The Record of Exterminating Evil from Ashes

The first rays of dawn pierced through layers of thick clouds, casting a slanting glow on the green mountains.

Cen Jin carried the unconscious Cen Wantang step by step out of Qingzhu Village. Behind them, the village, filled with blood-red ruins, gradually shrank into a blurry black shadow in the morning light. The dilapidated houses, the frozen blood-stained snow, and the sleeping ancestors of the villagers were all obscured by the endless wind, snow and morning mist.

But the hellish scene of that night was already deeply etched into his bones, and even with his sight blocked, it had not faded in the slightest. Blood feud, loss of loved ones, his sister's strange transformation, and the two-year deadline—four mountains weighed heavily on the young man's shoulders, leaving him no room to relax.

He didn't turn around.

The dead are gone, the living must move forward. He is no longer the herb-gathering boy who only sought a peaceful life, but a seeker of the Way, bearing a vow and embarking on a perilous journey. Looking back brings endless sorrow, but the road ahead is the only hope for survival.

Following Xiao Yu's instructions before his departure, he headed towards the deepest part of Cangshan Mountain. This place was sparsely populated, devoid of birds and beasts, far from villages and towns, and without any merchants or woodcutters passing through. It was extremely remote and secluded, making it perfect for him to seclude himself for intensive cultivation and spend his two-year period of seclusion in peace.

Deep in the mountains lies a long-abandoned quarry cave, carved by local villagers years ago. Its entrance is secluded, sheltered from wind and snow, and its interior is dry and flat, making it an ideal temporary shelter. Uninhabited for years, the entrance is concealed by vines and withered branches, isolating it from outside wind, snow, and prying eyes, ensuring a quiet and undisturbed environment.

Cen Jin pushed aside the withered vines, bent down, and stepped into the cave.

The cave was spacious and simple, with no tables or chairs, only cold, rough stone walls and a solid bluestone floor. The air was cool and dry, without a trace of stale air or dampness, making it perfect for sitting quietly, breathing exercises, and refining one's mind and body.

He carefully placed Cen Wantang in the warmest, most sheltered corner of the cave, laid a thick layer of dry grass on her, and then took off his own outer cotton coat and gently covered the girl with it.

The sudden change overnight had depleted her mental energy and blood, and with the demon blood continuing to erode her soul, Cen Wantang was sleeping very soundly. Her brows were slightly furrowed, and her breathing was shallow. The black demon patterns under her skin were docile and dormant under the protection of the positive yang barrier left by Xiao Yu, no longer agitated and spreading. She looked no different from an ordinary sleeping child.

Once he confirmed that his younger sister was safe and sound, Cen Jin finally breathed a sigh of relief. He sat cross-legged at the entrance of the cave, shutting out the outside world's light and snow, creating a quiet little space for cultivation.

He raised his hand and took out the dark, ancient wood blank and the exquisitely crafted blade that Xiao Yu had given him. The warm, heavy wood felt warm to the touch, and a faint yang energy flowed around it, quietly dispelling the surrounding coldness.

Making a light-proof wooden box is his top priority right now.

Although the Zheng Yang Barrier can temporarily suppress demonic blood and conceal demonic energy, its power will eventually be gradually depleted, making it an unsustainable solution. Only this wooden box, crafted from a thousand-year-old, dark, and gloomy tree, can isolate Yin energy day and night, stabilize demonic blood, and shield Cen Wantang from the prying eyes of heaven, providing her with a safe haven from the constant clashes and erosion of righteous and evil spiritual energies.

More importantly, this was a sanctuary he had personally built for his sister, the only place of security he could offer Wan Tang in their desperate situation.

The blade is sharp and light, with a snow-white edge. It is a finely crafted magical weapon made by the Exorcising Evil Division. It can cut wood as easily as cutting paper, requiring no effort at all. Cen Jin cleared his mind of all distractions, focused his spirit, and steadily gripped the blade with his fingertips, carefully polishing, cutting, and trimming the wooden blank.

He has been collecting and processing medicinal herbs since childhood, and his temperament and patience far exceed those of ordinary people. His fingers are steady, his mind is meticulous, and his precision is accurate. He does not seek quick results, but only strives for perfect fit, neatness, and sturdiness. Every cut is precise and steady, without any excess or imperfection.

The morning light rises from dawn to midday, and then slowly sets in the west from midday.

For the entire day, Cen Jin sat still, focusing entirely on carving the wooden box. When he was hungry, he would eat a little of the dry food he carried with him, and when he was thirsty, he would scoop up a handful of melted snow water. Throughout the entire process, he was single-minded and showed no signs of slackness or restlessness.

As the sun set, a square, well-proportioned, simple, and heavy light-proof wooden box finally took shape.

The wooden box was dark and dull all over, with fine and dense wood. The box body was polished to a smooth and warm finish, with rounded edges and no sharp corners. The opening and closing parts were perfectly sealed, and a handful of warm and yang energy slowly diffused out, steadily suppressing the scattered yin energy in the surrounding mountains and fields.

Cen Jin gently pushed open the box lid. The interior space was spacious and just right, enough for Cen Wantang to curl up and sleep peacefully. The spiritual energy at the bottom of the box was the strongest, and its effect of suppressing evil and warding off evil spirits was the purest, enough to ensure her peace day and night and isolate her from the restlessness of demonic power.

He bent down and gently picked up the sleeping girl, carefully placed her in the wooden box, and slowly closed the lid.

Click.

  

The soft sound settled, isolating it from the outside world's wind, snow, and sunlight, and also from all the disturbances of the human world.

From then on, this small wooden box became his sister's only home during his two years of arduous training.

Having settled all his worries, Cen Jin finally let go of all distractions, turned around and sat upright in the center of the cave, officially beginning his path of cultivation.

With eyes gently closed and mind calm, the myriad incantations of the Canglan Breathing Method clearly appeared in the sea of ​​consciousness.

This method draws inspiration from mountains and rivers, and the long winds of heaven and earth. It does not seek forceful breakthroughs, but rather long-term, solid foundations and gradual progress. Beginners should avoid being impatient, greedy for quick results, and having their minds clouded by obsessions. This method perfectly aligns with Cen Jin's current need to calm his mind and solidify his foundation in his practice.

Cen Jin banished all hatred, anxiety, and fear from his mind. His breathing gradually slowed and became even. Following the mantra, he guided his faint mortal breath and tried to draw in the meager spiritual energy that was wandering between heaven and earth.

Ordinary mortals never recognize spiritual energy in their entire lives, forever bound by their mortal bodies, unable to even touch the threshold of martial arts. But Xiao Yu used pure yang spiritual energy to break through the barriers to cultivation for him, opening up the meridians and acupoints throughout his body, giving him the qualification to absorb spiritual energy and temper his physique.

The initial stages of cultivation are far more difficult than imagined.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth is formless and intangible, scattered and wandering between heaven and earth, difficult to capture and difficult to contain. Cen Jin, who has just entered the path, cannot accurately sense the direction of the spiritual energy flow. Often, even after concentrating for half an hour, he can only draw a few weak strands of energy into his body.

After the spiritual energy entered the body, it brought a sharp, piercing pain as it traveled along the meridians, washing away the muscle and flesh covered in tiny, hidden injuries from years of hard work. Each flow of spiritual energy felt like countless fine needles piercing the meridians, a mixture of soreness and stinging, making the muscles and bones stiff and aching, unbearably so.

This is the first tribulation in cultivation: tempering the mortal body.

Humans, with their mortal flesh and blood, cannot withstand the cleansing and nourishment of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Only by undergoing countless trials and tribulations, enduring pain to temper their bodies, breaking the shackles of mortal form, and reshaping their flesh, bones, and muscles, can they gradually transform into a body capable of cultivating the Tao.

Countless mediocre practitioners with weak willpower often get stuck in the initial stage of cultivation. They cannot endure the excruciating pain of their bones being torn apart, nor can they withstand the tedious and lonely arduous training. In the end, they give up halfway and remain outside the gates of martial arts for life.

But Cen Jin is different.

He had just experienced the utter despair of losing his family and witnessing the most brutal hell on earth, enduring the excruciating grief of being separated from loved ones forever. The physical pain and suffering were far too insignificant compared to the deep-seated hatred and the pain of separation.

Others cultivate themselves to seek opportunities, the Great Way, and a better future; he cultivates himself to seek survival, salvation, and justice.

For his sister sleeping in the box, for his ancestors and neighbors who died tragically, for the destroyed Qingzhu Village, and for the solemn vow he made in the wind and snow, he could endure all the bitterness and torment of the world.

As the excruciating pain struck, he neither flinched nor flinched, nor became agitated or discouraged. He maintained his breathing posture steadily, his breaths long and even, allowing the spiritual energy to wash over his meridians and temper his flesh and blood again and again.

A night of arduous practice passed in the blink of an eye.

As dawn broke the next day, Cen Jin slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was clear and bright, the weariness and gloom of the previous day gone. Although his muscles and bones were still sore and stiff, he exuded a sense of lightness and clarity.

After a night of breathing exercises, a few wisps of spiritual energy, though faint, had already taken root and circulated within his body, marking the beginning of his cultivation journey.

But he dared not slack off in the slightest. The two-year deadline was fast approaching, and he had no right to waste time. Only by working hard day and night and making continuous progress could he pass through the three deadly trials of the Exorcising Demon Division before the deadline and seize a sliver of hope.

From then on, he began a period of arduous and monotonous ascetic practice in the deep mountain caves.

They rise at dawn and rest at dusk, never ceasing from morning till night, without rest throughout the four seasons.

During the day, he draws upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to temper his body, refine his meridians and bones, and repeatedly deduce the Canglan Breathing Technique to correct minor deviations and solidify every inch of his foundation. At night, as the yin energy of heaven and earth gradually increases, he sits quietly guarding the box, using his own meager yang energy to assist the wooden box in suppressing demonic energy. At the same time, he calms his mind to stabilize his Dao heart and prevent hatred from growing and inner demons from invading.

Time stands still in the mountains; the years pass by amidst wind and snow.

The initial excruciating pain of body tempering tormented him day after day. From the unbearable stinging pain at first, it gradually turned into a numb soreness. Later, the flow of spiritual energy became smoother and smoother, and his muscles and bones were constantly reshaped, tempered and strengthened. His physique became stronger at a visible speed, his aura became more and more steady and long, and his state of mind became clearer and more resilient in the day-to-day solitary and arduous cultivation.

During occasional breaks, Cen Jin would gently open the wooden box to check on his sleeping sister.

Cen Wantang mostly slept, rarely waking up. The black demonic markings beneath her skin lay dormant, neither agitated nor spreading. Her aura was gentle and mild, devoid of any malevolent ghostly nature. Occasionally, she would furrow her brow and murmur the word "brother" in her dreams. Her soft, sweet voice was the only warmth and comfort in Cen Jin's monotonous and arduous years of cultivation.

Only when he saw his sister safe and sound did all his arduous practice, suffering, loneliness, and exhaustion find meaning.

Time flows slowly, the cold winter fades, the spring snow melts, and the Cangshan Mountains shed their silver coats, gradually revealing patches of green.

He practiced diligently for months, day and night without interruption.

Cen Jin had mastered the Canglan Breathing Technique to perfection. His spiritual energy circulated smoothly throughout his body, his righteous energy was long and stable, and his physique far surpassed that of ordinary cultivators. He could even fight against ferocious beasts in the mountains with his bare hands. The once thin and frail boy's figure gradually became upright and firm, his muscles and bones were condensed, and his aura was restrained and deep. He looked like an ordinary boy, but he had already undergone a complete transformation.

The more he cultivated, the more intense Cen Jin's fear and vigilance became.

He could clearly sense that even with the dual suppression of the Yang Barrier and the Yin Wood Box, the demon blood within Wan Tang's body was still slowly growing, dormant, and accumulating power, like a sleeping ferocious beast that seemed docile and harmless but was actually waiting for the opportunity to break free from its cage at all times.

Two years may seem like a long time, but it will pass in the blink of an eye.

His current meager cultivation level is still utterly insignificant in the face of true demons and powerful martial artists. His hopes of reversing the demonic bloodline, redeeming his sister, and contending with Xuan Ye Zun remain a distant dream.

Late that night, the moonlight was dim, the mountain wind whistled through the forest, and the sound of the wind was desolate and mournful.

After a day of arduous cultivation, Cen Jin was about to close his eyes to regulate his breathing and stabilize his cultivation when a very faint sound of a dry branch breaking suddenly came from the cave entrance.

The sound was so faint that it was mixed in with the sound of the wind and was completely undetectable to ordinary people.

However, after months of spiritual tempering, Cen Jin, whose five senses were far beyond those of ordinary people, instantly detected this unusual phenomenon.

His eyes snapped open, his gaze sharp, and his aura instantly receded and subsided. He remained motionless, his mind already highly tense.

This remote mountain area is deserted and devoid of birds and beasts; ordinary woodcutters and hunters would never venture into it.

Especially at night.

The rustling of the withered branches at the cave entrance was definitely not caused by anything natural.

In the dark night, a faint, chilling aura slowly seeped in through the cracks in the cave entrance. It was cold and piercing, not the usual mountain chill, but clearly the malevolent energy of demons.

In the dead of night on Lonely Mountain, an undercurrent quietly approaches.

Cen Jin's palm slightly clenched, and the newly born positive yang spiritual energy quietly circulated, tightly protecting the wooden box in front of him.

He didn't know who the visitor was—whether it was a wandering demon from the mountains, a spy for Xuan Ye Zun, or someone else secretly spying on him.

But he knew clearly that this fateful struggle, which he had been lying dormant for half his life, was coming sooner and was more dangerous than he had imagined.