216: Chapter 216 No one can control it, and no one dares to control it.

[Chu Sheng changed into a new outfit halfway.]

[The moon-white Daoist robe of the Wendao Sect was too eye-catching; everywhere he went, he looked like a moving lantern.]

[He fished out a plain gray-blue Daoist robe from his Storage Pouch. The material was average, the style was average, and even the color was drab—if tossed into a crowd, he wouldn't be found in three seconds.]

[Old Grandfather floated out of the mysterious ring, looked him up and down, and his mouth twitched: "Are you planning to change your name again?"]

[Chu Sheng said: "Yes, from now on, I am called Ren Zha."]

[Old Grandfather: "Do you have a fetish for naming yourself? Ren Zha? Scumbag? Listen to yourself, does that sound appropriate?"]

[Chu Sheng shook his head with a serious face: "You don't understand, this name has a destiny with me."]

[Old Grandfather rolled his eyes and retreated back into the ring.]

[Chu Sheng stood outside Jin Xiao City and looked back at the city.]

[Liu Qingyan, Li Zhiyi, Lin Wanqing, and Zhou Wantang were all there.]

[He took a deep breath and turned to walk north.]

[He was now a Guest Elder of the Wendao Sect, with a cultivation base of Mid-stage Palace Building.]

[In this territory of the Northern Region, no one could control him, and no one dared to control him.]

[With the Wendao Sect's sign on his person and the strength of the Dao Palace Realm in his hands, he was a big shot wherever he went.]

[This feeling was quite satisfying.]

[He arrived at the Duanhun River.]

[The river surface was wide, and one could not see the opposite bank at a glance.]

[The river water was murky, churning with dark black waves, and the surface was shrouded in a layer of gray mist, with the faint sound of wailing coming from the bottom of the river.]

[Those were countless souls screaming, crying, and struggling.]

[Duanhun River, one of the most dangerous waters in the Northern Region.]

[Cultivators of the Spirit Sea Realm dared not cross the river lightly, fearing being dragged down by the Resentful Souls at the bottom.]

[Occasionally, a few ferries traveled on the river, but each one had at least a Spirit Lake expert guarding it, carefully avoiding the undercurrents and whirlpools.]

[Chu Sheng stood by the riverbank. Nearby, several Condensing True Essence Cultivators and Demon Race Scouts were confronting each other, swords drawn and bows bent, but neither side dared to make a move.]

[Seeing Chu Sheng walk over, several gazes fell on him simultaneously, filled with vigilance and probing.]

[Chu Sheng did not look at them.]

[He took off his shoes—no, wait, he tucked the hem of his Daoist robe into his belt and then dove headfirst into the Duanhun River.]

[With a splash, the water sprayed three feet high.]

[The Condensing True Essence Cultivators and Demon Race Scouts were stunned simultaneously, watching dumbfounded as he disappeared into the water, the whirlpool on the river surface swallowing his figure.]

[After a few breaths, Chu Sheng's head popped out of the water, shaking the water from his hair as if he were taking a bath.]

[He even rubbed his arms and muttered: "The water temperature is not bad."]

[The people on the shore looked at each other in dismay.]

[A Condensing True Essence Cultivator whispered to his companion: "Did he... did he just jump in? This is the Duanhun River."]

[His companion swallowed hard: "And it seems like he's taking a bath in there."]

[Chu Sheng ignored them.]

[He closed his eyes, sensing the aura of the dead souls coming from the bottom of the Duanhun River.]

[Those Resentful Souls sensed the aura of the Heavenly Demon Body on him and scattered like they had seen a ghost, not even daring to get close.]

[He had walked this path in his last simulation; back then, he was still quite weak, cautious, and walking on thin ice.]

[But he had the Heavenly Demon Body last time too, though it was quite strained.]

[Now he was at the Palace Building stage, with the Heavenly Demon Body at his disposal.]

[To him, the Duanhun River was just an ordinary river; the water was a bit cold and deep, but there was no difference from taking a bath.]

[Old Grandfather floated out of the mysterious ring, his phantom hovering over the river.]

[He looked at the churning Resentful Souls beneath his feet, and his eyes suddenly lit up.]

[He took a deep breath—or more accurately, a huge gulp—like a person who had been starving for three days seeing a full banquet.]

[Those Resentful Souls were pulled by an invisible force, surging up from the bottom of the river and into Old Grandfather's phantom.]

[Old Grandfather's aura surged, and his phantom became increasingly solid, looking more and more like a real person.]

[Chu Sheng, soaking in the river water, watched Old Grandfather's increasingly satisfied face and suddenly asked: "Old man, do you want to reshape your Physical Body?"]

[Old Grandfather's action of devouring the souls paused for a moment.]

[He lowered his head and looked at Chu Sheng. A glint of light flashed in his muddy, aged eyes—very bright, like a lamp being lit.]

[He was silent for a long time, so long that Chu Sheng thought he hadn't heard clearly.]

["I do."]

[He said, his voice raspy like wind blowing through a dry well, "Of course I do. But with this mysterious ring here, it protects my remnant soul, but it also traps me."]

[He looked down at the pitch-black mysterious ring on Chu Sheng's finger and sighed.]

["My soul is bound to the mysterious ring; you are within me, and I am within you."]

["Unless a way is found to completely strip my soul out, I will be a spirit of the ring for the rest of my life."]

[Chu Sheng fell silent.]

[He looked down at the mysterious ring on his finger.]

[The mysterious ring, a golden trait, had been with him since the last simulation.]

[Old Grandfather had lived inside for who knows how many years, scolding him, teaching him, saving him, and blocking blades for him.]

[If Old Grandfather really reshaped his Physical Body and his soul was no longer in the mysterious ring, would this golden trait still exist?]

[Moreover, because of the existence of this mysterious ring, it firmly restricted the old man.]

[The old man was truly just an old man, not a Devil Head trying to commit Possession on him.]

[This was also why the Immortal Master Taixu had been willing to give him guidance in the past.]

[Was the mysterious ring trait the "mysterious ring" itself, or the "Old Grandfather inside the ring"?]

[He thought for a long time but couldn't figure it out.]

[But Old Grandfather's problem was more important than the trait.]

["Old man."]

[Chu Sheng stood up from the river water, droplets sliding off his body and dripping onto the surface, creating ripples, "After I finish my business in the Demon Race territory, I will find a way for you."]

[Old Grandfather looked at him, the corners of his mouth moving slightly—not quite a smile, but much better than being expressionless.]

[He didn't say thank you, just nodded and retreated back into the mysterious ring.]

[Chu Sheng felt the temperature of the mysterious ring rise slightly; it was warm and felt comfortable against his finger.]

[Chu Sheng walked out of the Duanhun River.]

[Under the dumbfounded gaze of the Condensing True Essence Cultivators and Demon Race Scouts, he shook the water off his Daoist robe, put on his shoes, and walked toward the direction of the Demon Race territory.]

[Behind him, the river was still churning, and the dead souls were still screaming, but those sounds meant nothing to him anymore.]

[He touched the zhu xian sword at his waist, felt the increasingly solid Dao Palace in his Dantian, took a deep breath, and strode toward the depths of the Demon Race territory.]