The Record of Exterminating Evil from Ashes

Black mist covered the ground, and the miasma rose to the sky.

The Desolate Swamp of Ten Thousand Demons stretches across the heavens and earth, completely cutting off the path ahead. Unlike the scattered and faint Yin energy deep in the Cangshan Mountains, the demonic energy here is thick and dense, like ink that has been simmering for thousands of years, clinging tightly to the grass, trees, and mud. The stench, decay, and coldness of the three energies intertwine, and the oppressive feeling that hits you is almost suffocating.

As far as the eye could see, the entire desolate swamp was devoid of any life. Stretching for miles, the dark brown silt was covered with countless pale, broken bones—human and animal—piled up in layers, carpeting the shallows and depressions. The low, withered trees were twisted and gnarled, their branches as black as charcoal, every inch of bark soaked in demonic poison, swaying even without wind, dripping corrosive, murky water. In the air, tiny, malevolent shadows floated and swayed, blurring and twisting, emitting faint, hoarse roars, yet never daring to approach easily, only lingering and spying from afar within the black mist.

This is the first trial for entering the Exorcising Demons Division: the Desolate Swamp of Ten Thousand Demons.

For thousands of years, this place has been a breeding ground for evil spirits and demons, and the first life-or-death threshold for every disciple who enters the sect. Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators who step into this place will be invaded by the evil spirits and lose their Dao heart if they are not careful, and will eventually be buried at the bottom of the swamp, turning into the dry bones that accumulate the following year.

Xiao Yu stood on the blue stone by the marsh, his posture upright, a righteous aura flowing around him, automatically isolating him from the surrounding turbid and evil energy. He looked at the dark and desolate marsh before him, his expression solemn, and spoke again with his words of advice.

"The rules of the Wilderness Trial are singular: enter the swamp alone, find the core demon in the heart of the swamp, kill it, and take its core to pass the trial."

"The malevolent energy in the swamp corrodes the soul and is most likely to disturb the mind. You bear a special bond, so you must not let your mind be swayed by distracting thoughts and disrupt your righteous foundation. Once your spiritual energy is disordered and your Dao heart is lost, you will be assimilated by the turbid energy and become a malevolent shadow in the swamp without the need for demons to take action."

Cen Jin stood before the marsh, his eyes slightly lowered, carefully noting down every word of advice.

He could clearly sense that the malevolent aura emanating from this desolate swamp shared the same origin as the bloodbath of Qingzhu Village and the demonic mist of Cangshan Mountain—both were the turbid, bottom-level energy of the Xuan Ye Demon Realm. Over countless years, this yin energy had accumulated and settled, breeding ferocity and devouring living beings, transforming into a sinister inferno in the human world.

The dark wooden box close to his body was slightly warm, and the pure yang energy flowed spontaneously, protecting the small space and isolating it from the overwhelming turbid energy outside. However, Cen Jin still keenly sensed that the demonic blood dormant within the box was becoming increasingly restless, and the subtle demonic patterns on her skin were slowly wriggling, as if awakened by the demonic energy of the same origin outside, generating a faint resonance.

This is also the danger that Xiao Yu specifically warned about.

When others enter the swamp, they only need to defend against external evils; but when he enters the swamp, he is attacked from both sides by malevolent energy and disturbed by demonic blood. He faces double danger from both inside and outside.

"This disciple will remember to guard my heart and uphold righteousness, and never act rashly." Cen Jin raised his eyes, his gaze clear and firm, without the slightest hesitation.

"Go." Xiao Yu waved his sleeve lightly. "I will stay here to suppress the surrounding evil energy, so no one can secretly attack or disrupt things. But within Ze Xin's heart, everything depends on you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Cen Jin no longer hesitated and stepped into the Desolate Swamp of Ten Thousand Demons.

The mud beneath my feet was slippery and icy cold. The moment I landed, a bone-chilling cold crept up my feet, rapidly climbing through my limbs and bones. A thick black mist instantly enveloped me, blocking out sunlight, sound, and all external influences, leaving only endless darkness and chilling cold in the world.

He immediately focused his mind, circulating his Qi in his dantian, letting the pure Yang spiritual energy flow around him, condensing into a layer of shimmering white light that isolated and purified the impure Qi approaching him layer by layer. The righteous Qi of a fully established Foundation Establishment cultivator was thick and enduring, enough to resist the erosion of ordinary evil Qi, but the impure Qi of this desolate swamp had been accumulating for thousands of years, domineering and viscous, far exceeding the scattered Yin Qi in the mountains and fields, constantly squeezing and eroding his righteous Qi barrier.

Once you step into the swamp, there is no turning back.

Cen Jin steadied himself, straightened his back, and steadily moved towards the depths of Ze Xin. He deliberately slowed down, avoiding being impatient or reckless, making sure every step he took was firmly rooted, and precisely controlling every wisp of spiritual energy to minimize consumption and solidify his Dao heart.

As they progressed, the density of withered bones at the bottom of the swamp grew increasingly dense. Countless skeletons piled up into a pool, and in the varying depths of silt, broken weapons and rotten clothing were scattered everywhere—the belongings of disciples who had failed to conquer the swamp over the years and perished there. Countless talented cultivators had fallen below the first threshold, turning into nourishment for the desolate swamp, silent and unremembered.

The shocking wreckage did not frighten Cen Jin; instead, it strengthened his resolve.

The path to vanquishing evil is paved with mountains of corpses and seas of blood. If one cannot even overcome this first hurdle of life and death, how can one talk about redeeming one's sister, slaying one's enemies, or protecting all living beings?

After traveling for about half an incense stick's time, the malevolent shadows floating around suddenly became restless.

The phantoms, which had initially been wandering at a distance and dared not approach, seemed to have finally locked onto the presence of living beings. They all turned around and swooped down from the black mist in all directions. Countless twisted and blurry black shadows bared their fangs and claws, accompanied by mournful howls and a stench of foul air, and swarmed in to kill.

These are the remnants of souls that perished in the desolate swamp, assimilated by demons and evil spirits, reduced to unconscious malevolent spirits, instinctively devouring blood and spirits, fearless of death.

Cen Jin's eyes sharpened, but his mind remained calm.

  

After a year of rigorous training in the deep mountains, he had long since shed the naiveté of a beginner. Facing the overwhelming onslaught, he advanced and retreated with composure, attacking and defending with ease. The energy of his palm flowed freely, and the Canglan Heart Technique was pushed to its limit, transforming the gentle and righteous energy into a sharp palm wind that swept outwards.

Righteousness can overcome all evil.

The moment the shadowy figure touched the palm wind, it melted and dissipated instantly, like ice and snow meeting a raging fire, and the mournful shrieks ceased abruptly. The countless malevolent spirits rushing in from all directions could not even get close before being purified and annihilated layer by layer.

But the malevolent forces in the desolate swamp were endless. New phantoms constantly condensed, rushed out, and surrounded him from the depths of the black mist, one after another, tireless and oblivious to death or injury, continuously consuming his spiritual energy reserves.

Cen Jin immediately adjusted his battle tactics, abandoning the large-scale sweeping attack and instead focusing on condensing his spiritual energy and guarding his body. He used the most concise force to defeat the nearby shadows, conserving his spiritual energy to the greatest extent possible. He continued his advance steadily towards Ze Xin while calmly defeating his enemies, carving a straight path through the encirclement of countless shadows.

The closer one gets to Ze Xin, the thicker the malevolent aura becomes, and the stronger the oppressive feeling. The stench of decay in the air is extremely strong, the black mist is so thick it's almost solidified, visibility is less than three feet, and the five senses are greatly suppressed, only the Dao heart and spiritual energy perception in one's heart remain clear.

At the same time, the restlessness inside the wooden box became increasingly apparent.

The continuous stimulation from the same source of demonic energy in the outside world made Cen Wantang's original demonic blood increasingly unstable. Subtle fluctuations of demonic power kept overflowing from the box, only to be forcibly suppressed by the wooden box. Cen Jin could clearly sense the faint fluctuations in his sister's aura, and he couldn't help but feel worried and anxious.

Inner demons often arise from attachments and worries.

He immediately shut his mouth and focused his mind, banishing all distracting thoughts and forcibly suppressing the anxiety in his heart. He knew clearly that if his mind wavered even slightly at this moment, it would be utter destruction. He raised his hand and gently stroked the wooden box, silently reciting his vow, using his original aspiration to solidify his Dao heart and his obsession to suppress his inner demons. His chaotic emotions instantly calmed down, and the turbulent spiritual energy once again stabilized.

After traveling another hundred feet, all the surrounding malevolent shadows suddenly disappeared.

The black fog suddenly stopped, and there was complete silence.

The frenzied attack abruptly ended, and the entire wasteland fell into a deathly silence, even more eerie and terrifying than the previous clamor and roar.

Cen Jin paused, his mind instantly tensing, his spiritual energy circulating at full power as he warily gazed at the dark and profound Ze Xin before him.

He knew that once the evil spirits had dispersed, the true evil would appear.

The core demon of the Ten Thousand Demon Wasteland is finally within reach.

Beneath their feet, the dark silt churned and surged slowly, bubbling and releasing an extremely foul-smelling toxic fumes as it burst. The once smooth, silted bottom of the swamp suddenly bulged with enormous mounds, and countless white bones surged up with the silt, piling up, intertwining, and coalescing in layers.

ka ka ka-

The grating, grating sound of bones grinding and piecing together was particularly eerie in the desolate swamp. Countless broken bones pieced themselves together, reassembled, and coalesced, arms, shinbones, skulls, and vertebrae crisscrossing and piling up to form a gigantic bone demon over ten feet tall.

The Bone Demon was enormous, its skeleton black with a ghostly green glow, and its body was shrouded in thick black mist. Two scarlet ghost flames burned fiercely in its empty eye sockets, locking onto Cen Jin in front of it. It was violent, bloodthirsty, and ferocious.

This is the core demon formed from the evil energy of the desolate marsh over thousands of years—the Thousand-Bone Wrathful Demon.

It is devoid of spirit and intelligence, born purely from the condensation of malevolent energy and broken bones. It possesses formidable combat power, tough skin and hard bones, and is unafraid of ordinary spells. Its body is covered with millennia-old swamp poison. Once one is cut by its bone blade, if one's yang spiritual energy is slightly weakened, the poison will invade the body and destroy one's Dao heart.

The moment the Thousand Bone Demon took shape, its bone blades swept across its arms, accompanied by a deafening roar and a cloud of poisonous mist, slashing fiercely towards where Cen Jin stood. The attack was domineering and ruthless, carrying the murderous aura of the entire Zexin area, making it hard to breathe.

Cen Jin's pupils contracted slightly. He dared not take the blow head-on. He instantly changed his footwork, retreated abruptly, and slid to the side, barely avoiding the fatal attack.

boom!

The bone blade landed, the silt exploded, and black, murky water splashed everywhere. The ground where it landed was instantly corroded by the deadly poison, leaving a deep crater—a truly terrifying sight.

Missing its target, the Thousand Bone Demon grew even more ferocious. Its crimson ghost flames pulsed violently as its massive body strode forward, crushing down with a barrage of bone blade strikes, each move ruthless and aimed directly at vital points. The ground in Zexin continued to crack, black mist surged and billowed, and the entire space trembled violently.

Cen Jin avoided direct confrontation and maneuvered around the enemy.

His Foundation Establishment cultivation was characterized by abundant spiritual energy, and his Canglan Heart Method was best suited for prolonged battles, using soft force to deflect power and skill to overcome brute force. Facing a bone demon whose strength far surpassed his own, he did not rely on brute force or gamble on a strong attack. Instead, he used his agile movements to constantly dodge while simultaneously focusing his attention on observing his opponent's weaknesses.

After several rounds of maneuvering, he had figured out the clues.

The Thousand Bone Demon is enormous and possesses astonishing brute strength, yet it is clumsy and slow. All its malevolent energy and power are concentrated in its torso and skeleton, except for its heart area, where the bones are loosely joined and the ghost fire is weakly anchored, making it its only fatal flaw.

Having found the opening, Cen Jin stopped dodging.

Facing the sweeping bone blade, he suddenly lunged forward, going against the tide. Just as the bone blade was about to reach him, he bent down, stepped on the ground, and used the force to leap into the air. All the positive yang spiritual energy around him condensed in his palm, turning into a dazzling white arc of light, which struck straight at the ghost fire in the bone demon's heart!

"break!"

The low shout resounded throughout Zexin, and a surge of righteous energy erupted forth.

Shila-

The pure yang energy collided with the yin and evil flames, instantly erupting into a blinding white light and a violent sound. The jet-black bones shattered, crumbled, and dissolved inch by inch, and the millennia-old malevolent energy that had been surrounding the body rapidly dissipated.

The Thousand Bone Demon's enormous body trembled violently, its scarlet ghost fire flickering wildly on the verge of extinction. Its massive body instantly lost its support and collapsed into the mud with a thud, its countless white bones shattering and collapsing into bone dust that filled the sky.

Only a single, jet-black demon core, shrouded in a faint red glow, remained in its chest, hovering in mid-air, slowly rotating, with the remaining malevolent energy stirring slightly.

Cen Jin raised his hand and steadily took the demon core. It was slightly cool to the touch and filled with turbid energy. This was the token for passing the Wilderness Trial.

Thus, the Demon Wasteland is cleared.

The black fog, having lost its core support, rapidly dissipated and faded away. The thick, turbid air crumbled layer by layer, and the darkness that had shrouded the sky and earth slowly dispersed, allowing the long-lost sunlight to once again shine upon the marshland. Scattered bones lay silently across the ground, and the desolate marshland finally shed its overwhelming malevolence and returned to tranquility.

Cen Jin stood in the heart of the lake, slightly out of breath. His spiritual energy was more than half depleted, and his clothes were covered in mud and dust. Yet, his posture was upright, his back was straight, and his eyes remained clear, his righteousness undiminished.

From his arduous cultivation in the mountains to his solo journey to vanquish evil spirits, he truly took the first step on the path of righteousness and the extermination of evil, shedding his youthful naiveté and becoming a qualified righteous cultivator.

Just as he was about to turn around and leave the desolate swamp to head to the next trial ground, the dark wooden box close to his body suddenly trembled violently with a cold chill.

The demonic patterns that had been merely wriggling now spread wildly and became restless, causing the Yang seal on the box to tremble violently and teeter on the verge of collapse. Cen Wantang's breathing suddenly became erratic, and a faint groan escaped from the wooden box, causing concern among those watching.

Cen Jin's heart tightened suddenly, and he subconsciously raised his hand to protect the wooden box, about to circulate his spiritual energy to reinforce the seal.

But in the next instant, the remaining turbid air in the entire desolate swamp suddenly reversed its flow, converging entirely towards the sky around him. The black mist that had previously dissipated surged and gathered again, and deep within the swamp, the pair of previously dormant scarlet vertical pupils opened completely, a terrifying demonic aura far surpassing that of the Thousand Bone Fiend Demon slowly enveloping the entire desolate swamp.

This is not a demon within the trial!

Beneath the desolate swamp lies a supreme evil that should never exist!