"Little Yan Yan, don't enrage me." Changsun Changlin did not force his way through the formation.
He had not revealed his true strength. "I will let you enjoy the worship of thousands with me, and become an empress second only to one."
Changsun Changlin extended his hand, palm facing upwards, in front of Lin Yan.
"Our paths are different. Elder, feudal society has been gone for many years. There are no emperors and empresses anymore; everyone is a master of the nation.
Having been a master, no one would willingly become a slave. Times have changed!" Lin Yan was not swayed by Changsun Changlin's attitude.
She placed the Ghost Realm core she had obtained into the formation's eye. This formation, which could only trap the Ghost King for a few days, now formed a complete cycle.
Even a Ghost King could not break this formation in a short period. Of course, this was not just a trapping formation.
The formation Lin Yan had originally obtained required her own soul and body as the formation eye to seal the Ghost King Changsun Changlin.
However, she had modified it. The current formation used the Ghost Realm core and Changsun Changlin as the formation eyes.
As long as the Ghost Realm core was not shattered and Changsun Changlin's Yin energy and resentment had not completely dissipated, this formation would persist.
Any power that attacked this formation would be reflected back onto Changsun Changlin.
This was Lin Yan's punishment to Changsun Changlin: drawing a circle to imprison him. She would let him witness the ordinary and peaceful lives of the residents of Xuancheng, and then slowly be worn away by this formation.
Lin Yan also knew that Changsun Changlin was a genius in metaphysics, so her formation was irreversible. If anyone attempted to forcibly break it, Changsun Changlin would be the first to suffer.
To this end, she had also redeemed a copy of "Compendium of Formations" from the system store to improve this trapping formation, and even incorporated some other formations into it.
Changsun Changlin was too arrogant. His arrogance prevented him from looking down upon the current generation of Xuanmen practitioners.
"Lin Yan, I hope you don't regret this!" Changsun Changlin threatened.
"If I let you continue to harm this world, then I would regret it. Elder Changsun, I offer you a loyal piece of advice: never underestimate any woman." Lin Yan stopped paying attention to him after saying this.
Her hands continued to move, casting different talismans in various parts of the formation. Changsun Changlin wanted to stop her but found he couldn't even mobilize his own Yin energy.
It was only then that he realized the danger of his situation. However, he couldn't bring himself to bow to Lin Yan.
He desperately wanted to release the soul army he carried, but he couldn't.
The evil spirits on the other side had already been apprehended by the ghost envoys. The leading ghost envoy was an acquaintance of Lin Yan's, but seeing Lin Yan busy, he didn't approach.
Xuancheng's protective barrier had been breached. The personnel from Xuancheng's Special Events Handling Bureau had also seen the arriving ghost envoys when the barrier broke. Now that the evil spirits had been captured, they came to greet the people on this side.
The strong winds and lightning had ceased. Although the dark clouds in the sky were still thick, the apocalyptic scene from before was gone.
People who had hidden in supermarkets and other places slowly emerged. The streets of Xuancheng regained their liveliness.
People walked the streets discussing the terrible weather, picking up overturned trash cans and billboards.
Those still outside hurried home, hoping to reach home before the next bout of bad weather.
They were unaware whether the current peace was temporary or permanent. If such terrifying weather returned in a while, they would be stuck on the road again.
"Good Samaritan Lin, thank you for your information. We were able to capture so many escaped evil spirits." The ghost envoy surnamed Zheng approached to exchange pleasantries after seeing Lin Yan's movements stop.
"Lord Zheng, we meet again." Lin Yan hadn't expected her summoning talisman to bring back this acquaintance. "The one in front of me is a thousand-year-old Ghost King. He calls himself Changsun Changlin."
Lin Yan explained Changsun Changlin's situation to Ghost Envoy Zheng.
Upon hearing Lin Yan's words, Ghost Envoy Zheng frowned. He was unsure how to deal with this Ghost King.
He was too powerful. If they were to take him back to the Underworld, he might escape halfway.
"Good Samaritan Lin, this Ghost King?" He hesitated, as the Ghost King was not suited to remain in the mortal realm.
"Lord, rest assured. He has been sealed within a formation by me. I will hand over the formation's core to you shortly, and you can take him back to the Underworld along with the formation."
Although she preferred to handle it herself, since she had summoned the ghost envoys, it was best to let them deal with the male lead.
"This formation will consume all the Yin energy and resentment from the Ghost King within a year. After a year, you can send him for reincarnation." If he retained his memories, he would eventually cultivate back to his former strength.
It was better to send him for reincarnation. Given his actions in life and death, it would be difficult for him to become human in his next life.
"This is excellent! Excellent!" Ghost Envoy Zheng said with great joy.
Lin Yan cast a spell to shrink the formation, and all the formations converged into the Ghost Realm core.
Lin Yan also shrunk the Ghost Realm core, which eventually transformed into a black mole on Changsun Changlin's forehead.
Throughout this process, Changsun Changlin tried to dodge, but he was like fish on a chopping board, only able to watch helplessly as Lin Yan placed the formation on his forehead.
He desperately wanted to say something, but Lin Yan no longer had time to pay attention to him.
Changsun Changlin was taken back to the Underworld by the ghost envoys. Lin Yan's heart was finally at ease, and she felt the world brighten slightly.
After showering Xuancheng with a heavy rain with her companions, Lin Yan arrived at a hotel in Xuancheng.
For the past few days, Lin Yan had been on edge. Now, listening to the pattering rain outside, she quickly fell into a deep sleep.
While they were lost in dreams, the phone of the director of Xuancheng's Special Events Handling Bureau was almost exploding.
People were calling to inquire about the situation. All of them were influential figures in the Xuanmen world, and he dared not offend any of them. He could only explain the entire matter to them in detail.
Upon learning of the events, everyone felt a sense of dread. That was a Ghost King of over a thousand years! If not for Lin Yan, they would surely have become the remains.
Lin Yan slept very soundly. The next morning, when she woke up and checked her phone, she saw a large number of missed calls marked in red.
Lin Yan didn't reply to all of them. She only replied to a few before calling her own family members.
The others had also contacted their families last night to assure them of their safety and were now asleep. Besides Lin Yan, only Zhang Moqi from the male colleagues' side was awake.
Lin Yan greeted Zhang Moqi in the breakfast area and then took some food to find a seat.
However, she was surprised that Zhang Moqi's address to her had changed from "Junior Sister Lin" to "Senior Sister Lin."
From yesterday's events, he had thoroughly understood that Lin Yan had already surpassed them. However, their gap wasn't too significant now, and he believed he could still catch up.
Lin Yan paid no mind to the change in his attitude. After finishing her meal, she began to attend to her own matters.
"Hello, Yan Yan." As soon as Lin Yan answered the phone, a familiar voice replied.
"What is it?" Lin Yan leaned against the window, idly playing with some newly acquired items in her hand.
Wei Wanru had returned that morning, bringing back a large number of books with her.
After breakfast, Lin Yan had gone back to organize these books and had only just become free.
"I received news that the experience you just had was quite dangerous." Zeng Xuanming's voice on the other end carried a hint of worry. Although he knew Lin Yan could answer the phone, meaning she was safe, he still wanted to hear her confirm that she was alright.
"The matter has been resolved. It wasn't a big deal, and I wasn't injured, so you don't need to worry." Lin Yan did not tell Zeng Xuanming about the situation here.
He was just an ordinary person, and she didn't want him involved in the Xuanmen world.
"Mmm." Zeng Xuanming's voice had a slight nasal tone, suggesting he might have a cold.
Lin Yan didn't want to drag him into it. Although the Ghost King was now contained and would cease to be a formidable force within half a year, Lin Yan had not forgotten the group who had helped the Ghost King search for the Daughter of Fortune. Even without the Ghost King, those people were not a threat, but she still didn't want Zeng Xuanming to encounter any danger.
"That's good. When can you come back? I can take some leave recently, and we can go out and have some fun for a while." Zeng Xuanming said as he walked downstairs.
After the Trial Competition, Lin Yan should have some free time. He could use his annual leave to take Lin Yan out and, at the same time, seize the opportunity to express his feelings.
"It will probably take a few more days. Some procedures haven't been completed yet."
"Mmm, I'll wait for you then." Zeng Xuanming had also learned about Lin Yan's responsibilities from the Special Events Handling Bureau's software. Although he couldn't do much, he could at least ensure Lin Yan had no financial worries.
Lin Yan sensed the change in Zeng Xuanming's attitude and was pleased. She had hesitated before because she feared he might become her weakness.
Now that the Ghost King's threat had been neutralized, as long as the Underworld didn't make any mistakes and release him back into the mortal realm, he would have no chance of rising again.
After resting, Lin Yan won first place in the Trial Competition. From then on, the title of "Senior Sister Lin" became well-deserved.
She also became the undisputed senior sister of this generation of Xuanmen. Everyone readily accepted her as the so-called "Number One Person" of the younger generation.
After the competition, Lin Yan quickly returned to the Lin residence to visit her parents and bring Man Man back to their studio.
Recently, Lin Yan had seen some online comments about Hu Shiqi. They were all praises, with no negative reviews, and any dissenting opinions were relegated to the corners.
Lin Yan knew that Hu Shiqi had not used illusions or enchantments to gain fans. Now, all her fans, apart from a large number of "face fans," were drawn in by her own charm.
This made Lin Yan sigh, truly worthy of being a fox spirit.
Shortly after Lin Yan returned, Hu Shiqi also returned to the studio.
When Lin Yan met Hu Shiqi in person, she noticed a difference in her.
Unlike the innocent girl who seemed to have just emerged from the mountains, Hu Shiqi was now more confident and flamboyant.
Her previous charm was still restrained, but now, she was captivating.
However, when facing Lin Yan, she reverted to her girlish demeanor, acting coquettishly and sharing her recent experiences.
Hu Shiqi had been brought out of the mountains by Lin Yan, who was also her guardian. Hearing that she enjoyed life in the entertainment industry, Lin Yan was relieved.
During Hu Shiqi's absence, she had filmed an advertisement for Fu Yao and also appeared in several film crews.
These were all minor roles, with limited screen time, and some even without showing her face. The purpose was to let her experience the industry.
Lin Yan found a manager from the Lin family to exclusively serve her. With Hu Shiqi's worries taken care of, she could happily pursue her passions.
Spirits had long lifespans, so the Lin family was willing to befriend such a fox spirit who held a favorable impression of their family.
Moreover, Hu Shiqi's demands were not high and she was easily satisfied. With her attractive appearance and high emotional intelligence, the younger generation of the Lin family all liked her.
Her current manager and assistant were both from the Lin family, allowing Hu Shiqi to reveal her fox tail freely without fear of exposure.
Lin Yan checked Hu Shiqi's spiritual power and found that although she had not cultivated diligently recently, her spiritual power had not slowed down; instead, it had increased, which put Lin Yan at ease.
"Sister, don't worry, I am cultivating. And now I have fans. Although these fans are not as good as believers, they can still provide me with some faith power."
"It's good that you're cultivating, but having many fans is not always long-lasting, and this faith power is not very stable. Your own cultivated spiritual power is more reliable," Lin Yan earnestly cautioned Hu Shiqi.
"Relying on external forces for cultivation is never as good as one's own strength. Moreover, the entertainment industry is a place of fame and fortune. You must sometimes pay attention to your words and actions, so as not to provoke anyone and get yourself slandered."
Lin Yan did not mention that if Hu Shiqi became overly reliant on her fans' faith power, it could lead to a backlash if she were to be slandered.
It was too early to say such things. She believed Hu Shiqi was very intelligent and would know how to act once she became familiar with the industry, without Lin Yan needing to say anything.
"Yes, I'll remember," Hu Shiqi loved the feeling of being the center of attention and the life of playing different characters in front of the camera.
Although it was tiring, she was not human, and this intensity was nothing for her.
Furthermore, she had discovered some of her own kind in the entertainment industry. Although she had not interacted with them, she could generally ascertain their identities.
Unlike her, a fox spirit personally bestowed with a title by a virtuous person, they had a stronger demonic aura. While ordinary celestial masters might not detect it, to a fellow spirit like herself, it was impossible to hide.
She was now hesitant to approach them. Hu Shiqi could not yet discern whether they were friend or foe and dared not approach them rashly, fearing she might bring trouble to Lin Yan and the Lin family.