The Record of Exterminating Evil from Ashes

Crimson lines, a destiny binding them.

The fleeting crimson pattern beneath the bluestone of the arena vanished without a trace, disappearing into the soil as if it had never existed. Yet Shen Yanqiu's warning weighed heavily on the hearts of everyone on the platform, casting an invisible shadow over the otherwise lively and vibrant sect competition.

No one noticed anything amiss, and the arena battles continued fiercely. Tens of thousands of cultivators gathered to watch the matches, the crowd roaring with excitement and their spirits soaring. The brilliance of the younger generation was on full display, but no one knew that every sword strike and every burst of Dao heart they made was being silently marked and filtered layer by layer by the Eternal Chess Game.

Cen Jin's gaze darkened slightly, and his divine sense quietly spread out, silently sweeping over all the emerging cultivators present.

He clearly detected the faint shackles of destiny hidden between the brows of those dozen or so top cultivators. The chains were extremely faint, formless and intangible, avoiding the perception of all cultivators in the mortal realm. Only he, who had transcended the game and perfected his twin Dao seeds, could glimpse them. These shackles did not harm people or disturb the Dao; they silently bound the souls, waiting to be transformed into sacrificial nourishment when the final game arrived.

Xuan Ye Zun lay low and patiently waited, using the opportunity of honing swords in the mortal realm to select sacrificial offerings. His methods were insidious and difficult to guard against.

"If the game of chess is to regulate the fighting power of the human world, then I will go along with it." Cen Jin pondered calmly, "Rather than letting all living beings passively become sacrifices, it is better to use team battles to hone our skills, gather the fighting power of the human world, and turn all the nutrients selected by the game of chess into sharp knives to defy fate and break the game."

As the individual competition draws to a close, top talents from all walks of life take turns on the stage, resulting in a series of exciting duels. Many reclusive disciples and core members of their sects display astonishing cultivation, demonstrating swift and decisive attacks and unwavering resolve, drawing continuous cheers from the audience.

After half a day of competition, the individual tournament finally came to a close. To everyone's surprise, the champion of this small competition was not a direct disciple of an old sect, nor a core prodigy of Zhuxie Mountain, but a previously unknown and unnoticed outer sect youth—Su Nian.

Everyone was amazed by this remarkable turnaround.

The once timid and humble youth, whose Dao heart wavered and who feared tribulations, has long since shed his cowardice after being tempered by lightning tribulations, enlightened by the Dao Lord, and tempered by desperate situations. Today on the arena, he is well-balanced in offense and defense, with a clear mind. He is neither greedy for victory, nor reckless, nor flustered. Relying on his solid foundation and steadfast heart, he wins step by step, defeating several strong opponents in succession, and finally ascends to the top.

This was not a matter of overwhelming cultivation, but rather a victory of the Dao heart. The true meaning of the new Dao—encompassing all things and redeeming people's hearts—was fully demonstrated in him.

On the high platform, Jing Ye looked at the tall, upright young man on the arena, who had shed his humility, and said in a low voice, "The change in people's hearts is greater than the change in their talents. The greatest fortune of the new path is not improving cultivation, but reshaping people's hearts."

The solitary figure in bone armor nodded slightly, its black and gold patterns trembling as if in agreement. Throughout countless cycles of reincarnation, there has never been a shortage of geniuses with unparalleled talent, but what is truly lacking is the mortal heart that rises from timidity, carries its weaknesses forward, and perseveres against all odds to uphold its true nature.

With the individual competition concluded, Cen Jin stood up amidst the attention of everyone and loudly announced the next stage of the competition.

"In solo practice, one hone their skills; in team battles, the masses hone theirs. The final catastrophe is not a battle fought by one person, but by all spirits united in resistance. Thus begins the **Team Battle Tournament**."

"The cultivators present may freely form teams of five to compete on the stage. There are no restrictions on cultivation level or sect affiliation; the only requirements are unity of purpose, cooperation in offense and defense, and focused attention in defending against the enemy."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room erupted in uproar, and then a frenzy broke out.

Throughout history, cultivation competitions and sect tournaments have primarily focused on individual duels, testing innate talent, foundational knowledge, and personal combat prowess. Large-scale team battles have never been held. Most people in the world cultivate themselves, prioritizing self-improvement and competitiveness, rarely emphasizing teamwork and cooperation.

But everyone instantly understood the Daoist's profound meaning. A great calamity was imminent, and destiny was pressing down. Fighting alone was ultimately no match for the eternal chess game. Only by uniting as one and banding together to resist the great trend of reincarnation could they withstand it.

In an instant, all the cultivators stood up, freely inviting each other and quickly forming teams. Disciples from established sects joined forces to strive for a sure victory; independent cultivators banded together to complement each other's weaknesses; and new and old disciples from the sects mixed together to hone their Daoist principles and merge their inner selves.

In a short time, dozens of teams quickly took shape, lined up and stood ready, exuding a solemn aura and poised to launch their attack.

Su Nian was also invited by several top cultivators. All the powerful figures recognized his calm Dao heart and steady fighting style, and were willing to team up with him to compete. However, after thinking for a moment, the young man declined them all.

His gaze swept across the entire arena, and he finally approached four young cultivators with mediocre cultivation, ordinary talent, and who had repeatedly lost in individual competitions. All four were low-level outer disciples and nameless rogue cultivators, with shallow cultivation and immature moves. They were inconspicuous among the heroes and were even considered by many to be the bottom of the competition.

"I will team up with you all." Su Nian's voice was firm, gentle yet powerful. "The difference in cultivation level is not the fundamental factor in the outcome of a team battle. Unity and cooperation are the true essence of the Great Dao."

  

The four ordinary cultivators were both surprised and delighted, yet also uneasy: "Senior Brother Su, our cultivation is shallow; we're afraid we'll be a burden to you..."

"There's no such thing as a burden." Su Nian shook her head gently, her eyes clear and bright. "The arena is for honing our skills, not for winning the championship, but for moving forward together. I will guard the front, and you will support me from behind. Mutual trust is the best lineup."

The five formed a team. There were no peerless geniuses or high-level cultivators. All of them were ordinary and unremarkable. Among dozens of strong teams, they appeared particularly weak and insignificant, and were ignored by countless people.

On the viewing platform, many veteran elders shook their heads slightly and sighed inwardly, feeling that the newly crowned champions were too impulsive. Instead of using a strong and powerful team that was sure to win, they chose a weak and bottom-ranked team, which would surely eliminate them early in this team battle.

Even many young cultivators discussed the matter, feeling that Su Nian had been too reckless in this battle and wasted the illustrious reputation he had earned in the individual competition.

Only Cen Jin, Shen Yanqiu, and a few others on the high platform had slightly bright eyes, quietly watching this team that no one had high hopes for.

The team battle order was quickly finalized, and the first round of battles began immediately.

In the first round, Su Nian's team faced an elite team from a long-established sect. All five cultivators were at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, with skillful moves, excellent teamwork, and fierce attacks. They had consistently ranked among the top in previous sect competitions, and their combat strength far surpassed that of ordinary cultivators.

As the battle began, the elite team launched the first attack, their spells intertwining in mid-air. The four elements of fire, wind, water, and earth were layered upon each other, overwhelming and crushing the enemy. Their offensive was swift and fierce, sealing off the entire field, aiming to end the battle quickly and decisively.

Everyone in the audience thought the outcome was already decided and the weaker team was bound to lose.

On the arena, Su Nian stood firmly before the enemy, showing no sign of panic. Having undergone the tribulation of lightning to temper his heart, he was already able to face extreme pressure head-on, shedding all fear and maintaining a clear mind.

"Keep the team stable, no need for aggressive attacks, stay true to your core values, and complement each other's weaknesses!"

Su Nian gave the order in a deep voice, his figure flashing out, standing alone at the forefront. He did not seek to retaliate, nor did he crave killing; with the most reliable defensive moves, he forcefully withstood the first wave of ferocious attacks. Spiritual light exploded, spells roared, and countless spells bombarded the shield around him, ripples spreading outwards, shaking his blood and qi, yet he did not retreat even half a step.

Upon seeing this, the four ordinary disciples behind him instantly calmed down. Their previously panicked emotions were completely soothed, and they each performed their duties and cooperated tacitly: one stabilized the barrier, one channeled the spiritual energy, one searched for weaknesses, and one waited for an opportunity to assist.

Although the five individuals differed in their cultivation levels, they were of one mind and completely trusted each other. None of them were greedy for merit or acted rashly, and none of them were cowardly or retreated. The weak did not fight, and the weak were of one mind, thus avoiding all weaknesses and neutralizing all attacks.

A fierce offensive failed completely, and the elite team's expression changed slightly, a sense of unease rising within them. They had never imagined that a seemingly weak team could so firmly withstand their deadly attack through their united defense.

When morale is low, weaknesses will naturally emerge.

Su Nian's eyes narrowed, precisely capturing the moment the enemy's formation faltered, and she shouted in a deep voice, "Counterattack!"

Before he finished speaking, his body surged with pure Yang energy. There were no fancy moves, no peerless techniques, only pure and stable inner strength. He condensed a sword strike and directly broke through the formation. With a single strike, the enemy's intertwined magical barriers shattered. The five of them worked in perfect unison, tearing apart the enemy's formation.

The elite team, which had initially dominated the entire match, was thrown into disarray, unable to defend itself, and was unable to turn the tide in time. They could only suffer a humiliating defeat and fall off the stage.

A moment of deathly silence.

The entire viewing platform fell silent instantly. Tens of thousands of cultivators stared in disbelief, no one daring to believe the battle unfolding before their eyes. A mediocre, bottom-ranked team, with no one optimistic about them, had actually crushed a veteran elite team in the first round of team battles, achieving legendary status in a single battle and stunning the entire audience.

After a brief silence, thunderous cheers swept across the mountains, the sound waves vast and resounding through the sky.

"A dark horse! An absolute dark horse on the field!"

"To overcome the strong with the weak, to break through the impasse with united hearts—this is the true spirit and essence of the new path!"

The entire arena erupted in cheers, everyone was shaken. Su Nian's nameless team had completely rewritten the landscape of the entire competition, becoming the most dazzling dark horse in this team battle.

On the high platform, a faint smile appeared in Cen Jin's eyes, and he nodded slightly.

He saw it clearly: this victory had nothing to do with cultivation or talent, but was purely a victory of hearts and minds, a victory of unity. The game of chess was meant to determine the outcome by strength and weakness, and to sift the sacrifices by talent, but the new path broke the shackles with the human heart and defied fate with ordinariness.

Shen Yanqiu sighed softly, "Ordinary people united in heart can overcome the arrogant, defeat the powerful, and defy fate. This game of human chess has finally found true hope."

As Jing Ye gazed at the five figures standing side by side on the arena, a hint of warmth appeared in his cold eyes. Through countless cycles of reincarnation, countless geniuses and powerful figures have emerged, but only the hearts of ordinary people united in heart, inseparable, and mutually supportive are the sparks that reincarnation can never extinguish, refine, or devour.

Team battles continue, and the dark horse continues its meteoric rise.

In the following rounds of competition, Su Nian's team fought their way through, defeating several elite teams in succession. In each battle, the five members became more and more tacit and composed, remaining calm and collected when facing strong opponents or dangers. With their ordinary skills and extreme unity, they fought their way into the team battle finals, creating the biggest miracle in the history of the entire competition.

Just as the entire audience was immersed in the grand spectacle of the underdog's comeback and the unity of the people, deep in the clouds high above, a hidden shadow was quietly growing angry.

He originally intended to use the small competition to select top cultivators and refine high-level offerings, but he never expected that Cen Jin would use the team battle to temper people's hearts and minds, allowing a group of ordinary cultivators to concentrate their efforts and grow against the odds, which disrupted His sacrificial selection plan.

An even more terrifying change is quietly brewing—the shackles of destiny on the bodies of more than ten top cultivators, who were originally marked by the chessboard and locked between their brows, are being gradually washed away, loosened, and peeled off by the united spirit of the human world.