Outside the hall, Jian Wu and Qi Hua were tense. The evil souls released by Zūnshàng had nearly filled the entire hall. Yet as the chanting and guqin music echoed, the malevolent aura around the souls began to gradually weaken.
Both could clearly see the scene inside. Jian Lu Zūnshàng played the ancient guqin, spreading his spiritual power through the music. Wave after wave, the sound cleansed the evil souls.
Golden Buddhist scriptures floated throughout the hall, and the chanting continued without pause, spreading from the hall to the entire Buddhist Sect.
From sweeping monks to meditating disciples, even Fa Hua at the lotus pond heard the solemn chants. Everyone instinctively sat on the ground and began reciting scriptures together.
The little kids resting in the meditation rooms ran out into the courtyard, listening intently.
"Senior Brother Zong Fan, do you hear the guqin?"
Yu Jiajia tilted her head to listen carefully, then quietly asked Yu Zong Fan beside her.
"Yeah! I hear it. It's the sound of a guqin."
Yu Zong Fan confirmed.
"The guqin's sound blends perfectly with the chanting."
Yu Jiajia nodded, then muttered softly, "This music sounds familiar..."
She scratched her head, trying to recall.
At Baima City beneath the Buddhist Sect mountain, passing cultivators also heard the chanting. Their gazes shifted toward the sect, wondering what grand ceremony was causing such a stir. It took half a day before the first batch of evil souls was fully purified. Jian Dan ended with the final note, and Master Jue Zhan waved his hand, opening an exit to gently sweep the purified souls out.
Once outside the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Hall, the souls appeared in their original forms, bowed to the hall, and then dissipated into twinkling golden lights.
"Senior Brother, are these the souls of cultivators?"
Qi Hua sensed the truth and asked Jian Wu in a whisper.
"Yes! Once cultivators embark on the cultivation path, they do not enter reincarnation. Their souls naturally dissipate."
"What a pity. They were also harmed by evil cultivators. If they really did reincarnate, it might not be good. Their karmic burdens are too heavy."
Jian Wu glanced at Qi Hua and whispered, "You actually understand karmic burdens. Looks like the Buddhist Sect's influence has broadened your insight."
Qi Hua rolled her eyes and kept watching the scene inside.
The chanting inside continued without pause. Jian Dan rested briefly and then asked Master Jue Zhan, "Master, may I release the second batch of evil souls?"
Jue Zhan nodded. Jian Dan waved her hand at the floating "Sealing Evil Bottle" again, releasing the second batch, quickly filling the hall once more.
The purification began again.
Deep in a dark underground cave, Hai Yan's crimson eyes opened once more. He sensed someone purifying the evil souls within the "Ten Thousand Souls Banner."
These souls were painstakingly collected by him. Since the Heavenly Dao had locked him down, preventing him from leaving the cave, he entrusted the banner to the Fu family to nurture and gather more souls. He never expected the Heavenly Sword Sect would destroy it.
The Heavenly Sword Sect's ability was impressive, aiming to purify all the evil souls. This time, it would not be easy.
Hai Yan bit his finger, letting a drop of black-red essence blood fall onto a wooden figure before him. With a wave of his hand, the wooden figure transformed into his form. He followed the trail, swearing to sabotage the soul purification ceremony.
Since the purification began, the sky above the Buddhist Sect had turned clear and bright. A gentle breeze swept over, causing the trees on the mountain to sway softly, as if afraid to disturb the solemn ceremony.
Suddenly, dark clouds thickened overhead. A man dressed in black, surrounded by evil aura, descended from the clouds. Like lightning, he struck a massive palm down.
Everything happened too fast—only three breaths. The giant black palm imprint crashed toward the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Hall. Jian Wu and Qi Hua rose into the air, one wielding a sword, the other a staff, rushing to intercept the giant palm.
At the same moment, a golden Buddhist palm also rose, clashing with the black palm midair. The collision's force radiated outward, and Jian Wu and Qi Hua instantly teleported back to the ground.
"Hmph! The Buddhist Sect is no place for you to cause trouble."
At once, Master Jue Song ascended, launching repeated golden palm strikes against the black-clad evil cultivator.
The Buddhist Sect's protective array had already been activated, shielding the sect and allowing the ceremony at the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Hall to proceed undisturbed. A battle between powerful beings naturally caused a stir. Baima City's defenses took some shock from the aftershocks and quickly raised protective shields. Cultivators in the city anxiously watched the fight.
Inside the hall, Jian Dan exhaled quietly, her guqin music continuing. She actually wanted to go out and confront that evil cultivator herself. Since reaching Unity, she hadn't struck a blow yet. This little thought made her playing slightly hurried.
"Jian Lu Daoyou, calm your mind!"
Master Jue Zhan's voice reminded her. Jian Dan immediately gathered her focus, steadying her emotions, and resumed playing. This time, her spiritual power infused with golden merit light accelerated the purification.
Master Jue Zhan seemed to sense this but did not stop her. He continued chanting the Shurangama Mantra, aiding the purification process.
The battle above the Buddhist Sect attracted nearby sects' attention. Many powerful cultivators rose to watch. Master Jue Song pressed the enemy higher into the sky, using his meditation staff to strike. Golden and black light scattered the clouds, creating a vacuum halo around the battleground.
Suddenly, a tremendous rumble filled the air. A torrent of purple lightning fell like a waterfall from the sky, striking the evil cultivator precisely. The "Torrent Thunderfall" raged for a quarter of an hour, drenching the black figure in purple lightning. When the lightning ceased, nothing remained in the air—not even a trace.
Deep in the black hole underground, Hai Yan stared upward, trying to pierce the dark cave ceiling to glimpse the skies. He could only withdraw his resentful gaze, knowing the single drop of his blood had drawn the Heavenly Dao's lock upon him, condemning him to eternal confinement.
The fierce battle ended amid thunderous purple lightning. Master Jue Song chanted a Buddhist phrase and returned to the Buddhist Sect land. The second purification was complete, and another batch of souls drifted out, dissolving into the air.
Jian Wu and Qi Hua, seeing the fight settle, both exhaled deeply and resumed their watch outside.
Jian Dan did not rush to release the third batch. Instead, she spoke to Master Jue Zhan beside her.
"Master, the last batch are mortal souls, likely collected early on by that evil cultivator. To send them into reincarnation, the Buddhist disciples should chant the Rebirth Mantra."
"Amitabha!"
Master Jue Zhan smiled and nodded.
With approval, Jian Dan released the final batch of souls. They were clearly weaker and fewer than before but carried heavy resentment and evil energy.
"Namo Amitabha, Dhata gata, Dhadi yatha, Amito bapi..."
The familiar chanting rose, blending with Jian Dan's guqin. Slowly, the resentment and evil on the souls purified. The pure souls revealed their true forms and bowed to the gathered Buddhist disciples.
At the moment the protective shield opened, a black door slowly appeared in the void. Two figures—one black, one white—stood on each side.
The souls pulled each other and surged into the black door.
When the last soul entered, the two figures bowed to the Buddhist Sect and then vanished inside. The door disappeared without a trace.
"Amitabha!"
As Master Jue Zhan's voice faded, waves of golden merit light spread throughout the hall.