The Demonic Path Cannot Be Destroyed, The Dharma Is Difficult To Find, The Eight Extremes Script Is Hidden

As Heng Hua was contemplating, Zhou Xiao rushed in.

"I heard you got a big redwood box?"

Seeing the opened wooden box beside Heng Hua, he quickly picked up a book to examine it.

Heng Hua's eyes flickered, and he put down the book in his hand. "It's just a wooden box, why are you so flustered, Senior Zhou?"

Zhou Xiao stared at the book for a long time, but couldn't make out anything special. He simply counted the number of books and looked at the eight trigrams gold lock by the wooden box, his expression becoming extremely solemn.

It all matched, it was indeed this thing!

"The Fu Family originated from Fufeng Immortal Palace. Don't you know the story behind the redwood box?"

Heng Hua shook his head.

Redwood box? Did his mother's dowry box really have some significance?

Zhou Xiao paced around the room, deep in thought for a long time before speaking, "You're also a bookish person. If I don't give you the background, you'll inevitably go down the wrong path in the future. Forget it... Do you remember the War to Break Evil in the Divine Land Era?"

In the Divine Land Era, besides the conflict between the Immortal and Devil Dao, many Evil Cultivators who were not tolerated by either the Immortal or Devil Dao were also active on the Divine Land stage. The Evil Soul Cult was one such example.

"I remember. The Immortal and Devil factions joined forces to encircle and suppress them, eradicating all Evil Cultivators in the world. Afterward, the methods of Evil Cultivators were officially banned."

As he spoke, Heng Hua looked at the book beside him.

"We Cultivators who study these methods all know that evil arts were never truly eradicated. The Evil Cultivators hid their inheritances in books beforehand and scattered them among the mortal world. This led to many intelligent mortals going astray and reviving the inheritances of Evil Cultivators. Your Yanlong's Blissful Cult is one such example."

Heng Hua feigned surprise. "Senior, do you mean the books in this redwood box are related to evil arts?"

"More than just related."

Zhou Xiao gave a wry smile. "Before the last Evil Cultivator Grandmaster died, he told the Immortal Dao seniors that to pass down evil arts, he hid three thousand six hundred evil methods in mortal classics and sealed them in nine large redwood boxes."

"Each redwood box contains eight hundred mortal scrolls, hiding four hundred evil methods."

Heng Hua's heart skipped a beat. Four hundred? I've only deciphered three hundred evil arts from my mother's redwood box, and I missed so many?

"Since there are so many evil arts, why weren't they destroyed earlier? Are there things in these boxes that cannot be destroyed?"

"That's right."

Zhou Xiao looked at Heng Hua with approval.

"That Evil Cultivator said at the time that he hid a Heavenly Script in the nine wooden boxes. Therefore, even the Immortal Dao seniors who obtained the redwood boxes dared not destroy them lightly."

"Eight of the redwood boxes contained incomplete fragments of the Heavenly Script, and the ninth box contained the complete Heavenly Script."

Heavenly Scripts, even in the Divine Land Era, were treasures everyone scrambled for.

Looking through the history of the East Lai Divine Continent, only five Heavenly Scripts had appeared in total.

Heng Hua raised an eyebrow. "The Eight Extremes Script or the Primordial Gold Chapter? It couldn't be a new Heavenly Script, could it?"

The Profound Heaven, Taiyin, and Xuanming Heavenly Scripts had traceable origins and created the current Immortal and Devil factions. During the War to Break Evil, the inheritors of these three Heavenly Scripts were all present, so the Evil Cultivators naturally couldn't obtain them.

"Nine boxes, don't you already have the answer in your heart?"

"The Yi Tian Eight Extremes Script." Heng Hua's eyes were burning with passion, staring intently at the redwood box.

Heavenly Script.

Although Heng Hua was full of ambition and aspired to create his own Heavenly Script, he also knew that creating a Heavenly Script was extremely difficult, and its significance was far beyond that of the Earthly Scripture Immortal Art.

A Heavenly Script was not just a cultivation method, but an entire cultivation system.

The Profound Heaven Heavenly Script created the once-flourishing Profound Heaven Sect and had a profound impact on the entire Immortal Dao of East Lai. It might be an exaggeration to say that all Daoist traditions in the world originated from Profound Heaven, but it was definitely not an understatement to say that seventy percent of sects came from Profound Heaven. The Immortal Dao of East Lai started with the Profound Heaven Heavenly Script.

The Xuanming True Strategy was the supreme cultivation method of the Devil Cult. With only a fragment, Xuanming Demon Emperor unified the Thirteen Demon Halls and wreaked havoc across the myriad islands of East Lai. It wasn't until hundreds of years ago that the major Immortal sects joined forces to encircle and suppress them, finally destroying the Xuanming Demon Palace from the surface.

"That's right, it is the Eight Extremes Script. This scripture establishes the foundation of the five elements and eight trigrams, encompassing all phenomena in the world. If one can decipher and comprehend it, it would be no less than a supreme immortal pill or a pure yang immortal tool for our kind."

Heng Hua stared at the redwood box.

The Fu Family had predecessor's notes, which mentioned: "The Eight Extremes Scripture is divided into eight trigram palace sections. The Xun trigram wind section is most compatible with Fufeng Immortal Arts."

He didn't need the complete text, just finding the Xun Feng section within the Eight Extremes Script would give him the confidence to help the Fu Family complete their cultivation methods.

Seeing Heng Hua deep in thought, Zhou Xiao said, "Precisely because of the importance of this Heavenly Script, those seniors, even though they knew the redwood boxes contained forbidden items, did not dare to destroy them lightly."

Heng Hua remained silent.

Yes, if it were him, he wouldn't destroy the redwood box directly either. He would decipher it, find the fragments of the Heavenly Script, and then destroy the redwood box.

"Speaking of which, did the Evil Cultivator Grandmaster deliberately place the complete text in one box, intending to incite internal strife among the Immortal sects?"

"Yes, but in the end, they didn't fight. The seniors saw through his petty scheme, and after deliberation, the nine strongest Immortal sects at the time each took one redwood box. Who could obtain the original Eight Extremes Script depended entirely on fate."

"Nine? I recall that during the War to Break Evil, the eight strongest factions were 'one sect, one school, two pavilions, and four palaces.' Besides them, which other sects were there?"

The "one sect" naturally referred to the Profound Heaven Sect.

The "one school" referred to the Chiyuan Dao Sect, which was second only to the Profound Heaven Sect.

The "two pavilions" were the Purple Emperor Pavilion and the Jade Saint Pavilion.

The "four palaces" were Fufeng, Yun Lie, Lei Xiao, and Jin Yu.

Before the Palace Master of Fufeng Immortal Palace died, Fufeng Immortal Palace could still contend at the top tier of East Lai. But after the Palace Master's death, Fufeng Immortal Palace declined, and no more Immortals resided there. By the time of the continent's upheaval, Fufeng Immortal Palace had almost fallen to the level of a mid-tier Immortal sect.

"Naturally, it's Grandmother Taiyin. She's the successor of the Taiyin Heavenly Script and a renowned immortal master of this era. She's a sect unto herself. The Profound Heaven Sect divides its redwood boxes, and she'll certainly get her share."

Heng Hua grinned. "The Taiyin lineage only has a single successor. Why would she want the Eight Extremes Heavenly Script? It's completely useless to her."

Zhou Xiao nodded.

He had asked his master the same question when he was young.

True Person Hengyuan had said, "Grandmother Taiyin was one of the five great masters of the Immortal Dao back then. For the sake of sentiment and reason, we cannot exclude her."

Zhou Xiao: "This redwood box in front of us is likely the one passed down from the Yun Lie Immortal Palace."

"Then how do you plan to handle it, senior?"

"How can I handle the fortuitous encounter you've obtained?" Zhou Xiao chuckled bitterly. "If the genuine Heavenly Script is hidden inside, or even the Xun Feng, and I force you to destroy it, wouldn't that sever your connection with the Fu Family?"

Heng Hua quickly expressed his thanks.

Zhou Xiao sighed faintly.

He could barely protect himself now, so he couldn't stop Heng Hua.

"But you should be vigilant. These forbidden items are extremely dangerous. Even during the Divine Land Era, the Profound Heaven Sect's redwood box caused many cultivators to suffer Qi Deviation."

That Evil Cultivator Grandmaster had set up a forbidden technique.

Beings above the Golden Core stage couldn't see the curse he cast, so they couldn't find the evil methods. Only disciples below the Golden Core stage could search for the Heavenly Script. Furthermore, the lower the cultivation, the better; mortals were the best.

The purpose was to use the immortal sects as a vessel to nurture eggs, guiding disciples of the major immortal sects to fall into the evil path.

Zhou Xiao recalled something, his tone heavy. "As you read these books, the hidden evil arts can also corrupt the soul and distort the will."

Suddenly, Heng Hua asked, "Is the Profound Heaven Sect's one in the Xuanwei Sect?"

"It is—"

He blurted it out, and Zhou Xiao immediately regretted it.

But after thinking about it, he still told him frankly, "That redwood box is indeed in our Xuanwei Sect. When I was young, I read the books and translated twenty evil methods."

Heng Hua was surprised. "Twenty?"

"Of course," Zhou Xiao said proudly. "It was precisely because I deciphered twenty forbidden evil techniques, the most among my peers, and I myself was not corrupted by evil thoughts, that my master noticed me and took me as his direct disciple."

Is that all? Heng Hua silently swallowed the rest of his thought.

Zhou Xiao: "Over a thousand years, our Xuanwei Sect has deciphered a total of three hundred and fifty-one evil methods, but we still haven't found the Heavenly Script. When my senior brother went to your family to recruit disciples back then, he probably intended to borrow the 'Heavenly Connection Wise Heart'."

He showed a hint of guilt on his face.

Allowing a young person with shallow cultivation to read evil arts, the higher their comprehension, the more likely they were to be corrupted by evil.

Heng Hua's gaze was calm, as if what was being said had nothing to do with him.

Zhou Xiao: "The reason your family elder stopped him was because my senior brother secretly speculated that your family might be keeping the redwood box inherited from the Fufeng Immortal Palace. After all, the disciples of the Fu Family in the Fufeng Immortal Palace back then were in charge of the scripture repository."

The Fu Family inherited the redwood box from the Fufeng Immortal Palace?

No, that's not right. The redwood box in the Langhuan Pavilion wasn't passed down from my ancestors; it was brought by my mother when she married into Panlong Island.

Heng Hua pondered silently. Could it be that besides my mother's redwood box, the Fu Family has another one? Then where did my mother's come from? Which sect's inheritance is it?

The Profound Heaven Sect is impossible.

After the Chiyuan Dao Sect was destroyed, they disliked the fragmented Divine Land. With the spiritual veins severed, the entire sect moved overseas, leaving no disciples behind. That redwood box must have been taken with them.

The Purple Emperor and Jade Saint Pavilions still exist today and are powerful. One is the sovereign of Tianyang, and the other is the head of Xuanyu. If my mother had connections there, the Fu Family wouldn't have known. And how could a forbidden item like a redwood box be brought out as a dowry?

After much thought, Heng Hua set his sights on the Jin Yu Immortal Palace and the Lei Xiao Immortal Palace.

"Senior, you are knowledgeable. Do you know the whereabouts of the Jin Yu Immortal Palace and the Lei Xiao Immortal Palace?"

Zhou Xiao's eyes lit up when he heard this.

"You brat, you plan to collect a few more redwood boxes? Indeed, the Jade Saint and Purple Emperor inheritances still exist. The Chiyuan one was taken overseas. Grandmother Taiyin's is sealed in the Taiyin Mansion. Only the redwood boxes from Jin Yu and Lei Xiao are lost. And the inheritances of these two immortal sects were destroyed when Fuzhou was ruined, and no successors have appeared since."

Zhou Xiao sighed. "Of the Four Great Immortal Palaces, your Fufeng Immortal Palace was the most shrewd. Even after its destruction, it left behind various families to guard a Dragon..."

He seemed to realize something and abruptly stopped himself.

"In short, don't look for them. Focus on studying the one in front of you. Remember not to read it excessively and never to study the evil arts."

Zhou Xiao was also a cultivator of the Dharma Manifestation realm. He understood the temptation of the Heavenly Script and the four hundred evil methods for people like them.

He couldn't stop Heng Hua, so he could only tell him to be careful and avoid falling into the evil path.

Zhou Xiao didn't stay long and left soon after.

After he left, just as Heng Hua was about to examine the redwood box, Li Nanxing arrived.

He looked rather awkward and, after thinking for a long time, finally managed to blurt out his intention: "Does Master want to establish a sect?"

--

Addendum:

A Small Talk on Divine Land Past: The Four Palaces:

An immortal came from across the Eastern Sea and established the Fufeng Immortal Palace. The Fufeng, Yun Lie, Lei Xiao, and Jin Yu Immortal Palaces became renowned throughout the Divine Land. Some enthusiasts ranked the four palaces and established the East Lai Golden Ranking.

Entering the Fu Feng Palace, the Palace Master politely said, "Each of us immortal families has our own specialties. I am not an immortal of combat, so I dare not engage in a magical duel with the three Palace Masters. I must respectfully decline."

Then, seeing the Yun Lie Palace Master, he said, "Do cultivators care about empty fame?" He also did not agree.

Arriving at the Lei Xiao Immortal Palace, the Palace Master greeted them with laughter and readily accepted.

Seven days later, Lei invited the three Palace Masters to a banquet.

At the banquet, Lei said, "The four palaces combine the aspects of Lei, Yun, and Feng. If they unite as one, they can contend with a major sect. This is the Heavenly Palace. I am untalented and can serve as Palace Master."

The three Palace Masters all refused.

Later, the Lei Xiao Immortal and the Jin Yu Palace Master dueled. After a thousand moves, Lei Xiao won, forcing the Palace Master to agree.

Next, he fought with Yun. For three days and three nights, they were evenly matched.

Lei wished to fight again, but Yun flicked his sleeve, ended the banquet, and left.

Then, he dueled with the Wind Immortal. The Wind Immortal left a note and also departed.

Lei observed it and no longer dared to speak of fighting. The matter of merging the four palaces was thus abandoned.

Spectators later asked their master, who chuckled and said, "The Cloud Immortal is humble and values integrity, indifferent to fame and fortune. Although capable of victory, he treated it as an equal exchange. The Wind Immortal modestly claims ignorance of combat, yet his He Luo Art is unparalleled in the Divine Continent, capable of breaking all of Lei Xiao's Daoist magic. If you were to rank them, Lei would be third, and Jin Yu fourth."

He was then asked, "Between Feng and Yun, who ranks higher?"

The master replied, "I have not seen them contend, so I dare not say."

He asked again, "In a fight against Lei, what would be the outcome?"

The master answered, "Feng would defeat Lei in three hundred moves, and Yun in five hundred moves. Jin Yu, after one thousand one hundred and twenty-five moves, would be slightly inferior to Lei."

Finally, he asked, "In a fight against you, what would be the outcome?"

The master did not speak, but instead threw him a thousand miles away.

Those who were interested then decided the ranking of the four palaces, with Fu Feng as the most honored, Yun Lie second, Lei Xiao third, and Jin Yu last.