I was brought to the great hall of Magpie Mountain by Main God Ji.

Indeed, as he had said, the stone mirror that had been placed at the city gate had now been moved back and was placed in the center of the hall.

Using this young soldier’s body, I walked into the hall, but before the stone mirror could reflect me, I quickly dodged to one side.

My movement might have been a bit excessive.

Main God Ji turned his head to examine me.

Bearing Main God Ji’s gaze, I endured for a short while, but my tightly pressed lips finally gave in to the pressure. I opened my mouth: “No need to test.”

I admitted, “I am occupying this body. But I am not an evil spirit.”

To my surprise, when I voluntarily admitted this, Main God Ji waved his hand and directly closed all the doors of the great hall.

A faint light also flickered around my body.

I stared blankly at Main God Ji: “What technique have you cast on me?”

“A technique that isolates you from all external connections.”

“Huh?” I didn’t understand. “Why?”

“Afraid that the evil miasma in your body might alert the Evil God to the anomaly.”

I was startled, thinking that this was indeed possible.

Although Main God Ji had removed most of the evil miasma, and I had eliminated some, there was still a bit clinging to my soul.

The Evil God was so sensitive, and all the evil miasma in the world originated from him. If he discovered my existence through these traces, I don’t know if it would affect the future…

Cutting off my connection with the outside world was naturally the best option.

However…

“You believe I’m not an evil spirit?”

“We’ve met before, haven’t we?” Main God Ji answered indirectly, yet hit the nail on the head. “Miss Aju?”

I was speechless…

Main God, are you this perceptive and intelligent?

In comparison, Xie Zhuo seemed a bit slow, not recognizing me at all.

But Xie Zhuo’s understanding of this world was certainly not as comprehensive as the Main God’s.

I was curious: “How did you…”

“When we met, your kick against the evil spirit used Kunlun’s movement technique.”

Main God Ji was referring to the day we met when I entered that little girl’s body and kicked away the person who had turned into an evil spirit…

Just one kick in a moment of danger, and he remembered it…

“You saw it that day,” I rubbed my nose. “Today, you saw a soldier who shouldn’t know Kunlun techniques using Kunlun techniques, so you suspected it was me, right?”

“That’s one reason. Secondly, I know all the soldiers of my Magpie Mountain. Your tone and demeanor are too different from this original young man, even if he were possessed by evil miasma, he wouldn’t be like you.”

Yes…

I thought to myself, this young soldier of your Magpie Mountain certainly could scream a lot more than I…

“Previously, only that girl from that day made me have this suspicion.”

“Indeed, that was also me…”

“You admit it quite readily now.”

I remained silent for a moment: “Xie Zhuo mustn’t know.”

Main God Ji examined me: “What connection do you have with Young Master Xie Zhuo?”

I looked at Main God Ji. His eyes, when not filled with killing intent, always carried a hint of compassion. This gaze from a deity almost made me spill out all my suffering.

I wanted to confess my past, or rather, their future.

But I knew I couldn’t.

Telling him might affect the future, and I didn’t want to take that risk.

I could only conservatively let time proceed to the moment when Xie Zhuo and I separated, and then use all my strength to change things.

“I don’t want to deceive you, but I cannot tell you the truth,” I looked at Main God Ji and said honestly. “I can only tell you that I am not an evil spirit. My soul has come here with only one purpose…”

“I want to protect him.”

Our eyes met, and at this moment, I did not avoid his inquiring gaze. I was telling the truth, the most sincere words from my heart. I wasn’t afraid of any deity’s scrutiny.

After a moment, Main God Ji slightly shifted his gaze.

“How can you, as a soul, continuously borrow other people’s bodies?” he asked me.

I was somewhat surprised.

“You don’t know?”

The Main God Ji I met in the Undying City had, for so many years, continuously merged with others as a soul entity.

When I hadn’t found the key, I had even envied Main God Ji’s ability to empathize with people in this world!

But now, he looked at me with a bewildered face: “Why would I know?”

He said, “I have never seen a soul entity able to borrow other people’s bodies like this.”

His words startled me.

Could it be…

That using a soul to borrow other people’s bodies, this method, was actually… discovered by me?

I was somewhat stunned, but couldn’t explain the reasons behind it. I had to honestly explain my method:

“My soul… due to some very special reasons, was separated from my body. I no longer have a body and have been wandering in this world as a soul entity. To borrow someone else’s body, I only need to merge with their soul.”

Main God Ji frowned slightly: “All things have spirits. The souls of people in the world are all different, this is heaven-born and heaven-made. How can you merge with others’ souls?”

It seems…

He truly doesn’t know…

But later, he was going to do these things.

I should tell him anyway.

“All things have spirits, but, as long as you can truly understand them, completely sense their emotions, you can merge with the souls of all things.”

I thought about the scene when I entered the body of a lame dog.

That was the only time, in all this time, that I was completely accepted by another soul.

Main God Ji shook his head slightly: “This is impossible to achieve.”

“It is indeed difficult. I’ve only succeeded once before, and that was with a simple living being. But, with humans, I’ve recently found a shortcut.”

“A shortcut?”

“Yes, it’s hard to completely empathize with human love and hate, too complex and obscure, perhaps they don’t understand clearly. But fear, terror, and despair in moments of crisis, these emotions are intense and clear. If you find someone in such a moment, you can briefly…”

I didn’t finish…

Because Main God Ji’s gaze at me had already become quite inappropriate.

“You’d better stop.”

I was stunned…

“Why?”

Main God Ji remained silent for a long time.

“Do you know the origin of the Evil God?”

I shook my head…

In Kunlun’s books, in the legends of the world, it only said that the Evil God was a heavenly calamity. There was no detailed explanation of why heaven would suddenly bring such a calamity.

After a long silence, Main God Ji finally spoke: “His soul was formed from the greed, anger, delusion, despair, fear… all the evil thoughts of the various gods.”

I was shocked and stood frozen.

The Evil God… was the evil of the gods.

So, their battle with the Evil God ended with the fall of so many deities.

“The path you’re walking now is the Evil God’s path.”

I opened my mouth, momentarily speechless.

The path I’m walking…

Is the Evil God’s path?

I controlled the body, raising my hand. I looked at my fingertips, somewhat in disbelief.

So… what does that mean?

“The residual evil miasma in your body, perhaps, is not the Evil God’s aura,” Main God Ji looked at me and said. “Perhaps, it’s your soul, because of your previous actions, that has generated evil miasma.”

So… what’s sticking my soul to this body isn’t the residual evil miasma on the young soldier, but the evil miasma that grew from my soul.

It’s not that the young soldier wants to retain my soul.

It’s that I, unconsciously, want to occupy this body.

Just like… the Evil God targeting Xie Zhuo, craving to possess a…

Shell…

I suddenly shuddered.

“Will I… become like the Evil God?” My voice couldn’t hide the trembling. “Will I… completely turn into an evil spirit? Because of myself?”

“Such a conclusion is premature,” Main God Ji said. “The world is not simply black and white. You can generate evil on your own, and you can also, by your character, eliminate evil.”

I nodded, suppressing the fear in my heart: “Still salvageable, fortunately…”

“However…” Main God Ji looked at me seriously, “In the future, refrain from using this shortcut method to borrow others’ bodies.”

“If you truly completely empathize and understand others, perhaps this method is the right path. But you’re seeking quick success, looking for shortcuts, exploring the darkness in others’ hearts. Over time, even if your character is firm, you’ll be influenced.”

I lowered my head: “I understand. There are no shortcuts in the world. I was too impatient.”

Seeing my sincere admission of fault, Main God Ji didn’t reprimand me further.

“But… perhaps because my soul has generated evil, my soul and this body’s meridians seem to be stuck together, I temporarily cannot leave this body.”

Main God Ji pondered for a moment: “Then we should first clear the evil miasma in your soul. You previously learned Kunlun’s techniques, and Magpie Mountain’s mental cultivation may not suit you, so I won’t teach you. Think about whether Kunlun has any meditation techniques. You can meditate here, and after eliminating the evil miasma, you can leave on your own.”

“Kunlun’s mental cultivation has it.”

I immediately found a place, sat cross-legged, and before I began chanting, I looked at Main God Ji. Seeing him still examining me, I somewhat embarrassedly made a request: “Can you not tell Xie Zhuo about my situation?”

His eyebrow moved slightly. After a moment, he nodded, but then softly asked:

“The summer flowers and ice snow he mentioned, do they have a bit of your help?”

I was startled, not expecting Main God Ji to ask such a question.

But in the next moment, I was also moved by his gentle and attentive perception.

Main God Ji… is truly perceptive.

Later in the Undying City, perhaps he truly accomplished the impossible—completely empathizing with another person, completely understanding, sensing their joys and sorrows, loves and hates.

So…

After so many years, he could cultivate the most compassionate eyes among the Main Gods.

I closed my eyes, silently meditating.

“Thank you for your trust and understanding, Divine Lord.”

I sat in silent meditation in Magpie Mountain’s main hall.

During cultivation, entering a state of flow, time always passes quickly. I only felt that time had passed for a moment, but when I opened my eyes again, outside the window paper of the hall, it was already dark.

The candles in the hall were dim. I checked my internal energy and felt that my soul and this body’s meridians seemed to be able to separate slightly for a moment, with fewer connection points between them.

The method Main God Ji mentioned was indeed effective, able to eliminate some of my evil miasma.

Knowing that I could be saved, I was secretly delighted, but suddenly heard chaotic sounds from outside the hall.

I had just raised my head when I saw the door of the great hall collapse with a crash.

I was startled and immediately jumped to the side. If not for my quick reaction, this huge door would have hit me.

“What is…” Before I could finish my question, I saw Xie Zhuo with a sword in one hand and carrying the Main God Ji with the other, entering the hall with a solemn expression.

“Xie Zhuo?” I called out in surprise.

Xie Zhuo placed the Main God Ji down in the hall. Hearing my call, he glanced at me, just quickly looked me up and down, seemingly having no time to say anything to me, then turned and quickly stepped out.

As he left, he waved his hand, and a barrier opened outside the hall, protecting the entire great hall, while his figure disappeared into the vast darkness outside.

I walked to Main God Ji: “Divine Lord?”

I was somewhat surprised to see that Main God Ji had bloody wounds on his shoulders and back. “Why are you injured? What happened outside? How long have I been meditating?”

Main God Ji supported his body, sat cross-legged, adjusted his internal energy, and took out the Heart of Magpie Mountain from his bosom.

“It’s been two days. Magpie Mountain can no longer hold.”

I was greatly alarmed by his words and looked outside.

Through Xie Zhuo’s barrier, I faintly saw that thick evil miasma had risen in the sky outside, covering the heavens and earth, like darkness before a heavy rain.

I could hardly believe it: “Just two days! Why has it deteriorated so badly?”

“The corpse ghosts and evil spirits outside Magpie Mountain weren’t his goal; making everyone frightened and anxious was the goal.”

Main God Ji gripped the Heart of Magpie Mountain in his hand.

“As long as people’s hearts scatter and lose their composure, he can easily enter everyone’s hearts. These days, Xie Zhuo and I have been searching for him everywhere with no results, while he had already infiltrated the frightened hearts of people, just waiting for the right moment…”

Main God Ji sighed deeply, “What is the situation today. He has won. People without cultivation simply cannot resist.”

I pressed my lips tightly, thinking of Kunlun controlled by the Evil God, and also of Xie Zhuo’s hometown…

At the same time, I understood more why, after the Undying City, all the Main Gods united to seal off news of the Evil God.

Because… they couldn’t let the majority of people fall into anxiety again.

“We can’t let the people of Magpie Mountain leave.”

As Main God Ji spoke, his bloodied hand tightly gripped the Heart of Magpie Mountain.

I guessed what he was going to do, but didn’t expect it would come so quickly.

“Step back. Quickly clear the evil miasma in your soul,” Main God Ji stared at me, his eyes full of determination. “Leave Magpie Mountain.”

I silently didn’t dare delay, immediately retreated to one side, sat cross-legged, and chanted the meditation incantation.

However, in this situation, how could I calm my mind?

I watched as Main God Ji’s hands formed seals in front of me, and the Heart of Magpie Mountain rose from his palm. The small stone emitted light as brilliant as the sun.

At the same time, a massive formation unfolded beneath Main God Ji, instantly illuminating thousands of miles.

I felt the ground trembling frantically. In the great hall, the beams and pillars swayed, and from outside in the distance suddenly came a rumbling sound like mountains collapsing and earth splitting.

In the sky, lightning tore apart the pervasive evil miasma.

I widened my eyes in disbelief as I saw the entire ground of Magpie Mountain outside cracking and floating up layer by layer.

A huge rock also eerily floated in the air, its strange shape making me recognize at a glance that it was the massive stone at the peak of Magpie Mountain.

The origin of Magpie Mountain’s name was now floating in the air along with other rocks of Magpie Mountain.

The formation continued to rotate, the great hall began to tear, beams and pillars disintegrated, and tiles turned into grains of sand.

In the wild wind, amid flashing lightning and rolling thunder, everything outside—the ground, houses, trees—all floated up, except for the formation where the Heart of Magpie Mountain was and the barrier enveloping Main God Ji and me.

The Heart of Magpie Mountain grew brighter and brighter.

In my ears, the sound of Main God Ji chanting incantations also grew louder, as if to wash away the Northern Wasteland with the light of the formation.

With a sound like a morning bell, everything floating in the air flew toward the distance.

Amid the “rumbling” sounds, those broken rocks and roof tiles all fell from the sky like raindrops, yet each assembled in order on the land of the Northern Wasteland.

Layer by layer, row by row, from this formation in mid-air, I saw a “ring city” rising from the ground in the Northern Wasteland.

The Undying City…

So it was Main God Ji who tore apart the entire Magpie Mountain to build it.

Those towering city walls, that city gate carved with the eight characters “Exterminate all evil spirits, never rest until death”, were all created by him using Magpie Mountain’s spiritual veins, rocks, vegetation…

A Main God is the guardian of a realm.

He used the place he had protected all his life to create a prison to confine evil spirits and corpse ghosts.

He would continue to guard this prison city for thousands of years.

At that time, countless cultivators’ bodies would be nailed on the city walls, and under the walls, snow-white bones would accumulate several zhang high…

And he would always be in the city, fighting with evil spirits, never resting until death.

As Magpie Mountain collapsed, I looked at him, yet seemed to see Magpie Mountain’s forever upright backbone, not bending an inch even after thousands of years.