169: To capture them all in one fell swoop.

A foul wind blew against his face, and the nauseating stench of decay instantly filled Chen Mu's nostrils.

The Spirit-Devouring Rat's speed was startling, leaving only a pitch-black afterimage in the air.

Chen Mu had no time to swing his sword; he instinctively crossed his arms over his chest as the pitiful amount of Spiritual Qi in his body surged wildly to the surface, attempting to prop up a weak spiritual light shield.

Crack.

The fragile protective spiritual light was as vulnerable as an eggshell before the fangs of a Peak Rank Two Yao Beast.

A massive impact hit his chest, and Chen Mu felt his internal organs shift out of place; he flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the bog behind him.

Mud poured into his mouth and nose as a sense of suffocation and agonizing pain struck simultaneously.

“Revered Master! Save me!”

Chen Mu struggled to poke his head out of the mud, howling in despair.

The Spirit-Devouring Rat was in no hurry to eat; instead, it stepped on Chen Mu's chest, its sharp claws piercing the boy's skin as it hovered near that bluish-purple Parasitic Flower.

Greed flickered in its small, deep-blue eyes; clearly, compared to this scrawny human, the flower containing the essence of yi wood was more attractive to it.

However, the ancient and majestic voice in Chen Mu's mind was as silent as death at this moment.

There was no response.

Only the heavy breathing of the Spirit-Devouring Rat and the tooth-gritting sound of its sharp teeth grinding against bone remained.

“Revered Master...?”

The light in Chen Mu's eyes dimmed bit by bit, replaced by endless fear and the despair of being abandoned.

Could it be... that so-called ancient remnant soul could only choose to save itself when faced with true danger?

Just as the Spirit-Devouring Rat opened its bloody maw, preparing to bite off the flower along with Chen Mu's shinbone—

“Noisy.”

A cold snort came, not from his mind, but from high above the Nine Heavens.

The voice wasn't loud, yet it carried an indifference that treated all things as mere straw dogs.

Immediately following that.

Chen Mu witnessed a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.

The layers of miasma clouds overhead split open without warning, revealing a crack.

A giant hand that blotted out the sky, condensed entirely from green spiritual light, pierced through the Void Realm and crashed down with a pressure that could crush everything.

But this hand did not grab the Spirit-Devouring Rat that was committing the violence, nor did it go to fish out the boy struggling on the line between life and death.

Its target was the Yi Wood Spirit Infant, which was taking advantage of the chaos to transform into green light and attempt to flee into the ground.

“Thinking of running?”

Inside the Qingming Hall, Gu Changsheng watched the panicked little thing in the water mirror and lightly hooked his finger.

The giant green-light hand's five fingers closed.

Space seemed to freeze at that moment.

The Yi Wood Spirit Infant let out a sharp cry, its figure stalling in mid-air as if it had hit an invisible wall.

In the next instant, it was like a helpless chick, firmly grasped in the palm of that giant hand.

No matter how it struggled, the giant green-light hand remained motionless; instead, Seal runes flowed out from between the fingers, instantly sealing it into a piece of emerald-green amber.

“It's mine.”

Before the curve at the corner of Gu Changsheng's mouth could fully expand, his gaze swept over the eyesore of a black dot below.

The Spirit-Devouring Rat was clearly frightened silly by this sudden turn of events.

It released Chen Mu, its black fur standing on end as it arched its back and emitted a threatening hiss toward the sky.

“A beast that doesn't know its place.”

Gu Changsheng waved his sleeve.

The giant green-light hand did not dissipate; instead, it turned its palm and pressed downward.

But this was not a simple physical crushing.

The moment the giant hand descended, the originally lush green spiritual light abruptly changed, transforming into a withered, decaying grayish-yellow.

Withered Meets Spring, the reversal of life and death.

This was the power belonging to 'Death.'

There was no earth-shattering explosion.

The grayish-yellow light swept across the Spirit-Devouring Rat's body.

This Peak Rank Two Yao Beast, whose thick hide was enough to withstand the strikes of a Flying Sword, didn't even have time to scream.

Its body, which had been brimming with blood and Qi, shriveled up at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Fur fell away, and flesh turned to ash.

In the blink of an eye, a fierce Yao Beast was reduced to a mummified corpse, which then disintegrated into a cloud of flying ash, dissipating in the wind and rain.

Only a pitch-black Beast Core fell lonely into the muddy water.

Boom!

The aftershock spread.

Chen Mu, being the closest, could not withstand the impact of this level of Spiritual Pressure.

He only felt a blast in his mind, and his whole body was as if struck by a giant hammer, flying out again and slamming hard against the rock wall behind him.

Pfft.

A mouthful of blood sprayed out, and Chen Mu's eyes rolled back as he fell completely unconscious.

From beginning to end, that giant hand descending from the sky had not moved even a single finger to save him... Inside Qingming Hall.

Gu Changsheng withdrew his Mantra and looked at the emerald amber floating in his palm, a rare trace of genuine joy showing in his eyes.

Within that amber, the Yi Wood Spirit Infant remained in a terrified posture, its tiny body containing Innate yi wood Qi as vast as the sea.

“Good stuff.”

Gu Changsheng's fingertips rubbed the surface of the amber, feeling the warm, smooth texture.

“With this item, not only can [Withered Meets Spring] reach Major Achievement, but even the refinement schedule for that Incarnation can be moved forward by twenty years.”

He was in no hurry to refine it; instead, he slapped on a 'Spirit-Sealing Talisman' and placed it into a specially made jade box, then laid down three consecutive Restrictions on the lid before finally putting it into his storage ring.

Wealth should not be revealed.

Even within this seemingly impregnable Qingming Hall, he habitually kept a card up his sleeve.

Having done all this, Gu Changsheng cast his gaze back toward the water mirror.

In the mirror, the grotto was a mess.

Chen Mu was slumped in the pile of rubble like a pile of limp mud, his breath weak and his sternum collapsed; he was clearly severely injured.

“Dead?”

Gu Changsheng's Divine Sense swept over.

The little flower parasitic on Chen Mu's leg was currently emitting a faint light, frantically extracting the residual yi wood Spiritual Qi from the surroundings to sustain its host's last breath.

“His life is quite tenacious.”

Gu Changsheng's fingertips tapped on the table, making a rhythmic clicking sound.

Kill him to silence him?

Unnecessary.

The parasitic seed in this kid's body had only just sprouted; killing him now would be like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Moreover, a Disciple who was utterly devoted to him and carried a 'Great Opportunity' might be able to lure out more fish in the future.

“Since he's not dead, he still has utility value.”

Gu Changsheng stood up and took a step forward, his figure instantly vanishing from within the Qingming Hall.

In the next instant.

His figure appeared inside that dark and damp grotto.

He did not reveal his true appearance.

The taiyin submerging spirit jade was operating to its limit, and his entire person was shrouded in a mass of grayish-gray mist; even if a Purple Mansion Cultivator were face-to-face with him, they would only see a patch of nothingness.

Gu Changsheng walked to Chen Mu's side, looking down from above at the unconscious boy.

He extended a finger and tapped it on Chen Mu's brow.

Soul searching?

No, that was too crude and would damage the brain, turning this pig he had finally raised into an idiot.

Gu Changsheng performed a more delicate method—the [Spirit-Bewildering Technique].

Countless chaotic memory images flowed at his fingertips.

The attack of the Spirit-Devouring Rat, the desperate cries for help, the giant hand falling from the sky, and the Yi Wood Spirit Infant being snatched away... “This part, delete.”

Gu Changsheng expressionlessly wiped away all images regarding the Yi Wood Spirit Infant.

“This part, modify it.”

He modified that cold and ruthless giant green-light hand into the image of a 'Revered Master' who did not hesitate to burn his Divine Soul to deliver a life-risking strike to save his Disciple.

In the new memory.

There was no snatching of treasures.

Only an old man startled awake from his slumber, who, in order to save his incompetent Disciple from the mouth of a Yao Beast, forcibly overextended his already meager remnant Soul Power to deliver an earth-shattering blow.

Having done all this, Gu Changsheng withdrew his finger.

Looking at Chen Mu's youthful face, distorted by pain, he felt no guilt whatsoever; instead, he felt this was a perfect work of art.

“The truth is too cruel; your Revered Master is doing this to protect you.”

Gu Changsheng gave a casual beckon.

The Rank Two Beast Core that had fallen into the mud flew into his hand.

He thought for a moment, then threw it back next to Chen Mu, and casually pulled two bottles of low-grade healing Medicinal Pills from a corner of his storage ring, dropping them nearby.

This was called giving a slap and then a sweet date.

If you want the horse to run, you have to give it grass to eat, even if that grass is laced with poison.

Finally.

Gu Changsheng's fingertip condensed a wisp of Divine Thought, transforming it into a dim and lusterless Jade Slip, which he placed gently on Chen Mu's chest.

Having finished all this, he had no lingering attachment; his figure transformed into a gust of clear wind and dissipated within the grotto.

Leaving behind only rubble-strewn ground and a mummified Yao Beast corpse that was slowly weathering away, proving that a tragic 'fierce battle' had once taken place here... After an unknown amount of time.

“Cough, cough...”

A series of violent coughs broke the dead silence of the grotto.

Chen Mu struggled to open his eyes; what met his sight was a pitch-black rock ceiling.

His entire body hurt as if it were falling apart, especially his chest, which felt as if a giant boulder were pressing down on it.

“I... I'm not dead?”

Memories flooded back like a tide.

The Spirit-Devouring Rat's hideous fangs, its foul breath, and that angry roar that exploded in his mind at the critical moment.

“Vile beast! Do not harm my Disciple!”

In that moment, golden light shone brilliantly.

Though his Revered Master's figure was blurry, it was like a towering mountain standing before him.

“Revered Master!”

Chen Mu sat up abruptly, aggravating his wounds and making him grimace in pain, but he couldn't care about any of that.

He called out frantically in his mind.

“Revered Master! Are you still there? Revered Master!”

Silence.

That heart-panicking dead silence descended once more.

This time, no matter how he called, that voice that always carried a bit of sternness and a bit of arrogance never sounded again.

“No... it can't be...”

Chen Mu lost his composure, his hands fumbling blindly on the ground.

His fingertips touched a cool Jade Slip.

He tremblingly grabbed the Jade Slip and delved his Divine Sense into it.

An extremely weak voice, as if it would dissipate with the wind at any moment, sounded in his mind.

“Foolish child...”

“Your Revered Master was originally just a wisp of a remnant soul, lingering until now merely to find a successor.”

“Having forcibly acted today, my Soul Power is exhausted, and I must fall into a slumber. The date of my return... is uncertain.”

“Those two bottles of pills on the ground were refined by your Revered Master in his early years and can aid your healing. Take that Yao Beast inner core and exchange it for some Spirit Stones for your cultivation.”

“Remember, the hearts of people in the Cultivation World are sinister; before your Revered Master wakes, you must never expose this Cultivation Technique, much less trust others lightly.”

“Take care of yourself...”

The voice grew fainter and fainter, finally turning into a long sigh and completely dissipating.

Clack.

The Jade Slip slipped from his hand and fell onto the rubble, making a crisp sound.

Chen Mu sat there blankly, his whole person as if his soul had been sucked out.

“It was to save me...”

He looked at the shriveled Spirit-Devouring Rat corpse not far away, then looked at the two bottles of pills beside him that emitted a medicinal fragrance.

Tears burst from his eyes without warning.

In this cold and cruel Corpse Yin Sect, besides his deceased parents, no one had ever been so good to him.

To save a trash Disciple with poor Aptitude like him, his Revered Master had actually not hesitated to exhaust his Soul Power and fall into a slumber.

What kind of kindness was this?

What kind of greatness was this?

“Revered Master...”

Chen Mu's hands tightly gripped that Jade Slip, his knuckles turning white from the force, his nails digging deep into his palms as blood flowed through the gaps between his fingers.

He suddenly raised his head, and in those eyes that were originally somewhat timid, a fire never seen before was now burning.

It was hatred, it was regret, and even more, it was a near-obsessive determination.

“It's all because I'm not strong enough!”

“If I were strong enough, Revered Master wouldn't have had to fall into a slumber to save me!”

Chen Mu knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times heavily toward the void.

Each time he struck the ground solidly; blood stained his forehead, mixing with the tears flowing down, making his youthful face look somewhat hideous.

“Revered Master, rest assured.”

“Your Disciple swears to Cultivate with all his might and become strong at all costs!”

“One day, your Disciple will find the divine medicine to repair the Divine Soul and wake you up!”

“If anyone dares to block me, I shall kill them!”

Deep in the grotto, the boy's vow echoed, carrying a heart-palpitating ruthlessness.

And on his leg.

That bluish-purple Parasitic Flower seemed to sense its host's surging emotions; its petals stretched slightly, emitting an eerie and satisfied luster.

It was laughing.

Laughing on behalf of that 'Revered Master' who sat high above the clouds, calculating everything... Qingming Hall.

Gu Changsheng withdrew his Divine Sense and looked at the Yi Wood Spirit Infant in his hand, of which he had just refined a sliver of the surface, a faint mockery curling at the corner of his mouth.

“That's it.”

“Hate, hurt, and then... grow with all your might.”

Only beasts of burden burdened with heavy shackles will run without fatigue.

Now, this horse had been fitted by him with a bridle called 'Kindness,' and it would never again escape the palm of his hand.