsheng's left pupil changed from black to grayish-brown and his right pupil changed from black to emerald green, with special patterns seemingly flowing deep within his pupils.

The withered and flourishing Dharma Eyes scrutinized the red figure across from him, as if performing a final scan for confirmation.

The moment Wang Bing'er, who was sitting quietly opposite, met Gu Changsheng's gaze, she trembled all over, feeling as if that gaze had seen through her from the inside out. Her face flushed, and she revealed a shy expression.

She lowered her head silently, not daring to look at Gu Changsheng opposite her.

Gu Changsheng's pupils returned to black, and he said calmly, "Are you ready?"

"Tonight is the final test. Success will defy fate and change one's destiny; failure will mean death and annihilation."

Upon hearing this, Wang Bing'er suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with unwavering determination, her face revealing a resolute air.

"My Lord, I am ready and can accept your test at any time."

Gu Changsheng concluded by reminding everyone, "The test consists of three steps: Taiyin Refinement, Soul Nourishment, and Heart-to-Heart Agreement."

"The Taiyin Refinement Trial will subject you to the baptism of lunar energy and the scorching heat of solar energy. This step will cleanse the resentment hidden within your soul."

"The Taiyin Soul-Nourishing Trial involves sealing your orifices with Yin objects and amplifying your sense of breathing with ebony. You must endure extreme suffocation to temper your soul."

"The Taiyin Heart Pact Test..." Gu Changsheng paused when mentioning the final test, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes as he looked at Wang Bing'er. "The final test is your heart; you need to establish a heart pact with the Taiyin Star with your soul."

"You need to voluntarily and completely let go of your obsessions from your previous life. If even a trace of resentment arises during the signing of the contract, it will transform into yin fire that consumes you, causing your soul to be scattered."

"You need to voluntarily give up your ghostly luck and earthly virtues, which may cause a backlash from your ghostly luck in the process."

Gu Changsheng used his divine sense to interrogate him, "The trial is irreversible now that it has begun. Do you still insist on switching to the Taiyin Path?"

"You possess the aura of the Ghost Path, making it the easiest and safest path to cultivate it. Are you willing to give it up?"

"Aren't you afraid that even if you die and your enemies are still alive and well, you won't regret it?"

Under the three barrages of questions, Wang Bing'er's porcelain doll-like face contorted into a ferocious expression, a murderous glint flashing in her eyes.

In the blink of an eye, Wang Bing'er seemed to have figured something out; her eyes regained their clarity, and her complexion returned to normal.

She asked a perplexing question, "Peak Master, is the only target for establishing a pact with the Taiyin Star?"

"The Taiyin Star is most suitable for the Taiyin Path you will cultivate later." Gu Changsheng replied casually without giving it much thought.

Having received a reply, Wang Bing'er smiled and said, "Peak Master, let's begin."

Gu Changsheng formed the "Withering and Flourishing Seal" with both hands at his lower dantian. With a thought, he condensed a Dao seal of inheritance. He looked up and said, "Open your mind and do not resist. I will teach you the 'Jade Rabbit Gazing at the Moon Visualization Method,' which will help you comprehend the Dao of Taiyin."

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his right hand, made a sword-finger gesture, and gently touched Wang Bing'er's forehead from a distance.

A gray-green, semi-transparent Dao seal flew into Wang Bing'er's brow, imprinting itself on her soul.

"Embrace your spirit and focus on the One, contemplate the scene."

"A mind as still as water, untouched by any thoughts."

Wang Bing'er was quick to understand, and after a dozen minutes, she was immersed in the visualized scene.

Seeing this, Gu Changsheng multitasked, keeping an eye on Wang Bing'er's condition while simultaneously immersing his mind in the Jade Rabbit Gazing at the Moon meditation.

In an instant, a phantom white jade rabbit appeared above his head. The little rabbit sat quietly in the void, raising its eyes to look at the sky. Its gaze seemed to pierce through layers of obstacles, staring at the moon in the heavens.

Before long, the dimly lit living room brightened up, and more and more moonlight poured into the living room and into Wang Bing'er's soul.

At midnight, Gu Changsheng used his divine sense to capture nine strands of "Emperor's Essence" and inject them into Wang Bing'er's body, then withdrew the Jade Rabbit Gazing at the Moon visualization.

He opened his eyes, reached out his right hand and picked up a 30-centimeter-long red feather from the table in front of him, placed it in his left palm, pressed his right hand on top, and rubbed his palms back and forth.

Before long, the red feather turned into a cloud of powder. With a thought, Gu Changsheng made the powder seem to grow legs and float towards Wang Bing'er on the other side.

The moment the powder drifted onto Wang Bing'er, her brow furrowed, and burn marks appeared where her soul touched the powder.

Once Wang Bing'er was familiar with the burning sensation, Gu Changsheng's expression changed. He slowly raised his left hand, aimed it at Wang Bing'er, opened his mouth, and blew hard.

"call--"

The powder on her left palm was blown forward, spreading out and precisely hitting Wang Bing'er's entire body.

"ah--"

Wang Bing'er let out a pitiful cry.

She was forced out of the meditation state, opened her eyes, and saw that her body was covered with sparks. She subconsciously waved her hands and began to pat the sparks off her body.

However, her actions were in vain. Although the crimson feather did not contain the true power of the sun, it still contained pure yang power.

The feathers turned into powder and entered her soul, like maggots clinging to bones, impossible to dispel, only able to endure until the pure yang energy of the powder was exhausted.

Wang Bing'er frantically patted the sparks off her body, the pain intensifying.

"It hurts, it hurts..."

Soon after, Wang Bing'er curled up on the ground, trembling all over, and screaming in agony.

The restored soul was covered with burn marks, the red dress was covered with holes of all sizes, and it was pitch black as if there was a burnt smell.

Gu Changsheng scolded him twice, "You can't even handle this little bit of pain? What are you yelling about?"

"With your constant wailing and howling, do you still want revenge? Get up and sit down."

Hearing Gu Changsheng's reprimand, Wang Bing'er shakily sat up, enduring the burning sensation on her body, and sat cross-legged, closing her eyes and softly chanting.

"Embrace your spirit and focus on the One, contemplate the scene."

"A mind as still as water, untouched by any thoughts."

...........

Seeing this, Gu Changsheng nodded in satisfaction and said softly, "This child is teachable!"

Wang Bing'er died a tragic death. If he doesn't take drastic measures now to eliminate her resentment and obsessions all at once, she might unleash her inner demons in the future.

After passing the three trials and achieving success in cultivation, she went down the mountain to sever her karmic ties in the mortal world. Even if Wang Bing'er develops inner demons in the future, they will not be too serious, as they will be considered inner demons born from normal cultivation.