Chapter 128: The Heart Demon

(I am off to overcome the Heavenly Tribulation again today, so there is only one chapter. I will make up for it with three chapters tomorrow... Rest assured, I will definitely provide nine thousand words tomorrow. If I don't, I will lose my perfect attendance bonus...)

This ghostly creature, which had lunged out from the earth with a roar, possessed the head of a bird and the body of a beast. Its entire form was a dark, crimson hue, with claws on its limbs reaching four or five inches in length. With a sharp beak and vicious fangs, it looked truly terrifying. Shrieking, it pounced directly toward Chen Jianchen, its claws reaching for his chest, intent on tearing out his heart and liver.

Chen Jianchen was not well-versed in swordsmanship. Previously, he had managed to slay the slow-moving skeletons with simple, casual strikes. But now, facing such a ferocious beast, he was at a disadvantage and could no longer maintain his former poise and ease.

Clang!

The creature’s force was immense. Its sharp claws clamped onto the blade of the Haoran Yangwu Sword. With a sizzling sound, it was as if it had grabbed onto a red-hot iron; thick, green smoke rose from its palms, accompanied by a foul stench.

Waa!

The creature shrieked in pain and nimbly retreated several steps. Its two bulging eyes, glowing with a red light, stared at the Yangwu Sword in Chen Jianchen’s hand with intense wariness.

—The Haoran righteous energy is immune to all evil.

The secret to this lay in the word "Haoran" (vast/grand). Only through such vastness could one manifest sufficient power to slay all demons and evil spirits. Yet, the righteous energy Chen Jianchen had cultivated thus far amounted to only one hundred and fifteen strands—far from being truly "vast." When encountering powerful malevolent entities, he struggled, sometimes even finding that "righteousness could not overcome evil."

"As the Tao rises one foot, the devil rises ten." This was the very principle at play.

The inner demon of Jiaona had intruded into Chen Jianchen’s spiritual world, easily inciting the demons lurking deep within his own heart. Their fusion had birthed this bird-headed, beast-bodied creature.

Gwa!

The creature postured, its hind legs pushing hard against the ground. Its entire body soared high, diving from above, its claws flashing like lightning as it swiped at Chen Jianchen’s crown.

Amidst the whistling wind, Chen Jianchen responded calmly, thrusting the Yangwu Sword straight upward. This was no sophisticated sword technique; it was simple. He relied entirely on the fact that the ghost feared the righteous energy imbued in the Yangwu Sword. Whether thrusting, parrying, or stabbing, as long as he kept the opponent at bay, the inner demon could do nothing to him, no matter how formidable it was.

In this way, he could defend and counterattack, waiting for the moment to find an opening and secure victory.

Ssh!

As expected, seeing the sharp sword radiance approach, the creature shrieked and dared not meet it head-on. It forced itself to a stop, landing heavily on the ground with a thud. Due to the awkwardness of the movement, it nearly stumbled. Its red eyes glowed brighter as they darted around, fixing intently on Chen Jianchen’s entire body.

Chen Jianchen held his sword still, though his heart was pounding. It seemed he had been too complacent in the past, encountering enemies that were too weak; often, he didn't need to move at all, as the impact of his righteous energy alone would kill his targets. Over time, while he hadn't become arrogant, he had inevitably developed a sense of carelessness...

It was time to find other means and skills to arm himself, or perhaps find someone to teach him a set of sword techniques. In truth, the Shushan sword cultivator Yan Chixia would be the best candidate, but he was a master living in seclusion, appearing like a dragon that shows its head but never its tail. Where could he possibly find him?

Such thoughts flashed through his mind...

Gwa gwa!

The creature shrieked a few times, seemingly having found a way to break through Chen Jianchen’s defense. It dropped to all fours and began to circle him.

Not good!

Chen Jianchen grew vigilant, but no matter what, his speed could not keep up with the creature. After a dozen laps, he felt a bit dizzy.

Whoosh!

Seizing the moment he was off guard, the creature attacked with incredible ferocity. In an instant, it was before Chen Jianchen, its beak gaping to reveal two rows of jagged, saw-like teeth. It bit into his left shoulder, sinking deep into the flesh.

Pain!

An agony that reached his bones pierced his heart, and he felt his entire body go numb. Chen Jianchen gritted his teeth and swung his sword down with all his might.

Roar!

The creature had been prepared; with a lion-like shake of its head, it flung Chen Jianchen’s body away. He tumbled more than ten feet, crashing into a ruined grave nearby.

Fortunately, he didn't fall into the earth.

Chen Jianchen struggled to rise, leaning against the earthen wall, gasping for breath. He wiped his face, and his hand came away covered in crimson—it was all blood; he was bleeding from his nose and mouth...

...

Snowflakes fell upon Chen Jianchen’s head, face, and shoulders as he stood there. Several flakes landed on his face, mingling with the blood flowing from his nose and mouth, staining the white snow a stark, glaring red.

Not good!

Old Master Huangfu, who was observing from the sidelines, was shocked. He rushed forward in a single bound but dared not touch Chen Jianchen’s rigid body. Chen Jianchen was currently battling his inner demon in his spiritual world; no outsider could intervene in such a war, and he could only stand by, anxious.

Seeing Chen Jianchen’s physical body injured and bleeding, Huangfu guessed that he was likely at a disadvantage, wounded by the inner demon.

Huangfu’s brows were locked in a deep frown. If Chen Jianchen could not hold on, not only would the inner demon escape to re-enter Jiaona’s body, but Chen Jianchen himself would suffer severe damage, with unpredictable consequences.

If something truly happened to Chen Jianchen, how could he ever forgive himself? In this matter, Chen Jianchen could have stayed completely out of it, yet he had righteously stepped forward to help his daughter slay the inner demon. Such moral courage and noble character—if he were to be harmed, Huangfu would surely be filled with unending guilt.

...

In the world of the soul and spirit, Chen Jianchen holding the Yangwu Sword was equivalent to the manifestation of his own soul. If the soul is damaged, the body is damaged; if the soul is scattered, the person becomes listless and lost. The two are closely related, an inseparable whole. Simply put, the battlefield of the spirit also determined his life and death.

Now, the inner demon had gained the upper hand. It had discerned Chen Jianchen’s flaws and needed only a few more rounds to finish him off.

Gwa!

The creature shrieked toward the sky, flicking a scarlet tongue to lick the blood from its mouth. Growing more excited, it lunged forward once more.

"Strike!"

Chen Jianchen let out a shout. With a long-gathered strength, he thrust his sword from beneath his ribs, aiming straight for the creature’s skull.

This strike contained all his hopes, praying for a single decisive blow to slay the beast. Otherwise, the longer the battle dragged on, the worse it would be for him.

Jie jie jie!

The creature emitted a piercing, mocking laugh. It had been charging with such momentum, like a galloping horse, that it could not stop in time; it looked as if it were foolishly delivering its own head to the tip of Chen Jianchen’s sword. But at the final, critical moment, it let out a sinister laugh. The dark red skin on its back rippled, and in the blink of an eye, two membranes sprouted and unfolded—a pair of wings.

Flap!

Beating its wings, it used its momentum to leap into the air, narrowly dodging Chen Jianchen’s strike. Its powerful hind legs transformed into claws, and it snatched Chen Jianchen by the shoulders, lifting him bodily into the air.

What is this?

Chen Jianchen felt a surge of panic. With his shoulder blades clamped by the creature’s claws, he could not muster an ounce of strength. Though he still gripped the Yangwu Sword, he could not strike.

Whoosh!

The monster carried Chen Jianchen high above the pit and released its claws, dropping him from mid-air.

The wind whistled in his ears, and before him was pitch blackness. It was as if he were in a completely dark, unknown world—a world without end, without a destination. To fall into it was to sink into an eternal abyss, never to escape.

Is this the final destination of life?

In the midst of it, he heard the wailing of ghosts and the howling of spirits. The yin wind was bitter, and an indescribable pressure squeezed his heart, as if it were about to burst...

Thump, thump, thump!

The sound of his violent heartbeat seemed to echo right beside his ears.

Despite being in such danger, Chen Jianchen remained composed. His mind was strangely clear and serene. It felt like an instant, yet also like an eternity, for he could no longer discern the passage of time:

"To slay the inner demon, to establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, to establish a life for the people, to carry on the lost teachings of the ancient sages, and to open up eternal peace!"

These words, each one a gem, suddenly appeared in his mind, shining with brilliant light.

The light was so vast and dazzling that it permeated his body, radiating from him until he became a figure of light, illuminating his surroundings. It was as if a beam of light, a spark of fire, or a torch had been lit in a place of total darkness, allowing him to see his surroundings.

Surrounding Chen Jianchen were countless skulls, densely packed. Each bodiless head was pressed tightly together, their terrifying mouths opening and closing as they slowly closed in, intending to tear him apart and devour him. The nearest skulls were already within three feet of him.

They wanted to eat him!

Their mouths clicked shut, making grinding sounds that chilled the soul, enough to frighten anyone to death on the spot.

At that moment, Chen Jianchen’s entire body shone with brilliant light, and countless rays of radiance erupted from him. Within the light, faintly visible, were individual characters.

The characters drifted and flowed like ripples on water; it was impossible to see them clearly. But that did not matter. What mattered was that these characters, as if possessing a will of their own, zipped into the countless surrounding skulls.

Ah!

Thousands upon thousands of skulls shrieked in unison with meaningless cries. In an instant, they all turned to dust and vanished without a trace.

The environment changed entirely. Where was the unfathomable pit? It was merely a shallow depression.

Chen Jianchen stood up, sword in hand, facing the inner demon once more. The difference was that he still glowed with light, and within that light, many characters continued to flow and move.

Finally, the light receded, and the characters condensed into a real scroll, which stood upright and suspended behind Chen Jianchen, looking like a unique flag!

A flag covered in writing.

The "True Chapter of the Three Establishments"!

Chen Jianchen walked forward with his sword, and the scroll of the "True Chapter of the Three Establishments" followed him of its own accord, fluttering in the wind.

Facing him, the creature’s hideous face suddenly revealed a look of terror. Its entire body trembled, and it could not help but retreat step by step. Perhaps what it truly feared was that miraculous scroll.

Chen Jianchen spoke two words, and with a soft sound, a character flew from the scroll behind him—it was clearly the word "FIX."

The light of the word "FIX" hit the creature’s body with an irresistible force. Immediately, the creature’s limbs went limp, and it collapsed to the ground, bowing its head, as docile as a domesticated pig.

What followed was simple. Chen Jianchen stepped forward with the Yangwu Sword and, without the slightest effort, severed the creature’s head with a single stroke.

Truly a trivial matter...