The sounds of the Jade Pure Heavenly Demon descended, like bathing in wind and rain. In the eyes of the Three Demonic Buddhas, although the divine demon phantom lacked actual combat power, it was merely a tall and majestic divine demon phantom. Yet, within this sky-supporting phantom, countless demonic illusions seemed to roar and wail!
The Myriad Demon Qi refined in the Jade Pure Sky, the source of this demonic qi, might not be of renowned fiends in the mortal world. However, on the path of cultivation through the ages, the names of these great demons resounded through all heavenly realms!
Legend had it that in ancient times, Primordial Heavenly Venerate transformed into a ghost-slaying general, annihilating the fierce demons of the Thousand Realms within the Eight Ancient Heavens. These fierce demons were all refined into the Jade Pure Hidden Book by Primordial Heavenly Venerate. The remaining fiends all converted to the Heavenly Venerate, shedding their fierce demonic forms, thus giving rise to the Great King of Demon Eradication of the Northern Emperor, along with the Five Heavens and Eight Emperors, and numerous demon kings.
This type of demonic qi originated from before the Thousand Realms, untainted by any mortal filth. It possessed the purest, true demonic killing nature, grand and magnificent!
What the Three Demonic Buddhas saw, through this divine demon phantom, were glimpses of reality: countless fiends roaring and snarling at them. The intertwined demonic qi of these fiends greatly suppressed the power of mortal demons and ghosts, as if encountering something naturally restrained!
The Heavenly Demon’s angry gaze caused the half-demonic faces of the Three Demonic Buddhas to twist and change, fear surfacing on their features. The chasing demonic nature was greatly suppressed, but a mere shout could not completely disperse this demonic qi.
“It seems, you minor demons, have taken root too deeply within these various shells, as if afflicted with an incurable disease. Mild remedies will be of little use!”
The divine demon phantom let out a grand voice, holding a crimson divine banner in one hand, while gathering the primal qi of heaven and earth with the other. Under Ji Xiang’s control, it enlarged several times and pressed down towards the Three Demonic Buddhas!
The palm of the divine demon phantom, though immense, possessed no destructive power.
But all Ji Xiang needed was for the Three Demonic Buddhas to be enveloped by this divine demon phantom!
Facing the colossal hand, the Three Demonic Buddhas predictably unleashed their spells, attacking in unison, but their blows landed on emptiness!
The divine demon phantom lacked any magical power, possessing only a form and spirit. Its existence stemmed from the primal qi of heaven and earth and Ji Xiang’s demonic qi. That palm passed directly through the Ichanta Dharma, and the vast primal qi enveloped the Three Demonic Buddhas completely!
From the statue of Zhenwu, true demonic qi surged forth!
Within the statue, Ji Xiang raised a finger, around which demonic qi swirled, yet it continuously dissolved and reformed.
Jade Pure Hidden Book, Lesson Five.
Heavenly Demon Illumination!
The Jade Pure demonic qi, following the primal qi of heaven and earth, spread downwards from the palm of the divine demon phantom!
“Ah!”
A cry of pain suddenly erupted. The Three Demonic Buddhas’ faces contorted, their eyes bulging. The demonic qi within their bodies was being siphoned away, damaging the cultivation of their hosts!
The True Dharma was the sustenance of the Chasing Demons, their hosts.
The Jade Pure demonic qi also fed on the Chasing Demons, but not through crude consumption. Instead, it was like the sun melting ice and snow, causing the Chasing Demon qi to continuously dissolve and disintegrate!
“No, impossible!”
The bodies of the Three Demonic Buddhas seemed to split into two. The consciousness of the fiends spoke, attempting to break free from the disintegration of the Jade Pure demonic qi!
“Devour the True Dharma, consume the True Dharma, to prolong our existence!”
“Fiend, you wish to kill us!”
“What Jade Pure Heavenly Demon, how dare you defile my Buddha’s True Dharma!”
The consciousness of the Buddhas and demons continuously exchanged, and this disintegration of their very existence by the Jade Pure demonic qi instead caused the fiends and the three deluded eminent monks to become enraged together.
The fiends feared the Jade Pure demonic qi, afraid of being melted by it.
The Buddhist cultivators believed that their opponent was destroying the “Buddha’s True Dharma.”
Little did they know, the True Dharma was being destroyed by the other selves within them.
However, through this surge of angry will, they became even more deeply fused.
If this continued, the Buddhas and demons would become indistinguishable. The demon would be the Buddha, and the Buddha would be the demon, thus the sixty-three Chasing Demon Kings would birth three heads, recreating the appearance of that fallen monk from years past.
Ji Xiang remained unmoved.
“Waving a banner of straw, truly noisy.”
“Since you wish to eat, I shall give you plenty to eat.”
The Zhenwu statue once again unleashed divine power!
The divine demon phantom gently rotated the crimson divine banner, giving it a slight shake!
Vast Mani Raging Flames appeared out of nowhere, burning fiercely on the Three Demonic Buddhas! The three fiends possessing them were utterly astonished, then overjoyed.
The True Dharma of the three possessed Buddhist monks was on the verge of depletion. Although this would lead to the formation of demonic bodies, their demonic cultivation would also be damaged after their transformation. After all, their very existence was based on parasitism and transformation, draining the host’s nutrients dry, like pulling up seedlings to encourage growth or draining a pond to catch fish.
However, the appearance of the Mani Raging Flames alleviated their current predicament. Although the three fiends did not understand why this “Jade Pure Heavenly Demon” was offering supreme Buddhist flames for them to devour, on the brink of death, they cared little for traps. The path before them was their only escape. To find an opportunity for reversal, they had to survive first!
“Eat, eat!”
The Three Demonic Buddhas, transformed from the three eminent monks, now devoured the Mani Raging Flames that could purify defilement. The moment they consumed it, they began to mend the damage they had previously sustained.
“Eat! Eat more, the better to depart!”
Ji Xiang saw that the True Dharma within the three Buddhist cultivators was depleted, so he fed the Mani Raging Flames to the three fiends within them to keep them alive. Although they were critically ill, it was not beyond hope. Before administering potent medicine, if their lives could not withstand it, it would be better to strike them down, both Buddha and demon, with a single palm.
However, in doing so, Ji Xiang worried that the three defeated Demonic Buddhas would not be counted among the vanquished demons.
After all, they had not fully transformed into fiends. The three Buddhist cultivators were merely deluded by demonic qi, mistaking perverse and foolish methods for True Dharma, and using the wisdom of Arhats to strengthen their resolve, which paradoxically made it difficult for them to distinguish between demon and Buddha.
Buddhism referred to this state as “wrong view.” Those who held wrong views believed only in themselves, committing acts of killing and stealing without reservation, considering it the foremost righteous path in the world.
The Three Demonic Buddhas, having ingested a large amount of Mani Raging Flames, let out sounds of satisfied comfort.
Their nearly depleted bodies regained vitality, and their True Dharma reappeared, bolstering their might. They then looked towards the distant temple, controlling the Mani Raging Flames in return, and jointly attacked the divine demon phantom!
“Our strength has been restored!”
“Those who disturb my Buddha-heart, kill, kill, kill!”
The Three Demonic Buddhas simultaneously extended three fingers, iron fingers piercing the sky, carrying the Mani Raging Flames!
“Ichanta!”
Disbelief in cause and effect, slander of Mahayana!
Severing the roots of goodness of all sentient beings, opening the gates of Avici!
They never used demonic power. From the very beginning, they had only used their demonic nature to wield Buddhist magical powers, supplemented by the Buddha’s True Dharma.
Mara Parjanya once said to Shakyamuni, “I will have my descendants don your kasaya, mingle among your disciples, destroy your lineage, misinterpret your scriptures, disrupt your rules, and cause my demonic descendants to assume form as if they were formless, leading sentient beings into the realm of evil views.”
With the surge of True Dharma, the Three Demonic Buddhas opened the gates of Avici Hell. The power of the Dharma realm descended upon the mortal world, intending to drag everything it encountered into the abyss of endless suffering!
“Go to hell and repent to my Buddha!”
The Demonic Buddhas’ voices were arrogant, looking down on heaven and earth: “You should not have given us the opportunity to recover our strength!”
“Jade Pure Heavenly Demon, you are arrogant!”
“Die!”
The Three Demonic Buddhas’ expressions were agitated. The gates of Avici Hell severed a portion of heaven and earth, and all souls were destined to fall into it. As for the death of mortals, in the minds of the Three Demonic Buddhas, it was no longer important. In fact, in their current understanding, a simple posthumous salvation would be considered an act of great compassion, saving suffering humanity!
Due to the “wrong view” brought about by the demonic obstruction, the heart of True Dharma was obscured, yin and yang were inverted, and good and evil were commingled.
Unexpectedly, a cold voice from the divine demon phantom echoed through heaven and earth:
“Close.”
The next moment, a ferocious ghost face flashed across heaven and earth. The almost-opened gates of Avici Hell slammed shut, twisting into a point of light, and vanishing in an instant into the vast crevices of heaven and earth, never to be seen again!
And the divine demon phantom, at this moment, shook its crimson divine banner!
In the void of heaven and earth, a faint voice sounded:
“Imperial Heaven’s Retribution!”
Ji Xiang’s third divine power from the two great immortal artifacts, the Imperial Heaven Banner and Staff, could unleash the hatred of heaven, destroying the opponent’s essence and spirit!
The Three Demonic Buddhas were enveloped by the crimson and white light. Their divine power was vast, like a celestial canopy descending! The Buddha’s True Dharma instantly collapsed and disintegrated. Even the three possessed eminent monks suffered bleeding from all seven orifices, their lives hanging by a thread!
The Buddhist Dharma dissolved, the thunderous sounds dissipated, leaving only surging demonic qi!
The pure golden Buddhist light that was shaken transformed into malevolent demonic energy. The human portion within the Three Demonic Buddhas was severely damaged, their forms and spirits destroyed. The exposed second forms and spirits naturally belonged to the fiends.
The forms of three young Chasing Demon Kings appeared, instantly occupying the positions previously displayed by the Three Demonic Buddhas.
The change was thus produced. The peculiarity of it was akin to a rabbit suddenly transforming into an elephant, but regardless of how the outer appearance changed, its strength and bodily functions remained that of a rabbit.
“Ah! No, not fully transformed, forced out!”
The fiends cried out in terror. They had not yet grown into their complete forms; they were merely half-finished products, yet they were easily pulled out by the Jade Pure Heavenly Demon with supreme Dharma.
But they were naturally extremely fearful. They were not fools. This Jade Pure Heavenly Demon claimed to feed on fiends. They had always possessed Buddhist cultivators, but when had they ever been considered prey by other fiends?
Thus, they were defiant yet terrified, threatening and rebuking: “You have harmed the Buddha Dharma. The forms and spirits of these Arhats are destroyed, their essence extinguished, all to drag us out. Buddha will not forgive your arrogant actions. Even if you eat us, you will be harmed by Buddhism.”
His words carried a prophetic power, as if able to predict the fortune or misfortune of subsequent events. However, Ji Xiang scoffed, shaking the divine banner. The fiend’s body immediately cracked, filling it with terror and dread.
“All you minor demons, using curses as a refined art, truly laughable!”
Ji Xiang himself did not know the art of cursing.
But he was a superior Heavenly Demon. Although he could not perform magical curses, he could perform physical curses, and they took effect very quickly.
If you cannot solve a curse, solve the person casting it.
A mere trivial art!
With that, he wielded the divine banner!
The sounds of the Jade Pure Heavenly Demon manifested:
“Raising the banner in anticipation, hearing the vast heavens, announcing to all spirits, manifesting the hidden and the visible, gods and spirits gaze from afar!”
At the direction of the divine banner, the three fiends twisted and deformed, re-transformed into three streams of demonic qi, and were absorbed into the crimson divine banner, directly refined, dissolved into tangible Dharma, and extinguished in the place of demon subjugation!
The remaining three old monks fell to the ground with closed eyes. The demonic qi had dissipated, but everything they had gained as Arhats was shattered. Their cultivation levels plummeted, and all the profound insights of the Buddhist path were dispersed. Fortunately, they retained their Nascent Soul cultivation, and would have to cultivate anew from the beginning.
However, their forms and spirits were destroyed, so their physical bodies now only retained the appearance of “humans.”
Their facial features were lost, and even their inherent characteristics vanished, like three newly made puppets. Without forms and spirits, they had no outward appearance. If not repaired quickly, their physical bodies would soon begin to decay.
The other numerous Buddhist disciples, corrupted by demons, saw this and attempted to flee, but Ji Xiang, using the same method, immobilized them all!
“Shatter!”
The single word of Heavenly Demon sound!
In an instant, the Mani Raging Flames burned the bodies of the Buddhist cultivators. The demonic heads were forcibly fed by Buddhist flames. Once the demonic heads were forced out, they were then destroyed in form and spirit by Imperial Heaven’s Retribution, and finally, the crimson divine banner concluded the matter, subduing all demons and absorbing them into the banner, becoming sustenance for the Jade Pure Heavenly Demon!
However, what possessed these disciples was not Chasing Demon qi, but ordinary demonic qi from other fiends. These were of varying quality, many not even strong demons. Even if they grew, they might not be able to completely possess their hosts.
After subduing the demons, Ji Xiang suddenly felt a resonance!
It was as if telling Ji Xiang that the first batch of demons had been subdued, and thus the formal cultivation of the Demon Subjugation Chapter could begin!
The Inner Scenery Divine Tablet displayed text, informing Ji Xiang of the sudden resonance he felt:
[Demon Subjugation Chapter (Cultivating): Jade Pure Hidden Book Lesson Twelve. After subduing sufficient demons, Lesson Thirteen can be learned.]
[Demon Subjugation Chapter (First Level)! Kill ten demons at the Nascent Soul level or above to reach the second level!]
[Current number of Nascent Soul demons killed: Three!]
[After subduing a certain number of demons, a resonance will appear in the heart, gradually growing larger. This resonance is called “Reverse Qiankun.”]
[Reverse Qiankun (Cultivating to Lesson Thirteen, Divine Power Chapter, one can obtain this method): The Jade Pure Heavenly Demon will have a premonition about an upcoming event. If this event can be sensed, then the outcome of this matter can be interfered with and altered by human means. If an event is about to happen and there is no resonance, then this matter cannot be altered by human means. To rashly interfere is an act of defying heaven, and failure to interfere will result in heavenly tribulation punishment.]
[The Jade Pure Heavenly Demon is a Trial Divine King and must not engage in acts of defying heaven!]