Under One Person: I Have a Billion Taoist Gods Within Me

Chapter 54 begins with a time stop! Invoking the Great Savior of Suffering!

Liang Ting's lips twitched slightly.

That wasn't a laugh.

It was an extremely unfamiliar emotion that he himself couldn't explain.

That emotion trembled slightly in Liang Ting's chest.

Like a seed that has been dormant for many years, suddenly sensing something—

A ray of light.

However, this ray of light came quickly and went quickly.

At the same moment, all the senior students' eyes fell on Liang Ting again.

In that gaze, there was anger, disdain, disgust, and something even more complex: jealousy.

Normally, Gao Xiaomei is the youngest junior sister in the sect. She is well-behaved and cute, with a gentle temperament. She is everyone's precious darling.

Everyone wanted to talk to her more, everyone wanted to perform well in front of her, and everyone wanted to be the "best senior brother" in her heart.

But at this moment, this precious child they cherished so much actually stood up to speak for Liang Ting!

For that ugly freak! For that monster! For that thing they've despised for twenty years!

Why should I?!

Why does that ugly freak get the junior sister's protection?!

Why should that shady character get their junior sister to stand up for him?!

Those gazes instantly became even more intense and malicious.

The ray of light that had just shone into Liang Ting's heart was extinguished by these gazes.

Instead, a deeper darkness prevailed.

Those gazes were all too familiar to Liang Ting.

For the past twenty years, he has lived under such gazes.

Every glance is like a knife.

Every knife is stuck in his heart, and he never pulls it out.

Gao Xiaomei's voice still echoed in his ears: "What right do you have to insult him like that?"

But the gazes of his fellow students had already answered for him.

On what grounds?

Just look at his face.

Because he was an abandoned bastard.

He doesn't deserve to live in this world.

The glimmer of light that had just appeared in Liang Ting's eyes was completely extinguished.

Instead, a more intense flame has taken its place.

That was the anger that had been building up for twenty years, and at this moment, it finally burned away the last bit of hesitation.

Within the encirclement, a burly senior student finally couldn't hold back any longer.

His name was Zhou Hu. He joined the school a few years earlier than Liang Ting and was known for his volatile temper.

He had always disliked Liang Ting and often gossiped about him behind his back.

At this moment, seeing Gao Xiaomei actually speaking up for Liang Ting, he could no longer suppress his anger.

"Xiaomei! Get out of my way!"

Zhou Hu shouted and gently pushed Gao Xiaomei aside.

Then she abruptly turned her head, glaring fiercely at Liang Ting, her voice filled with contempt: "Liang Ting! How dare you stand here?!"

"Xiaomei will speak up for you? You dare to say that?!"

"Today I will clean house on behalf of my master!"

Before he could finish speaking...

Zhou Hu stomped his foot and pounced on Liang Ting like a tiger descending a mountain!

With a flick of his wrists, ten mechanical claws made of fine steel suddenly sprang out from between his fingers!

The ten mechanical claws intertwined in the air to form a deadly net, descending upon Liang Ting!

A sinister smile crept across Zhou Hu's lips.

He used all his strength in that attack.

He believed that even if Liang Ting transformed himself into a monster, he would still be unable to withstand this attack!

However, just as the ten mechanical claws were about to touch Liang Ting's face...

Just as Liang Ting was about to launch a counterattack.

Zhou Hu and Liang Ting's expressions froze instantly.

It wasn't just their expressions.

There are also the two people's movements, breathing, heartbeats, and every breath flowing through their bodies.

Everything froze in that instant.

Like a frozen painting.

Like time itself, at this moment, the flow stopped.

Zhou Hu remained in a forward-leaning posture, hovering in mid-air.

The junior disciples behind him, each with an expression of resentment, disdain, or martial arts practice, remained motionless, like clay or wooden sculptures.

At the edge of the encirclement, the complex expression on the face of the Ink Tendon Soft Bone Sect Master froze at this moment.

Gao Xiaomei, standing beside him, had her tearful eyes frozen in the moment she had just been pushed away.

The flames stopped flickering.

The night breeze stopped flowing.

Even the lingering echoes of those curses seemed to freeze in the air, like tangible threads suspended in everyone's ears.

The world was completely silent.

Only—

A faint golden light quietly appeared in the darkness.

It was a small yellow paper figure about seven inches tall.

It hovered silently above the training ground, its body surrounded by endless purple-gold patterns.

Those eyes, dotted with cinnabar, were now gleaming with a deep, dark light.

That was a wisp of divine thought that Li Yuan had entrusted to it.

At this moment, that divine thought was completely activated.

The paper figure raised its small head slightly and softly recited a very short and simple incantation.

The voice was so faint that it was almost inaudible, yet it seemed to penetrate all barriers of time and space, reaching the supreme being in the darkness: "Shangqing Jade Pivot, Circulating Heavenly Light."

The six Ding and six Jia guard the four directions.

Urgently available—

'

"The taboo names of the Six Ding gods, the chapter of Dingmao!"

The moment the incantation fell—

Inside the interior, deep within the ancient and majestic Daluo Palace.

A divine throne suddenly burst forth with dazzling light!

Within that light, the faint phantom of a divine general appeared.

He was clad in blue armor, held a jade talisman, and had a dignified face with eyes like lightning.

Countless flowing light patterns swirled around him, each pattern seemingly containing the secrets of time.

That was Sima Qing, the Dingmao Divine General among the Six Ding and Six Jia!

The Yunji Qiqian states: "The Six Ding are the Yin spirits of Heaven and Earth."

"The god of Dingmao is Sima Qing, the god of Dingchou is Zhao Ziyu, the god of Dinghai is Zhang Wentong, the god of Dingyou is Zang Wengong, the god of Dingwei is Shi Shutong, and the god of Dingsi is Cui Shiqing."

"The Six Jade Maidens each have their own responsibilities, capable of controlling wind and thunder, subduing ghosts and gods, mastering the mechanisms of heaven and earth, and controlling the changes of yin and yang."

Sima Qing, the Dingmao God General, is the one among the Six Ding Gods who is in charge of "time" and "order".

He can set the order of the universe, control the waxing and waning of yin and yang, freeze time, and bring all things to a standstill!

At this moment, on that divine throne, Sima Qing's statue slightly raised its eyes.

Those eyes, which seemed to see through the passage of time, appeared to penetrate the boundary between the inner scene and reality, landing on that tiny paper figure.

immediately-

A ray of divine light surged forth from the divine throne.

That divine light was formless and intangible, yet it contained an ineffable "authority".

It followed the wisp of divine thought that Li Yuan had entrusted to the paper figure, crossed the endless void, and descended upon the training ground of the Ink Tendon Soft Bone Sect.

It descended into the tiny body of the paper figure.

The golden light surrounding the paper figure suddenly surged!

The golden light spread outwards in all directions from the paper figure as the center.

The spread was extremely fast, so fast that it covered the entire training ground in less than the blink of an eye.

It enveloped every frozen figure.

It enveloped every wisp of solidified air.

It enveloped every wisp of still light and shadow.

Where the golden light shines—

Heaven and earth were completely still.

Time and spacetime were completely frozen.

Those who were frozen in place were not only unable to move their bodies, but their minds were also firmly imprisoned by this invisible force.

The fleeting joy of victory that had just surfaced in Zhou Hu's heart was frozen in that instant, like a painting, unable to move forward even a fraction of a second.

The resentment, contempt, and disgust in the hearts of the other junior disciples were also frozen in place, like frozen statues.

The complex expression on the face of the leader of the Ink Tendon Soft Bone Sect, and the tearful look in Gao Xiaomei's eyes, were frozen in that moment, unable to change in the slightest.

Even their thoughts were frozen by this force.

They didn't know what had happened.

They were not even aware that they were "frozen in place".

Because consciousness itself has ceased to flow.

Like a stagnant pool, without the slightest ripple.

This is the authority of Sima Qing, the Six Ding Divine General—

"Time stands still."

Only those with great magical power and supernatural abilities have no chance of breaking free.

Liang Ting was also frozen in place.

But in his eyes, which were burning with flames, the flames also froze.

It is no longer pulsating, but like a flame in a painting, forever maintaining the posture of that moment.

The entire training ground fell into complete silence.

Only the tiny paper figure floated in the void, its body shimmering with golden light.

Its eyes, dotted with vermilion, slowly swept over the frozen figures below.

There was no joy or anger, no pity in that gaze.

There is only a kind of calm in following orders.

Then, the paper figure spoke again.

This time, its voice was deeper and more profound than before, each syllable seemingly emerging slowly from the ancient void: "Taiyi saves from suffering, responding to the sound."

Its name spreads in all directions, bringing boundless salvation.

"Urgently sent one"

"Azure Nine Yangs, the Register of the Supreme Deity!"

The moment the incantation fell—

Deep within the inner palace of the Great Luo Palace, another divine tablet suddenly burst forth with light!

That light was completely different from the dazzling divine light that Sima Qing had just displayed.

It is not bright, but—

Profound.

It is as deep as a bottomless abyss, yet as warm as a loving mother's embrace.

Within that light, a figure of utmost nobility faintly emerged.

He wore a crown and a robe adorned with nine-colored clouds, and held a jade ruyi scepter in his hand. Surrounding him were illusory figures of ten different manifestations—sometimes Taoist priests, sometimes immortals, sometimes emperors, sometimes scholars, sometimes women, and sometimes children.

Every incarnation is doing the same thing: relieving suffering.

To relieve the suffering of all beings, to alleviate their difficulties, to deliver them from their calamities, and to save them from death.

That is—

Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun!

The most compassionate and revered savior in Taoism!

The Taiyi Salvation and Protection Scripture states: "This saint is called Taiyi Fushen in heaven, Daci Renzhe in the world, Riyao Dijun in hell, Shizi Mingwang in the heretical sect, and Dongyuan Dijun in the water palace."

"Those who manifest in all directions are not him, yet he is always him; though not him, he appears everywhere to preach the Dharma, possessing inconceivable merits."

The Primordial Celestial Venerable once said in the scriptures: "All things are born of me, and all spirits are transformed by me. When they suffer or are in distress, I must save them. In this Eastern World of Eternal Bliss, there is a Greatly Compassionate and Benevolent One, the Greatly Compassionate Savior from Suffering, whose manifestations are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and all beings respond to his calls."

"Some dwell in the heavenly palace, some descend to the mortal world, some reside in hell, some subdue evil spirits, some are celestial children and jade maidens, some are emperors and saints, some are celestial venerables and true men, some are Vajra gods and kings, some are demon kings and warriors; their positions in the Heavenly Court are incomparably noble."

"Now I entrust the Dharma to the divine beings to save all sentient beings; do not be negligent."

Therefore, the Great Savior of Suffering can respond to cries and relieve suffering.

If sentient beings suffer, they only need to recite the name of the deity or chant the scriptures, and the Heavenly Venerable will manifest himself to go to them, rescue them from their calamity, and deliver them from their suffering.

At this moment, on that divine throne, the illusory figure of Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun lowered his eyes slightly.

Those endlessly compassionate eyes seemed to pierce through the boundary between the interior scene and reality, landing on the frozen figures below.

There were angry people, fearful people, proud people, and suffering people.

There were perpetrators, silent victims, bystanders, and that petite girl who had just uttered the only warm word.

There was an ugly man who was besieged by everyone, yet remained as silent as a mountain.

Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun's gaze slowly swept over each and every one of them.

There was no judgment, no distinction in that gaze.

There is only one—

Compassionate like that of a parent towards their child.

Immediately, countless rays of light surged forth from that divine throne.

Each ray of light fell precisely on a frozen figure.

It fell into their frozen brows.

It seeped into the depths of their frozen minds.

next moment.

At the same moment, everyone's mind was drawn into a—

Interior Illusion.

That illusion varies from person to person.

For Zhou Hu—

What he saw was a dilapidated little house.

Inside the room was a thin, small boy, huddled in a corner, shivering.

Outside the door, there came a series of rough footsteps, followed by a burly man kicking the door open, a beating with fists and feet, and angry curses such as "useless thing" and "what use are you?"

That boy was himself.

He saw himself as a child, abused by his alcoholic father.

He saw the same fear, the same helplessness, the same despair in his own eyes.

For another junior brother—

What he saw was a street bustling with people.

On the street, a dirty child squatted in a corner, with a broken bowl in front of him containing a few copper coins.

Passersby either ignored him, cast disgusted glances, or even spat and cursed him as a "little beggar."

That child was himself.

He saw the days he spent wandering the streets after being abandoned by his parents.

He saw that in order to survive, he had to beg on the streets, fight with stray dogs for food, and endure the contempt and disgust of every passerby.

For the leader of the Ink Tendon Soft Bone Sect, what he saw was a dilapidated mountain village.

The village was littered with corpses—old people, women, children, and babies.

A ragged boy knelt among the corpses, silently weeping.

That is himself.

That was the night when he was young, when he encountered bandits massacring his village.

That was his original intention when he vowed to become stronger, to take in all homeless children, and to prevent them from suffering the same pain he had endured.

For Gao Xiaomei—

What she saw was a quiet courtyard.

In the courtyard, a gentle woman was combing her hair, humming a lullaby softly as she did so.

That was her mother.

Her mother, who died of illness when she was very young.

She saw her mother, on her deathbed, holding her hand and saying in a weak voice, "Xiaomei...be kind...be good to others..."

She saw herself nodding through tears, promising her mother that she would definitely keep her word.

Everyone's illusion is different.

But everyone's illusion points in the same direction—

The "light" deep within their own hearts, a light that has been forgotten, buried, and ignored.

The compassion of Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun is not judgment or punishment.

Instead—

"see".

Let everyone see themselves.

Seeing the suffering you once endured.

Seeing the vows I once made.

Seeing myself, step by step, how I became who I am today.

Inside the dreamlike interior.

The light in everyone's heart is burning quietly.

The light that some people saw was very faint, so faint that it was almost imperceptible.

The light that some people see is covered by a thick layer of dust and requires vigorous wiping to be seen.

The light that some people saw has long since been extinguished, leaving only a wisp of ember, trembling slightly in the wind.

In the inner dreamscape, everyone is looking at the light in their hearts.

Someone is crying.

Someone is trembling.

Someone is silently repenting.

Someone was shouting loudly.

That's Zhou Hu.

He knelt in his own illusion, watching the skinny little boy being beaten by his father, his hands gripping the ground so tightly that his nails were bleeding.

"It's not my fault...it's not my fault..."

He muttered to himself, his voice filled with pain.

But what tormented him even more was something else—

Only then did he realize how similar his treatment of Liang Ting was to the way his father had treated him back then.

They all vented their anger on others.

They all use hurting others to mask their inner fears and pain.

They all became the very person they hated most.

Zhou Hu looked up at the sky and roared, his voice filled with despair.

Similar scenes were playing out in the illusions of the other disciples.

Some people who saw the despair of being abandoned are now treating Liang Ting with the same indifference.

Some people who saw their own loneliness during their wanderings are now treating Liang Ting with the same contempt.

Some people, who have witnessed the humiliation of being ridiculed, are now using the same words to insult Liang Ting.

They all became the person they hated the most.

They were only now realizing this for the first time.

Among those countless illusions, there is one that is the most special.

That was Liang Ting's illusion.

What he saw was not the suffering he had endured.

Instead, it was a light that slowly emerged from the darkness.

Amidst the light, a figure faintly emerged: a thin, filthy boy huddled in a corner of the mass grave, shivering.

That's not him.

That was me back then.

Liang Ting saw the little boy, and saw his eyes filled with fear and longing.

I saw him waiting for someone.

Waiting for someone who can take him away from here.

Waiting for someone who can give him a home.

Liang Ting saw that the little boy had been waiting for a very long time.

It's been so long that I'm almost ready to give up.

A figure appeared at the edge of the mass grave.

He was a middle-aged man wearing a dark blue robe, with a thin face and gentle eyes.

He saw the little boy.

He walked over, squatted down, and asked softly, "What's your name?"

The little boy shook his head, his voice hoarse: "No...no name..."

The middle-aged man was silent for a moment, then reached out and rubbed his head.

"Then... I'll name one for you."

"How about calling it 'Ting'?"

"Stand tall and live a good life."

Liang Ting stood in the illusion, watching this scene unfold.

He looked into the little boy's eyes, his fear turning into confusion.

From doubt to—

A faint, almost imperceptible glimmer of light.

That light... it was so familiar.

It was something he once possessed, but had long forgotten.

That was a hope.

Liang Ting watched that glimmer of hope, and watched it be gradually extinguished over the next twenty years.

It was worn away by those disdainful looks.

It was worn away by those vicious words.

It was erased by those indifferent backs.

The disappointment of being pushed away every time I mustered the courage to approach someone was worn away.

It was worn away by the loneliness of licking one's wounds alone every night.

until-

It was completely extinguished.

Only a single flame remained.

That was the flame of anger.

That was the flame of hatred.

That was the only thing still burning within him as he stood on the training ground, facing the onslaught of everyone.

Liang Ting stared at the ball of fire.

Look at it.

a long time.

In the firelight, he suddenly saw a figure.

The figure stood before him.

She was petite and slender, dressed in a simple light blue dress.

Her long, jet-black hair was simply tied back.

On her delicate, fair face were a pair of large, bright eyes.

Those eyes were now filled with tears as they looked at him.

It's not contempt.

It's not disgust.

It's not fear.

It's unbearable.

It's heartbreaking.

That's Gao Xiaomei.

That was the only person who stood up and spoke up for him.

Liang Ting looked into those eyes.

Looking at the tears in those eyes.

Looking at the reflection in those tears—

My own face.

That ugly, hideous face, despised by everyone.

However, in the reflection of those eyes, that face didn't seem so ugly anymore.

Because there is light in that reflection.

There was a very faint ray of light emanating from that petite girl.

The light shone on his face, making even his ugly face seem to have a touch of warmth.

Liang Ting stared blankly at the reflection.

a long time.

The flame that had been burning for twenty years suddenly trembled slightly.

But it only trembled slightly.

That slight tremor, as subtle as a wisp of smoke, quietly swept through the deepest part of Liang Ting's heart.

It touched the light that had long been extinguished, touched the edge of the flame that had burned for twenty years, and made the flame tremble slightly.

But it was only for a moment.

After the tremor subsided, the flames continued to burn.

The light remained extinguished.

The deep-rooted hatred, ingrained in the marrow and coexisting with flesh and blood, remained unmoved.