Day three of the ritual.
Taiwu Xixi, who had been sitting cross-legged on the Reincarnation Platform, opened her eyes and stood up.
The Taoists had lit a large amount of sandalwood incense, and with the swirling smoke and dim light, the Stargazing Cave was utterly pitch black.
The moment Taiwu Xixi moved, the Taoists meditating and chanting around her immediately reacted.
"Taishi, please sit down quickly! It's not mealtime yet!"
Before the ritual, there was usually a seven-day fast. Both the host and participants could use this time to adjust their mind and body, and try to expel impurities from their bodies. After the ritual began, they could only drink three cups of water and eat two ounces of fruit daily. Without some martial arts cultivation, it would be truly unbearable.
This time, due to the rush, everyone consumed some elixirs to achieve the same effect.
At this moment, Taiwu Xixi's demeanor had completely changed. Hearing the Taoists' words, she let out a faint scoff and leisurely walked towards the cave entrance.
Qinglangzhu Ma Zhen, noticing the abnormality, quickly made a calculation with his fingers. Taishi's destiny had disappeared!
"This is bad! There's something wrong with Taishi; she's possessed by her previous life!"
The immortal masters and protectors exclaimed, declaring it impossible.
Such a thing had never happened in the thousand years of the Taoists' Reincarnation Platform ritual. How could the existence of a previous life cross over into this one? It was said that the past cannot be pursued, and the souls of those who have died should be thoroughly reassembled. After all, what truly reincarnates is merely a person's obsession, and this obsession often does not last forever. If one achieves enlightenment in reincarnation, their ego will vanish into the universe.
There were only two reasons for Taiwu Xixi's current state.
One, her previous life's obsession was too strong, carrying too many memories, which washed away and erased her current life's will.
The second was the Vajra Sect's evil art of empowerment, where the practitioner's will was transmitted across space into the mind of another pure person, borrowing their body to return to life.
The Snowy Region Vajra Sect had vanished for a hundred years, and no one believed any remnant could have escaped the Buddha's palm.
Therefore, it must be the first reason.
Wang Ping'an blocked the cave entrance and asked in alarm,
"Little sister, is that you?"
Taiwu Xixi gave him a cold, sidelong glance.
Ping'an's expression, however, calmed down.
The senior masters of Ran Mountain filed out, collectively blocking Taiwu Xixi's path.
"Little friend Taishi, wake up quickly! Don't get caught in the disputes of your previous life. Those are all in the past and cannot be changed!" Qinglangzhu was a kind old man with a fierce appearance but a soft heart. As soon as he spoke, for some reason, a sudden surge of a middle-aged Woman's resentment emerged.
Taiwu Xixi didn't even want to look them in the eye. "Young man and juniors, get out of the way!"
The Taoists with their ox-noses looked at each other, but Fu Xixi was unwilling to wait any longer. She stepped forward, pushing through the crowd with a casual and dismissive air, as if wading through a thicket.
The Sect Master's uncle bowed and shouted, "The Taiwu Successor is highly regarded by the Buddha. This senior, no matter what, cannot bring such disgrace upon our sect. We must offend you!"
The Taoists took out their talismans, ready to cast spells, but Fu Xixi's figure twisted, turning into a wisp of smoke, and she drifted away.
"This is bad! Attack quickly!"
At the command, a dozen Wood God Spells shot towards the large cloud of energy. Instantly, a brilliant green light blazed, and the Wood Elemental Qi in the world surged like boiling water.
Under such an assault, even if the Sword Tomb Outsider had come, he would likely have been bound tightly. However, the cloud of energy was incredibly agile, transforming into a ribbon of silk, twisting and floating, dodging all the spell power.
"Who exactly is this person?" The dazed Taoists could only watch as the cloud of energy re-condensed into Fu Xixi's form. She then took lotus steps in the void, gracefully disappearing into the distant Sky.
Wang Ping'an felt as if he were dreaming, then shook his head, sighing despondently, "She's strong enough, she's doing well, she's forgotten me... well, it's fine if she's forgotten."
The old Taoist walked over and gave him a hard slap, "Go chase her!"
"No need."
"If the person is lost, how will we explain to the Buddha?"
"If she can escape the Buddha, perhaps she can escape her destiny."
Fu Xixi was too foolish, too kind. She knew that after unsealing all the Sword Tombs, she would be in great danger, yet because the Buddha requested it, she never spoke a single word of discouragement.
She would die.
The Taoist calculated that her future was a dead end.
That faint glimmer of hope lay in reincarnation.
The Buddha was truly good. The Taoist was immensely grateful; he would have no complaints even if the Buddha told him to die, but his little sister was different.
His little sister was all his beautiful aspirations, the ultimate answer to life.
Choose her, betray the Bodhisattva.
I will bear this sin alone.
"I don't need you to be a great heroine who saves the world, I don't even need you to love me. I just want you to live well."
Seize that glimmer of hope, Xixi!
...
Wang Ping'an was tied up by the Ran Mountain elders and brought before the Buddha.
The tall, divine Buddha, and by his side stood a familiar person.
It was Taiwu Xixi.
Wang Ping'an closed his eyes.
His heart was like dead ash.
Simon looked at him, fully aware of his actions.
"For personal desire, disregarding the world, he should be punished."
Fu Xixi smiled sweetly, looking at Wang Ping'an kneeling on the ground.
The Taoist elders' faces were stern; they were participants in the judgment, the executioners.
The bewildered Bai Zimo came to his senses, wanting to stop this absurd scene. He rushed forward but was restrained by a Wood God Spell, falling to the ground, kicking up dust that coated his wide-open eyes, causing immense soreness.
Through blurred tears, the Buddha gently patted the Taoist's head.
He watched, but could not think, nor even remember.
Wood God Spell.
Severing divine thoughts.
When he recovered, the Ran Mountain Taoists had all left.
Taiwu Xixi greeted Taoist Wang, her manner suggesting they were merely casual acquaintances.
Little sister was no longer little sister, and the Taoist was no longer the Taoist.
The fate of that one boat was left with only the swordsman and the old man.
"Ah—!!!" Bai Zimo angrily drew his sword.
This heaven and earth, all things, were his sword qi. In his heart, there was only rage, like a raging gale, stirring up thick smoke, rushing towards the Buddha.
"That's a bit interesting," Simon chuckled. "Wang Ping'an" smiled at the remark.
The sword qi encountered a huge protective qi shield and suddenly dissipated. The swordsman once again fell into the sand and dust.
When he looked up, the Buddha had already left with his people, leaving him alone on the vast land.
Tears flowed silently from his eyes.
Unwilling!
...
Mo Yun smiled and said to Simon, "The Buddha still likes to bully juniors, especially those of my Heart Sword lineage."
Simon raised an eyebrow, "Do you want to try again?"
"Buddha, spare my life."
Sun Lichai flicked her sleeve, shooing Mo Yun away. "Lu Yuan, hurry and resolve the last Sword Tomb. The little girl is unhappy."
"Alright."
After the last Sword Tomb was unsealed, the true body of Xiangzhu would emerge. Simon had just made a trip to Taiwu Village, instructing the villagers staying there to hide in the Pure Land, effectively clearing the battlefield.
The Seventh Sword Tomb.
Burning God Refinement.
This place was located in a deep, dark abyss, ten thousand zhang deep without touching the bottom. At the bottom, an unusual fire burned, its interior a deep, dark blue, while the halo at its edges displayed four colors: black, white, red, and green, precisely the fires of the Four Directions and Four Symbols.
The unusual fire surged nine thousand zhang high, reaching the top like boundless light and energy, flickering fiercely, rivaling the beauty of Ghost God's Glow.
Simon brought the small outsiders into the Pure Land, and he himself, along with the reincarnated Mo Yun and Sun Lichai, entered the Sword Tomb.
This fire was wild but did not harm objects. Peach blossoms bloomed all over the dark abyss's cliffs, and the flames wove through the branches, yet not even a delicate petal was swept away.
As they breathed, the fire was scorching, but upon entering their nostrils, it was merely a faint warm breeze.
The flames illuminated the area, and everything around was enveloped in vibrant colors. After dealing with a few Xiangzhu minions along the way, they reached the bottom where the fire was heavy like water, spread across the ground like crystal. A group of white-furred foxes played and frolicked there, and upon seeing Simon, they all ran over, circling him.
In front of the ancient tomb stood two peach trees, one tall and one short, relying on each other.
Sun Lichai held her sword hilt to unseal the tomb door.
The tomb door opened, but no one was seen. First, a clear sound of a zither was heard.
"Zheng!"
The sound wave, mixed with internal energy, suddenly rang out like the shattering of a bronze bell. The internal energy contained true intent, as resolute as a tyrant taking his own life.
A zither sound imbued with essence, qi, and spirit, a marvelous technique formed by nature.
Sun Lichai's face paled, her heart pulse damaged.
As the head of the Fourteen Venerables, even with only ten percent of her former power, she was not someone whom so-called masters in the martial world could harm.
The Divine Sword Burning God Refinement, whose divine ability was named 'Alluring Beauty,' increased the power of the sword wielder's every move by a hundredfold.
A Woman holding a zither slowly walked out. Her luxurious and beautiful robes were burning with an unextinguishable fire. A tattered and decaying veil hung down, and her face, illuminated by the light, made all other light dim.
Because her beauty was comparable to the stars.
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