*Dong dong dong… Dong dong dong.*

A rhythmic knocking echoed through the quiet halls.

“Who is it?” Bai Lian called out, pulling open the door to her chambers. At first, she only saw a pair of stark white eyes. She blinked, then the rest of the face emerged from the shadows. “Second Elder, to what do I owe this auspicious visit?”

“Is an old man forbidden from greeting the Holy Maiden, unless there is pressing business?” The Second Elder chuckled, a smile playing on his aged face. It should have appeared benevolent, yet the unnerving lack of irises made it seem strangely sinister. “The Holy Maiden’s cultivation has advanced greatly; truly, this is the good fortune of the White Bone Dao.”

“Where. Elder, you are the sect’s heaven-supporting white jade pillar, its sea-spanning purple gold beam.”

“Haha ha. Not planning to invite this old man in for a cup of tea?”

“This…” A flicker of difficulty crossed Bai Lian’s eyes. “I am but a maiden, after all. It is not entirely convenient, is it?”

“This old man has watched the Holy Maiden grow from a child; you are like a daughter to me. What inconvenience could there be?” The Second Elder said, then squeezed past her into the room. He glanced around, seemingly casual, and asked, “Holy Maiden, within the sect’s own chambers, why do you still wear a night veil?”

Bai Lian blinked her eyes. “Born with surpassing beauty, I must hide my radiance and nurture my obscurity.”

“Haha ha ha…” The Second Elder’s laughter filled the room, then abruptly ceased. “Ouyang has returned. I can smell his scent.”

“This is excellent news! Our efforts were not in vain, nor were the sacrifices of so many of our dark agents, who provided cover for him all the way. Why has the Great Elder not yet appeared?”

“Who can fathom his thoughts?”

“If you cannot guess, then I certainly cannot.”

“Is it that you do not know, or that you do not *wish* to know?”

“This one has no need to know.” Bai Lian offered a charming smile. “The sect’s grand affairs must be decided by the Elders. I merely wait quietly for news.”

The Second Elder’s gaze lingered on her for a deep, searching moment before he rose to leave. Just before stepping out the door, he paused. “Holy Maiden, why are you so agreeable today?”

Bai Lian giggled. “Look at what you say. When have I ever been disagreeable? And if I occasionally display a bit of temper, is it not always for the sect’s important matters?”

Finally, the Second Elder departed, and the oppressive atmosphere that had settled over the room seemed to be severed by the closing door.

…

“Perhaps this is the final test.”

Bai Lian murmured softly to herself.

She sat quietly for a while, ensuring that no one else would disturb her. Only then did she retrieve an array plate. She then pulled open the wardrobe, dragged out Jiang Wang, who lay with his eyes tightly closed, and threw him onto the bed.

At this moment, Jiang Wang was in a state where his five senses were sealed. This was the only way to avoid detection by those unnerving white eyes.

Bai Lian pinched an incantation and lifted the seal on his senses.

Jiang Wang sprang up instantly, his gaze fixed on Bai Lian. He pressed his hand to his sword hilt but remained silent.

Although his five senses had been sealed, preventing him from hearing the conversation between Bai Lian and the Second Elder, the enforced stillness and the quiet of his heart had allowed him to reflect deeply on the day’s events.

“What do you wish to ask? Speak freely.”

Bai Lian walked to the table and sat down directly.

“You saved me again.” Jiang Wang’s voice was strained.

Bai Lian smiled. “Why mention such trivial matters?”

“This is the White Bone Dao’s lair. Are you one of them?” Jiang Wang asked.

“We are all people within the Dao Gate,” Bai Lian said.

Knowing that arguing with her about whether the White Bone Dao belonged to the orthodox Dao Gate was pointless, Jiang Wang repeated, “I only ask you this: Are you a member of the White Bone Dao?”

“Not ‘me’,” Bai Lian said, stretching out a delicate finger and pointing at Jiang Wang. “It is ‘we’.”

“What does that mean?”

“Originally, I didn’t want to tell you so soon, because your ‘metamorphosis’ is not yet complete,” Bai Lian sighed. “But since you appeared here today, you won’t leave without an answer, will you?”

Jiang Wang did not answer her question but instead asked, “So, Fang Heling’s visit to Niutou Mountain today was a trap? Who was it aimed at?”

“It was merely a casual move by the White Bone Messenger, not aimed at anyone in particular. Anyone who followed Fang Heling tonight was meant to perish here. This place will be abandoned soon anyway. You and that dark sentry from the Ji Xing Si simply happened to cross paths.”

The White Bone Dao would soon leave Niutou Mountain. Jiang Wang keenly seized on this information, but he set it aside for the moment. He turned back to his original questions. “What does ‘metamorphosis’ mean? What is this ‘we’?”

“The white bone lotus flower on your back, the sudden mastery of the Flesh Birth Soul Return Technique… Are these not enough to make you draw a connection?”

“You’ve always understood me well. Perhaps these are all part of your scheme. The white bone lotus could have been tattooed on me when I was unconscious. The Flesh Birth Soul Return Technique could have been transmitted to me by some method of yours… It’s impossible for me to be connected to the White Bone Dao!”

“I do not possess the divine ability to alter memories,” Bai Lian said, a sudden laugh escaping her lips. “However, I have indeed always paid close attention to you, ever since you were a beggar…”

Jiang Wang’s heart jolted!

To escape Fang Pengju’s pursuit, he had disguised himself as a beggar and barely survived in Huan Zhen Guan. That was before he even opened his meridians. Bai Lian had been observing him since that time?

Bai Lian quickly explained, “Initially, your group of beggars settling in Huan Zhen Guan was completed under our guidance.

Her voice grew melancholic. “Huan Zhen Guan is a place of great significance, a place chosen by the Venerable God. As early as the time Zuo Guanglie fell in battle, I was curious. So many beggars died, why did only you survive? Could it have been mere coincidence?

Why, after you returned to the Daoist courtyard, did your cultivation immediately advance at an astonishing rate?

Presumably, you have some awareness yourself, yes?

After opening your meridians, your cultivation speed surpassed that of ordinary people.

Most importantly, you could devour the White Bone Dao Seed, you could perfectly adapt to the White Bone Dao’s secret techniques, you possessed the Flesh Birth Soul Return Technique! You are not ordinary, you are a child of the White Bone Dao!”

Bai Lian finally concluded, “Later, I came to understand why you appeared in Huan Zhen Guan; it was precisely the Venerable God’s arrangement.”

“No, that’s not right!” Jiang Wang shook his head. He believed his cultivation came from the Taixu Illusion Realm, utterly unrelated to any “White Bone Dao Child.” But the Taixu Illusion Realm was his greatest secret, one he could not reveal to argue his point.

“Perhaps you say it is not right, yet in your heart, you weep in agony.”

“What Dao Child!” Jiang Wang took a step back. “I said, I cannot forgive the actions of the White Bone Dao. I cannot be in league with you all, we are not people of the same path!”

“That is because you have not yet seen the truth of this world clearly, not thoroughly eradicated your hypocrisy, not found your true self.”

“I know very well who I am, I do not need your reminder.” Jiang Wang struggled to control his mind, to force himself to think calmly.

“What is this ‘White Bone Dao Seed’ you speak of?” he asked.

“This is a very precious thing; I possess only one myself. It can absorb the nutrients of the host to grow, eventually perfectly controlling the host. But unexpectedly, it was devoured by you… So you see, of course, the Dao Seed cannot affect a Dao Child!”

Jiang Wang stared at her coldly. “You tried to parasitize me?”

For a rare moment, Bai Lian’s gaze held a trace of apology. “At that time, we were not yet familiar…”

“And we are not familiar now! You make me feel very strange!” Jiang Wang said coldly. “Say no more! I absolutely do not believe I am any ‘White Bone Dao Child,’ and even if it were true, I would absolutely not be in league with you all, this group of human-faced beasts!”

That “even if,” while expressing his resolve, also betrayed a hint of wavering.

Bai Lian did not press the point but counter-questioned, “Is raising fierce beasts and disregarding the deaths of ordinary people considered human-faced and beastly? Or is extracting the Dao veins of the aquatic race to refine Meridian Opening Pills considered human-faced and beastly?”

“Do not attempt to use words to shake my Dao heart!” Jiang Wang’s voice was firm, as if anything less would be insufficient to withstand the pressure he felt.

He forced himself to calm his breathing, to solidify his determination. “Bai Lian, since our paths diverge, let us part ways. I said, you saved my life, and you can take it back now.”

Bai Lian’s eyes were beautiful, like anger, like resentment, filled with the rippling waves of autumn. She simply gazed at Jiang Wang with those eyes.

“How could I bear to kill you?” She softened her voice, speaking gently. “However, if you cooperate, I can erase your memory of tonight. It will be as if none of this happened. Only when you thoroughly awaken will you remember the events of tonight.”

“burying one’s head in the sand?”

“No, merely that the time has not yet arrived.”

Bai Lian rose and leaned forward. Before Jiang Wang could react, she pressed him onto the bed and held him in place.

“Look into my eyes,” she said. “I do not have the divine ability to manipulate memories. I will only use a secret technique to temporarily seal this short segment of your memory. Therefore, you must open your body and mind and cooperate fully. If there is any accident, in the slightest case, your spirit will be disordered; in the gravest, your soul will scatter.”

Jiang Wang knew clearly in his heart that this was already the best option. He had mistakenly entered Niutou Mountain tonight, stepping into the thief’s den, and should have met his end. Bai Lian’s various efforts had already saved his life. But no matter how they discussed it, it was impossible for her to allow him to take the secrets of the White Bone Dao back to Fenglin City. And he, rather than dying, was unwilling to be in league with the White Bone Dao.

Now he could temporarily delay the choice he must face and avoid death.

Jiang Wang completely opened his mind, allowing his consciousness to be submerged by countless lotus petals. He felt a kind of warmth and embrace, as well as a sense of belonging.

Then, in this boundless sea of lotus petals, he saw a lotus bud drifting towards him. It grew taller and taller until it was level with Jiang Wang’s line of sight. Then the lotus bloomed. The center of the bloom was not a stamen, nor did it bear lotus seeds.

Instead… it was a black candle!

…

…

PS: The book will be officially put on the shelves tomorrow at noon. I have already mentioned the on-shelf information last week, so I won’t repeat myself. In short, please everyone make sure to subscribe. The first subscription is very important for this book; it can be said to be its last chance. If the subscription ratio is good, there will still be recommendations. Whether this book can maintain quality and continue, in addition to my efforts, also requires everyone’s effort!

I beg you!

On the day of the shelf release, I will continuously update more than ten thousand words to repay everyone, with a total of five chapters. From noon at twelve o’clock to ten o’clock in the evening, one chapter will be updated every two hours! After being on the shelves, I will try to maintain two chapters updated every day.

Keep going! Wish me luck!