After transmigrating into the body of the protagonist's childhood friend, he was targeted by a

The leader was in a sorry state. Knowing he was no match for the enemy, he dared not linger and transformed into a green snake, fleeing swiftly into the distance.

Yu Linzhou did not pursue them.

He had exhausted his last bit of energy. His enormous body shrank rapidly, his scales peeled away one by one, and he returned to the appearance of a young boy with a tender face, falling straight down from the sky.

Lin Zhixu gritted his teeth and poured all his energy into this illusory body.

For the first time, his hand materialized, and his arm cut through the howling wind to catch the wounded boy.

The two fell onto the scorched earth. He knelt on the ground and held Yu Linzhou tightly in his arms.

Yu Linzhou opened his eyes in a daze. His blood-red vertical pupils had faded back to a deep black. His unfocused gaze struggled to focus on Lin Zhixu's face, and he suddenly forced a smile.

"I knew it, you've always been here..." she said before fainting.

Before Lin Zhixu could even speak, his just-solidified body could no longer hold on and turned into transparency inch by inch.

The next instant, hurried footsteps and shouts came from afar: "Master, something's happened here!"

Two monks arrived.

The elderly man at the head of the group had an air of otherworldly wisdom, followed by a young man in white. Lin Zhixu recognized him as Yan Lingcang, who looked like a teenager.

The old man glanced at the scorched earth and the corpses lying everywhere, a deep sorrow appearing in his eyes.

He distributed the medicine he brought to the injured villagers, but those who had already died could not be saved.

The surviving villagers knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.

The white-robed youth crouched down amidst the ruins, checked the pulse of the boy on the ground, and turned back to say, "Immortal Venerable, he is still alive."

This sentence was like a stone thrown into stagnant water, and the villagers instantly erupted in uproar.

The man who had just been kneeling on the ground, full of gratitude, suddenly stood up, pointed at the unconscious Yu Linzhou on the ground, and shouted hoarsely, "Immortal Venerable! He's the one who attracted those people and destroyed our village! He's a jinx! He killed Old Zhang, he killed everyone! He deserved to die!"

The old man raised his hand and pressed down, an invisible pressure silencing the noisy cries.

He looked at the angry villagers, then down at the blood-soaked boy on the ground. His gaze lingered for a moment on the chaotic remnants of spiritual energy around Yu Linzhou before he slowly spoke: "The karma he carries will be settled by Heaven. You don't need to act on behalf of Heaven."

The old man bent down and picked up Yu Linzhou. "I'll take this person with me."

He took a step forward, glanced back at the still-smoking ruins, and said to the surviving villagers, "The dead are gone, but the living must continue to live. This place is no longer suitable. Go about a hundred miles to the east, and there is a town where you can settle down."

The surviving villagers bowed in gratitude and watched the two men leave.

……

The old man and Yan Lingcang found a cave in the mountains to stay in.

After the old man fed Yu Linzhou the pills, his breathing finally stabilized a bit.

The old man said, "Ling Cang, go outside and fetch some water to wash him."

Yan Lingcang nodded, took the water bag, and left the cave.

The old man sat cross-legged beside Yu Linzhou, poked at the campfire, and suddenly laughed, "Stop pretending now that you're awake."

Yu Linzhou slowly opened his eyes, his eyes filled with a deathly stillness.

He stared at the rough stone wall above him, his voice hoarse: "Why did you save me? I'm a sinner, not worth your trouble. It would be better to just let me die."

The old man shook his head: "Meeting is fate. My meeting with you means you are not destined to die."

Yu Linzhou slowly sat up, supporting himself on the ground. He leaned against the cold stone wall, staring dejectedly at his empty dantian. He forced a smile and said, "Even if you saved me, it's useless. Without my inner core, I won't live much longer."

The old man smiled slightly, not in a hurry to answer.

He poked at the campfire, and in the firelight, his eyes seemed to see right through people's hearts.

"In all my years of life, I have seen countless extraordinary people. Some defied fate, some were reborn from the ashes, and some survived by putting themselves in a life-or-death situation. Every one of them had been driven to the brink of despair."

He turned his head, his gaze landing on Yu Linzhou's face: "They didn't choose to give up. What about you? Are you content with that?"

Yu Linzhou gritted his teeth, blood seeping from his throat.

How could he be willing to accept this!

From the day he was born, fate was unfair to him. He finally found his own kind and thought he had finally found a place to belong, but those people were not the kind of people he thought he could entrust his life to.

They coveted his bloodline and his inner elixir.

He just wanted to live, he just wanted to fight back against those who wanted to kill him, what did he do wrong?!

Why was it not him who died, but those unarmed mortals?

"Of course I'm not reconciled!" His voice trembled, his eyes red-rimmed. "But what can I do? My inner core is gone, my cultivation is ruined, what am I supposed to use to seek justice?"

"I'll take your life," the old man said calmly. "Don't you still have one life left?" He stood up, dusted off the corner of his robe, and said, "I am Mu Changqing, the sect master of the Tianheng Sect."

"If you wish, you may return to the sect with me. Although you have lost your inner core, your bloodline remains, so there is still a possibility that you can cultivate again. From now on, you will live as a human being."

Yu Linzhou stared blankly at the old man before him. "You're willing to take me in? I'm an anomaly, aren't you afraid?"

Mu Changqing smiled slightly, his gaze falling calmly on him: "What are you afraid of? You're already like this, what else is there to be afraid of?"

"Cultivation is about pursuing infinite possibilities. If I can't even take in a child who has nowhere else to turn, then wouldn't the path I'm cultivating be too narrow?"

Yu Linzhou remained silent for a long time.

Mu Changqing did not urge him, but waited patiently for him.

Lin Zhixu was getting anxious and urged him to agree quickly.

Yu Linzhou finally raised his head: "Okay, I'm willing to go with you."

Mu Changqing nodded in satisfaction and then asked, "I haven't asked you your name yet."

"My name is... Yu Linzhou."

Mu Changqing stroked his beard, repeated the name to himself, and suddenly laughed: "To live the rest of my life with unwavering integrity and a heart that yearns for the world. A fine name."

Yu Linzhou: "..."

Cultured people speak differently.

In that case, it's better not to tell him the true meaning behind the name.

After the two finished speaking, soft footsteps came from the cave entrance.

Yan Lingcang walked in carrying a water bag, his expression as usual, and handed the water bag and a clean handkerchief to Yu Linzhou.

He knew that Mu Changqing was intentionally trying to get rid of him, so he wandered around outside a couple more times, guessing that the conversation should be over before returning.

Mu Changqing smiled and introduced the two of them: "This is Yan Lingcang, who, like you, wants to join the sect and become my disciple. He met me earlier than you, so he will be your senior brother from now on."

"Ling Cang, this is Yu Linzhou. Once his injuries have healed, he will come back to the sect with us. From now on, he will be your junior brother."

Yan Lingcang nodded slightly, his gaze falling on Yu Linzhou's face, and said calmly, "Junior Brother Yu."

Yu Linzhou glanced at him and replied in a hoarse voice, "Senior Brother Yan."

Neither of them were talkative, and a simple greeting sufficed.

The three of them rested in the cave for the night.

As dawn broke, he continued his journey with the two of them.

Lin Zhixu finally learned about the connection between Yu Linzhou and Tianheng Sect.