The One Chosen by Heaven / The Demonic Path Fears the Strong and Bullies the Weak

A small portion of them died, while the majority had already completely switched to cultivating the Demon Prison Purgatory Scripture and began fighting against the Heavenly Demons.

Many died in the battle between the Heavenly Demons, but those who remained began to experience a surge in cultivation through the Demon Prison Purgatory Scripture. Some even recovered their original spiritual energy cultivation level or even surpassed it. This is the mystery of the Demon Prison Purgatory Scripture.

The outcome of the battle outside the heavens was already clear. Zhang Qiudao then bound the Myriad Sha Giant Devil Demon for three days, continuously devouring its foundation. Meanwhile, the human race of the Xuanhui Realm fought against the Heavenly Demons for three days, resulting in very few Heavenly Demons remaining in the Xuanhui Realm, and very few humans remaining as well.

The surviving cultivators—it's strange to call them cultivators these days, but for now, they're still considered the same as spiritual energy—were increasingly unable to understand the Demon Prison Hall Master's actions, wondering why he was acting this way.

"The aura of the Myriad Sha Giant Devil is almost completely exhausted."

The Demon Prison Hall Master stood on a platform on Tongtian Peak, while the other cultivators had long since dispersed. Her eyes were fixed on Tongtian Peak, watching the battle between Zhang Qiudao and the Myriad Sha Giant Devil outside the Xuanhui Realm. She had watched this battle for as many days as it had lasted.

The closer she looked, the more she realized the gap between herself and Zhang Qiudao. With Zhang Qiudao's abilities, it was no longer something she could compete with by devouring many high-level demons.

Her relationship with Zhang Qiudao was like Zhang Qiudao during the destruction of the world; both possessed a power far surpassing anything she had ever witnessed—the power of the Dao.

The Tao is the authority of heaven and earth, and also a kind of innate power.

The Heavenly Dao, or the World Consciousness, is a being born with this talent.

Zhang Qiudao was defeated by this very power. Because of this power, he failed at the last moment and stopped pursuing the Way of Man. Instead, he turned to the Way of Heaven, trying to obtain this power by seeking the Way of Heaven.

Now, he knows what this power is, but he doesn't understand the source of this power.

That's right.

The Demon Prison Hall Master sighed, turned around and Yotsuya Miko, who had arrived behind him at some point, wondering if their plan would succeed.

"Our master is no ordinary person. Once the Myriad Sha Giant Devil is dead, he will continue his previous actions of merging with the Dao, turning the entire Xuanhui Realm into his own resources. If he does this, the Xuanhui Realm will be completely destroyed, and your chance to achieve Dao in the Xuanhui Realm will also be gone."

"Yes, that's exactly why--"

Yotsuya Miko nodded, gazing at the desolate Xuanhui Realm, a land so barren it could hardly be more desolate. The Xuanhui Realm, utterly devoid of any possibility of recovery due to the Heavenly Demon War, Zhang Qiudao's destruction of the world, and the death of the Heavenly Dao, held a resolute glint in her golden eyes.

"Then we'll completely destroy the Xuanhui Realm before he achieves Dao."

As she spoke, she took out a token from her hand.

"With the death of the Myriad Sha Giant Devil, the Xuanhui Realm will be at its weakest. It will also be the last chance. If it fails... then proceed according to your original plan."

This is a dark purple token, containing a trace of aura.

The Demon Prison Hall Master looked at the token and sighed again, unsure whether he should say something.

But at this point, she had no more reservations.

Why let things get to this point?

"This situation?"

When she heard these words, Yotsuya Miko was still somewhat puzzled.

"Do I have any other choice?"

"No?"

The Demon Prison Hall Master removed his mask, and their eyes met.

"You can see the Dao, even the Dao of that small world. Because of the connection between the Xuanhui Realm and that world, you are also recognized by the Xuanhui Realm as someone who can see the Dao, enough to become the second Dao of the Xuanhui Realm. Moreover, you already know what this path is like; you just need to follow the steps. Whether Zhang Qiudao merges with the Dao or uses the Xuanhui Realm as resources, as long as you can achieve the Dao, he cannot do anything to you. On the contrary, he will be wary of you because you are the second Dao of the Xuanhui Realm, and will only cooperate with you for mutual benefit. He is the Heavenly Dao, and you are the Second Heavenly Dao—no, you are the Earthly Dao, harmonizing the original desolate state of the Xuanhui Realm and making it prosperous with the world. Isn't that good?"

"That's naturally a good thing. I can easily obtain what Zhang Qiudao painstakingly planned."

Yotsuya Miko didn't refute, but just looked at her and slowly shook her head.

"I do not wish to attain enlightenment."

"Why?"

The Demon Prison Hall asked, and because of their shared memories, she quickly learned a reason.

"You can't bear to part with the ties to those smaller worlds? Achieving enlightenment hasn't been an obstacle..."

"That's not it."

The girl shook her head again, stretched out her hands, and looked up at the eye in the sky, the eye that only she could see, towards Him, and also towards the other self beside her.

This was not my intention.

Xuanhui Realm, her former little world, the rainstorm that brought her encounter with Zhang Qiudao's remnant spirit— Yotsuya Miko's thoughts could stretch far, far away in an instant, returning to the beginning and reflecting on everything she had experienced up to the present.

"I am someone who is pursued by the Tao, and I have always been so."

As this sentence began, the final wail of the Myriad Sha Giant Devil resounded throughout the entire Xuanhui Realm. A fine, continuous rain of blood dripped onto the land of the Xuanhui Realm, signifying the true death of the Heavenly Dao, which vanished completely with the death of the Myriad Sha Giant Devil.

Accompanying the blood rain was the sky, which had once again turned dark. Zhang Qiudao began his unfinished task once more. However, this time he proceeded very slowly, as if waiting for the next person to come and stop him.

"A heavy rain heralded the beginning, and I, Yueyi Yilingyinsixiu saw those illusory beings called Ghosts, saw the remnant spirit of Zhang Qiudao, and became his disciple, receiving his inheritance."

Yotsuya Miko patted her sleeves, wiping away the blood and rain. The levitation technique she cultivated was called the Falcon Spirit Wind Control Incantation, and it still was.

A clear falcon cry echoed across Tongtian Peak, and the girl's figure floated between heaven and earth. The falcon spirit shielded her from the blood rain, while she walked towards the sky.

"I quickly accepted all of this and began cultivating the Nine Nether Profound Soul Treasure Record, which was a pre-determined technique most suitable for me."

The Nine Nether Profound Soul Treasure Record was a real rip-off; she suffered a lot before finally learning what those sufferings were called.

"Back then, I was afraid of death and also terrified of Ghosts, so I hesitated repeatedly between the Nine Nether Profound Soul Treasure Record and Ghosts, never truly committing to my decision. And rightly so, after all, I was just an ordinary girl; how could I possibly make such a firm decision?"

"Then, I guess I finally accepted my situation, and finally settled down, enjoying a long period of leisure. To be honest, that period was probably the best time of my life, but it wasn't very long. It was also during this time that I realized I actually had so many things going on with me."

"My life has been like that of a puppet on strings, following a predetermined path. So for the first time, I wanted to die, to die a quick and painless death, even if it meant becoming a demon. But, I'm still alive now, saved by you, and given a new mission."

"However, I think things should come to an end."

"... That's true."

The Demon Prison Hall Master said no more, and the helplessness on her face disappeared.

"I see."

Chapter 351 The Man of Destiny

Xuanhui Realm is just one of countless worlds, and it is not considered particularly powerful.

Stepping out of the Xuanhui Realm's sky and into the void beyond, all that remained were indescribable feelings.

Yotsuya Miko had seen the ocean and the starry sky, and the void before her was like a mixture of the two, with the undulations of the tides and the endless twinkling of stars, vast and colorful.

"The myriad worlds are like rivers and seas and grains of sand. The grains of sand float on the rivers and seas, relying on their vastness and depth. Therefore, I call the rivers and seas outside the world the World Sea, and the Heavenly Demon is an existence that grows independently in the World Sea, not relying on the world."

Zhang Qiudao spoke eloquently, standing before Yotsuya Miko, still retaining the demeanor of an old man.

"The world is like grains of sand, so it is natural to break free from the world and seek a wider world. The pursuit of the Dao is just like this: because of one's own insignificance, one strives to become stronger, so that one can go beyond the Xuanhui Realm and explore the mysteries and wonders beyond it. Not for immortality, not for power, but to delve into the principles that were never known before."

Even so, you still want to stop me?

Faced with these remarks, Yotsuya Miko couldn't help but scrutinize the old man before her.

Her entire understanding of Zhang Qiudao was limited to the knowledge he imparted, the knowledge he sought to thoroughly study the Xuanhui Realm.

Now, she finally met in person the Myriad Transformation Devil Venerable of the Xuanhui Realm, this world-destroying demon, her nominal master.

"Once you reach the Dao, it's impossible to leave the Xuanhui Realm. Your entire foundation will become part of the Xuanhui Realm's resources, and you can only survive by relying on the Xuanhui Realm."

Miko pointed out what he was trying to hide in his words,

"Not only that, the Xuanhui Realm is already extremely decayed, unable to accommodate realms beyond the Enlightenment Realm to begin with, and now it is completely devoid of spiritual energy, with cultivators having completely ceased to exist. For the Xuanhui Realm to recover from this state, it won't be a matter of a day, but rather hundreds or even thousands of years of effort. Even so, you are still willing to merge with the Dao. This shows..."

She paused.

You can't take what you say seriously.

Do you study things?

In the past, the Zhang Qiudao before the world was destroyed might have been somewhat believed by Yotsuya Miko. But the current Zhang Qiudao has completely lost his bottom line and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. What he wants is not what he says.

"Oh?"

Upon hearing Miko's rebuttal, Zhang Qiudao narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at his disciple with some surprise, but that surprise quickly dissipated.

"It seems you've been through quite a lot; no wonder you're a chosen one who can see the Dao."

"The chosen one... this kind of knowledge is not found in the lineage you passed down to me."

"Of course, I have to keep a trick up my sleeve."

Zhang Qiudao stroked his beard. At this point, the Xuanhui Realm was already in his grasp, and no matter what his disciple did, he couldn't save it. Fortunately, he explained the principles he had deeply explored, thus fulfilling his duty as a master and disciple.

"The Heavenly Mandate Holder and the World Consciousness, or what we might call the Heavenly Way, are two parallel entities of Heaven and Earth. However, the World Consciousness far surpasses the Heavenly Mandate Holder, which is why many Heavenly Mandate Holder are subservient to it, becoming its puppets. The chosen ones are people like you, who possess fragments of the World Consciousness, because this fragment has the potential to become the Heavenly Way—this is the concept of the visible Way. Of course, I haven't been able to delve deeply into the mysteries within, but through your example, I've gained a great deal of understanding."

As he spoke, his gaze fell upon Yotsuya Miko before him, whose golden eyes reflected her current appearance—a murky, grayish-black mass.

"You are the only example, just like the Nightmare Refining Art, an unexpected discovery that I have devoted my life to studying. If the World Consciousness of that small world had not been so weak and had not been so eager to absorb the matter from the Xuanhui Realm, I'm afraid a person as destined for heaven like you would not have been born. It is my good fortune that, through you, I finally know what the so-called Dao of Heaven is, and understand what it is like to be in harmony with the Dao."

"Really? I have another question."

"I cannot impart knowledge or resolve doubts. Please speak."

"Were you already plotting against me the very night you imparted all your knowledge to me?"

Faced with this question, Zhang Qiudao stopped what he was doing, a look of confusion on his face. He couldn't quite figure out why Yotsuya Miko would ask such a question, but he simply nodded.

"It is both scheming and nurturing. Scheming is about seeking life and survival in order to pursue the Way, while nurturing is about knowing death and passing on the intention. Even I, at that time, did not know whether scheming would succeed. If it could not, then it would be the plan of nurturing; if it could, then it would naturally be scheming."

"I see, then I have no further questions."

After listening silently to Zhang Qiudao's explanation, Yotsuya Miko nodded. Knowing that it wasn't just a matter of calculation, she suddenly felt a sense of relief.

So, it wasn't all just calculation after all?

"Um."

Zhang Qiudao responded indifferently, and the body he had been maintaining finally exploded, turning into dense gray-black energy.

"Now that you've finished asking your questions, this master-disciple relationship ends here. If you want to stop me from achieving Dao, then use whatever means you have, or don't blame me for being ruthless. Those who obstruct my path will be killed."

As she spoke, the gray-black aura that was about to condense into ink surged towards Yotsuya Miko, intending to completely surround her and annihilate her in the gray-black aura, just like the previous Myriad Sha Giant Devil.

These dark gray energies were all-encompassing, and Yotsuya Miko's outstretched Spiritual Sense was instantly devoured by them, sending waves of pain through her body. This was followed by fear and stiffness instinctively transmitted through her body and soul. Having only come into contact with a small amount of these dark gray energies, she had already lost seventy or eighty percent of her abilities, leaving her with no strength left to deal with them.

These objects, which appeared as gray-black energy to cultivators, transformed into a different scene in Yotsuya Miko's eyes at this moment. Countless blood-red eyes covered the gray-black energy, and along with these red eyes were black shackles. On the shackles were engraved countless dense golden symbols, which were the materialization of the authority of heaven and earth.

Zhang Qiudao's so-called "merging with the Dao" is to use these crimson eyes and black shackles to imprison the authority of heaven and earth, transforming it into his own power.

She blinked and looked at the things above Zhang Qiudao.

That was also an eye, a golden eye, now bound by shackles by Zhang Qiudao.

That is the way of Heaven.

To be precise, it is the physical form of the Dao.

"Zhang Qiudao, have you ever considered that you might also be being schemed against?"

Just as the dark gray mist was about to engulf her, Yotsuya Miko stretched out her hands.

Without hesitation, he stabbed himself in the eyes.

The golden eyeballs, stained with fragments of flesh and blood, flew towards the body without any hindrance.

"Do you think I am the chosen one?"

Chapter 352 The Demonic Path Fears the Strong and Fears the Weak

"What?!"

Seeing the sudden turn of events, Zhang Qiudao's surprised voice came from within the gray-black aura.

"You... no—you are a part of the Heavenly Dao!"

He seemed to realize something, and the gray-black energy that had been rushing towards Yotsuya Miko quickly surged back to its original location, trying to stop Yotsuya Miko's actions. However, it was too late.

In that short span of time, the aura of the previously empty Heavenly Eye surged, and as the eyeball rotated, the black shackles that had bound it snapped off with a crisp sound.

The Eye of Heaven has broken free from its shackles, but only temporarily.

The gray-black energy surged towards the Eye of Heaven, enveloping it in countless layers, attempting to bind it once more with chains. The black shackles, like fishing nets, formed layer upon layer, and accompanying these chains were crimson eyeballs. These eyeballs grew on the chains, using their own energy to dissipate the energy erupting from the Eye of Heaven.

Although countless wisps of gray-black energy were worn away by the resistance of the Eye of Heaven during this process, the speed of wear and tear could never outpace the speed at which the gray-black energy surrounded it. The Eye of Heaven, which had shown some signs of resurgence, soon began to show signs of decline.

However, Zhang Qiudao, who had once again suppressed the Eye of Heaven, was not so optimistic. Those crimson eyes replaced his vision, and hundreds of crimson eyes glared angrily at Yotsuya Miko, whose eyes were now just black holes.