Blind Ghostwriter: Starts with the full level of Nine Yang Magic Skill

Chapter 303 The Inner Demon's Body
Gu Mo asked in confusion, "How do you know it's an inner demon?"

The old monk's expression suddenly turned ferocious, the character "slave" on his forehead became more prominent, and wisps of black mist began to emanate from it.

This wisp of mist is very special; it cannot be seen by cultivators who are not at the Ascension Realm.

But Gu Mo could see it clearly, and he could also feel that the wisp of black mist was constantly eroding the old monk's will.

Immediately,

Gu Mo pointed out, using his primordial spirit power to restrain the wisp of black mist. However, he was unable to completely eliminate the black mist, because tracing its source revealed that the black mist had penetrated deep into the old monk's consciousness.

"Amitabha!"

The old monk's ferocious expression vanished, and he suddenly sat cross-legged on the ground, chanting Buddhist calming mantras continuously. Faint golden light emanated from his body, though it was still mixed with black energy, but the golden light clearly suppressed the black energy.

After a while, the monk slowly opened his eyes, his demeanor changed, becoming very calm, with a serene and unperturbed air. He slowly said, "Thank you, benefactor. This humble monk was unaware of his foolish thoughts and gradually became a slave to demons. He has already made a grave mistake, and it is too late."

Gu Mo said in a deep voice, "Answer my question."

The old monk said, "I am Zhiku, a disciple of the holy monk Huineng of the Great Zhou Kingdom. Two months ago, I was ordered by my master to guard the Demon Cave. The Demon Cave is where the true form of the inner demon is sealed. Therefore, my possession of the demon must be due to the disturbance of the inner demon. This is why I know this."

Gu Mo asked in surprise, "Where is the Demon Cave? How can you be sure it's the true form of the inner demon?"

The Venerable Master Zhiku said, "The Holy Monk Huineng was a born sage, one who was born with knowledge. Many years ago, he predicted that the Great Zhou Dynasty would be destroyed by an unparalleled demon. In order to prevent the suffering of the people, he has been seeking a way to deal with the demon for decades."

Thirty years ago, he arrived at Feilai Mountain in Wutong City and discovered a cave containing the true form of the inner demon that had disappeared seven hundred years ago. Thus, the Holy Monk Huineng established Feilai Temple on Feilai Mountain and has been sealing it there for decades. He has arranged for his disciples to chant sutras and recite Buddhist scriptures day and night, infusing the purest Buddhist power to eliminate the inner demon's magic.

Two months ago, I was ordered to guard the Demon Cave for half a month. During that time, I did not heed the instructions of the Holy Monk. The Holy Monk had said that if one cultivates near the Demon Cave, it is easy to be invaded by inner demons and have one's mind affected.

However, I had reached a bottleneck in my cultivation at that time, and I couldn't resist, so I started cultivating near the Demon Cave. I took a chance, thinking that no one had been invaded by inner demons in all these years, and that I had often guarded the Demon Cave over the years without ever finding anything unusual. I even suspected that the Holy Monk had made a mistake, so I didn't take the Holy Monk's instructions to heart.

It was during that cultivation session that I broke through my bottleneck. At the moment of breakthrough, I had an epiphany and believed that I had been enlightened by the Buddha, that I had comprehended the Great Dao, and that by guiding thousands of people to the Pure Land, I could sit on a lotus throne. So, I found an excuse to go down the mountain and ended up here.

Because of my desires, I was seized upon by my inner demons, who magnified my weakness and caused me to become possessed. During this time, I used my spiritual magic to bewitch people and bring them here to enjoy bliss, constantly stimulating their minds and ultimately leading them to commit suicide to go to the blissful world.

Amitabha,
This humble monk is incompetent and has been bewitched by inner demons; I shall be sent to Avici Hell to be punished.

"Take care, benefactor!"

As the old monk finished speaking, the character "slave" reappeared on his forehead.

immediately,

The old monk's expression turned ferocious. He quickly raised his hand and slammed it hard on his forehead.

"bang"

With a loud bang, the old monk slapped his own forehead so hard it was smashed open, brain matter and blood splattering everywhere, and he instantly lost his life.

Looking at the old monk's corpse,

Gu Mo felt no emotion. He slowly got up and walked into the hall, which was still bustling with noise. No one cared that the old monk was dead. Even though there was quite a commotion outside, no one paid any attention. Even the young monk who had led Gu Mo and his companions earlier remained seated, unmoved. Everyone was absorbed in their own business and in the ecstasy of their lives.

"Big brother!"

Ye Chen suddenly shouted from upstairs.

Gu Mo looked up.

Ye Chen, his face pale, said, "Do you want to come and take a look?"

"What?" Gu Mo asked, puzzled.

"kitchen."

With a light tap of his toes, Gu Mo's figure floated up to the second floor like a ghost, his damp, cold boots making a slight creaking sound as they stepped on the greasy wooden floor.

Gu Mo followed Ye Chen deeper into the area. Ye Chen stood by a heavy wooden door, his face even more grim than the leaden rain clouds outside. He pointed to the dim yellow light and rising heat emanating from the crack in the door.

"Inside..." Ye Chen's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice dry, "Big brother, see for yourself."

Gu Mo remained expressionless as he reached out and pushed open the door that seemed to separate two worlds.

Before me lay a living hell.

This is a huge kitchen, with a roaring fire in the stove, where a dozen shirtless cooks are busily working. Their movements are skilled, precise, and even have a strange rhythm, but their eyes are as empty as dusty glass beads, oblivious to everything around them.

On the roof beams, thick iron hooks were deeply embedded in ankles, hanging upside down naked human bodies!

Men, women, young and old.

Some were still quite "fresh," with pale skin and blood dripping from their drooping heads and hair into the huge wooden basins below, making a monotonous and eerie "tap, tap" sound.

The basin was half full of bloody water, thick and black.

More corpses had been processed to different stages. A burly cook expressionlessly swung a heavy cleaver, and with a muffled "thud," easily severed a thigh, exposing the white bone fragments and deep red muscle fibers at the cut, with drops of blood seeping from the cut rolling onto the cutting board.

On the stove, a huge iron pot churned with murky broth, steam billowing out. On the surface of the broth, several pieces of meat, cooked until pale and slightly swollen, floated prominently.

A servant came out carrying a basin of meat, intending to serve it to the guests downstairs.

Gu Mo couldn't help but say, "This is human flesh."

The servant chuckled and said, “The soul has already ascended to paradise, but the physical body remains in the mortal world for others to enjoy. This is a great merit. We are all the same. When we ascend to the paradise, our physical bodies will also be left for others to enjoy.”

"What a high level of skill."

Gu Mo said one sentence, then let the servant leave without saying anything more.

Ye Chen kept his face turned away the whole time, not daring to look too closely. Only after the servant left did he turn around and say, "Brother, everyone here has gone mad. They've all been affected by that old monk's mental magic and the magic array he made with the demon phosphorus stone."

Gu Mo waved his hand and said, "Let's go. I just fought with that old monk and destroyed the magic array here. Now that the old monk is dead, I'm afraid it won't be long before these people wake up."

Ye Chen's expression turned grave. He said, "I'm afraid these people will go crazy!"

"Not necessarily," Gu Mo said.

"Why?" Ye Chen asked in confusion, "Isn't this scene exciting enough? So many people have been eaten, and who knows, maybe even your own wife, children, and elderly parents?"

Gu Mo shook his head slightly and said, "This world is inherently a dog-eat-dog world, but you can always adapt, can't you?"

As they talked, Gu Mo and Ye Chen went downstairs, called the Yun brothers, and the four of them left quickly without stopping.

Just as they stepped out of the manor,

"what--!!!"

A bloodcurdling scream, so piercing it was almost inhuman, suddenly erupted from the brightly lit manor behind them! The sound was filled with extreme pain, bewilderment, and a despair that seemed to shatter one's worldview in an instant!
It was like lighting a fuse!
"Ahhhh!! What have I done?!"

"What...what kind of meat is this?!"

"Mother! Mother, what...what are you doing in the pot?"

"Ugh... ugh..."

"..."

One after another, heart-wrenching screams, wails, vomiting sounds, desperate cries, and frantic curses... like countless rusty saws, instantly ripped apart the deathly silence of the rainy night! These sounds were no longer the clamor of the previous "ecstasy," but the purest, most primal, and most desperate human lamentations!
……

Hearing the chaotic wails coming from the manor behind them, Ye Chen and the Yun brothers felt a sense of unease and couldn't help but turn around to look.

The brightly lit manor now resembled a hellish scene from legends, its towering gates looking like a monster with its gaping maw.

“Yun Song, Yun Qing,” Gu Mo asked, “Do you know Feilai Temple?”

Yun Song quickly replied, "I know. The abbot of the state temple of Northern Zhou, Master Huineng, is a holy monk of Northern Zhou. The reason why the Northern Zhou court moved to Wutong City is largely because of the holy monk Huineng."

The Northern Zhou Dynasty was entirely Buddhist, and Master Huineng was its spiritual leader. Even many of the rebels were followers of the holy monk Huineng. The Northern Zhou emperor and his officials were able to recuperate after fleeing to Wutong City, largely due to Wutong City's advantageous location surrounded by water on three sides, and also because the holy monk Huineng had personally negotiated with the rebel alliance.

Gu Mo asked in surprise, "Is this Venerable Monk Huineng of such a high status in Northern Zhou?"

Yun Song thought for a moment and said, "Northern Zhou is a small country. In terms of martial arts foundation, it is far inferior to our Great Qian, Chu, and Later Qin. In our Great Qian, top-notch martial artists would be considered grandmasters in Northern Zhou."

However, despite the lack of martial arts, the Holy Monk Huineng was still ranked sixth in the martial arts rankings. After Ye Nantian, the leader of the Moon Worship Cult, was killed by you, the Holy Monk Huineng became the new fifth in the world.

Besides, six of the ten grandmasters on the Northern Zhou's Heavenly Ranking were disciples of the Holy Monk Huineng. Therefore, his status was naturally very high. Not to mention the current situation of various rebel forces in Northern Zhou, even when the court was stable, the emperor would have to give face to the Holy Monk Huineng.

After hearing Yun Song's explanation, Gu Mo understood.

Although one cannot completely ignore the army in this world until one reaches the Ascension Realm, the army in question refers to the army of a major power, and only if they are prepared. In a small country like Northern Zhou, any one of the top ten martial artists in the world could walk on the Northern Zhou imperial palace as if it were nothing.

Not only was the Holy Monk Huineng one of the top ten strongest in the world, but his disciples were also the most powerful in Northern Zhou. So his status was naturally very high. After all, monks are masters of reasoning, and with martial arts skills that made you have no choice but to listen to their reasoning, he was simply unbeatable.

“Let’s go straight to Feilai Temple,” Gu Mo said.

Yun Song asked in confusion, "Aren't we going to see the Northern Zhou emperor first?" "Yes."

Ye Chen asked in confusion, "Big brother, why did you suddenly change the plan? Did that old monk say something?"

"He said the true form of the inner demon is at Feilai Temple..."

Then, Gu Mo recounted the words of the old monk Zhi Ku to Ye Chen.

Ye Chen asked in surprise, "No way, with the level of the inner demon, it can't have separated from its body yet? Even if it hasn't separated, it's not something that a holy monk like Huineng could seal away, right?"

Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, "I also find it strange, but the old monk wasn't lying, and the demonic energy controlling the old monk was indeed the aura of a demon in one's heart."

Ye Chen said, "I still feel that it doesn't make sense. How could the Holy Monk Huineng seal away the inner demon? Moreover, the inner demon has always been very active. It almost ruined me. The previous Great Compassion Monk and the Lingxiao Monk, the number one monk in the world before you, both encountered inner demons and dared not ascend to see them."

All of this demonstrates that the inner demon is free to roam. Even if the physical body is separated, with the inner demon's power, dealing with a holy monk like Huineng would be a piece of cake!

Gu Mo said, "I also think it doesn't make sense. However, the reason we came to Bei Zhou this time is to find the inner demon. Feilai Temple is a clue. Whether it makes sense or not, we'll go and see for ourselves."

"Too."

……

Three days later, Gu Mo and his group entered Wutong City.

However, the scene in the city was extremely disappointing.
As the capital, this place is quite desolate and quiet. On both sides of the street, most of the once bustling shops have their doors and windows closed, and the doors are covered with marks of chisels and axes, or have government notices that have been soaked by rain and whose writing is blurred.

The few shops that were open were deserted, with shopkeepers huddled behind counters, their eyes numb yet wary. The most shocking sight was the beggars huddled under the eaves and against the walls, ragged and emaciated, shivering in the cold rain like discarded tattered sacks.

Occasionally, patrolling soldiers would roughly kick aside any bodies blocking their path, eliciting a few faint groans that were quickly drowned out by the sound of rain and deathly silence.

The entire city was shrouded in a heavy, suffocating grayness, as if even the sky had hung low, making it hard to breathe.

In stark contrast, those high-walled courtyards were filled with the sounds of stringed instruments and bamboo flutes, indulging in extreme luxury.

This perfectly illustrates the phenomenon of "the rich feasting on meat and wine while the poor freeze to death on the streets."

Gu Mo and his companions did not linger in the city. They went straight through the dying capital and arrived at the foot of Feilai Mountain on the western edge of the city.

Unlike the lifeless atmosphere of Wutong City, Feilai Mountain is lush and verdant, shrouded in mist.

As you climb the winding, neat stone steps, the air gradually becomes fresher, and even the rain seems to soften a bit.

However, to Gu Mo and his companions' surprise, they saw many monks descending the mountain along the way, and each of them was carrying a bundle.

The higher they went up the mountain, the more monks they encountered coming down from the mountain.

Ye Chen stopped a young monk and asked, "Master, why are you all going down the mountain?"

The young monk was very polite. When Ye Chen stopped him, he put his hands together, bowed, and said, "Esteemed benefactors, if you wish to burn incense and worship Buddha, please return the way you came. The Holy Monk Huineng has already dismissed Feilai Temple today."

"Dismissed?" Ye Chen exclaimed in surprise, "Why?"

The young monk shook his head and said, "The holy monk didn't say why, he just told us to go down the mountain and go as far as we could!"

"No reason given?"

"They didn't say why."

Ye Chen frowned and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Master."

"Amitabha Buddha, if you have nothing else to attend to, I will take my leave now!" The young monk bowed.

"Take care, Master, and have a safe journey." Ye Chen cupped his hands in greeting.

Watching the young monk leave, Ye Chen looked at Gu Mo and said, "Brother, something's not right!"

Even without Ye Chen saying anything, Gu Mo could tell that something was wrong. After all, as a state temple, Feilai Temple held a superior position in Northern Zhou, with numerous disciples and a great influence. It was impossible for it to disband for no reason.

Moreover, according to the old monk Zhiku, Feilai Temple also has a sealed inner demon, which requires someone to chant sutras and recite Buddhist scriptures to transfer pure Buddhist energy to maintain the magic array.

"Let's go, we'll know once we go up there."

The four of them quickly ascended the mountain. Along the way, they encountered more and more monks. After a rough count, they found that there were nearly a thousand of them, confirming that the entire Feilai Temple had been disbanded.

As you climb higher up the mountain, you encounter fewer and fewer people, and eventually, you don't see anyone at all.

At the top of the mountain, a grand temple is built against the mountain, with green bricks and gray tiles, flying eaves and brackets, which looks even more solemn and majestic in the rain and mist.

In front of the mountain gate, the three gilded characters "Feilai Temple" still exude a warm luster in the humid air.

However, Feilai Temple was unusually quiet at this moment, without a sound. As the group stepped into the temple gate, a completely different atmosphere from that at the foot of the mountain rushed towards them. The temple was exceptionally clean, the bluestone path was washed smooth by the rain, and ancient trees stood tall on both sides, with glistening water droplets hanging on their branches and leaves.

They walked for a long time, passing through several halls, but did not see a single person.

Finally, they entered the depths of the Buddhist temple and saw a handsome young monk in grey robes standing under a Bodhi tree. The monk was barefoot, standing quietly, his posture natural and relaxed.

"Little monk, why is everyone else in the temple gone, and you're the only one still here?" Ye Chen stepped forward and patted the monk on the shoulder.

The monk turned around and looked at Ye Chen.

For a moment, Ye Chen was slightly startled, because those eyes were crystal clear, as pure as a baby's, yet as deep as a vast galaxy, as if they contained boundless wisdom and compassion.

The monk clasped his hands together, bowed deeply, and said in a calm and gentle voice, "Amitabha, it must have been tiring for you benefactors to have come from afar."

Gu Mo stepped forward, cupped his hands, and asked, "Holy Monk, what happened that made you dismiss Feilai Temple?"

Ye Chen asked in surprise, "You're the Holy Monk Huineng? Aren't you almost a hundred years old?"

The Venerable Monk Huineng smiled slightly and said, "I dare not accept the title of Venerable Monk, but my Dharma name is indeed Huineng." Then, the Venerable Monk Huineng bowed to Gu Mo and said, "If I am not mistaken, you should be the greatest hero in the world today, Gu Mo."

"Holy Monk, you have excellent eyesight." Gu Mo cupped his hands and said, "I am indeed Gu Mo."

The Venerable Monk Huineng said, “Because of the chaotic situation in Zhou Kingdom in recent years, very little information is available from the outside world. Nowadays, not many people know that the number one in the world has changed. I only happened to see your portrait and was impressed by your temperament. Only after asking did I learn that the youngest number one in the world in history has appeared. Today, I have met you. You are indeed extraordinary, a person among immortals!”

"Holy Monk, you flatter me." Gu Mo cupped his hands and then asked, "Why does the Holy Monk wish to dismiss Feilai Temple?"

The Venerable Monk Huineng hesitated for a moment before saying, "Before answering, this humble monk would like to ask Master Gu a question: Why have you come here?"

"Exorcise demons."

"What demon?"

"Inner demon."

“Amitabha,” said the holy monk Huineng, pressing his palms together, “If that is so, then this humble monk can tell you the reason. This humble monk dismissed Feilai Temple because of inner demons.”

The holy monk Huineng pointed to a tall tower atop the mountain and said, "Hero Gu, please follow me to the tower for a look!"

Immediately, the Holy Monk Huineng lightly touched the ground with his feet and used his lightness skill to fly away, like a wild goose flying south, and in the blink of an eye he flew to the top of the tower.

But as soon as he landed on the top of the tower, he was surprised to find that Gu Mo was already standing on the tower at some point.

"Master Gu, your lightness skill is truly admirable. This humble monk is in awe."

The Venerable Monk Huineng cupped his hands, then pointed down the mountain and said, "The demonic energy has already enveloped the entire city, and even the entire Zhou Kingdom. At this moment, it is converging on Feilai Temple. The demon is about to appear in the world. This is why I am dispersing Feilai Temple."

Gu Mo looked closely and circulated his Qi according to the principles of Qi.
At that moment,

Then they saw demonic energy rising up continuously inside and outside the city, converging towards Feilai Mountain.

The Venerable Monk Huineng said, “Fifty years ago, I had a premonition that a great calamity would befall the world, and that an unparalleled demon would descend to destroy humanity. So I searched everywhere, and finally, after twenty years of searching, I found the demon here. It was a very peculiar stone, brimming with demonic power.”

After consulting many ancient texts, I recognized that the strange stone was actually the legendary demonic entity. So I set up a magic array here to seal it, intending to eliminate its demonic nature. This seal has lasted for thirty years.

For the past thirty years, the demon's physical body has been here, but its consciousness has always been outside. However, it seems that it has not taken this humble monk seriously, nor has it cared much about its physical body being sealed. Although it has tried to find this humble monk a few times, it has decisively left after failing to deal with this humble monk.

More than a year ago, the inner demon suddenly began to attack Feilai Mountain frequently, and its divine consciousness continued to haunt the Zhou Kingdom, constantly guiding the desires of the people, plunging the entire Zhou Kingdom into war, corrupting the court, causing turmoil in the martial world, and releasing the desires of everyone, and the demonic energy began to spread.

During a battle between this humble monk and his inner demon, he learned from it that the reason it suddenly attacked ordinary people was to condense a demonic physical body. It wanted to kill someone whose physical body would ascend to immortality. This was why, for hundreds of years, the inner demon had been guarding the gates of Heaven, but this time it descended to the mortal realm.

As he spoke, the Venerable Monk Huineng looked at Gu Mo and said, "Hero Gu, if I am not mistaken, this person who has achieved physical ascension should be you, right?"

Gu Mo nodded slightly and then said, "I'm a little curious, Holy Monk, how do you know so much? And how are you able to fight against your inner demons? You know, even Su Qianqiu didn't have much power to resist inner demons."

The Venerable Monk Huineng said, "Because I possess a power that can subdue inner demons."

Gu Mo asked in surprise, "Does such power exist in the human world?"

The holy monk Huineng shook his head and said, "It doesn't exist in the mortal world, but it is forbidden. This humble monk has cultivated the Great Sun Demon Art!"

(End of this chapter)