The Record of Exterminating Evil from Ashes

Clouds press down on the green mountains, and eerie mist hangs in the sky.

He had just taken half a step out of the stone cave when he suddenly froze in mid-air. The pure Yang spiritual energy around Cen Jin, which had just broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, was almost instantly compressed and contained by the dark mist falling from the sky. There was no overwhelming killing intent, no destructive violence, but that thin wisp of demonic mist carried an indifferent control that surpassed heaven and earth, completely sealing off the entire exit of Cangshan Mountain.

Compared to the previous sinister and subtle Black Butterfly and the distant view from the cliff top, this time, it's a real roadblock.

Xuan Ye Zun didn't want him to leave.

Cen Jin's heart sank slightly, and his arms instinctively tightened, firmly protecting the dark wooden box he kept close to his body. The warm, pure yang energy emanated steadily from the box, protecting the small area and isolating it from the corrosive influence of the turbid demonic mist outside. Cen Wantang's aura inside the box remained stable, without the slightest agitation. This was his last line of defense; no matter how dangerous the road ahead, he absolutely could not allow his sister to be disturbed in the slightest.

He raised his eyes to gaze at the churning black clouds on the horizon, his gaze devoid of panic, only a calm and cold light. After a year of arduous cultivation in the deep mountains, tempering his body and building his foundation, and enduring life-or-death trials, he had long since shed the bewilderment and timidity he felt when first encountering the demonic calamity. Even when facing the demon lord's oppressive power, he remained steadfast in his principles and convictions, acting with composure and remaining calm in the face of danger.

The demonic mist in the sky slowly unfurled, not coalescing into human form, nor transforming into a deadly attack, but simply flowing over the mountaintop like water, gradually lowering and sinking, completely sealing off the only mountain path leading out of the mountain. The spiritual energy between heaven and earth was completely severed, and the righteous energy was suppressed layer by layer. Within a hundred miles, the vegetation was silent, the wind ceased, and the entire Cangshan Mountain became a deathly silent demonic prison.

Cen Jin understood that the other party still had no intention of killing him.

If Venerable Xuan Ye himself were to arrive, he could crush his mere Foundation Establishment cultivation in the blink of an eye, without needing to create momentum or surround him. This wisp of demonic mist is still the residual echo of his original divine consciousness, a shackle deliberately left by the other party—neither killing nor releasing him, but only to trap him, wear down his mental state, and observe his struggle.

The other party wanted to see him despair, to see him trapped in the empty mountains, to see him watch helplessly as the spiritual power of the wooden box was exhausted and the seal collapsed, to see all his hard work and cultivation ultimately vanish into nothingness.

"I will not stay here."

Cen Jin spoke in a low voice, clear and firm, piercing through the deathly silent forest and directly meeting the heavy, eerie mist high in the sky.

"You destroyed my village, stained my blood, and bound my sister's destiny. Today, I have achieved the Foundation Establishment stage, and the Great Dao lies ahead. I will brave the trials of life and death that lie before me, and I will break free from the shackles of fate."

"If you want to stop me, just try and you'll see."

As soon as he finished speaking, he stopped hesitating and his perfectly formed Foundation Establishment stage spiritual energy surged around him, surrounded by a shimmering golden light that formed a thick and condensed barrier of righteous energy. Unlike the weak and thin spiritual energy he had when he first started cultivating, this righteous energy was now long, thick, and inexhaustible, possessing the resilience of the Canglan Heart Sutra, steadily resisting the erosion and crushing force of the overwhelming demonic mist.

One step, and you step out of the cave.

A chilling, bone-chilling demonic mist swept in instantly, its yin energy penetrating to the bone and corroding the soul, constantly washing over his body through every pore. If he were still in the Body Tempering stage, his spiritual energy would already be in disarray and his blood and qi would be churning. However, his Dao body, after the Foundation Establishment transformation, had already shed the shackles of the mortal world, and with righteous energy protecting him, no evil could invade.

He walked steadily forward, step by step, toward the mountain path blocked by the demonic mist. Every step he took was as firm as a rock, without the slightest wavering.

Enraged by his stubbornness, the high-altitude demonic mist suddenly tightened, condensing into countless tiny, pitch-black wind blades that silently and densely slashed towards Cen Jin's body. The wind blades were as thin as silk, yet each one was wrapped with the demon lord's original Yin energy, enough to severely injure the meridians and Dao heart of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.

A barrage of black blades enveloped him, leaving him with no way to escape.

Cen Jin remained steadfast, neither dodging nor evading. His inner energy circulated rapidly in his palm as he raised his hand and drew a smooth arc. The Canglan Heart Technique was both offensive and defensive, excelling at using softness to overcome hardness and stillness to control movement. A condensed aura of righteous energy enveloped his body, like a water curtain surrounding him, layer by layer buffering, dissolving, and disintegrating all the incoming black blades.

sizzle-

The forces of good and evil clashed continuously, with faint, dissolving sounds echoing endlessly. The moment the pitch-black wind blade touched the sunlight barrier, it rapidly faded, dissipated, and vanished. The bone-chilling yin energy was completely purified, unable to break through the barrier even slightly.

However, the demonic mist continued to emerge, and the black fog in the sky poured down relentlessly. A constant stream of malevolent energy condensed into blades, relentlessly crushing and impacting his righteous energy barrier. In a short while, Cen Jin's spiritual energy was almost completely depleted, his dantian felt slightly sore, and his meridians felt tense.

  

He knew perfectly well that this was a protracted war of attrition.

The opponent used his supreme strength to recklessly wear down his cultivation, not seeking to harm him, but only to deplete his spiritual energy, force him to exhaustion and defeat, break his determination to leave the mountain, and make him cowardly and damage his Dao heart in the face of adversity.

If he were to retreat and return to the cave now, a seed of fear of the Demon Lord would be planted in his heart, limiting his cultivation for the rest of his life. He would never be able to achieve the Great Dao, and his path to overcome the evil and save Wan Tang would be completely cut off.

If we retreat, our resolve to follow the Way will crumble, and our path forward will be cut off.

Even if it means certain death, there is still a chance of survival.

Cen Jin gritted his teeth, his mind becoming increasingly clear. He discarded all fatigue and fear, and circulated his dantian qi sea at full power, rapidly replenishing his depleted spiritual energy. He deliberately slowed his pace, condensing the spiritual energy around him, using every wisp of righteous energy to its fullest extent, wasting not a single bit of strength, and bracing himself against the overwhelming demonic forces in the most secure manner.

Never stop, keep moving forward.

The hundred-zhang mountain path, though short, felt incredibly long and arduous. Layers of demonic mist pressed in, the oppressive feeling growing heavier, the barrier of righteous energy trembled continuously, teetering on the brink of collapse, his muscles and bones ached and throbbed, and his blood surged uncontrollably. Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, and his lips turned slightly pale, yet he remained steadfast, never retreating a single step.

Just as the barrier of righteous energy was about to collapse and the spiritual energy was on the verge of depletion, a sharp blue rainbow suddenly streaked across the distant horizon.

The sword light was clear and sharp, radiating pure Yang energy. It pierced through the heavy black clouds, carrying an overbearing power that could cut down all evil, and instantly traversed the hundred-mile-long Cangshan Mountain.

Zheng—

The clear, melodious sound of the sword echoed through the mountains and fields, and the vast sword energy crashed down.

The dark, demonic mist that had blocked the mountain path instantly dissipated, melted away, and fled upon encountering the sword light, like ice and snow meeting a raging fire, completely swept away and torn apart. The heavy black clouds quickly receded, the gloom that had obscured the sky vanished, and bright sunlight once again bathed the green mountains.

In an instant, the world became clear and the eerie wind dissipated.

Cen Jin felt a sense of lightness wash over him, his tense mind suddenly relaxed, his depleted spiritual energy was able to catch its breath, and his violently heaving chest gradually calmed down. He looked up at the direction from which the azure rainbow had come, his eyes filled with a mixture of astonishment and understanding.

It's Xiao Yu.

Apart from the orthodox Yang sword path of the Exorcising Evil Division, there is no other sword light in the world as clean, crisp, and powerful as this, which is specifically designed to subdue demons and evil spirits.

A blue shadow appeared in the sky in an instant, his blue robes fluttering, his figure ethereal. Xiao Yu landed on the blue stone in front of the mountain path with his sword, his posture upright and aloof. The Evil-Slaying Blade at his waist was sheathed, and a vast and pure aura circulated around him. Its residual power had not yet dissipated, and it suppressed the remaining fragments of Yin energy in all directions.

He lowered his eyes to look at the boy in front of him, his gaze calm, with no surprise in his eyes, only a faint understanding.

"Foundation Establishment achieved."

These three simple words are not a question, but a firm conviction.

The confrontation just now, where the young man withdrew from the demon lord's aftereffects despite his Foundation Establishment cultivation, fought to the death, and advanced step by step, had already proven the young man's current realm and character. A year of arduous cultivation in the secluded mountains, without supervision or assistance, relying solely on his own determination, he tempered his mortal body until he reached the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment. Such character and perseverance far surpass those of ordinary sect geniuses.

Cen Jin composed himself, bowed slightly, and said respectfully, "I am deeply grateful to you, Master, for imparting the Dharma and gifting me the wood. I was fortunate enough to successfully establish my foundation."

Xiao Yu nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the wooden box he was protecting. Sensing the weakening positive yang spiritual energy within the box, his eyes narrowed slightly: "The wooden box's spiritual energy is more than half depleted, and the seal is about to become unstable. Your timing in leaving the mountain was just right, and just as risky."

His words succinctly revealed the current crisis.

Cen Jin's heart sank, and he asked in a deep voice, "Was the demonic mist that blocked our path just now the lingering divine consciousness of Venerable Xuan Ye? Why didn't he just kill me directly?"

This was his biggest question. With the Demon Lord's overwhelming power, if he wanted to eliminate them completely, he and Wan Tang would have already perished, with no chance of survival. The fact that the Demon Lord had repeatedly spied on them, obstructed them, and let them go was too strange.

Xiao Yu raised his eyes to look at the clear sky, his gaze deep and distant, concealing the weight of a thousand-year-old struggle between good and evil.

"Because he's waiting."

"Waiting for what?" Cen Jin looked up and asked.

"Waiting for you to join the Bureau, waiting for you to ascend to the Dao, waiting for you to personally protect this remaining trace of humanity in the bloodline of the malevolent ghosts." Xiao Yu's voice was deep and slow, each word piercing the heart. "Xuan Ye Zun never engages in useless killing. He keeps you alive not out of pity, but to nurture a much larger game."

"There are countless malevolent spirits in the world, all devoid of humanity, bloodthirsty and tyrannical. Only your sister, who possesses his original demonic blood, is able to hold fast to her true self and retain warmth. He wants to see if there are any demons in this world who can escape their fate, and if there is any love that can defy the laws of heaven."

"He kept you alive because he kept this only variable. He wants to watch you, with the body of the righteous, protect the body of the demon, and struggle, fight, and seek between the two."

Cen Jin was greatly shocked, and his whole body felt slightly cold.

It turns out that all his perseverance, all his redemption, and all his cultivation were, from beginning to end, part of the other party's calculation. He was not a seeker of the Dao who was breaking free from fate, but a variable pawn that the Demon Lord had personally cultivated and quietly observed.

It's tragic, lamentable, and yet there's nothing we can do about it.

"But you don't need to fear him." Xiao Yu's tone changed, becoming firm and powerful, giving him immense confidence. "Even chess pieces can break the deadlock, and variables can change fate. He observes your game, and you can defy his will."

"If I had arrived even half a moment later today, your spiritual energy would have been exhausted, your Dao heart would have been damaged, and your path out of the mountain would have been completely cut off. Although the Demon Lord's lingering aura cannot kill Foundation Establishment cultivators, it is most adept at tormenting people's character and cutting off their path to enlightenment."

Xiao Yu's gaze fell upon the distant sea of ​​clouds, and he solemnly instructed, "Now that you have successfully established your foundation, you may come with me to the Demon-Slaying Mountain Gate. But you must remember that the real danger never lies in the demonic mists of the empty mountains, nor in the evil spirits of the wilderness, but within the mountain gate itself, and in the hearts of both the righteous and the wicked."

Cen Jin's heart skipped a beat, and he nodded solemnly: "This disciple will remember."

"The Exorcising Evil Division has three levels of entry trials, each more dangerous than the last. The first trial is exorcising evil spirits in the desolate swamp, testing one's combat skills; the second trial is calming the mind in the icy abyss, testing one's steadfastness of one's Dao heart; the third trial is choosing between good and evil, testing one's inherent good and evil nature."

Xiao Yu slowly revealed the core of the trial, each word solemn: "For thousands of years, countless geniuses have stopped at the third level, not because they died at the hands of demons, but because they were defeated by the good and evil in people's hearts, and by the entanglement of good and evil. You are bound by the demon sister, so this level will be the most difficult for you."

Cen Jin silently memorized it, and the outline of the trials ahead became clearer, while the pressure grew heavier.

"Let's go." Xiao Yu waved his sleeve, and the green steel longsword rose into the air and hovered steadily in front of him. "Time is of the essence. The seal on the wooden box will not last more than two months. You need to pass three trials within two months and officially join the department in order to renew the seal on the evil-suppressing seal."

Cen Jin glanced back one last time at the deep, verdant mountains behind him, at this empty mountain that buried the past and tempered him, his eyes now devoid of any lingering affection. The old dreams were dead, a new path lay ahead, and from then on, he would travel across mountains and seas, solely for redemption and revenge.

He leaped onto the longsword, standing firmly with his body still warm against the wooden box close to his body, protecting his only attachment in the world.

A blue rainbow rose again, the sword light piercing through the clouds and mist, carrying a man and a sword, speeding towards the distant Demon-Slaying Mountain Gate. The wind whistled in their ears, the sea of ​​clouds turned around, and the vast landscape unfolded before their eyes. The loneliness and suffering of the past were left behind, and unknown dangers and trials rushed towards them.

They sped along, traveling day and night, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.

After traveling a hundred miles beyond the gates of the Exorcising Demons Division, beneath the sea of ​​clouds, a desolate and lifeless swamp forest suddenly appeared. Black mist shrouded the forest, a foul and eerie aura rose into the sky, and fragmented corpses littered the swamp. Countless low-level malevolent spirits floated and swam in the black mist, howling incessantly.

Xiao Yu sheathed his sword and landed, looking at the dark swamp ahead. He said in a deep voice, "The first trial ground is ahead—the Myriad Demon Wasteland."

"This place is perpetually stagnant with demonic energy, breeding countless low-level demons. It is the initial testing ground for novice disciples. You must enter the swamp alone, purge the core demon within, and obtain its demon core token to pass the test."

Cen Jin's gaze was firm, and he clasped his hands in a fist and replied, "This disciple understands."

Just as he was about to step into the desolate swamp, Xiao Yu suddenly raised his hand to stop him, his eyes serious and his tone more warning: "The aura of the desolate swamp is unusually turbid today, and the demons are extremely agitated, far exceeding the usual level. You need to be extra careful."

Cen Jin nodded slightly, gazing intently at the dark and boundless desolate swamp.

Unbeknownst to him, the black demonic patterns that had been lying dormant and docile within the dark wooden box close to his body suddenly began to writhe extremely slowly and secretly beneath Cen Wantang's skin the moment they approached the gate of the Exorcising Evil Division and were nearing the orthodox Zhengyang Path.

At the same time, deep within the dark mud of the desolate swamp, a pair of eerie, scarlet vertical pupils slowly opened, locking onto the figure of the boy who had stepped into the swamp.