Dong dong dong~ Dong dong dong.

Knocking sounds rang out.

“Who is it?”

Bai Lian pulled open the door, at first only seeing a pair of eye whites.

She blinked, and then from those white eyes emerged, “Second Elder, what brings you here?”

“Can’t this old man come to see the Saintess without any specific reason?” The Second Elder smiled. The smile on his aged face should have been benevolent, but because only the whites of his eyes remained, it looked very evil. “Saintess, your cultivation has advanced considerably. This is truly a blessing for our White Bone Dao.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Elder, you are the main sect’s pillar that supports the heavens, spanning seas and crossing beams.”

“Ha ha ha. Aren’t you planning to let this old man come in and sit?”

“This…” Bai Lian’s eyes showed difficulty. “After all, I’m just a girl. It’s not convenient, is it?”

“This old man watched the Saintess grow up from childhood. You’re like my own daughter, what’s not convenient?” The Second Elder said, then squeezed into the room.

He looked left and right a few times, and then, seemingly casually, asked, “Saintess, why are you still wearing a night veil in your own room in the sect?”

Bai Lian blinked. “Born with a beautiful quality, I have to conceal my radiance and nurture my obscurity.”

“Ha ha ha ha…” The Second Elder burst into laughter, then suddenly stopped. “Ouyang has returned. I can smell his presence.”

“That’s a good thing! It wasn’t in vain that we exhausted our efforts and sacrificed so many hidden pawns to cover for him all the way. Why hasn’t the Great Elder appeared yet?”

“Who can guess his thoughts?”

“If even you can’t guess, I certainly don’t know.”

“Is it that you don’t know, or you don’t want to know?”

“I don’t need to know.” Bai Lian said with a gentle smile. “The sect’s major affairs still need the Elders to decide. I’ll just quietly wait for the news.”

The Second Elder looked deeply at her, then got up and walked outside.

Just before stepping out of the room, he suddenly stopped. “Saintess, why are you so easy to talk to today?”

Bai Lian chuckled. “Look at what you’re saying. When was I not easy to talk to? Even if I occasionally have some temper, isn’t it all for the sect’s major affairs?”

The Second Elder finally left, and the oppressive feeling that had filled the room seemed to be shut out by the door.

…

“Perhaps this was the final test.”

Bai Lian murmured softly.

She sat quietly for a while, confirming that no one else would come to disturb her. Then she placed an array plate, pulled open the wardrobe, lifted out Jiang Wang with his eyes tightly closed, and threw him onto the bed.

At this time, Jiang Wang’s five senses were sealed; only in this way could he avoid the gaze of those eyes with only white remaining.

Bai Lian pinched a hand seal, undoing the seal on his five senses.

Jiang Wang suddenly sat up, looked at Bai Lian, and gripped his sword without speaking.

Although he had been in a state of having his five senses sealed and couldn’t hear Bai Lian and the Second Elder’s conversation, with his five senses empty and his mind calm, he had repeatedly thought about the day’s events.

“What do you want to ask? Just ask,” Bai Lian walked to the edge of the table and sat down directly.

“You saved me again,” Jiang Wang’s voice was somewhat difficult.

Bai Lian smiled. “What’s the big deal?”

“This is the old nest of the White Bone Dao. Are you a member of the White Bone Dao?” Jiang Wang asked.

“We are all people of the Dao gate,” Bai Lian said.

Knowing that arguing with her about whether the White Bone Dao belonged to the orthodox Dao gate was fundamentally meaningless, Jiang Wang repeated, “I’m just asking you, are you a member of the White Bone Dao?”

“Not me,” Bai Lian extended a delicate finger and pointed at Jiang Wang. “It’s us.”

“What do you mean?”

“Originally, I didn’t want to tell you so quickly, because your ‘metamorphosis’ is not yet complete,” Bai Lian sighed and asked, “But since you appeared here today, you won’t give up without an answer, right?”

Jiang Wang didn’t answer her question but instead asked, “So, Fang He Ling’s coming to Niu Tou Mountain today was a trap? Who was it aimed at?”

“It was a casual move by the White Bone Messenger, not aimed at anyone specific. It’s just that tonight, whoever followed Fang He Ling would have to die here. Anyway, we’re abandoning this place soon. You and Ji Xing Si’s dark sentinel just happened to run into each other.”

The White Bone Dao would soon leave Niu Tou Mountain.

Jiang Wang keenly grasped this information but set it aside. He turned to ask, “What do you mean by metamorphosis? What’s ‘you all’ and ‘we’?”

“The white bone lotus flower on your back, you suddenly mastering the technique of flesh birth and soul return… Isn’t that enough to make you associate?”

“You’ve always understood me well. These could all be your arrangements. The white bone lotus flower could have been tattooed on me while I was unconscious, and it’s also possible you used some method to pass the flesh birth and soul return technique to me… I can’t be related to the White Bone Dao!”

“I don’t have the divine ability to modify memories,” Bai Lian suddenly chuckled. “However, I have indeed always paid a lot of attention to you, even when you were still a beggar…”

Jiang Wang was suddenly shocked!

To escape Fang Peng Ju’s pursuit, transforming into a beggar and barely surviving in Huan Zhen Guan, that was before he even opened his meridians. Had Bai Lian actually been observing him since then?

Bai Lian quickly explained, “Originally, that group of beggars, including you, settled in Huan Zhen Guan. It was precisely under our guidance that the selection was completed.”

Her voice was low and drawn out. “Huan Zhen Guan is a very significant place, and it was also the place chosen by the revered deity. As early as when Zuo Guang Lie died in battle, I was curious: so many beggars died, why did only you not die? Could it have been mere coincidence?

Why did you immediately advance a thousand miles in cultivation after returning to the Dao Academy later?

Presumably, you also have some awareness, right?

After opening your meridians, your cultivation speed surpasses ordinary people.

Most importantly, you can devour the White Bone Dao seed, you can perfectly adapt to the White Bone Dao secret methods, and you know the technique of flesh birth and soul return! You are not ordinary, you are a White Bone Dao child!”

Bai Lian finally said, “Later I understood why you appeared in Huan Zhen Guan; it was precisely the arrangement of the revered deity.”

“No, that’s not right!” Jiang Wang shook his head. He believed his cultivation came from the Tai Xu Illusion Realm and was fundamentally unrelated to being a White Bone Dao child. But the Tai Xu Illusion Realm was his biggest secret right now and couldn’t be used to argue.

“It’s just that I’m afraid you’re saying ‘not right’ with your mouth, but crying out in pain in your heart.”

“What Dao child!” Jiang Wang took a step back. “I said, I can’t forgive the actions of the White Bone Dao. I also can’t go along with you all; we are not on the same path!”

“That’s because you still haven’t seen the truth of this world clearly, haven’t thoroughly wiped out your hypocrisy, and haven’t found your true self.”

“I’m very clear about who I am, I don’t need you to remind me.” Jiang Wang tried to control his mind, letting himself think calmly.

“What is this White Bone Dao seed you mentioned?” he asked.

“It’s a very precious thing; I only have one. It can absorb nutrients from the host to grow and eventually perfectly control the host. But it was unexpectedly devoured by you… So you see, the Dao seed naturally cannot be effective on a Dao child!”

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

Bai Lian rarely showed some apology in her gaze. “At that time, we weren’t familiar yet…”

“We’re still not familiar now. You make me feel very strange!” Jiang Wang said coldly. “No need to say more! I absolutely don’t believe I’m some White Bone Dao child, and even if it were true, I would absolutely not go along with you all, this group of human-faced beasts!”

An “even if,” while expressing determination, still showed a hint of wavering.

Bai Lian didn’t rush to dwell on this point but countered, “Is it raising fierce beasts and disregarding the lives of common people that’s considered human-faced and beast-hearted? Or is it extracting the Dao pulse of the water race and refining it into meridian-opening pills that’s considered human-faced and beast-hearted?”

“Don’t think you can use words to shake my Dao heart!” Jiang Wang’s voice was firm, as if anything less wouldn’t be enough to resist the pressure he was under.

He took a deep breath, affirming his determination. “Bai Lian, since our paths are different, then let’s go our separate ways. I said my life was saved by you. You can take it back now.”

Bai Lian’s eyes were very beautiful, like anger and resentment, with tears welling up. She just gazed at Jiang Wang with those eyes.

“How could I be willing to kill you?” She softened her voice and said softly, “However, as long as you cooperate, I can erase your memory of tonight. Just pretend that nothing happened. Wait until you thoroughly awaken, then you will remember what happened tonight.”

“Are you burying your head in the sand?”

“No, it’s just that the timing isn’t right yet.”

Bai Lian stood up and leaned in. Before Jiang Wang could react, she pressed him down onto the bed, seating him firmly.

“Look into my eyes,” she said. “I don’t have the divine ability to manipulate memories. I’ll just use a secret technique to temporarily seal this short segment of memory, so you must open your mind and fully cooperate. If something goes wrong, you’ll be mentally disordered at best, and your soul will be scattered at worst.”

Jiang Wang clearly knew in his heart that this was already the best choice.

Tonight, he had mistakenly entered Niu Tou Mountain and stepped into the bandits’ den. Originally, he should have died.

Bai Lian’s various cover-ups had already saved his life. But no matter what they discussed, it was impossible for her to let him take the secrets of the White Bone Dao back to Feng Lin City.

And he would rather die than go along with the White Bone Dao.

Now, he could temporarily delay the choice he had to face and not have to die.

Jiang Wang completely opened his mind, letting his consciousness be submerged by countless lotus petals.

He felt a kind of warmth and embrace, as well as attachment.

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. In the center of the bloom, there were no stamens or lotus seeds.

Instead… it was a black candle!

…

…

PS: It will be officially put on the shelves tomorrow at noon at twelve o’clock. I already mentioned being put on the shelves last week, so I won’t say it again. In short, one sentence: please everyone, please support me with a subscription. The first subscription to this book is very important and can be said to be the last chance for this book. If the subscription ratio looks good, there will still be recommendations. Whether this book can be of high quality and quantity depends not only on my efforts but also on everyone’s efforts!

I beg you!

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

Come on! I wish you all the best!