Chapter 181, Battle Section: The Debate on Cause and Effect - Second Debate Won, Non-Poisonous Harmony. ...

There was a deep pit in front of Bitao.

It was about the size of a person, dug by a group of people to bury her.

After moving her limbs groggily under the straw mat for a while, her senses returned, and she heard several people talking.

"The entire village was razed to the ground by the monsters, and all the villagers were eaten by them. This is the only intact person, an elderly couple, who are hiding in a water tank..."

“Master, she was suffocated to death by her own parents. It’s not the fault of Senior Sister and Senior Brother. We plan to bury her here, so that she can at least rest in peace.”

"Master, my senior brothers and sisters just misjudged the level of those magical beasts. Who knew that the magical artifact would suddenly break..."

"Shut up." The cacophony of voices was interrupted.

A dignified man spoke from not far from Bitao: "The person is still alive."

Soon someone lifted the straw mat covering the peach blossom, revealing a handsome young man who exclaimed in shock, "How...how is this possible!"

"She was clearly being pinned down... um!" A tall woman covered the man's mouth from behind, stopping him from continuing.

After a moment, he released the man, walked to Bitao's side, squatted down to check Bitao's pulse, and said gently, "That's good, you're alright."

Bitao was helped to sit up and looked around blankly.

The woman continued, "It's cruel, but I have to tell you. Your village was attacked by monsters, and everyone in the village is dead... We found you in a farmer's water tank, you..."

A buzzing sound filled Bitao's ears; the voice of the woman, who had feigned gentleness, seemed to come from near and far.

A memory squeezed into her mind.

This time, she was a peasant girl, a peasant girl who survived the monster massacre of her village because her parents hid her in a water vat.

A mortal who, after his family was destroyed, was taken in by a "kind" sect and taken to a sacred mountain.

A demonic witch who "repaid kindness with enmity," slaughtered all the cultivators on the mountain after falling into demonic possession, and was eventually strangled by the righteous path.

But in fact, the person who rescued her was the very culprit who caused her family to be destroyed and her relatives to die tragically.

As a mortal woman without spiritual roots, even if she knew the truth, there was nothing she could do in her mortal form.

There is no choice but to fall into demonic possession and seek revenge.

After Bitao absorbed all of the peasant girl's memories, she heard the solemn voice of the Sixth Pure Star Lord of the Central Platform of the Dou Department from within her spiritual platform: "I, the Dou Department, on behalf of Heaven, question those who wish to attain the immortal position of the Supreme Immortal. With a blood feud before them, will they willingly fall into demonic ways, staining their hands with blood to avenge their grievances, or will they instantly become Buddhas, letting go of their past lives and entrusting everything to the cycle of cause and effect?"

Bitao sat there, gazing at the pit that was originally meant to bury her.

In her memory, the water vat originally had a gap. After her parents died, someone placed a rock that she couldn't push off the lid of the vat, which caused her to drown and stop breathing.

Then, as he was being manipulated, he expelled the water from his body and regained some strength.

The villagers in this village were not attacked by demons at all. Rather, it was because these cultivators neglected their duties while transporting the captured demonic beasts, causing the magical artifacts to break. This allowed a large number of demonic beasts to escape and frantically tear apart the flesh and blood of mortals to satisfy their hunger.

If their master hadn't arrived in time, this group of cultivators would have caused an even greater disaster.

When they discovered that almost everyone in the small village was dead, except for a peasant girl hiding in a large water vat, they felt no relief; instead, they wanted to kill her to silence her.

This is to hide the fact that they neglected their duties.

Unexpectedly, this peasant girl was incredibly lucky; she miraculously came back to life after vomiting water.

"Little girl, I'm talking to you!"

Bitao's shoulder was suddenly shaken. The female cultivator who had previously feigned friendliness raised her voice and looked at Bitao, saying, "I'm asking you, do you have any relatives nearby? We can take you there..."

Bitao now has two choices: reveal her relatives in the mortal world or give up revenge and return to the mortal world to live an ordinary life.

Or, like the peasant girl, she could feign ignorance and infiltrate the mountains, then seize an opportunity to fall into demonic possession and seek revenge.

Bitao thought to herself that the two immortal masters of the Dou Department clearly disliked her very much. They pulled her into the "illusion" without even saying hello.

If she chooses to succumb to demonic possession and kill her enemies in this realm, she will lose her qualification to be an immortal. Since ancient times, immortals and demons have been irreconcilable enemies; how can one become an immortal with demonic blood tainted upon them?

But if she chooses to abandon her hatred, return to her mortal identity, and await the natural karmic retribution, they can say that she is heartless, cowardly, and only cares about her own survival.

Moreover, if Bitao ignores the peasant girl's grudge in order to win the debate, her supporters will be disappointed in her.

If Bitao were to argue that she wasn't a peasant girl, that would be even more impressive. Those two old folks might even say that Bitao disregarded the law of debate, refused to immerse herself in the illusion, and refused to truly experience the suffering of a peasant girl.

Then they would attack her for not understanding the suffering of peasant women, and how could she understand the suffering of the common people? They would then judge her defense to be unsuccessful.

In short, this illusion is a trap, a trap designed to "tailor-make" a plan for Bitao, given her extreme personality.

It was wrong of her to jump into the pit, and it was wrong of her to climb out. It was wrong of her to live, it was wrong of her to drag everyone down with her, and it was wrong of her to do nothing.

It seems that Bitao's actions of messing with the star chart during the first debate, and her various opportunistic and muddy-water-fishing behaviors, have truly displeased these elders of the ancient immortal clan.

"Are you stupid?!" Bitao's head was lightly hit by the sword sheath, and the female cultivator who had been pretending to be gentle finally revealed her fierce nature.

Bitao then spoke, rubbing her head, "I have no relatives... I want to go home..."

As she spoke, Bitao got up and stumbled as she ran toward the home the peasant girl remembered.

Soon, the handsome male cultivator from before grabbed Bitao, his tone quite helpless: "I've already told you that everyone in your family is dead, what do you want to do going back?"

Bitao shook off the male cultivator and ran down the mountain in one breath.

She heard someone behind her say angrily, "Let's ignore her!"

However, some people say, "This mortal woman has no relatives or friends and nowhere to turn. If she is allowed to come and go as she pleases, the orphan will not survive."

The one who spoke was the master of this group, who had come to clean up the mess for his disciples: "Qianbai, you go with her. She should be going back to bury her parents. Once she has calmed down, take her back to the mountain."

Once the master spoke, the other disciples, even if they had different thoughts, dared not object.

Among the group of cultivators, a gentle-looking man stepped forward and silently followed behind Bitao.

But some people still muttered under their breath, "His parents have already been taken advantage of, what's there to hide..."

Bitao prepared a cenotaph for the peasant girl's parents, burying them in the pit that those people had dug for her earlier.

It's readily available, and the location is pretty good.

Bitao pried a plank off the door, looked for the kitchen knife, and decided to do it herself.

Then she suddenly remembered that she was a peasant girl, and peasant girls shouldn't be literate.

They then took their parents' clothes and belongings back to the forest they had just left.

After burying her parents, Bitao, with tears in her eyes and a pleading look in her eyes, said to the master in the crowd, "Kind immortal, do you know how to carve inscriptions? Please carve a tombstone for my parents."

Finally, Bitao kowtowed several times to the peasant girl's parents, and then left with a group of cultivators.

Beyond the illusion array, above the clouds.

Doubu Mingwenquxingjun looked at the four spirit incarnations of Shenxuanjia beside him.

He said in a neutral tone, "It seems she has chosen to fall into demonic possession for revenge."

"Just as I expected."

Xuanjia sat upright on the cloud, glanced at the Mingwenqu Star Lord of the Dipper Department, and spoke slowly and softly: "Not... necessarily..."

Although Xuanjia couldn't guess what Bitao was going to do, like Zhankui, her trust in Bitao stemmed from their understanding of each other since childhood.

This seemingly hopeless and inescapable illusion, for someone as perceptive as Bitao, would probably present countless hidden paths in her mind the moment she landed.

Xuanjia is in charge of all the spiritual illusions and real people in this illusionary realm. The two Doubu Star Lords are keeping a close eye on Xuanjia, probably because they are afraid that she will give Bitao preferential treatment because of their relationship.

Xuanjia thought to herself that these ancient immortals, who were even older than her own turtle form, probably couldn't understand the black and white aspects of all things, or the chaotic color between the pure and turbid energies.

It's simply called a scoundrel.

The peach blossom embodies both purity and turbidity, and is even more so, the "demon king" among scoundrels.

The "Demon King" didn't need any help from Xuanjia. Xuanjia's only worry was that Bitao would make too much of a scene, and her illusion would be unable to hold up, revealing its falsehood.

Fortunately, her illusion magic had reached its peak after she had been a star deity for some time.

Even Bitao, who was currently in the formation, couldn't tell whether this realm of debate was the real star realm or an illusion.

Therefore, Bitao was extremely cautious in her actions.

Bitao followed them to the immortal mountain and discovered that it was a third-rate sect of a small scale. The sect was called "Danyang Sword Sect". There were only two elders on the mountain, and the master of the cultivators who "saved her" was actually the sect leader.

Bitao, being a mortal, was left in the outer sect, holding an outer sect disciple's name tag, and was ostracized in the most remote hut.

If she wanted to become a demon, she only needed to wait in this place until the great demon imprisoned in the forbidden area of ​​the mountain broke free of the formation due to childbirth and escaped like a cicada shedding its shell. When Bitao picked up a demon seed left behind by the great demon in the mountain and ate it, she could use the demon seed to become a demon on the spot because of the peasant girl's resentment and helplessness.

There are many kinds of demons: those that are innate, those that are acquired, those that are transformed into beasts, and those that are transformed into demonic cultivators.

The peasant girl became a demon after birth, and demons are divided into several levels. The higher the level, the stronger the power. Demons cannot even be cultivated after birth; it depends on how deep their obsession and hatred were when they became demons.

The deeper the hatred, the more twisted the mind, and the higher the level of the awakened demon.

That peasant girl was able to awaken into a level seven demon, slaughter the entire sect overnight, and then escape, all thanks to her deep-seated hatred.

However, Bitao did not wait passively. After entering the mountain, she volunteered to sweep the ground for several days.

Then she coaxed the steward of the outer gate to let her help out in the outer gate's kitchen.

If Bitao wants to please everyone, she can please everyone in every way, and no one can resist her.

In just two months, she quietly infiltrated the inner sect's dining hall.

She mingled from the fire-stoking section at the back of the canteen to the front serving food, and finally met her "benefactors".

Bitao was extremely excited and boasted to the entire sect about how these "benefactors" had saved her from dire straits and brought her back to the mountains to provide her with food and lodging.

This allowed those "benefactors" to gain face and demonstrate their virtue in front of their fellow disciples.

After that, every time she distributed food, Bitao would try her best to give those "benefactors" special treatment.

In the end, even those benefactors with guilty consciences couldn't help but become close to Bitao.

After all, Bitao could get them the freshest food with spiritual energy, and she could come whenever they wanted.

Whether it was cleaning rooms, organizing ritual implements, delivering meals, wine, and snacks, or even later delivering elixirs and robes, all these tasks fell into Bitao's hands.

Because Bitao lacked spiritual energy, she appeared extremely harmless. She was also diligent and meticulous in her work, so she was quickly transferred from the canteen to the storeroom.

In the end, even the cultivators in the mountains who benefited from her were willing to call her "Good Junior Sister".

Bitao wasn't formally accepted into the sect; Liang Huixin was the name of the peasant girl. These people called her junior sister simply because she was easier to manage.

However, Bitao always insisted on living in that remote little house at the foot of the mountain, and always told the people in the mountain that she needed to remember her identity. She was a mortal, and mortals should live in the outer gate.

Someone with good intentions took Bitao to have her spiritual roots tested several times. Bitao accepted the kindness, but unfortunately, she simply didn't have any spiritual roots.

Bitao thrived in the mountains, leisurely counting her days.

The night before the great demon escaped, he was summoned for a private talk by the master of those "benefactors".

"This is a Transcendent Pill. It's not of very high quality, but ordinary people can still take it."

"You have no spiritual root. After taking this Transcendent Pill, you can enter the Xuanmen. Although you may not make any progress in the future, you can at least extend your lifespan to two hundred years."

Bitao has learned that her master, who has a Taoist-like demeanor, is named Danyang, and that he founded the sword sect.

Looking at his refined and otherworldly appearance, Bitao thought to herself that he, as the master who cleaned up the mess for his disciples, could not possibly not know what had happened.

But more than a year has passed and he has remained silent about the matter, nor has he punished any of his disciples.

Now, instead of giving Bitao a Transcendent Pill, is it possible that the lifespan of her deceased parents has been transferred to her in another way?

What about the hundreds of people who died in her village?

Should she be grateful?

This part is not in the peasant girl's memory.

It's likely that the Danyang sect leader sees her as quite capable and useful within the sect, and intends to use her as a long-term worker for two hundred years.

Bitao hesitated for a moment, and when Danyang looked at her in confusion, she immediately prostrated herself in gratitude.

Finally, sobbing, he went out and returned to his little room. He held the small bottle and looked at it.

At this point, it seemed that Bitao had found a third way out.

She could choose to enter the Dao, then diligently cultivate and find the Immortal Alliance in the cultivation world to reveal the truth about those cultivators, including the Danyang Sect Leader of this sect, who were ineffective in transporting magical beasts and disregarded human life.

Outside the illusion, the immortals watching this scene from below the clouds were somewhat worried, fearing that Bitao had truly chosen to become a demon.

Meanwhile, the immortals above the clouds were all watching intently as Bi Tao Hui made her choice.

As a result... I saw her go to bed and throw the Transcendent Pill on the ground with a thud.

The bottle containing the elixir shattered; the Transcendent Pill remained unclaimed, spending the night with the shards of the porcelain bottle.

Bitao slept soundly through the night, and the next morning she went to the back mountain to pick spirit mushrooms to cook mushroom porridge for the cultivators.

As expected, in the mountains, she saw the great demon who, having only given birth halfway through, realized that leaving a part of the "children" in the formation would allow it to secretly switch them out and break free of the formation, and it couldn't wait to escape.

The demon's true form was a tortoise... a tortoise the size of a small mountain that ran away quite quickly.

The demonic seed left behind by the turtle is a round, white turtle egg.

Bitao picked up the turtle egg, and thought of Xuanjia with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

In the peasant girl's memory, the demon seed was white and round. Bitao thought it was some kind of egg, but it turned out to be an egg.

Xuanjia, her ears burning above the clouds, continued to maintain the illusion with a straight face. She had originally intended to portray the great demon as a fly or some kind of insect that lays eggs.

But it was disgusting.

Xuanjia couldn't take it.

They set the Great Demon as a turtle that was running around while also laying eggs everywhere because it hadn't finished producing them.

When turtles lay eggs... well, that does happen sometimes.

The other two immortal masters of the Dou Department above the clouds had small blue veins throbbing on their foreheads, convinced that the incarnations of the Four Spirits were using this method to remind Bitao that this world was an illusion!

However, she was skilled in illusion magic, while the other two star gods were not. They could not attack Xuanjia just because of the great demon's true form, so they could only endure it with speechless frustration.

On the contrary, the immortals watching from below the clouds couldn't help but burst into laughter.

These four mythical creatures, in their divine manifestations, are just too adorable!

The peasant girl, who had been hiding in the shadows, saw the demon seed left behind by the great demon. She only picked up one seed, and after returning to her hut and struggling with the decision, she transformed into a demon and went to massacre the Danyang Sect.

But Bitao carried a small basket for picking mushrooms and picked one after another.

I also picked some spirit mushrooms, and then continued picking my way out of the forbidden area. After counting the number of eggs, I carried my little basket to the kitchen to make a fragrant scrambled egg and spirit mushroom porridge.

She no longer works in the dining hall, but from time to time, whenever something new or unusual grows on the mountain, she will come to borrow the kitchen to cook special meals for her "benefactors".

After cooking, Bitao took a food box and carefully divided the pot of porridge into eight portions.

Make sure there's a turtle egg in every bowl, then take the Transcendent Pill from last night out of your sleeve, crush it, and sprinkle it into the porridge.

She returned with the turtle egg without trying to hide it from others. There were cultivators in the dining hall, and no one noticed that Bitao was carrying a demonic seed.

This indirectly proves that demonic beings are not easy to distinguish.

Bitao thought that if the taste of the demon seed was off after it entered her mouth, the rich spiritual energy of the fragments of the Transcendent Pill could mask it.

But she was overthinking it; the demon seed has no taste.

If someone harbors deep-seated selfish desires and is possessed by demonic influences, the demonic seed they smell will even smell sweet, a kind of fatally attractive fragrance.

It is precisely because of this characteristic that it can easily and silently accompany food, wounds, and even breath, parasitizing the cultivator's sea of ​​consciousness and forming a demonic obstacle.

So... there aren't any demon seeds the size of turtle eggs in the demon realm.

Humming a lighthearted tune, Bitao carried the eight portions of rice porridge and went up the mountain to find her "benefactors" with practiced ease.

The time to truly "repay the debt of gratitude" has come.

When Bitao brought the rice porridge over, all those people were there, all present and accounted for.

They all like Bitao now. The hypocritical female cultivator who used to suffocate Bitao in the water vat with stones is even happier to see Bitao.

"Junior Sister Liang! You've arrived!"

"What is this? It smells so good! I'm starving!"

Without Bitao needing to persuade or coax them, these people rushed forward, picked up their bowls, and shared the food.

While eating, she asked Bitao what smelled so good.

Bitao looked up at the bright, sunny sun overhead and thought to herself, "The will of Heaven is clear."

She said, "There are also some spirit mushrooms, and a thousand-year-old turtle in the spirit beast garden laid eggs. I stole a few; they must be very nutritious."

"You all eat first, I'll take a bowl to the Immortal Venerable."

They were used to it. Although their master had long since stopped eating and would not see Liang Shimei eight out of ten times, Liang Shimei was always persistent.

Bitao walked up the mountain and, as usual, stopped in the outer courtyard.

The restriction on the door was lifted shortly afterward.

Danyang didn't want to see this mortal woman; he was already plagued by inner demons because of her.

He couldn't understand why an ordinary woman who had suffered such a great calamity could still be so bright and kind.

She seemed to have no doubt about what happened back then.

They are even more grateful to these "culprits".

Danyang didn't want to see her because her kindness and warmth, like an omnipresent karmic fire, scorched his conscience.

But like foolish parents, he committed evil in order to protect his children. To protect his few disciples, he dared not tell the world the truth.

"You...didn't take the Transcendent Pill?" For the past two years, Danyang has been searching the cultivation world, looking for someone to refine a Transcendent Pill that mortals could use.

He hoped that he could repay the peasant girl on behalf of his young and ignorant apprentices.

"not yet."

Bitao said, "I need to think about it."

"What are you considering?" Danyang asked, puzzled.

Bitao said, "I'm considering whether to enter the Xuanmen (Taoist sect) and live to be two hundred years old."

"As the Immortal Venerable knows, I have no relatives or friends left. What interest is there in a mortal living for two hundred years without any relatives or friends?"

Danyang seemed completely unprepared for the fact that a mortal would refuse to extend their lifespan and enter the Xuanmen (mysterious sect).

He wanted to offer advice, but didn't know where to begin.

Instead, it was Bitao who tried to persuade him first.

“I know that you, Immortal Venerable, have long since abstained from grains, but I picked these spirit mushrooms this morning on my own.”

"I have no other skills except cooking. I don't know how to thank the Immortal for his planning for me. Please eat this bowl of porridge."

Danyang glanced at the open food box, and an indescribable aroma wafted into his nostrils.

He instinctively frowned; he hadn't eaten for many years, so naturally he shouldn't be tempted by food.

But soon, his attention was diverted to Bitao.

Bitao said, "I've come here today to say goodbye to the Immortal Venerable."

“I have contacted my cousin in the mortal world... She has been married for many years and she is willing to reserve a room for me in the backyard so that I can live there.”

"Over the years, I've accumulated some low-grade spirit stones that can be exchanged for money within the sect, enough to cover my living expenses."

Bitao carried the bowl of rice porridge to Danyang and respectfully handed it to him, saying, "Thank you for taking me in back then, Immortal Venerable."

"I've been cooking for five hours, using every trick in the book. Now that the Immortal has eaten this bowl of porridge, I'm leaving."

Danyang looked down. He hadn't wanted to drink it in the first place, and Fan Nu's attitude today was strange.

But soon, he keenly smelled the scent of the shattered Transcendent Pill.

At that moment, the demons in his heart were almost beyond his control.

Shame and remorse made him reach out and take the bowl.

This mortal woman actually didn't want to enter the Dao, and even... wanted to use the powder from this Transcendent Pill to nourish him.

Danyang closed his eyes, held the bowl of porridge to his lips, and drank it all in one gulp.

He thought it was good that the mortal woman was gone.

From then on, he never encountered mountains or rivers again, and perhaps... perhaps his inner demons could be dispelled.

The rice porridge was indeed very fragrant, and he chewed on that little turtle egg with great relish, savoring every bite.

After swallowing it, Danyang was about to say something when he suddenly sensed that the inner demon he had been suppressing was beginning to grow wildly, as if it had received ample nourishment.

He pressed his hand to his chest, staring at Bitao in disbelief.

Bitao was also quite shocked and took two steps back: "So fast? It seems you really aren't a good person."

Bitao stood at the doorway, watching as the spiritual energy of Danyang began to dissipate from her body.

He took out a magical artifact that any mortal could use to protect himself and covered himself with it.

However, Danyang gathered several streams of spiritual energy at his fingertips but never launched an attack on Bitao.

He only asked her, "What did you give me to eat?!"

“The demon seed,” Bitao said. “Do you think I didn’t know back then that it was you and your bunch of stupid disciples who caused my family to be destroyed and even tried to kill me?”

Danyang sat cross-legged not far away, looking at Bitao with a shocked expression.

How to describe that look in his eyes?

It's like seeing a well-behaved little rabbit suddenly grow huge, stand upright, and start eating people.

Just then, a commotion broke out outside.

Danyang froze, hearing someone shout, "She's turned into a demon! She's turned into a demon! Senior Sister has turned into a demon! Someone come quick!"

"Third Junior Brother, what happened to you?!"

“Oh,” Bitao said with a smile, “they are your good disciples. I also fed them the demon seed.”

"You say these disciples of yours are all promising talents who have gone astray and are capable of harming people. Where did you pick them from?"

"Is this... um, what's that saying again?"

"Ah! Fish find fish, shrimp find shrimp, turtles find turtles."

“Same filthy stuff does have a way of attracting each other.”

At this moment, black energy was surging from Danyang's chest, but he resisted stubbornly, gathering his spiritual energy and refusing to allow himself to become a demon.

He fell to the ground, his meridians corroded by demonic energy, and soon he was too disheveled to even get up.

Bitao thought he would suddenly attack and kill her.

Her magical artifact was just a modified one made for her by someone else, a mere protective artifact for fun. How could it withstand the full force of Danyang, the founder and leader of the sect?

If he really wanted to kill me, he would have done so already.

Bitao is not afraid of being killed. If she is killed, she will break through her current realm. She has already given the immortal chief of the Dou Department the most perfect answer.

The peasant girl herself transformed into a demon, and because she couldn't control herself after becoming a demon, although she avenged her great enemy, she slaughtered many innocent cultivators of the Danyang Sect and was killed by a joint effort of sects in the cultivation world. It was all her own doing.

Bitao herself doesn't eat the demon seeds, but feeds them to the "demons" disguised as humans, stripping them of their human skin. They will naturally receive their due retribution, and innocent people won't be implicated.

But Bitao saw that Danyang had no intention of killing her, and thought that since he had given her the Transcendent Pill, he must at least feel some guilt towards the peasant girl.

He walked up to Danyang, who was lying on the ground struggling against his inner demons, looked down at him, and asked, "Immortal Venerable, do you know what this is called?"

Danyang had been staring intently at Bitao, but now he closed his eyes.

He answered her silently—karma.

Cause and effect are cyclical, and retribution is inevitable.

Bitao began humming a little tune, and amidst the noisy chaos outside, she began searching for valuable items inside the house.

It's perfectly normal for her, as an ordinary peasant girl, to risk her life to seek revenge.

But now that her life is saved, she needs to make plans for the future of the peasant girl.

Bitao packed everything she had collected into her storage bag.

This storage bag was a tattered bag given to her by someone after she started working in the magic artifact warehouse. It couldn't hold any magic artifacts, but it was fine for holding some silver coins and spirit stones.

After collecting the items, Bitao squatted down again next to the immortal who appeared to be shrouded in black mist, and took out a small curved knife from her bosom used for cutting mushroom roots.

He gestured towards the Immortal Venerable's body, saying, "What's the use of giving me a Breakthrough Pill? It only prolongs lifespan, but I can't cultivate."

"If I wanted to, I could cut in from here, and then from here, here, here..."

“I can then completely extract your immortal veins and reattach them to my own body.”

She met Danyang's cloudy gaze, chuckled, and said, "It sounds crazy, like something that's impossible, right?"

"But it's true. If I wanted to, after tonight, you would be a mortal, and I would be the immortal."

Bitao had once assisted Taiji in cutting up Mingguang, leaving a very deep impression on her. She could be said to know everything about the immortal veins of the immortals.

But Bitao eventually put away the knife.

Waving his hand and straightening his clothes, he said, "But never mind..."

If it really was Bitao who suffered this fate, Bitao would have planned even more meticulously. First, she would have taken the elixir, and then lingered for ten or a hundred years, quietly and legitimately killing those people one by one. In the end, she would definitely obtain the immortal vein of the immortal venerable one.

However, if she really did continue the immortal lineage of the immortal venerable one, her departure might not necessarily be a good thing for that peasant girl.

She couldn't escape the pursuit of the righteous path, nor did she likely possess the ambition to go against the tide and reach the heavens.

So, for her, the sudden appearance of a celestial vein without any spiritual roots was nothing more than a child finding gold in the marketplace. It was far too dangerous.

Therefore, after finding something valuable, Bitao left.

Chaos reigned outside as everyone was busy arresting disciples who had "fallen into demonic possession," and no one had yet investigated whether someone had planted demonic seeds.

Moreover, since the great demon in the back mountain had escaped, everyone's first reaction was to connect the matter of the demon seed with that great demon.

Bitao walked through the sect and arrived at the entrance without incident.

The good deeds she had cultivated throughout her life meant that she was always escorted by disciples of her sect when she went out.

They told her to stay at the outer gate until they caught a few disciples who had fallen into demonic possession and dealt with the major demon, then they would let her come back.

Bitao gave some spirit stones to the outer sect manager, saying that it was July and she needed to go back to her hometown to visit her parents' graves and stay at the foot of the mountain for a while.

The person in charge thought for a moment, and since the great demon who had been suppressed for many years had escaped and the inner sect was in chaos, it was not safe for a mortal to be on the mountain anyway, so he let her go.

Bitao descended the mountain, disappearing into the crowd, and walked discreetly, successfully arriving at the graves of the peasant girl's parents.

After nightfall, and after making sure there was no one for miles around, Bitao dug up the graves of the peasant girl's parents.

Then he buried most of the money in the storage bag, as well as everything related to the cultivation world.

She muttered to herself, also speaking to the peasant girl who shared her body: "After I'm gone, take the little money I'm leaving behind and find a place to live in seclusion. Don't seek refuge with relatives. If you need money, come here for it. Just cut off a small piece of gold at a time... Don't build a grave, don't flaunt your wealth. Taking out a little bit at a time will be enough for you to live on for a lifetime..."

Bitao filled the hole with soil, and as soon as she finished speaking, the illusion shattered, and her consciousness returned to her original form.

Upon opening his eyes, above the clouds, the Star Lord of the Underworld, Bi Tao, immediately began to rebuke her: "Bi Tao, you have once again disrupted the fate of mortals."

"Danyang's survival of this calamity was of immense benefit to the cultivation world. His descendants, including Ancestor Danyang, were highly respected and served as role models for disciples in the cultivation world. Yet now, he has perished because of you."

“His disciples who tried to kill that peasant girl will receive their due retribution, their bodies and souls will perish. But there are also two cultivators who did not participate in harming you at all, nor were they negligent in causing the tragedy of the monster attacking the village. They should have been immortal masters in the cultivation world in the future, but they were both killed by you.”

"Your action directly caused a shift in the orbits of stars! What do you have to say about that?"

Bitao: "Cause and effect are cyclical, retribution is inevitable, they deserve it."

"Does that mean someone who doesn't directly participate in the killing but merely turns a blind eye and condones it shouldn't die? And is still considered a highly respected role model in the cultivation world? If that's truly the case, then it's a calamity for the righteous path, and the heavenly way is tarnished."

"As for the deviation of star orbits, can't we just correct the deviation?"

"What an arrogant tone! You are not a star god, how could you know what kind of endless troubles the deviation of the star orbit will bring?" This time it was Doubu Zhongtai Liuchun Sikong Xingjun who spoke.

"Nothing in this world is static. Even trees that grow upwards sometimes have a crooked neck. The shifting of mortals' fates is commonplace. The job of the star gods is to keep the sundial upright at all times. Otherwise, what would they be doing hanging in the sky?"

Bitao asked impatiently, "As a lantern?"

When Bitao emerged from the illusion and saw Xuanjia stop, she remembered the turtle egg demon seed and knew that this was not the real world.

He made her waste her feelings, and now he's blaming her with a non-existent illusion.

Bitao didn't intend to be polite anymore. Anyway, she had offended enough ancient immortal clans to go from Taiqing Realm to Shangqing Realm, so one or two more wouldn't make a difference.

Bitao said sarcastically, "If the immortal finds adjusting the sundial troublesome, he can perform a ritual to adjust it. There are plenty of people who want to become star gods..."

Emperor Luofengshan: "Pfft!"

"How dare you!" Both immortals from the Fighting Department were furious.

Bitao's face was gloomy, and she felt a little anxious. She realized that after these two realms, dusk had already fallen over Juntian.

The first realm was broken during the day. Bitao didn't notice the passage of time. She thought that the Illusionary Realm of Debate was a realm that an immortal could break with a flick of his finger, and that the realm had just dissipated when his fingertip fell!

In other words... since she ascended, most of the day has passed, and she has only broken through two realms.

The third competition in the Astral Realm may have already been three or four years ago.

The person behind this might back down after their conspiracy is exposed, but they'll soon be back. It's anyone's guess what new tricks they'll use against Mingguang.

I don't know how Mingguang is doing either.

Bitao really had no desire to waste any more time with these old coffin boards.

She retorted without hesitation, "What am I being presumptuous about? Once I ascend to the rank of Grand Immortal, you might all be under my command. Do you think I'm some obedient little brat from the ancient immortal race under your wings, to be scolded by you?"

"Enough with the nonsense, I win this debate."

"You ask me whether, with such a deep-seated hatred before me, I should willingly fall into demonic ways, staining my hands with blood to seek revenge, or should I instantly become a Buddha, let go of the past, and entrust everything to the cycle of cause and effect."

"With a great grudge at hand, not succumbing to demonic possession and indiscriminate killing is my principle of goodness. Not letting go of the past is my compassion for that peasant girl. Why should I leave everything to karma? I am a celestial being from the Nine Heavens. They dared to sow seeds of karma against me, and I am their retribution."

Among the Six Ding and Six Jia Gods, the Yang God Yu Nan found a flaw in Bi Tao's words: "Leaving aside your repeated influence on mortals' fates, you said that all things grow upwards, and occasionally there are trees with crooked necks. But such crooked trees are wrong in themselves. Since they are wrong, shouldn't they be corrected?"

Yang Shen Yu Nan looked at Bi Tao with a sarcastic tone and said, "A crooked tree is useless and will only lead the surrounding trees astray. What good is it anyway?"

He was implying that Bitao herself was a crooked tree, and that she had corrupted her servants. Clearly, she held a grudge against Taiji for fighting with her in public.

Bitao knew that debate was about using one's own principles to persuade others.

If it weren't for Mingguang in the lower realm, she could have calmly and properly debated with these old things.

But right now, all she wants is to clear the game quickly and find a way to divert the attention of those who are up to no good behind Mingguang's back.

Therefore, Bitao looked at Yangshen Yunan and said directly, "Why is the crooked tree useless? It can be used as a place for those narrow-minded men to hang themselves."

Dong Wanggong: "Pfft!"

Emperor Luofengshan: "Pfft, hahahahahahaha—"

The Great Ruler originally intended for the immortals in the Nine Heavens to be a sinister and awe-inspiring figure.

At that moment, a clear laugh resounded through the heavens, as if the person was lying on the clouds, laughing and slapping their thighs.

"Smack!" "Smack!" "Smack smack smack!"

This caused the immortals, who were anxiously waiting for Bitao below the clouds, to burst into laughter as well.

—I am a celestial being from the Nine Heavens. They dared to sow seeds of karma against me, and I will be their retribution.

—If you don't want to be a star deity, go and worship the sundial! There are plenty of people who would like to!

—A crooked tree makes it easy to hang yourself!

These fallacies and heresies have an almost magical power to keep people's minds replaying them endlessly.

Just as Da Ju was about to burst into laughter, Qingming Emperor, without waiting for the two immortals from the Dou Department to admit that Bi Tao had won, simply said directly: "In the second round of debate, Bi Tao Xuanxian wins."

As Qingming finished speaking, the array that blocked spiritual energy was activated, and a violent spiritual wind surrounded Bitao.

This time, she sensed the spiritual energy cleansing her navel chakra, removing the poisonous spirit within. Once this spirit is fully integrated, she will truly be immune to turbid poisons and her energy sea will be unobstructed.

While Bitao opened her divine sense to receive the gifts of Heaven, she wasn't thinking about how powerful she would become after debating the law.

Instead, if the debate goes on for too long, she needs to make some noise to draw the attention of those behind her away from the competition to her.

When Bitao thought this way, Mingguang, who was in the competition arena, shared the same idea.

He knew that Xiao Taozhi's debate was not something that could be resolved overnight, and that compared to them, who were being watched by all the immortals, Xiao Taozhi was the one in the most danger.

Among those immortals who debated the law, there must be someone specifically trying to prevent her from being promoted to Grand Immortal.

During the three and a half years in the mortal realm, Mingguang led the cultivators to break formations, engage in combat, and break formations again, traveling through the fifteen states of the mortal world along the formation that connects heaven and earth.

In the sky... only half a day should have passed. How many rounds has Little Peach Branch debated? Has she been tricked?

"Mingguang Xuanxian, the last formation has been broken!"

Taiji rushed in excitedly, his stubble on his chin was still black and his hair was a mess.

He gestured wildly: "You wanted me to lead a group to ambush them, so I lay in the grass for two days! But this time, those guys flew halfway and then fell off the sky themselves, hahaha!"

"Dongjun has already hung them all on the trees. He has set a trap to wait for their accomplices to come and rescue them. If the remaining people do not come and refuse to reveal their accomplices, he will hang them directly."

"In two months, no, one month! Once the life force that the Immortal Realm has absorbed from mortals through the array dissipates, there will be no more Immortals left in this world!"

“Those people have been fighting us for over three years! They’ve been barely managing to keep our spiritual energy flowing by relying on the formation, which has caused us a lot of losses.”

"Several people vomited blood on the spot after falling from the sky! One person's hair turned white instantly!"

"When I rushed over with my men... I was so scared... at first glance I thought they had taken Guanghan away again."

Taiji walked over to Mingguang, picked up the teacup on the table, gulped down a cup of tea, and said, "Let them set up arrays everywhere to absorb the life force of mortals, this is retribution!"

"We are their just deserts!"

Tai Chi swallowed a tea stalk and pretended to spit it out.

Mingguang stared at him expressionlessly and said, "Try throwing up in my room."