Chapter Two: Petition for Title

However, this weasel looked extraordinarily peculiar—it actually had a tuft of white fur on its forehead! Was it about to become a spirit?

At this moment, the weasel did not open its mouth, yet a human voice echoed out from its direction! That was what had truly shaken Lin Yi.

In front of the weasel, there were no fewer than eight mice. Each mouse had a tiny drum and a small gong tied to its body! That explained it. The cacophony of drums and gongs that had echoed through the ground above had been these mice, standing upright, beating their instruments. That was the source of the incessant racket.

To witness such a chilling scene—any normal person would feel their scalp tingle and their blood run cold. Lin Yi was, after all, just an ordinary man. Though he had heard countless ghost stories and the supernatural tales his grandfather liked to recount, to suddenly encounter this firsthand, to be truly immersed in it, still left him barely able to stand from sheer terror.

He forced himself to remain calm, anxiety twisting in his heart. An Miaoyi was already leaping toward him; if not for her arrival, Lin Yi might have bolted by now.

As the distance between An Miaoyi and Lin Yi shrank, the weasel—who had just spoken without moving its lips—fixed Lin Yi with a pair of hideously ugly eyes. Its crooked mouth curved into what might have been a grin, though that smile was chillier than the coldest wind.

"Do you think I look like an immortal, or do I look like an immortal?" The weasel’s mouth never moved, yet the voice reverberated in the air, carrying with it a bloody stench that seemed to shudder through the atmosphere.

As it spoke to Lin Yi, he felt that stench saturate the air around him, drilling straight into his nostrils.

Seeking a seal! This was the legendary ritual of seeking a seal.

Among the so-called Five Constant Immortals, some of these "celestial families" could indeed seek a seal. Foxes, weasels, hedgehogs, snakes, and rats… Of these, those most likely to seek a seal were weasels, snakes, and foxes.

But what did it mean, to seek a seal? Humans, as a broad category, are innately a kind of immortal—a terrestrial immortal. From birth, humans can cultivate; their potential merely ranges from high to low.

For animals, no matter how great their potential, their path is fraught with tribulations. The first and foremost is to take on human form. Only after achieving human shape can their cultivation progress by leaps and bounds.

And the ritual of seeking a seal is an ordeal they must endure to attain human form.

According to Lin Yi’s grandfather, when a weasel seeks a seal, it’s a mutually beneficial agreement. It’s best to agree—provided the weasel bears no scent of blood.

If an animal reeks of blood and malice, that can mean only one thing: the creature seeking a seal has committed grievous sins. Only then would such baleful energy gather and spread, bringing a murderous aura.

Faced with a creature like this, one must never agree to its request, never yield. Otherwise, all the evil it commits henceforth will be tied to your own fate—karma will collect upon you.

Instinctively, Lin Yi wanted to refuse.

"Don’t agree… Let it never take human form… This is a monster… a demon!" An Miaoyi had drawn within ten meters of Lin Yi and heard the weasel’s words. Her face blanched instantly, and she hurried to intervene.

Once such a creature took human form, all its accumulated energy would turn into a powerful cultivation base. That must not be allowed—the weasel must not achieve its transformation, must not survive this tribulation!

A moment ago, An Miaoyi had received a call from her grandfather. A surge of demonic energy had erupted from Mount Dahei, splitting into several streams. One of those streams seemed to be headed straight for Shengjing Academy.

Her grandfather urged her to check the area around Shengjing Academy immediately. She did not dare delay. As soon as she reached Building Three, she saw the weasel, wreathed in demonic energy, seeking a seal from Lin Yi!

But the one the weasel sought was not An Miaoyi, but Lin Yi. He must refuse it himself; nothing she said would matter.

An Miaoyi’s warning made the weasel’s face turn savage. The mocking sneer vanished, replaced by an icy mask.

It shot An Miaoyi a venomous glare, then fixed its now-bloodshot eyes upon Lin Yi. Once again, it pressed its question:

"Do you think I look like an immortal, or do I look like an immortal?"

The same question. It was not multiple choice, for there was only one answer: to affirm that this weasel was indeed an immortal.

This entire ritual was rigged!

Lin Yi sensed that this weasel was well-prepared. Its question sounded as if it exploited some loophole in the system—proof of its cunning and treachery.

At the same time, Lin Yi felt the bloody stench from the weasel’s mouth seemed laced with some kind of drug, something that relentlessly agitated him, trying to force him to say what he did not mean.

Lin Yi struggled to resist. The effort was agonizing.

Suddenly, everything before Lin Yi’s eyes changed.

Just a moment ago, he was standing in a shadowy school corner with An Miaoyi, the weasel seeking a seal, and eight mice. Now, all had transformed!

A lavish bathhouse appeared before him, and Lin Yi found himself inside.

This was the sacred ground of indulgence!

In the grand hall, eight stunning beauties swayed gracefully in dance. Barely clad, their movements were mesmerizing, their alluring grace and captivating eyes fixed hungrily on Lin Yi, making his mouth go dry.

The spectacle was overwhelming.

Yet in the midst of these dancers, a woman of even greater charm appeared. Her allure surpassed all the others—a beauty of celestial caliber!

Her every curve exuded a seductive elegance that would make any normal man swallow hard.

As she danced, she seemed to transform into Chang’e herself, descending from the Moon Palace—a figure of ethereal beauty, descending in a swirl of light.

Her scanty attire left much of her crystalline skin exposed, tempting one to approach and caress.

The heat of desire roared through Lin Yi’s veins, a longing so fierce he felt he might burst.

He grew dizzy, his gaze no longer shifting among the eight dancers but fixed solely on the peerless beauty before him.

A single smile could topple cities; another could bring down kingdoms. Who could fail to be ensnared by such a beauty?

She floated like a painting come to life, rivaling Chang’e, outshining even the Four Beauties of legend. Every sway of her body radiated a soul-stealing allure.

As he watched, Lin Yi felt his body grow feverish, his blood surging, until it seemed as though he might split apart.

At that moment, the beauty cast a glance back at him, her smile radiating a hundred charms.

Her bright eyes sparkled as she pursed her lips in a shy smile, her cheeks flushed with bashfulness, her white teeth gleaming like pearls, her breath fragrant as orchids.

"Do I look like an immortal?"

Had Lin Yi been in his right mind, he would have recognized the meaning behind her words. But his mind was clouded; his lips parted, ready to nod in agreement.

A crisis—peril was imminent!

Outside, An Miaoyi struggled to press forward to Lin Yi’s side. But her steps halted as the eight mice and the weasel began to dance, writhing and posturing obscenely.

As they danced, the mice beat their drums and gongs, the cacophony blending into a thunderous din that rippled through the air like waves.

These ripples became weapons, crashing again and again toward An Miaoyi.

The tumultuous sound forced An Miaoyi to cover her ears. Waves of energy rose from her body as she fought to advance. But the sound not only battered her with sonic force—it became a gusting wind.

The howling wind whipped up her clothing, making each step a struggle.

Agony twisted An Miaoyi’s features.

"It’s over! This weasel must have used some kind of illusion—Lin Yi’s eyes have changed! If this weasel becomes a demon, Lin Yi will die with it… Damn it… Lately, Lady Huang Jiu on the mountain has been far too brazen, too wild…"

She seemed to foresee, in a flash, Lin Yi’s tragic death.

Gritting her teeth, An Miaoyi clenched her fists. She refused to accept it!

Just as Lin Yi was about to speak his agreement, a rustling sound, like pages being turned, echoed only in his ears.

From his backpack, a gentle warmth began to spread, soothing Lin Yi, clearing his mind in an instant.

The resplendent bathhouse vanished, the nine dancers gone. All that remained before Lin Yi were the eight writhing mice and the weasel.

The contrast was nauseating.

Remembering how he’d nearly reached out to touch those illusory beauties, Lin Yi almost retched.

That power in his backpack felt deeply connected to his own blood and soul, helping him break free. Its source was the "Godslayer Sutra" hidden within.

The "Godslayer Sutra" had fully awakened.