Seeking Immortality 018

Xu Xiaoya saw Fang Zhiyi and immediately became so excited that she couldn't speak.

Fang Zhiyi winked at her.

"Disciple, why are you so disrespectful to your master?" Xuan Jizi asked, a trace of confusion still on his face.

Fang Zhiyi looked at him with some amusement: "Sometimes I can't tell if you're truly mad or not. Have you forgotten? It was you who killed me with your own hands back then."

"Nonsense! How could your master..." Xuan Jizi paused abruptly mid-sentence, then released Xu Xiaoya's hand. "I killed you? Why would I kill you?"

Fang Zhiyi was certain now: this crazy old Daoist was genuinely ill.

"Old man, your original name is Ji Huasheng, born into a scholarly family. Obsessed with tales of cultivating immortality and becoming an immortal, you ran away from home and joined the Daoist sect—am I right?"

Xuan Jizi froze again, muttering under his breath: "Ji Huasheng, Ji Huasheng? Who is Ji Huasheng?"

"You don't remember, do you? Consumed by demonic obsession, you slaughtered your master and senior brothers—thirteen in total—and seized the temple. When people discovered it, the authorities pursued you for days, eventually captured you, and brought you to justice. But your mother was too heartbroken. She used the family's wealth to bribe officials, found a prisoner to take your place, and he lost his head for you."

Xuan Jizi touched his own head, his gaze growing increasingly dazed.

"They brought you home, but lost in your demonic madness, you snapped again. First you killed your servants, then your younger siblings and parents! Finally, you snuck into that abandoned temple and dreamed of becoming an immortal!"

Xuan Jizi's eyes widened: "I—I killed my parents? Impossible, impossible. How could I... No, those seeking immortality must sever all worldly desires. They were all obstacles holding me back. They deserved to die. All of them deserved to die."

"I am Ji Huasheng? No, no, I am Xuan Jizi. I am Xuan Jizi."

His eyes were bloodshot as he roared and lunged at Fang Zhiyi with terrifying speed. But just as he was about to grab hold of Fang Zhiyi, his feet suddenly felt stuck. Xuan Jizi looked down in confusion and saw several black arms emerging from the ground, now tightly gripping his legs.

Xuan Jizi let out a surprised "Huh?" but didn't seem overly startled.

Fang Zhiyi narrowed his eyes—it worked! As he waved the banner in his hand, several black souls surged forth and flew at Xuan Jizi.

But in the next moment, Fang Zhiyi watched in astonishment as a layer of golden light radiated from Xuan Jizi's body. The black souls bounced off it, and the arms that had restrained him also released their grip.

"Merit-based golden light? Is there no justice in this world?" Fang Zhiyi was stunned.

Xuan Jizi, however, seemed to have just recalled something. He tilted his head and looked at Fang Zhiyi: "I remember now—aren't you supposed to be dead? You died already. Who are you? How dare you impersonate my disciple!" His voice suddenly rose, and out of nowhere, he produced a black sword. With a single swing, several black souls were instantly cleaved apart.

"You speak sweet words, trying to deceive me! I am half-immortal in body, and today I will attain immortality! I am Xuan Jizi!"

Another swing, and several more black souls dissipated.

Xuan Jizi looked at Fang Zhiyi, saw the shock on his face, and burst into laughter: "You vile spirit dare impersonate my disciple! How despicable! How hateful! Once I slay you, I can become an immortal!"

His form flickered as he lunged at Fang Zhiyi like a great bird. With each wave of the banner, several black souls flew out to block him, but Xuan Jizi cut them all down with his sword. Seeing Fang Zhiyi's panicked expression, he sneered: "How dare heretical arts compete with the sun and moon?"

Fang Zhiyi instinctively raised the banner again, and countless black arms rose from the ground, trying to seize Xuan Jizi. Xuan Jizi scoffed: "Still using some formations? You think such tricks can trap me?"

He tapped the ground with his toes and swiftly closed in on the retreating Fang Zhiyi. Fang Zhiyi instinctively hid the banner behind his back. Xuan Jizi's eyes lit up, and he thrust his sword forward, forcing Fang Zhiyi to roll aside clumsily to dodge. Then Xuan Jizi grabbed the tattered banner.

He looked at the object in his hand with curiosity: "This thing is quite a treasure..." Then he turned to Fang Zhiyi: "You demonic wretch, won't cultivate properly and rely on such petty tricks to fool a half-immortal? How laughable! How laughable!"

With that, he slashed the tattered banner in two.

But Fang Zhiyi suddenly smiled.

"Hmm?" Xuan Jizi was about to question him when Fang Zhiyi spoke first: "A man who murdered his mother and father—how could he be worthy of immortality?"

Xuan Jizi flew into a rage: "Blasphemy! Silence, you fiend!" He struck down with his sword, but Fang Zhiyi melted away like water. In the next moment, Fang Zhiyi reappeared behind him: "You killed your parents and your family. You can never become an immortal."

"Shut up! Shut up!"

"Gousheng, what—what's happening to him?" Xu Xiaoya, who had run to Fang Zhiyi's side, asked. All she saw was the madman alternating between crying and laughing, wildly swinging his sword at nothing.

Fang Zhiyi said in a low voice: "Illusion."

"Illusion?"

"Yes. People with unstable minds are more susceptible to illusions. Just a little prodding to make them doubt themselves, combined with some small tricks—like setting up a formation or two." Fang Zhiyi clapped his hands. "Knowing this old man as I do, he'd definitely notice me setting up a formation. But he probably didn't expect that the first formation was just a decoy."

Xu Xiaoya looked confused.

"This formation is something I developed back in the day. I thought it was useless, but I never imagined I'd one day use it myself." Fang Zhiyi laughed self-deprecatingly. "The Ten-Thousand Soul Banner was the formation's anchor. Now that he's destroyed it, the trap is sealed."

"Why?"

"Because..." He trailed off, then said, "Forget it. Let's make a run for it now!"

Xu Xiaoya couldn't follow his explanation either, watching Xuan Jizi rampage in the distance. She tightly grabbed Fang Zhiyi's hand, but he pulled free. "Run? No way. Let me teach you a saying: 'If you don't pull out the roots, the weeds will grow again come spring.'"

"But he's just a madman..."

Fang Zhiyi smiled: "So what if he is? Honestly, if he doesn't die, I won't be able to sleep at night."

Just then, Xuan Jizi, who had been laughing wildly, suddenly stopped. He looked around in confusion.

"How are you still alive? No, no, this is wrong!"

He began rapidly calculating with his fingers. Fang Zhiyi frowned.

Xuan Jizi suddenly turned to look in their direction: "Using underhanded tricks against me! DIE!!!"

With a single slash, Fang Zhiyi's body slowly split in two.

"HAHAHAHA! How dare you show off with such petty tricks!" Xuan Jizi rejoiced. But when he turned, he saw another Fang Zhiyi standing behind him.

"Ji Huasheng, you killed your parents, and now you've killed so many others. How could you possibly become an immortal? In this life, you will never attain immortality!"

"Nonsense! I am destined to become an immortal!" Xuan Jizi was driven mad. "A double-layer illusion?! Where is the formation's anchor? Where?!"