The Unruly Immortals

Due to preconceived notions, Li Huowang had always thought that the followers of the Ao Jing Sect were believers of Bahu.

But now he realized that this was not the case, and he had guessed wrong, absurdly wrong.

After mulling it over for a few moments, Li Huowang, unable to make sense of what Shou San had said, spoke again.

"What makes you think you can steal Bahu's power? Do you really not realize how powerful it is? You're not even ants in its presence!"

Even though Li Huowang couldn't recall what it looked like now, he could still understand how powerful Bahu truly was, which was definitely not something a few mortals could achieve.

Shou San, with determination in his gaze, looked directly at Li Huowang. "Why not? If the Divine Bovine can do it, we naturally can too."

In Li Huowang's mind flashed the image of the statue shrouded in flames from the Cross Temple. "Was that statue once a mortal?"

Ignoring Li Huowang's thoughts, Shou San continued speaking to himself.

"As the bald monks often say, 'The Buddha was once a person, and a person is the Buddha of the future.' I don't care about the rest, but I agree with this point. It is Bahu now, but that doesn't mean it will be Bahu in the future!"

Having digested this unexpected news, Li Huowang took a deep breath and spoke, "Alright, the matters between your sect and Bahu don't concern me. Let's return to the main issue, do you really have a way to deal with Master Danyang?"

Shou San nodded. "What do you think? How does it sound? If you hold another Cangqiong Ascension ceremony, we will take care of your Demi Immortal Master."

Hearing this, Li Huowang recalled the moment when he summoned Bahu using the Great Thousand Record, and his face contorted slightly—it was an incredibly painful experience.

The dual pain of body and mind was not something easy to endure, and whenever he thought of that experience, Li Huowang would feel a suicidal urge.

Regaining his composure, Li Huowang spoke slowly, "I wish I could, but it's easier said than done, and I can't do it right now."

Summoning Bahu was extremely difficult, particularly requiring a profound resonance of extreme mental and physical pain—a very rare emotion, not something one can simply find.

"Hehe," Shou San chuckled, fervently offering, "No worries, for the sake of Master Jingxin, we can help you with this issue."

Looking at the other's charred grin, Li Huowang felt a chill run through him, for that casually uttered sentence implied so much more.

After a long thought and looking at this person he had only met once, Li Huowang hesitantly said, "Senior Shou San, let's put this issue aside for the moment. May I first inquire, how do you plan to deal with Master Danyang?"

"I have a copy of your Great Thousand Record too, and as far as I know, it doesn't have anything to help others, let alone exorcize a Demi Immortal."

To be honest, Li Huowang didn't trust the Ao Jing Sect, especially after Jingxin had specifically warned him about them.

"Hehe, young man, you are being a bit presumptuous. Such things like the Great Thousand Record, of course, need to be used with other things. If one wants to get as close as possible to the Sea of Suffering, one must attempt as much as possible, like you are doing now—we have naturally tried as well."

"As the saying goes, 'an experienced patient becomes a doctor.' When it comes to healing, there might really be no one in the Eight Desolates who can outdo us."

Li Huowang almost had a conditioned reflex to the word "illness." "Ill? I'm not sick, this isn't an illness, part of Master Danyang is in my stomach now, and part of him has truly become Immortal."

Shou San looked at Li Huowang with a sardonic gaze as he kept explaining.

"This is the illness, these Taoists all want to become Immortals so badly that they've gone mad. They've all become lunatics."

Coming from someone who attempted to steal Bahu's powers, these words had no persuasive power at all.

Facing this person's rhetoric, although Li Huowang still had doubts, he didn't express them.

He didn't want to argue about anything. He came to ask these people to rid him of Master Danyang, not to debate with them.

As long as the method works, they wouldn't care if they had to call Master Danyang a dog.

"For a situation like mine, have there been many in the past? Have you healed others?" Li Huowang asked again, cautiously.

"Of course, all branches of the Five Pecks of Rice sect emphasize cutting the three poisons: upper poison—Peng Ju, middle poison—Peng Zhi, lower poison—Peng Jiao."

"They say that those who seek to become immortals must first eliminate the three poisons, become tranquil and desireless, clear-minded, and virtuous, so they can ascend to immortality."

Shaking his head as he finished speaking, he turned his gaze back to Li Huowang.

"Of course, I naturally don't believe in such nonsense. Over the years, I've seen plenty of so-called Demi Immortals and Evil Spirits, yet I've never laid eyes on a Da Luo True Immortal."

He lifted a finger, the flesh blackened and blood-red, turned inside out, and pointed towards Li Huowang's head.

"All you nose-high Taoists are crazed with the desire to become immortals. You train yourselves into something neither human nor ghost, focusing only on superficial skills, without any understanding of the true essence of power."

In the face of these words, Li Huowang showed no reaction, and addressed Shou San directly again.

He patted the torture device hanging from his waist.

"Elder, I can endure extreme physical pain myself, but how can you help with the agony within?"

Seeing him say this, a hint of pleasure flickered in Shou San's eyes. Since the young man had spoken thus, it was as good as agreeing.

With a slight lift of his chin, a follower in a grey robe walked down a tunnel in the cave.

Soon after, he brought back a girl whose expression was somewhat haggard.

Like the other followers of the Ao Jing Sect, the girl wore a wide robe and a tall hat, the only difference being that her hat didn't cover her eyes.

"A woman? What does she have to do with extreme inner torment?"

However, quite obviously, the young girl was more astonished than Li Huowang, staring at him intently.

With a forceful push, the girl with plaited braids was shoved in front of Li Huowang.

She hurried to lower her head, clutching the hem of her robe tightly, her body trembling involuntarily.

Looking over the girl's frail shoulders at Shou San, Li Huowang asked, "Elder, what does this mean?"

"Take this girl, the two of you should get along sweet as honey, and then let her conceive your child."

"When she's six months pregnant, and your son is nearly formed, you break open her stomach, take out your son, and then———"

"No!! Stop, don't say any more!" Li Huowang interrupted, his voice trembling.

Just listening to him, Li Huowang could already feel his temples throbbing painfully.

Having conversed calmly with him for so long, he had almost forgotten what sort of person he was dealing with.

He now understood how they intended to bring him to the pinnacle of physical and emotional torment; these people from the Ao Jing Sect were no better than Master Danyang!

However, in the face of Li Huowang's objection, Shou San clearly misunderstood his intent.

"Is that so? Do you also think this is too light? But no matter, you have already been seen by Bahu, and moreover, I have some elixirs here that could help you rise even further!"