Under the embrace of the Buddha's light, the malevolent aura surging from the Zanpakuto was sealed back within the blade.
The Six-Character Mantra was branded onto the Zanpakuto's edge, firmly suppressing this ominous blade!
But this was not the end.
Miao Ji stepped forward and produced a string of prayer beads, tying them to the end of the Zanpakuto's hilt.
Other great swords typically had red ribbons tied to their ends, meant for wiping away blood from the blade or hilt to prevent slipping during combat.
However, Miao Ji tied prayer beads to the end of the hilt, which was quite strange.
Once the prayer beads were secured, the malevolent aura on the Zanpakuto completely vanished.
Miao Ji looked at Yan Chou.
Yan Chou slowly nodded, "It's done."
Miao Ji let out a long breath; this entire operation had not been easy for him.
The dog Taoist and the old yellow dog approached Yan Shouyi, squatting down and nudging him.
"Shouyi, you brat, stop sleeping, the sun is already on your butt!"
Yan Shouyi slowly woke up, lying on the ground but lifting his head. "Uncle Dog... Old Huang... What happened to me?"
He held his head and recalled the incident where he was knocked unconscious by the Zanpakuto.
He quickly asked, "Did the Zanpakuto's malevolent aura erupt just now? Did I hurt anyone?!"
Yan Shouyi thought he had lost control.
Then he heard the dog Taoist laugh, "With your meager strength, even if you lost control, who could you possibly hurt?"
Yan Chou said calmly, "If you're alright, get up quickly. The ground is damp."
Yan Shouyi got up, completely bewildered.
He found that he was still carrying the Zanpakuto on his back, but it no longer felt as heavy as before, as if it weighed ten thousand pounds.
What exactly was going on?
Taking the Zanpakuto off his back, Yan Shouyi immediately saw the Six-Character Mantra on the blade and the string of prayer beads added to the end of the hilt.
The prayer beads seemed to be woven with countless golden threads, emitting golden Buddha-light.
The Six-Character Mantra on the blade radiated a sense of peace. Although holding a blade filled with killing intent, his heart felt incredibly tranquil, as if he were in a clear lake, undisturbed by any ripples, reflecting the azure sky…
"Aren't you going to thank your Uncle Miao Ji?" Yan Chou reminded him.
Yan Shouyi immediately reacted, holding the Zanpakuto and thanking the monk Miao Ji, "Thank you, Uncle Miao Ji! Will this seal you placed on the Zanpakuto have any negative impact on yourself?"
Miao Ji shook his head, "It's nothing."
If it was "nothing," it meant it still had some impact.
Yan Shouyi felt guilty and thus said, "Uncle Miao Ji, when we get back to Rongcheng, I'll have Xiaolong take you out for some fun."
Miao Ji's eyes widened, then he beamed with joy, "Good kid! Uncle didn't dote on you for nothing!"
The dog Taoist beside him grew anxious, "Listen! Listen! What are you two saying! Shouyi, Uncle Dog must educate you. Miao Ji the bald donkey is a man of the cloth, how can he be involved with such unclean things? Let Uncle Dog suffer these hardships on his behalf!"
Yan Chou felt the conversation was getting increasingly off-topic and couldn't help but interrupt, "Alright, is this the kind of talk for this moment?"
The dog Taoist and the monk Miao Ji fell silent, and Yan Shouyi chuckled a few times, slinging the Zanpakuto back onto his shoulder.
Yan Chou’s expression returned to normal as he said, "The Zanpakuto has been sealed by Buddhist dharma, and its malevolent aura is temporarily controlled. However, once you wield the Zanpakuto, some of it will inevitably leak out. But let it leak; a little malevolent aura can actually give you an edge."
Malevolent aura could make people impulsive. From a certain perspective, its function was similar to adrenaline.
When facing danger, people secrete adrenaline, which stimulates the heart to beat faster and dilates blood vessels, allowing them to exhibit extraordinary potential.
Yan Shouyi nodded, a hint of pride in his voice, "With the true form of the Zanpakuto, killing Jiang Wusheng tonight will be a piece of cake!"
In normal times, Yan Chou would likely have lectured Yan Shouyi against boasting, but today, Yan Chou did not.
It seemed he didn't take this Jiang Wusheng very seriously.
Yan Chou skipped this topic and directly asked,
"What did you encounter when retrieving the Zanpakuto? Did the Dragons and Tigers on the mountain give you anything?"
Upon hearing this, Yan Shouyi paused.
For his father to ask such a question clearly indicated that he knew something about the Dragons and Tigers on the mountain.
Could it be that his father already knew about the Divine Tiger Secret Script?
Did his father intentionally have him retrieve the Zanpakuto, so he could obtain the Divine Tiger Secret Script and become the Celestial Master's heir?!
Upon closer thought, Yan Shouyi didn't find it strange.
The Zanpakuto was originally sealed on Stone Mountain by his grandfather and sworn grandfather Zhang Shantong. Later, the dharma body was passed down to Yan Shouyi for use. This was clearly prepared for him, wasn't it?
It could be said that when his grandfather sealed the Zanpakuto beneath the Divine Tiger back then, he had already made preparations for Yan Shouyi to retrieve it in the future.
Making him the Celestial Master's heir was also something his grandfather had planned for a long time!
Yan Shouyi's gaze became much clearer, and he asked Yan Chou, "The Divine Tiger Secret Script, the Celestial Master's heir; is this the path you and Grandpa wanted me to take?"
Facing his son's intelligent question, Yan Chou nodded slightly.
He said in a deep voice, "Everything was just to keep you alive."
"Becoming the Celestial Master as well?"
"That's right."
"I understand."
Yan Shouyi sighed.
Although he didn't want his life to become more complicated, only by surviving would he have the chance to stay with Lin Zitong.
Therefore, he couldn't escape the competition for the Celestial Master position.
Yan Chou said, "Prepare yourself properly. First, get past this hurdle of Jiang Wusheng, then think about other matters."
"Your son understands."
Yan Shouyi nodded, packed his things, thanked the Ma siblings, and then set off towards the northern mountain of Chenjia Village.
The Ma siblings stood there, stunned. The events that had just transpired had shocked them to their core.
First, the monk Miao Ji displayed his power by sealing the Zanpakuto.
Then, Yan Shouyi revealed that he was to become the Celestial Master's heir.
Since when could the Taoist sacred land of Longhu Mountain be inherited by a successor from a folk sect originating from the common people?
This was news that completely exceeded the Ma siblings' understanding!
They wanted to pull Yan Shouyi aside to ask for clarification, but clearly, this was not the time to discuss it.
Night had fallen, and in a few hours, Jiang Wusheng would emerge from King Jian's tomb and face Yan Shouyi in a decisive battle on the northern mountain.
At this moment, Yan Shouyi must be carrying immense pressure on his shoulders, Ma Jinxuan thought to herself.
At this moment, Ma Xingping noticed Yan Chou waving at them.
He approached Yan Chou with great respect and trepidation.
"Senior, do you have any instructions?"
Yan Chou lit a cigarette and said leisurely, "Do you Mo Jin Xiaowei have any interest in robbing an emperor's tomb?"
Ma Jinxuan exclaimed, "An emperor's tomb?"
Looking back across China's five-thousand-year history, the titles of emperors could be clearly counted, and most of them had already been visited by veteran tomb raiders.
For them, the brother and sister, to be able to enter an emperor's tomb now would be even more difficult than winning the lottery!
Yan Chou then said, "Yes, a super emperor's grand tomb."
"Of course, we're interested!" Ma Xingping's breathing became rapid, "May I ask which emperor?"
Yan Chou did not answer directly, but instead said:
"Specific information will be conveyed to you by my people later. I have only one condition—you must retrieve something for me from that emperor's tomb. Apart from that one thing, you can take anything else in the tomb as you please."
Ma Xingping asked curiously, "Is that something for brother Yan?"
"Yes," Yan Chou replied. "So, are you interested in helping?"
Ma Xingping didn't deliberate for long before agreeing, "Brother Yan has shown us immense kindness, and we siblings wish to repay him. This emperor's tomb is our heart's desire, and if we can repay Brother Yan's kindness through this, it would be even better!"
"Alright. After today's events are concluded, rent a room at the Zhicheng Hotel in Zhicheng and wait patiently for a few days. My people will contact you."
Yan Chou smiled, left something for Ma Xingping, and then departed with the dog Taoist and the others.
Ma Xingping watched them leave, then spread his palm. In his hand, there was only a token the size of a palm.
"What is this token?" Ma Jinxuan couldn't help but ask.
Ma Xingping's voice began to tremble slightly, "Sister, this token has only one word on it."
"What word?"
"Qin."