The Record of Exterminating Evil from Ashes

The wind has died down in the desolate marsh, and the sky is still and quiet.

The last murmur of the remnant soul of the Abyss Dragon was like a piercing, bone-chilling nail, piercing deep into Cen Jin's heart.

The turbid air in the world dissipated completely, and the desolate swamp returned to its clarity. However, the chill emanating from the young man did not dissipate in the slightest. Instead, it spread through his meridians and bones to every part of his body. He stood stiffly on the muddy ground in the heart of the swamp, his fingertips trembling slightly, the prophetic phrase that overturned all understanding echoing repeatedly in his mind.

He vanquished evil, cultivated the Tao, entered the righteous path, braved trials, and protected his sister whose demon blood had not yet faded. Every step he took, with all his might, was a sacrifice for Xuan Ye Zun.

A game of chess spanning millennia, where every step is carefully planned.

He thought he was a seeker of the Dao who broke free from fate and turned the tide against all odds, but in the end, he was just a crucial pawn in the opponent's millennia-long scheme. His growth, his Dao heart, and the bonds of good and evil he protected were all nourishment for awakening the Demon Lord's true form.

Absurd, cold, yet undeniable.

The ancient abyss dragon, knowing he was doomed, still revealed the truth, not out of venting his anger, but to shatter the last vestige of righteous faith in him, planting confusion and rifts deep within his Dao heart. Once his Dao heart is out of balance, without the intervention of demons, he will fall into depravity, becoming a puppet in the game.

Cen Jin slowly lowered his eyes, looking at the slightly cool demon core in his palm.

This token, the one that allowed him to pass the first trial, tainted with the thousand-year-old malevolent energy of the desolate swamp and witnessing his desperate comeback, now seemed incredibly glaring. If all the trials of the righteous path and all the paths to exorcise evil were merely a carefully orchestrated scheme by Venerable Xuan Ye, then what was the point of his journey to the Exorcism Division, his trials through three death trials, and his quest for the sealing method?

A single moment of doubt can shatter all other thoughts.

The spiritual energy in his dantian and dantian began to stir quietly, and the originally smooth and unobstructed circulation of qi in his body became slightly sluggish. For the first time, fine cracks appeared in his Dao heart, which had just been stabilized by the Zhengyang Divine Wood. Confusion, like the silt of a barren swamp, silently enveloped him, almost trapping him in his tracks.

But just a few breaths later, Cen Jin suddenly closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

We cannot panic, and we cannot back down.

Regardless of the truth of the game or fate, his original intention has never changed. He cultivates the Tao not to compete for supremacy, nor for the empty fame of the righteous path, but only to protect the only family member in his arms, only to find out the truth of the bloodshed in Qingzhu Village, and only to eradicate the evil forces that wantonly slaughter living beings in the world.

Xuan Ye Zun wanted to use him to cultivate his mind and awaken his spirit, but he insisted on using this game of chess to cultivate his Dao and temper his heart, breaking the deadlock against the odds.

A piece of chess can be turned over once it's in someone's hand. A life can be tied to someone's shoulder once it's on their shoulders.

"Buzz—"

Cen Jin focused his mind, and the Canglan Heart Technique was activated at full speed. The righteous energy swept through his sea of ​​consciousness, cleansing away all confusion, restlessness, and doubts. The disordered spiritual energy returned to its proper place, the circulation of Qi was as stable as ever, and the cracks in his Dao heart were quietly mended by the power of Yang, making it even more condensed and resilient.

  

Having gone through this extreme test of his inner demons, his Dao heart was no longer simply supported by obsession, but he truly achieved the ability to distinguish right from wrong and adhere to his original intention. Even after understanding the mystery of the game, his Dao heart remained steadfast.

He raised his hand and gently stroked the dark wooden box on his chest.

The wooden box remained warm, though its original yang energy had weakened somewhat. The damage from forcibly unsealing the ancient divine power was irreversible. Inside the box, Cen Wantang's breathing gradually became steady, and the restless demonic blood completely subsided, as if it had fallen back into a peaceful slumber after experiencing a dangerous resonance.

"Wantang, no matter what lies ahead, whether it's a game of chess or a trap, your brother will lead you out."

Cen Jin spoke softly, his tone as firm as a mountain, "He wants to use me to maintain the situation, so I will use him as a means to break it."

As soon as he finished speaking, he composed himself and stepped out of the deep pit in the heart of the lake.

He traversed desolate swamps and shallow beaches, where countless silent remains lay scattered, the millennia-long peril now a thing of the past. The once terrifying mountains of corpses and seas of swamps were now, in his eyes, nothing more than a small battlefield where good and evil clashed. Having endured life-or-death struggles and the torment of his inner demons, his state of mind far surpassed that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator—clear and composed.

As he stepped out of the border of the Desolate Marsh of Ten Thousand Demons, the sky became fully bright, and a figure in green robes stood quietly on a distant blue stone.

Xiao Yu stood with his hands behind his back, his long sword sheathed, his eyes deep, as if he had already seen through everything that happened at the bottom of the swamp. There was no surprise in his eyes, only a faint sense of composure.

"You're out," Xiao Yu said, his voice cool and calm.

"This disciple has managed to pass the test by sheer luck." Cen Jin bowed respectfully, his demeanor humbled, his mind calm and composed, revealing not a trace of emotion.

Xiao Yu's gaze swept over his slightly pale face and the spiritual energy that had been more than half depleted, before landing on the wooden box with its weak and decaying aura. He slowly said, "It's not just about passing the level. You encountered the remnant soul of the Abyss Dragon at the bottom of the swamp, and you went through the test of inner demons. It's truly remarkable that your Dao heart has not only remained intact but has become stronger."

Cen Jin felt a slight tremor in his heart.

Xiao Yu had witnessed his confrontation with the Abyss Dragon and his inner struggles. This senior from the Exorcising Demons Division remained aloof, neither intervening nor interfering, allowing him to experience life and death and his inner tribulations alone.

"Trials are not just about killing," Xiao Yu explained calmly. "The exorcism in the desolate swamp tests physical combat strength, while the second trial, the tranquility of the Cold Abyss, tests one's mental foundation. The inner demon you encountered at the bottom of the swamp was a preliminary tempering of the Cold Abyss trial. If you can maintain your composure in a desperate and perplexing situation, you have already passed half of the second trial."

Cen Jin nodded knowingly.

It turns out that all trials have their reasons, and all desperate situations are forging. Xuan Ye Zun has laid out a thousand-year chess game, and the Exorcising Evil Division has also hidden a thousand-year-old way of checks and balances. The battle between good and evil has never been just about fighting with force, but also about the contest of Dao heart, vision, and human heart.

"You already knew about the thousand-year chess game that Yuanjiao mentioned earlier?" Cen Jin asked, raising his eyes.

Xiao Yu remained silent for a moment, gazing at the layered sea of ​​clouds in the distance, his tone slow and deliberate: "The ancient war between good and evil has come to an end. Xuan Ye Zun has been lying dormant for a thousand years. This game of chess is known to all the righteous sects in the world, yet no one can break it. Over the past thousand years, countless geniuses have entered the game, some with their Dao hearts collapsed, some becoming pawns, and some dying and their Daos fading away. No one has been able to escape from the game."

"Then why set up trials, accept disciples, and allow people from all walks of life to participate?" Cen Jin asked, his heart filled with confusion.

"Because although the game is fixed, there are variables." Xiao Yu turned to look at him, his eyes sharp and clear. "The reason it has remained unchanged for a thousand years is because you have not existed for a thousand years. You bear the ties of the Demon Lord's bloodline and stand between good and evil. You are the only variable that can break the deadlock. The Exorcism Division left this trial here to wait for someone who can defy the odds and change their fate."

A single sentence carries immense weight.

From the moment he stepped out of Cangshan Mountain, he was destined to be the center of the game, and the only hope to break the deadlock. All the dangers, all the hardships, all the prying and scheming, all arose because of this unique variable of his.

"Let's go." Xiao Yu waved his sleeve, and the green sword floated into the air. "The second trial is the Cold Abyss Meditation. This trial is free of demons, killing, and murderous intent, yet it is a hundred times more dangerous than the Desolate Swamp Bone Fiend."

Cen Jin cleared his mind of distractions and stepped onto his sword.

A blue rainbow pierced the sky, cutting through clouds and mist, carrying the two towards the heart of the Exorcising Demons Division. The wind whistled in their ears, and the vast landscape rushed past them. The trials ahead became clearer, yet also more mysterious and dangerous.

Half an hour later, at the end of the sea of ​​clouds, a frozen wasteland suddenly appeared.

Thousands of mountains are covered in snow, and ten thousand valleys are frozen in frost. A bottomless, abyss stretches between the mountains, its mouth shrouded in white mist, and the extreme cold permeates the heavens and the earth. Even in the height of summer, this place remains frozen for thousands of miles, never melting. The bottom of the abyss is pitch black and deep, with no end in sight, silent and still, yet it possesses an unparalleled pressure that suppresses the mind and strips away obsessions.

This place is the second trial of the Exorcising Evil Division—the Heart-Locking Cold Abyss.

"The power of the Cold Abyss is for calming the mind, locking away thoughts, and breaking attachments." Xiao Yu sheathed his sword and landed on the ground, solemnly instructing, "Those who enter the abyss will feel nothing in their physical body and their spiritual energy will be useless, leaving only their true mind and consciousness. The Cold Abyss will reflect all your deepest obsessions, fears, guilt, and weaknesses, turning them into illusions that haunt you."

"Countless disciples, unafraid of demons and monsters, have perished at this hurdle. This is because the weakness of the human heart is the hardest to overcome, and the shackles of obsession are the hardest to break free from. Once one is immersed in illusions and entangled by obsessions, one will be forever trapped in the abyss of the mind, becoming a living dead."

Cen Jin gazed at the dark, icy abyss, his heart clear and lucid.

His weaknesses have always been straightforward and frank. The blood feud of the entire Qingzhu Village massacre, and the fateful bond of his sister's uncertain fate in his arms, are his lifelong obsessions and his greatest vulnerabilities. For him, this trial is far more dangerous than any other trial disciple in history.

"Disciple understands." Cen Jin solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"You need not fear the illusions, nor force yourself to break free from your attachments." Xiao Yu's gaze was solemn, his words earnest. "You are different from others. Your attachments are not shackles, but the foundation of your Dao. Guard your true heart and do not let the illusions distort your original intentions, and you will pass the test. Remember, all that you see is illusory, all that you hold onto is real. With a calm mind, you will be impervious to all illusions."

Cen Jin firmly remembered the instructions, turned around, and stepped into the entrance of the Cold Abyss.

One step into the abyss, and the world suddenly turned cold.

It wasn't the coldness felt by the physical body, but an extreme chill that struck directly at the soul. The spiritual energy around him was instantly sealed by the abyssal power, his dantian and sea of ​​qi became stagnant, and all his cultivation and combat power were stripped away. He was as if he had returned to the helpless mountain village boy he once was, without cultivation, confidence, or support.

White mist surged all around, obscuring the sky and blocking out all external sounds.

The next instant, the light and shadow shifted, and the scene suddenly changed.

The biting chill has completely faded, and warm sunlight bathes you in its warmth. Smoke curls from the familiar bamboo house, and a gentle mountain breeze caresses your face. The sounds of chickens and dogs fill the air, streams murmur, and green bamboo stretches as far as the eye can see—a scene brimming with life.

It was Qingzhu Village, which had escaped the bloodshed.

All suffering, battles, cultivation, and destiny vanish without a trace. There is no more demonic slaughter, no more arduous cultivation in the mountains, no more millennia-old chess game, no more struggle between good and evil. Peace and tranquility prevail, and the world is at peace.

In the bamboo courtyard not far away, young Cen Wantang ran and laughed, her bright eyes carefree. She turned back and waved to him with a smile, her voice soft and sweet: "Brother, come and pick bamboo fruits with me!"

The parents stood at the gate of the courtyard, their eyes gentle, their smiles serene, a picture of tenderness and family harmony.

The familiar scenes and warm atmosphere represent his deepest desires, the fulfillment he longs for day and night, and the unattainable illusion he has sought his entire life.

Cen Jin stood rooted to the spot, his mind trembling slightly.

Han Yuan excels at creating the ultimate perfection, using the deepest obsessions in people's hearts as a cage, making them addicted to the comfort and unwilling to break free. As long as he steps into the bamboo courtyard at this moment and indulges in this illusory comfort, he will be trapped in the illusion forever, his Dao heart will be completely destroyed, and he will be utterly ruined.

But he was only in a daze for a moment before he suddenly regained his senses.

"It's all an illusion."

Cen Jin murmured to himself, the tenderness in his eyes fading, leaving only a clear and firm resolve, "What I want is not the stability of indulging in the past, but the fulfillment of protecting the present."

"The past is gone, the blood debt remains unpaid, and the destiny remains unresolved. I have no right to wallow in it."

As soon as he finished speaking, he remained steadfast, facing the illusory scene of family harmony before him without coveting, retreating, or succumbing to despair.

As if sensing his unwavering resolve, the illusion abruptly distorted and shattered. The warm sunlight instantly turned dark, the peaceful village collapsed in a flash, the smoke from the chimneys dissipated, the vegetation withered, and blood suddenly spread across the ground, staining the entire land red.

The familiar bloody slaughter is once again unfolding before our eyes.

A howling wind swept through the air, black mist filled the sky, and heart-wrenching cries and desperate wails echoed in the air. Parents lay dead in pools of blood, villagers perished in carnage, the landscape was ravaged, and the mountains and rivers seemed to weep. Young Wan Tang lay amidst the mountain of corpses, demonic markings spreading across her body, teetering on the brink of destruction.

The most painful memories and the most piercing despair were magnified by Han Yuan, turning into sharp blades that pierced straight into the heart and soul.

Countless people will be overwhelmed by guilt and despair at this moment, drowning in regret and their moral compass will collapse.

Cen Jin's eyes were bloodshot, yet his back remained straight, and he did not retreat even a step. In his eyes were pain, sorrow, and hatred, but there was no fear, no confusion, and no retreat.

"With blood debts before me, I should use my sword to slay evil and my principles to redeem others, rather than wallow in grief and succumb to despair."

He stood amidst the blood-red ruins, his mind unwavering, unmoved by the surging illusions and overwhelming sorrow, his true nature remaining unchanged.

Rumbling--

The entire illusion shattered with a deafening roar, the white mist vanished completely, and the extreme cold enveloped the body once more.

The abyss returned to silence, the sealed spiritual energy was suddenly released, and the energy in the dantian and sea of ​​qi flowed freely again.

The illusion has been shattered, and the Dao heart is flawless.

Cen Jin slowly opened his eyes, his gaze clear and bright. Having undergone the tempering of extreme obsession and fear, his Dao heart was completely perfected and flawless, with no weakness left for demons to exploit.

He stepped out of the icy abyss, his body landing steadily, his breath long and calm, and his righteous energy becoming increasingly pure and clear.

Outside the abyss, Xiao Yu waited quietly. When he saw him walk out safely, a hint of approval finally flashed in his eyes.

"In the past thousand years, you are one of the very few trial participants who have entered the abyss without confusion and seen the illusion without sinking," Xiao Yu said slowly. "Your Dao heart has surpassed that of most Golden Core cultivators."

Cen Jin bowed slightly: "It is all thanks to your guidance, senior."

"It's not my doing, it's because your heart is pure." Xiao Yu shook his head, his expression suddenly becoming solemn. "You have successfully passed the second test. Next is the final test—the choice between good and evil, and the moment when the true move of the thousand-year game will be made."

Cen Jin raised his eyes, his mind solemn.

"The third trial ground, the Platform of Righteousness and Evil." Xiao Yu's gaze was fixed on the depths of the distant sea of ​​clouds, his tone as heavy as a falling stone. "In this trial, there is no right or wrong, no victory or defeat, only a choice. Choose righteousness, and you will slay all demons and evil spirits, personally end Wan Tang's life, cut off the opportunity for the Demon Lord to awaken, and achieve the supreme righteous path; choose evil, and you will protect your bloodline, betray the righteous path, become an outcast in the world, and help Xuan Ye Zun complete the millennium nurturing scheme."

An extreme dilemma, an unsolvable choice.

This is the final death trap that has imprisoned countless geniuses and destroyed the hearts of countless cultivators.

Cen Jin's heart trembled deeply, finally understanding the final outcome of the millennium-long game. What Xuan Ye Zun had been waiting for was never his growth, but his final choice.

Before he could ponder this further, the ancient, black jade coffin deep within the Nine Heavens Demon Realm trembled violently once more.

This time, the coffin lid loosened significantly, and a monstrous surge of primordial demonic energy broke through the seal, sweeping across the entire world. The spiritual energy of the mortal realm suddenly became chaotic, and the demon-suppressing array at the gates of the Exorcising Demons Division silently roared and trembled.

At the same time, the dark wooden box in Cen Jin's arms trembled violently for the first time uncontrollably, and fine cracks appeared on the surface of the box, teetering on the brink of collapse. Cen Wantang, who was sleeping in the box, quietly opened her eyes. In the depths of her dark pupils, a flash of crimson, a demon lord's color, that did not belong to her, disappeared in an instant.