Demonic Consciousness, Profound Understanding

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A stone slab was removed from the base of the eleven-faced Guanyin, revealing a dark, hidden compartment.

Chu Tianshu made a grasping motion with his palm, using his internal energy to draw out the several scrolls inside.

They also sucked out dozens of poisonous insects the size of sesame seeds.

"Tsk!"

Chu Tianshu blinked, his pupils flashing a red glow for a moment, using the Mind Power in his eyes to burn the poisonous insects to death.

The tiny poisonous insect, flashing briefly in the air like dozens of tiny sparks, then vanishes.

Even though it was killed by the Mind Power power of a healer, this tiny poisonous insect still emitted a strong, fishy stench.

It is evident that these venomous insects, though small in size, possess an astonishingly potent venom when alive.

"The various courtyards of Celebration of the Sage Temple are clearly divided and strictly hierarchical, and besides, it was originally their stronghold."

"What was the Monk Qingsheng thinking, actually going so far as to create hidden compartments and traps filled with poisonous insects to hide these books here?"

Chu Tianshu muttered to himself, flipping through the book and glancing at it a few times.

These are indeed just some random notes and reflections, all about research on the Eighth Consciousness Realm.

"Perhaps that old guy was just bored and came up with this as a pastime for himself."

Xiao Liang leaned lazily against the wall, arms crossed.

"When I was in Pengcheng, I often hid my sword techniques in random places, and sometimes I even carved them directly into Shitou in the water."

"Sometimes my disciples are overjoyed when they receive these things, much more excited than when they are reading books in the library."

Xiao Liang shook his head.

"But clearly, in terms of content, some of the large volumes in the library contain similar notes and reflections that I left outside."

Chu Tianshu laughed and said, "If a book is too thick, it's easy to lose focus when flipping through it."

This is not even because the disciples were not serious enough, but because human consciousness inherently has various shortcomings.

Even when studying a large book with great enthusiasm multiple times, you might suddenly remember it and reread it, only to discover that there was a particularly interesting passage that you hadn't noticed before.

Chu Tianshu had been cultivating his character since childhood. His main textbook on witch medicine was just one book, but even as an adult, he would still occasionally flip through it, as if he had stumbled upon a wonderful discovery.

He also has a deep understanding of this.

Xiao Liang looked at him. "Speaking of which, when we were talking about martial arts before, I noticed that you have a wide range of knowledge and you always make very broad connections."

"But I didn't realize you also had knowledge of architectural layouts, mechanisms, and secret passages. How did you find the place where Qingsheng hid his things so quickly?"

Chu Tianshu: "No, that's not it."

"My eyes are special; they allow for a human field of vision that can reach further than spiritual sense, enabling me to easily survey the entire situation and see the aura left behind by masters."

The strict rules and clear class distinctions of Celebration of the Sage Temple also proved to be a great help.

There were hardly any other monks who would wander around, practice their skills, or fight in the area where Monk Qingsheng lived.

Therefore, the atmosphere here is not as turbulent.

From high above, Chu Tianshu immediately spotted the key locations where the Monk Qingsheng's residual aura was strongest.

The few books hidden in the secret compartment, which the old monk had poured his heart and soul into, are particularly eye-catching.

In this grand hall, only the sound of Chu Tianshu slowly turning the pages of a book remained.

After a moment, Chu Tianshu's somewhat strange voice rang out.

"To enter the Eighth Consciousness Realm, one must have a state of emptiness and stillness of mind?"

The Wubei was clearly only guided and led into this state by the Monk Qingsheng, and he probably only entered the Eighth Consciousness Realm for a short while, experiencing a brief period of mental emptiness.

But Monk Qingsheng figured it out gradually on his own.

He clearly needs to get into that state of mind many times.

When Xiao Liang defeated four powerful enemies with a single sword strike, only Monk Qingsheng remained completely unfazed.

It's most likely that the old monk subconsciously entered that state.

This mindset is actually a very good Plain Substance in combat, but the problem is...

[The Demonic Wisdom Monk: His wisdom was broken, and he indulged in demonic desires.]

Half his life he desired the position of human ruler, the other half he coveted the dignity of the law. His wisdom was devoid of human sentiment, and his greed burned him without him realizing it.

Characteristic: Demonic Consciousness Reverses Life.

The Buddha said that when a person is first born, there is a little innate wisdom. When consciousness descends, it is transformed into a human being, which is divided into the seven emotions and six desires, and countless miscellaneous thoughts.

The Demonic Wisdom Monk, through the extreme transformations of the Demonic Dao, comprehended the method of reversal. At the brink of life and death, he could ignite all seven emotions and the six desires, turning all his life's thoughts back into a unified whole, transforming them into innate wisdom and Mind Power, unleashing immense Mind Power power.

The closer one gets to death, the stronger their Mind Power becomes!

The Demonic Wisdom Monk is none other than the Monk Qingsheng.

Chu Tianshu knew long ago that the Demonic Dao might be adept at unleashing the potential of the mind.

However, of the few Demonic Dao Evil Spirit that have attained the Attaining the Dao realm that have been slain so far, only Monk Qingsheng directly condensed this Demonic Dao characteristic into his own Evil Spirit nature.

However, in reality, the monk did not have time to unleash his wisdom by stepping on the edge of life and death.

Chu Tianshu had already completely killed him in the accelerated sense of time!

Demonic consciousness reversed, leaving only emptiness and ruthlessness.

Both of these are excellent combat skills.

However, Qingsheng followed the former path in the first half of his life, and in recent years he has followed the latter path. The two paths are intertwined and have become part of the factors that led to his downfall.

Otherwise, even if they couldn't withstand that sword strike, they would at least be able to launch a powerful counterattack.

"Greed burns itself out of its own accord... So that's what it means."

Chu Tianshu murmured twice, then his ears twitched as he heard a commotion outside the temple.

Xiao Liang also looked outside and stepped out of the hall.

Outside the main hall is a square, and in the distance, between the main hall and the side halls further in front of the square, you can see the corpses of some monks.

Most of the experts from Celebration of the Sage Temple have already been sent to the battlefield.

However, when Chu Tianshu and his group arrived, they still killed a group of evil people who wanted to form an array.

A large number of constables are now carefully avoiding the corpses and making their way to this square.

"Ha, they didn't send the Imperial Guards to investigate, but instead sent constables from the yamen. It seems the leader is a civil official."

No sooner had Xiao Liang finished speaking than a middle-aged scholar in a tall hat and red robe rode up on horseback.

"Marquis of Pengcheng!"

The scholar's expression changed, and he dismounted, respectfully bowing and saying, "This humble official Gao Min, greets Your Excellency."

Xiao Liang was a marquis appointed by the Southern Dynasty.

But given his strength, even the civil and military officials of the Northern Dynasty would have to acknowledge his title upon meeting him.

"Gao Min?"

Xiao Liang studied it for a moment, then said, "So it's you."

Chu Tianshu asked, "The Gao Lineage?"

"It's not that Gao Lineage. Their family actually had some past conflicts with the Gao Lineage, but Grand Matriarch Gao quite admires him."

Xiao Liang said, "This man once revised the laws and has a good reputation among the people. Don't kill him."

Chu Tianshu paused, then said, "I'm not some kind of murderous monster..."

Xiao Liang knew that he had a clear sense of right and wrong, and his intention was simply to remind him that the person in front of him was not a bad person.

But saying it like that doesn't quite sound quite right.

"Cough!"

Xiao Liang immediately shouted, "Gao Min, listen carefully!"

"Celebration of the Sage Temple, in collusion with Dugu Jue and the Xiao and Hou families of the Southern Dynasty, recklessly instigated war and massacred the people of Jiyin Commandery. Their actions are so outrageous that they are beyond description."

"All the people of our Nine Provinces, upon seeing this wicked villain, Busha; otherwise, the anger in our hearts will not be appeased."

"Brother Chu Tianshu challenged us to a duel in Jiyin. Those five ringleaders went to the meeting and have all been killed by us. Now, how will the court face itself? You should think carefully!"

His voice was so loud that not only Gao Min could hear it clearly.

Even Celebration of the Sage Temple, people could hear it clearly.

Everyone was stunned and bewildered by the news.

Gao Min's complexion was even more remarkable, fluctuating between pale and bluish-white, each color pure, revealing her profound internal strength cultivation.

"This..., my lord, we..."

"It seems you need some time to process this news."

Chu Tianshu smiled, "But if we let Celebration of the Sage Temple's businesses in various places digest this news first, it probably won't be good for anyone."

Gao Min's expression tightened, but she forced herself to remain calm. "Please enlighten me, Your Excellency."

"I have no explicit or implicit requests, only one request."

Chu Tianshu's smile faded. "While neither of the two imperial courts was the main culprit in this calamity that befell Jiyin Commandery, they bear a great deal of responsibility."

"I want you to distribute porridge first, then grain, so that everyone in the area can have enough to eat and settle down again."

"Furthermore, I have friends in the Northern Dynasty. I don't want to hear that you are forcibly requisitioning grain from other people and sending it to Jiyin."

Gao Min quickly understood his meaning.

"Your humble servant understands!"

Gao Min bowed deeply, "We humbly request that you both grace the court with your presence and instruct us on matters..."

"I only care about what you do; I don't care about your promises or guarantees."

Chu Tianshu moved swiftly and vanished into the distance.

Xiao Liang smiled, tossed Gao Min a small sword, about the length of a finger, as a token, and then slipped away.

The two returned to Jiyin Commandery for a visit.

Although the war was over, many people had already left their homes, and there were still quite a few scattered and defeated soldiers in the area.

The swordsmen of Pengcheng, the members of the mountain villa and the disciples of the Deep Valley Sect were all willing to lend a helping hand to the locals.

Zhou Yuan said, "Master, more than a hundred of our fellow disciples are seriously injured, and nearly a thousand are slightly injured. They are not fit for long-distance travel and need to stay here to recuperate."

"They are worried about their families. Now that things are settled here, they all want to ask Master to go back and visit them, and also to send their best wishes."

Chu Tianshu looked at the disciple.

He was already a seasoned carpenter, and at this moment, there wasn't much change in his expression, but his demeanor was composed and his every move exuded a more dignified and unassuming air.

This was something the old carpenter, who had to bow and scrape to make a living, could never have dreamed of.

"Alright, then I'll leave this place to you. Don't be afraid of losing face; if you can't do something, don't hesitate to ask for help."

Chu Tianshu patted Zhou Yuan on the shoulder.

Xiao Liang laughed and said, "I'll just rest here for a bit. I really don't have your stamina."

"The main difference is in martial arts styles. For me, walking around more actually helps with recovery."

Chu Tianshu laughed and looked into the distance.

"Besides, this world is so vast, and everywhere I look is a new sight to me. As long as there's no chaos to disturb me, what's tiring about taking a walk, enjoying the scenery, and letting my thoughts wander freely?"

Xiao Liang laughed heartily.

They were probably laughing at his youth, at how interested he was in these mountains, rivers, towns, and villages.

Chu Tianshu genuinely enjoyed traveling, as it was a place with a distinctly ancient feel, yet also exhibited a development quite different from his hometown.

He walked for more than half an hour, and when he returned to the valley, his eyes changed slightly, his pace quickened, and his figure blurred and disappeared.

The next moment, he appeared in front of the pine tree.

"Fellow Daoist Tree, what happened? I sense an aura of intense battle between powerful figures in the valley."

The pine tree swayed slightly.

Sensing the presence of the pine tree's spirit, it immediately flew over from afar.

This was the first time Chu Tianshu had ever seen a pine tree's soul leave its body.

She wore silver armor and a battle skirt, had one head and two arms, and was a normal human figure, exuding both heroic spirit and tranquility.

"You're back!"

The pine tree spirit said with distress, "Someone broke into the valley earlier, seemingly trying to steal your cultivation manuals, and even suddenly attacked Xiaolan and the others."

I only tore a piece of cloth off him.

She handed over the piece of black cloth.

Chu Tianshu reached out and took it, carefully sensing the aura emanating from the black cloth.

"Demonic Dao cultivation techniques? Daoist cultivation techniques?"

Chu Tianshu frowned, thinking of Hou Tianyuan and Shen Minglai.

However, the lingering aura on the black cloth was not entirely the same as that of the two people in question.

Laugh!

A faint rustling sound suddenly came from the black cloth.

A surge of azure-gold Gang Qi erupted from Chu Tianshu's hand, enveloping the black cloth as if it were frozen within a crystal.

However, the black cloth had already turned into black powder.

"How dare you curse a piece of cloth to death right in front of me."

Chu Tianshu narrowed his eyes slightly and chuckled.

The Ten Commanderies of Guilin.

This place was formerly known as the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.

This place has treacherous and harsh mountains and rivers, arguably the worst in the world, but it also boasts beautiful and picturesque landscapes, unparalleled in the world.

The tranquil river is like emerald, and the distant green mountains are like jade.

The Daoist priest stood on a cloud platform on a mountain cliff, his iron crown inlaid with jade like stars, his expression was elegant, his long black hair and beard flowed obliquely, exuding an air of otherworldly grace.

"Zhuangzhi, why did you have to provoke Chu Tianshu?"

The man in black stood behind him and said respectfully, "I didn't expect that even though Chu Tianshu and Xiao Liang have already left, there is still a strange Attaining the Dao person hiding in the valley."

"Since you know you don't know the full extent of the problem, can't you be a little more patient? The Demonic Dao is only a part of the Dao after all. Don't focus solely on demonic arts and end up making yourself lose your mind!"

The Daoist priest said softly, "When I destroyed the cloth just now, I sensed a change in the aura surrounding it. The latter was even more refined than the former, seemingly no less than mine."

"It seems Chu Tianshu has already returned. His aura is so strong; he must have returned victorious. I wonder how many of Qingsheng's men died?"

Chen Zhuangzhi said, "I'll send someone to investigate."

The Chen Clan family should have paid attention to this matter; it was not particularly noteworthy.

The Daoist priest nodded slightly.

"Don't act rashly lately. As for someone like Chu Tianshu, not only should you not be his enemy, but you also shouldn't try to use flattery to kill him. Stay away from him for now, and we'll talk about it later."

The Daoist priest, however, seemed somewhat pleased as he stroked his beard.

"I was originally worried that after I achieve great success in my cultivation, there won't be many talented people left. That old man Qingsheng has already deeply cultivated demonic arts. When I secretly went to observe him, I saw that his state of mind has been unstable these past two years, so he may not be of any use."

"In that case, I'll have to create some magical artifacts instead, but that would take too long and the results might not be satisfactory. Although it strengthens the enemy now, it might actually be a good thing."

The Daoist priest turned around.

"Let's go check on those two new friends we recently invited. I think they're probably not very well-behaved yet."

The two walked past several temples and monasteries, where many Daoist priests bowed to them.

At the center of this mountaintop platform, there are eight deep wells.

From one of the wells, a voice, both furious and weak, was emanating.

"I ask myself, in this world, I have no enemies left. Who exactly are you?"

"Young lady of the Gao Lineage, you didn't know his identity before?"

From another well came a deep, peaceful voice.

"This man and Huang were both among the Six Patriarchs of the Southern Dynasty, but he lived a secluded life and rarely went out. Even I had very little contact with him, so it's no wonder you've never seen his true face."

Grand Matriarch Gao was taken aback.

"The Southern Mystic Sect, Zhang Tongxuan?!"

(End of this chapter)