Aooo!
An agonizing roar echoed through the Daoist temple. Carrying the struggle of imminent death, a 【Lishi】 unleashed its absolute limit.
The sound lasted for a moment.
When the storm finally passed and the 【Lishi】’s outburst ended, the main doors of the temple’s central hall quietly opened. Nun You strolled out, her robes perfectly neat.
She held a riddled, battered 【Lishi】 in her hand. As a tool, it was utterly ruined. Its supposedly invulnerable body was destroyed beyond repair, lacking even a trace of energy to cast a restorative spell. Yet, despite this, the expression on the 【Lishi】’s face remained incredibly peaceful.
It even carried a hint of joy.
Because reaching this point meant Nun You favored it greatly. As a 【Lishi】, its value as human livestock had received the highest recognition.
Not far away, Wang Ping watched, his scalp tingling with dread.
He had witnessed the entire brutal session. That ruined puppet was undoubtedly the highest quality 【Lishi】 among the ten.
Especially its Perfected 【Qi Ward】.
Invulnerable to weapons…
Wang Ping was certain that even that old bastard Shou Chong’s rockery-shattering throwing knife couldn’t have left a single scratch on it.
What did this mean?
A tool-like 【Lishi】, relegated to doing hard labor for sect disciples, could easily dominate the entire Great Shun Dynasty without a rival?
This wasn’t just a gap.
It was a bottomless chasm.
Like heaven and earth, destined never to intersect. Just understanding this reality induced despair, making Wang Ping’s mood increasingly restless.
If this continues, I will only follow in its footsteps.
Six days had passed since he became a 【Lishi】. Every day, Nun You randomly selected one to spar with her.
Wang Ping naturally got picked once. However, his quality as a 【Lishi】 was strictly average—not the worst, but far inferior to the one currently scrapped. Even giving his all, he failed to satisfy Nun You’s demands, so he only sparred with her that one time.
But just that one time.
The resulting tool wear and tear forced him into a three-day shutdown. He only barely recovered yesterday, and his physical condition remained sluggish.
Look on the bright side.
Being bedridden for three days, desperately circulating 【Qi Ward】 to repair the damage, significantly boosted my mastery over this spell. It counts as a blessing in disguise.
Wang Ping found joy in sorrow and pondered:
The 【Qi Ward】 spell converts essence, qi, and spirit into 【True Qi】. Its effects scale from stopping bleeding and regenerating flesh, to reconnecting bones and sinews, and finally to invulnerability.
In this 【Lishi】 body, the knowledge of 【Qi Ward】 was carved directly into my instincts during the forging process. Ordinary people learning this spell must start from stopping bleeding and level up step-by-step. I don’t even need to study it; my baseline starts at the highest tier of invulnerability.
This was both good and bad.
The advantage was the zero cost of learning the spell. The disadvantage was that everything relied entirely on the 【Lishi】 body; without it, he was nothing.
Fortunately, things are different now.
I’ve figured out the casting essentials of 【Qi Ward】. Even without the 【Lishi】 body’s boost, I am confident I can cast it again.
Naturally, the effects would be drastically reduced.
At the very least, achieving True Qi protection and invulnerability would be impossible. However, stopping bleeding and regenerating flesh shouldn’t be an issue. It was a useful trick regardless.
That works. Once I return to Great Shun, this healing skill will at least earn me the title of a miracle doctor. I won’t have to worry about food or drink for the rest of my life…
Just then.
Thud!
Inside the storehouse, Nun You casually tossed the tattered 【Lishi】 onto the floor. The light in its eyes slowly faded amidst its joy.
Meanwhile, Nun You completely ignored it. Sweeping an unsatisfied gaze over the remaining 【Lishi】, she picked out another one.
Seeing this, Wang Ping discarded all hesitation.
…Time waits for no one.
He had survived the past six days because the highest quality 【Lishi】 stood at the front, absorbing most of Nun You’s exploitation and the risk of death.
And now, it was scrapped.
The remaining 【Lishi】 are far inferior. They probably won’t even last a day. If this continues, my survival will depend entirely on luck.
Nun You might pick him tomorrow and squeeze him until he bursts. Or maybe the day after, or the day after that. Regardless of which day, death remained inevitable. The countdown until then was merely cruel torture. Realizing this, Wang Ping fought with all his might to overcome his fear.
Time ticked away.
The sun set behind the mountains, and night fell. The cries echoing through the temple ceased once more. Clearly, the 【Lishi】 she just took had been broken again.
Now is the time!
Excitement surged in Wang Ping’s heart. Based on his observations over the past six days, Nun You entered a relatively long period of silence after every sparring session.
More importantly—
Midnight has passed. The seventh day is finally over!
Plunging his consciousness into the 【Morgue】, Wang Ping nearly broke down in tears when he saw the 【Otherworldly Heavenly Demon】 scroll on the towering tome light up once again.
I lack nothing now!
Without a doubt, this was the perfect opportunity to escape.
If he succeeded, he could explore the immortal sect world from a different angle. If he failed, he could take the 【Qi Ward】 spell back to the Great Shun Dynasty and crush rookies.
Do or die. I leave tonight!
With this thought in mind, Wang Ping immediately focused his attention on his body. He sensed his limbs, the entire process resembling the dispelling of numbness.
“Move…!”
His consciousness drove his limbs and bones, bypassing the 【Lishi】 talisman seal within his body… Finally, Wang Ping forced his eyes open and arduously stretched his arms and legs.
Success!
Despite the crushing pressure radiating throughout his body, he successfully regained his mobility without triggering the 【Lishi】 talisman seal.
What he needed to do next was simple.
Run!
First, leave this cursed temple. Second, find a nearby spot, dig a hole, and bury himself. Power down into hibernation and lay low for a year or a half before coming out.
This was Wang Ping’s master plan. Crude, direct, and heavily reliant on luck, but it was the only method he could conjure. Staying in the temple meant certain death anyway, so he might as well try escaping. Filled with anticipation, Wang Ping stepped toward the storehouse exit.
However, right at this moment—
“Interesting.”
A familiar tone, soft and enchanting, as if she had been standing behind him the entire time. The voice whispered in his ear like a lover’s murmur:
“The Heaven and Earth Pavilion’s products truly fail their quality inspections.”
“How much did those parasites embezzle?”
“To think they couldn’t even wipe the raw material’s memories clean when refining a mere 【Lishi】… Excellent. I will demand a massive compensation from them later.”
“……..”
Wang Ping’s body abruptly stiffened. He slowly turned his head to see Nun You, radiating a cold aura beneath the hazy moonlight, staring straight at him.
I’m doomed!
Wang Ping didn’t shout this wail of despair, yet Nun You seemed to catch his mood. She actually patted his shoulder gently:
“Honestly, I can’t blame you. You don’t have many options, and escaping is the only viable one. It’s just that I naturally anticipated what you would think of. I set a trap for this exact point from the very beginning. If I still couldn’t catch you under these circumstances, it would simply be my incompetence.”
Hearing this, everything clicked for Wang Ping.
I see. The period of silence after sparring was a smokescreen. In reality, after every session, this venomous woman secretly staked out the storehouse…
She was waiting to catch a rabbit by the tree stump!
Wang Ping felt a surge of exasperation. A dignified sect disciple deliberately targeted and plotted against a tool-like 【Lishi】? Where was the justice in that?
Who engages in a battle of wits and courage with a tool?
Thinking of this, all of Wang Ping’s hopes turned to ash. Paradoxically, he stopped being afraid and simply closed his eyes. Conversely, a hint of curiosity flickered in Nun You’s eyes.
“Do you… have anything else to say?”
Wang Ping shook his head, his face resolute. “I have nothing left to say. Get it over with quickly.”
“Very well.”
With that, Nun You formed a hand seal, activating the 【Lishi】 talisman seal inside Wang Ping’s body. It instantly severed his control over his body.
However, she wasn’t in a hurry to destroy this defective 【Lishi】. After all, she still needed to demand compensation from the Heaven-Earth Pavilion later. Based on her understanding of those parasites, they definitely wouldn’t pay up without concrete evidence shoved in their faces. Thus, Wang Ping still had some use for her.
What should I do next?
Having resolved a concern, Nun You felt delighted and began plotting how to maximize her profits. She had finally caught the Heaven-Earth Pavilion by the throat, after all.
I need to blow this out of proportion!
A mere manufacturing defect in a 【Lishi】 is a trivial matter, even if the Heaven-Earth Pavilion admits to it. They’d just toss a few Dharma Coins to brush it off.
How could she accept that?
Very quickly, Nun You organized her draft story:
Shocking! You Xuexin, a disciple of the Blissful Immortal Peak, recently thwarted a premeditated undercover conspiracy launched against the immortal sect by the 【Brahma Nation】!
Under the guidance of her esteemed Master Mingyou, You Xuexin fully exemplified the role of a true disciple. Armed with towering conviction, supreme loyalty, and keen intuition, she exposed a Brahma cultivator who hijacked a mortal body and disguised himself as a 【Lishi】 to infiltrate the sect and steal vital secrets.
Investigations confirmed that this Brahma cultivator’s methods were extremely ruthless.
The infiltration relied primarily on seizing mortal bodies. Yet, the Heaven-Earth Pavilion, responsible for refining him into a 【Lishi】, neglected their quality inspections and completely failed to notice his presence…
A moment later, Nun You nodded in satisfaction.
This is much better.
Poor 【Lishi】 quality warranted a slap on the wrist at most. However, allowing a Brahma cultivator to infiltrate the sect was a matter of grave importance. The baseline charge would be severe dereliction of duty.
When the time came, it would be best to incite public opinion and make the incident seem as catastrophic as possible. The 【Lishi】 genuinely had an issue anyway. With a little steering, public opinion would naturally tip in her favor, pressuring the Heaven-Earth Pavilion into submission.
Next up was forging the evidence.
At this thought, You Xuexin glanced at Wang Ping, who was locked in a shutdown state. Hmm, claiming he is a Brahma cultivator with empty words lacks persuasion.
I need to add some spice.
The sect would definitely send people to investigate such a matter. She had to leave behind some evidence linked to Brahma cultivators, otherwise framing them would be terribly inconvenient.
After a moment of thought, You Xuexin reached into her sleeve.
She then pulled out a gleaming golden scripture. Three flamboyant characters graced its cover, faintly shimmering with illusory colors.
【Scripture of Paranirmitavaśavartin Governing the Desire Realm】!
You Xuexin acquired this scripture after slaying a Brahma cultivator during a past sword duel between the Immortal Sect and the Brahma Nation. It was merely a fragment, yet it specifically targeted her Blissful Immortal Physique.
“What ‘indulgence of desire itself is the path to Emptiness’? Crooked heresy!”
As a loyal true disciple of the sect, You Xuexin naturally harbored intense disgust toward their old rival, the 【Brahma Nation】, completely rejecting their ideals.
The main reason she kept this technique was that it involved aspects of dual cultivation and the Dao of Bliss, offering some analogous benefits to her own practice.
Moreover, the material of the scripture itself was quite good. She planned to melt it down and reforge it when she crafted spiritual treasures in the future.
I’ll use this.
You Xuexin formed hand seals and chanted, slowly drawing out the scripture’s profound essence. For a moment, tranquil and distant Zen chants seemed to echo in the surroundings.
“Go!”
Immediately after, You Xuexin poured the entire text of this 【Brahma Nation】 technique into Wang Ping’s mind, forcing him to memorize its contents.
This way, the charge of being a Brahma undercover agent was set in stone.
Just as You Xuexin reveled in her triumph and began calculating how to extort the Heaven-Earth Pavilion, Wang Ping suddenly started convulsing in her grasp.
“Hmm?” You Xuexin lowered her eyelids.
What was going on?
She watched as Wang Ping’s body repeatedly burst with light. A dense web of cracks surfaced on his face, his expression contorting with mounting agony.
“Is this… rejection? Impossible. Even if the raw materials used to forge the 【Lishi】 retained some memories, they would at most be fragmented personalities. For rejection to occur, the personality must be incredibly complete and highly independent… Are you kidding me? Did the Heaven-Earth Pavilion skip the material processing entirely…”
In the blink of an eye, the radiant light intensified.
“…This is bad!”
It was only then that You Xuexin reacted. Her expression shifted slightly, and she hastily changed her hand seals, trying to extract the scripture she had just injected.
But she was too late.
The next second—
Boom!
Accompanied by a deafening roar, Wang Ping’s body exploded amidst the light. His flesh and blood disintegrated and melted away without a trace, as if he had never existed in the first place.
Only You Xuexin remained standing there.
This completely unexpected turn of events left her beautiful face frozen in stupor. She snapped back a moment later, her features contorting at a visible speed.
“He committed suicide?”
“Not only was his personality intact, but he was hell-bent on dying?”
Her leverage was dead. Her extortion plan fell through. Her anticipated overnight wealth evaporated like a dream. The stark contrast made You Xuexin lose her composure completely.
Furthermore, she discovered that when Wang Ping died, the contents of the 【Scripture of Paranirmitavaśavartin Governing the Desire Realm】 she injected into his mind didn’t return. It vanished alongside him. Even the physical scripture bearing the text lost its profound essence, slowly crumbling to pieces.
In other words.
After all that tossing and turning, not only did she earn nothing, but she actually lost a 【Lishi】 and an immensely valuable cultivation scripture?
Clang, Clang!
Inside the Daoist temple, a clear sword cry rang out. A brilliant light subsequently pierced the heavens, severing yin and yang, dividing dawn and dusk, lingering between heaven and earth for a very long time.
Translator’s note:
Paranirmitavaśavartin (Sanskrit: परनिर्मितवशवर्तिन्) is the highest heaven of the Desire Realm (Kāmadhātu) in Buddhist cosmology. Its name literally means “those who exercise mastery over things created by others” or “those who enjoy the creations of others.” In many Buddhist traditions, it is also the realm associated with Māra, the Tempter