Palace Battle Against Inner Demon (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Gu Mo let out a low hum. This was the second person he'd encountered who cultivated the Great Sun Demonic Art. "Does Buddhism have this martial art?" Gu Mo asked. Venerable Monk Huineng chuckled, "This is the progenitor of demonic arts, how could it be a Buddhist inheritance? Furthermore, this martial art is different from worldly martial arts and cannot be passed down. This art is alive. The Great Sun Demonic Art has always existed in the human world in a very special form, constantly seeking fated individuals. It is the martial art that chooses people, not the people who choose the martial art." Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, "So, Venerable Monk, you are the fated individual chosen by the Great Sun Demonic Art?" Venerable Monk Huineng replied, "Actually, it's not that I was chosen, but rather it was inevitable. There are seven types of people in the world who are called Innate Sages: one with Double Pupils, two with Fused Ribs, three with a Dragon Face and a Sunlike Angle, four with a Sunken Crown and River Eyes, five with Heaven and Earth anomalies, six with three ear holes, and seven who are born with knowledge. I happen to be the seventh type, born with knowledge. The fated individuals sought by the Great Sun Demonic Art are these seven types of people. As for why, I don't know. After I encountered the Great Sun Demonic Art, the spirit of the scripture only told me this." Gu Mo chuckled, "How did Venerable Monk meet the Great Sun Demonic Art?" Venerable Monk Huineng said, "Over forty years ago, I was searching for 'demons' between mountains and rivers. One day, while resting on a small forest path, I dreamed of a monk who came to debate with me. He was the most Buddhist person I had ever met, and I was thoroughly defeated in our debate. In the end, the monk asked me what I wanted and what my aspirations were. I knew I was in a dream at the time, and realized the monk before me was either a god or a demon. Unsure of his intentions, I remained silent and then woke up. Since then, that monk has often appeared in my dreams. If I wished to meet him proactively, I simply had to repeat the action of our first meeting. Thus, I often debated with him. Later, when I inquired, the monk did not conceal anything and frankly stated that he was the spirit of the Great Sun Demonic Art, one of the Thirteen Taboos, and his mission was to find the Innate Sages of the human world and pass on the Great Sun Demonic Art. For the next decade or so, I did not cultivate the Great Sun Demonic Art. It wasn't until thirty years ago, when I found the true form of the Inner Demon on this Feilai Mountain but was powerless, that I sought out the spirit of the Great Sun Demonic Art and told it I wanted to kill the Inner Demon. The Great Sun Demonic Art said that the Inner Demon could not be killed, only sealed. So, I made a wish to seal the Inner Demon, and afterward, I received the Great Sun Demonic Art. This Great Sun Demonic Art is very peculiar. Its cultivation techniques and incantations are incomprehensible, yet I can cultivate a kind of Buddhist True Qi. It can no longer be described as pure, but as sacred, truly like the Buddhist teachings of legend." As he spoke, Venerable Monk Huineng slowly raised his hand, and a wisp of Buddhist True Qi permeated outward, blooming like a golden lotus. The aura it released was indeed the most sacred Gu Mo had ever encountered. Even the True Qi of Dharma Master Liansheng from the Great Bright Light Temple, currently recognized as the foremost Buddhist sect, was far inferior to the sacredness and purity of Venerable Monk Huineng's True Qi. Gu Mo could clearly perceive that this wisp of Buddhist light had surpassed True Qi, yet it did not belong to the Ascension Realm's power, nor was it Origin Qi. It was a very unique kind of Qi. However, although both originated from the Great Sun Demonic Art, Venerable Monk Huineng's Qi was completely different from Ye Chen's "Qi manipulation." Ye Chen's Qi manipulation was illusory, difficult for even Ascension Realm power to touch. The reason Gu Mo could take it was by using the Law Qi above Ascension. However, Venerable Monk Huineng's wisp of sacred Buddhist light was substantial, like True Qi, only its purity far surpassed True Qi. Venerable Monk Huineng continued, "I have been using this Buddhist light to seal the true form of the Inner Demon for so many years. This Buddhist light is very sacred and also very miraculous. I used this Buddhist light to set up a formation. As long as Buddhist True Qi comes into contact with the Buddhist light, it can also be purified into Buddhist light, although it requires a lot of True Qi to convert even a little Buddhist light. Over the years, I established Feilai Temple here and recruited disciples, all for the purpose of sealing the true form of the Inner Demon. Therefore, it is not just me suppressing the Inner Demon, but the entire Feilai Temple. Over thirty years, a total of thirteen thousand five hundred registered disciples." Gu Mo thought for a moment and asked, "Venerable Monk, I have a question. Why are you so focused on suppressing the true form of the Inner Demon, rather than its divine consciousness? According to you, the true form of the Inner Demon is just a strange stone, motionless here, while its divine consciousness is active outside." "Amitabha!" Venerable Monk Huineng said, "My understanding of 'demon' is different from Great Hero Gu's. In your view, the Inner Demon cutting off the Path to Immortality for human cultivators is a demon. But in my view, that is merely survival of the fittest, akin to humans eating cattle and sheep. However, the true form of the Inner Demon is different. It is demonic energy itself. Once one is tainted by its demonic energy, their desires will be infinitely amplified until they are completely devoured by demonic desire. This is the true harm to the human world. The Inner Demon's divine consciousness guards the entrance to the legendary Heavenly Gate. Those it consumes will eventually be one in a hundred or a hundred years, a paramount figure, a favored child of heaven. Its harm is limited to that one person. But the true form of the Inner Demon, wherever it passes, brings with it endless slaughter and chaos, the collapse of order, and the distortion of morality and ethics. Great Hero Gu, therefore, in my opinion, the true form of the Inner Demon is the real demon that harms the human world. As for the Inner Demon's divine consciousness, in my view, it is no different from you now, or Su Qianqiu back then; a powerful existence. Of course, this is just my personal opinion, as my realm is far inferior to yours, Great Hero Gu. The height from which I stand determines my vision. It is very possible that my realm is insufficient, and I have not seen the harm of the Inner Demon's divine consciousness!" Gu Mo waved his hand and said, "Venerable Monk is correct. The threat of the Inner Demon's divine consciousness is only to cultivators in the Ascension Realm. Although it interferes with powerful martial artists beforehand, the vast majority cannot activate it even until death, because it seems uninterested in those below the Ascension Realm." Venerable Monk Huineng bowed and cupped his hands, "Thank you, Great Hero Gu, for your guidance. It lets me know that my direction over the years has not been wrong." Gu Mo cupped his hands and said, "Venerable Monk, can you take me to see the true form of the Inner Demon?" Venerable Monk Huineng shook his head slightly and said, "Great Hero Gu just asked me why I dismissed the disciples of Feilai Temple, and I haven't finished explaining. Last night, the true form of the Inner Demon was stolen." Gu Mo asked in confusion, "What happened?" "Alas," Venerable Monk Huineng sighed, "I have been too optimistic all these years. The Inner Demon's divine consciousness never took my sealing of its true form too seriously, which gave me the illusion that things were always going smoothly. In reality, the reason I was able to seal the true form of the Inner Demon and convert its demonic nature smoothly over the years was simply because the Inner Demon's divine consciousness held a dispensable attitude towards this true form. However, since your physical ascension over a year ago, Great Hero Gu, the Inner Demon's divine consciousness has needed this true form. It began to frequently attack Feilai Temple. It was then that I realized the Inner Demon's power. But I thought that decades of cultivating the Great Sun Demonic Art would be enough to deal with the Inner Demon's divine consciousness. But the facts have proven me wrong. The Inner Demon's divine consciousness will tell me without reservation that it needs the true form to kill a physically ascended person precisely because it doesn't take me seriously at all. Over the past year, it has been constantly guiding the Northern Zhou into war, causing warlord infighting, and cultivating demonic energy in the human world. I thought it wanted to use external forces to deal with me. I even went so far as to personally assist the imperial court in safely retreating into Wutong City. I thought of luring the imperial court here, with the protection of a large army, to cut off the Inner Demon's divine consciousness's possibility of using external forces against me. But it wasn't until yesterday that I realized everything was just my own wishful thinking. The Inner Demon's divine consciousness never took me seriously from the beginning. Its guidance of the Northern Zhou's chaos was merely to create demonic energy. My disciples have long since been invaded by the Inner Demon, and one by one, they have become demon slaves. Last night, while I was resting, the disciple responsible for guarding the demon cave openly entered the demon cave and took away the true form of the Inner Demon. The disciples responsible for patrolling also cooperated. The entire Feilai Temple, except for me, had long since been controlled by the Inner Demon. It's just that they themselves didn't know it. There were no apparent abnormalities in their daily lives. When the time came, the Inner Demon merely guided them slightly, and they became demon slaves to serve the Inner Demon. For over a year, the Inner Demon didn't take the true form away simply because the time was not right, and I, in my arrogance, thought I had repelled the Inner Demon." Gu Mo suddenly understood, "So, this is why you dismissed the disciples of Feilai Temple." Venerable Monk Huineng nodded, "Yes. Because I planned to fight the Inner Demon to the death today. Although those disciples are controlled by the Inner Demon, they are, after all, my disciples. I want to avoid a life-and-death confrontation as much as possible." Gu Mo asked, "Does Venerable Monk know where the Inner Demon is?" "I do," Venerable Monk Huineng said. "The Inner Demon's divine consciousness has been guiding the war for over a year. Since it wasn't to use external forces against me, it must have been to cultivate demonic energy, so that when the time came, the true form of the Inner Demon could quickly recover. And the place that can best gather demonic energy is naturally the place where national destiny resides. By borrowing national destiny, one can gather the demonic energy of an entire nation. Therefore, it must be the Imperial Palace!" Gu Mo asked, "How does Venerable Monk plan to subdue the demon?" Venerable Monk Huineng slowly said, "Originally, I planned to try a desperate fight. With the Great Sun Demonic Art, my cultivation had already reached the peak of the human world over twenty years ago. However, my talent is limited, and I haven't been able to touch the threshold of the Ascension Realm for over twenty years. However, I found a Buddhist secret technique that can forcibly break through and condense the Nascent Soul, but I will dissipate into soul and spirit within twelve hours at most. Originally, I planned to fight to the death, which is also one of the reasons I dismissed the disciples of Feilai Temple." As he spoke, Venerable Monk Huineng pointed to the sky filled with demonic energy converging towards Feilai Temple, saying, "This is also intentional on my part, to invite the Inner Demon to battle. However, now that Great Hero Gu has arrived, perhaps I have a chance to survive. The Inner Demon's divine consciousness cannot do anything to you, Great Hero Gu, which is why it needed to steal the true form. Therefore, it can be understood that you, Great Hero Gu, are a counter to the Inner Demon's divine consciousness, and my Great Sun Demonic Art happens to counter the true form of the Inner Demon. If we join forces, we can theoretically defeat the Inner Demon." "Good plan." Gu Mo gave him a thumbs-up and said, "Then, without further ado, Venerable Monk, shall we go to the Imperial Palace now to meet the Inner Demon?" "Good." Venerable Monk Huineng said, "However, I am old and frail. For this battle, I need to borrow some human strength. Please escort me, Great Hero Gu." Gu Mo, as a martial artist who cultivated Inner and Outer skills, Martial Dao True Intent, and Qi Refiner arts simultaneously, naturally understood what martial artists who cultivated Martial Dao True Intent meant by borrowing human strength: accumulating momentum. For someone like Venerable Monk Huineng, who made it his mission to save the human world, to accumulate perfect momentum, he naturally had to come from the mortal world and return to it. Immediately, the two flew down from the high tower. Ye Chen hurried forward and asked, "Big Brother, how is it?" Gu Mo said, "Venerable Monk says the Inner Demon is now in the Northern Zhou Imperial Palace, and we need to go to the Imperial Palace now." Ye Chen quickly said to the Yun brothers, "You two can stay here." The Yun brothers looked at Gu Mo, as they were ordered to follow Gu Mo here and only obeyed Gu Mo's commands. Gu Mo nodded slightly. He agreed with Ye Chen's arrangement. Although the Yun brothers' martial arts were not bad, they were only effective in general martial world conflicts. They were completely unable to intervene in matters like dealing with the Inner Demon. Let alone them, theoretically, even Ye Chen, the third strongest expert in the Chu Kingdom, was not qualified. However, Ye Chen was an Innate Sage plus the Lightning Rod Saint Body, so he could participate in this battle. Of course, the most important factor was the Lightning Rod Saint Body. When dealing with a strange existence like the Inner Demon, without Ye Chen, the Lightning Rod Saint Body, Gu Mo feared he wouldn't be able to find the Inner Demon. The three descended Feilai Mountain and entered Wutong City. The sight before them greatly shocked Gu Mo and Ye Chen. When they went up the mountain, the city was merely desolate and silent. In just about an hour, it had completely plunged into a hellish abyss! The city gates were wide open, unguarded. On the streets, the thick, unresolvable demonic energy was like a tangible black mist, rolling and steaming, almost obscuring the leaden sky. All the people in the city had fallen into a state of madness. The entire city had become a mad city. A beggar, dressed in rags and emaciated, was pinning another, even thinner companion to the muddy ground, frantically snatching half a steamed bun covered in mud from the other's hand. His eyes were bloodshot, and he let out beast-like growls from his throat. The beggar he was pinning had already died, with mud and blood foam still clinging to the corners of his mouth. Not far away, a once decent-looking restaurant had its doors smashed open. People in tattered clothes swarmed in like locusts, not for sustenance, but for pure destruction. The sounds of shattering bowls and plates, toppling tables and chairs, wild laughter, and screams mingled together. Some people grabbed wine jars and drank, then smashed them against the walls; others snatched raw meat from the kitchen and chewed it frantically, blood flowing down their chins; Even more, for a small piece of pastry that had fallen on the ground, several beggars fought each other, biting at each other's flesh, their eyes devoid of humanity, only greed and violent crimson. A squad of Blade Catchers, who should have maintained order, rushed over. Not only did they not stop the chaos, but they joined the revelry. A Blade Catcher grinned and chopped down a beggar who was holding half a roast chicken, snatching the chicken and tearing into it. Another Blade Catcher grabbed a hiding woman and roughly tore at her clothes. The woman did not cry out or resist; instead, she seemed extremely excited. "Amitabha!" Venerable Monk Huineng softly chanted the Buddhist name. His clear eyes held even greater compassion, but also a hint of solemnity. The faint sacred golden light around him brightened slightly, silently purifying the demonic energy that approached the three of them. Gu Mo's expression was indifferent as he surveyed this hell on earth. He clearly saw countless fine black threads emanating from every mad person, converging into the massive torrent of demonic energy in the sky, with the Imperial Palace at the city center as their target. Ye Chen's face turned pale, and he suppressed his discomfort, whispering, "Big Brother, this... this is a hundred times more terrifying than that Little Leiyin Temple. The entire city has gone mad!" Gu Mo said, "In Little Leiyin Temple, only that old monk entered demonhood. But here, everyone has entered demonhood!" Immediately, Gu Mo formed a sword finger with his left hand and lightly waved it before Ye Chen's eyes. At that moment, Ye Chen saw the sky filled with demonic energy, and on everyone's forehead, a character "slave" formed by condensed demonic energy. Venerable Monk Huineng said, "It seems the Inner Demon is waiting for you, Great Hero Gu. It appears it didn't act earlier because it was afraid you would be deterred by the city full of demonic energy. Now, it has no reservations!" "I'm afraid it will run away!" Gu Mo said, and then continued forward. Ye Chen and Venerable Monk Huineng immediately followed. As they moved forward, Venerable Monk Huineng's aura grew more and more powerful. Soon, they arrived at the Imperial Palace. The once solemn and majestic Imperial Palace had now become a den of unrestrained desire and bottomless depravity. Every corner was filled with slaughter, fornication, and plunder. The "slave" character on everyone's forehead was clearly visible, and the demonic energy was so dense it was almost dripping. The air echoed with frantic laughter, mournful cries, vulgar curses, and the crisp sound of cracking bones, all composing a symphony of the apocalypse. Gu Mo and the other two acted as if they saw nothing, their figures like ghosts, passing through the chaotic square and heading straight for the grand hall that symbolized supreme power. The hall doors were wide open, and the scene inside was an extreme portrayal of "absurdity." In the center of the hall, several generals in armor were embracing disheveled and licentious imperial concubines and palace maids, openly engaging in lewd acts. Beside them, several figures resembling civil officials were fighting fiercely over the imperial seal, smashing each other with inkstones and brush pots, drawing blood. In a corner, a person dressed in princely attire was tightly strangling a eunuch's neck, a look of pathological satisfaction on his face. The entire hall was like a nest of dancing demons. Etiquette, hierarchy, ethics... all the cornerstones of human civilization were completely crushed here, leaving only the most primitive instincts, distorted and amplified by demonic energy, to run rampant. And in the deepest part of this frenzied scene, on the dragon throne symbolizing supreme authority— a figure in a bright yellow dragon robe sat, exuding a suffocating, unparalleled domineering pressure. The corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, with a detached and mocking air of looking down on ants and controlling everything. This person was Yuwen Tai, the Emperor of Northern Zhou, but now, he was the Inner Demon. He tilted his head slightly, his abyss-like "gaze" piercing through the chaotic crowd, accurately landing on the three uninvited guests who had just entered the hall. Finally, his gaze locked onto Gu Mo, and he slowly spoke: "Gu Mo, you've finally arrived. Time passes slowly in the human world. I've waited for you here for a full twenty days!" Gu Mo said calmly, "Are you so eager to die?" "Die?" The Inner Demon tilted its head and grinned, "That is truly a very unfamiliar word to me. In the more than seven hundred years since I gained consciousness, I have never had this concept." Gu Mo said nothing further. The Inner Demon looked at Venerable Monk Huineng again and said, "Monk, your Great Sun Demonic Art is still lacking. You couldn't even purify and seal my true form, but it has given you the ability to protect yourself. Why must you come here to die?" Venerable Monk Huineng clasped his hands together, his Martial Dao True Intent having accumulated to the point of imminent eruption like a volcano. He said calmly, "The Buddha said, if I do not enter hell, who will? Benefactor Inner Demon, you have brought chaos to the human world for seven hundred years. As a person of the human world, today I will demand an explanation from you on behalf of all beings!" The Inner Demon clapped its hands and laughed, "Good, good, good. Very good. For seven hundred years, there hasn't been anyone capable in the human world. I've indeed been quite bored. I hope you two can bring me some surprises today!" Venerable Monk Huineng simultaneously transmitted his voice to Gu Mo, "Great Hero Gu, I can sense that the true form of the Inner Demon is currently within Yuwen Tai's body. You are responsible for resisting the Inner Demon's divine consciousness and protecting my Nascent Soul. I will go and seal the true form of the Inner Demon!" "Alright!" At this very moment, earth-shattering roars and the clash of metal erupted from outside the palace! Armored soldiers, surging like a black tide, each with bloodshot eyes, the "slave" demonic patterns on their foreheads flickering with an eerie light, had completely fallen into a frenzy. They charged towards the entrance of the hall without regard for their own lives, like driven beasts, letting out hysterical roars. Swords, spears, and halberds flashed with an ominous cold light. "Leave it to me. If even one gets in, consider me defeated!" Ye Chen let out a low cry. The long sword in his hand rang out as it was drawn, instantly splitting into two, transforming into two cold, sharp blades! His figure was like lightning as he charged towards the hall doors. His dual swords danced like wheels, instantly transforming into a dense, impenetrable storm of blades, firmly pinning the hall doors. Where the sword light passed, severed limbs and broken arms flew, and blood rained down. He single-handedly constructed a defense of flesh and blood, vowing not to let a single demonized soldier step into the hall to interfere with the core battlefield! At the same moment, Gu Mo and Venerable Monk Huineng, like two arrows loosed from a bow, aimed directly at the "Yuwen Tai" seated on the dragon throne! "Buzz—!" A heart-palpitating fluctuation suddenly spread. The space of the entire hall seemed to be fiercely twisted and squeezed by invisible hands. The dense, unresolvable black demonic energy instantly formed an indestructible barrier, enveloping Gu Mo and Venerable Monk Huineng. Within the barrier, demonic energy churned, transforming into countless ferocious ghost claws that madly tore at the intruders' minds and bodies. "Hmph!" Gu Mo snorted coldly, and a moon-white Protective Qi emanated from him, which was the Innate Protective Qi strengthened by the God of War Catalog, directly protecting him and Venerable Monk Huineng within it. At the same time, the Grand Void Sword in his hand erupted with a clear sword cry. He flicked his wrist sharply, and the sword light transformed into a screen that water could not penetrate, precisely and swiftly cleaving through the substantial demonic energy waves that assailed Venerable Monk Huineng, directly carving out a passage within the barrier. "Om!" Venerable Monk Huineng uttered a true word, and the Buddhist light around him suddenly blazed! That sacred golden radiance was no longer a gentle lotus, but transformed into an incredibly condensed pillar of golden light carrying supreme suppressive intent, like a spear of judgment descending from the Buddha, tearing through layers of demonic aura, carrying the majestic power to purify all demons, and descending upon Yuwen Tai on the dragon throne! However, the "Yuwen Tai" seated on the dragon throne merely raised his eyelids indifferently. "Buzz!" The demonic energy around him suddenly boiled, instantly condensing into a circular domain as deep as a black hole. Demonic patterns flowed across the surface of the domain, exuding an aura of invincibility and all-consuming terror. Venerable Monk Huineng's incomparably sacred and brilliant Buddhist light, upon colliding with this domain, was like a mud ox entering the sea. It only stirred a circle of violent ripples before being firmly blocked from advancing further! Blossoms of sacred lotuses continuously bloomed and closed, but they were of no use. Gu Mo rapidly unleashed powerful and sharp sword light, like surging waves, but it was also instantly blocked and swallowed by this bizarre demonic energy domain! "Heh..." The corners of "Yuwen Tai's" mouth curved into a cold, mocking arc, as if appreciating their futile efforts, and said, "Your ideas are good. Gu Mo, your physical strength in the Ascension Realm can resist my demonic energy erosion, and Monk Huineng's Great Sun Demonic Art can seal my true form. However, you can't even break through my defense. How can you seal me? How long can Monk Huineng hold on? One incense stick? Or half an hour? By then, Gu Mo, I will first smash your physical body, and then devour your Nascent Soul!" "Yuwen Tai" wore a look of contemptuous amusement. Gu Mo's eyes flashed with cold light! He formed his left hand into a sword finger and lightly brushed it across the blade of the Grand Void Sword— "Chichichichi!" At the tip of the sword, a point of extremely condensed red light suddenly lit up! To be precise, it was a red light beam, like a laser shot out. It was as thin as a thread, yet it contained a terrifying sharpness that could pierce through space and cut through laws! It was silent, yet it caused the entire demonic energy barrier to tremble violently! "Break!" Gu Mo exhaled and forcefully exerted his wrist. The Grand Void Sword, carrying that thin yet blinding white-gold light thread, slashed fiercely towards the indestructible demonic energy domain in front of him! This was a One Sword Separates Worlds, and it was a One Sword Separates Worlds that had been strengthened many times by Gu Mo using the God of War Catalog, applying the theory of point-breaking surface to its extreme. With one sword strike, there