While I was in Mondstadt, I never imagined becoming a god.

These immortals were all too aware of the aftereffects of Xiao's body being corroded by the remnants of demons over the years.

That was a problem that even the Emperor couldn't completely solve; he could only suppress it, not eliminate it.

"How confident are you?" asked True Lord Liuyun Jiefeng.

“Seventy percent,” Xu Chuan said. “After all, Xiao’s problems have dragged on for too long and can’t be solved in a short time.”

Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun remained silent for a moment.

“It’s alright.” Her voice became serious. “If this matter can be resolved, feel free to ask me for anything.”

"After that, I called over Risui and Shogi as well."

“No need to trouble you, True Lord,” Xiao said. “I will handle this.”

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure disappeared from the spot.

In less than an hour, the True Lord of Water Management and Mountain Building and the True Lord of Mountain Shaving and Sun Building arrived one after another.

Several immortals sat around a stone table, listening to Xu Chuan explain the method of clearing away karmic obstacles.

Using an alchemical artifact crafted from the flesh and blood of the Star-Devouring Whale as its core, the immortals used formations to help Xiao stabilize his body and soul. Then, Xu Chuan personally took charge, using spirit binding and alchemical artifacts to cleanse the karmic obstacles deep within his soul.

The three steps are interconnected and none can be omitted.

After listening, Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun explained the dangers involved.

“To place one’s soul in the hands of another.” She looked at Xu Chuan, then at Xiao, “is like offering one’s own life with both hands.”

Xiao replied without the slightest hesitation, "I believe him."

The two immortals, Lishui and Xiaoyue, exchanged a glance. Seeing that the main character showed no fear, they said nothing more.

Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun nodded.

"Let's begin then."

After being slightly modified by several immortals, the formation of Mount Aozang met Xu Chuan's needs.

The golden patterns on the mountain surface rearranged, changing from chaotic to orderly, from a defensive formation to a protective formation.

The immortal power circulated within the array, forming a stable energy field.

Xiao sat on the stone table and slowly closed his eyes.

The formation was activated, and golden light rose from the ground, enveloping the demon within it.

He did not resist, allowing the great formation and golden light to entwine his body, and cooperated fully by releasing his soul out of his body.

A semi-transparent phantom floated out of his body and hovered above him.

It was unlike any other soul Xu Chuan had ever seen.

It was like a shattered mirror, riddled with cracks, each filled with something black.

Those pitch-black remnants of demons were almost indistinguishable from the soul.

Threads, dense and intricate, spread from the depths of the soul all the way to the surface.

It was worse than any situation Xu Chuan had encountered in his previous experiments.

The soul of the demon has been corrupted for thousands of years. The karmic obstacles are no longer just attached to the surface, but are embedded in every corner of the soul.

Xu Chuan took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming with golden light.

"It's not the worst yet, so there's still hope."

They summoned spirits and commanded generals, urging them to move with all their might.

The power of binding spirits and commanding generals, attached to the golden light, surged from Xu Chuan's palm, transforming into countless threads as fine as hair, probing into Xiao's soul.

They avoid the areas most severely eroded by karma, starting from the edges and gradually penetrating and building connections.

The demon's soul offered no resistance, allowing the golden light to envelop it.

Immediately afterwards, the knight did not die from a bare-handed attack.

Xu Chuan took out the dark purple bead from his sleeve.

The flesh and blood of the Star-Devouring Whale, modified by Abedo, have been completely transformed into an alchemical item.

Dark purple threads of light emanated from the bead, intertwining with the golden light, cautiously probing into the depths of the soul.

The golden light protects the core of the soul, preventing karmic obstacles from spreading.

The dark purple light threads, like a scalpel, peeled away and devoured the remnants of the demons embedded in the soul, piece by piece.

With each piece peeled off, the ape's body would tremble violently.

The pain emanating from the depths of his soul tormented him constantly.

The two immortals, Li Shui Die Shan and Xiao Yue Zhu Yang, simultaneously activated the formation, and a golden pillar of light rose from the ground, enveloping Xiao's body and soul, stabilizing his physical form and protecting his consciousness.

Time passed little by little.

Sweat began to bead on Xu Chuan's face.

This kind of delicate work consumes a lot of mental energy. Controlling spirits and generals requires complete concentration, and keeping the knight alive from dying unarmed requires precise power allocation down to the millimeter.

Using both abilities simultaneously doubles the energy expenditure.

Xiao's soul trembled slightly in the golden light.

Those dark karmic obstacles disappeared piece by piece, and with each piece that disappeared, the cracks in the soul healed a little.

Ying, Paimeng, and Shenhe stood outside the formation, protecting Xu Chuan and the others.

Paimon clenched his little hands, desperately trying to encourage himself.

Ying held Xu Chuan's Corruption Sword in her hand, on high alert, constantly vigilant of her surroundings.

Shen He stood beside her, but his gaze wasn't on the formation. She looked at Xu Chuan with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

Does this person really have a way to resolve karmic obstacles that even the Emperor cannot eradicate?

In the blink of an eye, half a month has passed quietly.

Within Mount Aozang, the array formations covering the mountain peaks are operating stably.

The golden patterns shimmered day and night, like luminous rivers flowing across the mountain's surface.

The three immortals were also somewhat tired after persisting for so long. The wings of the True Lord Liuyun Jiefeng had dimmed considerably, and the auras of the True Lord Lishui Dieshan and the True Lord Xiaoyue Zhuyang had also weakened.

Being at the core of the formation, Xu Chuan, whose energy was greatly depleted, also showed signs of fatigue on his face.

His face was pale and his lips were dry; this was the first time he had ever been so exhausted.

Even the golden light emanating from its body could no longer be maintained; it could only barely swirl around its fingertips, like a candle flame about to go out.

"Just a little bit more."

Xu Chuan manipulated the dark purple bead in his hand.

Those pitch-black karmic obstacles almost completely filled it, threatening to erode the last trace of purple light.

The bead was slightly warm in his palm, as if it were enduring some kind of limit.

Xiao, burdened by these karmic obstacles, is in the worst condition.

His soul has been mostly cleared, but the remaining karmic obstacles are like the last fortress, firmly embedded in the deepest part.

His body and soul were on the verge of collapse, like a dilapidated old house that could crumble at any moment.

Xiao's eyes were closed, his face was as pale as paper, and his lips moved slightly, as if he were reciting something.

His fingers were curled up, his knuckles were white, his nails dug into his palms, and the dried blood was covered with another layer.

If Xu Chuan's hand trembles even slightly and he fails to control his strength, he could die at any moment.

Outside the formation, Paimon covered his mouth, not daring to make a sound. Ying gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

Finally, the last wisp of karmic burden was stripped from the depths of Xiao's soul and devoured by the power of the Star-Devouring Whale.

The cracks in his soul made him as flawed as porcelain, with golden light flowing across his surface, sustaining his soul.

It's finally done.

Xu Chuan let out a long breath and withdrew the golden light and the Spirit Binding Technique.

Xiao's soul slowly returned to its place and sank into his body.

His body stopped trembling, and his breathing became steady.

Lord Liuyun Jiefeng put away the formation and breathed a sigh of relief.

The water management and mountain building projects, as well as the mountain slope and hill construction, also came to an end, and they smiled at each other.

But at that very moment, an accident occurred.

Click.

A crisp sound.

The bead containing karmic burdens suddenly cracked in Xu Chuan's palm.

Chapter 172 Devouring Karmic Obstacles, the Ascension to Godhood Plan

"Xu Chuan!"

Ying reacted immediately and exclaimed in surprise.

She instinctively wanted to rush forward, but was blocked by the formation. The golden light wall flickered in front of her, like an invisible wall, keeping her firmly outside.

Xu Chuan was a beat slow to react.

He was extremely exhausted and his body was in a state of extreme weakness, even his thinking had become sluggish.

Before he could forcefully raise a faint golden light to protect himself, the misty, pitch-black karmic barrier invaded through his right hand.

The mist seeped into his palm, spread upwards along his meridians, and instantly disappeared into his body.

This unexpected incident made everyone present feel uneasy.

The three immortals removed the formation, the golden light barrier dissipated, and the air began to flow again.

When they looked at Xu Chuan, who was being afflicted by karmic obstacles, they all wore expressions of distress.

The crane head of the True Lord of Retaining Clouds and Borrowing Wind was lowered, the brows of the True Lord of Managing Water and Stacking Mountains were furrowed, and the True Lord of Carving Mountains and Building Sunshine remained silent.

"This is bad," Li Shui Die Shan sighed. "We've failed at the last minute."

Xiao Yue Zhuyang nodded, his gaze falling on Xiao, who still had his eyes closed: "If he wakes up and finds out that the karma that tormented him has turned against his benefactor, what should he do..."

"What are you sighing about!" Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun interrupted them. "Finding a solution is the most important thing."

She walked forward with somewhat weak steps, her wings slightly outstretched, trying to find a way to remedy the situation.

Celestial power circulated around her, sensing the movement of those karmic obstacles.

A moment later, her brows furrowed even more.

After the formation was removed, Ying rushed forward and supported Xu Chuan's swaying body.

The girl wrapped her arms around his waist, supporting him and holding him steady.

Paimon flew to him, his little face full of anxiety.

Shen He stood to one side without saying a word, but his gaze remained fixed on Xu Chuan.

"Xu Chuan, how are you?" Ying's voice was strained.

"I'm fine." Xu Chuan's voice was much softer than usual, but still steady. "First, we need to stabilize Xiao's condition. He's much more vulnerable than I am right now."

His face was as pale as paper, and he seemed to have all his strength drained away. He couldn't even stand up on his own, and he didn't look like he was alright at all.

This makes it hard to believe what he's saying.

Even though their bodies are already eroded by karmic obstacles, they still have the mind to care about others.

"Xiao has the power to manage water and take care of the mountain."

Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun stepped forward, his tone leaving no room for doubt, "The most important thing now is to deal with the problem you have."

"True Lord!" Paimeng flew to True Lord Liuyun Jiefeng, so anxious that he almost cried.

You absolutely must find a way to save Xu Chuan!