"It is it, it is definitely it."
Li Zuoquan's eyes were shining with excitement, emitting a halo half a foot long as he looked at the object on the throne. He was so eager that he almost wanted to kiss it. As his body passed by me, he couldn't help but stop.
He grinned at me and said, "Kid, I'll have to trouble you again. Bring the thing over to me."
Damn it! Why me again?
This time, I absolutely couldn't let him control me again. Venturing further into this unknown place was no different from seeking death.
The old man I encountered in the illusion earlier had already told me not to go too deep, and that I needed to avoid disaster by positioning myself in the Kan trigram of the Bagua. Although there was no sign of the Bagua here, I still needed to proceed with caution.
For my own life, and for my father to have grandchildren in the future, I couldn't just sit idly by. Even if it meant tearing myself apart, I wouldn't be controlled by Li Zuoquan again.
Although my body couldn't move, my mind was not under his control. Although I had only learned three seals of the Tiangang Seal, I knew the mental cultivation method by heart. One of these seals was called the Xin Seal, which I had previously considered useless.
But now, I felt an urge to kiss it, because its function was not to ward off evil like the Tiantui Seal, nor to enhance my physical capabilities like the Tiansu Seal.
Instead, it had a most special function: clearing the mind. It could temporarily bring clarity to a person within an illusion. Because this seal was too ordinary and my abilities were insufficient, I had never paid much attention to it. Even though I had been controlled by Sui Wan'er once, I had the jade pendant from my master, so I didn't consider this seal to be a big deal.
After all, no matter what, the same thing couldn't happen in the same place. If I hadn't been controlled by Li Zuoquan this time, I wouldn't have even thought of the Tianxin Seal.
"Gather the seals in the heart, control the seals with the heart, and combine the energy of Yang mechanism..."
As I silently recited the incantation of the Tianxin Seal in my heart, I felt a sense of control over my body. However, my body was still being controlled by Li Zuoquan, forcing me to step towards the throne.
To delay my advance, I couldn't help but speak out, "Elder Li, we need to talk. Can you stop controlling me! I can get the item on the throne for you, but if you control me like this, and there's any mechanism, I'll have nowhere to hide. What if the item on the throne is fake? Then you'll have no stepping stone."
"Kid, do you really want to get the Hu Kui Seal for me?" Li Zuoquan stopped controlling my forward movement, his voice betraying no hint of joy or sorrow.
"You won't believe me if I say it's real, but there's one thing you'll definitely believe: I don't want to die. You just want to get the Hu Kui Seal, and I want to stay alive. Our goals don't conflict, don't you think?"
Who would want to help you get the Hu Kui Seal? Although the throne before me was dazzling with golden light, I was one hundred percent sure in my heart that it was not the Hu Kui Seal at all, because the real Hu Kui Seal was in the hands of the Fifth Prince.
Li Zuoquan remained silent for a while, but the controlling force did not lessen. Taking this opportunity, I couldn't help but speed up the circulation of the Tianxin Seal.
I felt a faint golden thread of airflow within my body, starting from my heart and spreading through my pulse and blood to all my limbs and meridians. Wherever it passed, there was a tingling sensation, like touching a 220-volt household electrical outlet when I was a child.
As the airflow circulated, my body gradually returned to my control, but there was still something controlling my body, though not as strong as before.
After a period of silence, Li Zuoquan finally spoke again.
"Kid, what guarantee can you offer? You've tricked me more than once or twice."
Hearing this, I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. This meant that Li Zuoquan already believed me eight or nine parts. As long as I found a suitable opportunity, I would definitely be able to escape his control.
"I can swear by our Ancestor. You should believe that, right?"
Whether it was Feng Shui or the Yin Gua lineage, even the Heavenly Master of Longhu Mountain, no one would disbelieve an oath sworn by their Ancestor.
After all, the Ancestor was the protector of cultivation. If one violated the oath, they would be punished with the destruction of their cultivation at best, and misfortune and poverty at worst. Most people would not dare to swear by their Ancestor.
Seeing my devout expression, Li Zuoquan hesitated for a moment before agreeing to my terms.
After all, he couldn't be sure whether the Hu Kui Seal placed on the throne was real or fake.
"Alright, let's do it this way. You swear first, and then I'll release my control over you."
I was overjoyed. As long as he released his control over my body, with the Tianxin Seal permeating my entire being, it would be impossible for him to control me again.
But Li Zuoquan said so, yet the controlling force within my body did not lessen; instead, it intensified. Just as I felt my hands beginning to regain control, I now felt as if I were stuck in a quagmire, finding it incredibly difficult to even move a finger.
Seeing me standing still and not speaking, Li Zuoquan urged me, "Why haven't you sworn yet? Do you want me to help you?" As he finished speaking, I felt a sharp pain in my heart, as if someone had squeezed it hard.
I grunted. I knew this was Li Zuoquan's warning. Enduring the pain, I said, "If you don't release me, how can I swear? The oaths of the Yin Gua lineage are not spoken; we need to perform a ritual to worship the Ancestor."
"Nonsense! Do you really think I'm a three-year-old child?" Li Zuoquan suddenly appeared in front of me, his eyes glowing red, looking at me ferociously, as if he wanted to devour me.
"What dare I do to lie to you? The Yin Gua lineage is different from other magical arts. If you don't believe me, then control me to get the Hu Kui Seal. Why waste your breath talking to me here?" I put on a look of defiance, staring straight at him, with an attitude of "do whatever you want."
"Really?"
Li Zuoquan looked at me with suspicion, trying to discern something from my eyes.
But I spat at him, only for him to easily dodge it.
"Believe it or not. The strength difference between us, one ghost and one living person, is immense. Can I still make waves in your hands?"
Li Zuoquan frowned and glared at me, then looked at the "Hu Kui Seal" on the throne, appearing somewhat hesitant.
I didn't rush him, but silently recited the Tianxin Seal incantation, trying to regain control of my body.
"Fine, I'll trust you one more time. But don't play any tricks on me. If I don't get what I want, I'll kill you directly, and I can still use your corpse to retrieve the item."
As his words fell, I felt a lightness in my body, and the feeling of being controlled dissipated. However, there was still a force lingering in my limbs, but after being dispelled by the Tianxin Seal incantation, it had significantly weakened. It was now impossible for him to control me again.
I moved my somewhat stiff wrist, then took out a stick of incense, lit it, and held it with both hands against my chest, bowing sincerely.
"Disciple Song Qingyun sincerely bows, requesting the Ancestor's enlightenment... Today, I am in distress and captured by a villain, who wants me to retrieve the seal on the throne. If I break my oath, I shall suffer the torments of poverty and misfortune. Please protect me, Ancestor..."
After saying this, I bowed to all directions, and the incense in my hand quickly burned out. Then, I applied the Tiansu Seal to myself, and to Li Zuoquan's astonishment, a golden light enveloped me.
"The oath is complete. Shall I go and get the seal for you now?" I humbly asked Li Zuoquan.
Li Zuoquan circled me, his face still showing suspicion, but he nodded and said, "Go and get it! My promise remains valid. As soon as the Hu Kui Seal is obtained, I will spare your life." Su Dan Novel Network
I gratefully assured him that I would help him get the Hu Kui Seal.
The door was dozens of meters away from the throne, and the ground was covered in a hazy mist, so I walked with extreme caution. At the same time, my eyes were searching for the Kan trigram position mentioned by the illusionary old man.
As I got closer to the throne, my heart began to beat faster and faster, because I discovered that the closer I got to the throne, the lighter the mist on the ground became, and more protrusions of varying heights appeared on the ground.
Just as I was looking for the Kan trigram position, Li Zuoquan's voice came from behind me.
"Kid, don't go any further. Stop right there."