Eternal Saber

Chapter 591 - 12: Demon-Extinguishing Scripture

"On this land, every person bears an imprint of an evil thought deep within their bones, fantasizing about becoming the Emperor, becoming a superior being! From families to entire towns and counties, it is all the same."

The Demon Venerable said, "Among the common folk, there is a saying—only by enduring the hardest of hardships can one become a superior being."

In his previous life, Chen Tang often heard his parents mention this to motivate him.

Though, he often disagreed.

The Demon Venerable softly said, "In truth, this is merely words to deceive the masses. In medicine, there’s a saying ’treat form with form.’ Thus, enduring hardships will only bring more suffering."

"To become a superior being, one must consume others!"

Chen Tang was deeply shocked, his eyes wide open in disbelief.

He certainly understood that the Demon Venerable’s "consuming others" did not mean literally eating people.

Rather, it referred to the oppression and exploitation of the populace by those in power, sucking them dry.

Yet this reminded him of a famous saying in his previous life about ’consuming others’ written by a certain gentleman.

The Demon Venerable continued, "Unless this evil thought is eradicated, no matter how many dynasties change, or who becomes Emperor, they cannot escape this cycle of fate."

"The lowest class, should they become the master, will only be more ruthless and determined as Emperor!"

Chen Tang was drenched in sweat from the Demon Venerable’s words, feeling dazed, and various scenes inexplicably flashed through his mind.

"Senior, is there any way?"

Chen Tang subconsciously asked.

The Demon Venerable said indifferently, "Kill everyone to restore peace to the world."

"Kill everyone?"

Chen Tang was startled, speechless in shock.

In his previous life, he occasionally saw people, in moments of despair and fatigue, lamenting for the end of the world.

But this was all just said casually.

The person before him seemed to truly think this way, saying it so naturally, as if he wasn’t talking about killing people, but ants.

Chen Tang hesitated for a moment, then said, "Senior, if I may speak frankly, your idea is somewhat misanthropic..."

"Misanthropic?"

The Demon Venerable’s eyes showed a hint of mockery, shaking his head, "We can’t be considered human, just livestock."

Chen Tang felt overwhelmed.

This person, as soon as he opened his mouth, included himself in the insult, leaving no room for rebuttal!

The Demon Venerable shook his head again, "No, actually we are even worse than livestock. What livestock is as evil, as wicked as this?"

"Among beasts, they kill only for survival; within their kind, perhaps they fight over territory. But among humans, due to envy, greed, desires, and countless reasons, they harbor mutual hatred and slaughter each other."

The words of the Demon Venerable made Chen Tang’s scalp tingle.

This person was truly deserving of the title Demon Venerable; these thoughts were truly extreme, the killing intent too heavy!

Yet when Chen Tang thought more deeply, some words didn’t seem entirely unreasonable.

At this moment, the Demon Venerable approached Chen Tang, and cyan around his sapphire eyes suddenly revealed a ring of purple radiance, eerie and mysterious, captivating his soul!

Chen Tang’s whole body stiffened, feeling suddenly unable to move.

He could only watch helplessly as the Demon Venerable came before him, taking out a Jade Pendant with purple lines from his bosom.

"The Vajra Relic in your Dantian comes from the Outer Realm, and this Purple Blood Jade Pendant is also from the Outer Realm."

At this, the Demon Venerable’s palm trembled, shattering the Purple Blood Jade Pendant.

A drop of purple liquid, glowing with an eerie light, fell onto Chen Tang’s bloody chest.

"Ah!"

Chen Tang immediately felt a stabbing pain in his chest!

"What is this?"

Chen Tang’s voice trembled, his whole body curling up, convulsing, drenched in sweat, with veins bulging like small snakes on his neck.

"This Purple Blood Jade Pendant, is a sacred item of the Demon Sect."

The Demon Venerable slowly said, "The various Martial Arts Techniques of the Demon Sect originate from this Purple Blood Jade Pendant. Or rather, from the drop of Demon Blood within it!"

"I wanted to see what would happen if Demon Blood and a Buddhist Relic coexisted in one person."

Using me as an experiment!

Chen Tang cursed inwardly.

The Demon Venerable added, "With this drop of Demon Blood, your injuries are no longer a concern. Cultivating Demon Sect Techniques will also yield twice the result with half the effort!"

"What Demon Sect Techniques, I don’t intend to cultivate Demonic Techniques!"

Chen Tang resented this feeling of being unable to control himself, wanting to shout loudly, but the pain silenced him, leaving him with only silent complaints.

Yet the Demon Venerable seemed to read his mind, laughing heartily: "Whether you want to cultivate Demonic Techniques or not, is no longer up to you!"

Then, the Demon Venerable recited a lengthy and bizarre text, not in the language of the Divine Land, words Chen Tang had never heard nor learned.

Yet, somehow, he understood the meaning of every word.

It felt as if he was born understanding this language.

"It’s that drop of Demon Blood!"

A realization flashed in Chen Tang’s mind, grasping the key point.

The Demon Venerable chanted continuously for nearly half an hour, repeating it three times before stopping.

By the end, Chen Tang’s mind was filled with this strange chant, impossible to forget!

This cultivation technique was called "Demon-Extinguishing Scripture."

According to the scripture, human nature is fundamentally evil, born desiring profit, thus leading to conflict.

Born cruel, thus resulting in thieves.

Born with sensory desires, hence pursuits of sound and color, horses and play.

The evil nature of man, any goodness is but pretense.

Pretense is man-made cultivation, postnatal intervention.

What is called goodness, benevolence, righteousness, etiquette, and wisdom, are all the fruits of cultivation.

Hungry, one desires food; cold, one seeks warmth; weary, one seeks rest; loves gain and hates harm, this is human nature, the most primitive instinct.

The cultivation of the "Demon-Extinguishing Scripture" aims to return to the source, releasing the evil thoughts within one’s nature, transforming into a demon, thereby unshackled, unrestrained, and following one’s desires, naturally achieving freedom!

If the Demon Venerable had directly transmitted the "Demon-Extinguishing Scripture" to Chen Tang, its impact would have been minimal.

Having lived two lives, Chen Tang had a firm mind and his own code of conduct.

Unless some cognitive-overturning concepts appeared, it’s hard to change his ways.

But before this, the Demon Venerable’s shocking rhetoric had a significant impact on him!

When his mind wavered, sensing a flaw, the Demon Venerable chanted the "Demon-Extinguishing Scripture."

The scripture echoed in his mind, lingering on and on, surging with all kinds of evil thoughts!

"Ah!"

Chen Tang grimaced in pain, growling lowly, his eyes bloodshot.

The veins on his neck bulged, gradually turning an eerie purple.

Chen Tang could only rely on his own willpower, steadfastly defending his spirit, resisting the invasion of evil thoughts, rejecting the pleasure of slaughter.

Whether it be the Buddhist Sect or the Demon Sect, he held no bias.

But he disliked this feeling of being controlled.

He was neither a member of the Buddhist Sect nor did he wish to become a disciple of the Demon Sect.

He was just Chen Tang, merely himself, a Blade Master.

He had his own pursuits, his own perseverance, his own convictions, his own path!

Advancing courageously, with no regrets.

One day, when angered by injustice, not just wearing down the sharp blade within his chest.

But having the courage, the ability, to wield this Eternal Saber against even stronger foes!

Chen Tang believed in neither Buddha nor demon.

He only believed in himself, believed in the blade in his hand!

He was neither demon nor Buddha; he was just human.

Possessing seven emotions and six desires, numerous flaws.

But he also had his own unwavering principles!

It was precisely these principles that achieved the Chen Tang of today.

Within his chest, a flickering blade light was gradually taking shape, emerging with its sharp edge.

After years of blade practice, relentless cultivation, enduring countless deadly battles, Chen Tang had finally honed his unique Sword Intent—the Eternal!