Inside Zixiao Palace,
As the Wind God finished speaking, the people present wore varied expressions. Some looked regretful, some frowned, and others let out a long sigh of relief.
The one who sighed in relief was none other than Yuanshi Tianzun, who had been left behind, fidgeting uneasily.
"Martial Nephew, you mustn't aim too high!"
Staring at Sun Wukong, whose expression beside him carried a trace of pain, Yuanshi Tianzun advised him in an apparently sincere tone:
"The path of cultivation must be taken one step at a time. We're not Demonic Heretics, after all. What shortcuts could we possibly take?"
"Hmm?!"
At that, Xuanming not only didn't get angry, but his eyes lit up. "Second Martial Uncle, do you mean Demonic Heretics can take shortcuts?!"
"Uh..."
Yuanshi Tianzun froze. Was that what he meant just now? How did this guy always miss the point?
He was about to restate the main point, but Xuanming had already decided to ignore him.
"Master, I have a question!"
Looking at Sect Leader Tongtian's stunned expression, Xuanming took a moment to organize his thoughts. "Those Demonic Heretics—wouldn't they fall prey to Inner Demons?"
"Them?"
Sect Leader Tongtian came back to himself and scoffed. "What do the living beings of this world mean to those who could be called Demonic Heretics?"
"They don't even have hearts. How could they possibly have Inner Demons?"
"Is that so?!"
Xuanming nodded as if he understood, then asked a soul-searching question. "Master, if we had Brother Monkey act like those Demonic Heretics, would he never have Inner Demons again?"
Sect Leader Tongtian: "???"
Yuanshi Tianzun: "???"
Sun Wukong: "Huh?"
Deep in the Nine Netherworlds of the Primordial World, in the River of Styx,
the Sea of Blood churned.
This place lay beyond the cycle of reincarnation of