Chapter 17:

Feeling Mur Xuanling’s tension, Nan Xuyue smiled and withdrew his hand.

“If you don’t want me to tell anyone, I will keep your secret,” Nan Xuyue said gently.

Mur Xuanling looked at him in surprise and softly said, “Thank you…”

“There’s no need to thank me,” Nan Xuyue lowered his eyes, his voice tinged with sadness, “You’ve helped me, but when you needed me the most, I wasn’t there for you.”

When they first met, it was the darkest period of his life. He thought he had lost everything, yet a little girl knelt beside his wheelchair, covered in wounds, yet with bright eyes and a cheerful voice, saying, “Master Nan, you were born with everything. Now you’ve just lost a little bit. You’re still much better off than many, many people. Please don’t be sad.”

He said, “My legs are broken. I can never walk like a normal person again.”

She pulled up her patched pant leg, revealing a thin, bony ankle adorned with a tight, dark red bell ring, seemingly stained red with blood, the iron ring nearly carved into the bone.

She said, “Master Nan, we’re the same. I feel pain when I walk too, but after a while, I just get used to it.”

He said he had lost all love.

She pouted and said, “No one loves me either, but I don’t like them anyway. I’m saving all my love for myself. Hmm… How about I share some with you? I can like you a little, but would you hate me for being half-demon?”

She happily said, “Master Nan, you smiled! You look so handsome when you smile!”

Nan Xuyue thought, perhaps there was still someone in this world who could give him a little bit of love. Just a little, and it became invaluable to him.

He said to his father, “Father… may I take that demon slave with me?”

Nan Wujiu impatiently shook off his hand, his brows brimming with fury.

“Don’t waste my time with nonsense.”

In the end, Nan Xuyue couldn’t take her with him. By the time he had the power to do so many years later, she was already gone.

Looking at Mur Xuanling, who now had a different face but the same eyes, Nan Xuyue sighed and said, “I’m already very happy that you still remember me.”

But that little girl who once claimed she would keep all her love for herself had given away her love and even her life to another person. Sitting beside her on the bed for those few hours, holding her hand, he had thought for a long time. He realized that Xie Xuechen must have done something he could never do.

As for himself, he had done absolutely nothing. He had merely been saved by her during his most painful moment. How could he possibly ask for more from her?

So when he saw the expression of loss and bitterness in Mur Xuanling’s eyes, he still told her the truth—that it was Xie Xuechen who had carried her back from the snow.

She was delighted, truly a simple girl.

“Master Nan, you’re really kind,” Mur Xuanling said gratefully.

Nan Xuyue smiled, “So you only have a little bit of affection for me, is that right?”

She smiled awkwardly. “But Master Nan, you already have the affection of many people now.”

But I only want yours.

Nan Xuyue didn’t say it aloud. He was considerate—he would never make others uncomfortable, nor would he embarrass the one he loved.

So he said, “Yes, thank you for saying those words to me back then.”

Xie Xuechen didn’t know if he was running away from himself or from Mur Xuanling. He didn’t return to see her. He spent the entire night sleepless and only learned from Nan Xuyue the next day that Mur Xuanling had awakened, though she was still weak and needed time to recover.

“That’s good,” Xie Xuechen nodded faintly, then said, “I’ve gathered everyone from the Immortal Alliance in the Hall of Righteousness for a meeting. You should come too.”

Nan Xuyue was slightly taken aback. “I’m not a member of the Immortal Alliance.”

“But your understanding of formations surpasses everyone else,” Xie Xuechen said firmly. “Come.”

Seeing that Xie had already turned and left, Nan Xuyue followed behind.

Before reaching the Hall of Righteousness, both of them could already hear the arguing from afar.

“He Daozhu spends his days with demons. He must have forgotten his own identity,” Su Ningzhen said coldly. “Among us, the one most likely to collude with the demon clan is none other than you.”

“Su Valley Master, you’re biased and unfair. He Mou has no need to reason with you,” He Xianwo sneered, “If you can defeat me, then go fight outside the city of Yongxue. If you can’t defeat me, then see how many people in this hall support you?”

Su Ningzhen asked, “Do all of you agree with what I’ve said?”

Fu Yuanting smiled awkwardly and said, “Without evidence, we shouldn’t fight amongst ourselves and damage our unity.”

Su Ningzhen said, “Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty escape. He Xianwo’s intention to betray is too strong. His presence in the war against the demon clan will only be harmful.”

He Xianwo: “Hmph.”

At the moment when conflict was about to erupt, Xie Xuechen walked into the hall. A chill swept in from outside, making the air suddenly tense.

Everyone bowed and said, “Master Xie.”

Xie Xuechen ignored everyone, walked past them, and stood at the head seat, facing the various sect leaders and elders.

“What the demon clan desires most is for cultivators to harbor evil thoughts and give birth to inner demons,” Xie Xuechen coldly swept his gaze over those who had been arguing. “All of you here have cultivated longer than I have. I’m sure there’s no need to explain the principle to you.”

Su Ningzhen frowned slightly and bowed, “Thank you, Master.”

Xie Xuechen didn’t look at her again and continued solemnly, “The person captured by Fu Lansheng yesterday, I’m sure everyone has thoroughly investigated. He turned out to be an ordinary cultivator who had completely lost his memory and didn’t know why he had come to Yongxue City. Judging from the various signs, he should have been possessed by a heart demon.”

Fu Yuanting said, “My son mentioned that there was another accomplice who escaped at the time. Therefore, there must be at least two demons who have infiltrated Yongxue City.”

Demons don’t have physical forms, but they can possess others. However, there are limitations. When possessing someone, the demon’s power is affected by yang energy and will leak out. Also, the same person cannot be possessed for more than twelve hours, or the host will die from the demonic energy overwhelming their heart. When Fu Lansheng bound the person with the Soul Binding Chain, the heart demon had already fled, leaving behind only an empty shell with no knowledge of what had happened.

“Have you found any suspicious clues at the scene?” Xie Xuechen asked.

Everyone shook their heads.

Xie Xuechen then turned to Nan Xuyue. “Today, I invited Master Nan here because he is the most proficient in formations. Master Nan, have you noticed anything unusual about the formation?”

Nan Xuyue hesitated for a moment before saying cautiously, “Formations require objects with abundant spiritual energy. The formation symbols are written in cinnabar and placed in specific directions. Once the conditions are met, the formation naturally takes shape. A bidirectional teleportation formation consumes a great deal of spiritual energy, yet the person used only seemingly ordinary spirit stones. The cinnabar used for the formation symbols is also commonly available. However…”

“Please continue,” Xie Xuechen urged him to speak freely.

“The formation symbols written on the spirit stones all have a similar slanted angle. If I’m not mistaken, the person must have been afraid of being recognized and deliberately wrote with his left hand,” Nan Xuyue said slowly.

Xie Xuechen’s eyes sharpened. “This means the person’s right-handed handwriting is familiar to us.”

The people in the Hall of Righteousness looked at each other, suspicion growing among them.

Nan Xuyue took out a yellow talisman from his sleeve, on which a formation symbol was drawn in cinnabar. He said, “I ask everyone to please write this formation symbol with both their left and right hands.”

For cultivators, writing talismans is not difficult. Moreover, their spiritual bodies are not ordinary; even those who have never used their left hands before can easily perform tasks with them. The strength and dexterity of both hands are almost the same. Only the handwriting, formed over years of practice, differs greatly between left and right hands.

Soon, everyone in the hall had written the formation symbols. When comparing the right-handed handwriting, no one matched. However, when comparing the left-handed handwriting, Nan Xuyue stopped.

“This handwriting is exactly the same as that on the formation,” Nan Xuyue raised the yellow paper in his hand.

Everyone’s faces changed. “Whose is it?”

Nan Xuyue’s gaze turned to Dharma Mirror Sage.

“Dharma Mirror Sage, may I ask you to explain this?”

No one would have expected this, for Dharma Mirror Sage was the eldest and most respected among them. But Su Ningzhen quickly recalled something and exclaimed in shock, “That day, it was Dharma Mirror Sage who used the ‘Tear-Inducing Whisper’ to detect the anomaly in the Sect Leader’s spiritual cavity!”

One Mind Sage, unable to believe what he was hearing, looked at his most respected elder with trembling hands in a prayer gesture: “Uncle, why would you…”

Dharma Mirror Sage’s withered face showed no emotion, his eyes as still as ancient wells. He clasped his hands and slowly said, “I did not set up the formation.”

He Xianwo slightly furrowed his brow. “Could there be some misunderstanding here?”

Su Ningzhen had always been at odds with He Xianwo. Now that the evidence pointed to Dharma Mirror Sage, and she had always suspected He Xianwo, she was even more convinced that the two were colluding. Su Ningzhen sneered, “If the spy let in two demons, perhaps one of them is now possessing one of us. Otherwise, why would He Daozhu speak up for the suspect?”

He Xianwo’s expression immediately darkened, as the others’ gazes toward him now carried a hint of suspicion.

“Su Valley Master, making baseless accusations—could it be that you’re hiding something and trying to shift attention away from yourself?” He Xianwo tightened his grip on his wine gourd, his knuckles turning white with anger.

Su Ningzhen said, “Yesterday, when the formation appeared, my disciple sensed demonic energy there. How could there be demonic energy in Yongxue City, except from He Daozhu, who is always with demons?”

Gao Qiumin had mentioned the demonic energy before, and now with this supporting evidence, He Xianwo’s suspicion seemed even more solidified.

He Xianwo glared coldly at Su Ningzhen and suddenly burst into laughter, sharp and filled with killing intent and sharpness. “Hahaha… Su Valley Master, you’re still the same as always, slandering others with blood-stained words, confusing right and wrong. If the Immortal Alliance is full of such ignorant fools, then I, He Mou, will not accompany you any longer!”

As He Xianwo finished speaking, he slapped the table and used the momentum to fly outward. Seeing this, Su Ningzhen immediately swung her World-Brushing Dust, blocking He Xianwo’s escape route.

“You want to run away now that you’ve revealed your fox tail!” Su Ningzhen unleashed her spiritual form, transforming her World-Brushing Dust into steel needles that shot toward He Xianwo.

Xie Xuechen frowned as he looked at the two fighting. These two had long-standing grudges due to their disciples’ deaths and had always been at odds, but never had they lost control like today, attacking each other without restraint or holding back their spiritual forms.

Fu Yuanting and Duan Xiaorong exchanged a serious glance. Dharma Mirror Sage’s identity was now in question, making him unsuitable to intervene and mediate justice. Even One Mind Sage, the sect leader of Xuantian Temple, could only stand by silently. And the Sect Leader had yet to recover his powers. The only one capable of stopping the two from fighting was Duan Xiaorong from Bixiao Palace.

Duan Xiaorong flashed her figure and stood between the two, not daring to be careless. She used her spiritual form to protect herself and endured their attack, solemnly saying, “Fellow Daoists, with a great enemy before us, please prioritize the greater good and avoid internal strife.”

Su Ningzhen coldly said, “Precisely because of the great enemy, we must first stabilize the inside before dealing with external threats!”

Duan Xiaorong was older and more experienced than both of them, and normally they would show her some respect. But today, after everything had been laid bare, the situation had escalated to a life-or-death conflict.

Fu Yuanting’s anxiety grew stronger. He glanced at Dharma Mirror Sage, who remained silent with his eyes closed, then at One Mind Sage, who looked worried, and finally turned to Xie Xuechen for instructions.

“Master Xie, please take control of the situation.”

Xie Xuechen had been watching coldly all along. He stood with his hands behind his back, his sharp phoenix eyes seemingly observing something, pondering something. Only now did he finally speak: “Heart Demon Formation.”

Fu Yuanting was startled. “What?”

Xie Xuechen said, “The two demon cultivators who infiltrated Yongxue City have already set up a Heart Demon Formation without anyone’s knowledge. Right now, everyone in this hall is within the formation.”

Both Su Ningzhen and He Xianwo, who were filled with rage, were momentarily stunned, and their killing intent decreased by three parts.

Cultivators who have killed countless demons know well what a Heart Demon Formation is. Legend says that demons possess the ability to connect with others’ heart demons. The more chaotic and evil thoughts a person has, the stronger their heart demon becomes, making them easier for demon cultivators to invade, possess, and ultimately become puppets or even die. The stronger the demon cultivator, the more heart demons they can connect with, thus forming a Heart Demon Formation. Although they cannot possess everyone at the same time, they can jump between different heart demons, using each controlled heart demon as a stepping stone. They can gain the perceptions of these people, while the controlled ones remain completely unaware.

“We are all Dao Formation Sages. How could the demon race possibly control us with a Heart Demon Formation?” Su Ningzhen doubted.

“Because the one who came is no ordinary demon cultivator,” Xie Xuechen said coldly. “It’s likely that the Obsessed Demon, one of the Three Demon Gods, has come in person.”

A deathly silence fell over the Hall of Righteousness.

From somewhere unknown came a distant, eerie laughter.

“Master Xie knows so much about me. What an honor!”

Duan Xiaorong felt as if the voice had come from near her left side. Startled, she swung her sword to the left, aiming straight for Su Ningzhen’s chest. Su Ningzhen reacted quickly, using her World-Brushing Dust to block Duan Xiaorong’s sword strike.

“Senior Duan, what do you mean by this!” Su Ningzhen angrily questioned.

“The voice came from your direction,” Duan Xiaorong remained alert, watching Su Ningzhen.

Xie Xuechen said, “The Obsession Demon can freely shift positions among the heart demons it controls, but it’s not easy for it to possess a Dao Formation Sage. Its goal is to interfere with our judgment.”

He Xianwo gradually calmed down as well and said, “The so-called ‘obsession’ refers to a persistent, unyielding fixation. If there’s an emotion in one’s heart that cannot be released—be it fear, sorrow, doubt, or regret—as long as it lingers unshaken, it can turn into obsession. Once an obsessive thought takes root, the demon of obsession will seize it. As the thought grows stronger, it will drive one to lose their mind and fall under the control of the demon.”

Fu Yuan Ting immediately understood the Obsession Demon’s motive. “He had already set up the formation to wait for us to fall into his trap. Su Valley Master’s suspicion toward He Island Master, and He Island Master’s hatred toward Su Valley Master, are all forms of obsession, so the two of them are most deeply controlled by the Obsession Demon.”

He Xian Wo continued, “At this moment, Elder Duan has already felt alarmed inside.”

Everyone began to examine themselves, questioning whether they harbored any obsessive thoughts.

Xie Xue Chen’s cold and clear voice drew everyone’s attention: “From the beginning with that formation talisman, he had already sown seeds of doubt in all our hearts.”

Xie Xue Chen looked toward Nan Xuyue: “Am I right?”

Nan Xuyue calmly gazed back at Xie Xue Chen, his handsome, gentle face wearing a friendly smile, yet his bright, deep eyes grew increasingly dark and unfathomable, making them difficult to look at for long.

“Master Xie, your eyesight is truly sharp. When did you start figuring it out?” Nan Xuyue asked, “Did I do anything wrong?”

Xie Xue Chen barely perceptibly furrowed his brow and replied, “Do I have any reason to tell you?”

Nan Xuyue: “…”

He Xian Wo burst into laughter: “Hahahaha! Demons really do have issues with their brains—no, wait, the problem with demons is that they have no brains at all. Master Xie explaining things in detail to us is to help us understand our current situation and how to respond. Why would he explain anything to you? Hmph, are you hoping he tells you so you can improve next time?”

Inside, the Obsession Demon also felt frustrated. He thought he had hidden himself so well, and he expected Xie Xue Chen to say a few more things boastfully. But Xie revealing nothing at all was indeed more in line with Xie Xue Chen’s personality.

The “Nan Xuyue” took a couple of steps back, sneered, and said, “So what if you found me out? You’re still trapped inside my demonic formation anyway.”

A heavy expression clouded Xie Xue Chen’s brow. The Obsession Demon’s underhanded methods were already very difficult to deal with, but whoever had come with him would likely be even harder to handle. The Lust Demon had previously suffered damage to her avatar from Mu Xuan Ling. Thus, the Obsession Demon’s accomplice was most likely the Battle Demon.

The Battle Demon’s power ranked just beneath the Demon Sovereign. As for the enigmatic High Priest Sang Qi, Xie Xue Chen didn’t even know his true strength. The Obsession Demon and Battle Demon alone, despite their intelligence, would never have devised a method as sophisticated as using a formation talisman to sow doubt and plant obsessive thoughts within everyone’s hearts, forming the Heart-Demon Formation. There must be Sang Qi guiding them from behind.

Xie Xue Chen cautiously drew his sword. The “Nan Xuyue” glanced at him and laughed, “You can’t even summon Jun Tian. You indeed have damaged spiritual passageways.”

“You’re stalling for time,” Xie Xue Chen immediately saw through the Obsession Demon’s plan, noticing the latter’s expression flicker slightly.

As time passed, doubt continued to grow uncontrollably in everyone’s hearts. The heavier their obsessions became, the stronger the Obsession Demon’s power grew. The members of the Immortal Alliance began suspecting one another, unable to cooperate effectively, like scattered sand—exactly what the Obsession Demon had intended.

“What of it?” The Obsession Demon suppressed his smile, his voice cold, “I am currently possessing Nan Xuyue’s body. You can’t touch me.”

Xie Xue Chen replied, “The Prajna Heart Sutra from Xuantian Temple can expel heart demons. Yet you are so certain we can do nothing to you, which means your accomplice must indeed be inside Xuantian Temple.”

Upon hearing this, the Obsession Demon’s expression turned even darker. All the Immortal Alliance members turned their gazes toward Master Fajian at once. Suddenly, they noticed that Master Fajian’s eyes had unknowingly turned blood-red. His gray robes stirred without wind, his sleeves flaring, and a terrifying aura surged outward like a flood, instantly shattering nearby tables and chairs into pieces.

Everyone nearby had already leapt aside, except for Master Yinnian, who did not retreat even a half-step. He was struck in the chest by spiritual energy, spat a mouthful of blood, yet continued chanting. From his palm radiated a pale golden light, like the rising sun, growing brighter and brighter, shooting toward Master Fajian.

Master Fajian’s blood-red eyes were pierced by the golden light, and immediately tears of blood streamed down his face. He let out a sharp cry, and a surge of powerful spiritual energy attacked Master Yinnian again, interrupting his chant. Master Yinnian flew backward, spitting blood, and crashed heavily onto the ground.

Master Fajian’s blood-teared eyes opened again, his power rising rapidly, like a demon god descending into the world, causing terror and dread in people’s hearts. As a Dharma Body cultivator with five hundred years of cultivation, Master Fajian’s strength far surpassed everyone present. Even Xie Xue Chen had no confidence in defeating him. Yet now, Master Fajian’s power seemed even stronger than before. Xie Xue Chen’s heart sank.

“It’s the Battle Demon,” Duan Xiaorong’s face turned pale as she stepped beside Fu Yuan Ting. “The Battle Demon’s combat strength already surpasses that of a Dharma Body cultivator. Is he now possessing Master Fajian’s body?”

Fu Yuan Ting secretly clenched his fists, forcing himself to suppress his inner terror. Since reaching the Dharma Body stage, he had long stopped engaging in actual combat. Yet now, faced with the terrifying might of Master Fajian, he knew he had no chance of victory. But as fear arose in his heart, the Obsession Demon sensed it immediately. That trace of fear would only grow stronger, and the more fearful he became, the more hesitant and weakened he would feel in battle.

Master Fajian tore off the string of beads around his neck. Eighty-one black beads floated into the air, then rapidly spun, colliding with each other and producing fine sparks. Everyone could only see blurred shadows, nearly unable to track the beads’ movements. In the next moment, countless beads exploded outward in all directions.

Everyone raised protective barriers with their spiritual energy, but the power contained within those beads was terrifying. The barriers barely held for an instant before shattering, striking several people in the abdomen before returning to hover beside Master Fajian.

Xie Xue Chen watched as a bead flew toward him. In an instant, a hand grabbed his wrist, and a golden light enveloped him. In the next moment, the scene before his eyes had changed.

Xie Xue Chen turned his head to look at the one who had pulled him away—Master Yinnian.

“Master Xie, my senior master has fallen into demonic cultivation, and I am powerless to stop him. Your spiritual passageways have not yet recovered, and you likely cannot defeat him. I can only take you away from the Hall of Justice first,” Master Yinnian said, coughing out a bit of blood and wearing a sorrowful expression. “I never imagined Xuantian Temple would face such a calamity. Why did my senior master act so foolishly?”

“I see Master Yinnian is also skilled in teleportation formations,” Xie Xue Chen said in his usual calm and cold tone, as if nothing could ever surprise or frighten him.

Master Yinnian wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said, “Inscribing the formation onto a magical artifact, which can be activated with spiritual energy. However, since this is only a simple teleportation formation, it cannot carry someone very far.”

“We are still in Yongxue City,” Xie Xue Chen sensed the familiar temperature and the scent carried by the wind. “You went through great effort to bring me here, so you must have something you want me to see.”

Master Yinnian’s gaze gradually turned cold: “Master Xie seems unsurprised.”

“There were two people from Xuantian Temple present. I had no reason to suspect only Master Fajian while holding no suspicion toward you,” Xie Xue Chen replied indifferently.

Master Yinnian smiled slightly, then suddenly thrust his palm toward Xie Xue Chen’s chest. Xie Xue Chen raised his sword to block, but failed to stop Yinnian’s full-force strike. His body was forced backward several meters, his expression slightly changing, as a thin line of crimson trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Master Yinnian clasped his hands together, his expression benevolent and serene, slowly saying, “So your spiritual passageways indeed haven’t recovered yet. Well, since you’ve already guessed, it doesn’t matter anymore.”