System crash? I prove it with my control panel!

Without the slightest hesitation, he knelt down and proclaimed loudly:

"Thank you for your mercy, Master. Your disciple bows in gratitude!"

"Rise. I dislike empty formalities; there's no need for such formalities in the future."

The deputy peak master's words were as firm as an order; though spoken softly, they seemed to possess an irresistible power.

Chen Wen was ordered to stand up and had no way to resist, which made him even more terrified.

The deputy peak master raised his hand and pointed to the painting he had just created.

In the painting, only a ray of light illuminated the sky. With a light tap of her finger, she drew out that ray of light, flicked it, and it turned into a purple mark between Chen Wen's eyebrows.

She said:

"Although the sect does not show off, with the protection of the True Person, it is difficult to be tempted by inner demons. Once you are ready, you can go home for a visit and sever your worldly ties."

"I bestow upon you a ray of rosy light to protect you; go forth!"

After saying that, she lowered her eyes and remained silent, then picked up a clean sheet of paper and began to paint.

"Thank you, Master. Jingwen will now prepare to return home. Jingwen takes his leave!"

Chen Wen bowed deeply, then withdrew and left Zixia Peak.

As he walked down the mountain, disciples greeted him with bows and salutations, but he seemed somewhat distracted.

His mind focused on the radiant light between his brows, which contained terrifying power, and he understood its wondrous uses the moment he touched it.

It can emit a burst of rosy light, which can withstand the Purple Palace for a breath. Then the rosy light will carry Chen Wen away for thousands of miles.

It turns out it's a method for protecting the path; I thought it was just decoration!

Chen Wen thought to himself.

Qin Shuiru also has this mark.

He had initially thought it was merely due to decoration or the effects of cultivation techniques.

This did not shock him.

What's shocking is that this protective technique, which can also be seen as a symbol of status, was actually passed down.

Doesn't this mean she believes she can kill Chen Polang?!

Thinking back to what was just said, it means someone is constantly monitoring the situation within the sect, and Chen Polang doesn't dare to come out. Only by having him go out can Chen Polang be lured out...

Chen Wen's confusion vanished instantly. It turned out that it wasn't Chen Polang Taiyin, but the Qingming Sect!

Right.

If just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can spy on the disciples of the sect, then the Qingming Sect might as well give up!

A single word from a senior can be worth three years of hard work.

After being reminded by the deputy peak master, he finally understood why Chen Polang was only transmitting memories and not actually fighting.

In Chen Wen's view, there must be a hidden key in the memories. If the memory invasion goes smoothly, he will break the seal and allow Chen Polang to take control of him.

However, he possessed the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Technique, and he had never looked at the other man's memories from beginning to end, instead letting the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Technique transform them into nourishment.

After his failure, he thought of taking matters into his own hands. However, Chen Wen was in the Qingming Sect, protected by powerful figures. Even if he had ten thousand lives, he wouldn't dare to try and possess someone else's body.

Moreover, Chen Wen rarely leaves the sect. The only exception was when he rescued Ye Fan, when he was away for several hours, and that was within the territory of the Qingming Sect.

Chen Wen sighed softly, never expecting that his own home would save him!

Moreover, Chen Polang probably never expected that his son, who had a mid-grade spiritual root, would be wary of him so early on, unaffected by his memories, and even become a true disciple, with his cave dwelling right under the nose of the Purple Mansion True Person.

It can be said that his failure was already destined after he made a desperate gamble by charging into Chen Wen's Niwan!

Suddenly, he thought of Chu Feng again. Could that kid have been targeted as well?

After all, no one can guarantee that they won't reveal any flaws when they're alone.

What if the powerful guardian noticed him talking to himself often, and upon investigation discovered that there was actually a remnant soul inside him?

Once you open your mind, all sorts of ideas will come to mind.

Could the sects know everything?

Could there be some kind of conspiracy?

But then Chen Wen stopped him, and he chuckled.

"There aren't that many conspiracies involved; you're just scaring yourself..."

After leaving the main peak, he quickly returned to Luoyun Mountain by flying on his sword.

She sent Chu Feng a message, inviting him to have dinner together.

Chu Feng replied, "I'm currently refining pills. It will be ready in three days."

Chen Wen had no objection; this was a good opportunity to prepare for his seclusion.

He's going into seclusion again!

Although the deputy peak master had already told him how to lure Chen Polang out, he added the phrase "all preparations were complete" beforehand.

Now that I'm at the eighth level of Qi Refining, my soul is damaged. Going out now would be tantamount to suicide!

At the very least, one should wait until Qi Refining is complete, Qi is calm and spirit is focused, and before Foundation Establishment before going out.

Moreover, now that we have contribution points, we can use them to purchase Soul Path spells.

I'm not afraid to spend contribution points, I just want Chen Polang to die a less than comfortable death!

Chen Wen gritted his teeth. Who could have imagined that his young father had lived in constant fear and misery back then!

He actually attacked a child!

Even as Chen Wengang was reborn, he was still grateful that he could feel the warmth of his family.

Suppressing his murderous intent, his expression returned to calm as he continued practicing the Threading Technique, and strands of silk began to emerge from his hands...

...

Three days later.

Chen Wen waited for Chu Feng, but instead met Jiang Qingyan.

He brought a rather heavy gift and came to express his gratitude.

A bottle of Yi Shen Dan (a traditional Chinese medicine).

Its price is not much different from that of the Soul Nourishing Pill, but it focuses more on purifying the soul and stabilizing the foundation.

He simply thanked Chen Wen for his help in the secret realm and then left in a hurry.

Chen Wen watched him leave, then fiddled with the bottle of Soul Nourishing Pills, lost in thought.

He has always adhered to the truth that there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Unsolicited kindness is either a sign of treachery or theft!

Although I had helped the other party in the secret realm.

However, Jiang Qingyan doesn't seem to be the type to repay kindness.

Moreover, the two were not close; they were merely acquaintances.

Chen Wen found it difficult to accept such a generous gift with peace of mind.

At this time.

A streak of fire drifted from the sky, passed through the formation, and landed directly in front of Chen Wen.

As the firelight faded, it revealed a man with an ordinary face but an ethereal and otherworldly air.

Chen Wen raised an eyebrow, stood up to greet him, and said, "Brother Chu, it's been a long time! Your cultivation has improved again!"

"How can anyone compare to Brother Jingwen? This technique displayed its divine power in the secret realm, even killing a half-step Foundation Establishment cultivator with a single blow. Truly admirable!"

Chu Feng approached with a loud laugh.

A faint medicinal fragrance mixed with the smell of sulfur wafted towards me, the scent filling my nostrils and igniting a burning sensation.

Chen Wen was surprised; this was lingering fire poison.

He has actually begun to refine the earth's evil energy!

As for how he knew about the secret realm...

As I said before, there are no secrets in the Qingming Sect!

Waving his hand, he retorted:

"Chu Feng, you are too modest. I'm afraid that next time we meet, I will have to look up to you, Brother Chu, and may have to call you 'Uncle-Master'!"

"I wish that were true!"

Chu Feng's face fell for a moment, then vanished in an instant, replaced by a cheerful expression. He was about to speak when he suddenly glanced at Chen Wen's brow and gasped in surprise.

"Jingwen, you... you've actually been given a life-saving mark!"

"It was just luck."

Chen Wen was somewhat confused. In his opinion, this should be something that all core disciples should have. However, he was a nominal disciple before and did not need to leave the sect, so he was not given it.

Judging from Chu Feng's current attitude of attaching importance to this matter, there seems to be another deeper meaning.

Chu Feng looked at his innocent expression with a sour feeling, and listened to the village chief's explanation, feeling even more uncomfortable.

He said:

"You're lucky... do you know what this mark means?"

Chen Wen became somewhat interested: "What?"

Chu Feng said, "It means a second life. Even a Purple Mansion True Person would have to expend a drop of essence blood to condense this mark."

"Its uses are infinite, but the most important one is that it can protect the true spirit from being obscured, so that it will not be a problem even if it is possessed by an old demon; even if the physical body is damaged, it can protect the soul from being scattered and escort it back to the sect."

"Among the many core disciples in the sect, how many have you seen with this mark?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Wen's heart was in turmoil. He thought the wonderful effects he had experienced yesterday were already incredible, but he never expected there to be such a miraculous aspect.

He thought back carefully and realized that Zixia Peak seemed to be only for him and his senior sister; as for his senior brother, he had never seen him.

He hadn't paid much attention to the other peaks before, and it seemed he had never seen such a thing before, not even He Yuzhu.

However, his mind was now drawn to another issue.

He asked in confusion:

"The physical body is destroyed, what use is it to bring back the soul? Can it be reincarnated?"

"There's no such thing as reincarnation in this world!"

Chu Feng scoffed and shook his head, "How could the physical body be such an inconvenient thing?!"

"From the outside, that's certainly true, but in the eyes of True Person Zifu, it's nothing more than something to be casually crushed. So why is True Person Zifu so aloof?"

Before Chen Wen could answer, Chu Feng gave the answer himself:

"As long as the grotto-heaven remains, the true immortals endure, their lifespans are endless, and their physical bodies can be recreated at will..."

Listening to Chu Feng's words, Chen Wen felt increasingly solemn.

He knew clearly that reincarnation existed in this world.

Because he was a reincarnation.

If not, where would I come from?

In an instant, countless random thoughts arose in Chen Wen's mind.

His complexion became increasingly complicated.

Chu Feng suddenly stopped speaking because the person opposite him seemed to be going astray in his cultivation.

"scene...."

He was about to speak when he was interrupted by a voice in his head.

"Don't disturb him; this is a mental tribulation he must overcome himself!"

Chu Feng looked worried, raised his hand and waved it to set up a barrier to isolate him from external interference.

Chen Wen was not feeling well at this moment.

He felt like he was stuck in a rut.

He began to doubt his origins.

There is no reincarnation in this world, and Chu Feng, who is carrying the old man's child, certainly wouldn't lie to anyone!

But... how did I come to be?

How did I come to be?!

Was I tricked into this?

Am I a fake, or do I not actually exist, and am I being controlled by higher-dimensional beings?

Could it be... that I'm one of those rotten persimmon novels I read before?

......

Countless thoughts of self-doubt kept arising, impacting his thinking.

The Xuanhuang Refining Heart Technique was running wildly, but it couldn't keep up with the speed at which his distracting thoughts were arising.

The Taotie Blood Body Technique seemed to realize that its body was on the verge of collapse, and began to operate frantically. Fortunately, there was still a cold dragon corpse in the Taotie stomach, which could provide enough energy.

Chen Wen suddenly felt a little dizzy.

Countless distracting thoughts swirled around him, constantly disturbing his mind and leaving him no ability to think.

He murmured, "Who am I...who am I really...?"

The crisis came so suddenly that he was completely unprepared.

This led to a complete and utter defeat.

Just then, he suddenly saw a familiar light.

He strained to look...at the panel...

Suddenly, a sliver of consciousness awakened within him. "That's right, I have a panel, and the panel is unique. How could I possibly be someone else's backup plan? What kind of person could create a system?!"

Every step I take is the result of my own hard work and dedication; it is extremely solid. How could it be arranged by someone else?

I am who I am!

Reincarnation definitely exists, but it remains hidden!

Higher dimensions? I am a higher dimension!

What a rotten persimmon! I've come to another world and you're still chasing me. Once I find my hometown, I'll smash this rotten persimmon to pieces first!

......

As his thoughts cleared, the jumbled ideas vanished instantly.

He opened his eyes again, his mind clear, though his eyes were filled with deep fatigue.

He glanced around and saw Chu Feng meditating and cultivating, with a barrier in front of him, and the outside world was dark.

He did some quick calculations and realized that he had actually been sitting there for five days!

After a moment's thought, he immediately cursed inwardly:

"It must be that old bastard Chen Polang's doing again. Looks like we need to find a technique that can slowly dissect the soul!"

Sensing that Chen Wen had woken up, Chu Feng quickly stopped his cultivation, got up, and hurried over.

"Brother Jingwen, how are you feeling? How could you suddenly suffer a qi deviation?"

Chen Wen looked at Chu Feng's slightly tired eyes and felt a warmth in his heart. However, the reason why he had gone astray... it seemed that it was not something he couldn't say!

He suddenly realized that what was no secret to the deputy peak master was even less of a secret to this old man.

Then think back to the Xuanhuang Heart Refining Technique that they gave me specifically back then...

Chen Wen felt it was better to be honest, at least in Chu Feng's eyes, he was honest.

He shook his head and sighed:

"Brother Chu, you don't know this, but I'm being tormented by inner demons. When my father passed away, I was heartbroken as a child, but I never imagined that I would be afflicted with inner demons from that time on..."

Chen Wen recounted his experience to Chu Feng in a different guise.

Chu Feng remained silent after hearing this, but the village chief in his mind seemed to view Chen Wen with new respect.

"This kid has such loyalty, it's rare. But that's not some inner demon, it's his father!"

Chen Wen raised his finger and sent a message to Ye Fan, asking him to send some food over.

He even wanted to take some of the dragon's flesh and blood from his gluttonous stomach to make some sashimi.

However, upon closer inspection, Chen Wencai discovered that the cold dragon was reduced to nothing more than bone fragments.

He then realized why he could run the second-level Xuanhuang Refining Heart Technique so frantically for so long with his Qi cultivation level; it turned out that he had this item to help him, otherwise he would have been drained long ago!

Moreover, the small pile of pills and herbs he had stored in his stomach space was all gone.

Chen Wen secretly made up his mind that he should not put valuable things in his stomach in the future, because they might accidentally be digested one day.

Chu Feng and he enjoyed a hearty meal.

After expressing his gratitude, he informed her of his plans to go into seclusion.

Chu Feng stated that he now has his own alchemy room and no longer needs to come here to refine pills.

Chu Feng did not linger for long.

Chen Wen also began to clean up the mess he had made during the five days he had gone astray.

First, the little guy spent five days in the seclusion room.

Fortunately, some food was prepared, so they didn't go hungry. However, they were quite aggrieved and kept chirping as soon as they saw each other.

Chen Wen comforted him briefly and he was fine; kids are easy to coax.

After that, they inspected the spirit fields and searched for divine soul techniques.

After two and a half days of busy work, I finally entered the seclusion room and went into seclusion!

............