A Single Thought Like the Sun, and Ghosts and Demons Had Nowhere to Flee

As the shadows enveloped Qiu Yan, Chen Jing raised an eyebrow.

From the side, Tao Ying's anxious voice came. "Chen Jing! What do you mean by holding me down?"

Shadows howled around them, emitting sharp cries, and a chilling aura spread out, sending shivers down their spines.

Chen Jing glanced at him. "Brother Tao, calm down, stay calm. Didn't you notice that there was no firelight wherever these shadows passed? If you take another step back, you'll be plunged into darkness, and who knows what might happen then?"

"Hmm?" Tao Ying's expression changed. She composed herself and looked around. She then realized that she and Chen Jing were standing in the candlelight, while the shadows were outside the light and shadow, whistling but unable to get close.

"This..." Upon realizing this, Tao Ying calmed down a bit. He looked around and found that, in addition to Qiu Yan, Daoist Lu and Chen Yun were also standing still in the firelight.

Shadows danced and shifted, yet they did not penetrate the firelight.

"Chen Jing, do you know the origin of these strange things?" After regaining her composure, Tao Ying asked.

Chen Jing sighed, "I didn't know that this situation is completely different from the Forest-Penetrating Method recorded in the books. It seems to be caused by the secret within the clay sculpture."

Tao Ying, still shaken, became worried again upon hearing this. "Then how do you know that these shadows don't enter the areas illuminated by candlelight?"

"As long as you look with your eyes and think with your heart, you can discover the truth. The principles of Heavenly Principle are everywhere in this world. The reason why some people do not recognize them is that they are not attentive enough, let alone thoughtful," Chen Jing glanced at Tao Ying. "However, Brother Tao, you have no cultivation. Coming here this time has already shown courage. It is normal to be surprised and uneasy when you see the unexpected events caused by extraordinary power."

After saying this, without waiting for Tao Ying's response, Chen Jing turned his gaze to the outside of the lamplight and said in a low voice, "However, this situation is more of a curse than a blessing. I wonder how Brother Qiu is doing?"

Beyond the light, everything was shrouded in shadow, making it impossible to see anything else.

Hearing the strange cries, Chen Jing's heart sank lower and lower.

At this moment, the Daoist Lu suddenly said, "Four Shadow Fiends are all kinds of ghosts and monsters. I wonder why this shadow is making such a sound."

Chen Jing squinted, pondered for a moment, and suddenly raised his hand, his fingertips protruding out of the light.

"What are you doing?" Tao Ying asked in surprise.

But before he could finish speaking, a shadow flew straight over, clinging to Chen Jing's fingertip, ignoring the shimmering water and penetrating into it.

"Ugh!" Chen Jing grunted, swiftly withdrawing his hand. A wisp of black smoke appeared on his face, revealing a sinister smile. His eyes radiated extremely chaotic emotional fluctuations.

This scene caused Tao Ying's expression to change drastically. She subconsciously stepped back, almost walking out of the light's glow.

The next moment, Chen Jing gritted his teeth, then his whole body trembled, his bones and muscles creaked, and his Qi and Blood and Yang Qi surged out. He opened his mouth and spat out a wisp of black smoke, which dissipated upon seeing the light and vanished without a trace.

Then, the smile on his face disappeared, but his brows furrowed, and his whole being revealed chaotic and mixed thoughts.

"Brother Jing, have you found anything?" Chen Yun seized the opportunity, placed his hand on Chen Jing's shoulder, and used a bit of his Yang Fire to dispel the chaos in the other's mind.

"Amazing! Amazing!" Chen Jing took a deep breath, fully recovering. "These shadows were probably drawn in by the Way of the Sages on the clay sculpture. They're filled with contempt, disdain, oppression, and disdain—extremely intense negative emotions that have been accumulating for countless years. Now, even just a trace of them almost twisted my personality!"

"Oh? This is bad." Chen Yun frowned, turning his head to look to the side, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. With the enhancement of his Yang Fire Divine Sense, his gaze could see through layers of shadows, taking in the situation on Qiu Yan's side. "Brother Qiu is still silent. The shadows seem to have filled his body, and are already overflowing."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jing's face showed worry, and he said, "Brother Qiu must be searching for the Sage Order within the clay sculpture, and thus resonating with it, arousing the Four Shadow Fiends and chaotic thoughts within it, which has led to the current situation."

"That Qiu Yan is utterly useless, more trouble than he's worth! We asked him to open the Gate of Scholar Forest, but he's only brought out Four Shadow Fiends!" Tao Ying finally understood, realizing that Chen Jing had actually tested him with his own body to ascertain the truth. She couldn't help but complain, "However, your actions were far too reckless. If you're not careful and are bewitched by Four Shadow Fiends, wouldn't that be courting death?"

Composing himself, he looked around. All he saw was darkness, and he heard strange cries. He said, "I remember Chen Jing, you are skilled in martial arts and have abundant Qi and Blood. Normally, demons and evil spirits dare not approach you, yet you were almost corrupted by the State of Mind. Qiu Yan, being in that place, is probably in grave danger. Fortunately, he didn't write anything, so the Sage Paper' is safe..."

Chen Jing shook his head, his face full of regret, and said, "Brother Qiu's fall is certainly a loss, but today's test has also exposed the hidden dangers of the clay sculpture. We don't know if it can be resolved in a short time. If it drags on, it will affect the plan, after all, the Apricot Altar Dao Discourse is approaching."

He quickly adjusted his mindset and summarized his gains and losses.

The Daoist Lu was looking around when he suddenly said, "Benefactor Chen, you'd better not jump to conclusions so quickly..."

"Hmm?" Chen Jing let out a soft exclamation, about to ask a question, when suddenly his mind jolted, and he abruptly turned his head to look into the pitch-black depths!

At the same time, Chen Yun was also shocked, his face showing surprise. Then, his eyes flashed with a sharp light, shooting out a beam of light about an inch long!

Seeing their reactions, Tao Ying sensed something and followed their gaze. What she saw first was complete darkness, but then, a glimmer of light suddenly burst forth from that darkness!

"No, this is not light, it is spirit!"

Startled for a moment, Tao Ying realized that what she saw was not real light, because it was not as real as lamplight, but it appeared in her heart, like a bright lamp standing in the dark shadows, revealing a spirit.

Then, he saw Qiu Yan in the darkness.

Qiu Yan had already opened his eyes, and his body erupted with an unusual aura that subtly resonated with the Sage Paper on the table, stimulating the spirit within the paper and piercing through the darkness!

Then, he raised his hand, gripped the pen, and the nib fell onto the paper.

Instantly, the brush moved like dragons and snakes, each stroke a single character; the ink spread as the brush touched the paper, rolling and bursting forth to form the four characters that highlighted the theme.

Therefore, we should strive to put this knowledge into practice.

When these four characters appeared on the paper, the blank spirit emanating from the paper underwent a significant change!

Never give up in the face of adversity, work diligently and persevere!

This surge of energy soared into the sky, tearing through the dark shadows and creating a gap within. Screams rang out, and the Four Shadow Fiends hastily retreated!

Before they could escape, Qiu Yan remained motionless, his expression unchanged, and the tip of his pen slid across the paper once more.

Not far away, Tao Ying watched Qiu Yan's movements and expression as he wrote, and a thought arose in her mind.

"Turn your attention inward, eliminate all worries and concentrate your mind; maintain a righteous and peaceful spirit!"

On the Sage Paper, one after another, full-bodied characters emerged, their Qi and Blood and essence rising forth. As Qiu Yan's thoughts turned, his Daoheart Fist Intent merged into them, and that bit of spirit underwent another transformation!

A complete text has already been formed

If you firmly guard this mind, free from distractions and distractions, even if a thousand demons and monsters bewitch and transform before you, they will surely shatter upon contact and dissolve upon encounter, just as when the sun rises, ghosts and demons have nowhere to hide. What doubts are there, and what differences are there to confuse you with!

Boom!

That spirit of unwavering determination, seizing the opportunity, and launching a decisive attack instantly transformed into a surging momentum, rising straight up.

What Qiu Yan knew in his heart, he transformed into the Qi and Blood on the paper through the pen in his hand, turning it into a surging energy that followed his thoughts!

In an instant, this spirit swept away all the surrounding shadows!

Those strange cries were frozen in time, and those shadows vanished without a trace, disappearing to who knows where!

"This..."

The situation changed again, and Tao Ying's eyes widened as he felt the rising aura emanating from Qiu Yan. He was deeply shaken, and in his eyes, Qiu Yan's figure gradually overlapped with the figure of Bai Zhaoyuan in his memory...

"Could it be...?"

Tao Ying wasn't the only one surprised; Chen Jing, Chen Yun, and the Daoist Lu also all changed color.

Then, Qiu Yan's pen moved again, and another row of characters took shape.

Only through knowledge and action can one find roots; with roots, one can live; without roots, one dies.

In short, it carries on the previously expressed sentiment of upholding benevolence, making it not merely a thought in one's heart, but a foundation for establishing a world, advocating for its application, rather than leaving it unused.

Thus, the main theme of the article becomes clear.

As the words fell onto the paper, the Sage Paper emitted a dazzling light, and the blank space within instantly transformed, merging with Qiu Yan's thoughts. Qiu Yan felt a jolt in his mind, his will merging into the paper.

Suddenly, everything around became clear. Shapes, colors, and smells quickly faded away, replaced by layers of the Heavenly Order, each containing immense wisdom.

"So that's how it is. By merging one's own Literary Heart with the Sage Paper, one can allow consciousness to enter it, thereby perceiving the great principles of heaven and earth and comprehending the essence of the ancients..."

A sudden realization dawned on Qiu Yan, who noticed that his consciousness was being carried by an elusive Order. This Order was still separated from the world, and its spirit was weak and lacked resilience.

"This is my Daoheart Fist Intent, a condensation of a bit of Literary Heart, a path I've carved out on my own, but it's only in its nascent stage, not yet able to fill the heavens and earth..."

Although his own path is still weak, Qiu Yan relies on it to wander among various Order Spirit, comprehending their mysteries while maintaining his own identity, and not being infected or assimilated by other paths, keeping his mind unmoved.

Gradually, he approached one of the Order, an Order that exuded a simple and peaceful aura, just like the thousand-year-old clay sculpture.

"This sense of Order is the very principle and spirit represented by that clay sculpture..."

Compared to other Order, this Order was closest to him and easiest to touch. Following this spirit, Qiu Yan's consciousness drifted and flew towards an unknown place...

Meanwhile, Qiu Yan's physical body continued writing according to his train of thought, and the words on the paper quickly took shape...

Sudden!

A vortex appeared out of nowhere above his head, from which came the continuous sound of reading aloud!