Journey to the head

The disciples saw Lin Le's face suddenly turn extremely ugly. Without saying another word, he turned around and disappeared into the field as a streak of light.

Everyone was panicked and speechless for a moment, unable to react as they stared at Lin Le's retreating figure.

When had the ever-gentle, refined, and wise Master Lin ever shown such an expression in front of his disciples?
Zhao Gang was also terrified, his face turning deathly pale, and he stood there helplessly.

Seeing their director leave, the various deacons and staff of the Transmission of Skills Department only had time to glare at him fiercely before hurriedly chasing after him. The Mystic Sounds and Wonderful Dharma Assembly was thus temporarily interrupted.

The disciples immediately surrounded him, indignantly condemning Zhao Gang, their spittle nearly drowning him.

"Zhao Gang! Who do you think you are, daring to be so arrogant as to compare yourself to Sect Leader Lin!"

"You've angered Sect Leader Lin to the point of leaving. Your absurd words are laughable. What value do you have to the sect?"

"It's one thing to have poor aptitude, but to lack even the slightest self-awareness is another. If I were in the Transmission of Skills Department, I wouldn't give you any advanced cultivation techniques!"

“Junior Brother Zhao, your cultivation level is not high, but your ability is quite great. You interrupted the Xuan Yin Wonderful Dharma Assembly by your own strength. Thousands of our fellow disciples here have benefited from your kindness.”

"You think the evaluation is useless, so you're just dragging us down? We're not like you; we're hoping to obtain cultivation techniques from the Mysterious Sound Dharma Assembly!"

The cacophony of angry shouts, curses, and sarcastic mockery overwhelmed Zhao Gang like a tidal wave.

This disciple, who was of poor aptitude and too stubborn, seemed to have lost all his vitality. He lowered his head and slowly squeezed out through the gaps in the crowd.

Lin Le pushed open the courtyard gate heavily, but there was no one inside.

His chaotic thoughts suddenly came to mind: Wu Yan, who was protecting Li Sheng during his Foundation Establishment stage, had not yet returned, and because of the unusual situation at the Foundation Establishment site, she had even summoned the sect leader, Lu Qian.

Now, who else in the army can help me?
Many figures flashed vaguely through my chaotic mind.

"Sect Leader Lin, what's wrong?" a disciple standing at the courtyard gate asked in a panic.

Lin Le took a breath and waved his hand, telling him to leave immediately.

That's too late!

The shadow was rising higher and higher in his heart. His long-held beliefs and life principles were churning violently in his mind. He felt so clearly that the concepts he had come to understand were not exactly the same as those taught by Lu Qian. This brought him even greater fear, as he had always regarded Lu Qian's teachings as the guiding principle.

In a daze, Li Jing and Ding Shu's corpses had risen from the ground and were circling him, emitting desperate wails.

Many more disciples' wronged souls are crawling out from a sea of ​​fire and the rumbling of explosions.

They were shouting, "Help me!"

No, it's getting more and more wrong.

I once believed that, just as I had effectively inherited the sect leader's mantle, my own heart was also completely aligned with the sect leader's "unity of the people and the way of the king." Even after reaching the Golden Core stage, I maintained this principle in all my conduct and interactions. But now—

The inner demons are raging and difficult to suppress!
The last vestiges of clarity are frantically warning us that if things continue like this, the great tribulation of inner demons may be arriving ahead of schedule!
However, now is not the time, because it has only been five years since he took the second "Dragon Gate Golden Pill" and advanced to the perfect Golden Pill stage. It will take another fifteen years for the pill poison to be expelled, so he cannot take the Tribulation Transcending Treasure now.

Most importantly, the current situation is enough to prove that my true intention is not inherited from the sect leader's "unity of kings"!
It can only be said that you reap what you sow; there is no other way. Since I survived the Heavenly Tribulation and achieved the Golden Core, and now that the Golden Core is complete, I have been cultivating for less than a hundred years. Most of my time has been spent relying on the power of spiritual pills, and much of my time has been spent on sect affairs. I have had very little time for true self-cultivation.

So it was only today that I realized that my true nature had always been clouded, and that I was far from the "unity of all under heaven."

In his current state, attempting to force his way through the tribulation of inner demons would be a certain death!

Just then, a cacophony of shouts erupted from behind; the disciples of the Transmission Department had caught up. To them, Lin Le's face was contorted, his spiritual pressure scattered, and the five elements of spiritual energy around him were colliding and exploding—he was on the verge of extreme danger. Panic ensued; some rushed to help him, others fumbled for medicinal pills, some sent messages, and still others were about to leap into the air to report to the elders.
The noise made Lin Le almost vomit blood. He shouted, "Everyone, stand back! I need to go into seclusion immediately. The Mysterious Sound Dharma Assembly will be presided over by Senior Uncle Wang Yu. It cannot be interrupted!"

He only had time to utter this one sentence before his figure flashed into the quiet room, where layers of magic arrays rose up, isolating everyone outside.

Having no other choice, the disciples of the Transmission Department discussed the matter in hushed tones for a while. Some of them went to inform Wang Yu and the elders, while others returned to the training ground and told the disciples to disperse for the time being, and that the Mysterious Sound Dharma Assembly would continue the next day.

In the quiet room, Lin Le sat cross-legged with his palms facing the sky, gathering up the last bit of clarity, struggling amidst the layers of illusions, seeking a solution.

The current predicament stems from the fact that we have misunderstood our true nature, misjudged our true self, and sought the wrong true self from the very beginning. Therefore, the methods of advocating conformity to nature, returning to one's true self, keeping one's thoughts clear, and weakening inner demons as much as possible have completely lost their effectiveness.

Or rather, it is precisely because I have been following my wrong "true nature" that my inner demons have been secretly growing and becoming stronger. At this point, going with the flow is like adding fuel to the fire!

The "natural" school of sexual techniques has completely failed!

Lin Le felt his insides burning, and his spiritual power was gradually boiling. If he hesitated any longer, he might suffer a qi deviation in an instant!
Therefore, the only option is the sexual cultivation method of the "Convergence" school!

Lin Le swallowed the blood that was spilling from his mouth.

Supernatural Powers - Myriad Mysteries and Truths!
Secret Technique: Mirror Palace Binding Monkey Technique!
This is a top-tier "Convergence" sect's secret technique, compiled from the ten-thousand-year-old Daoist canon of Baiyujing, the number one immortal sect in the Baoguang Realm!

The Mirror Palace Binding Ape Technique, passed down for millennia, is incredibly profound and may have originated from the Mysterious Heavenly Lord who spread the seeds of cultivation civilization. This technique is similar to the Golden Crow Great Evolution True Scripture, also divided into "gradual method" and "sudden method."

The gradual approach, proceeding step by step, is the right path; ordinary cultivation should follow this method. Cultivate the mind through stillness, nurture virtue through simplicity, refine the heart until it is as still as a deep well, transforming it into a mirror that is constantly wiped clean, free from dust. Then, combine these mirrors into a palace of mirrors, where one's true nature, true heart, and true self reside, illuminating all inner demons, leaving them nowhere to hide. Any disturbance will appear in the mirror, and can be immediately wiped away.

But now Lin Le's mind is in chaos and he is in grave danger. How can he wait for the slow and steady process to start over?
Only by going all in and implementing the "sudden effect" method can we achieve immediate results!
Using the "Myriad Laws Profound Truth" that drives all laws, he forcefully activated the Mirror Palace Binding Ape Technique. With his powerful and hidden consciousness, he gathered his strong mental power, which had reached the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and directly created a Mirror Palace, placing the raging ape within it. Countless mirror images reflected the ape's ugly face from all directions.

Let these countless reflections in the mirror confuse, intimidate, and imprison the mind, forcibly keeping it within the palace!

This method takes a shortcut, is extremely harmful, and will cause endless trouble, but at this moment, there is no time to hesitate any longer.

Within his dantian, the golden core shone brightly, and the "Myriad Laws of Profound Truth" was activated to its limit. Lin Le's teeth and lips parted slightly, and his tongue trembled slightly. The first move he made was a divine power called "Lion's Thunderous Sound"!
The commanding voice echoed in the quiet room, as if thunder were exploding in Lin Le's mind.

The lion roars, thunderous sounds subdue demons, external evil spirits are vanquished, and internal evil is quelled!
The lion roared with thunder, and the illusion that had already entangled Lin Le staggered back.

Lin Le's eyes cleared, and taking advantage of this fleeting opportunity, he activated his consciousness, his mental power surged, and the Mirror Palace Binding Ape Technique was activated by the Myriad Laws Profound Truth. One after another, exquisitely detailed mirrors suddenly took shape in his sea of ​​consciousness, and a dazzling mirror palace was placed on his sea of ​​consciousness!
Amidst the radiant light from all directions, layer upon layer of black mist was reflected out, writhing, howling, screaming, and struggling, transforming into countless shapes before disintegrating in the reflection of the numerous mirrors.

The various illusions and auditory hallucinations finally disappeared, and normal perception finally returned to Lin Le. But just as he was about to relax, the inner demon illusions reflected and sealed in the mirror palace suddenly surged and converged towards the center under the illumination of the mirror light! Under Lin Le's vigilant and shocked gaze, a figure appeared amidst the condensation of heavy black energy.

He smiled slightly at himself.

That was an exact replica of myself, a "Lin Le in the Mirror"!
In that instant, Lin Le felt an extremely absurd and disjointed feeling, as if his soul had been forcibly split in two, and he was being watched by Lin Le from a strange, nested perspective.

A sense of foreboding made him gasp and let out a soft cry.

"The inner demon has taken shape!"

The original aftereffect of the "Sudden Technique" of the Mirror Palace Binding Ape Technique was that using such a forceful method to restrain and suppress the inner demon was like drinking poison to quench thirst. Each time it was forcibly bound, the inner demon would become more and more concentrated and powerful, and one day it would shatter the Mirror Palace and backfire on the soul.

Now, the consequences of using the secret method for the first time are even more terrible than those recorded in the manual.

Lin Le's inner demon actually took shape under the reflection of the mirror palace. Normally, the formation of an inner demon means that the inner demon has entered its prime, which only happens when one is undergoing a major tribulation of inner demons!

In other words, the current strength of this inner demon has reached the standard of an inner demon tribulation.

But now that Lin Le has forcibly suppressed it with the Mirror Palace, it will continue to grow stronger!
Moreover, it had already taken shape even outside of the inner demon tribulation, becoming two sides of the same coin, which means—

"I am the inner demon, and I am not the inner demon." Lin Le in the mirror smiled. "I should say that I am you, and you are me. I am your truest self, and you are me wearing an outer layer."

Once the "man in the mirror" escapes, he can take over Lin Le's body as if possessing him.

Or rather, he is also "Lin Le", but he is the Lin Le of inner demons!
"Shut up, you're the inner demon!" Lin Le shouted angrily. "Don't try to confuse things. I won't give you the chance to usurp my place!"

The person in the mirror stood in the very center of the mirror palace, with countless reflections of Lin Le in the layers of mirrored space.

He just smiled, his expression the same as Lin Le's usual confident and composed demeanor.

"So what can you do? You can't deal with me because you've realized your mistakes, you know you've been on the wrong path all along, and you know what to do next to make the Yunshan Sect stronger."

You will eventually become me.

"Shut up!" Lin Le roared. "My only mistake was misjudging my own heart. I will keep you suppressed here, and when the sect leader returns, I will definitely find a way to deal with you."

The person in the mirror shook his head: "Stop deceiving yourself. What can the sect leader do? You and I are one. Do you expect him to just kill you?"

Lin Le paused for a moment: "If I ultimately fail, I will ask him to kill me, so that you will not bewitch Yunshan."

"Ha!" The person in the mirror laughed loudly, "Confused the clouds and mountains? You know perfectly well that my path is the right one!"

"The sect leader is our guide, and he has led us to where we are today, which is all true. But that doesn't mean he is always right or that everything he does is correct!"

"Are you still unwilling to admit it? In governing the sect, the sect leader has been lazy and taken shortcuts!"

"He simply stayed in his jade palace, on his cloud throne, spouting many grand principles that could be understood from both positive and negative perspectives, and that were correct no matter how they were interpreted."

"He tried his best to avoid falling into a moral dilemma, to make his behavior conform to his usual gentlemanly conduct, and to maintain the glorious image of 'Yuheng's integrity'."

"But his reasoning was too idealistic. He tried to build an ideal country that always spread fairness, justice, freedom and happiness, a Yunshan School that only exists in storybooks."

"The reason why the Yunshan Sect can still maintain this ideal state is because the sect is still developing rapidly."

"Thanks to rapid development and ample resources, internal conflicts have been greatly mitigated, factional infighting has not yet taken root, promotion channels are sufficiently open, and class stratification is far from being formed."

"However, development cannot last forever. If it weren't for the corpse chaos and the demon chaos that followed, which greatly reduced the number of cultivators, the conflicts would have erupted long ago, given our inability to expand outwards!"

"Our theories come from real practice," the man in the mirror said passionately and confidently. "Only by following our true ideas, stripping away unnecessary empty embellishments, building a genuine collective, and maximizing the value of each individual can the Yunshan School remain great!"

He looked at Lin Le.

"The student surpasses the teacher; the sect leader is not a saint, he will also make mistakes and become outdated."

"Accept me, and together we will create a Yunshan that is supreme in the heavens and on earth!"

Lin Le slowly shook his head: "Sweet words are useless against me. You are a demon in your heart, trying every means to deceive me. What about Yunshan is none of your business."

Upon hearing this, the person in the mirror simply smiled and said, "I believe that one day you will release me yourself."

Upon hearing the report and combining it with the disciples' descriptions of Lin Le's condition, Wang Yu immediately suspected that Lin Le had gone mad.

Jiang Qingfeng also rushed over upon hearing the news. Several core members of Yunshan gathered outside Linle Academy, but layers of magic arrays had already been raised, making it impossible to determine the specific situation.

Inner demons are terrifying. Even Gu Nishang didn't dare to forcibly break the seal and enter, fearing that Lin Le was at a critical moment and would immediately go into a demonic state if disturbed by the outside world, and there would be no way to recover.

Fortunately, Wang Yu could vaguely sense that Lin Le's life force remained relatively stable, indicating that he was in good condition and not in any danger.

He had no choice but to order his disciples to temporarily seal off and guard the courtyard, and to report back at any time.

The next day, the Mysterious Sound and Wonderful Dharma Assembly proceeded in an orderly manner under the supervision of Wang Yu.

However, news that the deputy sect leader Lin Le had been so angered by the dim-witted Zhao Gang that he was driven to mental turmoil and had his inner demons stirred up quickly spread among the disciples.

Lin Le was highly respected and widely admired among his disciples.

After this incident, many disciples came to Zhao Gang's door and cursed him.

That day, the Zhengyuan Shenzhou spacecraft turned back, and Wu Yan led the team back. (End of Chapter)