An illusion, beautiful but treacherous. Her words were nothing but lies to bewitch me. Releasing a tiger back into the mountains would only invite endless trouble.
Wang Xiu calmly gazed at the tiger's corpse; he was no fool whose head was turned by lust.
As a Devil General in the middle of the Core Formation Stage, her cultivation level was far above his. Without the power of the formation, it would have been extremely difficult to subdue such a fiend. Claiming her as a pet would be like planting a time bomb beside him, ready to explode at any moment.
He took out his storage bag and placed the tiger corpse inside.
Wang Xiu said indifferently, "Weren't you going to acknowledge me as your master? What are you doing hiding underground?"
BOOM!
The suppressive might of the Nether King's Authority spilled out. In an instant, a white light shot from the ground, transforming into a massive white tiger spirit. It lay prostrate on the ground, unable to move.
"You!"
The Tiger Demon looked up at Wang Xiu, her eyes filled with both resentment and intense fear. Now in her spirit form, she could truly feel the pressure emanating from him. It was a tremor that ran deep in her soul, making it impossible to even consider resisting.
"You killed me! And you still want me to recognize you as my master?" the Tiger Demon cried with grief and indignation. "You're taking this too far!"
Wang Xiu replied matter-of-factly, "If I didn't kill you, how could I dare take you as my demonic servant? Now, tell me, will you serve me or not?"
The Tiger Demon answered resentfully, "I will."
Wang Xiu nodded slightly. "Since you acknowledge me as your master, you should also offer up your inheritance and fortunate encounters."
The Tiger Demon was stunned. Inheritance and fortunate encounters? What is he talking about? They don't exist!
Seeing the evasive look in the Tiger Demon's eyes, Wang Xiu smiled. "Cannibal Ghoul Transformation is an extremely rudimentary Divine Skill. As your servants, the Ghoul Servants offer no benefit to your cultivation; on the contrary, you must feed them your mana or yin energy to help them grow."
"Generally speaking, a Tiger Demon only needs to keep two or three Ghoul Servants to attend to daily needs, lure in travelers, and hunt for sustenance. That should be enough."
"Yet you refined dozens of them."
"Without some special opportunity, how could you possibly afford such an expense?"
"Furthermore, when cultivators who have not yet reached the Nascent Soul Stage die, their souls become wandering spirits, having lost their minds. They can only recover their memories if they are awakened by someone or stumble upon a fortuitous encounter."
"You just died, yet you immediately regained your senses and even knew to hide underground in an attempt to escape my notice."
"Heh, a spirit this strong isn't normal at all!"
"You!"
The Tiger Demon's expression turned incredibly ugly. This youth looked so young, yet he was astonishingly difficult to fool. Does this mean I truly have to hand over that treasure? But such immense wealth… I can't bear to part with it! The Tiger Demon was deeply conflicted.
"So be it," Wang Xiu sighed. "Since you are unwilling to speak, let's forget it. Instead of weaving lies, it would be better for you to say nothing at all."
Phew…
The Tiger Demon had just breathed a sigh of relief when, in the next second, a brilliant purple blade of light flashed past, shredding the massive tiger spirit into pieces. Even at the moment her spirit dissipated, the Tiger Demon's eyes were still filled with disbelief.
This guy… He killed a tiger without even batting an eye. How ruthless! He shattered my spirit just because I hesitated for a moment!
"You have too many cunning thoughts. I cannot keep you," Wang Xiu said, slowly shaking his head. He formed a hand seal and dispelled the surrounding formation. "You lot, devour her spirit. But leave behind the memories related to her fortuitous encounters."
WHOOSH!
The Four Symbols Divine Beasts Phantom shattered, and miniature Soul Pets shot out from within. Like puppies catching the scent of meat, they pounced on the fragments of the Tiger Demon's spirit.
A Devil Soul from the Core Formation Stage was exceptionally nourishing for these little creatures. Once they fully digested it, leveling up two or three times would be easy.
While the four Soul Pets devoured the Tiger Demon's spirit, Wang Xiu did not remain idle. He put his True Disciple robes back on, sat down slowly in the forest, and took out a stack of yellow paper and a bell from his storage bag.
He began to chant.
"By the Supreme Imperial Decree, I guide your lost spirits to peace."
"All phantoms and ghosts, touched by the grace of the Four Births."
"Those with heads shall ascend; those without shall rise."
"Slain by spear or sword, drowned in water or hanged by rope."
…
"I decree salvation for you all, to be reborn with haste."
"I decree salvation for you all, to be reborn with haste."
This was the Daoist School's Rebirth Mantra, which could help the spirits of those who died wrongfully find release and reincarnate sooner.
In Mingyue Mountain, at least a hundred victims had their flesh eaten by the Tiger Demon and their spirits consumed by Malicious Ghosts, leaving their True Spirits to wander, lost in the mountain mists. Without help, it might have taken them hundreds of years to re-enter the cycle of reincarnation.
Wang Xiu's chanting of the Rebirth Mantra would help them gather their lost True Spirits and reincarnate sooner, which was also an act of merit.
As the mantra echoed through the mountains, specks of white light began to drift up from the forest, the rocks, and the vegetation. They gradually coalesced into pure orbs of light.
These were the True Spirits.
Hidden within the three hun and seven po souls, they were without thought or consciousness and possessed no spiritual energy. Even if devoured, they could not be refined or absorbed. Previously, they had been trapped inside the Malicious Ghosts, unable to pass on. By killing the ghosts, Wang Xiu had released them.
Now, with the aid of the Rebirth Mantra, they were merging once more with their scattered spiritual essences, briefly regaining their mortal memories.
"We thank the Immortal Master for his immense grace!"
"We thank the Immortal Master for his immense grace!"
"We thank the Immortal Master for his immense grace!"
In the void, men and women, old and young, all bowed deeply to Wang Xiu, their forms filled with gratitude.
"May the heavens be filled with boundless Qi! And may my Dao prosper!"
Wang Xiu returned the gesture with a bow. "Vanquishing demons and guiding lost souls are the duties of Taoism. You may all pass on to your next lives now."
Amidst the endless golden light, the wisps of spirits gradually ascended. Then, the golden light in the sky shattered, transforming into a rain of light that fell and merged with Wang Xiu's body, making his entire body feel light and comfortable. Even his Spiritual Platform felt much clearer and more lucid.
"Is this what merit feels like?" Wang Xiu squinted, almost moaning in pleasure. No wonder so many Daoist ancestors enjoyed slaying demons to accumulate merit. Doing good deeds really does feel amazing!
Malicious Ghosts wreaking havoc and a ferocious tiger devouring people—by ridding the Human Race of these evils, Wang Xiu was acting in complete accordance with the Heavenly Order. He was truly 'acting on heaven's behalf.' Combined with guiding over a hundred deceased souls to their reincarnation, the merit he gained was undoubtedly substantial.
As the merit infused his body, Wang Xiu felt his mana surge. Many of the abstruse and difficult aspects of his Daoist Magic suddenly became clear, flooded with new insights.
However, this kind of boost was merely icing on the cake for Wang Xiu. He had the System, after all. As long as he kept listening to people boast, his mana would grow steadily, and the Divine Abilities he received from it were perfected upon integration. As for his own training in the Divination Sect's arts, it consisted mostly of fortune-telling and matchmaking—things that weren't very useful in actual combat, to be honest.
Of course, having merit was better than having none. It was said that when one's merit accumulated to a truly profound degree, they could gain the favor of the Heavenly Dao, significantly boosting their own luck. As for whether that was true or not, it was a matter of perspective.
By the time Wang Xiu had finished guiding the souls, his four Soul Pets had devoured nearly all of the Tiger Demon's spirit, each one burping in satisfaction. If not for Wang Xiu's control, they would have already transformed into Soul Eggs and fallen into a deep slumber.
WHOOSH!
After finishing off the Tiger Demon's spirit, the four little Soul Pets performed a few aerial spins before shooting off in unison toward the depths of Mingyue Mountain.
Wang Xiu hurried to follow.
After winding through the forest for a good while, the four Soul Pets stopped before a rock wall completely covered in dense vines, showing no signs of anything unusual.
WHOOSH!
The four Soul Pets began to glow brightly, their light pulsing with excitement and joy. Their speed soared as they crashed directly into the rock wall and disappeared inside.