The air in the basement of the Ancient and Modern Study had been stagnant for a century. As soon as the key in Haotian's hand touched the lock, the door opened automatically, as if it had been waiting for his arrival all along. The stairs led downward, disappearing into the darkness, with only the eternal lamps on the walls emitting a faint blue glow.
"Come down, child."
The aged voice echoed from the depths, causing Haotian's body to tremble—it was his grandfather's voice! But he knew that the real Zhang Xuan Zheng had long since perished, and what awaited him below was at most a faint remnant of his spirit.
The stairs were much longer than he had imagined. With each step, the spiritual energy within Hao Tian grew more active. By the hundredth step, the lotus mark on his chest began to burn, and Xiao You's voice echoed softly in his mind: "Be careful... the flow of time is different here..."
Light finally appeared underground. Haotian entered a circular stone chamber, whose walls were covered with ancient murals depicting scenes of sages from the Daoist, Buddhist, and Shinto traditions jointly subduing demons. In the center of the chamber sat an elderly man with white hair—the very same "grandfather" who had appeared in the underground space to save him that day.
"Sit," the old man gestured to the cushion before him, "I know you have many questions."
Hao Tian remained motionless: "Who are you exactly?"
"A fragment of Zhang Xuan Zheng's divine consciousness, and also the previous generation's Celestial Master." The old man sighed, "Thirty years ago, during that great battle, before my physical form was destroyed, I sealed my lifetime of cultivation within this stone chamber, all to await this day."
The stone chamber suddenly began to shake, and the murals on the walls started to move, forming a dynamic scene—thirty years ago, the shopping mall was still a barren wasteland, and Grandfather and Xiao You's master—that Buddhist sage—were here setting up seven layers of seals. In the final scene, the young Grandfather cut his wrist and dripped his blood into the ground array:
"Using my bloodline as a guide, thirty years later, my grandson Hao Tian shall carry on this mission..."
Haotian's throat tightened: "Was everything prearranged?"
"Yes, and no." The old man waved his hand, and three ethereal scriptures appeared in the air. "The 'Three Purities Daoist Canon' is missing its final chapter because the true 'unity of the three teachings' cannot be recorded in words. Are you ready now?"
Haotian remained silent for a moment, then sat cross-legged: "I need power to save Xiao You."
"Save one person, or save all beings?"
"I want both."
The old man smiled: "A greedy answer, but... very much like a Taoist master." He formed a seal with both hands, and the three scriptures turned into streams of light that entered Haotian's brow. "Close your eyes and look inward; I will guide you through the Zhou Tian cycle."
As soon as Hao Tian closed his eyes, he felt himself enter a mystical state. The spiritual energy within his body split into three streams: golden Daoist energy flowed upward along the Ren meridian, white Buddhist energy flowed downward along the Du meridian, and red divine energy coursed through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. The three streams converged at the Dan Tian, yet they were incompatible, colliding fiercely.
"The Way follows nature," the old man's voice echoed in the void. "What is nature?"
Haotian gained sudden enlightenment: "Do not force, do not cling, go with the flow."
The golden true qi immediately softened, flowing like a stream around the other two streams of energy.
"Buddhist compassion. What is compassion?"
"Save others and save oneself, do not abandon sentient beings."
White spiritual energy bloomed into the illusory form of a lotus, actively accepting the golden true energy.
"Divine words are sincere. What is sincerity?"
"Words must be put into action; heart and mouth must be one."
Red energy erupted and spread, enveloping the golden and white energies within. The three forces began to slowly fuse, forming a new, crystalline energy.
"Very good." The old man's voice carried a note of satisfaction. "Now, try to cast the simplest Golden Light Mantra."
Haotian formed the seal and recited the mantra, a pure white light erupting from his fingertips, purifying the air wherever it passed. This could no longer be called the "Golden Light Mantra," yet its power had increased tenfold.
"The power of the Three Teachings united..." Haotian marveled at his own hands.
"This is merely the surface," the old man said solemnly. "Over the next seven days, I will teach you the true inheritance of the Celestial Master. At the time of the lunar eclipse seven days hence, the evil overlord will launch a full-scale counterattack."
There was no day or night in the stone chamber. Hao Tian immersed himself in cultivation. Each time he completed a cycle, a mural on the wall would illuminate. By the third day, he could already control three types of spiritual energy simultaneously. The Tian Shi staff in his hands transformed endlessly—sometimes into a whisk, sometimes into a Zen staff, and sometimes into a cross-shaped scepter.
"Why can the teachings of the three religions be perfectly integrated?" Hao Tian asked during a break in his meditation.
The old man was brewing tea and looked up upon hearing this: "Because they share the same origin. In ancient times, Daoism, Buddhism, and Shintoism were one family. Later, due to differing philosophies, they parted ways. The Tian Shi staff in your hand is the original form of the 'Creation Staff' revered by all three religions."
The tea poured into the cup, dividing into three distinct layers yet harmoniously coexisting.
"Like this cup of tea," the old man handed it to him, "separate, each layer has its own unique characteristics; when blended, they become richer and more profound."
On the fifth day, Hao Tian began learning forbidden techniques. When he saw the method of reuniting souls recorded in the *Record of Defying Heaven and Altering Fate*, his fingers trembled slightly.
"Can this method truly save Xiao You?"
"It can, but at a cost," the old man sighed. "It requires sacrificing a soul of the same level. Moreover... she was born to be sealed. Forcing a reversal of fate may lead to even more severe consequences."
Hao Tian gripped the Taoist staff tightly: "There must be another way."
The old man remained noncommittal and instead taught him the ultimate technique for sealing the demonic overlord. This technique required harnessing the power of the sun, moon, and stars, combining the essence of the three teachings, and sealing the demonic overlord completely during the moment of its weakness during a lunar eclipse.
"Thirty years ago, we failed because we lacked the cooperation of the Shenyan lineage." The old man pointed to the last mural, "Look here—"
The painting showed the final stage of the sealing, which required two people to cast the spell simultaneously: one holding the Taoist master's staff to channel the power of the heavens, and the other using the Holy Maiden's Seal as a medium to communicate with the earth's veins. Back then, it was Grandfather and Xiao You's master who worked together. Now...
"It needs me and Xiao You." Haotian's chest grew hot, "But she's already..."
"We live and die together, don't we?" the old man said meaningfully, "The Lotus Mark is not just a memorial."
On the sixth night, Hao Tian suddenly awoke from his meditation. The stone chamber shook violently, and the eternal lamps on the walls began to extinguish one by one. The old man's form began to fade.
"The time has come..." the old man sighed wryly, "The demonic overlord is breaking through the final seal. Child, remember—"
He placed his hand on Haotian's forehead, and a陌生 memory forced its way in: On the night of the blood moon, Xiao You did not completely disappear. She had hidden the core of her soul within the lotus mark, all for the final coordination in the lunar eclipse battle!
"You already knew!" Haotian was both shocked and delighted.
"Now you know too." The old man's figure grew increasingly faint, "The final step... requires all of my divine consciousness to activate the ultimate form of the Taoist Master's Staff..."
Haotian tried to stop him but found himself unable to move. The old man dissolved into countless specks of light, merging into the Tian Shi Staff. The staff erupted with blinding light. When the light faded, it had transformed into an ancient-looking long sword—its blade engraved with symbols from the Three Teachings, its hilt adorned with lotus flowers and the Taiji symbol intertwined.
"This is..."
"The Tian Shi Sword." The old man's voice echoed from within the sword, faint yet clear, "Take it... and end all of this..."
The stone chamber began to collapse. Hao Tian cast one last glance at the mural on the wall—his grandfather within was smiling and nodding at him. Then he turned and charged toward the stairs, each step causing the earth to tremble.
As he burst out of the ancient hall, the scene outside left Haotian gasping in horror—the entire city was shrouded in black mist, with countless citizens moving toward the mall like zombies. The moon in the sky was already more than half gone, the remaining portion glowing an ominous blood-red.
His phone suddenly rang. It was Li Youlan: "Haotian! The Demon Lord has activated the sacrificial array on the top floor of the mall. It intends to use the souls of the entire city to reshape its physical form!"
"I know," Haotian gripped the Tian Shi Sword tightly. "What about Xiao You's... body?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line: "It has been placed at the center of the altar on the seventh floor of the mall, serving as the array's focal point..."
The lotus mark on Haotian's chest burned intensely, and Xiao You's voice was clearer than ever: "Senior Brother... don't come... this is a trap..."
"Wait for me," he said softly, then hung up the phone.
The Tian Shi Sword sensed its master's resolve and floated into the air on its own. Haotian stood on the sword, and the three religious symbols on the blade lit up one by one:
"Borrowing the power of the universe, flying on the sword!"
The sword's light shone like a rainbow, cutting through the black fog enveloping the city, and headed straight for the Lion Mall. The decisive battle was finally upon them.
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**The story may unfold around the following key points**:
- **The resonance of twin souls**: The small spirit crystal on the altar suddenly opened its eyes, resonating with the lotus mark on Haotian's chest. The memories of the joint combat techniques they had cultivated together in their past lives awoke simultaneously in both their consciousnesses.
- **The True Motive of the Evil Overlord**: When Hao Tian burst into the altar, the Evil Overlord unexpectedly returned the small spirit soul. It turned out that what it truly desired was the complete Tian Shi bloodline within Hao Tian's body, as only this could break the eternal seal imposed by the Three Teachings on the异类.
- **Li Youlan's Ultimate Choice**: While Haotian and the Demon Lord were engaged in fierce battle, Li Youlan, who had been lurking in the shadows, suddenly emerged. In her hand was the bone needle of the Demoness, and the needle's tip was aimed at her own heart.
I hope this chapter meets your expectations. The final chapter will depict the ultimate showdown between Hao Tian and Xiao You against the evil overlord, as well as the ultimate fate of the two. If any adjustments are needed, please let me know.