Tiandu Peak, Ascension Platform.
Gu Mo sat beneath the Enlightenment Tree, yet his divine sense was within a chaotic space, battling an Inner Demon. He did not know how long it had been—perhaps ten years, perhaps eight, perhaps only an instant.
He had defeated the Inner Demon.
The Inner Demon, identical to him in every way, lay sprawled on the ground. Its body began to dissipate, yet it wore a faint smile as it said, "Gu Mo, what you defeated was your Inner Demon, not the Inner Demon!"
Gu Mo looked at the Inner Demon, his brows tightly furrowed.
Though he had fought and defeated it, he could not tell what this Inner Demon truly was. It seemed like a reflection of the evil within his heart, yet also like his desires magnified beyond measure.
But as the Inner Demon had said,
Gu Mo could clearly sense that the Inner Demon before him had been born from his own thoughts. It was not the Taboo Inner Demon of legend.
"What exactly are you?" Gu Mo asked.
The Inner Demon chuckled. "Whatever you think I am, that is what I am. Gu Mo, no one can escape the shackles of the Inner Demon. So long as you possess the seven emotions and six desires, you cannot hide from me. This is the rule by which the world operates. We will meet again."
With that, the Inner Demon completely dissipated.
At the same time, on the Ascension Platform, beneath the Enlightenment Tree.
Gu Mo slowly opened his eyes. The ink-black mist that had churned through his chaotic Sea of Consciousness moments earlier seemed never to have existed. Only the leaves of the Enlightenment Tree bloomed with a soft white glow the instant he awakened, fine light spots drifting around him like fireflies.