Zhang Chen arrived at the square without a sound. At this moment, the prayers of the people on the square had already stopped, and the incense in the burner had burned out. Everyone was sitting anxiously in front of the square, with the Elders looking at each other, a hint of despair in their eyes.
The disciples were anxious, either pacing back and forth restlessly or talking in groups of three or five, loudly venting the suppression in their hearts.
"Strange, I have a doubt in my heart. That Celestial Demon trapped Wu Changming, a being of such caliber, in just one encounter. Why not directly target the ordinary disciples?" Zhang Chen looked at the people in the square and a doubt arose in his heart.
Then Zhang Chen found Xiaodouding, who was standing in the square full of fear and anxiety, like a wounded puppy, with panic in his eyes.
Zhang Chen walked up to him, and Xiaodouding, upon seeing Zhang Chen, quickly pounced and jumped into Zhang Chen’s arms: "Zhang Chen, where did you go? Why are you only back now?"
Xiaodouding’s voice was filled with unease.
Zhang Chen held Xiaodouding in his arms: "I went to check the situation."
"Zhang Chen, we’re not going to die here, are we?" Fear appeared in Xiaodouding’s eyes.
Zhang Chen patted Xiaodouding’s head, feeling that such a reaction was natural for Xiaodouding, as no one could face death directly: "Don’t be afraid, with me here, that strange thing won’t take your life. Even if we’re to die, I’ll die before you."
Upon hearing this, Xiaodouding angrily retorted: "I don’t want to die! I want to live well."
Zhang Chen was silent upon hearing this.
At this moment, Xiaodouding suddenly spoke: "Zhang Chen?"
"Hmm?" Zhang Chen responded.
"Do you think I might have gone insane? Maybe my condition is getting worse, and there is no so-called strange thing harming people? No senior brother died? All of this is just my delusional thinking during my illness." Xiaodouding looked at Zhang Chen, falling into deep self-doubt.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen’s face stiffened, and he looked at Xiaodouding, his mind suddenly filled with countless questions: Why would Xiaodouding think he has gone insane?
"You’re not insane, you little fellow, why do you always think you’re sick." Zhang Chen patted Xiaodouding’s head, his eyes filled with helplessness.
Xiaodouding scratched his head, somewhat uncertain: "Really?"
"Of course it’s true, truer than true gold."
Zhang Chen replied irritably.
Time passed swiftly, but with more than three thousand people gathered together, there were always people needing to eat, drink, and sleep. Some needed to cook, and others had to visit the restroom. By the afternoon count, over fifty more people were missing.
The crowd became increasingly panicked. The Elders realized that they had to lock down the news, as the crowd couldn’t stay gathered. Each announcement of bad news was a fatal blow, deepening the anxiety and fear in everyone’s hearts. Another two or three times like this, and before the strange events occurred further, the disciples might fall into chaos. Under extreme pressure, who knew what crazy things they might do?
"Everyone must return and wait. Without an order, no one is to leave their house or have any contact with each other," the Law Enforcement Elder said with a gloomy expression.
He was afraid that under the constant stimulation of bad news, the disciples’ mental limits would snap.
Furthermore, having over three thousand people gathered seemed to have no use in resisting that strange force.
If that was the case, it would be better to lock down the news, and everyone could only hope for the best, praying to preserve their own lives before the arrival of the Divine Spirit.
Zhang Chen held Chengyu and returned to his small home, pondering over ways to exorcise the demon.
"Right now, only my Soul Hook skill can be attempted," a thought flickered in Zhang Chen’s mind, and then he started meditating and practicing Qi Cultivation.
Xiaodouding also did not go back upstairs, clinging to Zhang Chen’s side, unwilling to go to any other place.
At noon, the lunch bell rang, and the disciples could go out to have lunch. Mixed in with thousands of people, it was unknown how many had disappeared that morning.
That night,
Inside Xie Lingyun’s pavilion, black energy swirled around her body, a lotus flower flickered in her eyes, and waves of demonic sounds echoed around her.
"You failed!"
At this moment, the voice of the Celestial Demon suddenly came from within Xie Lingyun’s body.
A black lotus flower flickered in Xie Lingyun’s eyes, and she struggled repeatedly, but was unable to escape the suppression of the black lotus.
"I am not convinced! I am not convinced! It’s not that I’m inferior to you, just that I’m at the mercy of fate," Xie Lingyun’s hoarse voice was filled with reluctance.
"Hehe, fate is also a kind of strength. Honestly, if it weren’t for you asking a master of Yellow Heaven Dao to intervene, catching me off guard and shattering a fragment of my origin, causing that Vengeful Spirit to obtain my fortune and become my incarnation, I really would have been unable to turn the tables and would have been suppressed by that bastard. Too bad, you were just one move short, fate favors me," the Celestial Demon’s voice was full of smugness.
"However, this little girl’s soul actually has Yama’s Seal. It will take some time to obliterate your soul, but that doesn’t matter. You have already lost the power to resist, for now, I will confine your soul and suppress it within your acupoints, which doesn’t affect my control of this body."
As the Celestial Demon spoke, a black lotus gathered within Xie Lingyun’s body, transforming into a purple-black lotus that enveloped Xie Lingyun’s soul inside, then closed like a bud: "In just forty-nine days, I can refine your soul, and meanwhile, I can also seize your treasure, how wonderful that would be."
In the next moment, Xie Lingyun’s eyes were entirely occupied by black light, and then Xie Lingyun slowly stood up, her body moving stiffly, like a robot, rigid to the point of being unsightly.
However, as Xie Lingyun continued to move her joints, an hour later, like a machine that had been oiled, her movements became increasingly smooth, indistinguishable from the real Xie Lingyun.
Opening the window and taking a deep breath of the outside air, Xie Lingyun sighed gently: "The feeling of being alive is wonderful."
"Now I must first deal with that damn bastard. That Golden Light was truly strange, even able to restrain me. I wonder what its origin is. I cannot be at peace if I do not eliminate it. That brat was right in one thing before; he is my trial. However, I do not believe that an ant like him can defeat me. Especially now that I have fully mastered Xie Lingyun’s body and strength, I can unleash my possessive strength. That brat’s only ace was a bit of Golden Light. Although that Golden Light can restrain soul-type strange powers, it can’t restrain forces from the Material Realm. If I can’t kill that ant, it’s a real waste!" she considered while flexing her wrist, then headed downstairs, her eyes falling on the hundreds of armored guards outside the pavilion, as a thought flickered in her mind:
"I have hundreds of armored guards, if I send the guards to hunt him down, they’ll reduce him to mush. But making such a big commotion might not stand up to scrutiny, considering that old Xie Xuan is always monitoring me."
’Xie Lingyun’ dismissed this idea, internally musing: "The most crucial thing is, that little thief injured me twice before. If I don’t kill him personally, I won’t be able to quell the hatred in my heart, it will be unnatural."
Her mind couldn’t find peace because of this obsession.
"Greetings, my lord,"
Seeing Xie Lingyun descend the stairs, the guards guarding below all knelt in respect.
"At ease," ’Xie Lingyun’ waved her hand casually, her red robe billowing like a flame as she walked away.
It was only after stepping a dozen meters away that a guard blocked her path: "My lord, it’s said that there are strange occurrences at Huangli Temple and over a hundred people have already died. It’s unsafe outside, you should stay inside the pavilion. Wait until Yellow Heaven Dao eliminates the anomaly, then it won’t be too late for you to go out."
’Xie Lingyun’ paused, a cold smile playing on her lips: "Don’t forget what my specialization at Inspection and Supervision Department is. It’s just a trifling anomaly, not worthy of my fear."
Upon hearing Xie Lingyun’s words, the guard was momentarily stunned, recalling Xie Lingyun’s reputation in the Inspection and Supervision Department, where many anomalies had fallen at her hands, and quickly stepped aside.
Xie Lingyun’s strength was unquestionable within the Inspection and Supervision Department.
Watching the guard retreat, ’Xie Lingyun’ smiled, her figure vanishing at the end of the path.
She would have her revenge! She would personally eliminate the threat! She would grind that brat’s bones to dust!