Che Chen pondered in secret how to obtain the supreme treasure.

    He felt confident that his guess was right, and that to awaken the spirit of the artifact, a sacrifice of a immortal was necessary, thus avoiding danger for himself.

    Moreover, he believed that the possibility of sacrificing a spirit beast to awaken the artifact's spirit was relatively small.

    Because Chen Yun saw the tragic scene of the spirit beast that had grown wings like a tiger when he came in just now.

    He believed that the spirit beast that guarded the purple bead couldn't be that weak.

    However, Long Zhan Tian managed to kill it, without offering it as a sacrifice to the purple bead.

    Of course, my guess might also be incorrect.

    Chen Yun analyzed, "Perhaps Long Zhan Tian killed the spirit beast first, then discovered the purple bead, by which time it was too late. Therefore, upon learning that I and Ni Da Li had arrived here, she disregarded everything and tried to subdue us both to sacrifice us to awaken the spirit of the artifact."

    Both possibilities are valid.

    He could try to sacrifice a spirit beast first and see if it works.

    No good, let's think of other ways.

    Chen Yun also plucked some nine-grade purple mushrooms for Ni Da Li.

    Unfortunately, the spirit beast that had grown wings like a tiger seemed to have been looted by Long Zhan Tian before. There was not a single essence inside it, only the sharp fangs and the huge "tiger skin" were harvested.

    Come outside.

    Chen Yun casually threw the nine-grade purple mushrooms over his shoulder, "Brother Niu, take it."

    Ni Da Li casually caught it, "What the…Huh, nine-grade purple mushrooms?"

    Chen Yun smiled, "Exactly."

    Ni Da Li's expression was filled with awe as he said, "This is truly a rare treasure, an excellent elixir for invigorating the body and nourishing the spirit, and it also has powerful healing properties. While cultivators at the Earth Realm level might not value it much, for us at the human realm level, nine-level purple mushrooms are a divine root that we have always dreamt of. Master Chen, how could you have found such an extraordinary celestial root in the cave? Could it be that Long Zhan Tian hasn't been here to pick all the nine-level purple mushrooms?"

    "She has been here before."

    Chen Yun explained the situation inside roughly, including the purple bead.

    He had actually considered not telling Ni Da Li about the purple bead, but since he was traveling together with him and the other party had shared every detail, from what good things there were on Maoli Mountain, it was unreasonable for him to act like a scoundrel.

    Ni Da Li seemed to have never expected Chen Yun to be so straightforward, even revealing the existence of the super-powerful artifact in the cave.

    This respect made Ni Da Li stand up straight, "Master Chen is truly a man of the true Daoist school, with such a magnanimous chest, I admire him deeply from the bottom of my heart."

    Chen Yun laughed and said, "No matter how powerful a treasure is, it's not as valuable as our friendship. Brother Niu has treated me well; how could I hide good treasures from you? That's not the behavior of a gentleman."

    Ni Da Li laughed heartily and extended his thumb, "A true gentleman!"

    Chen Yun was amused by his remark and chatted jovially with him for a couple of sentences.

    Then, Ni Da Li asked curiously, "I guess sacrificing a strong spirit beast might awaken the spirit of the artifact. How about this? You go back to wait by the Jiuxiuhuanxin herb first, and I'll go catch a strong spirit beast to see if the sacrifice will work."

    To some extent, the value of Jiuxiuhuanxin grass is even higher than that of so-called super artifacts.

    After all, it's equivalent to giving people below the heavenly realm an extra life.

    It's common knowledge which is more important: life or treasure.

    Chen Yun knew that Ni Da Li was worried that there might be powerful cultivators coming by later and taking the Jiuxiuhuanxin grass without noticing them, so he wanted to be stronger to protect it.

    This indirectly reflects Ni Da Li's trust in Chen Yun.

    Because generally, people would think of guarding things of greater value themselves rather than leaving them for others to watch over.

    Chen Yun naturally would not betray Ni Da Li's trust.

    He spoke with full energy, "Alright, but Brother Niu, your injuries haven't healed yet. It's not advisable for you to go out and search for spirit beasts. I'll treat you after this, and once you've fully recovered, you can go out to find a spirit beast."

    Ni Da Li said, "Thank you, Master Chen."

    ...

    The two men chatted as they returned to the Jiuxiuhuanxin herb.

    Chen Yun and Ni Da Li sat down casually on some rocks nearby.

    "Brother Niu, while I'm healing your wounds, please try to suppress your own essence as much as possible, or the treatment won't be as effective."

    Chen Yun gave a word of advice to the other party.

    Ni Da Li nodded lightly as he sat across from him, "I understand."

    Chen Yun said, "Alright, I'll heal your wounds now."

    Upon finishing his words, he mobilized the power of "The Path of Life" and concentrated it on Ni Da Li's body, which was covered in injuries.

    In the next moment, Ni Da Li felt a mysterious force spreading across his body.

    The wounds on his body that were still bleeding seemed to be healing at an astonishing speed!

    In just a short while, Ni Da Li's injuries were completely healed.

    He looked incredulous, "Master Chen, what kind of healing technique is this? It's so miraculous! The injuries on Brother Niu's body were only skin injuries, but Long Zhan Tian's Divine Sword seemed to possess some bizarre power that kept stopping the essence in my body from repairing the wounds. Only by expelling that strange power could I completely heal those injuries. In my previous calculations, it would have taken me a whole day to heal them completely, but you did it in just a short moment? This is simply beyond belief!"

    Chen Yun laughed heartily, "This is a 'Dao' that I have realized, known as 'The Path of Life,' and it is particularly effective in treating injuries..."

    He was about to continue when he suddenly remembered something and changed the subject, "Brother Niu, you mentioned that there was a strange force blocking your wounds from healing, but in the amazing power of 'The Path of Life' I cultivated, those strange forces were expelled instantly, and your injuries were healed. Is that correct?"

    Ni Da Li thought carefully for a moment and then replied seriously, "Not expelled, rather, under the power of your 'Path of Life,' I felt that the strange forces around my wounds were completely dissolved. Even more astonishingly, they were assimilated into the power of 'The Path of Life,' as if they had become part of it, helping me to heal even faster."

    "Huh?"

    Could it be that the "Law of Kill" power's countermeasure is the power of "The Path of Life" I have cultivated?

    Chen Yun had previously sensed a strange power similar to the "Law of Kill" within Long Zhan Tian's divine sword.

    Ni Da Li believed that it was this force that had adhered to Brother Niu's wounds, blocking their healing.

    And the strange forces were dissolved, even assimilated by, the power of 'The Path of Life,' helping Brother Niu with his healing?

    If that were the case, it would mean that he had found a way to counter Long Zhan Tian's divine sword.

    Chen Yun believed that the weapon used by Long Zhan Tian during combat must be imbued with extraordinary power, but the other party had not truly demonstrated it, making it appear ordinary.

    If the "Path of Life" he had cultivated could indeed counterbalance the "Law of Kill"-like power.

    Then, the power of "The Path of Life" might not only be used as a healing technique but also as an offensive one.

    Chen Yun decided to ask clarification, "Brother Niu, when your wounds were not healed by me just now, did you feel that the wounds seemed to be emitting a corrosive force or a force of decomposition, dividing your body and spiritual energy?"

    He asked this question with an expression of extreme seriousness.

    Seeing Chen Yun's serious expression, Ni Da Li did not reply immediately but took a moment to carefully recall.

    Ni Da Li deeply agreed, "Just as Master Chen said, when my wounds were not yet healed by you, there was indeed a strange force decomposing my flesh and the essence trying to heal my wounds. However, those strange forces were not strong enough to cause me to perish. Otherwise, I might have been long dead by now!"

    What?

    Is that really as I guessed?

    Chen Yun became intrigued and started to contemplate on it.

    It appears that Long Zhan Tian's divine sword is likely one of his bottom cards.

    The other party had seen the ability to completely suppress both him and Long Zhan Tian, so they had not actually activated the power of the divine sword.

    It was only the strange force hidden beneath the sword surface that was inadvertently revealed and leaked into Brother Niu's wounds, causing this situation.

    "It can be inferred that next time I meet Long Zhan Tian, I might be able to use the power of 'The Path of Life' to have an advantage over him."

    Chen Yun pondered silently in his heart, and his eyes kept flickering.

    Ni Da Li seemed to have noticed this and was slightly surprised, "Master Chen, there is something I'm not sure if I should say or not."

    Chen Yun came back to his senses, "Go ahead and speak."

    Ni Da Li seemed to have some reservations and organized his words before slowly speaking what he wanted to say, "Although I am not a disciple of the orthodox school of Taoism, the cultivation method I practice also originates from the orthodox school. I know that your Sanqing orthodoxy is a path of cultivating the mind and virtue, and the aura you emit is also incredibly approachable."

    Chen Yun knew that Ni Da Li's words had not been finished and kept listening quietly.

    Ni Da Li continued, "However, while you were pondering just now, I seemed to detect a aura of ferocity and coldness. It's as if you…seems like you're somewhat descending into the realm of demons."

    Hearing this, Chen Yun slightly hesitated.

    Could it be that even Ni Da Li can sense that I seem to have fallen into demonism?

    Chen Yun finally realized something. He had previously used the essence of Bai Nu Jiao to forcibly condense the image of his spirit essence. This had indeed elevated his power slightly above that of Dao Xin, and more seriously, it had reached a severe level.

    Why does he think it's relatively serious?

    Because if it's not serious, at most, he would feel uncomfortable, and it wouldn't let others sense the ferocity and coldness.

    Chen Yun couldn't help but furrow his brow, knowing that if he couldn't control the damaged Dao-heart, he might fall into a realm of demons and never be able to escape.

    It's one thing to understand this principle.

    Whether or not it can be resolved is another matter.

    Chen Yun evidently doesn't have a solution for this problem.

    Or, in the Moon and Sun cave, he couldn't solve this problem.

    If he were outside, he could simply figure out a way to kill Gouteng Dao Ren to mend the shattered Dao-heart.

    "Such a situation will not be helpful."

    Chen Yun's heart was filled with worries, "One year is too long. If I really lose control and fall into demonism during this period, with my powerful cultivation base, I might do many evil things that go against the essence of my Daoist practice."

    He felt some distress and wanted to find a solution.

    While pondering in his mind, Ni Da Li got up and said, "Master Chen, Brother Niu's injuries have been healed. I'll go out now to find the spirit beast. Once I find it, I'll call you to join me in going to the cave to try and awaken Zi Zhu's spirit."

    Chen Yun replied distractedly, "Very well."

    Ni Da Li didn't say anything else and turned to leave outside.

    Once Ni Da Li was gone, Chen Yun fell into a deeper contemplation.

    "I must suppress the 'demon thoughts' within me and not let myself be dominated by power."

    Chen Yun remembered all the things he had learned.

    "What techniques can I use to suppress the 'demonic thoughts' within my heart?"

    He thought of quite a few.

    For example, reading "Huang Ting" and entering a state of spiritual emptiness.

    In order to try whether the method works or not, Chen Yun began to try them one by one.

    He took out the "Huang Ting" from the Tugao Space and sat there, focusing on reading it.

    Time passed one drop at a time.

    Gradually, Chen Yun really did enter a state of spiritual emptiness.

    Under this state, almost all the demonic thoughts and distractions in his heart disappeared.

    Chen Yun thought it was effective at that time.

    But to his surprise, when he exited the state of spiritual emptiness, the demon thoughts slowly returned.

    "No!"

    Chen Yun immediately realized this, "In general, methods of cultivation and self-cultivation cannot suppress that demonic thought in my heart. Only by using strong medicine can I achieve this."

    What kind of strong medicine would work?

    Chen Yun really couldn't think of an answer!

    Even so, he still sat there, not stopping his thinking.

    This matter concerns his future. If it's not handled properly and he truly falls into a state of going mad from practicing too much cultivation, all those decades of hard work could be reduced to ashes, which is relatively minor. What he fears most is losing his life.

    The stronger one's cultivation, the more severe the backlash when going mad from cultivating too much.

    With his current half-step of Tianxian realm, there is indeed a possibility that he could lose his life if he falls into the state of going mad from excessive cultivation.

    Chen Yun took this matter very seriously and kept thinking about how to find a solution.

    "Even if we don't talk about solving the problem, just being able to suppress the demonic thoughts in my heart for a year would be enough. With sufficient time, I could return to the real world and kill Gouteng Dao Ren once and for all."

    Chen Yun's thoughts were becoming more and more distant, "But how can I suppress the demonic thoughts for such a long time?"

    The more he couldn't come up with an answer, the more urgently he wanted to find a solution.

    Then, Chen Yun found himself in a dead end, and his whole body had a sense of obsession.

    Perhaps it was precisely because he fell into a state of extreme obsession.

    Even when Ni Da Li returned, Chen Yun didn't notice any movement from him.

    "Chen Zhenren? Chen Zhenren?" Ni Da Li called softly.

    Chen Yun suddenly woke up, "Brother Ni, you're back…… What happened to the Master Static Dust?"

    He saw a spirit beast lying quietly at his feet, resembling a pterodactyl.

    And next to the spirit beast that resembled a pterodactyl, Jing Chen had also fallen asleep quietly.

    Her whole face was like gold foil, as if she had sustained very serious injuries.

    Ni Da Li said, "I don't know what happened to Master Jing Chen. When I was capturing the spirit beast, I saw her unconscious by a cliff nearby. It seems she encountered a powerful spirit beast or a fierce spirit energy storm and couldn't avoid it, resulting in serious injuries. Master Chen, should we save her?"

    Should we save Master Jing Chen?

    A malicious thought suddenly arose in Chen Yun's heart.

    If the sacrifice of the spirit beast fails, could I sacrifice Master Jing Chen to the spirit of Zi Zhu's artifact?

    Fortunately, Chen Yun woke up in time and realized his mistake. He felt ashamed and knew that he had once again fallen into the realm of demons. He had just thought of such a cruel idea.

    No, that won't do.

    We can't go on like this anymore!

    Chen Yun took a deep breath.

    He was about to say something to Ni Da Li.

    Suddenly, he looked at Master Jing Chen and had an idea.

    Doesn't Buddhism have some secrets that can make people serene?

    Chen Yun pondered: If he healed Master Jing Chen, could he perhaps have her use some serene Buddhist secret methods on him to solve the great problem of going mad from cultivating too much?