"Inner demon? What inner demon?"
Hearing those words, a strange glint flashed through Yi Tianxing's eyes. He wanted to ask further, but in the very next moment, he watched as Fazheng's head and body completely disintegrated, vanishing into nothingness. There wasn't even a drop of blood left, as if he had been merely a shadow, obliterated in an instant—his shadow form dissolving into nothingness.
"What a treacherous monk. He actually dared try to enlighten my husband. Serves him right—he deserved to die."
Yao Yue's face was ice-cold, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
She hadn't expected this seemingly harmonious Fazheng to have used Eight Sufferings Tea as bait to forcibly convert Yi Tianxing. Had he succeeded, it would've been a monstrous crime deserving of death by a thousand cuts. A single slash was far too merciful.
"This place is likely a reflection of Lanruo Temple. But exactly what kind, I still can't say for sure. It has already formed its own unique space and domain. The temple, these monks—there's something wrong with all of them."
Yi Tianxing took a deep breath.
"That Fazheng seemed to have something more to say. What did he mean by 'inner demon' at the end?"
Cai Yan frowned slightly.
"Whatever it is, these shadow monks no longer harbor genuine compassion. They reek of demonic aura—they've already fallen to evil."Yi Tianxing's voice was calm. Though they didn't show it outwardly, he wasn't an idiot. From the sound of their chanting, the beat of the wooden fish, he could feel it clearly—not true Buddhist aura, but something corrupted. Instead of serenity, it stirred unrest and delusion.
Clearly, something had happened here. These shadow monks not only gained consciousness, but seem to have deviated into demonic paths.
Buddha is demon; demon is Buddha.
Monks are often most susceptible to inner demons. Conversely, a demonic lord could more easily attain enlightenment than an ordinary person. Hence the saying: "Lay down your butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot."
Such sayings don't apply to petty criminals, but to peerless demon lords—those who have committed untold atrocities, slaughtered countless beings, bathed in blood. If they were to attain sudden realization through killing and chaos, they'd have already seen through all worldly illusions. Once they calm their hearts, they're far more likely to become enlightened than others.
This is why it's not surprising for the sacred halls of Buddhism to give rise to great demon lords. The cultivation of the Buddhist path lies in mental discipline, yet it's most prone to mental corruption. Once fallen, they combine the strengths of both Buddha and demon, making them even more terrifying than normal demons.
These shadow monks are even more fearsome, because they are bodies of shadow—virtually immortal, elusive, strange and unpredictable. Sever their shadow, and they instantly recover. Killing them is nearly impossible unless their consciousness and soul imprint are destroyed. That was exactly what made Fazheng so confident earlier.
Unfortunately for him, he never got the chance to use any of that. Before he could even act, he was slain by the Divine-Slaying Blade.
Otherwise, with his cultivation at the Dharma Manifestation Realm, he would've been no easy opponent.
"What do you plan to do now, husband?"
Yao Yue asked.
"This place has become a den of demons. If left alone, it will certainly cause great catastrophe. There's only one way to stop it—Kill!!"
A look of determination flashed across Yi Tianxing's face.
At that moment, without warning, a 戒刀 (戒戒刀 – Precept Blade) emerged from the teapot's shadow inside the Buddha Hall, swinging straight for Yi Tianxing's neck. The blade's gleam was razor-sharp, as if it could cut all things in half.
"Courting death!!"
From the shadows, a monk leapt out, gripping the precept blade. But gone was his compassionate demeanor—his face was cold and bloodthirsty, eyes filled with killing intent.
Clang!!
Yi Tianxing didn't dodge at all. Despite the blade's sharpness, he stood his ground. A flash of golden light—the Divine-Slaying Blade—soared forth, slashing toward the monk's neck.
"Impossible! How can your body be this strong? You're a body cultivator!"
The precept blade and the Divine-Slaying Blade struck simultaneously. The monk's head flew into the air, severed cleanly, while the precept blade only emitted a crisp clang as it struck Yi Tianxing's neck. It couldn't pierce his skin at all; instead, it rebounded violently, unable to leave even a scratch.
His physical body was stronger than the finest battle armor.
The monk's face twisted in shock—but too late. Once touched by the Divine-Slaying Blade, even gods and demons had no escape.
Crack!!
Suddenly, another monk appeared from a shadow, charging forward. In his hand was a string of pitch-black Buddhist beads, each one glowing with strange scripture. The beads merged into a black war sword, which he swung at Yi Tianxing's shadow.
Buddhism has a divine art known as Wisdom Sword (慧剑)—a sword to sever emotional attachments. The sword's sharpness lies in great wisdom, able to cut through all illusions, even love and desire.
But this so-called Wisdom Sword seemed anything but. It radiated demonic energy, projecting illusions and seeding inner demons in those who saw it. Rather than a Wisdom Sword, it was clearly a Demonic Sword.
And instead of striking Yi Tianxing, it slashed at his shadow.
A sword that severs shadows—kill the shadow, and the body perishes. No matter how strong your flesh, you'll still die. That's karma.The monk's voice brimmed with confidence.
"Whether it's Wisdom Sword or Demonic Sword, it won't work on me. The one to die... is you."
Yi Tianxing said calmly.
With that, the Divine-Slaying Blade soared again, slicing the monk's throat clean through—another head flew high.
"Your shadow…"
The severed head showed a stunned expression, eyes fixed on Yi Tianxing's shadow.
Something was wrong.
The shadow hadn't been harmed. That wasn't a real shadow—it must be fake. Otherwise, he would've taken damage. This was Shadow Kill Art—if the shadow died, the person died too.
But Yi Tianxing was completely unscathed.
Because it wasn't his real shadow.
Yi Tianxing's real shadow had long since been cut away and turned into Yi Tianxie. What the monk struck was a false illusion, utterly incapable of harming him.
"These bastard monks—all deserve death."
Yao Yue said coldly.
They walked out of the Buddha Hall.
"The monks are gone," Cai Yan frowned.
The wooden fish sounds that had constantly echoed were now gone. The temple had fallen into eerie silence—as if abandoned long ago. The monks who had been chanting beneath the Vajra Subjugating Dragon Tree had vanished.
Not a soul in sight.
"As expected. These monks are just shadow avatars. If they want to hide, there's nowhere in this entire place they can't reach. This isn't just shadow in the literal sense. The whole temple region itself is shadow."
Yi Tianxing said calmly.
If, after Fazheng's death and the fall of other monks, they still had charged forward, he would have doubted whether these monks had any true intelligence.
"Husband, what now? And… there's no exit here. How do we get out?"
Lian Xing asked as she scanned the surroundings.
"You cannot leave. This is the Shadow World. From now on… you're trapped here forever."
A cold, unwavering voice echoed from somewhere in the temple.
"Four benefactors, repent and convert. Lay down your blades and become Buddhas. Lay down your blades… become Buddhas…"
In the next moment, waves of sutra chanting flooded their ears. The sound drilled directly into their minds, burrowing without resistance, as if countless mosquitoes were buzzing in their ears, stirring intense fury and even agony.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The Soul-Calming Bell appeared above Yi Tianxing's head, emitting pure chimes that drowned out the intrusive chanting.
"Hmph. Just a shadow world—you really think you can trap me? If I want to leave, no one can stop me. But you think that means… I can't deal with you? You're dreaming."
Yi Tianxing coldly swept his gaze across the temple.
Though the chants continued, not a single monk appeared. Clearly, they had hidden in the dark, unwilling to show themselves even if it meant dying in obscurity.
And unnoticed by anyone…a sinister grin appeared on Yi Tianxing's own shadow.It had become even more solid—more lifelike.