“This is my junior apprentice, the Black-Hearted Taoist!”
Hong Lian Holy Mother laughed from the side, her eyes glimmering with unknown schemes.
“The Black-Hearted Taoist?”
Han Hulin was momentarily stunned, then his expression changed: “I had met the Black-Hearted Taoist a few times before. It’s truly delightful to see an old acquaintance return in reincarnation. Bring forth the banquet!”
“My junior apprentice has successfully reincarnated, though his mind remains a bit hazy,” Hong Lian Holy Mother smiled demurely, offering the explanation with alluring charm.
“Haha… No worries at all! With the two of you helping me, how could our great endeavor possibly fail?” Han Hulin laughed heartily, clearly elated, while Hong Lian Holy Mother also appeared satisfied, glancing at Wu Ming once more.
“Oh? So she thinks I’m a lamb surrounded by tigers, unable to escape from the army, and thus can be dealt with leisurely?” Wu Ming inwardly sneered coldly, then outwardly maintained an indifferent expression.
…
Night fell.
At the banquet, upon learning that Hong Lian Holy Mother and the Black-Hearted Taoist were willing to stay for a while, Han Hulin was even more delighted and immediately arranged tents for them.
As for Wu Ming requesting a few people during the feast, that was a minor matter, readily agreed upon.
After everything had fallen silent, Wu Ming summoned Huang Ying and Li Xiuyun to his tent.
A cool breeze blew gently, and the military camp had a curfew, making the atmosphere even more solemn and chilling.
Huang Ying and the slightly trembling Li Xiuyun entered the tent, immediately seeing the Taoist who had displayed great divine might earlier that day.
Frankly speaking, although Wu Ming’s physical form wasn’t exactly handsome, it was at least pleasant to look at, even somewhat honest-looking. Unfortunately, the two young women had already witnessed his terrifying might that day, so now they saw the Taoist sitting cross-legged in the center of the tent as having a sinister gaze, surrounded by howling cold winds, like a truly heinous and wicked demon.
“You two…”
Wu Ming had barely spoken when he saw Li Xiuyun almost fainting from fear, feeling quite speechless: “Am I really that terrifying?”
“Esteemed immortal, we’re deeply grateful for saving our lives!” Huang Ying, who had prior experience and martial cultivation, managed to compose herself and bowed deeply.
“Hmph, I am Zhai Xiangzi. Meeting me means you two have formed a connection, and thus possess great fortune!”
Wu Ming said indifferently, but seeing Huang Ying’s body sway again, he felt even more dispirited.
“Who would form a connection with such a demonic villain who kills and captures souls at will?”
Huang Ying inwardly thought but still pulled Li Xiuyun down to bow: “We humble sisters, with our frail figures, how dare we stain the noble presence of the immortal? Please show mercy; we sisters will surely repay your great kindness in the future with utmost gratitude!”
“Do you think I need your gratitude?” Wu Ming sneered slightly, flicked his fingernail, and the flame within the tent flickered, faintly accompanied by the wailing of ghosts.
“Fine then!”
Huang Ying stood up suddenly, gritting her teeth: “My younger sister’s body has not fully matured yet. Let her go, and I’ll submit to whatever you wish to do with me!”
“Sister!”
Li Xiuyun shook her head violently: “No!”
“Foolish sister! I’ve already fallen into the brothel before, so I’m better off than you…”
Huang Ying smiled bitterly, knowing full well that serving as this Taoist’s furnace maiden would not be as simple as entertaining guests before; it might even result in her Yin essence being completely drained, leading to a gruesome death.
“No! Let me die instead!”
“I’ll go! Don’t be silly!”
…
Watching the two women quarreling and competing to sacrifice themselves, Wu Ming felt that if he continued observing, his dignity would be completely lost. He suddenly roared: “Enough!”
The two women shivered, suddenly recalling that their lives were still in this Taoist’s hands.
“You two… neither of you can leave!”
Wu Ming said softly, causing the two women’s hearts to sink. Then he suddenly changed tone: “However, both of you have already lost your original purity, which is somewhat regrettable. I have here a cultivation manual; you may take it and practice diligently… hehe, when the great task is accomplished in the future, that’s when you’ll find your use!”
He immediately tossed out a cultivation manual and two bottles of Qi-nourishing pills, dismissing the two women.
“Is this real? Did he really let us off that easily?”
Huang Ying still couldn’t quite believe it, blushing as she opened the ancient scroll in her hand.
“Strange?”
Expecting some indecent techniques, she was surprised to find it was a very orthodox and balanced cultivation method, one that would require considerable merit to obtain even from the Pantheon Temple. She was now thoroughly confused: “What’s going on? Could this fiend have suddenly had a change of heart? Impossible! Or perhaps he really took a liking to my sister’s and my appearance? No, that doesn’t fit either; the Hong Lian Holy Mother and her holy maiden are far more beautiful than us…”
“Sister… does this mean we’ve escaped from death?”
Li Xiuyun asked blankly.
“Exactly!”
Huang Ying suddenly clapped her hands: “This Taoist must want to cultivate into a true immortal, and somehow acquired this manual. He abducted us here, waiting until we’ve accomplished great feats, then he’ll use his techniques to steal our Dao foundation!”
The more she thought, the more convinced she became: “That must be it!”
“Then if we don’t practice this manual, won’t there be no problem?” Li Xiuyun said happily.
“My dear sister, you’re too naive…” Huang Ying sighed: “If we don’t cultivate, who knows what other methods this Taoist might think of to torment us? In my opinion, we must cultivate! You haven’t even started yet, and this manual is authentic, perfect for building your foundation. Only by gaining strength can we resist him…”
…
“Tsk! Kindness misunderstood as malice!”
Wu Ming muttered in frustration while observing through magical means.
However, seeing Li Xiuyun begin to meditate and cultivate Qi under Huang Ying’s guidance, he nodded to himself.
He naturally wouldn’t reveal his true identity to the two women, as it would not only bring more trouble but also eliminate the advantage of remaining hidden.
“Still, finding these two can only provide temporary safety. If the mission fails, we’ll still face death!”
Thinking of this, Wu Ming’s expression darkened: “Judging from what I’ve seen of Han Hulin’s strength today, assigning other Reborn to his side is practically sending them to their deaths! If their mission is as difficult as mine, it’s even worse!”
Wu Ming, as a Pantheon Controller, had never before tried to access other Reborn’s mission details.
Initially, he dared not rashly act on Li Xiuyun and Huang Ying, so he captured three test subjects. Now it was time for them to serve their purpose.
He stood up and went to another tent.
Inside was Qiao San, whose body had been locked and whose Yin spirit sealed by Wu Ming’s dark arts. Despite his Grandmaster-level body and numerous magical treasures, he was now as helpless as a dead dog.
When Qiao San saw Wu Ming enter, his eyes filled with fear and pleading.
“Although I could torture you first to extract information, why not try my permissions first?”
Speaking these words that made Qiao San’s eyes widen in horror, Wu Ming directly placed his hand on Qiao San’s crown.
The authority of the Pantheon Controller lay in the power to alter reality, though even the Pantheon itself couldn’t clearly define the true effects, leaving Wu Ming to discover them through experimentation.
…
[Ding! You have activated the query function and obtained the other party’s ID and mission information!]
[Reborn ID: Yi Yin 24! Obtained detailed mission prompt!]
[World Description: The end of the Shang Dynasty was marked by celestial anomalies and ominous stars heralding chaotic times. The tyrannical Shang Emperor sought to gather all the golden essence from across the land to forge twelve golden statues, believing they would grant him immortality and eternal dominion over the divine realm. To achieve this, he conscripted millions of laborers and enlisted the aid of mystics, disrupting the earth’s natural energies. This led to unending droughts and floods, widespread suffering among the people, and rebellions erupting throughout the land!]
[Main Quest Activated: Team Battle!]
[Quest Description: The land is in chaos, heroes rise, thirteen rebel kings and twenty-seven rebel armies emerge. You have been assigned to the rebel king Han Hulin’s faction!]
[Quest Objective: Assist Han Hulin in surviving until the end of the turmoil! Success in this mission grants 500 Divine Merits! Failure results in the entire faction’s annihilation!]
[Side Quest: Slayer! Killing opposing Reborn and powerful story characters will earn merits!]
[This mission scenario: Large-scale! Mission Difficulty: Yellow!]
[Note: This mission is a real-world mission; Reborn will physically manifest in this world!]
…
“As expected, it’s simpler, but still a huge trap. At the very least, the upcoming Shang Dynasty military campaigns and the Golden Pond Gathering will be deadly trials…”
Wu Ming withdrew his hand, and on the ground, Qiao San looked at him as if seeing a ghost, struggling violently.
“I know what you want to say, but unfortunately… I don’t want to hear a single word…”
Wu Ming’s expression was cold as he extended his hand again: “Next, let’s try the limits of altering others’ missions!”
Bang!
After an unknown amount of time, a corpse fell to the ground—Qiao San, his eyes lifeless, no wounds on his body, clearly killed by the Pantheon’s annihilation.
“Failed…”
Wu Ming sighed.
Earlier, he had attempted to change Qiao San’s mission to match his own, but it had shamefully failed.
“It’s not that changes are impossible, but when applying my authority to other Reborn, there are definite limitations. It can’t be altered so easily, can it?”
Wu Ming pondered thoughtfully: “Fortunately, I still have two more to try!”
[Ding! You have killed an opposing Reborn, earning 100 Divine Merits!]
The Pantheon’s prompt appeared again, making Wu Ming raise his eyebrows in contemplation as he rubbed his chin: “Killing them counts as my merit? Does that mean they’ve classified me as a separate faction? That’s interesting!”
However, for Wu Ming at this moment, a mere 100 Divine Merits wasn’t significant. He proceeded directly to where Qiao Er was imprisoned and repeated the process.
Peng!
After another Pantheon-sanctioned elimination, Qiao Er’s body fell lifeless, but Wu Ming’s face showed delight: “Although it’s just a slight feeling, I seem to have succeeded…”
Without hesitation, he went to where Qiao Da was being held, saying not a word, and immediately acted.
Qiao Da’s eyes bulged as he heard the Pantheon’s notification:
[Ding! Your mission has changed!]
[Main Objective Updated: Assist Han Hulin in defeating one imperial encirclement campaign and ensure your own survival until the end of the chaos, which will complete the mission, granting 500 Divine Merits!]
[Side Quest: Slayer! Killing opposing Reborn and powerful story characters will earn merits!]
“You… who exactly are you? Release me, and I swear eternal loyalty to you!”
Qiao Da wept joyfully. In this hellish world of the Pantheon, suddenly seeing a glimmer of hope was an indescribable feeling. Even if he knew Wu Ming had killed his two younger brothers, he might still follow him like a loyal dog.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage