People Deeply Love the Demonic Dao

In order to obtain the Consciousness Realm Sarira.

Celebration of the Sage Temple and its allies, without hesitation, joined forces and mobilized the armies of both dynasties to wage such an absurd war.

Therefore, among all those mobilized this time, there must be a few of the most trusted and skilled individuals who possess the authority to contact their backers and relay messages in a timely manner.

As long as the message is sent back, no matter where those Attaining the Dao masters are in the Northern or Southern Dynasties, they will be able to reach here within a day.

In reality, some people are even more concerned about the treasure-refining event at the start of this war than Chu Tianshu estimated.

Within the borders of Heze and Caozhou, there are numerous bodies of water, some belonging to the Yellow River system and others to the Huai River system.

The area where the Yellow River and the Huai River meet has a vast expanse of water, as boundless as a great lake. As far as the eye can see, there is only flat, misty water, and the water is only slightly yellow.

Several warships, which appeared to have been used to transport troops, were in the middle of the floodwaters.

Xiao Zhenru and Hou Tianyuan were the heads of two great families in the Southern Dynasty.

Also present was the Northern Dynasty's Grand General Dugu Jue, who was on the same warship at that moment.

The moment that ray of colorful light shot into the sky, it caught the attention of the three of them.

When the colorful light changes, it forms that line of characters.

With their sharp eyesight, the three of them could see it very clearly.

Who is it?!

Dugu Jue was thin and strong, with thin eyebrows and long eyes, black hair and beard, skin like bronze, and slightly large ears, each with a gold ring the size of a bull's eye hanging from its earlobe.

In the Northern Dynasty, such handsome features would have made him look like a natural-born divine general.

He was hosting a banquet on his own boat today, so he naturally took the seat of honor. In front of him was a low table laden with sizzling mutton, grilled fish, a small knife for cutting meat, various fresh fruits, and plenty of fine wine.

Witnessing that ray of colorful light shooting into the sky, he left a message challenging others to a duel.

Although there was shock in Dugu Jue's eyes, his hands remained steady as he picked up a piece of mutton that had been cut off and put it into his mouth.

Xiao Zhenru, with his tall hat and flowing sleeves, long beard, and prayer beads wrapped around his hand, frowned upon seeing this and said, "I'm afraid it's Xiao Liang again."

"Haha, it seems Xiao Liang is really going to fight your Xiao Clan to the death."

Hou Tianyuan wore a black gauze hat, his face was as black as gold, and his short beard was yellowish. When he laughed, his voice was like thunder. He hadn't touched the mutton and grilled fish in front of him much.

In his large hand, he held only a golden cauldron the size of an earthenware bowl. The emerald green wine, made with medicinal powder, bubbled and emitted a smell like sulfur and cinnabar.

The ingredient used here is "Dingjia Water Essence," a recipe from the authentic Daoist Kongtong Sect winemaking.

It is used to sprinkle around a dwelling to repel poisonous substances, or to feed to a dying person to ensure that the body does not turn into a corpse after death, but rather that the body is difficult to decompose.

After the rise of Demonic Dao arts, the recipe for this magical wine was improved several times. When top-tier masters with profound demonic skills consumed it, it had a great effect on refreshing their minds and regulating their qi.

But someone like Shen Minglai can only drink a gourd the size of a fist every half month.

Hou Tianyuan had already consumed more than Shen Minglai's equivalent of four months' worth of drinks at the banquet, and he was already slightly tipsy.

"Judging from this situation, Xiao Liang has obtained at least four or five Consciousness Realm Sarira. I'm afraid what's brought here is less than what he's seized..."

As Hou Tianyuan spoke, his drunkenness intensified, his eyes narrowed as if he were about to drift off to sleep, yet his words carried even greater weight.

"This is too unusual! Can Xiao Liang really do this all by himself?!"

Dozens of eagles spread their wings and soared into the sky atop the ship, leaving the ship deserted for a moment.

All that remained were the sounds of Xiao Zhenru turning her prayer beads and Dugu Jue eating heartily.

A moment later, a Hu monk from the Northern Dynasty army, carrying a bronze mirror, came over, knelt before Dugu Jue, and spoke in a string of gibberish.

The royal family of the Northern Dynasty was originally the Xianbei Tuoba clan, but as the country grew stronger, they vigorously promoted Han culture and customs to demonstrate their legitimacy.

For example, in the imperial court, the use of foreign languages was gradually banned, torture was reduced, customs were changed, intermarriage within the same clan was prohibited, and schools were established, etc.

Furthermore, some changed the Tuoba clan name to the Yuan clan name, the Baba clan name to the Changsun clan name, and the Dugu clan name to the Liu clan name.

However, as the imperial family declined and could only rely on its marriage ties with the Celebration of the Sage Temple to maintain its authority, a new situation emerged in the world.

Apart from a few, such as the Changsun family, who preferred their own Han surname.

Many aristocratic families changed back to their original Xianbei surnames.

Dugu Jue even more ruthless in his actions. He not only advocated that all families revert to the surname Hu, but also encouraged all ethnic groups to maintain their original language, writing system, and customs. Those ethnic groups without their own writing systems could simply create their own.

Therefore, those who worked under him often spoke in a foreign language when reporting to him.

Even disciples of Celebration of the Sage Temple received the same treatment under him, and outsiders rarely understood what they were saying.

Hou Tianyuan was naturally a knowledgeable person and understood deeply that this was the intention of the Demonic Dao.

Since they couldn't understand each other's languages or writing systems, it would be easier for the Northern Dynasty to split up in the future, each establishing its own independent regime and deepening their animosity. Whether they invaded the Southern Dynasty or the Southern Dynasty acted according to the situation, it would be something that Dugu Jue would be happy to see.

People like Hou Tianyuan and even Monk Qingsheng, although Attaining the Dao attained enlightenment through demonic arts, in their early years they only wanted to use demonic arts to seize power. After they took a high position, they still had some desire to maintain stability.

Although this war has broken out, it's only because it's time to use up these civilians.

Dugu Jue hand, had cultivated demonic arts since childhood and was fond of chaos and merriment, just like his nature.

Even without the existence of the Consciousness Realm Sarira, he would probably have caused quite a stir sooner or later.

"Yeah?"

Dugu Jue stopped wielding his dagger and said in a deep voice, "This bronze mirror official just conveyed a message from the two masters."

"Within their Eighth Consciousness Realm, they sensed that the number of monks of the 'Sheng' generation, who should be chanting mantras and performing rituals to guide the power of the treasure, was rapidly decreasing."

"Moreover, it was the relic that lost its balance and perished first, followed by the monk."

Xiao Zhenru's expression shifted, and she said, "How could this be?!"

"Before we formed the alliance, we all saw the finished product of the Consciousness Realm Sarira. It was indeed a rare treasure. How could it possibly have been destroyed before even the monks of the Sheng generation?"

Celebration of the Sage Temple, located within the territory of the Northern Dynasty, had already employed similar methods on a small scale, resulting in one or two successful cases.

All three people present were aware of the quality of the treasure.

They were worried about the share of the relics that would ultimately go to them, which is why they personally went to the battlefield and drifted on the water.

Only when the relics are received can we observe the situation of the other families nearby.

"Hehehe! This definitely doesn't belong to Xiao Liang!"

Hou Tianyuan took a sip of wine and laughed unusually.

"Destroying that relic with brute force alone is indeed difficult, but it is a creation of the mind. The Demonic Dao manipulates the spirit and is adept at transformation. However, if they encounter someone who has also deeply studied the Divine Intent and will..."

"It's not impossible that they won't be able to hit the nail on the head, destroying the treasure and killing people."

Hou Tianyuan looked up at the colorful light.

"Xiao Liang appears to be forthright, but in reality, he often harbors a sense of aloofness and coldness. This is his greatest weakness; he despises the Demonic Dao and therefore never touches it."

"And this person, even if he doesn't cultivate the Demonic Dao, probably has an understanding of it that's no less than Demonic Dao, which is why he was able to devise these methods."

At this moment, eagles and falcons began to fly back into the sky and perch on the top of the ship.

Dugu Jue closed his eyes, all the eagles and falcons closed their eyes at the same time.

"I sent Eagle to contact the assassins and scouts, and learned that recently, many people have indeed appeared on the battlefield, defeating the mutinous troops."

"Among them were swordsmen from Pengcheng, nameless individuals, and also... retainers from Denglai Mountain Market and Shutian Manor."

Xiao Zhenru lowered her brows. "It really was him!"

When he heard Hou mention that he might be someone who didn't agree with the Demonic Dao but was extremely knowledgeable about Demonic Dao, he immediately thought of Chu Tianshu.

This person has a mysterious origin and killed three Attaining the Dao in one battle, including two demonic cultivators.

It must be because he also studied the Demonic Dao that he was able to prevent someone like Fa Wendao from escaping.

"It seems that Bronze Longevity Immortal's trap was ineffective against him."

Hou Tianyuan chuckled and drank the magic wine in succession. "That bronze figure doesn't possess any demonic or evil arts. It's purely a record of a branch of Daoist mystic arts, meant to tempt people to waste their time."

"This person must have a deep understanding of Daoist teachings; otherwise, even if he was wary beforehand, once he explored the area and developed a new curiosity, he would inevitably become immersed in it."

Xiao Zhenru silently twirled her prayer beads.

"From what you've said, he's incredibly knowledgeable, possesses exceptional character, astonishing combat prowess, and mysterious methods. Since he's ruined our grand plan, we can only endure his brilliance and deal with it another day?"

Xiao Zhenru's eyes narrowed, and her brows relaxed. With these words, she seemed to have lost her desire to fight.

"Brother Xiao, what Brother Hou means is, since Chu Tianshu is such a person, how can we... possibly wait any longer?"

Dugu Jue threw away the dagger in his hand, wiped his hands with a silk handkerchief, and looked up into the distance.

"How long will it take before we have another group of monks of the 'Sheng' generation to assist in refining treasures? Besides this method, how long will it take us to create a new path of advancement?"

"And Chu Tianshu, who dares to say how much stronger he can become?"

Xiao Zhenru said calmly, "Let him be strong as he may..."

Dugu Jue: "Are aristocratic families willing to be subservient to others?"

Xiao Zhenru paused, her eyes hardening.

Having been in charge of the Xiao Clan for many years, he could certainly see through the scheme of flattery that Celebration of the Sage Temple had previously employed to kill him.

But what's frightening is that if things continue like this, in a few years, Chu Tianshu's excessively elevated reputation might very well turn into real fame.

The number one power in the world, suppressing all the powerful families and factions of the Northern and Southern Dynasties!

Not the best swordsman in the world, nor the best sect in the world.

He is the true number one in the world, and a ruthless man who acts without restraint and has already made enemies of all the major clans and sects in just a few months.

Xiao Zhenru said, "Going like this isn't safe enough. The Chen Clan is also a prominent family..."

Hou Tianyuan said, "After Chen Zhuangzhi broke through to the Attaining the Dao, the first thing he did was to harm his grandfather. In order to secure his position as the head of the family, he went into seclusion in Jiangzuo and could not be invited back."

Dugu Jue also said, "The Northern Celestial Master has retreated to the deep mountains, Grand Matriarch Gao would never want to get involved in this mess. If we use her remaining clansmen to force her to come, it will definitely backfire."

Xiao Zhenru: "Two masters..."

"Of course they'll go, they absolutely will."

Dugu Jue looked at Xiao Zhenru with a gentle expression, "Brother Xiao, you have just switched from Buddhism to the Demonic Dao, so you may not understand yet."

"We, the Demonic Dao, are not like Buddhism—ambiguous, with a thousand mouths saying a thousand different things, like a weather vane."

"If you are still a Buddhist practitioner, your indecisiveness will not affect your ability to exert your power in battle."

"But since you Demonic Dao, if you cannot clearly articulate and discern your innermost thoughts, you will not be able to unleash your full combat power even on the battlefield."

Xiao Zhenru's expression changed as she looked at the two Demonic Dao cultivators before her.

These two people looked completely different from him, and their temperaments were even more distinct.

But he suddenly felt that these two people seemed to reflect a certain aspect of his own heart.

"So, all that you two have said was to help me clarify my true intentions?"

"It's also helping ourselves."

Dugu Jue slowly rose to his feet, and the eagles behind him spread their wings and soared into the sky, one after another, flock after flock.

"The Demonic Dao path is unsettled, unable to unleash its full power, but if it were truly settled, it wouldn't be impossible to unleash eleven, twelve, or even thirteen percent of its power."

"This is something your Buddhist teachings cannot compare to!"

He openly called himself a demon, without the slightest hint of hypocrisy or pretense.

"This is the brilliance of our Demonic Dao: unfettered by the constraints of benevolence, untouched by the aloofness of the mystical sects, unwavering in the influence of Buddhism, pushing the boundaries of our inner potential to its fullest extent."

Ultimately, we must weave the world in our hearts into this real world.

"Neither bound by the path of good nor the path of evil, free from all worries, roaming freely!"

Large flocks of eagles and falcons are still spreading their wings and taking to the sky, calling out and circling.

Fifty falcons, one hundred eagles, one hundred and eighty birds of prey...

There should never have been so many falcons roosting on the top of the ship.

But now they are flying more and more, seemingly endless!

Even with just her eyes, Xiao Zhenru couldn't tell which eagles were real and which were fake.

"What a magnificent eagle!"

Hou Tianyuan laughed heartily, then floated sideways and lay down among the large flock of black eagles.

A look of eagerness appeared in Xiao Zhenru's eyes.

From the moment he chose to cultivate demonic arts, he had already uncontrollably slid towards this path, his love for the Demonic Dao growing wildly day by day, and he took a step off the deck.

An eagle appeared out of nowhere, suddenly appearing at his feet and lifting his entire body up.

Without Xiao Zhenru exerting any effort herself, it's hard to say whether Dugu Jue needed to use his True Qi.

A flock of eagles, darkening the sky, has already swept across the vast waters.

Fly to the horizon!

(End of this chapter)