Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme

Chapter 328: Chapter 219: True Demon_1

Demon Objects differ from True Demons.

Demon Objects are the mutated beings of this world’s cultivators, neglecting the regeneration and pollution of Demonic Qi. Their combat power isn’t even on par with cultivators of the same realm. They can only bully those loose cultivators without a solid foundation and who are tainted by demons, against orthodox cultivators, they simply do not measure up.

In either the ancient battles of Immortals and Demons or the Dark Chaos War, these Demon Objects could only play the role of cannon fodder.

True Demons, however, are beings from another world, ranking just below Heavenly Demons. They possess extremely powerful forces and bear the awe-inspiring might of “demon.”

Like the Demon Monk before.

Was it Shen Xiu, or was it Huineng, who was so obsessed with this Bodhi verse?

No, it was neither Shen Xiu nor Huineng.

It was… a demon, known as the demon of “Jealousy and Hate.”

Where did this demon come from?

Boxun Mara!

Boxun, also known as Mara, the ruler of the Desire Realm, the bane of the Six Heavens!

It is said that during the opposition between Buddha and Mara, Mara once declared to Buddha, after you enter Nirvana, I will transform into your likeness, don your robe, enter your temples, receive worship from the people, and turn your Buddha land into my Demon Realm.

This demon is precisely the result of “Boxun transformed into Buddha.”

It is not Shen Xiu, it is not Huineng, but rather the jealousy and hate from the world’s recognition of Shen Xiu and Huineng.

In the Buddhist Law among the monks, whether Shen Xiu or Huineng, both were of great virtue; whether they realized the Way gradually or suddenly, there was no distinction of high or low—only of what fit and what did not. That’s why there were later divisions like Neng in the South and Xiu in the North, with gradual and sudden teachings of Zen coexisting.

But this is the transcendent view of Buddhist Law.

In the eyes of the common people, it is not so.

Because the common folk are vulgar, attached to fame and fortune, fixated on the superiority or inferiority of the Bodhi verse, even more obsessed with the position of the transmission of the Sixth Patriarch of Chan Buddhism.

One hires a talented man, why then hire a brilliant one, change my verse, steal my fame, and brethren who charm my master, usurp the transmission of my Patriarch, until the glory of Shen Xiu, the Seat Patrician, dims before Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch…

All these are the vulgar misconceptions of the common people, the expression and embodiment of their “jealousy” and “resentment.”

Demon Lord Boxun, with great skill, transformed the “jealousy and hate” from the seven emotions and six desires into a Demon Head, specially enticing people to become envious, leading them astray into the Demon Path.

The Demon Monk that Xu Yang encountered today is a True Demon under the command of the “Jealousy and Hate Great Demon Lord” from the Heavenly Demon Desire Realm, a creature of Mara, a scion of Boxun.

It could even be seen as a demon seed incarnation of Boxun, for Boxun possesses a method, the Boxun Heart Sutra transmission, and all demon objects transformed by the Boxun Heart Sutra can be seen as a part of him, a division and extension of his power.

Therefore, this True Demon, possessing the nature of “Boxun,” is an extremely terrifying existence.

Boxun, Xu Yang has also had a few encounters with this legendary Demon Lord.

The first time was in the Black Water World, where the Demon Saint “Mara” led his forces to defeat the Heavenly Emperor Qiong Gao, and made the gods of the Black Water World flee in all directions. As the river deity of the Blackwater River, Xu Yang was also driven to mutual destruction by the Asuras arriving from the sea of blood.

The second time was in the World of Dao and Law, where Pudu Cihang, an external demon from another domain, also received the inheritance of the Demon Lord, transforming into a Great Virtuous Monk with the “Transformative Freedom Boxun Heart Sutra,” fighting in the arena with Xu Yang for decades, and eventually even inciting a world-ending calamity, forcing Xu Yang to sacrifice himself to slay the demon, likewise resulting in mutual destruction.

In both encounters, the result was mutual destruction. If not for the incredible abilities like ‘Zhuanzhou Mengdie’ and ‘Divine Travel Through Worlds,’ Xu Yang would have already been buried by the hands of this Demon Lord.

No, it’s not right to say by the hands; from beginning to end, there was no direct confrontation. Those who drove him to mutual destruction were merely a descendant of Boxun, a seed of Mara.

That’s all!

Let’s put aside the Demon Ancestor Mara of the Black Water World for a moment.

Xu Yang can be certain that the Boxun heritage Pudu Cihang obtained in the World of Dao and Law and the Boxun demon progeny wreaking havoc in this world are absolutely connected, if not the very same existence.

The “Boxun Heart Sutra” is the evidence!

…

Mara Boxun, ruler of the Desire Realm, king of the Six Heavens.

Although Xu Yang is a cultivator, he has not transcended the mundane nor entered sainthood, how can he compete head-on with it?

In the previous two encounters, just a demon seed forced him into mutual destruction.

This time…

Although he had perfected the Five Elements Transforming Demon Thunder, Xu Yang still lacked full confidence.

Not enough strength, not enough momentum.

What can dispel his worries?

Only by leveraging extraordinary means!

Xu Yang closed his eyes, and his spirit instantly shifted.

At the same time, in the World of Dao and Law, within the Wandao School.

Upon Golden Turtle Island, the Nine Ceremony High Altar rose once again, attracting three thousand trails of incense smoke, resembling hundreds of rivers flowing into the ocean, majestic and boundless.

The number three thousand was not a figure of speech but an actual count, though the words “ten million” must follow as the unit.

Thirty billion people, the Luotian Dajiao!

To refine a Yang God avatar, the Taoism Origin Body’s divine power was greatly diminished, which would normally take a hundred years to restore.

But this was under normal circumstances; as the master of Wandao, Xu Yang had extraordinary methods at his disposal.

The Luotian Dajiao, with its endless wonders, not only boosted mana and improved Cultivation but also provided protection from the heavens, warding off external demons, coupled with the great wishes of all beings and the nourishment from incense offerings, and the Earth Deity Law to boot. As long as one was willing to pay the price, it wasn’t just damage to the Divine Soul that could be healed—even if one’s body and Dao vanished, and the spirit and soul scattered, regeneration was possible.

Was Xu Yang willing?

Of course, he was willing!

With the current potentiality of Wandao Scholar’s Palace, what was a Luotian Dajiao to begin with?

Even if it was to the greatest extent, with thirty billion people participating wholeheartedly in a grand ritual, it was merely a consumption of some resources.

Backed by a world, an era of flourishing Daoism, Xu Yang could afford to be extravagant.

So…

In the center of the small island, Xu Yang opened his eyes, his presence changing once more.

It became profound and unfathomable, as if it were the unpredictable will of heaven.

In the Attribute Panel, the skill column, a line of small characters emerged.

Daoist Celestial Master!

With the support of the Luotian Dajiao to repair the damaged Divine Soul, the restored state of the Taoism Origin Body sent another boost to the Yang God avatar, transmitting the “Daoist Celestial Master” attribute.

The Daoist Celestial Master, an upgraded version of the Thunder Lightning Mana King, substantially increased the power of all Taoist techniques, including Thunder Series, and enhanced the effects of “Yang God Trance” and “Heavenly Master Being Position.”

Although Xu Yang’s Five Elements Transforming Demon Thunder was a technique of the Yuan Spirit Cultivation, it still fell under the classification of Thunder Series.

Therefore, it could benefit from the enhancement of “Daoist Celestial Master.”

Daoist Celestial Master, Five Elements Divine Thunder.

The true seed of Mara, progeny of Boxun.

Which is stronger, which is weaker?

The true test would come in the clash of combat!

Xu Yang had done everything possible to prepare; now it was time for a direct confrontation, and further speculation was pointless.

“I have done all that humanly can be done; from here on, it’s in the hands of fate!”

Xu Yang summoned with a gesture, and amid the flashing lightning, a Spirit Eel swam up, coiling around his arm and brushing against his cheek.

Xu Yang looked at it and smiled, “Though you’ve reached Foundation Establishment, you’re overly exhausted; rest for now.”

With those words, he tossed the Qiankun Basket, collecting it inside.

It might seem odd, but he had, in fact, performed a “dual cultivation” with the Spirit Eel just before.

Otherwise, he would not have been able to gain insight into the heavenly mechanism that allowed him to advance his thunder techniques and master the Divine Skills like the Five Elements Transforming Demon Thunder.

Demon Transformation Spiritual Objects, self-rescue by heavenly intent, containing the essence of the world, Wonderful Skill of the great Dao, they are the tangible manifestation of “heavenly mechanism.”

“In the future, I must gather more of such Spiritual Objects!”

“Of course, that’s for the future; what’s important now is…”

Xu Yang glanced around, the Qiankun Basket capturing the still sitting Qing and the other two once more.

Then, with a stirring of wind and thunder, his sword’s light flashed like lightning, hurrying away from the island, as if to slice through the darkened heavens.

Xu Yang was a very open-minded and adaptable person.

In his view, a nobleman’s revenge could span thousands of years, or it could take place overnight.

This night was not yet over. Before dawn, he was determined to break through the demons.