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

Lin Du had long imagined what it would be like to see Lin Tuan again, but when the moment came, he felt timid.

Sending the ghost to the underworld was Lin Du's unilateral, desperate attempt to save the day without anyone's consent. It was like a disobedient child who only became afraid after finishing his task and realizing he was about to meet his parents.

Lin Du regretted coming down alone. With Wei Zhi there, she could have shared most of the firepower, but now she was all alone.

Or... let's just pin the blame on Wei Zhi.

Lin Du made up his mind, took a deep breath, and then followed Shen Tu into the bend in the mountain.

Lin Tuan loves peach blossoms, and he loves that they bloom eternally throughout the four seasons, never fading, and always thriving.

But there is no such thing in the underworld.

But the valley seemed to have gathered most of the flowers and plants that could grow in the underworld. The flowers that bloomed on the bones of the underworld looked different from the flowers in the mortal world. They were quiet and exuded boundless tranquility.

"This wine isn't enough, can you give me another thousand years' worth?" A familiar female voice broke the deathly silence.

Lin Du's heart began to pound wildly again.

"I'm speechless! You've drunk so much, what is it that you can't forget? I'm Meng Po! Meng Po! Do you even know what Meng Po is?!" a little girl shouted in a clear voice. "You're insulting my profession!"

"Didn't you say that besides making soup, you're also a master brewer, and that you can be drunk for a thousand days, without dreams or thoughts? I just wanted to give it a try, didn't I?"

"What I gave you was a thousand-day intoxication!!" the little girl said angrily. "Your complete lack of reaction is the greatest insult to me."

"Then treat me a little differently and give me another 'Millennium Intoxication'." The woman's voice became even gentler.

The little girl stood with her hands on her hips under a paulownia tree, refusing to back down. "Drunkard!!! This is the last time! If I bring you wine again and you still drink it all and complain that it's not strong enough, then I'll never come again."

There was no wind in the valley, but the lush locust trees trembled slightly, and then a figure descended from them, a long purple robe fluttering down along with the locust blossoms unique to the underworld.

Lin Du's heart settled down at that moment.

That familiar face, that figure that had been absent for over a thousand years, appeared completely before Lin Du.

Lin Tuan turned his head and looked towards the valley entrance, his eyes landing on the pale blue figure that did not belong to the ghost realm.

After she stopped, she carefully examined Lin Du for a while, then smiled and said, "You're starting to look like a grown-up."

Lin Du suddenly turned his face, trying to put on a playful smile, "At my age in the Immortal Realm, I'm still a clueless greenhorn who doesn't know anything."

Lin Tuan shook his head. "I know you've always been capable. You know everything and you can do everything very well."

Lin Du remained standing there, as if in a dream, until Lin Tuan walked towards her, startling the Netherworld Butterflies that had been resting on the damp ground. They fluttered and swirled, finally landing on the immortal's shoulder.

Lin Du fell into that person's warm embrace.

Time stood still in the River Styx, but Lin Du kept going against the current. Time washed away all the external things on her, but often, the torrent couldn't wash away many things.

Humans are animals that need love, but it is never limited to romantic love; it includes the care of elders and the friendship of friends.

A child nurtured by love is the most fulfilled; she can confidently move forward and explore.

When Lin Du returned, he was empty-handed and felt a deep sense of loss. But now, no matter where he goes, even if he is penniless, he always feels extremely rich.

Lin Du used to think that feelings were dispensable and wouldn't diminish her pursuit of strength. But these belated feelings were indeed precious, so precious that they made her feel more timid as she approached her hometown, and she dared not ask the people who came.

"You've always been the most amazing kid I've ever met."

Lin Tuan gently patted her back, "So don't be afraid, just boldly do what you think is right."

Lin Du lowered his head. "What if I misjudge?"

"No." Lin Tuan stroked her head. "What was right then and what was wrong later cannot be judged the same, can't they?"

Lin Du thought that perhaps Lin Tuan knew everything.

Standing before a raging river, watching a dam about to be washed away, the decision one makes at that moment might be the right one.

But times have changed, and when the floodwaters breached the dikes, the actions of our predecessors were found to be wrong.

"You have to learn to accept it. It's okay to be wrong. No one's understanding can be comprehensive, not even that of a god."

"Do what you think is right at the time. You are cautious by nature, thorough in your work, and take responsibility very seriously. I believe in you. This was the most correct decision you could make at the time. Even if it turns out to be wrong in the future, you are prepared to take responsibility, and that is enough."

Learn from history, and you will become a better person in the future.

"You... you remember everything, right?" Lin Du suddenly asked.

Lin Tuan didn't explain anything, but hugged her tightly for a long time before letting go. Then he looked into Lin Du's eyes and said, "I am your predecessor. When later generations look at the predecessors, the predecessors regret it too late, but we should not let the successors be afraid."

"I can't forget those scenes, the souls trapped in those shrines, those disasters and sins of greed, those souls I desperately tried to break free of, but ultimately became demons." Lin Tuan looked at Lin Du, his voice gentle, "I thought that sacrificing myself to mend the heavenly way was the best ending for me."

"Lin Du, I've heard that you are now a Dao Lord of the Three Realms and Nine Palaces. The Floating Life Fan and the Dream Brush can judge a person's merits and demerits. Why don't you let me enter them once as well?"

Lin Du stood there stunned for a long time. "Do you... want to come in?"

"Can't you judge my merits and demerits?" Lin Tuan looked at her.

Lin Du's heart calmed down strangely; this was something that would be good for both of them.

After ascending to the upper realm, she discovered that the root of everything was indeed the fallen goddess Houtu, and even more so the evil of all people. Lin Tuan was the reincarnation of Houtu. She had no memory of the beginning, nor did she do those things. Therefore, Lin Du could confidently tell Kaiyang that Lin Tuan was right and that the Dongming Realm should not be sealed off.

But the Lin Tuan of today is the Lin Tuan who has all of Hou Tu's memories. Even though she is no longer Hou Tu, those memories still trouble her.

Regardless of whether they are friends or enemies, Lin Du should act as a scale, weighing the merits and demerits of the world and bestowing blessings and punishments accordingly; this is her responsibility.

The moment Lin Du raised his hand, Shen Tu and Meng Po looked at the immortal at the same time.

Meng Po seemed to want to step forward to stop her, but Shen Tu stopped her and shook his head.

"Although Lin Du is sentimental, she is ultimately a Heavenly Official. The innate spiritual treasure in her hands commands the rules of heaven and earth and divine power, acting as a deity. It is not appropriate for you or me to interfere."

Meng Po's eyes widened. "You're the Ghost Emperor! Shouldn't the Ghost Emperor be a level above the Dao Lord?"

Shen Tu thought about it seriously for a moment, "If we really fight, it'll be a 50/50 chance."

Meng Po's eyes widened. "Lin Du sounds promising, but it's not like he has no chance of winning, is it?"

"Fifty chance she beat me to a direct defeat, and fifty chance she commanded the gods to indirectly defeat me," Shen Tu said.

Meng Po: ...?

The Floating Life Fan was already shining brightly, and Lin Tuan's figure had disappeared.

Lin Du sat there, countless Netherworld butterflies landing around her, but she didn't look at them. Instead, she looked up at the Floating Life Fan and the Dream Brush, her immortal power and divine sense continuously sketching out Lin Tuan's life.

If Fusheng Fan determines that she is Lin Tuan, then thereafter, there will only be one ghost cultivator from Lin Tuan. If she is determined to be Hou Tu, then she shall bear the punishment she deserves.

Lin Tuan's life was very long.

The journey was so long that Meng Po was caught and taken away for dereliction of duty. Shen Tu also felt bored. Seeing Lin Du's immortal power gradually decreasing and unable to move easily, he could only play the Nine Linked Rings next to her.

Shen Tu was born with the appearance of being incredibly intelligent, but he always got stuck when playing the Nine Linked Rings game.

Lin Du listened for a while, took it, and untied it in no time.

"This won't do. This isn't fun at all, you know?" Shen Tu complained. "I just have this tangled and complicated personality, otherwise how would I pass the time?"

Lin Du suddenly looked at Shen Tu, stared at her for a long time, and then laughed, "You're right, I'll take it back for you."

Shen Tu was displeased again, "Forget it, forget it, you're making me look stupid."

Lin Du smiled and remained silent, then looked up again at the Floating Life Fan.

On the fan, however, is written Lin Tuan's origins: born during a turbulent time in the royal family, carrying everyone's hopes, he went to Zhongzhou to find a new way out, but was stripped of his title by the royal family.

He was upright and kind throughout his life, eliminating evil spirits, helping the poor, managing and guiding the sect, and his merits were countless.

The scene suddenly changed to be shrouded in thick clouds, and then the glow of dawn descended from within those clouds.

Lin Du looked up, watching intently.

By sacrificing himself, he enabled the Heavenly Dao of the Dongming Realm to completely return to its original strength, thus halting the decline of the Dongming Realm. This was a great achievement.

The scene was once again enveloped by thick clouds, swirling and billowing.

Lin Du and Shen Tu both became focused at the same time.

"You want Houtu, I want Lintu. Do you want to guess what the final result will be?" Lin Du asked.

Shen Tu put away the nine-linked rings, making a jingling sound. "I don't play riddles with clever people. I'll be direct: the underworld needs Hou Tu."

Lin Du thought about it seriously, "Taiyin is a position, the Heavenly Emperor is too, so why can't Houtu be one? Of course you can have a Houtu, but what if that Houtu is named Lin Tuan?"

Shen Tu got caught up in the situation. "That could also be Lin Tuan."

As Shen Tu was drawn in, Lin Du smiled, but as he watched the lightning flashing inside, so bright it almost broke through the fan's surface, his expression turned serious again.

The final result gradually emerged.

Although Lin Tuan is the reincarnation of Hou Tu's true soul, he has performed one great merit and thousands of minor merits in this life, without a single major fault. Yet he is willing to be interrogated to clarify his identity. He has not continued the merits and should not suffer the hardship. Now, he breaks through the illusion in the illusory realm, establishes a ghost body, and becomes a ghost immortal.

Looking at the result, Shen Tu said, "In the end, she was willing to accept her former identity and chose to cultivate again as a ghost immortal instead of becoming Lin Tuan and returning to the cycle of reincarnation. It seems like I won, but you didn't lose either."

"Perhaps, her true nature has never been lost," Lin Du said earnestly.

Lin Tuan, the essence of this true soul, embodies the true essence of Hou Tu, who is believed in and admired.

It's hard to say whether the power of faith held by everyone in the underworld ultimately preserved the former Houtu or the hearts that united the people over the years.

Lin Tuan emerged from the illusory world of fleeting life, received a blessing, and exuded the aura of a ghostly immortal.

A person's growth is destined to be a process of accepting oneself, understanding oneself, admitting mistakes, and still being willing to move forward.

She looked at Lin Du, who, despite being disheveled and clearly having endured a divine tribulation far exceeding his own level, smiled with a relieved and gentle smile, "It seems that from now on, I'll have to call you Daojun."

Lin Du smiled and shook his head, putting away the Floating Life Fan and the Dream Brush. "You will always be my senior master."

She turned to Shen Tu and asked, "Do you want to come too?"

Shen Tu took a step back. "Oh, well, I haven't finished solving the Nine Linked Rings yet, so I'll take my leave first."

Lin Du crossed his arms, watching Shen Tu flee in disarray, and shook his head. "Maybe there'll be a blessing after all!! Don't run away!! Come on, come on!"

Shen Tu ran even faster and disappeared in an instant.

Lin Du shook his head and sighed, then took his fan and flew into the sky.

Chu Guanmeng sensed that Lin Du's mood seemed a bit complicated. "You saw Lin Tuan, aren't you happy?"

Lin Du nodded, playing with his fan. "I'm happy."

She suddenly opened the folding fan. "But one can't just be happy all the time."

Today, Lin Tuan gave her her last lesson: don't abandon the right actions you took just because you're afraid of failure in the future.

Lin Du doesn't mind taking responsibility for the consequences that might follow.

She doesn't want selective justice; she wants a lasting and permanent order. Therefore, all the old sores should be removed to prevent more mold from growing, causing the order to decay and eventually vanish.

Lin Du now understands Wen Fu's feelings. It is precisely because of Wen Fu's existence that she is always vigilant and knows that she cannot rely solely on her own reasoning, but needs more evidence.

Now that the footprints of those who came before have been re-laid, she should... follow those footprints and rethink the truth of what happened back then.

Lin Du opened the Floating Life Fan, his divine sense entering it, recalling the Floating Life Illusion in Li Lin Tuan.

One person can never truly experience every snowfall in another's life. All Lin Du can do is follow these footprints and barely grasp a bit of the truth from them.

When the Kingdom of Possa was destroyed, did Lin Tuan really not make any discoveries at that time?

Lin Du remembered that the treasure pavilion of the Supreme Sect was left by predecessors who went out to gain experience in previous generations.

When exactly did that red rope arrive at the treasure pavilion?

Lin Du found the answer in his life in Lin Tuan.

That red rope was indeed found in Lintuan.

She placed the red rope into the sect's treasure vault without any markings. Even Feng Chao didn't know what it was, and even thought it was the tassel of a spirit sword.

Did Lin Tuan really not recognize what that red rope was at the time? Lin Du thought it was unlikely.

If I didn't know, I wouldn't have put it in the treasure vault.

As early as when the Kingdom of Posuo was destroyed, Lin Tuan rushed to the scene and saw the red rope that suddenly appeared amidst the flames of war. He then endured the red rope's resistance and burning, and exhausted all his spiritual power at the time to send the red rope, which refused to submit, into the treasure pavilion.

The red rope is waiting for a recognized owner, and Lin Tuan is waiting for the red rope to find a recognized owner.

Lin Du thought that, to some extent, Lin Tuan and Yin Huaitian had jointly pushed her onto this path.

They were supposed to be opposites, but in reality, when they were powerless, they lit a lamp for future generations.

Following Lin Tuan's footsteps, Lin Du saw the long-sealed memories she unlocked after entering the underworld.

In ancient times, Houtu ruled over the nine provinces and was the god of the five lands. After the ancient gods returned to the order, Houtu was reborn in response to the cries of her people during the disaster.

Ultimately, it was the sentient beings who converted the gods, and in turn, the gods saved the sentient beings from suffering.

Until... in the three thousand worlds, the gods were finally overwhelmed. With limited divine power and endless prayers, Houtu, in order to facilitate salvation, condensed her wishes into glass beads and sent them to various worlds for salvation.

Desire erupts, and the poison of incense burns deep.

Houtu was born from the Seal of Ten Thousand People and could not destroy it. In the end, countless souls whose wishes were not fulfilled but were bound by the Seal of Ten Thousand People lingered in the shrine, becoming like the "spirit of the Loyalty Formation". Amidst the swirling incense, they became man-eating demons.

Thus, the Hell Transformation Diagram and the real pile of white bones that Lin Du had seen at the bottom of the sea, which dragged down the gods, truly happened.

That was the deepest fear that Lin Tuan wanted to forget, yet could not forget.

Today, Lin Tuan is brave because of Lin Du's appearance, and Lin Du moves forward because of Lin Tuan's advice.

Lin Du slowly opened his eyes and used his divine sense to activate the contract with Wei Zhi.

Wei Zhi responded quickly, "What's wrong?"

"I suspect that the True Dragon Inner Core containing the power of Taiyin, along with the Red String, were precisely sent to the Kingdom of Possa."

There was a moment of silence on the other end, then the person asked, "You've given me a new inspiration. I shouldn't be searching around aimlessly like this."

"The Ruins of Return are the place where all waters converge, with countless different streams. Perhaps I can find the source of the water in the Realm of Enlightenment."

Lin Du suddenly thought of something, "Wei Zhi, I'll give you a reference point."

Wei Zhi was taken aback. "You ascended with the soil and water of your homeland?"

Lin Du chuckled, "How could that be?"

Before Wei Zhi could react, his consciousness was drawn by Lin Du, and he saw Lin Du's heart.

A heart made of crystal, yet with countless crack-like lines, surrounded by a faint light that continuously supplies life, causing the heart to beat and blood to flow.

"My heart was repaired by the true spirit of the deep sea, the true spirit of the deep sea in the Realm of Insight. Can you sense it?"

Wei Zhi remained stunned for a long time, so long that Lin Du thought something had happened to him, and even the contract was blocked, before he finally spoke, "Yes, it's possible."

He suddenly joked, "So you're the guiding light for me."

Lin Du clicked his tongue. "People should naturally be the ones who have time to light the way. People on the same road can't all walk in the dark together."

"Lin Du, come and see where we will end up in the future." After he finished speaking, he pulled Lin Du's consciousness and connected it with his five senses.

It was an endless, deep sea, so deep that it was almost unrecognizable as a sea, because as far as the eye could see, there was no life, nothing at all; the endless water made the entire space seem empty.

"It's probably a bit cold," Lin Du commented.

"You're never afraid of the cold." Wei Zhi flicked its tail and struggled forward, leaving behind a flowing arc and wisps of silver light.

"It looks much better this way." Lin Du looked at the shimmering water like mermaid gauze. "It doesn't seem so bad after all."

"The path leads to the same destination." The silver dragon sped forward, traversing the endless sea, searching for the currents of its homeland.

"It's not a disappointment," Lin Du said with a faint smile.

The final step in growing up is to accept death, which will come in the distant future.

Death has no meaning, but the end of death is one of the meanings of life's struggle to live.

"I suspect that Yin Huaitian's death was not because of Houtu, but because of the demonic upheaval ten thousand years ago."

"Because Kaiyang said that the Heavenly Palace was afraid that Lin Tuan's ascension would cause him to reabsorb the powerful force contained in the source of demonic energy. But when I opened the seal that day, I found that there was only demonic energy inside, and not much power of rules."

"You say that the Insightful Realm has so-called condensed fragments of fallen gods, so why don't the Celestial Realm have any fragments of fallen gods that have escaped?"

Wei Zhi thought for a moment, "Your idea is very bold, but it is the most likely cause of Yin Huaitian's death."

"In that case, it must be hidden in the heavens. Be careful."

Lin Du laughed, "Don't worry, I'm a direct disciple of the Dao Ancestor."

"Even with utmost care and caution, one will still have repeated worries when faced with something precious. Your strength does not affect my worries; it is merely my concern."

Just as Lin Du was about to say something, he heard a young boy riding a cloud of auspicious energy rushing over at high speed, shouting, "Dao Lord! Dao Lord! Dao Lord Lingwei!"

She stood up, dispelled the defensive barriers she had set up, and stepped out of the mansion. She found it was the new pageboy from the Sanyuan Prefecture. "What's wrong?"

"Daoist Lord! A newcomer has ascended! This newcomer seems quite powerful. Immortal Lord Xuanying sent me to summon you immediately so you can go and snatch him away!"

Lin Du laughed upon hearing this, "I seem to remember that the celestial officials promised me that when a newcomer arrived, I would be given priority. Why do I have to go and snatch it myself?"

The young boy, though small in age, understood the situation very well. "If you don't go, they'll definitely say, 'Oh dear, you didn't come. We thought you didn't want it. Oh, they forgot!'"

Lin Du smiled and handed him a handful of jade coins, then led Chu Guanmeng down from the Holy Disciple Heaven.

Before they even settled into the reception hall, a resounding shout rang out, "I just want to live a carefree life! You can't force a carefree Taoist to take on responsibilities! Playing the zither at banquets is out of the question! A stipend of 500,000 coins and a place to live are also out of the question! I won't do it..."

Before Lin Du even entered the hall, the gatekeeper outside had already bowed and greeted him, "Lord Lingwei!"

The immortals in the hall fell silent instantly. Before Yuan Ye could react, he saw the immortal officials who were recording the events drop their pens and rise to greet him.

Yuan Ye wondered, could it be that his senior brother had risen to prominence in just a few hundred years and was even more powerful than the Star Lords of the Dou and Lei Departments?

Then he heard a familiar yet frightening voice, "Oh dear, what a coincidence, Lord Kaiyang, you're here too? There are so many people in the Dou Department, isn't that enough? You promised me that we in the Three Elements and Nine Palaces were short of people and that you would let me choose first, how come you got to choose first?"

Yuan Ye suddenly turned around and met Lin Du's ambiguous smile.

That damnedly familiar, domineering gaze—who else could it be but Junior Uncle!

The group of star lords bowed and forced smiles, saying, "We thought the Dao Lord hadn't returned from his official business yet."

Lin Du didn't reply, but looked at Yuan Ye, "Are we from the Three Elements and Nine Prefectures coming?"

Yuan Ye nodded readily, "Okay!"

At this moment, any further hesitation would be a disrespect to the memories etched into his very bones.

Lin Du smiled and looked at the star officials, "In that case, I'll be leaving now. Farewell, everyone."

The star officials stared at each other blankly for a moment. "Wait... she hasn't even mentioned her treatment yet! She's already leaving? Huh?"

"Isn't he a carefree Taoist priest? Doesn't he refuse to do any work even after a certain number of years? How kind his superiors are, how little work he doesn't do?"

"The Three Primal Palaces and the Lingwei Daojun are no good places at all! What makes them think they can compare to us? Huh??? That's all???"

"Is this Lingwei Daojun really not a Gu cultivator?"