The Record of Exterminating Evil from Ashes

The jade plaque bears traces of wear and tear, revealing a source that startles the heart.

Within the Canglan Secret Realm, the Daoist energy solidified, and the sound of the wind vanished.

Cen Jin's gaze was fixed on the half of an ancient jade pendant that had slipped from Shen Yanqiu's sleeve, his mind churning with turmoil. The jade pendant was dark in color and mottled in pattern. Having endured the erosion of countless years, it had long lost its luster and seemed ordinary. However, the veins and textures wrapped around it and the hidden origin trajectory were exactly the same as the blood-red dark seed that had just been perfected deep in his Qi Sea, and they came from the same source.

This is no coincidence.

His twin hidden offspring are the most secret and fateful loop in the eternal chess game, the ultimate trump card that Xuan Ye Zun has planned for eternity. They should be unique and irreplaceable. But this green-robed passerby who transcends the chess game and has been waiting for him for eternity actually holds a token of the same origin.

In an instant, countless chaotic speculations flooded his mind. Was Shen Yanqiu a remnant of the old era? Was he the one who broke the deadlock in the previous cycle? Or perhaps, another source of power beyond Xuan Ye Zun?

"Your jade pendant..."

Cen Jin suppressed the tremor in his heart, his tone remaining calm, yet a sharp glint shone in his eyes. A perfectly balanced Daoist aura quietly spread around him, with interwoven light and shadow Daoist power subtly flowing, ready to respond and strike at any moment. Having experienced countless schemes and calculations throughout the ages, he no longer dared to easily trust any unexpected opportunities or reclusive masters.

Shen Yanqiu raised his hand and gently gathered his sleeve, covering the half of the jade tablet again. His movements were calm and composed, showing no sign of panic, as if he were already used to such scrutiny and suspicion. He looked at Cen Jin, who was on guard, and a faint trace of melancholy and vicissitude flashed in his eyes. He said softly, "There is no need to be alarmed. This thing was not forged by the chessboard, nor was it left by Xuan Ye. It is the only ember left after breaking free from the cycle of reincarnation."

"Your hidden seed in your dantian is the closed loop of the game; the jade tablet in my hand is the remnant of breaking the game. The two have the same origin, one imprisoning and the other breaking, naturally opposed to each other."

A few words reveal the root cause, but fail to explain the whole picture, leaving layers of mystery.

Before Cen Jin could ask further, Shen Yanqiu raised her eyes and looked up at the dome of the secret realm, gazing through layers of clouds at the dark sky in the distant void. The twin sacrifice chains, which had just been broken by a single word, were still trembling, with fine cracks spreading and growing. The age-old, unsolvable law of destiny had already shown signs of loosening and breaking.

"The two players are locked in a standoff, and the framework of the game is already in disarray." Shen Yanqiu's voice was calm, yet each word was clear and resonant. "Xuan Ye Zun monopolized the ancient game and enjoyed the closed loop of reincarnation, but he ultimately underestimated the passage of time and the obsession with breaking the game. Tonight, the heavenly thunder is unusual, old grudges will awaken, and new chaos will begin. Your trial may have ended, but the trials of the mortal world have only just begun."

Before the words were finished, a deep rumble of thunder suddenly echoed from the horizon, thousands of miles away.

Boom—

The thunder was deep and heavy, unlike the usual thunder of wind and rain. Instead, it carried a vast and ancient aura, rolling across the desolate world, causing the mountains and rivers to tremble and the spiritual energy to fluctuate. The gray-white energy of heaven and earth, which had been tending towards stability, suddenly surged again, and the barrier of the entire Demon-Slaying Mountains trembled slightly.

The first rumble of thunder at night foretells impending chaos.

"The situation has changed tonight. It's not advisable to linger in the secret realm. You should return to the mountain gate to calm your mind and stabilize the situation." Shen Yanqiu withdrew his gaze and looked at Cen Jin, his tone filled with unwavering certainty. "I have lingered for countless ages only to wait for your Dao Foundation to be perfected. Today, my purpose has been achieved. In the final battlefield, we will meet again."

Cen Jin's gaze sharpened: "You're leaving?"

"I will neither enter the game nor break it; I will only be an observer." Shen Yanqiu nodded slightly, his blue robe fluttering in the wind, his figure gradually becoming transparent and ethereal. "Remember, the twin sacrifice can be broken, but the obsession of the human heart is hard to dispel. Xuan Ye Zun's final killing move was never the destruction of the world by the divine core, but the collapse of the human world itself."

The moment his voice faded, his figure completely dissolved into the flowing clouds of the secret realm, leaving no trace. Only a faint breeze remained, proving that their encounter was not an illusion.

The Azure Realm returned to silence, with only the loose sacrificial crack and countless unresolved questions remaining between heaven and earth.

Cen Jin stood motionless for a long time. Shen Yanqiu's appearance overturned all his understanding of the eternal chess game. The two players, the remnants of reincarnation, the embers breaking free from fate—every piece of information overturned the previous layout. The once clear path to breaking the game became shrouded in mist once more.

But he had no time to think about it in detail.

Thunder rumbled in the night sky, one boom after another, and an ancient, oppressive aura swept across the land. From the direction of the mountain gate came waves of restless energy. He leaned down to look at Wan Tang, who was fast asleep on the stone platform. The girl's expression was peaceful, undisturbed by the thunder outside. The demon lord's essence within her remained dormant, protected perfectly by the barrier.

Cen Jin composed himself and whispered softly, "Tangtang, let's go home."

He carefully picked up the girl, closed the barrier of the secret realm, turned around and stepped out of the Canglan Secret Realm, soaring into the air towards the main peak of the Demon-Slaying Peak.

Night fell, and dark clouds loomed over the city.

  

The once clear and peaceful night sky above the mountain gate was now filled with dark clouds and flickering lightning. Dark arcs of lightning lurked deep within the clouds, neither striking nor falling, yet carrying an overwhelming pressure that shook the entire mountain range. Thousands of disciples stood in the courtyard, gazing up at the sky, their minds tense. Even after the Zheng Yang lectures and the strengthening of their Daoist hearts, they still felt their breath catch in their throats under the weight of this ancient night thunder.

The thunder of the Great Dao is not for punishing evil or eliminating demons, but solely for shattering illusions and clearing away attachments.

Within the mountain gate, there remains a hidden illusion unnoticed by anyone, a cowardly obsession buried deep in the heart.

In a secluded corner of the western side courtyard, a young disciple huddled alone under the eaves, his shoulders trembling slightly, his expression pale with fear, completely out of place with the solemn and resolute atmosphere of the mountain gate.

The boy was only fifteen years old and was the lowest-ranking outer disciple of the sect, named Su Nian. He was mediocre in talent and had ordinary aptitude. He had no outstanding cultivation or firm Dao heart. Since entering the sect, he had always been diligent but timid, and he followed the rules but lacked integrity. He was inconspicuous among the thousands of disciples.

In the past, during sectarian conflicts and calamities of trials, he always hid behind the crowd, going with the flow and trying to protect himself. In the conflict between the old and new paths, he dared not take sides; in the perilous situation of the miasma forest trials, he dared not venture into danger; in the calamity of the restoration of heaven and earth, he was filled with fear and stayed at home.

Everyone else grew through hardship and strengthened their resolve through trials, but he alone remained trapped by his own cowardice, clinging to a humble will to survive, and dared not take a single step forward.

Tonight, the thunder roared and the heavens and earth were cleansed. All the obsessions of all living beings were stirred up. His deepest cowardice, humility, and escapism were all forced out by the pressure of the heavenly thunder, and they grew wildly and spread madly.

"It's going to be chaotic again...something's going to happen again..."

Su Nian gripped her sleeve tightly, her fingertips turning white, and muttered to herself in a low voice, her eyes filled with despair and fear, "My cultivation is too weak to withstand evil spirits, and I cannot defy fate. If a calamity descends, I will surely die..."

The surrounding disciples were all focused on gazing at the sky, guarding their hearts, and solidifying their Daoist beliefs. No one noticed the young man in the corner whose Daoist heart was on the verge of collapse. The establishment of the new Dao and the engraving of the Five Precepts solidified the original hearts of most people, but they could not overcome the deepest layer of **mortal cowardice**.

People say that the Great Dao is fearless and cultivators should be strong, but no one dares to face it directly. Mortals seek survival and fear life and death, which is the most real human nature.

Cen Jin landed back on the main peak, his divine sense instantly sweeping across the entire mountain gate, and immediately captured this faint Dao heart on the verge of collapse.

His eyes flickered slightly, but he showed no impatience or disgust whatsoever.

He established a new path, set five precepts, and guided people's hearts. He did not guide perfect saints, but rather the real, multifaceted hearts of ordinary people. With sincerity comes humility, with steadfastness comes cowardice, with a spirit of protecting the world comes a will to survive. If the new path cannot tolerate the cowardice of mortals, it cannot be considered a true path of balance.

Cen Jin gently placed Wan Tang on the soft couch in the main hall, set up a soundproof barrier, and then walked alone towards the west side courtyard.

The evening wind howled, thunderclouds rolled, and the night grew increasingly dark.

As they approached the corridor, Su Nian, trembling with fear, finally noticed the person approaching. She looked up abruptly and saw the tall, upright figure in white. Instantly, her whole body stiffened, and her fear intensified. She hurriedly bowed and knelt down, her head hanging low, not daring to look up and meet his gaze.

"The Dao, the Dao Master!"

The boy's voice trembled and stammered, filled with self-doubt and panic, "Disciple...disciple's Dao heart is unstable, and I am filled with timidity. I have failed the sect and the new Dao! Please punish me, Dao Master!"

He had long been prepared to be punished. In the old ways, cowardice was the original sin, and retreat was the mark of a useless person, destined to be publicly reprimanded and expelled from the sect. Even if the new way was more lenient, someone as timid and weak-willed as him would have no place to stand.

Cen Jin stood before him, his posture upright, his gaze peaceful, devoid of any sternness or harshness, only revealing profound compassion.

He gazed at the trembling, terrified boy kneeling on the ground, and spoke softly, his voice piercing through the rumbling thunder and reaching the boy's heart: "What crime have you committed?"

Su Nian was startled and looked up blankly: "This disciple is afraid of death and dares not resist the tribulation. My Dao heart is corrupted, and I am cowardly and useless..."

"Fear of death is human nature; cowardice is the norm for all living beings." Cen Jin slowly interrupted him, his tone clear and calm, each word penetrating the heart. "The Five Precepts of the New Path are to abstain from prejudice, selfishness, ruthlessness, avoidance of danger, and moral decay. They have never forbidden mortals from seeking survival or from being cowardly at heart."

Su Nian's pupils dilated slightly as she stared blankly at Cen Jin, speechless for a moment.

"You are of mediocre talent, with no extraordinary abilities or heaven-defying potential. Yet, you have endured numerous calamities and still managed to steadfastly guard the sect, neither fleeing nor betraying it. This already demonstrates your unwavering loyalty." Cen Jin slowly bent down, gently lifting the boy to his feet. "True Dao heart is not about being born fearless and never retreating, but about knowing the dangers ahead and feeling fear, yet still choosing to persevere and refusing to abandon it."

"To dare to face one's own weakness is the first step in cultivation. To dare to walk with timidity and guard one's heart against the tide is the spirit of the Great Way."

The gentle Daoist energy flowed into Su Nian's body through his palm, calming his restless and fearful mind and stabilizing his Dao heart, which was on the verge of collapse. A glimmer of light gradually appeared in his originally dark and desperate eyes, and the cowardly gloom that surrounded him was dispelled layer by layer by the positive Daoist energy.

Su Nian stood there blankly for a long time, her eyes suddenly reddening.

Since he began his spiritual practice, everyone has told him that a monk should be courageous, diligent, and fearless, and that cowardice is a stain and retreat is a sin. No one knows that he suffers every night and every step is difficult, and no one can tolerate his humility and fear.

Only today did the Daoist Master tell him that cowardice is not a sin, and one's true nature is what matters.

"Disciple...disciple understands!" Su Nian bowed deeply, her voice no longer trembling, but filled with determination. "From now on, even if I feel fear, I will never back down. I will guard the mountain gate, guard my true self, and guard the new path, without fear of death!"

The human heart is the hardest to redeem and the easiest to break. Cen Jin's word of forgiveness not only saved a timid boy, but also the hearts and minds of all the humble beings in the world.

Just as Su Nian's Dao heart was completely stabilized, the thunderclouds in the sky suddenly churned to their extreme, and countless dark lightning bolts gathered and took shape, but did not strike for a long time. The brightness and darkness of people's hearts, the obsessions of all living beings, the cowardice of mortals, and the sincere perseverance of the whole mountain of evil-slaying were all absorbed, reflected and settled by the thunderclouds.

Cen Jin looked up at the deep night sky, his eyes suddenly darkening.

He suddenly understood Shen Yanqiu's warning before he left—Xuan Ye Zun's final killing move was not the destruction of the world by the divine core, but the collapse of the human world itself.

Tonight's unusual thunderous activity, seemingly a purge of people's obsessions, is actually the game maker using the thunder to refine people's hearts and sift out falsehoods, turning all cultivators with timid hearts and hidden obsessions into sacrificial nourishment for the final stage of the game.

What made him most anxious was that in the center of the sea of ​​lightning deep in the clouds, a blurry black figure enveloped in heavenly lightning was slowly opening its eyes. Its aura was clearly the same as that of Shen Qingyan, who had already been severely injured and crippled, but it was more sinister, more mysterious, and more profound.