Not long ago, outside the village, the masters from Huajisi formed a formation on their own. Faced with the corruption of the Evil Spirit embryo, they didn’t advance.
Fu Tianyi felt extremely uncomfortable.
His discomfort didn’t stem from the Evil Spirit embryo, but from his colleagues in Huajisi. Perhaps due to the nature of the memory world, he could only make out their rough figures. The faces around him were blurry, with an uncanny valley effect even stronger than that of evil beings.
The problem was that the blurry filters on these people weren’t the same type, and the degree of blurriness varied. Fu Tianyi struggled to maintain a composed expression, but he was already breaking out in a cold sweat.
A short distance away, Lu Xiaohe remained uncharacteristically silent.
First, she looked at the delicate embroidery on her sleeve, then at the masters around her with the blurry filters with a grave expression.
“You’re the rear command, right, sister? Think of a solution!” Fu Tianyi moved closer to Lu Xiaohe. “We can’t just stand here.”
“It’s a bit strange,” Lu Xiaohe said.
“Of course, I know it’s strange!” Fu Tianyi wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“We’re in the memory world, and this village and the impression of these people fundamentally come from the memories of Yin Ren and the Evil Spirit. So that’s why the impression of these guerrilla masters from nearby isn’t deep.”
Fu Tianyi was filled with question marks. The memory world was constructed based on the memories of the Evil Spirit and Yin Ren—wasn’t that the most basic information?
Lu Xiaohe furrowed her brow. “Why are Huajisi and the two of us so clear?”
Fu Tianyi: “…Ah?”
“The Evil Spirit couldn’t even reach Huajisi that’s stationed in the capital. Yin Ren from a thousand years ago had a unique constitution, and his corruption was out of control. He could at most have some contact with this village but couldn’t truly enter the world. Where did the detailed memories of the clear Huajisi, as well as the appearances of Fu Shangliu and Li Heyan, come from?”
Fu Tianyi stood stunned in place. He had never thought about this question before.
A chill penetrated his veins, flowing directly to his heart from the soles of his feet.
Unfortunately, Lu Xiaohe didn’t have much time to ponder. In less than five seconds, a voice came through the communication earpiece, mixed with heavy static. The clear voice of Ge Tingting, however, stood out with its piercing clarity.
[Order everyone to form the Sixty-Four Inverse Yin Array*! It’s what Fu Xingchuan said.]
*Think of it as an array based off of the I Ching (Book of Changes) used for divinations.
Fu Tianyi and Lu Xiaohe exchanged a glance.
Immediately, Fu Tianyi drew symbols and amplified his voice, while Lu Xiaohe put on the earpiece and listened attentively.
In the center of the village, the surface of the Evil Spirit embryo gradually turned pitch black, like rotten fruit.
The surrounding Evil Force was on the verge of getting out of control. They twisted around like whips, stirring up ripples of dust. Burned-down houses couldn’t withstand the wind, and straw-like objects fell down with the wind.
On the spacious open ground, only a few living beings remained—
Huang Jin supported his tottering body and continued to project his holographic illusion. Fu Xingchuan stared intently at the performing Great Celestial Master, wishing he had six more eyes.
Since “Zhong Chengshuo flesh puppet” could only spill blood and provide material for the spells, conveying messages and drawing symbols on the spot were both tasks handled by Ge Tingting.
Although Ge Tingting was young, her gaze already carried a hint of world-weariness.
[Continue with the Sixty-Four Inverse Yin Array. Four people will use the Five Elements1 and Eight Trigrams2 to seal it3, pushing the seal two hundred steps toward the center of the village.]
1The five elements are wood, fire, water, metal, and earth. Each element suppresses and promotes another.
2Symbols representing various natural phenomena in Chinese Taoism.
3This is a sealing technique that uses the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams to form a powerful seal.
She hoarsely conveyed Fu Xingchuan’s immediate analysis while her hands worked on refining the rough runes scratched by the dog’s paws. Those patterns were all too familiar; they were clearly remnants of the sealing technique from the previous gap.
Once again, it blocked the rampaging Evil Force for them.
[Use the Yang-ward spell. Start the spell from the southwest, and don’t stop the first two…] Ge Tingting suddenly longed for the time when she couldn’t speak human language. Her head was about to explode from having her attention divided.
But she understood that she was only doing repeating work—
Beside her feet, Fu Xingchuan remained motionless, his eyes almost popping out. As soon as the Great Celestial Master’s complicated arrays were performed, he was able to analyze what kind of spell it was. After conveying the instructions, he immediately used his claws to scratch rough runes on the ground for Ge Tingting to carefully refine.
Gradually, the external sealing spells of the masters merged with the numerous seals imposed by Yin Ren a thousand years ago. The spell that sealed the Evil Spirit was also quickly disassembled and deciphered by Fu Xingchuan.
Their “Great Celestial Master” only needed to do one thing, which was to drip blood on the array and provide power.
People became like mirrored images, and the brilliance of the spells gradually converged.
Two figures in red robes stood side by side, with Zhong Chengshuo turning his head to look at his lover from a thousand years ago.
Countless spells fluttered in the air as if they were free, and Yin Ren’s complexion gradually turned ash gray. His beautiful long hair was covered in dust and bloodstains, devoid of any luster. His crimson eyes also lacked joy and happiness, resembling a pair of lifeless objects.
Zhong Chengshuo didn’t see madness in that familiar face; he only sensed deep exhaustion and sorrow. The person’s features were still the same as he remembered, but the gaze resembled that of an elderly person nearing death.
He had always known the lively and boisterous Yin Ren. But for the first time, Zhong Chengshuo saw Yin Ren in this state—weak and cold, like burnt ashes.
During the late Gong Dynasty, it was the period when the Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi met his demise and also the beginning of sealing the Evil Spirit Yin Ren.
What happened to you?
At this moment, in the hands of the Yin Ren from a thousand years ago, the dagger was soaked in fresh blood, shimmering with a beautiful and dangerous light. The deep red patterns transformed gradually into a form that Zhong Chengshuo was extremely familiar with.
A top-tier cursed spirit weapon, the Evil Fruit.
Between his slender and pale fingers, the dagger was vividly striking. It emitted a crimson glow in the darkness, causing the army of evil creatures behind Yin Ren to become restless, with murmurs and screams echoing through the night.
It was as if he was commanding them.
It was strange. The Evil Fruit shouldn’t possess such abilities. Unfortunately, the Yin Ren in the illusion wouldn’t answer any of his questions.
The crimson tip of the blade pointed directly at the Evil Spirit, accompanied by numerous sealing techniques. The complex and peculiar seal unfolded like a blooming flower, flickering with faint light, enclosing the dark Evil Spirit embryo within. However, the latter clearly had no intention of submitting to the seal. It struggled frantically within the shackles of the seal, unleashing waves of Evil Force.
In the midst of swirling sand and stones, Zhong Chengshuo’s ears twitched.
Fwish… Not far away, someone’s soles lightly scraped against the sandy soil.
Zhong Chengshuo suddenly turned around—surprisingly, the surviving cultivator of the Gouluo Army was still alive. He was severely mutilated, as if submerged by invisible water ripples. However, it didn’t affect his steady breath. Most of his body was “embedded” in the remains of a wall, and his eyes stared directly at the Evil Fruit in Yin Ren’s hand.
He belonged to the Charon group and possessed abilities similar to Bai Yongji’s self-preservation method. It was estimated that he also had the ability to “transfer part of his body to the Other Side” for refuge.
Just now, this guy wasn’t here. He probably saw the intense struggle and wanted to see if he could take advantage of the situation.
And Yin Ren couldn’t possibly be unaware of his presence.
Zhong Chengshuo shifted his gaze away, once again looking at the Yin Ren from a thousand years ago.
Yin Ren kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, as if he hadn’t noticed the person. Amidst the brilliance of the magic techniques, he tightly gripped the dagger, occasionally waving it. The army of evil creatures adjusted their formation in response to his movements, assisting in the sealing process.
For a moment, ruins and corpses mingled together, and the mist and darkness churned. Within a radius of a hundred steps, plants turned to dust, and bloodstains on the ground transformed into red frost. The rumbling destruction was accompanied by the screams of evil creatures, and the wailing wind carried unknown murmurs.
Perhaps this sealing process was more unique. Rather than a collision of Evil Force, it felt more like a long and painful nightmare.
……
The sky gradually turned bright as the Evil Spirit embryo was enveloped in numerous seals, forming a gigantic red sphere. Under the thick isolation, it ceased struggling, and the surrounding Evil Force gradually dissipated as its source vanished.
Minister Fu completely abandoned his dignity and stuck out his tongue, panting with relief. Huang Jin collapsed on the spot, and Yellow Millet slumped on the ground, resembling a soft-boiled egg. Ge Tingting sat on the ground, hugging her knees. Her complexion was pale, and her eyes were vacant, seemingly contemplating whether or not to pass out.
They managed to seal the Evil Spirit that Sunken Society was controlling with a high-intensity seal overnight. Although it was a weakened version based on its memories, everyone looked as if they were on the verge of death.
The seal created by the Great Celestial Master was smooth and round, like a perfect pearl. However, even with historical illusions as teaching materials, the seal from Shian came from a little girl reciting scribbles of a dog’s paw, so their seal looked more like a pitted walnut.
At least it was sealed.
[I want to faint.]
Huang Jin weakly clung to a bone, scratching the ground.
[The enemy is sealed, and the memory isn’t distorted much. It’s all right. I’m ready to pass out.]
[No.] Fu Xingchuan exhaled forcefully. [The memory isn’t over yet. Hold on a little longer.]
Zhong Chengshuo remained silent, quietly watching Yin Ren throughout the night.
Only when the giant red sphere sank into the depths of the earth did Yin Ren finally notice the remaining observer from the Gouluo Army, but he treated him as if he didn’t exist.
Yin Ren slowly wrapped the Evil Fruit in his arms, returning himself to a weakened cocoon. After returning to his “original state”, he added several layers of seals to himself, as if he had remembered something.
With a single gesture, the evil spirits behind him dispersed.
He then walked towards the relatively intact ancestral hall.
When he came out, he was followed by over thirty teenagers and children. Each of them had red cloth seals covering their eyes, supported by spells, as they walked unsteadily.
“Great Master.” The oldest child, only fourteen or fifteen years old, spoke tremblingly. “Where… Where are we going? Our parents and the Divine Dog…”
“I will protect you and lead you out of the village. Someone will take you to a safe place. I will deal with the nearby Gouluo Army,” Yin Ren softly said, ignoring the latter two questions.
The youth didn’t ask any further. Although his eyes were covered by the red cloth seal, tears still streamed down his cheeks.
He knelt down and kowtowed to Yin Ren three times.
Beneath the red cloth, Yin Ren let out a long sigh. He waved his hand, summoning two evil creatures with appearances closer to humans, instructing them to accompany the group. But still worried, Yin Ren wrapped himself in several layers of red cloth used for sealing.
The children left their homeland unsteadily, and the dawn once again broke the darkness. Under the warm sunlight, Yin Village was left in ruins, lifeless and desolate. The place where the Evil Spirit had been sealed remained as a round red puddle, like an everlasting pool of blood.
Yin Ren followed behind the group from a distance.
When it was time to leave, his footsteps paused for a moment. The sound of bells echoed as the cocoon-like figure clumsily turned around, facing the devastated village.
The heavy seal wrapped the person into an unrecognizable form, yet Zhong Chengshuo could still sense their trembling.
As dawn broke, silence filled the surroundings, but there was no crowing of the rooster.
“Come back next year to report the peace.” A soft humming came from beneath the red cloth. “Come back next year to report the peace…”
Perhaps it was Zhong Chengshuo’s illusion, but he felt that Yin Ren’s gaze quickly swept over the hiding place of the Gouluo Army cultivator. Just as Zhong Chengshuo was about to further confirm, the illusion burst like a soap bubble, revealing the distorted and failed world submerged as if they were sinking.
The “reality mirage” disappeared, but with the efforts of a few individuals, the ruins closely resembled the illusions from their memories.
Meanwhile, within the ruins, Huang Jin lay on the ground like a layer of collapsed egg cake, completely unconscious.
Kinky Thoughts:
For those who are confused, basically what’s happening is, Sunken Society infiltrated the memories of the Evil Spirit dog of Shian hoping to change its memories, so it’ll go berserk in modern day. Meanwhile, Shian infiltrated Yin Ren’s memories in order to find out more about the Evil Spirit and Divine Descent.
The team was separated at first but eventually met in the Yin Village, where Yin Ren was born and comes to visit every year. In the past, the village was massacred by the Gouluo Army and became the seal of where Shian’s Evil Spirit currently lies.
Sunken Society infiltrated and became the Divine Dog (the guardian of the village). Instead of following the past memory, it actually incited it and caused the destruction of the village to speed up. The Gouluo Army brought in a source of corruption of Evil Force, which the Divine Dog consumed and started to transform into an Evil Spirit.
Meanwhile, Shian managed to enter Yin Ren’s memories, and each person possessed a “shell” of someone back then. Unfortunately, Zhong Chengshuo possessed Yin Ren’s shell and is unable to perform magic. The team eventually met at Yin Village, where the Evil Spirit was about to go out of control.
To prevent the Shian’s Evil Spirit from actually going berserk in reality, they had to seal the Evil Spirit in the memories and stop Sunken Society. To do this, Yellow Millet/Huang Jin used his cognitive confusion to project Yin Ren’s memory of the past (the most painful memory Yin Ren has)…
While inside the memory, a false memory was playing out (because Sunken Society has disturbed its natural flow). The projection Yellow Millet shows is the actual true memory (an illusion within an illusion). Following the true memory illusion, Fu Xingchuan was able to learn and copy Zhong Yi’s seal from back then, and with him and the other masters of Huajisi created their own seal in the fake memory. Eventually, both the fake and true memories show the sealing of the Evil Dog Spirit.
You can think of this as two memories (one real and one fake) being played out at the same time and overlapping. While the actions are different (instead of Yin Ren sealing the Evil Dog Spirit, Zhong Chengshuo is just acting out following the past Yin Ren’s action while the sealing is being done by Fu Xingchuan and the other masters of Huajisi), but the end result is pretty much the same.
Not long ago, outside the village, the masters from Huajisi formed a formation on their own. Faced with the corruption of the Evil Spirit embryo, they didn’t advance.
Fu Tianyi felt extremely uncomfortable.
His discomfort didn’t stem from the Evil Spirit embryo, but from his colleagues in Huajisi. Perhaps due to the nature of the memory world, he could only make out their rough figures. The faces around him were blurry, with an uncanny valley effect even stronger than that of evil beings.
The problem was that the blurry filters on these people weren’t the same type, and the degree of blurriness varied. Fu Tianyi struggled to maintain a composed expression, but he was already breaking out in a cold sweat.
A short distance away, Lu Xiaohe remained uncharacteristically silent.
First, she looked at the delicate embroidery on her sleeve, then at the masters around her with the blurry filters with a grave expression.
“You’re the rear command, right, sister? Think of a solution!” Fu Tianyi moved closer to Lu Xiaohe. “We can’t just stand here.”
“It’s a bit strange,” Lu Xiaohe said.
“Of course, I know it’s strange!” Fu Tianyi wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“We’re in the memory world, and this village and the impression of these people fundamentally come from the memories of Yin Ren and the Evil Spirit. So that’s why the impression of these guerrilla masters from nearby isn’t deep.”
Fu Tianyi was filled with question marks. The memory world was constructed based on the memories of the Evil Spirit and Yin Ren—wasn’t that the most basic information?
Lu Xiaohe furrowed her brow. “Why are Huajisi and the two of us so clear?”
Fu Tianyi: “…Ah?”
“The Evil Spirit couldn’t even reach Huajisi that’s stationed in the capital. Yin Ren from a thousand years ago had a unique constitution, and his corruption was out of control. He could at most have some contact with this village but couldn’t truly enter the world. Where did the detailed memories of the clear Huajisi, as well as the appearances of Fu Shangliu and Li Heyan, come from?”
Fu Tianyi stood stunned in place. He had never thought about this question before.
A chill penetrated his veins, flowing directly to his heart from the soles of his feet.
Unfortunately, Lu Xiaohe didn’t have much time to ponder. In less than five seconds, a voice came through the communication earpiece, mixed with heavy static. The clear voice of Ge Tingting, however, stood out with its piercing clarity.
[Order everyone to form the Sixty-Four Inverse Yin Array*! It’s what Fu Xingchuan said.]
*Think of it as an array based off of the I Ching (Book of Changes) used for divinations.
Fu Tianyi and Lu Xiaohe exchanged a glance.
Immediately, Fu Tianyi drew symbols and amplified his voice, while Lu Xiaohe put on the earpiece and listened attentively.
In the center of the village, the surface of the Evil Spirit embryo gradually turned pitch black, like rotten fruit.
The surrounding Evil Force was on the verge of getting out of control. They twisted around like whips, stirring up ripples of dust. Burned-down houses couldn’t withstand the wind, and straw-like objects fell down with the wind.
On the spacious open ground, only a few living beings remained—
Huang Jin supported his tottering body and continued to project his holographic illusion. Fu Xingchuan stared intently at the performing Great Celestial Master, wishing he had six more eyes.
Since “Zhong Chengshuo flesh puppet” could only spill blood and provide material for the spells, conveying messages and drawing symbols on the spot were both tasks handled by Ge Tingting.
Although Ge Tingting was young, her gaze already carried a hint of world-weariness.
[Continue with the Sixty-Four Inverse Yin Array. Four people will use the Five Elements1 and Eight Trigrams2 to seal it3, pushing the seal two hundred steps toward the center of the village.]
1The five elements are wood, fire, water, metal, and earth. Each element suppresses and promotes another.
2Symbols representing various natural phenomena in Chinese Taoism.
3This is a sealing technique that uses the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams to form a powerful seal.
She hoarsely conveyed Fu Xingchuan’s immediate analysis while her hands worked on refining the rough runes scratched by the dog’s paws. Those patterns were all too familiar; they were clearly remnants of the sealing technique from the previous gap.
Once again, it blocked the rampaging Evil Force for them.
[Use the Yang-ward spell. Start the spell from the southwest, and don’t stop the first two…] Ge Tingting suddenly longed for the time when she couldn’t speak human language. Her head was about to explode from having her attention divided.
But she understood that she was only doing repeating work—
Beside her feet, Fu Xingchuan remained motionless, his eyes almost popping out. As soon as the Great Celestial Master’s complicated arrays were performed, he was able to analyze what kind of spell it was. After conveying the instructions, he immediately used his claws to scratch rough runes on the ground for Ge Tingting to carefully refine.
Gradually, the external sealing spells of the masters merged with the numerous seals imposed by Yin Ren a thousand years ago. The spell that sealed the Evil Spirit was also quickly disassembled and deciphered by Fu Xingchuan.
Their “Great Celestial Master” only needed to do one thing, which was to drip blood on the array and provide power.
People became like mirrored images, and the brilliance of the spells gradually converged.
Two figures in red robes stood side by side, with Zhong Chengshuo turning his head to look at his lover from a thousand years ago.
Countless spells fluttered in the air as if they were free, and Yin Ren’s complexion gradually turned ash gray. His beautiful long hair was covered in dust and bloodstains, devoid of any luster. His crimson eyes also lacked joy and happiness, resembling a pair of lifeless objects.
Zhong Chengshuo didn’t see madness in that familiar face; he only sensed deep exhaustion and sorrow. The person’s features were still the same as he remembered, but the gaze resembled that of an elderly person nearing death.
He had always known the lively and boisterous Yin Ren. But for the first time, Zhong Chengshuo saw Yin Ren in this state—weak and cold, like burnt ashes.
During the late Gong Dynasty, it was the period when the Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi met his demise and also the beginning of sealing the Evil Spirit Yin Ren.
What happened to you?
At this moment, in the hands of the Yin Ren from a thousand years ago, the dagger was soaked in fresh blood, shimmering with a beautiful and dangerous light. The deep red patterns transformed gradually into a form that Zhong Chengshuo was extremely familiar with.
A top-tier cursed spirit weapon, the Evil Fruit.
Between his slender and pale fingers, the dagger was vividly striking. It emitted a crimson glow in the darkness, causing the army of evil creatures behind Yin Ren to become restless, with murmurs and screams echoing through the night.
It was as if he was commanding them.
It was strange. The Evil Fruit shouldn’t possess such abilities. Unfortunately, the Yin Ren in the illusion wouldn’t answer any of his questions.
The crimson tip of the blade pointed directly at the Evil Spirit, accompanied by numerous sealing techniques. The complex and peculiar seal unfolded like a blooming flower, flickering with faint light, enclosing the dark Evil Spirit embryo within. However, the latter clearly had no intention of submitting to the seal. It struggled frantically within the shackles of the seal, unleashing waves of Evil Force.
In the midst of swirling sand and stones, Zhong Chengshuo’s ears twitched.
Fwish… Not far away, someone’s soles lightly scraped against the sandy soil.
Zhong Chengshuo suddenly turned around—surprisingly, the surviving cultivator of the Gouluo Army was still alive. He was severely mutilated, as if submerged by invisible water ripples. However, it didn’t affect his steady breath. Most of his body was “embedded” in the remains of a wall, and his eyes stared directly at the Evil Fruit in Yin Ren’s hand.
He belonged to the Charon group and possessed abilities similar to Bai Yongji’s self-preservation method. It was estimated that he also had the ability to “transfer part of his body to the Other Side” for refuge.
Just now, this guy wasn’t here. He probably saw the intense struggle and wanted to see if he could take advantage of the situation.
And Yin Ren couldn’t possibly be unaware of his presence.
Zhong Chengshuo shifted his gaze away, once again looking at the Yin Ren from a thousand years ago.
Yin Ren kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, as if he hadn’t noticed the person. Amidst the brilliance of the magic techniques, he tightly gripped the dagger, occasionally waving it. The army of evil creatures adjusted their formation in response to his movements, assisting in the sealing process.
For a moment, ruins and corpses mingled together, and the mist and darkness churned. Within a radius of a hundred steps, plants turned to dust, and bloodstains on the ground transformed into red frost. The rumbling destruction was accompanied by the screams of evil creatures, and the wailing wind carried unknown murmurs.
Perhaps this sealing process was more unique. Rather than a collision of Evil Force, it felt more like a long and painful nightmare.
……
The sky gradually turned bright as the Evil Spirit embryo was enveloped in numerous seals, forming a gigantic red sphere. Under the thick isolation, it ceased struggling, and the surrounding Evil Force gradually dissipated as its source vanished.
Minister Fu completely abandoned his dignity and stuck out his tongue, panting with relief. Huang Jin collapsed on the spot, and Yellow Millet slumped on the ground, resembling a soft-boiled egg. Ge Tingting sat on the ground, hugging her knees. Her complexion was pale, and her eyes were vacant, seemingly contemplating whether or not to pass out.
They managed to seal the Evil Spirit that Sunken Society was controlling with a high-intensity seal overnight. Although it was a weakened version based on its memories, everyone looked as if they were on the verge of death.
The seal created by the Great Celestial Master was smooth and round, like a perfect pearl. However, even with historical illusions as teaching materials, the seal from Shian came from a little girl reciting scribbles of a dog’s paw, so their seal looked more like a pitted walnut.
At least it was sealed.
[I want to faint.]
Huang Jin weakly clung to a bone, scratching the ground.
[The enemy is sealed, and the memory isn’t distorted much. It’s all right. I’m ready to pass out.]
[No.] Fu Xingchuan exhaled forcefully. [The memory isn’t over yet. Hold on a little longer.]
Zhong Chengshuo remained silent, quietly watching Yin Ren throughout the night.
Only when the giant red sphere sank into the depths of the earth did Yin Ren finally notice the remaining observer from the Gouluo Army, but he treated him as if he didn’t exist.
Yin Ren slowly wrapped the Evil Fruit in his arms, returning himself to a weakened cocoon. After returning to his “original state”, he added several layers of seals to himself, as if he had remembered something.
With a single gesture, the evil spirits behind him dispersed.
He then walked towards the relatively intact ancestral hall.
When he came out, he was followed by over thirty teenagers and children. Each of them had red cloth seals covering their eyes, supported by spells, as they walked unsteadily.
“Great Master.” The oldest child, only fourteen or fifteen years old, spoke tremblingly. “Where… Where are we going? Our parents and the Divine Dog…”
“I will protect you and lead you out of the village. Someone will take you to a safe place. I will deal with the nearby Gouluo Army,” Yin Ren softly said, ignoring the latter two questions.
The youth didn’t ask any further. Although his eyes were covered by the red cloth seal, tears still streamed down his cheeks.
He knelt down and kowtowed to Yin Ren three times.
Beneath the red cloth, Yin Ren let out a long sigh. He waved his hand, summoning two evil creatures with appearances closer to humans, instructing them to accompany the group. But still worried, Yin Ren wrapped himself in several layers of red cloth used for sealing.
The children left their homeland unsteadily, and the dawn once again broke the darkness. Under the warm sunlight, Yin Village was left in ruins, lifeless and desolate. The place where the Evil Spirit had been sealed remained as a round red puddle, like an everlasting pool of blood.
Yin Ren followed behind the group from a distance.
When it was time to leave, his footsteps paused for a moment. The sound of bells echoed as the cocoon-like figure clumsily turned around, facing the devastated village.
The heavy seal wrapped the person into an unrecognizable form, yet Zhong Chengshuo could still sense their trembling.
As dawn broke, silence filled the surroundings, but there was no crowing of the rooster.
“Come back next year to report the peace.” A soft humming came from beneath the red cloth. “Come back next year to report the peace…”
Perhaps it was Zhong Chengshuo’s illusion, but he felt that Yin Ren’s gaze quickly swept over the hiding place of the Gouluo Army cultivator. Just as Zhong Chengshuo was about to further confirm, the illusion burst like a soap bubble, revealing the distorted and failed world submerged as if they were sinking.
The “reality mirage” disappeared, but with the efforts of a few individuals, the ruins closely resembled the illusions from their memories.
Meanwhile, within the ruins, Huang Jin lay on the ground like a layer of collapsed egg cake, completely unconscious.
Kinky Thoughts:
For those who are confused, basically what’s happening is, Sunken Society infiltrated the memories of the Evil Spirit dog of Shian hoping to change its memories, so it’ll go berserk in modern day. Meanwhile, Shian infiltrated Yin Ren’s memories in order to find out more about the Evil Spirit and Divine Descent.
The team was separated at first but eventually met in the Yin Village, where Yin Ren was born and comes to visit every year. In the past, the village was massacred by the Gouluo Army and became the seal of where Shian’s Evil Spirit currently lies.
Sunken Society infiltrated and became the Divine Dog (the guardian of the village). Instead of following the past memory, it actually incited it and caused the destruction of the village to speed up. The Gouluo Army brought in a source of corruption of Evil Force, which the Divine Dog consumed and started to transform into an Evil Spirit.
Meanwhile, Shian managed to enter Yin Ren’s memories, and each person possessed a “shell” of someone back then. Unfortunately, Zhong Chengshuo possessed Yin Ren’s shell and is unable to perform magic. The team eventually met at Yin Village, where the Evil Spirit was about to go out of control.
To prevent the Shian’s Evil Spirit from actually going berserk in reality, they had to seal the Evil Spirit in the memories and stop Sunken Society. To do this, Yellow Millet/Huang Jin used his cognitive confusion to project Yin Ren’s memory of the past (the most painful memory Yin Ren has)…
While inside the memory, a false memory was playing out (because Sunken Society has disturbed its natural flow). The projection Yellow Millet shows is the actual true memory (an illusion within an illusion). Following the true memory illusion, Fu Xingchuan was able to learn and copy Zhong Yi’s seal from back then, and with him and the other masters of Huajisi created their own seal in the fake memory. Eventually, both the fake and true memories show the sealing of the Evil Dog Spirit.
You can think of this as two memories (one real and one fake) being played out at the same time and overlapping. While the actions are different (instead of Yin Ren sealing the Evil Dog Spirit, Zhong Chengshuo is just acting out following the past Yin Ren’s action while the sealing is being done by Fu Xingchuan and the other masters of Huajisi), but the end result is pretty much the same.
