The night was deep, the bright moon hanging high illuminating the mountains, countless disciples in the Daoist Temple were unable to sleep or eat at ease at this moment.
After such a terrifying and bizarre event, it’s a wonder anyone could sleep.
Lamps flickered within the temple, large yellow lanterns hung high, Xie Lingyun dressed in red, quietly walked along the path, through the long corridors, arriving outside Zhang Chen’s courtyard.
The Exorcism Divine Techniques activated, the door latch automatically fell off, the door opened on its own, and Xie Lingyun appeared at the door, her eyes seeing Zhang Chen studying under the lamplight.
Xiaodouding was already lying on the bed asleep, like a little pig, sleeping quite soundly.
Zhang Chen looked at Xie Lingyun at the door, a flash of golden light in his eyes, but he saw no irregularity. Yet Zhang Chen clearly knew in his heart that the Xie Lingyun in front of him was not normal, because the real Xie Lingyun would never open the latch and walk in herself.
"You finally came out?" Zhang Chen sighed faintly, his voice full of emotion.
The Xie Lingyun before him was no longer behaving like her usual self, so the only explanation was that the terrifying creature locked inside her body had come out.
"How did you know it was me and not Xie Lingyun herself?" Upon hearing Zhang Chen’s words, the ’Xie Lingyun’ at the door was taken aback, her eyes wide with astonishment.
Zhang Chen did not answer her question but asked instead, "What about Xie Lingyun’s soul? Did you ’eat’ it?"
’Xie Lingyun’ replied with a smile, "That girl’s soul is a bit unusual, I can’t eat it for now. But if you reveal the source of the power on you and teach it to me, I might spare you and not eat you."
"Eat me? Let’s see if you have the capability! Don’t think that just because you suppressed Xie Lingyun’s soul you can do anything to me, I am not Xie Lingyun." Zhang Chen slowly put down the book in his hand, the Golden Finger Interface flashed with text:
[Target: Great Freedom Celestial Demon]
[Status: Markable]
[Lifespan: 0]
[A peculiar entity without grade, its power changes with the host.]
[Remark 1: From an unknown land, the Great Freedom Celestial Demon seeks to be reborn through possession. Currently in a half-dead state. Having just commenced possession, it needs seven days to adapt and consolidate, known as the ’First Seven’. Complete resurrection after seven days.]
Seeing the prompt on the Golden Finger Interface, Zhang Chen finally relaxed his heart. With the strange entity having grasped Xie Lingyun’s body and emerged from the depths of her soul, he could finally mark it.
Now his Golden Finger could be activated at any time, and Zhang Chen’s heart was finally fully at ease. Looking at the ’Xie Lingyun’ opposite, he suddenly felt justified in confidence.
"Hmm?" The Great Freedom Celestial Demon had unparalleled skill in manipulating hearts. As Zhang Chen’s mindset shifted, his entire aura changed naturally, which was immediately sensed by the Great Freedom Celestial Demon.
"How could this happen? What occurred? This kid initially had a futile confidence when he first saw me, but in a blink, his confidence inexplicably became full?" The Celestial Demon suddenly felt uneasy, an inexplicable intuition telling him something bad must have happened in that instant.
He couldn’t understand why such a drastic change occurred between thoughts.
"Bluffing? Or did this kid really become confident all of a sudden? How did he manage to grasp the power to control me in an instant?" The ’Xie Lingyun’ couldn’t grasp Zhang Chen’s mindset, panicking like an old dog. After all, Zhang Chen controlled the golden light capable of restraining him, which seemed plausible if he indeed had the power to control him.
The Great Freedom Celestial Demon was flustered, looking at Zhang Chen before him, suddenly feeling an urge to turn and run away immediately. This urge came inexplicably, yet it was this same urge that had helped him survive countless near-death experiences in the past.
"How could it be? I’ve survived countless storms and waves; could it be that I’ll capsize in a mere small ditch?" ’Xie Lingyun’ kept encouraging herself.
"I might give you a chance. If you are willing to submit to me, the ancestor, and wholeheartedly work for me in the future, I might spare your life today. And not just you, everyone in the Daoist Temple may also survive." The ’Xie Lingyun’ changed her topic and attitude, planning initially to kill that boy opposite, but an intuition told her she’d die terribly if she didn’t change her approach.
"Oh?" Zhang Chen looked at the Great Freedom Celestial Demon opposite in surprise.
"What is it?" The Celestial Demon asked probing, trying to disguise her unease, "Do you still have any doubts?"
"I have no doubts, I only saw your earlier imposing manner and thought you came to kill me. Who knew you had such a kind heart, filled with great compassion internally," Zhang Chen responded with a teasing tone.
’Xie Lingyun’ looked at Zhang Chen’s cat-playing-with-mouse attitude from across, especially the gaze that seemed to have fully grasped her, her heart couldn’t help but be startled, feeling increasingly bad: "No, I must leave quickly, or else I’m bound to capsize. How did things become so wrong today? I’ve never encountered an opponent I couldn’t deal with before, so how did I trip over this kid?"