A spirit beast soul contract with strength equivalent to that of a Cultivator in the Gazing Abyss Realm is naturally tempting.

 

But Taiping is not the kind of person who would forget everything for immediate benefits. What really made him start to waver was Baiyu's determination to abandon her freedom in order to see her mother.

 

He couldn't bear to trample on this determination.

 

"I'll think of a way."

 

Finally, Xu Taiping nodded.

 

…

 

Late at night.

 

"Sister Lingyue, should I be more ruthless?"

 

In the bedroom, under a flickering candlelight, Xu Taiping asked Lingyue Fairy with a hint of self-mockery.

 

"Taiping, having a compassionate heart is not a bad thing. Otherwise, how are we different from demons? Just remember, when showing compassion to others, never do anything against your own heart."

 

"If you feel that helping Baiyu see her mother does not go against your heart, then go ahead with confidence."

 

"We Cultivators seek survival within the Great Dao, not to steal life. Cultivation is like sailing in the vast sea in the dark night. Your true self is like the moon and stars in the sky. If you lose it, you will be lost in the vast sea."

 

"To abandon your true self in the cultivation of the Great Dao is to abandon everything."

 

Lingyue Fairy spoke persuasively as she sat side by side with Xu Taiping.

 

Upon hearing this, Xu Taiping, who was originally a little confused, suddenly became clear-eyed.

 

"Seeking survival, not stealing life. Abandoning your true self means abandoning everything."

 

He murmured to himself with a clear determination in his eyes.

 

"Taiping, in my lifetime, I have met many Cultivators, some of whom have become so powerful that they can peek into the secrets of the heavens. But even when they see the dangers ahead and the end of their lives approaching, they still choose not to abandon their Dao heart. Instead, they wield their swords and fists, facing the challenges head-on."

 

"They do this because they understand that once they choose to abandon their Dao heart, their cultivation path will come to an end."

 

"If you live a cowardly and parasitic life, what's the point of living for a thousand years? The heavens will still see you as insignificant. Only by facing death can we truly live. This is the only way for us Cultivators on the long path of cultivation."

 

Lingyue Fairy suddenly lifted Xu Taiping's face and said solemnly.

 

"I understand, Sister Lingyue."

 

Xu Taiping's eyes became resolute once again.

 

"Of course, if you agree to help Baiyu avenge the Peacock King, then forget what I just said."

 

Lingyue Fairy continued with a smile.

 

Killing the Peacock King and helping Baiyu see her mother for the last time are not on the same level of difficulty.

 

"I'm not a fool, Sister Lingyue. Why would I do something that leads to my own demise?"

 

Xu Taiping naturally understood the meaning behind Lingyue Fairy's words.

 

"Alright, let's start preparing to break through to the Gazing Abyss Realm. If you can't break through tonight, I won't let you take the risk."

 

Lingyue Fairy's expression became serious once again.

 

"Okay."

 

Xu Taiping nodded firmly.

 

The reason he didn't immediately agree to help Baiyu was because he was waiting to see if he could successfully break through to the Gazing Abyss Realm tonight. If he could, he believed that he would at least have a chance to escape in front of the Peacock King, who was aware of his intentions.

 

Lingyue Fairy had the same thought.

 

"Little Taiping, that kind of longevity achieved by sitting in a cave for a thousand years is the most fragile. The day of ascension is the day of death. Not to mention the Qingxuan Sect, even this world is just a corner of the vast cultivation world, and the road ahead is still long."

 

Lingyue Fairy murmured to herself as she looked at Xu Taiping, who was sitting with his eyes closed.

 

She didn't want Xu Taiping to take risks before because he hadn't even reached the Opening Realm. But now that he was on the verge of the Gazing Abyss Realm, she had to let him know the difficulties ahead.

 

"Boom!"

 

After taking the Foundation Establishment Pill, Xu Taiping's aura suddenly soared, and he was enveloped in a green vortex, emitting an invisible coercion.

 

Then his divine sense sensed the true qi mass floating like clouds and mist in his dantian, gradually condensing into raindrops.

 

After a moment, he saw the "heavy rain" in his dantian, which eventually gathered into streams, and the streams converged into rivers, making his originally dry dantian look like a network of waterways.

 

This was the process of forming the qi sea, as described in the Sunset Glow Technique.

 

The difficulty of this step lay in the fact that once the "spiritual rain" above his head stopped, the rivers gathered in his dantian would quickly evaporate and turn into scattered true qi, resulting in a failed breakthrough in Foundation Establishment.

 

As time passed, the spiritual energy gathered around Xu Taiping became more and more concentrated, to the point where the entire small courtyard was enveloped in rich spiritual energy.

 

Everything seemed to be developing in a positive direction.

 

However, Lingyue Fairy's expression did not relax in the slightest.

 

In her opinion, with the Foundation Establishment Pill and Xu Taiping's unwavering confidence, breaking through to Foundation Establishment was only a matter of time. Even if it didn't happen this time, it would definitely happen next time.

 

What truly worried Lingyue Fairy was the extraterritorial demons.

 

"Failure in Foundation Establishment can be tried again, but once the extraterritorial demons devour the soul, everything will be truly lost."

 

"Boom!"Just then, Xu Taiping's aura suddenly exploded, his clothes shattered into pieces, and a stream of impure energy began to surge out from his pores, while a five-colored radiance flowed across his skin.

 

"The final step."

 

At this moment, Fairy Lingyue felt not relief but growing tension, for she knew that if an Evil Spirit from beyond this realm were to appear, it would be now.

 

"Whoosh whoosh…"

 

As she had anticipated, a bone-chilling wind blew in through the cracks of the window, followed by the violent wind slamming the window with a "bang bang" sound.

 

But in the next instant, all became eerily silent, and an arm, dark as the void and exuding a chilling cold, reached in through the window.

 

Wherever the arm passed, be it the window or the wall, a layer of ice crystals began to form.

 

At that moment, Fairy Lingyue formed a hand seal and shouted:

 

"Divine might and golden armor, a Yellow Turban servant with an iron whip."

 

"Red robes and green boots, eyes fierce as a tiger's beneath the fluttering wind."

 

"Bound by the dragon's cord on command, the Three Pure Ones pursue and capture the Evil Spirit."

 

"Bind swiftly and present the unyielding, I command thee to be cut to dust. Hasten as if by divine decree."

 

As her voice fell, the array she had previously set up around the room lit up, and soon after, the phantom of a warrior clad in golden armor appeared before her.

 

"Zha!"

 

The golden-armored warrior bellowed like thunder, wielding a whip in one hand and a blade in the other, slashing and lashing towards the arm of the Evil Spirit from beyond.