The Record of Exterminating Evil from Ashes

With a single word, the mountains fell silent.

The tense standoff at the main peak of the Demon-Slaying Sect was completely frozen by this whisper emanating from the depths of the millennia-old jade wall. The voice was cold and ancient, devoid of any human warmth, drifting lightly across the palaces and mountains, yet it pressed down on all the cultivators present, making their breath catch and their minds tremble. No one knew where the voice came from, no one could see the hidden figure, but the overwhelming pressure of the chessboard spanning millennia truly enveloped the entire mountain gate, giving everyone an inexplicable sense of powerlessness, as if their fate had been sealed.

Above the main hall's crossbeam, the ancient jade disc, sealed for a thousand years, shone with an even brighter red light.

Dark, blood-red patterns spread wildly along the ancient texture of the jade disc, intertwining and shimmering, with layers of light and shadow flowing and clearly reflecting the hideous chasm deep within Cen Jin's Qi Sea. The scene of black and white collapsing and the incomplete Dao Foundation was presented nakedly before the eyes of all cultivators without any concealment.

The hidden crisis that had been lurking within Cen Jin's body was now forcibly exposed by the jade wall to the light of day.

"His foundation has cracked! His balanced cosmic circulation was originally an incomplete and heterodox path!"

The deathly silence was instantly shattered. In the main hall, the elder of the pro-war faction spoke first, his gaze sharp as a knife, fixed on the reflection in the jade wall, "Every word I have said is true! This boy cultivates unorthodox and heretical paths; his physical body harbors hidden dangers of collapse. His so-called new path is nothing but a wicked way of clinging to evil and prolonging his life!"

"Possessing a fragmented Dao seed and bound by demonic blood, he dares to recklessly alter the millennia-old rules of his sect and arbitrarily establish the order of the Dao in the mortal realm! Today, the jade disc reveals the secrets of heaven, proving that he has long been an anomaly of heaven and earth. If this person is allowed to live any longer, he will surely become the greatest source of calamity for humanity!"

The accusations rose again, even more turbulent and fierce than before. The pro-war faction, which had initially been slightly weaker, seized the opportunity presented by the jade disc's anomaly and the manifestation of heavenly secrets to instantly stabilize their position and occupy the moral high ground. The gazes of countless mountain disciples changed drastically; their awe vanished, replaced by deep apprehension and suspicion, and chaotic whispers filled the mountaintop.

"So his path was flawed from the very beginning..."

"No wonder it can tolerate demons and overturn old rules; it's not a newly established Dao, but rather a Dao heart that's incomplete and a Dao body that's impure!"

"Did Senior Xiao Yu misjudge the situation by passing down the waist token? Or is there another reason?"

People were restless, and rumors were rampant. The stalemate between the old and new order of things completely collapsed in an instant.

The disciples of the Defenders faction and a few elders turned pale, their hearts filled with anxiety and helplessness. The truth about the incomplete Dao Foundation of the new Dao Lord they had sworn to follow was now revealed to the public. All their perseverance and expectations were instantly shrouded in a deadly shadow, and they were no longer able to refute the doubts of the crowd.

Beneath the jade platform, Cen Jin stood still, his expression remaining calm and undisturbed.

He clearly felt a faint stinging pain deep within his Qi Sea. The cracks in his Qi circulated around him, trembling slightly as they were drawn by the Qi of the jade disc. The flowing Daoist rhythm, black and white, became somewhat sluggish. The whisper of the chess game, hidden for a thousand years, still lingered in his ears, each word indicating the end of the game and the reaping of the Dao seed.

Yet there was not a trace of panic or defeat in his eyes.

  

The incompleteness of his Dao seed and the cracks in his celestial body were never his weaknesses, but rather evidence that allowed him to see through the game and break through the odds.

People believe that perfection is the way, pursuing a flawless foundation and pure spiritual energy. However, the trap of the eternal game lies precisely in the word "perfection." Xuan Ye Zun has been planning for a thousand years, waiting for a perfect and flawless seed of the Zhou Tian Dao to complete the Heavenly Dao and achieve his own perfection.

Now that his foundation is incomplete and his celestial circulation is flawed, he seems to be at a disadvantage, but in reality, he has completely thwarted his opponent's plan to perfectly reap the rewards.

Imperfection cannot be fulfilled; flaws cannot be used as a wedding gown.

Cen Jin raised his eyes, his gaze piercing through the chaotic sounds of the crowd, and looked directly at the elders in the hall. His voice was clear and steady, overpowering all the noise: "The appearance of the jade disc is not to judge my righteousness or evil, but to expose the deception of the thousand-year-old chess game."

"Though my path is flawed, my heart is not wicked. Though my way is different, it is all for the sake of the common people."

His few words, frank and forthright, abruptly silenced the clamor in the room.

Before the crowd could launch another attack, the evil-suppressing token floating in his palm suddenly shone brightly. The Daoist aura, interwoven with black and white, swept across the entire main peak. The gentle yet domineering power forcefully calmed the restless spiritual energy in the mountains and suppressed the chaotic probing of divine senses.

"The old way revered perfection, was obsessed with killing and killing, and adhered to dogma. It watched helplessly as the country fell and the people were displaced, yet it still fought incessantly for power and profit."

"My new path may have flaws, but it can bring peace to displaced people, suppress demons and chaos, tolerate good and evil, and protect all directions. The level of one's path does not lie in whether its foundation is flawless, but in whether one can protect humanity and uphold one's true nature."

Cen Jin ascended the steps one by one, alone against the oppressive aura of the entire hall, steadily advancing towards the council hall. He calmly traversed the thousand-step jade platform, each step accompanied by a faint black and white Dao pattern illuminating the stone steps beneath his feet. The alternating old and new Dao rhythms spread, shaking the very foundation of the mountain gate's rules.

The elders' faces turned ashen, but none of them dared to intervene again.

The scene of the Golden Core's oppressive aura and the easily shattered chains was still vivid in his mind. Cen Jin, who held the orthodox waist token and wielded the new Dao, already surpassed all the elders of the sect in strength. Forcing an attack would only bring humiliation upon himself and completely shake the foundation of the Demon Extermination Division's thousand-year-old lineage.

"Sophistry and deceit!" The Grand Elder roared, his beard and hair bristling. "A flawed Dao body inevitably harbors hidden dangers. You may argue your way out of trouble today, but what will happen when demonic power backfires and the Dao seed goes berserk? Who will bear the calamity that will bring ruin to the mortal realm?!"

I'll take responsibility.

Cen Jin spoke each word with a firm and resounding tone, without the slightest hesitation: "I will bear the consequences of my path, and I will shoulder the calamities. If the world is truly thrown into chaos by my path in the future, I will destroy my own path seed and sever my own body, without needing anyone else to worry about it."

Frank and resolute, his words resounding.

The entire hall of cultivators fell silent, none daring to utter another word. Such a willingness to gamble with one's own life, foundation of cultivation, and the Great Dao was a level of vision that the elders who clung to power and engaged in empty talk of righteousness had never achieved in their entire lives.

Cen Jin stopped at the middle of the Jade Platform and did not continue to ascend the hall.

He had already seen clearly that the main hall of the peak had long since become a prison of the old sect's power, with the elders clinging to corrupt rules and obsessed with power, having long lost their original intention of pursuing the Dao and protecting the people. Rather than arguing in court and engaging in futile confrontation, it would be better to find another way, gather those in the world who pursue the Dao, and establish a brand new righteous path for humanity.

If the old mountain cannot accommodate a new path, then he will establish a path halfway up the mountain.

With his mind made up, Cen Jin waved his sleeve, and the black and white Dao aura around him suddenly dispersed, transforming into thousands of fine streams of light that scattered and surged in all directions, falling into every corner of the Demon-Slaying Mountains. The streams of light pierced through the main peak's barrier, crossed the mountain paths and ravines, and brushed past the outer sect's residence, precisely landing in the hearts of all the cultivators within the mountain gate who held righteousness in their hearts, refused to decay, and yearned for rebirth.

"Those who are devoted to the common people and seek the true path need not be bound by old rules or factions."

"Today, on the mountainside where I exorcise evil, I establish a platform, gather talented individuals, and set up a new path."

"All sentient beings can pursue the Way, and all minds can realize the Way."

The clear and melodious Daoist voice resounded throughout the entire Demon-Slaying Mountains, piercing through layers of clouds and demonic mist, clearly reaching the ears of every cultivator. It carried no hint of pressure or coercion, only an open and sincere invitation, a genuine invitation from the Great Dao.

The moment those words were spoken, the mountain gate trembled.

Countless disciples at the bottom, cultivators from other sects, and ordinary stewards were deeply shaken. They had been trapped by factional infighting and dogmatic constraints for many years. They had been diligently cultivating the Dao and protecting the people, but they were always coerced by the power above and imprisoned by outdated rules. They had the desire to pursue the Dao, but no path to seek the truth.

Upon hearing the invitation to establish the Dao halfway up the mountain and for all beings to pursue the Dao, my Daoist heart, which had been dormant for many years, was suddenly revived.

The first to set off were the four disciples from the outer sect who had been enlightened and converted to the new Dao by Cen Jin in the ruined city of Linjiang. Their injuries had just healed and their minds were completely subdued. Upon hearing the Daoist voice, they turned and left the city without hesitation, rushing towards the halfway point of Zhuxie Mountain.

Following closely behind were countless mid-level disciples who had suffered from factional oppression and were unwilling to waste their cultivation through infighting, as well as some conservative cultivators who saw through the corruption of the old path and cared for the common people. Some hesitated and watched, some resolutely rushed forward, and some observed coldly. All these diverse reactions fully demonstrated the true heart of pursuing the Dao.

In the short span of half an incense stick's time, hundreds of cultivators had already gathered at the halfway point of the Demon-Slaying Mountain.

The once desolate and secluded stone platform on the mountainside is now bustling with people and filled with spiritual energy. It has shed its loneliness and desolation and is now full of the vibrant vitality of the new path. Some have cultivated for decades but are stuck at a bottleneck and cannot break through; some have been in the world for many years but are tired of killing and infighting; some are exceptionally talented but have been buried by factional struggles; some are compassionate and yearn to truly protect all living beings.

Today, they gather halfway up the mountain, not for power, not for cultivation, not for empty fame, but only to embark on a new, pure, and people-protecting path of truth-seeking.

Talents gather halfway up the mountain, and all beings pursue the Way.

This marks the beginning of the transition between the old and new order of the Way, and the starting point for the rebirth of the righteous path in the world.

Above the main hall on the summit, the elders surveyed the magnificent scene halfway up the mountain, their faces ashen, their eyes filled with rage and apprehension. They never imagined that Cen Jin, without firing a single shot or resorting to coercion, could so easily shake the very foundation of the entire mountain sect and undermine the millennia-old rule of the Dao with just a simple invitation to pursue one's true path.

"You are bewitching people and disrupting the foundation of my sect!" The Grand Elder was furious, his fingertips trembling with spiritual energy. He was about to strike and kill, but he was wary of the power of the waist token and the power of the new Dao, and in the end he dared not make a move.

The other elders also had mixed feelings. Some were angry and fearful, some sighed inwardly, and some were slightly uneasy. They had already seen in their hearts the general trend of the old path ending and the new path being born.

Halfway up the mountain, crowds gradually gathered, and the Taoist atmosphere grew stronger.

Cen Jin slowly descended to the center of the stone platform halfway up the mountain. His posture was upright, and the gentle black and white Daoist aura enveloped the surroundings, calming the restless hearts of the crowd. He looked at the hundreds of people before him who were pursuing the Dao with sincere hearts. His eyes were clear and firm, without a trace of arrogance, only awe and sincerity.

"The Way has no gate; it can be reached only through the mind."

"The ancient path, with its rules and regulations, and its distinction between good and evil, ultimately led to the fall of our land and the rampant spread of demons. Today, I establish a new path on the mountainside, free from the prejudices of social class, bloodline, and the constraints of good and evil."

"Those who are kind-hearted, righteous, protect the common people, and bring peace to the world are all righteous cultivators. Those who indulge in selfish desires, love killing and warfare, bring disaster to the people, and disrupt the mountains and rivers are all heretics."

His words were clear and distinct, reaching the ears of every cultivator and imprinting themselves deep within their hearts.

The crowd below trembled with awe, bowing deeply in reverence and performing the most solemn ritual of cultivation. No forced submission or oaths were required; the path of cultivation lay in the heart's desire.

"We are willing to follow the new path, protect all living beings, and quell the chaos of this world!"

The solemn and orderly chanting of the Dao resounded halfway up the mountain, shook the sea of ​​clouds, and soared straight to the heavens.

The shift in the balance between the old and new paths has now been finalized. The old path on the main peak is now just an empty shell, while the new path halfway up the mountain has taken root, sprouted, and is growing vigorously.

But just as the new path was being established and people were beginning to submit, a sudden change occurred.

The heavy black mist of the Nine Heavens Demon Realm suddenly accelerated its descent, and the overwhelming darkness pressed down on the entire Demon-Slaying Mountains. The righteous and evil energies of heaven and earth instantly reversed violently, and the rich new Daoist energy on the mountainside was actually drawn in and frantically absorbed by the demon realm's energy from a distance.

The shattered wooden box in Cen Jin's arms was scalding hot, and Cen Wantang's aura was violently agitated. A wisp of scarlet demonic power far exceeding that of the past pierced through the wooden box and swirled around the stone platform.

Even more fatally, the cracks in the depths of his Qi Sea suddenly expanded wildly, and the rate at which his black and white Dao Foundation peeled away increased dramatically. The stripped-off balancing Dao forces uncontrollably soared into the sky, piercing through the sea of ​​clouds, and flew all the way to the deepest part of the Nine Heavens Demon Realm.

In mid-air, the blood-red light of the thousand-year-old jade disc pierced through the clouds, echoing and resonating with the demonic mist of the Nine Heavens.

A laugh, utterly indifferent yet carrying the air of a triumphant ending, resounded throughout the heavens and earth:

"Talent gathers halfway up the mountain, and all beings pursue the Way..."

"The power of all living beings nourishes your path, and your path nourishes my heaven and earth..."

"Very good, this ancient game of chess is about to end."

Before the words had even finished, deep within the Nine Heavens Demon Realm, a blurry figure shrouded in ancient black mist slowly opened its eyes for the first time.