Chapter 973: The Great Sun Sword Son Has Developed a Heart Demon

Jiang Ding cursed under his breath.

He spent the entire afternoon cursing that withered flesh-and-blood, giving greetings to his eighteen generations of ancestors, his recent acquaintances and distant relatives, running through the lot, and only then did he feel much better.

"Sure enough, cast off virtue, enjoy a carefree life."

Jiang Ding let out a long breath.

Then he closed his eyes, and in the Sun Abyss of endless radiance and scorching destruction, he began to inhale and exhale the spiritual Qi of heaven and earth and the essence of the Great Sun to cultivate, while using the omnipresent Great Sun Destruction Sword Intent within the Sun Abyss to temper his own sword intent.

In this kind of cultivation, his magic power, sword intent, divine soul, and flying sword were all growing slowly but steadily.

This was the supreme heavy treasure of the Great Sun Sword Pavilion — the Dayang Dayang Tianchi.

One of the extremely important reasons Chong Chong Guang Zi was stunted in development was the loss of the Dayang Dayang Tianchi; no matter how much of the Great Sun Sword Pavilion's final legacy he inherited, it could not make up for it.

Having only cultivated for a few days, Jiang Ding suddenly opened his eyes.

"Huh?"

Jiang Ding was filled with doubt and suspicion.

The magic power on his body rose and fell unsteadily, extremely disordered; the same was true within his Sea of Consciousness, where subtle unnatural ripples had appeared.

Although very faint, they existed — a portion that was beyond his control had appeared.

In the past, his Sea of Consciousness had been like a lake, like a mirror's surface, never harboring a single ripple without his permission, with his Great Sun Destruction Sword Intent at the Great Accomplishment level dominating and controlling everything.

Now, a gap had appeared in that control.

Although for ninety-nine out of a hundred cultivators in the world, such subtle loss of control appearing in the heart-lake was normal — a natural phenomenon.

But for him, it was not.

"What's going on?"

"Still the influence of that withered flesh-and-blood?"

Jiang Ding's expression grew serious.

Without the slightest hesitation, he once again summoned the Central Array Spirit Computer to give himself a top-tier physical examination, even if it cost many library points.

"Ding!"

"Examination complete."

The Central Array Spirit Computer had practically the moment it touched him already discovered the problem — it was simple, very simple, merely a Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Citizen Jiang Ding, you have developed a Heart Demon."

"Please handle it yourself as soon as possible."

A physical examination report appeared before Jiang Ding, concerning the divine soul, concerning the sword intent, with all sorts of data on it, describing in detail the examination process and how the results were obtained.

"Heart Demon?"

Jiang Ding's voice rose, but he didn't quite believe it.

"A mere Heart Demon — how could a guy like me possibly encounter one?"

"For these past several hundred years, I've walked upright, sat straight, killed what needed killing, kept what needed keeping, never had any regrets, and have always walked firmly upon my own path — how could I possibly develop a Heart Demon?"

"How could those kinds of ants possibly affect me!"

"How could those kinds of ants possibly affect me!"

He spoke with conviction, his voice firm, displaying immense confidence.

The so-called Heart Demon was the flaw in one's own heart, regrets, guilt, a past one could not bear to recall — such things had never existed in his life.

The Central Array Spirit Computer paid him no heed.

"Heart Demon?"

Jiang Ding calmed down, fell silent in thought, his divine sense and sword intent continuously scanning his inner heart.

He read extensively the Taiyi Qingmu Xianzong's literature on the Dao Heart and Heart Demons, yet could find no answer — there was no similar case in the Taiyi Qingmu Xianzong's history, and the predecessors' experiences could offer no guidance.

In the end, Jiang Ding beckoned and dragged the Dayang Dayang Tianchi Moon Spirit over.

Moon was a drifting, fairy-like Moon Palace immortal maiden in appearance; she looked Jiang Ding up and down and pressed her lips into a smile: "Sword Son, you've developed a Heart Demon?"

She acted as if she knew everything, not the least bit surprised.

"Explain."

Jiang Ding's expression was not pleasant.

This inexplicable flaw in his Dao Heart directly affected his Dao path, giving him a sense of losing control — the path could not be self-directed, could not be entirely mastered.

"It is because of your Eastern Extreme Demon Sect's Mo Facheng Yin imprint."

Moon pressed her lips into a smile: "You carry upon you the protection of Void Refinement-level power, protection without restriction — although it can only be used for fleeing, it is indeed Void Refinement-level power."

"Under the influence of Void Refinement power, all struggles, slaughter, and life-or-death battles at the Soul Transformation stage become laughable."

"Your Sword Heart has therefore lost all its zest for life."

"Your Lifebound Flying Sword has therefore become listless and joyless, the sharpness within the sword no more."

"This is the reason."

Moon explained in a soft, slow voice: "The ancestors of the Sword Pavilion used strict measures to forbid the Dayang Dayang Tianchi and the Sword Pavilion Heritage Emissary from participating in the Great Sun Sword Son's non-transcendent-tier battles, sitting idly by while watching the Great Sun Sword Son die in battles of equal or higher tier—all of this had its reasons."

"The wisdom of the ancestors runs so deep that it is beyond what we can match."

"Within the Sword Pavilion, within the Taiyi Qingmu Xianzong, every seemingly unreasonable regulation has its profound reason."

"The Dao Sons of the Brother Xuanwu Heavenly Palace have died generation after generation, the Dao Son of the Shadow Demon Abyss lies in ambush, and the Dao Son of the Heavenly Mechanism Immortal Palace is gentle as jade, befriending Dao Sons in all directions... none are exceptions."

"The reason of the Mo Facheng Yin imprint?"

Jiang Ding was startled.

"It is exactly so."

Moon confirmed: "This is the path of the sword cultivator — one must slaughter."

"Although you used an external object, your Sword Heart does not seem to think so — merely a scabbard; this is also reasonable."

"The sword heart and sword intent are things that exist because I think; as long as I believe in them, what others say is irrelevant."

"But under the protection of the Transcendent Void power, you will no longer be able to deceive yourself."

"The solution has two options."

"First, abandon the Sword Dao and follow the Law cultivation path, like the Dao Heirs of the Badaxian Sect."

"They shamelessly summon Transcendent Void power to crush their opponents—whenever they can, they always bully the weak with strength, yet their Dao hearts remain unshaken, even strengthened—this is the Law cultivation path, which does not emphasize the process."

"They shamelessly summon Refinement Void power to suppress their opponents, and as long as they can, they always bully the weak however they please, yet their Dao hearts show no sign of wavering—instead, they grow ever more steadfast. This is the path of the Law cultivator: the process itself does not matter."

"Second, you must restrict the Mo Facheng Yin."

"You must ensure that, before encountering Transcendent Void power, even if faced with peers such as the children of True Immortals, young True Phoenixes, or young True Dragons, they stand idly by and watch you die."

"Then, your sword heart will immediately stabilize."

"Rest assured!"

Yue said solemnly: "The Sword Pavilion's lineage is extraordinary; if pushed to its extreme, surpassing all past Sword Heirs, you may yet escape from the children of True Immortals and young True Phoenixes."

"Such an achievement is the true honor of a Sword Dao cultivator!"

She gazed with fervent longing.

Fanatic light shone in her eyes as she yearned for the Dao.

Jiang Ding was speechless.

To surpass all past Great Sun Sword Heirs just to escape from the children of True Phoenixes and True Immortals?

Surpassing every Great Sun Sword Child throughout the ages—only then might one have a chance of escaping alive from the hands of a True Phoenix's child, a True Immortal's child?

"Sword Heir, do not underestimate this achievement."

Yue knew what he was thinking and said seriously: "The Sword Dao lies in constantly challenging oneself. If you can escape from a peer who is a child of a True Immortal, your sword heart will advance dramatically, and your strength will transform."

The Moon knew what he was thinking and said solemnly, "The way of the sword lies in constantly challenging oneself. If you can flee from a True Immortal's child of the same rank, your Sword Heart will surely advance by a great margin, and your strength will undergo a transformation."

"Those born with great strength? They are merely whetstones for my Sword Dao cultivators..."

"Those who are innately powerful—so what? In the end, they are nothing more than whetstones for us cultivators of the sword…"

"I will deal with the Mo Facheng Yin."

Jiang Ding ignored her reckless fantasies, rose, and flew out of Dayang Dayang Tianchi toward the Golden Imperial Palace.

He felt no regret over restricting the Mo Facheng Yin's interference in battles below Transcendent Void level—mere peers and higher-level cultivators? If they dared to show their teeth, he'd cut them down on the spot; no special targeting was needed.

As for restricting the Mo Facheng Yin from interfering in battles below Refining Void, he felt no regret over it—mere cultivators of the same rank or higher, if they dared bare their fangs, he'd cut them down on the spot; no special measures needed.