The Record of Exterminating Evil from Ashes

Thunderclouds shrouded the night, and a dark figure opened its eyes.

The inky sky completely collapsed, with thick, dark clouds piling up in layers, crushing the last vestiges of clarity in the mountains and rivers. A rolling sea of ​​lightning lay dormant within the clouds, with thousands of dark arcs of lightning darting and darting about. There was no deafening roar, only a deathly, muffled tremor, as it pressed down across the distant void, enveloping the entire Demon-Slaying Mountains.

Just moments ago, Su Nian had been enlightened by Cen Jin and had his Dao heart completely stabilized. He was still immersed in a clear and enlightened state of mind when, in the next instant, his whole body suddenly felt cold. The vast pressure originating from the sea of ​​thunder in the heavens and earth precisely locked onto his frail body, like an invisible mountain crashing down, making his limbs stiff and his blood and qi stagnate. His newly reshaped original heart was instantly shackled and trapped.

Not just him.

Within the entire mountain gate, the minds of all the thousands of disciples tensed instantly. Whether they were core cultivators with firm Dao hearts or newcomers from the outer sect with little experience, without exception, they were all entangled and bound by the power of heavenly lightning. No one was injured, no one was struck, but they were all trapped in the invisible shackles of the lightning.

This was Xuan Ye Zun's ultimate scheme.

Heavenly thunder does not kill the body, but only the mind. Thunder does not extinguish the Way, but only shackles the thoughts.

The previous four trials involved overcoming life-or-death tribulations, breaking the rules of heaven and earth, and establishing external traditions. Tonight's eternal tribulation is the final test of human nature in this game, stripping away all appearances and shattering all pretense to confront the deepest inner struggles and obsessions of all beings.

Cen Jin stood in front of the corridor of the west side courtyard, his white robes billowing in the night wind. He looked up at the heavy thunderclouds, his eyes deep and still, without a trace of emotion.

He saw things with absolute clarity. Xuan Ye Zun had planned for eternity, knowing that the human tradition had been established, the general trend of people's hearts had been formed, and that although the twin sacrifice chain was formed, it was difficult to break by force. Therefore, he no longer focused on external killing and the collapse of heaven and earth, but instead started from the root, using thunder to temper the heart, and forcibly pulling at the remaining dark obsessions in the hearts of all living beings.

The cowardice of mortals, the stubbornness of cultivators, the lingering selfishness of the past, and the entanglement of good and evil—these seemingly insignificant flaws hidden in the cracks of the human heart will be magnified infinitely under the shackles of the tribulation, until the Dao heart collapses and the human heart crumbles.

Once the hearts of thousands of disciples are corrupted, the foundation of the new path will collapse on its own. Without the descent of a divine core or the crushing force of destiny, the game of chess in the human world will break down without a fight and close its loop perfectly.

"Master... I... I'm starting to get scared again."

Su Nian's voice trembled slightly beside him, and his once resolute gaze turned gray again. Under the shackles of the Thunder Sea, the cowardice, inferiority, and fear of death that he had just suppressed surged wildly and took over his mind once more. Although there was no killing intent approaching, the despair and fear in his heart were even greater than when he faced the demonic calamity head-on.

This is the predicament of one's own heart, which has no solution and no escape; only self-salvation can break the deadlock.

Cen Jin turned his head slightly, his gaze gentle yet firm, without a trace of reproach.

He knew all too well that the redemption of the human heart was never achieved overnight. A single enlightenment could enlighten the mind, but it could not completely eradicate the deep-rooted obsessions. The cowardice, the instinct for survival, and the fear of catastrophe of mortals were the truest essence of the human heart, which could not be completely severed or erased, but could only be accepted and upheld.

The shackles of heavenly thunder can only imprison illusory obsessions, not the truly pure and clear mind.

"Don't be afraid." Cen Jin spoke softly, his voice piercing through the thunderous resonance and settling steadily into Su Nian's heart. "Today's tribulation is not to punish your cowardice, but to help you overcome it."

"It amplifies your fears so that you can face your true self and see your weaknesses. You don't need to force yourself to be fearless; just hold on to your beliefs when you are afraid, and that is the way to break free from your predicament."

As soon as he finished speaking, Cen Jin raised his hand and gently waved it, sending a wisp of pure Yang Dao energy into Su Nian's body. He did not forcibly suppress the darkness in his heart, nor did he completely erase his cowardly obsessions. Instead, he used the power of the balancing Dao to protect Su Nian's last bottom line, allowing him to struggle, comprehend, and break free from the tug-of-war between light and darkness on his own.

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True Daoist heart is always forged in the struggles of adversity, rather than being perfected overnight.

Having done all this, Cen Jin rose into the air, his white robes fluttering, facing the rolling sea of ​​lightning alone, confronting the shackles of human nature that bound the entire world.

His divine sense spread across thousands of miles of mountains and rivers, covering the entire Demon Extermination Mountain Gate, and he clearly saw the struggles and torments of countless disciples.

Some disciples of the old path were stirred by the heavenly lightning, their past obsession with killing resurfaced, and they questioned whether the new path was too tolerant and that benevolence was useless. Some cultivators of the new path were misled by illusions, became lax, felt that there was no result in upholding the path and that their destiny was hard to defy, and had the idea of ​​quitting. Some disciples with outstanding talent were caught up in their inner demons, their arrogance grew, their obsession became strong, and they were determined to reach the top of the Great Dao and seize the initiative.

A thousand people, a thousand hearts; a thousand people, a thousand predicaments.

Everyone is trapped by themselves, everyone is bound by their own thoughts.

Cen Jin stood beneath the thunderclouds, overlooking the tribulations in everyone's hearts, without rushing to intervene and forcefully break the deadlock. He knew that he could protect, guide, and guide people through this tribulation of the human heart, but he could not break the deadlock for everyone. The predicament of one's own heart can only be overcome by oneself; any assistance from outsiders is ultimately just a prelude to further trouble.

If he forcibly disperses the lightning tribulation and soothes the inner demons today, everyone's Dao hearts may seem stable, but in reality, their foundations are unstable. When the final outcome arrives in the future, they will still be unable to escape the fate of collapse.

Instead, let tonight's thunderous shackles allow thousands of disciples to confront all the darkness in their hearts, thoroughly temper their true nature, and solidify their foundation in the Dao.

The wind howled, and the thunderclouds hung heavy.

Deep within the clouds, the dark figure enveloped in a sea of ​​lightning slowly stretched out its body, surrounded by fine, jet-black lightning threads. The sinister aura that shared the same origin as Shen Qingyan grew clearer, yet it was colder, more profound, and more unfathomable than the Shen Qingyan of the past.

In the past, Shen Qingyan was trapped by the desire for power, obsessed with the orthodoxy, and confused about right and wrong. In the end, he was just a mortal with obsessions and selfish desires.

But this dark figure, imbued with the power of heavenly thunder, dwelling in the darkness of the chessboard, and carrying the obsessions of humankind, seems to be an aggregate of the dark side of countless people's hearts, a tribulation spirit condensed from all the entanglements of the heart.

"Obsession takes root, and the human heart is bound by its own actions... and it is ultimately achieved."

A low, hoarse whisper drifted out through layers of lightning, carrying no murderous intent, but full of cold mockery.

"Cen Jin, you established the Five Precepts, rectified people's hearts, helped the cowardly, and embraced both light and darkness, thinking yourself to have perfected the Great Way and stabilized the world. Little did you know that the attachments of all beings are also part of your Great Way. You have brought light to the world, so you must accept all darkness."

As soon as the words were spoken, the sea of ​​thunder suddenly became agitated.

Countless jet-black lightning bolts pierced through the clouds, no longer crushing the disciples of the mountain gate, but converging in mid-air and crushing down on Cen Jin alone. The darkness, obsessions, predicaments, and delusions that had arisen in the hearts of countless disciples were all drawn out by the heavenly lightning, transforming into a raging torrent of darkness that poured down upon him.

This was Xuan Ye Zun's most ruthless move.

Since Cen Jin's Great Dao of Balance encompasses both light and darkness, and embraces all forms of existence, then let all the darkness in people's hearts and the shackles of countless obsessions be imposed upon him. Let him alone bear the burdens of the entire mountain sect and the entire human world, and with his own Dao heart, carry the illusions of all people.

If one can withstand it, one's Dao heart will be tempered and tormented inch by inch; if one cannot withstand it, the balance between light and darkness will be completely disrupted, the Dao seed will collapse, the twin dark seeds will completely backfire, and the game will be closed in an instant.

A raging torrent of darkness rushed towards him, and an aura of coldness, deathly silence, obsession, and despair instantly enveloped him, while countless chaotic obsessions surged wildly into his soul.

"It is useless to adhere to the Way, and destiny is hard to defy."

"Tolerating both good and evil ultimately breeds evil."

"Twin destiny, born to sacrifice, your defiance of fate is nothing but self-deception."

Countless false whispers intertwined and entangled, eroding his Dao heart layer by layer, attempting to shatter the balance he had steadfastly maintained until now.

Cen Jin stood in the center of the torrent, his white robes stained with darkness, his hair slightly disheveled, his Daoist aura trembling violently, and the light and dark elements rapidly rotating within his Qi Sea, enduring unprecedented tension and impact.

Yet his back remained straight as a mountain peak, his eyes remained clear and unwavering, and his true nature remained undisturbed.

"I believe that balance inherently encompasses both light and darkness."

Cen Jin spoke in a clear voice, his tone steady and firm, overpowering countless vain whispers and dispelling the chaotic obsessions around him: "When all people are in the light, I will protect them; when all people are in darkness, I will bear it."

"The constraints of one's true nature can be tempered by cultivating one's Dao heart; the shackles of one's obsessions can be strengthened by solidifying one's Dao foundation. You use the darkness of human nature as a shackle, hoping to imprison my Great Dao and shatter my Dao heart, but in the end, it is nothing but wishful thinking."

As soon as he finished speaking, the black and white Dao aura around him exploded, and the perfect balance of the Great Dao spread out in full force. He neither dodged nor avoided, neither refused nor resisted, letting the thousands of dark torrents wash over his body and erode his Dao heart, using his own Dao heart to contain all obsessions, and using his own Great Dao to bear the suffering of all people.

At this moment, he was no longer just the Dao Master of the Demon-Slaying Mountain Sect, but also the pillar of the Daoist spirit of the entire human world.

The sky was filled with a sea of ​​lightning, which churned violently. A dark shadow lurked deep in the clouds, silently gazing at the white-clad figure who bore the darkness alone, his eyes revealing endless indifference and coldness.

"To accept the obsessions of all people is to accept the karmic consequences of all people."

"Cen Jin, what you perceive as the perfect path will ultimately become the ultimate cage that will imprison you for life."

Before the chilling words had even finished, the crimson dark seed deep within Cen Jin's Qi Sea suddenly surged, completely connecting with the Demon Lord's divine core high in the sky, the gloomy human hearts filling the sky, and the layers of thunderous shackles.

The already loosened chains of twin sacrifice tightened suddenly, binding his and Wan Tang's original destiny. And an even more terrifying change was quietly brewing in the deepest part of his Dao heart—his originally pure and immaculate heart was being slowly tainted by countless obsessions, gradually giving rise to a dark and unsolvable self-shackle.