427: Seeds of obsession, methods of purification

The Disordered Lands of the Reincarnation Realm were shrouded in a dense black mist.

The sky here was gloomy, lacking the faint blue spiritual light common in the Reincarnation Realm. Only twisted black clouds rolled slowly, with fragmented memory shards flashing within them like broken mirrors, reflecting the painful, greedy, and desperate expressions of living beings. The reincarnation stones on the ground had long been corroded by the black mist, turning into deep black rotten stones that emitted a "crunching" sound when stepped on, as if they might collapse at any moment.

At the heart of this Disordered Land stood an eerie giant tree—the "Tree of Obsession" grown from the seed of obsession.

Its trunk was thick and deep black, covered in protruding tumors. Each tumor contained a struggling soul phantom, emitting faint wails but unable to break free from the tumor's restraint. The branches twisted like venomous snakes, spreading in all directions. There were no leaves on the branches, only countless black threads with small black fruits hanging at their ends. Black juice constantly seeped from the fruits, turning into wisps of black mist upon dripping to the ground and merging into the surrounding environment.

Most heart-stopping was that the black mist emitted by this Tree of Obsession could trigger the deepest obsessions within a living being's heart. As soon as the Cultivators of the Reincarnation Alliance approached, many showed expressions of pain. Regrets and obsessions they cared about most surfaced in their minds—some Cultivators remembered relatives and friends they failed to protect, some thought of the Bottlenecks on their path of Cultivation, and others were troubled by past hatreds. The spiritual qi within their bodies began to grow chaotic.

"Not good! This black mist can trigger Heart Demons!" A Reincarnation Palace Cultivator turned pale and hurriedly circulated the Power of Reincarnation to resist. "My Dao Heart is actually wavering!"

"Everyone, steady yourselves! Circulate the Myriad Laws Dao and Power of Reincarnation to guard your minds!" Lu Chen gave a loud shout, and the golden light of the eternal dao fruit spread out, forming a golden light screen that enveloped everyone. The golden light and Power of Reincarnation intertwined, forming a sturdy barrier that blocked part of the black mist's corrosion, and the Cultivators' expressions gradually calmed.

The Wheel-Turning King frowned deeply. "This Tree of Obsession is even more dangerous than recorded in ancient texts. It can not only trigger obsessions but also absorb the negative emotions of souls to strengthen itself, then spread the black mist to contaminate more areas."

"We must first isolate the black mist, otherwise subsequent purification is out of the question!" Ling Xu stepped forward, the Six Paths Reincarnation Talisman Wheel behind his Reincarnation Myriad Laws Body spinning rapidly. "I will set up the 'Reincarnation Purification Formation,' using Reincarnation runes and Chaos Qi as the foundation to temporarily trap the black mist of the Tree of Obsession!"

Before his voice faded, the runes around him surged. Countless black Reincarnation runes and pale gray Chaos Qi gushed from the talisman wheel, quickly intertwining around the Tree of Obsession. The runes took root upon landing, transforming into black chains of light. The light chains connected to each other, forming a massive hexagonal Formation that firmly trapped the Tree of Obsession. The moment the Formation activated, a black-and-white light screen rose, locking the black mist tightly within the Formation, unable to spread outward.

"What a powerful Formation!" The Reincarnation Palace Cultivators praised one after another. They could clearly see the black mist inside the Formation striking the light screen but failing to break through. Instead, it was slowly purified by the Reincarnation runes and Chaos Qi on the light screen, turning into wisps of harmless spiritual qi.

Ling Xu's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat; maintaining the Formation required a large amount of Power of Reincarnation and Chaos Qi. "This Formation can only temporarily trap it. To completely purify it, we still need the help of the Wangchuan River water and the power of the reincarnation seal!"

"Leave it to me!" Green Bud stepped forward in response, the wings of the Reincarnation Spiritual Plant behind her Reincarnation Myriad Laws Body unfurling. Emerald spiritual light and the Power of Reincarnation intertwined. "The Wangchuan River water can reflect memories and wash away obsessions, perfectly countering this Tree of Obsession!"

She waved her hand, and the branches of the Reincarnation Spiritual Plant extended out like emerald spirit snakes, probing into the Formation through its gaps. Simultaneously, she operated the "Wangchuan Memory Technique," drawing the distant Wangchuan River water. A stream of dark blue water came from the horizon like an agile water Dragon, flowing into the Formation along the branches and drenching the Tree of Obsession.

The moment the Wangchuan River water touched the trunk, it made a "sizzling" sound. The black trunk seemed to be corroded by strong acid, emitting a large amount of thick black smoke. The smoke was mixed with shrill roars, clearly the negative emotions absorbed by the Tree of Obsession being forcibly stripped away. The tumors enclosing the souls slowly ruptured under the washing of the river water, and the soul phantoms inside were released. They were soothed in the dark blue water, turning into streaks of white light and flying toward the Reincarnation Pool.

"It's working!" A flash of joy appeared in Green Bud's eyes as she increased the intensity of the Wangchuan River water's guidance. The dark blue water poured down like a waterfall. The branches of the Tree of Obsession began to wither rapidly, the black threads dissolved in the river water, and the hanging black fruits fell one after another, turning into pools of black water upon hitting the ground before being washed clean by the river.

But the vitality of the Tree of Obsession was far beyond imagination. Even under the continuous drenching of the Wangchuan River water, dense black mist still surged from the base of the trunk, attempting to repair the damaged parts. Lu Chen could clearly feel that deep within the tree's roots lay a black core, the very Origin of the seed of obsession, which was constantly absorbing surrounding negative energy to support the entire tree's existence.

"We must destroy its Origin core!" Lu Chen's eyes narrowed, and the black-and-white spiritual light of his Reincarnation Myriad Laws Body surged. "reincarnation seal, lend me the Power of Reincarnation! Chaos Qi, help me purify the evil filth!"

He formed hand seals, and the phantom of the reincarnation seal in his Sea of Consciousness vibrated violently. Countless Reincarnation runes gushed from the seal, merging with the Chaos Qi in his body and the golden light of the eternal dao fruit. They condensed in his palm into a black-and-white palm print—the "Reincarnation Purification Palm," which fused the Myriad Laws Dao, Power of Reincarnation, and Chaos Qi.

"Go!"

Lu Chen gave a loud shout, and the Reincarnation Purification Palm in his hand flew out with a roar, transforming into a black-and-white spiritual light palm print dozens of feet in size. It broke through the Formation's light screen and slammed heavily into the roots of the Tree of Obsession.

"Boom—!"

The palm print collided with the trunk, erupting in a deafening roar. The black-and-white spiritual light spread like a tide. Everywhere it passed, the black mist was instantly purified, turning into wisps of blue smoke. The withered branches shattered inch by inch in the spiritual light, turning into fly ash. The black core at the roots was struck by the palm print, emitting a sharp wail as the black patterns on its surface began to recede rapidly.

"Now!" Seeing this, Li Dao's Martial Dao Spiritual Qi of his Reincarnation Myriad Laws Body surged. The myriad laws battle saber in his hand was imbued with the dual powers of Reincarnation and Chaos, transforming into a gold-and-black intertwined Saber Qi that slashed toward the core of the Tree of Obsession.

"Clang!"

The Saber Qi struck the black core, producing a crisp metallic sound. The black mist on the core's surface surged violently, trying to resist the Saber Qi, but under the purification of the Reincarnation Purification Palm and the sharpness of the Saber Qi, the core was finally split in two.

The moment the core shattered, a dense black mist erupted from within, mixed with countless tiny black threads. These threads emitted a familiar evil aura—it was exactly the evil qi of the Corroding Spirit Master!

"As expected, it's the residual aura of the Corroding Spirit Master!" Li Dao's eyes turned cold, and his Saber Qi flashed again, severing all the black threads. "The Origin of this seed of obsession actually shares the same source as the Power of Annihilation!"

A hint of solemnity flashed in the Wheel-Turning King's eyes. "It seems the memory disorder from thousands of years ago was not simply an internal issue of the Reincarnation Realm, but the evil qi of the Corroding Spirit Master seeped in and contaminated the Power of Reincarnation, which then gave rise to the seed of obsession."

Lu Chen nodded. "The Power of Annihilation and evil qi are essentially unbalanced negative energies within the cycle of the Great Dao. They are adept at attaching themselves to the obsessions of living beings, constantly growing and eventually destroying the balance of the Dao."

As they spoke, the shattered core withered rapidly in the light of the Reincarnation Purification Palm. The black mist gradually dissipated, replaced by a wisp of pale golden pure energy—the "Pure Obsession." This wisp of energy had no negative emotions at all; instead, it contained the pure beliefs of living beings regarding protection, hope, and persistence. It was the essence unexpectedly condensed by the seed of obsession after absorbing countless negative emotions.

"This is... Pure Obsession?" A hint of surprise flashed in Green Bud's eyes. "It could actually be born from countless negative emotions!"

That wisp of Pure Obsession seemed to have a life of its own, slowly floating toward Lu Chen and merging into his body through his forehead. Lu Chen felt a wave of clarity in his Sea of Consciousness, and his Dao Heart became unprecedentedly transparent. The obsession trial he faced on the Naihe Bridge now yielded a deeper understanding. He could clearly feel his perception of obsession becoming exceptionally keen; in the future, if he encountered living beings troubled by obsession, he could help them organize and purify it more quickly.

"This wisp of Pure Obsession is a gift to the Guardian." The voice of the Reincarnation Emissary sounded in everyone's ears. "Only those who truly have protection in their hearts and are not trapped by obsession can accept it."

With the withering of the core, the branches of the Tree of Obsession completely collapsed, turning into a pile of black rotten soil. From the soil, a pale golden Jade Slip slowly rose, floating before everyone. It was the "Obsession Purification Technique."

Lu Chen reached out and took the Jade Slip. With a sweep of his Divine Sense, the content was clearly imprinted into his Sea of Consciousness. This technique used the Power of Reincarnation as a guide and Chaos Qi as a blade, capable of precisely stripping negative obsessions from living beings while preserving their pure beliefs. It could not only purify the seed of obsession but also help Cultivators organize their Dao Hearts and resolve Heart Demons. It was an important Cultivation Technique for perfecting the Myriad Laws Dao.

"With this 'Obsession Purification Technique,' we can more quickly purify the Seeds of Obsession in other Disordered Lands." Ling Xu breathed a sigh of relief and withdrew the Reincarnation Purification Formation. "Moreover, this technique can be taught to the Reincarnation Palace Cultivators and the Cultivators of the Eight Realms, reducing the generation of negative obsessions from the source."

The Wheel-Turning King said gratifiedly, "Saint Venerable Lu is indeed a person destined for the Reincarnation Realm. With the 'Obsession Purification Technique' and the help of the Reincarnation Alliance, within a hundred years, all Disordered Lands in the Reincarnation Realm can be purified, and the order of Reincarnation will be completely stabilized."

The surrounding Reincarnation Palace Cultivators and Patrol Envoys cheered. They could clearly feel the black mist of the Disordered Land dissipating rapidly. Faint blue spiritual light began to appear in the gloomy sky, and the contaminated reincarnation stones were slowly returning to their original state. This place was about to become part of the Reincarnation Realm once again.

Lu Chen looked at the "Obsession Purification Technique" in his hand and felt the changes brought by the wisp of Pure Obsession in his body, gaining enlightenment in his heart. Obsession is not entirely a bad thing; negative obsession breeds evil, while Pure Obsession can become the driving force for protection. The path of guardianship must not only purify negative obsessions but also guide living beings to retain that pure belief, letting obsession become a boost for the cycle of the Great Dao rather than an obstacle.

"This place has been purified; let's head to the next Disordered Land." Lu Chen put away the Jade Slip and turned to look at everyone. "The mission of the Reincarnation Alliance has only just begun."

Everyone responded in unison, their eyes full of determination. The Reincarnation Palace Cultivators packed their gear and, carrying the newly learned purification method, set off with Lu Chen and the others toward the next Disordered Land marked on the "General Map of the Reincarnation Realm."

Under the sky where the black mist had dissipated, the faint blue spiritual light fell once more. Tributaries of the Wangchuan River flowed along the ground, nourishing the damaged land. The Tree of Obsession that once plagued the area had turned into rotten soil nourishing the Reincarnation Realm, while the "Obsession Purification Technique" and Pure Obsession it left behind would become an important force for guarding the cycle of the Great Dao.

The journey to purify the seed of obsession had only just begun. As each Disordered Land was purified, the deep secrets regarding the cycle of the Great Dao and negative energy would gradually surface.