Chapter Twelve: Divine Eyes Emit Spiritual Light

The monster straddled Chen Jiu, pinning him firmly so that he could not move an inch. Yet, instead of crushing him to death immediately, it seemed intent on depriving him of all resistance, squeezing his neck in an attempt to make him lose consciousness.

The five little chubby beans threw themselves at the monster, leaping and scrambling over its body in a desperate bid to cause some harm, but their efforts were in vain. The monster's skin was so tough that even the sharpest sword might not have pierced it.

Chen Jiu's throat was locked in a deadly grip, making it harder and harder to breathe. His vision began to blur; his consciousness started slipping away. Though the “Everlasting Spring Technique” continuously infused his body with vital energy, he found himself completely unable to muster any strength.

“Am I really going to die here?” The question echoed in Chen Jiu’s mind.

But just as he was about to sink into utter darkness, a strange sensation surged through his mind.

“Open the Celestial Eye on your brow, and let the spiritual radiance shine!”

A solemn, unfamiliar voice thundered in his consciousness. In that instant, a flood of information poured in.

“The Divine Light Technique of the Celestial Eye: with the eye upon the brow, spiritual light is unleashed. Wherever this radiance passes, demons and ghosts are annihilated, and every evil perishes...”

Suddenly, Chen Jiu grasped the meaning. He snapped his eyes open wide and instinctively focused his spirit at the center of his brow.

“Open!”

A flash of golden brilliance erupted, and a vertical eye appeared upon his forehead!

The monster, seeing golden light spreading from Chen Jiu’s brow, showed terror in its blood-red eyes. As the golden radiance from Chen Jiu’s “Celestial Eye” grew ever brighter, the monster recoiled in fright, transforming once more into a gust of wind in a bid to escape.

With the monster’s weight lifted, Chen Jiu leapt to his feet, cold light flickering in his eyes. Under the power of the “Celestial Eye,” he watched the monstrous wind sweep swiftly eastward.

“You cannot escape!”

With a thought, the Celestial Eye on his brow shot forth a slender beam of dazzling gold, striking the demonic wind in an instant.

Crack!

The moment the golden light struck, sparks burst forth! Amidst drifting white smoke, the monstrous wind lost its demonic energy, revealing the creature hidden within.

Stripped of its hiding place by Chen Jiu, the monster was seized with rage and fear. This Daoist was truly strange—he had held every advantage, and killing Chen Jiu should have been effortless. Never did he expect the appearance of that vertical eye to reverse the situation so completely.

Now, it was the monster’s turn to be hunted.

As the second beam of golden light lanced toward it, the monster dropped to its knees with a guttural whine, folding its hands together in a humanlike gesture, pleading desperately for mercy.

The elder, witnessing this, was moved and drifted closer.

“Master Daoist, you are truly remarkable!” the old man exclaimed in admiration.

So young, yet already able to subdue such a powerful monster—and with a Celestial Eye upon his brow, a rarity among thousands.

Seeing the monster begging for its life, Chen Jiu hesitated. This fiend was conjured by that mysterious Daoist; if he killed it, trouble might follow. Yet, if he spared it, the monster would surely try to kill him again and again—such a grudge could never be reconciled.

Resolved, Chen Jiu’s gaze turned icy. The Celestial Eye shot forth a golden beam, piercing cleanly through the monster’s enormous head with blinding speed.

If he was to kill, let it be decisive—cultivators must act without hesitation.

The golden light entered the monster’s skull as effortlessly as a thread through silk. The might of this divine power was incredible! Chen Jiu immediately assessed its strength, a thrill of joy rising in his heart.

At last, he possessed a truly formidable ability.

The life faded rapidly from the monster’s eyes, its aura of evil dissipating. It knelt, head drooping, black liquid streaming from its wounds—dead beyond doubt.

“Thank you, Master Daoist, for ridding us of this menace!” The elder bowed deeply, relieved.

Chen Jiu waved his hand wearily—he, too, was exhausted, likely from overusing the Celestial Eye.

“Now that the monster is gone, let the villagers come out. We can finally find peace and return to the underworld...” At the elder’s words, a chill wind swept through the place, and the moon above dimmed.

Chen Jiu saw the ghosts of villagers emerging one by one from the nearby woods—there were more than a dozen. These must have been the people of Willow Leaf Village, slain by the monster, whose lingering resentment kept them here as wandering spirits.

“Thank you, Master Daoist!” The spirits bowed to Chen Jiu in gratitude before slowly fading away, vanishing at last.

Chen Jiu stood in silent reflection, then sighed. “Such disaster, all born of greed...”

The five little chubby beans returned to their original bean form, flying into Chen Jiu’s robe, spent from the battle.

He sheathed his peachwood sword, now blackened with use, and prepared to leave.

But at that moment, the Amnity Order at his chest suddenly glowed.

Puzzled, he took it out.

“Eighty...?”

Where once the back of the order was bare, now a golden number had appeared out of nowhere.

What did it mean? Chen Jiu wondered.

“Could this be merit?” Suddenly, he recalled the function of the Amnity Order. Whenever he subdued a monster, the order would automatically calculate the amount of merit earned, based on the creature’s strength.

These eighty points of merit must be his reward for this night’s work!

“How interesting... I wonder what eighty points of merit might buy?” Chen Jiu felt as if he had stumbled into a fortune.

Excited, he slung his bundle on his back and made to leave.

He had taken only a few steps when, suddenly, golden light erupted from the body of the monster he had slain.

Chen Jiu’s expression changed instantly. Had the monster not truly died?

But in the next instant, something even more astonishing occurred.

Countless golden rays emerged from the monster’s corpse, separating from the body, then gathering in midair. In a matter of moments, they coalesced into the shape of a golden monster!

Yet, apart from its appearance, this golden monster radiated neither malice nor demonic power.

Suddenly, the Celestial Eye upon Chen Jiu’s brow opened of its own accord.

“Is this... the Art of Divine Control?!” Chen Jiu could sense the instant the Celestial Eye appeared—his spirit was now bound tightly to the golden monster before him.

It was just like when he had controlled the beautiful female corpse months ago.

Could this, too, be one of the secrets of Divine Control?

After a moment’s thought, Chen Jiu understood.

“So that’s it. The Art of Divine Control can command disembodied souls; this monster had just died, so its soul lingered and was captured by the Celestial Eye...”

At that, the Celestial Eye shot out a golden beam, enveloping the monster.

In moments, the golden monster shrank rapidly within the golden light and flew back into Chen Jiu’s Celestial Eye!

Witnessing this, Chen Jiu’s heart leapt with a bold guess.

He pressed his fingers together and touched his brow.

“Manifest!”

With a thought, golden light swirled within the Celestial Eye. A beam shot out, and the monster, previously absorbed by the Eye, appeared once more!

The towering golden fiend was now bound to Chen Jiu’s will—whatever order he gave, it obeyed instantly.

“So it’s true!” Chen Jiu could barely contain his excitement, his eyes shining with joy.

The Celestial Eye could capture a monster’s soul, imprisoning it within the eye’s domain, to be used at his command.

Moments later, a wave of dizziness swept over him. Chen Jiu sobered quickly and withdrew the monster back into the Eye.

“It seems I haven’t yet mastered this new divine power...” Though elated to have gained two life-saving abilities at once, Chen Jiu kept his head clear—he was still a novice, and needed much practice.

Stowing the Celestial Eye, Chen Jiu sat cross-legged, preparing to recover his strength.

“Since I’ve claimed this monster, what should I name it...?” The question came to him.

After all, in future battles, he couldn’t keep calling it “the hairy monster.”

He glanced at the shriveled corpse on the ground, and a word suddenly surfaced in his mind:

“Mountain Demon...”