Chapter 957: Chapter 957

Nanli’s lips tightened, her voice dropping to an icy edge. "Then get out."

"Master Nanli..." Shandu raised his head, his tone hesitant, almost pleading.

At that moment, the divine mark on Siheng’s forehead began to fade, its radiant glow dimming steadily. Was it about to shift? Nanli’s heart jolted with alarm. Without a second thought, she spun around, flung open the wooden door, and grabbed Shandu by the collar. With a swift yank, she hurled him outside. He hit the ground with a thud, letting out a startled "Ouch!" as he tumbled.

Snap! The door slammed shut behind him. In that fleeting instant before it closed, the Asura totem surged to life on Siheng’s brow, its dark lines pulsing ominously.

Simultaneously, a torrent of demonic energy erupted from him—wilder, fiercer than before. Inside the room, the air churned, a gust whipping through with such force it rattled the walls.

Bang! A guttural cry of agony tore from Cinian’s throat. In a flash, Siheng had driven out every last trace of demonic energy lurking within Cinian’s body. The monk’s face twitched, his brows furrowing as consciousness flickered back. He was waking up—but Siheng snapped to awareness first.

The room was a maelstrom of swirling black miasma, so thick it threatened to overwhelm the talismans pinned to the ceiling. Through the haze, Siheng glimpsed Nanli’s silhouette.

Panic flared—he couldn’t let this corrosive energy harm her or their unborn children. Instinctively, he raised a hand, and an inexplicable pull emanated from him. The chaotic demonic currents bent to his will, drawn inexorably into his body. They streamed toward his Dantian, funneling into the half-formed Demon Core nestled there.

His purple eyes blazed with an otherworldly light, their glow casting sharp shadows across his face. Strands of dark hair framed his features, lending him an eerie, almost seductive allure—dangerous and captivating in equal measure.

Cinian’s eyes, barely cracked open, widened in shock at the sight. "You... you..." he stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence. He rubbed his eyes, as if doubting his senses, but the vision held firm.

There stood Siheng, bearing a Demon Seal totem eerily akin to Yun Yubai’s—only the eyes set them apart. No, this was no trivial difference. Those violet irises marked him as royalty among the Asura clan, a lineage steeped in power and peril.

Siheng, meanwhile, had fully reined in the demonic energy. His Dantian roiled briefly with the influx, but a quick hand seal and a few steady breaths quelled the storm within. The purple glow in his eyes dimmed, though a faint smirk played on his lips as he met Cinian’s stunned gaze.

"Zen Master Cinian, what’s wrong? Planning to smite me with a Buddhist seal?"

Cinian glanced down, startled to find his hands instinctively forming a defensive mudra, poised to strike. He hadn’t even realized he’d reacted—his subconscious had taken over, wary of the figure before him. Lifting his eyes back to Siheng, he struggled to process it all. "Could it be... you’re also...?"

There was no point in hiding it now. Siheng leaned back with a casual air. "Indeed. I’m a hybrid of immortal and demon blood."

Even braced for the truth, Cinian felt his heart lurch at the confirmation. He lowered his hands, resignation settling over him like a heavy cloak. But the more he thought about it, the angrier he grew.

"What is this?!" he roared, his voice cracking with indignation. "My disciple’s an Asura protector—that’s bad enough! Now you’re telling me you’ve got Asura blood too? Purple eyes, no less! Is there a third hybrid lurking around? Spit it out—I can take it!"

Siheng chuckled, unfazed. "Hard to say."

Nanli stepped forward, her tone light but pointed. "Oh, there might be. The three little ones in my belly—they’d count as hybrids too, wouldn’t they?"

Cinian’s jaw dropped as his gaze landed on her swollen abdomen. When had it gotten so big? Snapping out of his daze, he thumped his chest dramatically. "What a sin!"

Noticing the flush of exertion on his face, Nanli intervened quickly. "Cinian, you just woke up—don’t get too worked up, or you’ll collapse again."

Siheng, exhausted from the ordeal, needed rest, but Cinian’s fury wouldn’t relent. "So I’m the only one losing it here? Master Nanli, your children are hybrids! Their path ahead will be treacherous—you’ve seen what Yun Yubai’s been through!"

"I know..." Nanli began, her voice calm.

"No, you don’t!" Cinian snapped, wheeling on Siheng. "I thought you were a decent match at first—a fine partner for Master Nanli, a blessed union. But you—you deceitful cur! You hid this from her and let her bear your children!"

He’d spent months by Nanli’s side, growing to admire her deeply—dare he say it, even seeing her as a daughter. Yun Yubai’s struggles hadn’t hit him personally; they were a distant ache. But this? This was a knife to his heart.

He glared at Siheng, itching to slap the smug hybrid senseless. In the end, the old monk’s composure cracked, tears spilling down his weathered cheeks. Master Nanli, your life is so bitter! How did it come to this?

Siheng, ever patient, offered a mild defense. "To be fair, I only found out myself a couple days ago. Zen Master Cinian, don’t work yourself up—your health matters. If you keel over from anger, all my effort just now will have been for nothing."

Cinian knew Siheng had saved his life, a debt that stripped him of any right to judge. He hung his head, sighing repeatedly, the fight draining out of him. Nanli stepped closer, her voice soothing.

"You don’t need to fret so much. We’ve got a plan. With Yining’s immortal seal, their dual bloodlines won’t clash. Give it a few centuries—or millennia—and they’ll fully merge."

Cinian looked up, searching her face. "Master Nanli... you truly feel no regret? Not even a shred of resentment?"

Siheng’s gaze shifted to her too, his casual posture belying the tension in his clenched fist, hidden beneath his sleeve.

Nanli met their eyes unflinchingly. "Nothing to regret, and no resentment either. I’d make the same choice every time, no matter how many chances I got." Her words were resolute, her tone breezy, as if this monumental truth were a mere trifle.

"Amitabha," Cinian intoned, exhaling another heavy sigh. Rallying himself, he turned to Siheng with gratitude. "Venerable Master, thank you for saving me." Whatever technique Siheng had used, it had healed a fatal wound, leaving his old bones lighter, his meridians clear, his Dantian stable.

"A small matter," Siheng replied, closing his eyes. In an instant, he shifted back—his demonic aura receding, replaced by the serene grace of an immortal sage.

"Tonight’s events—please, Zen Master Cinian, don’t breathe a word to anyone," he added.

"Of course," Cinian agreed readily. But Siheng’s seamless transition left him gaping. "This... it’s incredible!" He blinked, rubbing his eyes again. "The divine mark? That’s the divine mark, isn’t it?"

Cinian knew well the significance of a divine mark. After a moment of stunned silence, his earlier disdain melted away, replaced by hearty laughter. "Remarkable! Master Nanli, you really didn’t pick the wrong partner!"

Siheng’s lips twitched. Talk about a quick turnaround.

Nanli, used to Cinian’s swings, took it in stride. Still, for safety’s sake, she nudged Siheng. "Better place an immortal seal on him, just in case someone probes his memories."

Siheng hesitated. "Shanxun knows who I am. Shang Jue too. Isn’t that a bit much?"

"It’ll get out eventually, sure," Nanli conceded, her tone serious. "But you’re not like Master Yun. You’ve mastered switching between your powers. If anyone questions you and you don’t show it, they’ve got nothing. The key is not giving them leverage."

"Exactly!" Cinian chimed in. "Master Nanli’s right—caution is key!" He prodded Siheng eagerly. "Hurry up with that seal!"