The void tore open with a crack.

Song Lin emerged slowly, carrying a lantern.

He arrived fashionably late, as he always did; lateness had become his habit.

Having comprehended the Time-Space Dao, he could arrive whenever he pleased. First, however, he wanted to test the young man, perhaps to sharpen his combat prowess a bit.

"Greetings, Star Lord."

Everyone bowed slightly.

Bian Zhuang, noticing the crowd saluting, imitated their actions, his curiosity piqued as he observed the man before him.

Was this the fabled Emperor Ziwei?

Why would someone like him send aid?

"Rise."

Song Lin stepped toward Bian Zhuang and chuckled. "Do you know why you've become the way you are now?"

Bian Zhuang's current cultivation was close to that of a Heavenly Immortal, even though he had been cultivating for less than a year.

But it wasn't because Bian Zhuang was extraordinarily gifted, achieving the unheard-of feat of becoming a Heavenly Immortal within a year.

This man had deep origins; his past life was tied to Po Jun's fate. For innumerable Wannian, he had absorbed the Sun Essence and Moonlight, which one day erupted and led to the situation now before him.

Back then, even someone like Sun Wukong shared similar circumstances. His former body was the Heavenly Mending Stone, and he too achieved Heavenly Immortal status after just a few years of cultivation.

Thus, his talent couldn't be called heaven-defying—one could say that his origins were well-founded.

"Why?" Bian Zhuang asked, puzzled. Until now, he had no idea why he possessed these abilities. He had originally assumed it was normal among cultivators, only to later realize he was the exception.

"You carry Po Jun's fate."

Po Jun symbolizes the fearless vanguard in an army and embodies the concept of breaking and then rebuilding anew.

Bian Zhuang, once at a dead end with nothing to his name, had awoken Po Jun's fate in the face of adversity, summoning an unyielding momentum that activated his destiny.

Through countless battles and bloodshed, he gradually awakened the powers stored within this fate.

His achievements today are not mere luck; they are, indeed, destiny.

"Am I not a demon?"

"Of course not. You are a Star Lord, a reincarnation of an Innate Divine Being, not some so-called demon."

Hearing this, Bian Zhuang breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't a demon after all, which eased a major burden on his heart.

"However, if you don't cultivate a proper Cultivation Technique, you may inevitably be tainted by the Evil Qi of demons and monsters."

This was only human nature.

Bian Zhuang avoided demonic corruption thus far only because of the fiery will within his heart.

However, such burning determination is fleeting and will inevitably wane someday.

That moment could spell danger.

Perhaps it would even mark the beginning of his descent into becoming a demon.

Many dragon slayers ultimately become the very evil dragons they swore to destroy—this is how it often happens.

A fiery heart is insufficient; it must be cultivated and transformed into a steadfast principle—only then can it endure.

"Would you be willing to become my disciple?"

Song Lin asked.

"Greetings, Master!"

Bian Zhuang dropped to his knees without hesitation and kowtowed.

At this moment, Hei Sha and Tianyou also arrived alongside him.

"Senior Brother Hei Sha, Senior Brother Tianyou, Senior Brother Xuanhuang."

Through Song Lin's introductions, Bian Zhuang was acquainted with his fellow disciples.

"Enough. The matter in this realm is concluded; let us head back."

The Demon Kings had been mostly eliminated—either slain or sealed within the Pagoda. The rest could be left for the Heavenly Court Heavenly Soldiers to clear up.

The Youming Lantern once again tore open the void.

"Benefactor, please wait!"

At that moment, someone called out to Song Lin.

He turned to see a white-clad female Bodhisattva standing atop a Lotus Throne. Her aura was impossibly pure, and beside her stood graceful Heavenly Ladies and children.

"The Bodhisattva Guanyin?"

Song Lin instantly recognized her.

Guanyin and Ksitigarbha were typical True Immortal Bodhisattvas. Though both could have ascended to Buddha, their philosophies left them as Bodhisattvas.

"What business does the Bodhisattva have here?"

"Ah, so it is the Emperor Ziwei. The Emperor and the others may leave, but this person cannot."

Guanyin pointed her slender jade finger at Bian Zhuang.

"Why? Bodhisattva, are you aware that Bian Zhuang is now my disciple? If you wish to take him, shouldn't you first seek his master's approval?"

"Master?" Guanyin thought to herself. So this young man is connected with the Emperor Ziwei?

Knowing Emperor Ziwei to be one who never forgives a slight, with a fiery temper, she preferred not to provoke him. Yet the Buddha's directive weighed on her, forcing her to press forward against her own hesitation.

"This person's demonic nature runs deep. Keeping him in the Heavenly Court may endanger the Three Realms. It would be better to send him to Spirit Mountain to have his demonic nature cleansed, and after that, he may return to the North Pole."

"Oh? So you're saying this is for my own good?" Song Lin feigned surprise.

"It is for the good of all living beings."

"And if I refuse?"

"This humble monk will have no choice but to forcibly take him."

"Very well!"

Boom!

Song Lin suddenly struck.

He revealed his colossal Nine-Transformation Dharma Body.

In his left hand, he held the Pure Yang Sword; in his right, he bore the Qiankun Treasure Tower.

Slashing through the sky, he unleashed a streak of Pure Yang Sword Qi.

Seeing Song Lin's blatant disregard and arrogance, Guanyin's heart burned with frustration. It seemed a lesson was in order.

She too summoned her Liuli Dharma Body, drawing forth a willow branch from her Jade Purifying Bottle. With a gentle sweep, she dissolved the Pure Yang Sword Qi.

She then scattered a few drops of water, which transformed into boundless rivers and seas, surging toward Song Lin's dharma body.

This water carried purifying properties, capable of nullifying all spells, Magic Treasures, puppets, and pills, reducing them to their most primal state.

This was Guanyin's Dao and the cornerstone of her True Immortal status.

With a single move, Guanyin deployed her full power.

One strike was all it took for Song Lin to suffer defeat and flee.

This was also her way of addressing the humiliation the Buddhist Sect had endured previously—proof that the sect was far from powerless.

The flowing waters infiltrated every fissure.

As Song Lin was on the verge of being submerged, the Qiankun Treasure Tower soared into the sky. A formless pressure radiated outward, freezing everything in place as though time itself had stopped.

This was the Qiankun Treasure Tower in action, suppressing all existence.

Song Lin then made a sweeping gesture with his hand.

Whoosh!

The boundless rivers and seas reversed their flow and receded.

Guanyin dodged awkwardly, hastily recalling the waters into her Jade Purifying Bottle.

"A True Immortal Immortal Artifact?"

Was this man truly trusted to such an extent by the Jade Emperor?

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