Chapter 51 What happens to a fallen immortal after death?

“However,” Ling Shu said.

Gu Wan's hand began to dissipate.

She looked at Zhuang Jinfu: "Was Gu Wan's death considered a violent death?"

"Calculate."

A flash of white light suddenly appeared, and the three stared at each other, then froze. Immediately afterward, thunder roared, as if it would shatter the sky.

Gu Wan's feet began to disappear.

Soon after, an even brighter white light flashed.

The light illuminated the area outside the barrier. The ants, like those in an anthill, pounced on the barrier and tore at it. In the distance, the others stood silently in the forest. The ones with the blackest heads, thick arms, and muscular black bodies swayed slightly from side to side. Further down, probably below the knees, they became transparent and had no feet.

The "聻" here is in human form.

The lush grass and shrubs, in the darkness, resembled weeds growing wildly on a grave mound, while the neighing birds were like lonely souls drifting on the chaotic graveyard.

"Hungry……"

"I'm so hungry..."

They were all facing the same direction, staring intently at them.

Ling Shu asked, "Do the ghosts of those who died violently linger at the place of their tragic death?"

A chill ran down her spine; she felt a deep-seated fear of the unknown, and her hair stood on end.

"Yes, of course, it's also possible to linger where one's obsession resides." Zhuang Jinfu spoke slowly and calmly, seemingly without fear, and even went on to explain what a soul is.

"The soul and the spirit, the soul is the essence of yang, and the spirit is the essence of yin. When a person dies, the soul and the spirit leave the body. The soul returns to heaven, and the spirit returns to earth. The one that returns to heaven continues to exist, while the one that returns to earth disappears with the disappearance of the body. Therefore, the soul, the essence of yang, is also called the spirit; the spirit, the essence of yin, is also called the soul. When a person dies, the spirit perishes and becomes a ghost, so people often talk about ghosts."

“Those who ascend to immortality are different. Very few people achieve sainthood in their physical bodies. For example, Erlang Shen Yang Jian achieved enlightenment while he was alive. Most people who ascend to immortality do so after death. When a person dies, their soul does not perish. Their soul and spirit merge into one, and they ascend to become immortals, transforming into immortal bodies. Therefore, people also call immortals gods.”

"This is why Gu Wan was stripped of her immortal status, yet she still possesses an immortal body. An immortal body is different from a physical body; once it rots, it's gone. An immortal body doesn't rot or easily dissipate; it's very stable."

Gu Wan's body dissipated until only her torso remained.

Ling Shu's heart pounded with anxiety: "What happens to a fallen immortal after they die?"

Zhuang Jinfu slowly said, "There are three possibilities: one is to completely dissipate; another is to ascend again as an immortal, and ascend again after a great enlightenment; the third is to transform into a vengeful ghost and harm the region."

“That Gu Wan…”

"That depends on what her soul will become after her immortal body, which carries her soul, completely dissipates."

"If they turn into vengeful ghosts... we're doomed..."

"It's not a big problem." Zhuang Jinfu looked relaxed and reached out to rub the fox ears on Ling Shu's head. When her fingers touched the base of the ear, Ling Shu's body trembled. It seemed that the base of the ear was sensitive. Zhuang Jinfu moved her hand away with satisfaction and touched the tip of the ear.

Ling Shu turned her head away, her ears twitching slightly: "What time is it? Why are you still touching me?"

Zhuang Jinfu chuckled softly. It seemed she didn't like having her ears touched, but the fluffy, warm fox ears felt wonderful to the touch. They twitched occasionally on Ling Shu's head, looking very lively and adorable, making one's heart itch with desire.

Zhuang Jinfu said gently, "It's alright, I'll protect you."

Yin Yu said from the side, "Ugh, this is so cloying. Enough already, there are still people here."

Ling Shu blushed slightly: "Oh, great-grandmother, what nonsense are you talking about?! My master and I are completely innocent. There's nothing wrong with my master being good to his disciple."

Another flash of white light appeared, followed by a bolt of lightning that struck the burning wooden house.

Soon another strike came down, cleaving a tree in two, which burst into flames. Another strike came down, hitting the creature beneath the tree, which instantly vanished into thin air.

The nemora in the forest cried out hoarsely and scattered in all directions. The nemora that had been tearing at the barrier gave up and ran back to their nests with screams.

There are still too many worms covering the mountains and fields.

Many of them even lost their way, some shouting "I'm hungry!" "So hungry!" and others yelling "Ahhh!" "Help!" "Killed!" They bumped into each other and started fighting.

Ling Shu discovered that more lightning strikes were on burning wooden houses.

One after another, bright lights flashed before my eyes, almost blinding me.

A cool hand suddenly covered me, and a little light could be seen through the fingers.

Zhuang Jinfu's clear voice rang in my ears: "Don't look, it's bad for your eyes."

Zhuang Jinfu seemed different tonight than usual; he seemed to favor her. Ling Shu felt a pang of tenderness in her heart and softly said, "Thank you."

Then, not forgetting the thorny issue, he asked, "By the way, Master, how do we kill the vengeful ghost?"

“Thunder magic can kill.” Zhuang Jinfu said this, his voice more breathy, sounding light and gentle.

"Does Master know?" Ling Shu regretted her words as soon as they left her mouth. How could she not know? Oh dear, she shouldn't force conversation when she had nothing to say...

"meeting."

Do you want to learn?

"Let me think about it."

"The lightning was blinding; I slowly opened my eyes."

Ling Shu slowly opened her eyes.

Zhuang Jinfu said, "Thunder Technique is also known as the Five Thunder Technique. It is based on the inner elixir, which guides the Qi of man to resonate with the Qi of heaven and earth, and commands thunder and lightning."

"There are talismans, incantations, and seals. Look at them."

Zhuang Jinfu drew his sword finger, using magic to draw the talisman "Imperial Edict" at the top, "Five Thunders" at the bottom, and thunderbolts at the bottom, chanting: "Five Thunders, Five Thunders, come as I say, strike wherever I point, lightning, come!"

Ling Shu interrupted the spellcasting: "Master, your incantation is improper."

Yin Yu: "For things used by ordinary people, the simpler the better."

Zhuang Jinfu: "Don't you want to learn anymore?"

"Learn, learn, learn!"

Zhuang Jinfu cast the spell again, chanting "Thunder and lightning, come!" He formed the Demon-Slaying Seal, pressing his right thumb onto his four fingers which were clenched inward, and pointed his fist in one direction. Instantly, a thunderbolt descended from the sky and struck the pointed spot, where two demons had just given up their fight and were about to pounce on him.

Thunder struck from the sky, and the smoke and clouds vanished instantly.

Ling Shu's eyes lit up: "I want to learn!"

Yin Yu looked around and said, "Has the miasma thinned out a lot?"

Ling Shu exclaimed with delight, "This Five Thunder Technique can dispel miasma!"

Zhuang Jinfu nodded and said, "Yes, but I am not a lightning spirit root. I am a sword cultivator, and my lightning techniques are not strong. It would be quite difficult for me to fight my way out."

After saying that, he looked at Ling Shu and said, "But you can."

"I?"

Zhuang Jinfu: "Yes, replacing the Ghost-Slaying Seal with a sword and using sword energy to strike ghosts is more effective. Only cultivators with the Thunder Spirit Root can do this; others will suffer a backlash if they do it."

Ling Shu: "If you hadn't taught me sooner, we wouldn't have had to spend the night in the wilderness. I could have just fought my way out."

Zhuang Jinfu: "I'm afraid you'll abuse your demonic power."

Ling Shu: "...That's true."

Ling Shu flicked his sleeves, calmed his mind to feel the Qi in his body and the Qi of heaven and earth, sensed the thunder Qi, and drew a talisman with his sword fingers, imitating Zhuang Jinfu's incantation.

"Five thunders, five thunders, just as I chant, they strike wherever I point, and are instantly effective! Thunder and lightning, come!"

With his right hand forming the Demon-Slaying Seal, he struck at the demon under a tree on the left.

Thud—

Ahhhh—

The leaves rustled, the tree tilted and fell, crashing down on them.

Ling Shu was caught off guard, and Yin Yu was stunned.

Zhuang Jinfu grabbed Yin Yu by the back of her collar with one hand and wrapped his arm around Ling Shu's waist with the other, then jumped to the right. He took a few steps, using the tree trunk as a springboard, and landed on the branches.

The tree trunk fell right where they had just been standing.

Ling Shu said apologetically, "I'm sorry... I missed..."

"What's that?" Yin Yu asked, pointing to the burning wooden house.

Against the light of the fire, a person emerged from the green flames.

A flash of lightning illuminated the man's face.

Her face was beautiful, with a rosy complexion, high arched eyebrows, slightly red lips, and her hair tied in a high ponytail. She was still dressed in blue, with a narrow waist and black leather cuffs. She held a long spear in her hand, exuding a majestic aura, like a general clad in armor and wielding a weapon.

“It’s Gu Wan,” Zhuang Jinfu replied.

Gu Wan looked up and immediately saw the three people in the tree.

Ling Shu: "She...she...she's looking over here!"

Zhuang Jinfu said, "Go down."

"No!" Ling Shu exclaimed, her eyes wide.

Zhuang Jinfu landed steadily in front of Gu Wan with the two of them. Ling Shu looked at Gu Wan and said, "Sister Gu Wan, life and death are predestined. Since you have already left, you should no longer care about worldly affairs. It is not good to be a vengeful ghost and harm one side. Don't do that."

Zhuang Jinfu chuckled softly.

Gu Wan: "A vengeful ghost?"

Ling Shu dared not confront a fallen immortal who had turned into a vengeful ghost, capable of defeating Zhuang Jinfu. She begged for mercy, saying, "We did our best to save you, please don't hurt me! I even carried you out here, please let me go, please let me go."

Gu Wan stepped forward, and Zhuang Jinfu let go of her hand and gave Ling Shu a push from behind, so that Ling Shu immediately stood in front of Gu Wan.

Ling Shu trembled and said, "Master, I've only just learned thunder magic, should I use it now?"

Gu Wan leaned close to Ling Shu's face and said, "I, Gu Wan, love eating foxes the most."

Ling took a step back after the procedure, trembling as she drew talismans and warned, "My master is still here, you...you are not allowed to eat me!"

Zhuang Jinfu suddenly said, "The fox is too troublesome and likes to rebel against its superiors. We don't need it."

Ling Shu stamped her foot in anger: "Master!"

Gu Wan held her spear horizontally, wrapped it around Ling Shu's back, and pulled it to her front: "I like foxes who defy authority. Why don't you come with me, hmm?"

Ling Shu escaped from the side and quickly cast a spell, "Lightning, come!"

With a deafening roar, lightning struck down and hit Gu Wan.

But……

After the lightning struck, Gu Wan was still standing perfectly intact.

Gu Wan smiled and flashed to her side. She put an arm around Ling Shu's side and was about to touch her back when a white sword struck her hand away.

Gu Wan chuckled softly, "Jealous?" She looked at Zhuang Jinfu standing beside Ling Shu.

Zhuang Jinfu said coldly, "That's enough."

Ling Shu immediately shrank behind Zhuang Jinfu and hugged her arm: "Master, save me."

Zhuang Jinfu said gently, "Don't worry, she won't harm you."

Yin Yu also swam over, still holding the green cloth ball.

Gu Wan looked at the green cloth ball, sighed, and asked her, "Where are you taking it?"

"The investigation revealed that this 300-year-old worm is excellent material for worm research."

"Hmm," Gu Wan responded faintly.

Seeing that she had a calm expression, as if she had already let it go and did not seem to be aggressive, Ling Shu dared to approach her a little closer.

Gu Wan glanced at Ling Shu, then looked at Zhuang Jinfu, and said earnestly, "You should prepare for the second path of cultivation."

Zhuang Jinfu spoke to her as if he were speaking in riddles: "How can you be so sure that I won't be able to walk this path well? I'm not you."

Ling Shu looked at the two of them with great confusion, and asked Yin Yu what they were talking about. Yin Yu smiled and said that it was not something you needed to care about and not to think too much about it. Ling Shu responded blankly.

Gu Wan lowered her eyes and after a long while said, "Yes, you are not me, you are not as stubborn as me."

"Let's go." Gu Wan put away her spear and slowly walked out of the forest.

Ling Shu asked, "Why did the vengeful ghost leave?"

Zhuang Jinfu chuckled: "She's not a vengeful ghost; she's ascended to heaven again."

Ling Shu exclaimed in surprise, "Huh?" Then she punched Zhuang Jinfu's arm and said, "Master, you're bad! You're bullying a child! You did it on purpose, didn't you? You knew I was scared, but you still pushed me out!"

Zhuang Jinfu smiled and said with pleasure, "Nineteen years old, not young anymore. In the human world, most nineteen-year-old girls are already married."

Yin Yu interjected, "Don't be like those old-fashioned people who urge her to get married and find a Daoist partner when she reaches a certain age. This matter has to be something the girl herself is willing to do."

Zhuang Jinfu said solemnly, "I know, I won't force her."

Ling Shu said embarrassedly, "Why did this suddenly come up with about me... I don't want to hear it."

Zhuang Jinfu: "Okay, then I won't say anything more."

Ling Shu looked in the direction Gu Wan had left and asked, "So what exactly happened between Gu Wan and Yi Yun in the past?"

Zhuang Jinfu: "Why don't you go and ask her?"

Ling Shu chased after Gu Wan in the direction she had left, calling out, "Hey! Immortal Venerable Gu Wan, wait for me!"