523: Chapter 523 The Real Person Arrives - The Reincarnation of the Spirit Pearl

Li Jing's brows furrowed slightly—he usually only socialized with his military colleagues and local officials. Even Immortal Master Du'e had never introduced any cultivators to him, let alone an expert who would visit in person.

After a brief moment of contemplation, he said, "Ask him to wait in the main hall; I will be there immediately."

"Yes, Revered Master."

He turned to Lady Li Yin and said gently, "My lady, please return to your room to rest; I am going to receive our guest."

"Very well, I shall return now." She nodded with a faint smile, her skirts swaying lightly as she slowly retreated.

Li Jing straightened the collar of his black brocade robe and stepped out. His pace was steady, but his heart was in turmoil: Who was this Daoist? Why did he specifically ask to see him, a mere Commander of Chentang Pass?

Before long, he reached the main hall and indeed saw a Daoist in a green robe sitting upright in a chair; he had the hair of a crane and the complexion of a child, with an elegant and refined bearing. Li Jing hurried forward, cupping his hands in a salute: "May I ask for your honorable title, Daoist?"

"I am Immortal Master Taiyi, a disciple of the Chan Sect." The Daoist stood up and performed a Daoist salute, his sleeve brushing against the table without making a sound.

Li Jing's heart jolted—the Chan Sect? The place where the Saint personally taught! How could such a Sect suddenly come looking for him? His throat tightened, and he blurted out, "I am unaware of the reason for Immortal Master's visit."

Immortal Master Taiyi's gaze was clear as he looked straight into his eyes: "I have come for your son."

"My son?" Li Jing was stunned. "I currently only have two sons, Jinzha and Muzha..."

"Not these two." The Daoist's lips curled up slightly. "It is your unborn youngest son. He and I have a bond of Revered Master and disciple, and I have come today to accept him as my apprentice."

"Ah?!" Li Jing swayed. "He hasn't even been born yet; how can a Revered Master-disciple relationship be established? Could it be... that the Immortal Master has made a mistake?"

"Li Jing, do not panic." Immortal Master Taiyi's voice was not loud, but it resonated like a bell in his ears. "This child of yours is the Reincarnation of Lingzhuzi from before the seat of Nüwa. His descent into the Lower Realm affects the Heavenly Dao, and it is unlike any ordinary Reincarnation."

"His fate is intense, and his tribulations are unavoidable—not because he is plagued by disaster, but because he is destined to stir up the Mortal World. This is the will of the Heavenly Dao, and it is the path he chose himself."

Li Jing's legs went weak, and he had to steady himself against the back of a chair to keep from collapsing: A Saint's attendant reincarnated into his own home? It sounded like a great blessing, but the phrase 'stir up the Mortal World' sounded like throwing a flint into a powder keg...

He opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.

Immortal Master Taiyi had expected this. Before leaving, Yuanshi Tianzun had already made it clear: This matter would proceed according to Lingzhuzi's fate; he only needed to recite the script, without adding a word or taking on extra burden.

With a lighter burden, his words became more fluid: "Li Jing, set your heart at ease. His nature is naturally unruly; if he were not so, how could he break free from the shackles of the Heavenly Dao and re-enter the Mortal World? His future depends entirely on his own fortune. You just need to raise him well, and when he is seven or eight years old, I will return to teach him. I have urgent matters today, so I shall take my leave."

Before the words had finished, he had already drifted out the door, his robe flashing once before disappearing without a trace.

Li Jing stood frozen in place, his brain buzzing: Nüwa's Lingzhuzi? Good heavens, this wasn't just adding a child; this was inviting a living volcano into his home!

"Oh, right—" A clear, resonant voice suddenly came from the air, sounding both distant and near. "After Lingzhuzi's Reincarnation, his past life is completely sealed; he will not recognize his old Revered Master nor remember his old methods. Just raise him like an ordinary child. This situation has been set up by important figures; just follow the instructions, and do not think too much."

Li Jing suddenly looked up and bowed deeply toward the Void Realm: "Yes! Li Jing will strictly follow the Immortal Master's decree!"

The heavy stone in his heart finally settled, but his brows furrowed again: Since they had received the favor of a Saint, they naturally had to be extremely careful; but the name 'Lingzhuzi' made his scalp tingle—as expected, he would likely have to live with his heart in his mouth every day, keeping strict watch and being extremely cautious.

Immortal Master Taiyi stepped out of the Commander's mansion, green light appearing beneath his feet as he headed straight toward the East Sea. In his ears, he seemed to hear his Revered Master's dignified and solemn warning again: "Taiyi, you must be respectful and even more respectful on this trip; there must not be the slightest lapse in etiquette—otherwise, I will not spare you."

Immortal Master Taiyi's heart pounded. What kind of sacred figure could make his Revered Master so respectful? It even vaguely revealed a hint of apprehension—he hoped he was just overthinking it; if it were true, this trip would be fraught with danger at every step.

The streets were noisy and bustling with carriages and horses, but Taiyi had no heart to watch the commotion, only tensing his mind and looking around. Before long, a green banner embroidered with the character "Jiang" swayed gently in the wind. He almost laughed out loud, but remembering his Revered Master's heavy gaze before he left, he immediately bit his tongue and forcibly suppressed the amusement.

"Do not worry, brother. Your son has deep blessings and a bright future; success is just around the corner!"

Jiang Chen said with a smiling Face to the middle-aged man in front of him, his tone warm but not exaggerated. He never spoke falsely about changing fate, nor did he dare to be Heaven-Defying—he merely borrowed a thread of Heavenly Dao secrets to push aside the clouds and mist, allowing people to see a bit of their path forward and hold onto a glimmer of light in their hearts; that was enough.

"Thank you, Daoist! Thank you, Daoist!" The middle-aged man offered a few copper coins with both hands and pulled the child to bow deeply, his eyes shining.

"No need to spend money, no need to spend money." Jiang Chen waved his hand and took out a cinnabar yellow talisman from his sleeve. "If the heart is upright, Luck will flourish; if the will is firm, things will be accomplished. Since you trust me, I will gift this protective talisman to the Young Master. Let him wear it close to his body to ensure he has fewer disasters and illnesses, and lives a smooth and peaceful life."

The middle-aged man hurriedly took it, his hands trembling as he tied it around the child's neck, kowtowing repeatedly to thank him.

The onlookers clicked their tongues in wonder. In the early years, anyone who saw this would think it was a Jianghu trick, but over the years, how many people had avoided disasters by following his guidance, and how many families had escaped tribulations because of a single reminder—everyone knew clearly in their hearts: This was not a fortune-teller; this was a living Bodhisattva!

When the crowd dispersed, Jiang Chen relaxed his shoulders, a gentle smile appearing between his brows. Every time he deduced the Heavenly Dao, he felt like he was holding a lamp, shining half a foot of light under the feet of the lost; though the light was faint, it was enough to warm one's heart and soul, and it also illuminated his own heart.

"You've arrived? Sit down, don't be restrained. That old stubborn Yuanshi is the same; he took a perfectly good disciple and taught him to be like a block of wood... Enough, enough, let's not talk about his temper. Say what you have to say quickly; there is still a queue outside." Before the words finished, he lightly flicked his robe sleeves, and the surroundings instantly froze—the noise of the street market came to an abrupt halt, pedestrians froze mid-step, and even the spider silk hanging from the eaves was suspended in mid-air, as if the entire street had been pressed on pause.

Taiyi felt a chill run through his body, feeling that the inner and outer worlds had suddenly been severed; before his eyes were clearly the streets of the human world, but it was no longer the same space-time. Just with that flick of the sleeve, his back went cold and his fingertips went numb. He quickly restrained his mind and lowered his eyes, breathing as lightly as possible, for fear that a single stray thought would disturb this square inch of pure land.

"This Junior is acting under the orders of my Revered Master to select an apprentice in Chentang Pass, and has come specifically to pay respects to you, Senior."

"Oh? Yuanshi... he loves his Face, and he won't change even when he dies." Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow and smiled. "And you? You are no better. You originally planned for Lingzhuzi to cause as much trouble as possible—to disrupt his Foundation, cut off his progress, and make him never able to catch up to you, or keep him trapped in place, unable to move. Your thinking isn't wrong, but for others, it is a bit too cruel. Don't you think?"

These words crashed down on him, and Taiyi felt as if he had been struck by lightning. The hair on his body stood on end, and his heart almost stopped—this person could even see through the plans he had hidden in the bottom of his heart like a fire! His throat tightened, fine beads of cold sweat seeped from his forehead, and his gaze involuntarily dropped to the ground, not daring to lift it even an inch.

"If you want to think it, think it; if you want to do it, do it; there is nothing strange about it. Lingzhuzi should be punished, trained, and disciplined, but since you have already stopped, let it be. Fate is like a river; blocking it by force is not as good as guiding it. If I were to forcibly change his fate, it would only be a momentary surge, and it would eventually recede and return to its position. But you must cross this hurdle yourself; otherwise, your Dao Foundation will be unstable, and your Realm will be difficult to raise."

Cold sweat poured down Taiyi's forehead, and his shame burned his internal organs like fire; he dared not imagine what he would have become if he had really acted according to his old thoughts.

"And that Investiture of the Gods tribulation—it was a tribulation you were supposed to bear. You wanted to use a substitute method to muddle through? Heh, naive. Yuanshi thinks he is clever, but when he tastes the backlash, he will know what it means to be in bone-deep pain."

Taiyi's legs were trembling, and he could barely stand—who exactly was this person? How could he see everything clearer than looking in a mirror?

"Guessing my identity? Actually, there is nothing to hide." Jiang Chen's gaze was gentle, but his voice was as distant as a bell. "I am Dao Chen; throughout the Human Race, they honor me as the Saint Teacher."

Dao Chen? The Saint Teacher of the Human Race?

Taiyi's brain exploded with a buzz—it turned out to be an existence standing side by side with the Dao Ancestor Hongjun, and even more, the uncle of his Revered Master! No wonder when his Revered Master mentioned him, he didn't even dare to hold his teacup too full... His own appearance just now must have already been known by his Revered Master, and he would surely Face a thunderous rage when he returned! He fell to his knees with a thud, his forehead hitting the blue bricks heavily, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "Taiyi pays respects to Senior Martial Uncle! May Senior Martial Uncle have an eternal life!"

Look, just look—a moment ago he was calm and composed, but as soon as his identity was mentioned, he tensed up. Get up! I have long said that old fellow Yuanshi loves to put on airs, and his Face is more precious than his life. It was like that before, it is like that now, and in the future... I'm afraid he will have to hit his head until it bleeds before he is willing to lower it, sigh.

Jiang Chen flicked his robe sleeves, and without allowing any refusal, he pulled Taiyi up and pressed him back into his seat, his words full of impatience.

"Enough, enough, let's put this matter aside for now. If you still want to take that shortcut to avoid the tribulation, I will pretend I never spoke; if you regret it later and stamp your feet in frustration, don't blame me for not warning you."

"Senior Martial Uncle, this Junior has no such intention! It's just... I really don't know how to Face the tribulation, I beg Senior Martial Uncle to point out the way."

"How you created the Karma, you must resolve it with your own hands. Back then, you slaughtered the Human Race on a massive scale, and today you must return to the Mortal World to repay it, one by one, piece by piece. Currently, the Shang Dynasty's Luck is about to collapse, the world is in chaos, feudal lords are carving up the land, and cultivators are rising—where is there not the flashing of blades and shadows of swords? Life and death depend on your own ability. If you can walk out of this tribulation alive, only then can you truly cut off the killing Karma; if you fail and fall... weigh the consequences yourself."

Taiyi's heart surged like waves: He was indeed the Senior Martial Uncle, the Saint Teacher of the Human Race, holding the pivot of Luck, a situation that even Senior Martial Uncle Laozi found hard to get involved in. Nüwa had probably already laid out her pieces and plans, right? And he himself entering the Mortal World to undergo the tribulation, although it was a way to live, was stepping on the tip of a knife at every step—a slight carelessness, and billions of years of hard cultivation would become a bubble. Between taking and giving, it was as heavy as a thousand jun.

"For this matter, make up your own mind. By the way, no need to inform others. Those who can come, it is fate; those who don't, it is also destiny." Jiang Chen glanced sideways at the still stunned Taiyi, his tone as faint as the wind brushing through a bamboo forest.

"Yes, Senior Martial Uncle! This Junior will remember, and dare not forget."

"Hmm, good. I can rest easy then. One more thing—the method of substitution has never been a foolproof strategy. Even a Saint can make miscalculations. What Heaven and Earth value is the flow of Heavenly Dao destiny. Once fate is determined, can a Saint change it? No. If they change it, they are no longer a Heavenly Dao Saint."

Indeed, a Heavenly Dao Saint is born by following Heaven and stands by carrying the Luck. Heaven-Defying? Lightly, the Dao Foundation will crack; heavily, the body will turn into flying ash.