The Great God of the Sea Gathering could bear it no longer, and his divine thought instantly shot out from the small temple, ascending to the heights above.
He overlooked the vast expanse, searching for any suspicious individuals, but found nothing.
The other party seemed to have some method to shield from celestial insight...
The Great God of the Sea Gathering's gaze shifted uncertainly, and finally, he let out a cold snort, and the wisp of divine thought split apart returned to his body.
At this time, just as the Qishan Clan stepped into the temple, she walked into the Incense Hall.
"Oh! Whose little girl is this, she's truly pretty!"
The Qishan Clan still maintained her naive and straightforward demeanor, not even considering how in this desolate temple, with only sea winds and no visitors, a girl from a mortal family would come here to stay?
"Good girl, let elder sister ask you something, do you know the Great Immortal here..."
The boy wearing immortal lotus clothes said irritably, "Open your eyes wide and take a good look, am I a man or a woman?"
"Oh, turns out it's a male girl!"
"..."
The Great God of the Sea Gathering's breath caught.
Where did this demon come from, and why hasn't it been dealt with by the demon-slaying guardians!
"A deceitful thief who wants to seek Immortal Studies and Taoism? The Great Immortal is right here in this temple, go ahead and ask him for a try, see if he agrees!"
The Great God of the Sea Gathering had a fiery temper; if it weren't for the heavy merit on the other party, he might have already flipped out and taken action!
The Qishan Clan was originally a mass of brilliant yellow aura nurtured by the union of heaven and earth and attained the Tao, although her thoughts were unlike ordinary people's, she wasn't truly unintelligent.
Upon seeing the boy's appearance, she knew he was indeed the "Great Immortal" of this place.
But who would have thought that a Great Immortal would look like a little girl.
The Qishan Clan was wrapped in a red ribbon and thrown out of the Demon Temple.
Despite her massive weight, in front of the boy, she was like a small pebble, and by the time she came to her senses, she had already been thrown thousands of miles away!
The Qishan Clan got up in a sorry state, and before her were layers of towering peaks. Not far in the mountainside, there was a pavilion, and inside, an elder in Eight Diagrams robes was playing chess with a dignified man wearing an emperor's coronet.
Before the Qishan Clan could recover, an exclamation of surprise sounded beside her.
Turning to look, she saw an ordinary-dressed old farmer staring at her with a look of astonishment.
...
East Sea.
The Great God of the Sea Gathering, who had casually granted the Qishan Clan a chance encounter, shook his head.
For a monster born of such wild origins, no matter how much merit they carried, they could not compare to those with backing and heritage.
"I hope that one day on the Demon-slaying Platform, I won't see you..."
To steal the authority of renowned mountains and great rivers—such a crime, looking through the mundane world, can only be tolerated by the three sages beyond the Celestial Emperor's oversight.
His face cold, his heart caring, the Great God of the Sea Gathering couldn't bear to see the Qishan Clan walk the crooked path, so he lent a helping hand, though whether she could grasp it was up to fate.
Just as the Great God of the Sea Gathering sent the Qishan Clan away and was yet to gather his thoughts, a nearly transparent ghost floated into the temple from outside.
The Great God of the Sea Gathering showed no surprise, only numbness.
People, gods, demons—he had hosted them all, what's one more ghost?
"Are you here to seek a master and learn skills too?"
The childlike girl, only three or five years old, nodded and then shook her head: "I don't have much time left; I came here to ask the immortal one question."
"What is it?"
"If a ghost dies, can the accumulated merit on it be returned?"
The Great God of the Sea Gathering was surprised, "Since it's merit accumulated by oneself, why talk of returning it?"
The ghost child, Shiyue, said sincerely, "I was rescued by Lady Bao Sheng, thus escaping the sea of suffering. All the merit I've accumulated over the years is due to Lady Bao Sheng, and I must repay her kindness..."
Shiyue paused, then said a bit reluctantly, "If all this incense is just wasted, it would be such a pity."
The Great God of the Sea Gathering didn't pay much mind, "You're just a little kid, how much merit could you have?"
Shiyue raised her head, and her nearly transparent Pure Spirit Ghost Body suddenly emitted an unimaginably dense human merit.
If that merit were converted into blood lake incense, there would be at least five million.
As a Protecting Birth girl, the earliest intimate follower of Lady Bao Sheng, Shiyue's incense worshiped by the people of Dan Yan reached an astonishing level as well.
"..."
The Great God of the Sea Gathering remained speechless for a long time.
In the Five Filthy Evil Worlds, many righteous cultivators could not resist the erosion of impurity, ceasing to uphold the orthodox path and choosing the side doors and left paths instead.
As a Yin Ghost demon, regardless of the state of the world, by nature should cultivate Evil Technique, but this ghost child defied her nature, refining herself with merit and accumulating Taoist practice.
Before the loss of the heavenly connection, she might have had the potential to transcend Yin Ghost and become a Ghost Immortal.
But now, with the path severed, a Pure Spirit Ghost without the Immortal medicine of the transformation pool to remold an immortal body, faces only obliteration.
Facing the child's inquiry, the Great God of the Sea Gathering's gaze flickered.
This question was harder to answer than someone seeking Immortal Studies.
Noticing the Upper Immortal silent, Shiyue looked a bit disappointed but still bowed to the boy, thanking him.
Watching the child about to leave the Demon Temple, the Great God of the Sea Gathering no longer hesitated, decisively stopping her:
"Wait! Though I cannot do what you ask, I do have a method to remold your flesh, allowing you to fearlessly continue cultivating in this foul world..."
Shiyue's eyes lit up, yet she heard the boy continue, "But you must accept my legacy, become my successor, only then can I help you."
Shiyue thought for a moment, recalling Xu Qing's words, and finally nodded in agreement.
The Great God of the Sea Gathering always felt there was something amiss, as if he was the one eager for others to learn from him...
——————
Before the loss of the heavenly connection, she might have had the potential to transcend Yin Ghost and become a Ghost Immortal.
But now, with the path severed, a Pure Spirit Ghost without the Immortal medicine of the transformation pool to remold an immortal body, faces only obliteration.
Facing the child's inquiry, the Great God of the Sea Gathering's gaze flickered.
This question was harder to answer than someone seeking Immortal Studies.
Noticing the Upper Immortal silent, Shiyue looked a bit disappointed but still bowed to the boy, thanking him.