Chapter 968: Separating the Souls to Heal

Tao'er looked up. "Mister, may I touch her?"

Chen Changsheng glanced at Su Junhan.

"Miss Tao'er," Su Junhan said, "the child is currently still within the seal. I'm afraid..."

Tao'er lowered her head. She pursed her lips and fell silent.

"This Chen does indeed have a solution," Chen Changsheng said. "However, the method carries a degree of risk, and it is not a short-term endeavor. This Chen will leave a portion of his own divine sense within her Sea of Consciousness to prevent any unforeseen changes. Only after she grows steadily and her physical body is sound can the two be separated. But during the years she spends growing up, the child might become rather strange. At times she may act like a normal person, and at others, she will be as wooden as a tree. If the situation worsens, she might even lose her mind."

Tao'er's heart clenched.

But she knew this was likely their only option.

"Separating your divine sense..."

Tong Zhihuan was shocked. He immediately fell to his knees and said, "Mister, while this method may work, splitting your divine sense damages the very foundation of a cultivator. I fear it might endanger your life! If you must go to such lengths, Zhihuan does not dare accept it!"

"Mister Chen's methods are unfathomably profound," Su Junhan said calmly. "You need not worry about the separation of his divine sense."

"This Chen called you both here to explain the stakes so you could decide for yourselves," Chen Changsheng said. "This method might not be perfect, but I am fairly confident it will allow her to live safely and grow up as an ordinary person."

Tao'er knelt beside Tong Zhihuan.

Hand in hand, the couple kowtowed deeply to Mister Qingshan.

"For Nianyi to receive your help is the greatest fortune of her life. Zhihuan and Tao'er thank you for this immense grace, Mister."

Chen Changsheng watched them calmly, remaining silent for a long time.

When the couple raised their heads and saw he still hadn't spoken, they exchanged a glance.

They wondered if they had done something wrong to upset the Mister.

Before Tong Zhihuan could speak, Chen Changsheng said, "I suppose it makes sense. Having traveled the world, you've inevitably picked up your share of rigid customs."

Tao'er blinked in surprise. Always a bit sharper than her husband, she quickly stood up. "You misunderstand, Mister. Customs like these are necessary, aren't they? How could we not bow to our elders?"

Chen Changsheng chuckled. He looked over to see Tong Zhihuan still kneeling there blankly, completely at a loss.

"Your husband is not the quickest," Chen Changsheng remarked.

With that, he walked over to Tong Nianyi.

Only then did Tao'er reach down to help Tong Zhihuan up. "You blockhead, get up," she whispered.

Tong Zhihuan blinked, still confused. "Wife, what did the Mister mean?"

Tao'er let out a helpless sigh. "He meant that you're not very smart."

Tong Zhihuan scratched his head, completely lost.

Tao'er linked her arm through his. "The Mister was telling us not to be so formal. He doesn't like it."

Realization finally dawned on Tong Zhihuan.

"Oh!"

He slapped his forehead. "I really am an idiot."

Tao'er shushed him. "Keep quiet."

Tong Zhihuan nodded and looked forward.

Chen Changsheng gazed at the jade-like infant within the seal. After a moment, he looked toward Su Junhan.

Su Junhan nodded and stepped forward. As he raised his hand, the entire Cave Abode began to tremble.

The binding chains clanged loudly. In the blink of an eye, several plummeted to the ground. A moment later, the seal shattered, and the protective barrier enveloping Tong Nianyi faded away.

The Listening Rain Sword darted out, hovering instantly above the child.

Magical power flowed from the blade, transforming into thousands of silken threads that seeped into her limbs and bones.

"Waa..."

Freed from the seal, Tong Nianyi immediately began wailing.

She flailed her little arms and legs. She was just an infant, after all; it was hard for her to settle down.

Chen Changsheng reached out and gently stroked the baby's head. "Don't cry, don't cry..." he murmured.

Beneath the Mister's soothing whispers, Tong Nianyi soon quieted down. Her watery eyes took in the scene before her, eventually fixing entirely upon Mister Qingshan.

The magical power from the sword temporarily stabilized Tong Nianyi's physical body.

Chen Changsheng raised his hand, and a sliver of divine sense bearing his exact likeness materialized in his palm.

Chen Changsheng offered a warm smile. "I leave it to you," he said.

The tiny figure in his palm cupped its hands in a bow before transforming into a streak of light. In the blink of an eye, it shot between Tong Nianyi's eyebrows and vanished into her Sea of Consciousness.

His divine sense entered Tong Nianyi's Sea of Consciousness.

Sweeping his gaze across the space, he spotted two consciousnesses. One rippled with wood spirit energy, while the other resembled an infant's innate mind. The two were tightly intertwined, utterly inseparable.

Chen Changsheng's divine sense approached and chanted an incantation.

The moment the chant began, the recently settled Tong Nianyi burst into tears once more.

"Waa, waa..."

Her little brows knitted tightly together, the pain causing her to clench her tiny fists.

Standing behind him, Tong Zhihuan and Tao'er were paralyzed with worry. Hearing their child's wails made their hearts pound with anxiety.

In the next instant, the infant's gaze grew vacant and dull.

Chen Changsheng frowned at the sight. He raised two fingers and commanded softly:

"Three Souls and Seven Spirits, find your peace! The Sea of Consciousness is a tranquil ground; let there be no clamor!"

As the Mister's voice rang out, the two trembling consciousnesses gradually settled down.

A glimmer of light slowly returned to Tong Nianyi's eyes.

Chen Changsheng thrust his two fingers forward again, writing characters in thin air.

Watching from the sidelines, Su Junhan was stunned. "This is..."

One ancient character sealed her Sea of Consciousness, another four characters sealed her limbs and bones, and the final character sealed her dantian and meridians.

Shock colored Su Junhan's face. "The Art of Ancient Characters!"

But upon seeing it, a wave of confusion quickly followed.

How could the Art of Ancient Characters display such miraculous effects in the Mister's hands?

Hadn't this kind of Daoist magic long since lost the favor of the Heavenly Dao?

Su Junhan snapped back to reality and looked up.

The six characters descended upon her body.

In an instant, they melted into her skin and vanished.

These six seals were vastly more profound than any Su Junhan knew of. The Dao rhythm clinging to those characters alone was not something an ordinary seal could possess.

If the sealing magic of cultivators was considered the work of an immortal, then the spectacle before his eyes could only be called the work of Heaven.

At a wordless summons, the Listening Rain Sword returned to the Mister's side.

Chen Changsheng let out a long breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

By then, Tong Nianyi had completely settled down. As Chen Changsheng raised his hand, she floated gently into his arms.

Peace returned to the Cave Abode.

After a brief moment of silence, a burst of giggles escaped the infant's lips.

"Hee..."

She gazed at Mister Chen, studying him with wide-eyed curiosity before mischievously reaching out and grabbing his white beard.

Chen Changsheng reached out and tickled her nose.

Tao'er and Tong Zhihuan quickly hurried over.

The group gathered closely around them.

"Nianyi, Tong Nianyi, these are your parents. Won't you look at them?"

Chen Changsheng coaxed.

The infant's gaze shifted to Tong Zhihuan and Tao'er.

The child's pure eyes were wide, yet they flickered with a hint of bewilderment.