Chapter 360: Fierce Battle Against the Heaven Demon
Chapter 360: Fierce Battle Against the Heaven Demon
At the shores of the Weak Water Pool.
After annihilating the eighth-stage Ancient Devil, Chen Mu's expression remained unchanged as he continued to gaze at the pool of Weak Water. Suddenly, he spoke softly, "The gate guardian is dead, and you still won't show yourself? Must I invite you out personally?"
Gate guardian?
These words caused Feng Hongsheng's eyes to widen in surprise. After a moment of realization, he turned his gaze towards the pool of Weak Water.
Chen Mu wouldn't have spoken without reason. Since he referred to the eighth-stage Ancient Devil as a mere gate guardian, it meant that there was something even more terrifying hidden within the pool, something that his perception abilities, far inferior to Chen Mu's, had failed to detect until now.
As Chen Mu's words fell, the entire pool of Weak Water remained calm and still, as if nothing had happened.
However, Chen Mu didn't wait any longer. The next moment, he took a step forward, and the surrounding Heavenly Earth Power rumbled as a mighty force erupted, shaking the desolate land.
Splash!!!
Within a radius of several li, the Weak Water Pool suddenly erupted, sending up towering waves of water that stretched for dozens of zhang.
As the Weak Water splashed, the hidden object within finally revealed itself. Even Feng Hongsheng, standing dozens of zhang away, could clearly sense the object at the bottom of the lake. It was still a patch of demonic qi, but this demonic qi was much denser than that of the previous eighth-stage Ancient Devil. However, it also seemed scattered and less refined.
At the same time, Feng Hongsheng also spotted something at the bottom of the Weak Water—several black lotuses growing there!
"So it's the 'Dark Soul Lotus' after all."
He couldn't help but take a deep breath.
Dark Soul Lotus!
According to rumors, these were extremely rare heavenly treasures that could enhance the ethereal and intangible soul. They were said to only grow in Weak Water, and even then, only in pools that had existed for a long time and were of significant volume.
The soul was ethereal and intangible, and there had never been a method to cultivate it directly. The only way to strengthen the soul was to gradually enhance one's martial will, thereby increasing the soul's strength. The most vivid manifestation of this was the Marrow Washing Realm and the Blood Replacement Realm.
When martial artists cultivated their five viscera and six bowels, they only needed a solid foundation in their physical bodies. But to achieve the Marrow Washing Grandmaster level, one's martial will had to reach a high level, requiring a strong soul to break through the Mystic Gate.
The same was true for the Blood Replacement Realm.
Without a powerful martial will, attempting to break through would only result in getting lost in the heavens and earth, becoming a living corpse.
Most martial artists, after cultivating their martial will to a certain extent, found it difficult to make further progress. Not everyone could reach the 'Calm as Still Water' state like Chen Mu, where their martial will had no boundaries.
For those whose martial will was limited and could not be improved further, the Dark Soul Lotus was a rare opportunity. By nourishing their souls with it, they might be able to break through the bottleneck and enter the Marrow Washing or even Blood Replacement Realm, or at least increase their chances of breaking into higher realms.
However, at the bottom of the Weak Water Pool, there were only about five or six Dark Soul Lotuses in total, and most of them had already withered away, leaving only one intact lotus and another partially consumed one.
Moreover, the vast demonic qi that enveloped the Weak Water Pool gradually unleashed a terrifying pressure, making it clear to Feng Hongsheng that an eighth-stage Ancient Devil was attempting to digest the Dark Soul Lotus to break through to the ninth-stage Heaven Demon realm!
And it was almost successful!
The surging demonic qi and pressure were several times stronger than that of the previous eighth-stage Ancient Devil, and they were clearly on a different level. However, the qi seemed sluggish and inflexible, perhaps due to the recent breakthrough.
If given some more time, and after consuming the remaining lotuses, it might truly stabilize its realm and become a formidable ninth-stage Heaven Demon, formless and shapeless, roaming the world!
Just at that moment, the sluggish demonic qi at the bottom of the Weak Water Pool began to slowly gather and condense, forming a dark void like an abyss, from which an ominous pressure gradually emerged, causing Feng Hongsheng to feel oppressed even from a distance, as if he were staring at death and decay.
The Heaven Demon's Awakening
Despite this Heaven Demon's seemingly incomplete breakthrough, it was still a Heaven Demon!
In ancient times, Heaven Demons were terrifying beings that once dominated the world. Their strength might be comparable to that of Heaven Demons, but their methods were mysterious, and they could attack the soul. Moreover, they were formless and shapeless, almost unaffected by the heavens and earth.
If they could advance further and reach the tenth stage, they would become 'Great Freedom Heaven Demons'. Aside from the passage of time, there would be few threats to them. In the records from ancient times to the present, the tenth-stage Heaven Demons that had perished were all due to the passage of time, with no records of anyone slaying them.
The same was true for Heaven Demons.
There were many records of ninth-stage Heaven Demons being killed or captured, but for tenth-stage Heaven Demons, only the Great Xuan Founding Emperor had managed to slay one, and there were no other records of humans defeating them.
This was a Heaven Demon attempting to break through to the ninth stage, and even if its realm was unstable, it was still a Heaven Demon. Chen Mu had no idea when he had entered the Marrow Washing Realm, cultivated his Martial Body, and formed his Domain, but he was likely still short of the Blood Replacement Realm.
Feng Hongsheng thought this to himself, but the next moment, Chen Mu, facing the gradually condensing Heaven Demon, showed no signs of retreat. He raised his hand and unleashed a punch, a grand and mighty strike that shook the eight directions, condensing the Eight Aspects of Heaven-Earth into a single point, aiming to slay the Heaven Demon!
What did it matter if it was a ninth-stage Heaven Demon?
Aside from the fact that this Heaven Demon's realm was clearly unstable, which was why it had the eighth-stage Ancient Devil guarding the Weak Water to prevent anyone from approaching, Chen Mu had no fear even if it had stabilized its realm. He was going to test his current Heaven-Earth Seal against the Heaven Demon's unique abilities!
As Chen Mu's Heaven-Earth Seal descended, the Heaven Demon, despite its sluggish movements, sensed the innate threat. From its black core, a mighty force emerged.
Buzz!!!
This mighty force, initially seeming like the Heaven Demon's power, quickly transformed into the Eight Aspects of Heaven-Earth, and then condensed into a single point, mirroring Chen Mu's technique—the Heaven-Earth Seal!
Two identical Heaven-Earth Seals clashed in the void, causing the air to shatter and crackle with 'Pachi' and 'Pashi' sounds, like ice cracking and spreading.
"So this is the formless and shapeless nature of Heaven Demons and the true form of all beings."
Chen Mu gazed at the unfolding scene, his eyes flickering with a subtle, almost imperceptible glow.
The Heaven Demon's formlessness allowed it to metamorphose into myriad forms, even replicating Chen Mu's Heaven-Earth Seal. However, there was a fundamental difference between the two. Chen Mu's seal was a genuine convergence of Heaven and Earth's energies, the Eight Aspects of Heaven-Earth unified within. In contrast, the Heaven Demon's seal seemed like a mirrored reflection, as if conjured from the void, transforming the intangible into reality.
In simpler terms:
The Heaven Demon was like a mirror, reflecting Chen Mu's techniques and materializing them from the ether.
"Interesting," Chen Mu said, his expression betraying a hint of fascination.
Even as a Ninth-Stage Heaven Demon, not yet stable in its realm, its abilities had transcended those of Seventh and Eighth-Stage Ancient Devils, exhibiting a qualitative leap.
Chen Mu struggled to comprehend the intricacies of this reflective and manifestative power.
Instantaneous Movement
Without hesitation, Chen Mu advanced, his long strides devouring distance. He stepped onto the Weak Water's surface, his hand extending in a fist aimed squarely at the Heaven Demon's core. This time, he employed not the Heaven-Earth Seal, but pure Martial Body force!
The punch unleashed a terrifying Heaven-Earth pressure, as the energies of the Eight Aspects converged within. The simple yet potent blow could shatter cities and split the earth.
Counterattack
The Heaven Demon's dark, abyssal core, like a mirror's surface, rippled in response. A similarly unadorned fist emerged, its energy and even sleeve and attire eerily mirroring Chen Mu's. The two fists clashed, mere inches apart, yet unable to advance further. The colossal forces collided, causing the surrounding void to fracture, revealing wispy, white fissures.
"Can it even mimic mortal flesh?" Chen Mu's eyes sparkled with curiosity, his interest in the Heaven Demon's abilities growing.
Interlude: The Origins of Buddhism
In this world, legends of gods and buddhas were, in fact, misconceptions about powerful warriors. The revered figures, such as the Buddha, were actually pinnacle Martial Artists who had achieved Heaven-Man Unity.
Concepts like "Buddha is Formless" and "Great Freedom and Liberation" bore striking similarities to the Heaven Demon's nature.
Chen Mu recalled an ancient text from the Seven Mysteries Sect, suggesting that Buddhist practices, a form of Martial Arts, had originated from the 'Heaven Demons' in the distant past. Though initially perplexed, Chen Mu now saw the possibility in this theory.
Martial Arts had evolved from emulating various demons; it was only natural that some had drawn inspiration from the 'Heaven Demons,' giving rise to the Buddhist traditions of the Birthless Temple and the Great State Temple.
However, these institutions would never acknowledge the notion of "Buddhism originating from Demons," instead fabricating legends to conceal their true heritage.
Back to the Battle
As Chen Mu's thoughts flashed by, his actions remained unhindered. He launched a flurry of attacks against the Heaven Demon, each strike a masterful display of simplicity and potency. The Heaven Demon, in turn, expanded its illusions, eventually materializing a duplicate of Chen Mu, with which it engaged in fierce combat.
Feng Hongsheng's Intervention
Witnessing the battle, Feng Hongsheng, though not a top-tier Grandmaster, was nonetheless stunned. The white fissures in the void, a hallmark of Blood Replacement Realm clashes, left him aghast.
"How...?" Feng Hongsheng's mind reeled.
Chen Mu's ability to exchange blows with a Ninth-Stage Heaven Demon, without yielding, was unprecedented, even among legendary Heaven and Earth Grandmasters.
Just then, Chen Mu's transmission echoed in Feng Hongsheng's ear, "Elder Feng, retrieve the Dark Soul Lotus, lest it be damaged."
Feng Hongsheng swiftly regained composure, fixing his gaze on the Weak Water beneath the battling duo. Seizing the opportunity, he advanced, his body enveloped in Primordial Essence True Force, repelling the Weak Water as he dove in.
The Heaven Demon, still locked in combat with Chen Mu, mirrored his appearance, and upon noticing Feng Hongsheng's descent, its face contorted in a semblance of anger.
Heaven Demon's Distraction
With a swift punch, the Heaven Demon attempted to momentarily repel Chen Mu and intercept Feng Hongsheng. However, Chen Mu parried the attack, his expression unchanging, and remarked, "Engaging me while divided in attention; do you truly underestimate me?"
The Heaven Demon's mimicry, initially capable of matching Chen Mu's moves, faltered as it split its focus. Chen Mu seized the opening, unleashing a concentrated fist, imbued with the Eight Aspects' radiance, and forged a Heaven-Earth Seal!
(End of Chapter)
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