Chapter 9: Destroying Demons, Demonic Shadow, World Origin

With this Heavenly Heart Mark, before achieving the Divine Transformation stage, it is as if one has an unfathomably mysterious guidance.

During the Soul Egress stage, when the Primordial Spirit leaves the body and Spirit Wandering the Great Void, undergoing the Ten Thousand Paths Baptism, as long as one remains within the Yuanling Realm, danger will be reduced a hundredfold; unless one actively seeks death, there is virtually no danger at all.

Of course, the premise for all this is being able to help the Heavenly Heart Consciousness of the Yuanling Realm survive its tribulation, eliminate the demonic corruption, and proliferate all living beings.

The stronger the Yuanling Realm, the greater his benefits.

……

In a flash of thought, Chen Daoxuan picked up this Heavenly Heart Mark, and in the span of a single breath, he refined it with absolute ease.

He encountered not the slightest resistance.

Instantly.

In the unseen depths, he became tightly connected with the Heavenly Heart Consciousness.

Chen Daoxuan sensed that his mind and consciousness transcended space and time, seeming to soar above the entire Yuanling Realm.

It was an indescribably wondrous feeling, as if the pulse of the entire world was beating within his perception.

He became the sovereign of the world.

In a flash of thought, Chen Daoxuan sensed the entire Yuanling Realm.

Heaven was round, earth was square.

Nearly three million li across.

The earth was thirty thousand li deep, the heavens eighty thousand li high.

A layer of invisible fetal membrane flowing with Xuanhuang energy enveloped heaven and earth, sealing off space and time.

Yet this layer of Xuanhuang Fetal Membrane appeared exceedingly dim.

A vast Space-Time Gate was branded upon this Xuanhuang Fetal Membrane, through which endless demonic Qi poured in.

On the surface of the Yuanling Realm, over ninety-nine percent of the regions had been demonized; living beings had either been annihilated or corrupted into demons.

The World Origin had already been demonized by seventy percent.

Furthermore, there was a will filled with endless blood-colored demonic intent, forcibly suppressing the World's Heavenly Heart Consciousness.

The Heavenly Heart Consciousness was at an absolute disadvantage.

It could only barely resist that will by relying on three Blessed Lands—including the Tianji Blessed Land—hidden deep within the earth, undiscovered, undemonized, still giving birth to spiritual Qi and nurturing living beings, as its foundation.

……

And as he refined the Heavenly Heart Mark.

Tightly connected with the Heavenly Heart Consciousness, he perceived everything within the Yuanling Realm.

He sensed that blood-colored will flowing with endless demonic intent, and through the connection with the Heavenly Heart Consciousness, it came surging toward him.

Deep within Chen Daoxuan's heart, a nearly despairing sense of death arose.

He knew in the unseen depths that, invaded by this will, he would most likely be unable to resist.

As thoughts flowed, in an instant, within his Eight-Thousand-Zhang Violet Mansion, the Nine-Inch Nascent Soul—in its tiny hands clutching that Pure White Jade Talisman.

His trump card treasure, originating from the Shanhai Immortal Sect, from the hands of a Divine Transformation Great Power—that 【Great Five Elements Dao-Destroying Divine Talisman】—was directly summoned by him.

And following his will, this Great Five Elements Dao-Destroying Divine Talisman transformed into a beam of pure white radiance.

With him at the center, it spread throughout the entire Yuanling Realm.

Destroying the Five Elements, annihilating all that exists……

Wherever the pure white radiance spread, all was a vast expanse of white; following Chen Daoxuan's will, it obliterated all external Dao.

The Divine Transformation stage Demon Kings, Nascent Soul stage Demon Spirits, and Core Formation stage Demon Monsters that had formed a supreme demonic array, refining a region of a hundred thousand li, were reduced to ashes.

The blood-colored will that filled heaven and earth, seeking to suppress the Heavenly Heart Consciousness, melted away by more than half in the blink of an eye.

It let out a wail that spread throughout the entire Yuanling Realm; the remnant blood-colored will, through the Space-Time Gate branded upon the Xuanhuang Fetal Membrane, attempted to flee across realms.

But the all-destroying pure white radiance reached everywhere without limit, utterly obliterating it.

Then, under Chen Daoxuan's control, it sought to destroy the Space-Time Gate that spewed endless demonic Qi.

But in the span of a lightning flash, a shadow of a Demon God appeared upon the Space-Time Gate.

It stalemated with the pure white radiance for several breaths.

Then the Demon God's shadow let out a furious roar, and the Space-Time Gate transformed into a streak of demonic light, fleeing out of the Yuanling Realm.

And Chen Daoxuan, who was wielding and activating the Great Five Elements Dao-Destroying Divine Talisman, suddenly sensed a wisp of demonic shadow falling upon himself from the unseen depths.

……

Chen Daoxuan knew this was a Tracking Mark.

In a flash of thought, as he continued to wield the power of the Great Five Elements Dao-Destroying Divine Talisman.

He diverted a wisp of pure white radiance to reinforce himself, wearing away this wisp of demonic shadow.

But the moment it was worn away, the demonic shadow would instantly reappear.

After several such attempts, it still reappeared; Chen Daoxuan shook his head slightly, and only then stopped.

Then he continued to wield the power of the Divine Talisman, going all out to eliminate the demonic Qi permeating the Yuanling Realm.

……

After the time of Three Breaths.

As the Pure White Jade Talisman completely dissipated, the last wisp of pure white radiance vanished.

Throughout the entire Yuanling Realm, over ninety percent of the endless demonic Qi had been obliterated.

Of those above Core Formation who possessed intelligence, the remaining Nascent Soul stage Demon Spirits and Divine Transformation stage Demon Kings numbered less than ten fingers' worth, all in states of severe injury, barely clinging to life.

The entire Yuanling Realm was utterly renewed.

Although it was still exceedingly desolate and silent, with demonic Qi remaining in all things, yet in the unseen depths, there flowed a sense of vitality recovering.

……

Inside the Tianji Blessed Land, Chen Daoxuan watched with aching heart as the jade talisman dissolved into scattered specks of Spiritual Light.

It was something he had received three thousand years ago, when he had followed his Master, Guiyuan True Lord, to pay respects to a Primordial Spirit-stage ancestor who had just revived.

He had earned it by winning the favor of one such ancestor, who had bestowed it upon him as a reward.

Just this single piece.

Were it not for the threat of that blood-colored will, he would never have used it so readily.

……

According to Chen Daoxuan's original plan, the Divine Talisman was merely a precaution of last resort.

He had intended to rely solely on his own strength to slay the demonic spirit's demon king, helping the Heavenly Heart Consciousness buy time.

Only after he condensed his Primordial Spirit and broke through to the Soul Egress stage would the time come to begin exterminating the demons and saving the world.

Had it gone that way, he would not have needed to expend this single Divine Talisman.

Of course, because he had refined the Heavenly Heart Mark, the earlier the demons were eradicated, the sooner the Yuanling Realm would recover — so it was by no means a loss for him either.

……

Three thousand li away, within the battered Tianji Blessed Land, Tianjizi sensed everything that had happened in the brief span of just a few breaths.

First came a moment of utter disbelief, followed by a burst of wild, deranged laughter.

He came directly before Chen Daoxuan.

Bowing with utmost reverence, he said in a deep voice, "Many thanks, Upper True, for saving the world."

Hearing this, Chen Daoxuan gave a slight wave of his hand and, without any concealment, said plainly, "Fellow Daoist Tianjizi, you are too kind."

"Since I have received the Heavenly Heart Mark, it is only natural that I should exert myself for this realm."

"However, this demon-slaying has cost me dearly. In five years, I will lift the Tianyuan Seal from your little disciple and revive his Dao Body."

With that, Chen Daoxuan's figure vanished into thin air.

However, he did not return to the Great Universe.

Instead, he appeared in the depths of the World Origin where the Heavenly Heart Consciousness of the Yuanling Realm resided.

Wielding the Heavenly Heart Mark, he aided the Heavenly Heart Consciousness — which had just begun to shake off its weakening and sink into recovery — in reversing the demon-corrupted World Origin.

In the Great Universe, not to mention a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator like himself, even those at the Tribulation Crossing Stage, or even those at the Great Vehicle Stage who could ascend at any moment, had no chance of laying a finger on that realm's origin.

Though this Yuanling Realm was merely a Mortal Realm, it too possessed a Heavenly Heart Consciousness and a World Origin.

Apart from that Yin-Yang Dao Body tied to treading the Yin-Yang Great Dao, and that single Heavenly Heart Mark —

Only this World Origin was worth his scheming for.

……