At the center of the Life River, Mao Gu suddenly opened his eyes.

The crimson Demon Eye exuded a terrifying aura of destruction, and boundless Demonic Qi erupted from his body, forming a towering black pillar.

"Not good!"

Song Lin felt a sharp pain in the center of his forehead. This kind of Demonic Qi could even affect one's mind.

"A cuckoo occupying the magpie's nest?" Mao Zhong seemed to realize something. He immediately invoked the Innate Eight Diagrams, and the Eight Diagrams' golden radiance pierced through the Demonic Qi. Wielding a peachwood sword in his hand, Mao Zhong flew into the center of it.

Song Lin followed closely behind.

"What's going on?" Song Lin asked.

"The corpse has become a spirit…"

Mao Zhong quickly explained the situation.

The so-called corpse becoming a spirit referred to a resurrection in which the revived being did not regain their original consciousness but instead became a spirit monster — this is what it meant for a corpse to become a spirit.

In mythological legends, those who resurrect but undergo a drastic change in temperament are typically cases of the corpse becoming a spirit.

Everyone had fed Mao Gu the Immortal Pill, and it was certainly absorbed by his physical body first, before reaching the Spirit Platform.

This process would sometimes lead to anomalies, where the energy of the Immortal Pill failed to flow to the soul, was intercepted by the flesh instead, and then used to give birth to a new consciousness.

This is the phenomenon of the corpse becoming a spirit.

Often, the personality of such spirit monsters was drastically different from their former selves, often becoming extremely violent and irascible.

"I see. Then I have an idea."

Since it's a demon, there's naturally a way to resolve it: kill it before it fully forms.

At that moment, Mao Gu had already begun to undergo demonization.

His jet-black long hair turned blood-red, sharp fangs grew from his mouth, and the black aura around him solidified, transforming into grotesque demons of various shapes and sizes that surrounded him, preventing anyone from approaching.

A True Immortal-level Great Demon was about to be born, and the entire Underworld resounded with thunderous rumbles, on the verge of collapse.

If this demon were to fully form, it would be the greatest calamity in the history of the Donghua Heavenly Court. Even if they managed to subdue it, the cost would be irreparable.

The area around Mao Gu was teeming with demons and ghosts, making it extremely difficult to get close to him.

But Song Lin had a way.

With a flicker, he slipped into the void and reappeared behind Mao Gu in the next moment.

He transformed into Wutian Buddha Ancestor, and his aura was even more imposing than that of a Demon King.

Wutian spread his palm, then pressed it downward.

Hwah!

All the Demonic Qi converged into a massive hand.

Mao Gu raised his head, staring at the enormous hand. From his throat came a guttural, unintelligible roar. He couldn't comprehend why yet another supreme devil would appear.

A moment ago, all the devils had already become nutrients for this massive hand.

Boom!

The colossal handprint descended.

A moment later, the Demonic Qi dispersed, and Mao Gu's body lay peacefully on the ground.

A wisp of black smoke slowly drifted out from the center of his forehead, and the black smoke transformed into a flawless, pitch-black lotus.

Song Lin landed beside it, seized it in one grasp, and absorbed it on the spot.

The power of Wutian Buddha Ancestor stemmed from the negative emotions in people's hearts, as well as the karma, Demonic Qi, and Evil Qi in heaven and earth.

The denser these elements were, the faster his cultivation would grow. After absorbing the Demonic Qi of a True Immortal-level demon, Song Lin felt that the Taoist Realm of Wutian Buddha Ancestor had increased severalfold compared to before.

If Heavenly Immortals had early, middle, and late stages, Wutian's mana was now in the late stage.

Song Lin and Mao Zhong approached Mao Gu. After purging the Demonic Qi from his body, his vitality slowly began to recover.

Two hours later, Mao Gu gradually awakened, his eyes dazed as he surveyed his surroundings. When he saw familiar faces, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Third Brother, why are you here? Where is this place?"

"This is the Donghua Heavenly Court. Let me introduce you—this is Song Lin, the Eastern King, and the Shenxiao Heavenly Emperor of the Donghua Heavenly Court. I've mentioned him to you before."

Mao Zhong briefly recounted the events leading up to this moment.

Upon learning that his resurrection was due to Song Lin, Mao Gu solemnly bowed deeply to Song Lin.

"No need for formalities. I, too, am considered a member of the Sanmao Heavenly Court family, haha."

The bond between the two factions actually ran quite deep. Song Lin's first collaboration with Mao Zhong had been during the Upper Pure Demon Tribulation, during which the Pure Yang Sect he founded also became part of the Sanmao Heavenly Court.

His own disciples were members of the Sanmao Heavenly Court, so in a way, Song Lin could be considered half a member himself.

"By the way, Second Brother, I've joined the Donghua Heavenly Court."

"No matter. The Sanmao Heavenly Court is a thing of the past. Joining any other Heavenly Court is fine. Besides, Taoist Song Lin has shown great kindness to our lineage. Could I also join?"

Mao Gu looked at Song Lin.

"Of course, you're most welcome, Senior."

Song Lin intended to bestow the title of Great Emperor upon the two brothers, granting them a status just below his own and allowing them to govern their own worlds and Taoist lineages, much like the Five Directions Five Elders in the Jade Emperor's Heavenly Court.

"For like-minded Taoists, I never refuse, but I have only one condition."

"Please, state it."

"Abide by the Donghua Rules and cultivate the Taiyi Jinhua Scripture."

Song Lin provided a brief explanation.

The former ensured a unity of behavior and philosophy; the latter reformed one's cultivation technique and spells into orthodox practices.

Some people's cultivation methods were overly sinister, even involving blood sacrifices. Cultivating the Taiyi Jinhua Scripture not only nurtured one's character but also transformed the magic veins.

This was the only requirement Song Lin imposed upon them.

Beyond this, he had no additional demands.

Mao Gu stroked his long beard, listening intently to Song Lin's explanation and the deeper implications behind it.

"The Three Refuges: refuge in the Great Dao, the scriptures, and the masters—establishing a cultivator's virtue and aspirations. How wonderful." Mao Gu murmured to himself.

"The rules I've set require a character assessment before receiving the liturgy: compliance with the Three Refuges, the Three Laws, and the nine prohibitions."

A heart aligned with the Great Dao is the key to cultivation. The number one principle of cultivation is the pursuit of the Great Dao, not wealth, treasures, or beauty.

The first rule alone already filters out the majority of people.

"The Three Laws: do not presume the Heavenly Heart as your own heart; do not deceive, exploit, or mislead sentient beings; do not manifest as a saint and proclaim yourself a god in the world."

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