IS Chapter 88

Chapter 88

The first spiritual pearl was of Buddhism, and the second was of Daoism.

Unfortunately, Wei Sheng Xian wasn’t here.

Evidently, the Dao cultivators weren’t flying fast enough.

Why didn’t he use his extremely exquisite teleportation array to arrive in an instant?

The pearl was full of Daoist techniques, and a will was resisting Ye Zhuo’s observation. But how could Ye Zhuo let it have its way? Even if he didn’t understand, he used his divine sense to suppress it.

Vaguely, he saw a female figure within.

The woman was dressed in a cyan Daoist robe, her hair bound with a feather crown. Her features were like a flower in a mirror, indistinct, but he could recognize her as the Daoist priest in the previous pearl who had bluntly said, “Separate the two realms, and be done with it once and for all.”

This inheritance pearl seemed to be left by her.

And her Daoist title was: Heng Zhao.

From a young age, Heng Zhao had been apprenticed to a hermit in the mountains, cultivating the Great Dao of the realms, taking it as her responsibility to protect the human world.

She had a junior brother, Daoist title Heng Ming. Compared to her, Heng Ming’s aptitude was ordinary, and his temperament was dull, but he had always followed her, diligently assisting her.

Heng Zhao was exceptionally gifted, easily perceiving the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. The Daoist insights she left behind were also vast and unrestrained. Her junior brother would often scratch his head and rack his brains to understand them, finally organizing them into clear and coherent statements that could be passed down to later generations.

Of course, whether it was the “vast and unrestrained” insights or the “clear and coherent” statements after organization, they made little difference to Ye Zhuo. Perhaps this was the reason why the inheritance pearl disliked him.

After Ye Zhuo had seen Daoist Heng Zhao’s lifelong Daoist insights, the inheritance pearl in his hand hadn’t changed much. It even intensified its attempts to escape from his grasp and fly away.

Ye Zhuo held it firmly, thought for a moment, and poured his Buddhist insights into it in one go.

The strong resistance lasted for a long time. Finally, the pearl quieted down.

A not-so-clear scene appeared before Ye Zhuo’s eyes.

Unlike the green hills and clear waters seen in the previous inheritance pearl, this place was filled with gloomy winds and miserable fog, resembling the Void Realm. However, the people in the scene were still the same as before.

“Thank you all for your help. The great formation is now set up.” Heng Zhao stood at the forefront, looking down at the mountains and rivers of the Void Realm, her robes fluttering like a crane.

“Once the great formation is activated, it will slowly separate the two realms. From now on, humans and ghosts will have no further connection,” she said.

“This formation is truly interesting,” the old man who had been fishing by the water said.

“It is naturally interesting,” Heng Zhao said. “The great formation is divided into eight gates: Open, Rest, Life, Death, Surprise, Harm, Block, and View. The eight gates are all at the key points where the human and ghost realms meet, with three in the human realm, three in the ghost realm, and two in the Void Realm.”

“Today, we will activate all eight gates of the great formation, and the human and ghost realms will be severed completely.” Saying this, she raised a proud smile. “Moreover, even after a thousand years when the realms shift and the ghost realm descends upon the human world again, this formation will still be here. At that time, later generations only need to activate five of the eight gates to reawaken the great formation and once again reject the ghost realm—thinking about it truly refreshes my mind.”

The old man looked solemn, but he pondered for a long time. Finally, he spoke:

“Daoist Heng Zhao, although these eight gate key points can separate the two realms, have you ever considered that if the ghost realm comes again after a thousand years, the positions of these eight gates can also serve as markers and guides, allowing the two realms to… interlock and smoothly accommodate each other?”

“I have considered it,” Heng Zhao said. “But in this moment of life and death, I only care about the present. As for what will happen in a thousand years—that’s something only Heaven knows!”

“Don’t worry,” another person’s voice came over. “Although all of us cultivate the Great Dao of the realms, we each have our own inheritance and are not from the same school. It has taken many difficulties for us to gather here today. After the two realms are separated, we might as well divide the inheritance of the eight gate positions, each guarding a secret. In this way, it won’t be exploited by those with ulterior motives.”

“That’s a good idea,” the old man said. “I think restrictions should also be set on the opening of the gates.”

“Alright,” Heng Zhao said. “The Void Realm is the place where the two realms intersect, and the Block and View gates within it are the most crucial. I will guard the View Gate. Only those who can pass the test, gain my approval, and inherit my legacy will be able to reopen this gate. How does that sound?”

“Excellent,” someone said.

Another voice said, “But this formation is so vast; activating it will require paying a great price.”

“Easy to say,” Heng Zhao said, her expression unchanged. “I will nourish the formation with my own body, which should be enough to activate half of it. Everyone, who is willing to go with me?”

“Senior Sister!” Her junior brother Heng Ming, who had been silent until now, suddenly raised his head. “How can you—”

“My mind is made up,” Heng Zhao said. “The realm Dao is forever cut off from ascension, and is destined to live and die with this world. To die in the right place is my wish. Heng Ming, the Hidden Garden lineage will be passed on by you from now on.”

She spoke decisively, leaving no room for argument.

The stalemate of silence was broken by a compassionate Buddhist chant. It was Bei Zhen who spoke.

“This humble monk will guard the Block Gate,” he said. “Daoist Heng Zhao just asked who was willing to go with her; how about I go with her as well?”

Heng Zhao smiled. “With the help of Grandmaster Bei Zhen, we will surely be able to activate it smoothly.”

The fishing old man sighed. “It has already come to this point; this old bone of mine might as well go with you two as well.”

“Old Fisherman, you don’t have to do this.”

“No, it is necessary!” the old man said resolutely. “Since success or failure hinges on this one move, then we must burn our bridges. My lifespan is coming to an end anyway, so I might as well ensure that you can activate this formation without any mistakes.”

“Very well,” Heng Zhao raised her eyebrows and smiled. “Having cultivated the Heavenly Dao for a lifetime, I can finally return to Heaven and Earth today. What a joyous occasion!”

“Indeed, a joyous occasion.”

“Daoist Heng Zhao, what is the name of this formation?”

“Suspended Pouring. It’s called the Suspended Pouring Great Formation.”

“Where does this name come from?”

“I picked it at random,” Heng Zhao said. “The human body is weak, and life is full of hardships. There are often filth and suffering in the world, but there is also a vast river in people’s hearts that can suspend a river to quench fire, capable of anything. Therefore, I chose the words ‘Suspended Pouring’ to show my heart.”

“After this departure, there will be no more ghost realm invasions, and the human realm can finally recuperate. Supporting the righteous path and cleansing the universe will depend on you all.”

“Rest assured, it will,” someone answered. “From now on, the lineages of the realms will watch out for each other, share what we have, and jointly protect the human realm.”

“In that case, I can rest assured.”

This scene ended as Daoist Heng Zhao smiled gently, her cyan figure heading towards the View Gate Great Formation.