The entire sect is obsessed with love, but I'm the only one who's truly insane.

Er Gou discovered that whenever he encountered Lin Du, things would always spiral out of control and take a strange turn.

For example, what was his original intention again?

This disguise was dropped so suddenly, just like the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm that Lin Du had brought down last time. Although he was still majestic, righteous, and resolute, he felt that he could really be on the table tonight.

The kind with a single dish.

Er Gou shook his tail, deciding to seize the initiative.

It bent its knees and knelt down on its forelegs, almost teleporting to the front of the feast. It lay on the person's feet and said, "Senior sister, I was wrong. Please don't turn me into a dish."

Lin Du: ...? What a smooth combo.

Sheng Yan looked down at the pale face, hesitated for a moment, then met Lin Du's eyes, which seemed to enjoy the drama. She kicked Er Gou's paw helplessly, "You kept it a secret well."

Er Gou decided it was necessary to clarify, "Senior sister, you didn't ask either."

"You used to say you were just a little kitchen girl in a wealthy family, orphaned at home," Er Gou said, becoming more and more self-righteous, his claws still clinging tightly to the feast. "We're even now."

"We're even now?" Feast looked down at it condescendingly. "What, you're about to devour me, and you call this even?"

"Nonsense! I never intended to eat you!" Er Gou felt wronged. "You humans really love making up stories! We mythical beasts can survive by absorbing the essence of the sun and moon, just like you high-level cultivators can live by absorbing spiritual energy!"

"I just happened to block the sun and moon a few times, and you all say I'm eclipsing the sun. What can I do? Who will speak up for me?"

Sheng Yan pondered, "Then why did that person think you wanted to eat me?"

Er Gou remained silent, deep in thought. "Probably because they think you possess the power of the Candle Dragon, a variant of the power of the sun, and they think I'll eat you?"

"But I only need a little bit of energy. My appetite is very small, it's practically nothing compared to the Supreme Sect."

The innocent disciple of the Supreme Sect who was mentioned: ? That being said, is eating less a good thing?

Er Gou was utterly bewildered. "Don't you humans even have a cooking and repair industry? Why do you assume that we beasts would eat those bloody, spiky things with skin and flesh still attached? We're picky eaters too, okay?"

"Besides, I can tell the difference between having a full meal at one meal and having a full meal every day."

Lin Du nodded. "He's right."

They are simply pure and kind, beings of heaven and earth.

Sheng Yan nodded upon hearing this, "In that case, make a sound for me, like a dog barking twice."

The two dogs worked together, enunciating each word clearly and distinctly, "Meow meow."

feast:?

Lin Du looked up at the sky. A dog is a dog, and a celestial dog is a celestial dog.

Feast, with a stern face, glared at it, "A liar is a puppy, and a puppy doesn't bark."

After weighing the options in his mind, Er Gou opened his mouth in utter humiliation and barked, "Woof!"

Sheng Yan beamed, bent down and scratched his head, "Alright, let's go buy groceries."

The matter was simply swept under the rug.

The man and his dog acted so naturally, as if they were simply passing by while grocery shopping.

Lin Du crossed his arms and watched for a while, then suddenly turned his head and smiled, "Have you seen enough?"

A patchwork-style monkey emerged, its expression complex. "You know I was distracted?"

"Since you know that, why don't you..."

"You have to untie your own knot. This isn't a top-notch mediation program," Lin Du said, fully activating the formation. "Besides, if she wants to know, she'll definitely ask on her own."

Lin Du could tell that Sheng Yan wasn't the type to enjoy being watched by outsiders, and that she was simply disgusted with her own background.

But those original burdens should not become burdens for people.

Lin Du walked out of the small hill, followed by several of his junior disciples.

"Junior Uncle, what should we do with Qi Zhen now? That kid really wants to make a move on Jin Xuan. If we don't find those ancient books, we'll be in big trouble."

"Yeah! This thing actually coveted Jinxuan's luck and even tried to kidnap her. This little devil has quite the nerve." Yuan Ye clicked his tongue and shook his head.

Ni Jinxuan raised her hand, "When I first found out, I wanted to go over and beat him up, pound him into the ground, and then throw him in the dungeon, but Yan Qing wouldn't let me."

Yan Qing coughed lightly. "When we first discovered that Qi Zhen was a demon, Junior Uncle wasn't surprised at all, and he didn't act rashly at first. Isn't it obvious that Junior Uncle was useful to keep alive?"

"We must trust Junior Uncle's grand plan. This little demon is insignificant; perhaps we can use it to our advantage and catch a bigger fish in the long run. Let's think long-term..."

Lin Du glanced at Yan Qing and said, "You're getting better and better at talking lately."

Unfortunately, she didn't touch Qi Zhen, simply because she was waiting for the right opportunity.

She can't win a head-on confrontation.

Not to mention herself, she couldn't beat even if Hou Cang were added to the mix.

After all, the Demon Lord could fight Yan Ye to a 40/60 split, but with the addition of the Heavenly Dao fragment, he could at least fight to a 50/50 split.

If you go head-to-head with them, you're basically just asking for trouble.

"Do you really think this fortune is that important? Could it be that evil spirits, unable to reincarnate and unrecognized by the Heavenly Dao, now want to seize the Heavenly Dao's fortune and become a race favored by Heaven?"

Yuan Ye's mind raced. "If it were a demon favored by Heaven, would it still be a demon?"

He casually hummed the only Lotus Flower Ballad he knew, "Buddha is me, demon is me? No, we Taoists don't care about Buddha, so it's me, god is me, demon is me?"

Lin Du was smiling at first, but his smile gradually faded after a while.

Am I both God and Demon?

"You guys go eat. I'm going back to the sect first. After you finish eating, you'll take turns guarding that small mountain and not let outsiders get close. If Er Gou doesn't make a move, someone else will."

After arranging everything, Lin Du hurriedly flew back to the sect's forbidden area, the Peach Blossom Forest.

Hou Cang was talking to Lin Tuan under the tree when he heard the noise and looked up warily, thinking to himself, "They're here again."

But this time, he was the one who summoned him, so he had already anticipated the consequences. At most, he would just occupy his master for a little longer.

No sooner had Lin Du landed than he asked, "Is there anything unusual about the divine bone?"

Lin Du's straightforward approach left Hou Cang bewildered and even made him feel that something was amiss.

Something just wasn't quite right.

Lin Tuan laughed, "Yes, I've seen this divine bone. After removing the years of demonic pollution and clearing away a portion of it, you can see the original sealing technique on this divine bone. However, this seal is far superior to mine. It's incredibly powerful."

Lin Du frowned slightly. "Sealing techniques? But no one in the Insightful Realm has a stronger seal technique than you."

Lin Tuan represents the highest level of Dharma cultivation in the realm of enlightenment.

"So, it's... the upper realm?"

"The divine bone came from the upper realm? What did the upper realm want to seal? That's clearly... a passage to the source of demonic energy."

Many thoughts flashed through Lin Du's mind. Ascension from the lower realm was difficult and required great strength, while the thirty-three heavens of the upper realm were affected by greater cosmic rules and could not interfere with these small worlds. It had always been assumed that there was a barrier between the upper and lower realms, and there was no other way to communicate with each other except through ascension.

But now this divine bone proves that the channel of demonic energy origin itself connects the Three Thousand Worlds and the Thirty-Three Heavens. That's why the divine bone fell into the Realm of Enlightenment.

So, will the seal in the upper realm affect the demonic energy in the lower realm?

The divine bone had long since fallen off, and the sealing technique on it had obviously been dispelled long ago. However, the past few hundred years were the most prosperous time for spiritual cultivation, and the demonic energy was not strong. Obviously, what was sealed was not the source of the demonic energy here.

Lin Du frowned, and inadvertently met Hou Cang's strange gaze.

"Why are you looking at me like that, senior brother?"

"My senior sister said that if you have any questions, ask Xiaodu. She spends all her time in the library and must be very knowledgeable about ancient books. Even if she hasn't read them, she must know where the relevant books are and which section to read. It's as if the library has come to life."

Hou Cang said, "But why do you seem so dazed right now?"

Lin Du: ...Thank you for the invitation. Searching. Please do not disturb.

She turned and left, saying, "I'm going to the library to find detailed records of the origin of demonic energy and the end of the ancient chaos. Don't bother me."