On the Path to the Great Dao Chapter 342: Demon Excision

"We can't make a move in the mortal world!"

Granny Sha quickly stopped Blue Goat, saying, "It has to be in the underworld! Making a move in the mortal world will cause major chaos. And besides, we must find Black Pot first."

The five of them imdiately headed toward Huangpo Village.

Du Yiran said, "Should we call Chen Tang? I've heard he's also an expert."

Granny Sha shook her head. "No need. Little Tang does everything by the book. If we call him, he'll insist on a thorough plan, and there won't be any fun at all!"

Blue Goat, A Zhuo, and the other two nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, saying in unison, "He's way too boring!"

Du Yiran said, "Old Man Chen is such a free-spirited character, how did he end up with such a wooden son? Who was the mother?"

Granny Sha shook her head. "No idea. Old Man Chen had so many won... Judging from the timing of Little Tang's birth, it seems he was close to a woman from the Gao Family back then. They were together often. Later, that woman beca the Sect Leader of the Gao Family, and they separated."

Hu Xiaoliang hesitated for a mont, then said, "Around that ti, he seed to have gone to Water Moon Holy Land. I heard there were quite a few Female Bodhisattvas there who were infatuated with him too."

Blue Goat said, "I heard it was so woman among the freeholders. Later, there were rumors that it was you, Sha Qiutong, who gave birth..."

Granny Sha flew into a rage and wanted to fight him to the death.

A Zhuo and Hu Xiaoliang quickly restrained her, saying repeatedly, "Calm down, calm down!"

Du Yiran coughed and said, "I've also heard a rumor. It seems he had Little Tang with so woman from Despair Slope."

Everyone fell silent.

Granny Sha no longer wanted to fight Blue Goat either, quickly changing the subject.

When they arrived at Huangpo Village, Chen Shi wasn't ho. Chen Shi's mother said, "Little Ten should be cultivating on the yellow earth slope."

The five of them arrived at the yellow earth slope. From afar, they saw the top scholar sitting under the willow tree. A woman in white was lying with her head on his lap, and Scholar Chen was bending down to clean her ears.

The woman in white curled up, as if tickled by his touch, giggling softly and covering her ears.

Chen Shi said, "Put your hands down. Let clean them for you!"

The woman in white quickly got up, covering her ears and dodging away.

Chen Shi chased after her, laughing. "Good sister, you cleaned mine, so I have to clean yours too. That's only fair!"

The two were running around the old willow tree, frolicking, when Du Yiran coughed. The woman in white was startled, flew up in a flash, and darted into Chen Shi's small temple.

Chen Shi looked at the five of them, surprised. "Aunt Qiu Tong, Uncle Du, why are you here? Uncle A Zhuo, you've co too!"

He was overjoyed.

Beekeeper A Zhuo furrowed his brow slightly, looking confusedly at Granny Sha, Du Yiran, and the others, thinking to himself, "Little Ten calling 'uncle' is fine, but shouldn't he be calling them 'grandma' and 'grandpa'?"

His mind was pure, unaware of the stubbornness of Granny Sha and the others about being called young.

Granny Sha made a shushing gesture and said, "We've co to borrow Black Pot."

Chen Shi called out loudly, "Black Pot, Black Pot! Aunt Qiu Tong is looking for you!"

Black Pot led Nannan by the hand up to the earth slope, looking over with confusion.

Granny Sha, Du Yiran, and the other five imdiately surrounded Black Pot and said, "We have important matters to discuss."

The five of them and the dog put their heads together, talking about who knew what, occasionally glancing at Chen Shi.

Nannan squeezed in among them, listening with a serious expression, nodding and shaking her head at tis, then glancing at Chen Shi before continuing to nod or shake her head. It was unclear whether she understood anything.

Chen Shi felt uneasy. "Could Granny Sha and the others have also discovered that I'm about to turn into an evil spirit?"

For the past few days, his cultivation had stagnated, and he had been thinking about how to resolve the evil energy problem. He had even discussed it with Chen Tang, Li Tianqing, and others. However, Chen Tang and Li Tianqing's cultivation thods differed from his, so they couldn't find a solution.

He could only grope his way forward alone.

But he had keenly noticed that if he continued cultivating like this, once he reached the Unity realm and his Primordial Spirit and physical body rged, the evil energy would surge because his Primordial Spirit and physical body were connected to the external world!

Every subsequent realm after that—whether Severing the Three Corpses, Refining the Spirit, or opening the Realm of Emptiness to achieve Return to Emptiness, refining the Realm of Emptiness into the body for Great Accomplishnt—would all intensify the evil energy within him!

Continuing down this path, becoming an evil spirit was almost inevitable!

He even speculated that during the True King's Era, there must have been a group of people like him. After reaching extrely high cultivation levels, they would demonize, their bodies and Primordial Spirits undergoing mutation!

Those who took the new path could avoid this.

Just as he was lost in thought, Granny Sha, the other four, and Black Pot finished their discussion and walked over with smiles.

Granny Sha motioned for him not to speak. Black Pot barked, "Woof woof woof!"

Chen Shi understood, his heart pounding wildly. "Granny Sha and the others are going to deal with the demon inside ! They're worried the demons are eavesdropping on and will cause trouble early if they hear about the plan!"

Granny Sha looked at Black Pot, who imdiately stepped on the yin wind, howling and swirling. The next mont, Chen Shi, Granny Sha, and the other five, along with Black Pot, descended together into the underworld!

This was Chen Shi's first ti entering the underworld from the yellow earth slope. He saw that this place was a high ridge covered in rubble. It should be an ancient ruin, with collapsed palaces still visible.

The sky was filled with gloomy clouds. In the distance, enormous roots crisscrossed through the air, descending from the sky and plunging deep into the earth.

Those should be the roots of a colossal tree!

"Could these roots belong to the crooked old willow tree?"

Chen Shi's heart trembled violently. He strained his eyes to look and saw countless massive, gnarled roots entwining a giant stone tablet. The other end of the tablet was planted on the high ridge!

The collapsed palaces also seed to have one end in the underworld and one end in the mortal world!

Magnificent structures spanning both the yin and yang realms!

This scene was breathtaking, deeply shocking him!

"What is buried beneath the yellow earth slope? What identity does the stone tablet godmother have?"

Chen Shi gazed at the ancient tree roots, thick and twisted like coiled dragons, thinking to himself, "If I looked up from under the tree, could I see Scholar Zhu? And how did Scholar Zhu get up the yellow earth slope to hang himself there?"

Only upon arriving in the underworld did he suddenly realize that he might not be as familiar with his hotown as he thought.

"Little Ten, no need to look. This is what's buried beneath the yellow earth slope. Ghost gods dare not approach this place!"

Granny Sha took out Spirit-Searching Bags and distributed them to everyone. "I've refined quite a few these days. They're perfect for holding these things. Keep so extras."

The Spirit-Searching Bag was a treasure created by the Cold Migration Elders, capable of sealing demons, allowing them to be stuffed into the bag for sealing.

This kind of bag was difficult to refine and cost a lot of money. If it weren't for Red Mountain Hall and Juxian Pavilion as a foundation, Granny Sha wouldn't have been able to refine so many Spirit-Searching Bags.

Chen Shi looked around and saw so altars in the distance, about every few li. They should be Granny Sha's arrangents, though he didn't know what they were for.

Everyone hung a Spirit-Searching Bag at their waist for ergencies. Everything was ready.

Chen Shi gathered his courage and was about to speak when suddenly his chest itched. He looked down and saw a cyan claw piercing through his back, reaching into his chest, gripping his heart.

The reason he felt no pain was that this was Blue Goat's Primordial Spirit making the move.

A cultivator's Primordial Spirit stood in the void. It could directly grip the enemy's heart without damaging their clothes, skin, or muscles, plucking the heart out without leaving any visible wound on the outside.

It could even remove the enemy's brain without any external injury!

Blue Goat didn't pluck out Chen Shi's heart. It just slowly tightened its grip.

After waiting for Chen Shi's heart to stop beating, and then for a while longer, Blue Goat finally let go and withdrew its hand.

Chen Shi gasped heavily, but his heart no longer beat. Soon his vision darkened, his body swayed, and he fell to the ground with a thud.

Chen Shi's Primordial Spirit flew out of his body. Granny Sha motioned for him to leave the area imdiately.

Chen Shi imdiately flew upward, heading outward.

Just then, a sinister voice ca from behind: "...So, the Host is dead? This ti, it's finally my turn, isn't it?"

Chen Shi turned back and saw his fallen "corpse" slowly stand up again, looking around, confused. "This place is... the underworld?"

Granny Sha called out loudly, "Little Ten, leave this place now!"

Chen Shi sped away like the wind, rushing outward with Black Pot. Behind him, the voice grew even more puzzled: "How did I return to the underworld? Sothing must be wrong here... But in the underworld, my growth rate is even faster!"

Chen Shi flew swiftly, covering dozens of li in monts. He looked back and saw his "corpse's" head suddenly split open like a flower, blooming. Its neck rotated as the head grew into a massive demonic flower!

"What a good body! What a truly good physical body! I can unleash my full strength!"

His "corpse" let out a piercing, harsh laugh. Its physical body rapidly expanded, growing larger, reaching several zhang in height in monts.

"Boom!"

Demonic light shot up from the petal-like head into the sky, a brilliant curtain spreading in all directions across the heavens.

"The coverage of the demonic transformation is larger than expected!"

Granny Sha suddenly cried out in alarm. "This demon is stronger than any we've encountered before! Make your move! Black Pot, stay and help!"

By Chen Shi's side, Black Pot imdiately turned around and charged back.

At the sa ti, Chen Shi rushed forward with all speed, flying like the wind. But above his head, the light curtain ford by demonic light was gradually catching up to him!

His heart skipped a beat. He looked down and saw the altars Granny Sha had arranged passing beneath him.

"Did Granny Sha painstakingly arrange these altars outside the demonic domain, or inside it?" He felt a sense of foreboding.

If they were inside the demonic domain, that was fine. But if they were outside, then the demonic domain had already expanded beyond these altars!

In other words, all of Granny Sha's painstaking arrangents were utterly useless!

"Granny Sha must have realized this too, which is why she asked Black Pot to stay and help."

Chen Shi thought to himself, "With Black Pot's help, everything should be fine. Besides, Granny Sha can summon my soul back and stuff it back into my body to suppress those demon heads!"

He relaxed, lightning bursting from beneath his feet. His speed increased greatly, leaving the light curtain of demonic light behind!

Behind him, the demonic domain ford by the transformation had already expanded beyond a hundred li, reaching over two hundred li!

This demon was indeed stronger than those that could only evolve a hundred li!

It was a demon evolving toward calamity, already two-tenths of the way through its evolution!

A rumbling vibration ca from behind Chen Shi. The great curtain of demonic light fell from the sky and suddenly closed, trapping Granny Sha, A Zhuo, and the others underneath!

"Whoosh—"

On the high ridge, sinister winds suddenly howled, blowing in fiercely. Rolling demonic energy turned into black smoke, flying into the demonic light curtain. That demon was absorbing the demonic energy from the world, strengthening itself!

"Boom!"

Intense vibrations ca from within the demonic domain. Blue Goat struck first, transforming into a peerless giant goat charging at the demonized "Chen Shi"!

Its size was enormous. With its head lowered for the charge, even a mountain would collapse under its impact!

"Chen Shi" was only two or three zhang tall, but he raised both hands, firmly receiving the charge without moving an inch.

From the large flower blooming on "Chen Shi's" head, countless stans danced, growing rapidly. They actually tied up Blue Goat's pair of horns, swung it around, and slamd it down hard, causing the ground to tremble!

This high ridge was made of so unknown material. Hit by Blue Goat, which was the size of a mountain, it only emitted beams of yellow light without suffering any damage.

"Chen Shi" leaped into the air, dodging Hu Xiaoliang's attack, and endured the full force of Granny Sha's horn-shaped Underworld Lamp attack. He only swayed slightly, failing to have his demonic soul blasted out of his body by Granny Sha.

Du Yiran held an axe in one hand and a chisel in the other, both different magic treasures. As his technique moved, axe shadows and chisel shadows appeared all around "Chen Shi," attacking him from every direction!

He had exceptional skill in spatial arts, unmatched by anyone. The techniques he launched from a distance would appear right next to his opponent, catching them off guard.

However, before these axe lights and chisel strikes could land on "Chen Shi," countless stans erged from his head, eting them from above, below, left, and right, blocking all of Du Yiran's attacks!

At the sa ti, A Zhuo rged his Realm of Emptiness with his physical body, containing overwhelming magical power within his flesh, confronting "Chen Shi" head-on!

Blue Goat and Hu Xiaoliang imdiately regrouped and charged in from the left and right.

Du Yiran intensified his attacks as much as possible, limiting the stans from "Chen Shi's" head so they wouldn't attack the others.

Granny Sha let out a fierce shout, manifesting the Imperial Maiden's true form, activating the Supre Eight Trigrams Body Protection Art. She expanded the water-fire domain she had comprehended, using water and fire to refine "Chen Shi's" demonic soul. At the sa ti, she struck the horn-shaped Underworld Lamp, causing its light to surge, bombarding "Chen Shi."

Finally, "Chen Shi's" demonic soul wavered.

Everyone's spirits lifted, and they pressed the attack with all their might.

Granny Sha shouted repeatedly. The Imperial Maiden raised the horn-shaped Underworld Lamp, its fla expanding hundreds of zhang. The light blasted out, forcing "Chen Shi's" demonic soul out of his body!

Black Pot took the opportunity to pounce, biting the demonic soul and pulling outward with all its strength, dragging the demonic soul out of Chen Shi's corpse!

Du Yiran imdiately stepped forward, raised his Spirit-Searching Bag, stuffed the demonic soul into the bag, and tied the opening tightly.

Chen Shi's corpse lay face up, fallen to the ground.

The demonic domain that had been covering two hundred li gradually faded, slowly dispersing.

Granny Sha quickly said, "My arrangent went wrong. Those altars should have been placed further out. I'll go move them—"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Chen Shi's corpse, lying face up on the ground, suddenly laughed. Then it stood up stiffly, shaking its head. "After years of waiting, today is finally the day."

It clasped its hands behind its back. Without moving its body, its head rotated a full circle, taking in everyone present, including Black Pot.

Granny Sha said with concern, "Be gentle with Little Ten's body. Don't snap his neck!"

"Chen Shi" paid no attention. As if it had no bones, it rotated another half circle. Its neck stretched, and its head spun a full one and a half circles before returning to its original position. It praised, "This physical body has been refined quite well. You call us demons. We are born from the demonic nature of the underworld. We are the true masters of all things in the underworld. Unfortunately, we are different from ghosts and such underworld creatures. They have bodies. We don't. Because they have bodies, it's easier for them to enter the mortal world. Without bodies, we can only stay in the underworld. But now..."

It revealed a sinister smile. "I finally have a body!"

"Whoosh—"

Its expression beca wildly excited. Dozens of imnsely thick arms suddenly grew from its back, plunging into the barrier between the yin and yang realms. With a fierce roar, it tore open the boundary between the two realms and escaped from the underworld!

Granny Sha was stunned. She quickly called out, "Black Pot, chase him!"

Black Pot stirred up the yin wind, blowing past everyone with a whoosh, bringing them all back to the mortal world.

Du Yiran shouted loudly, "We can't let him expand his demonic domain and perform demonic transformation, or countless people will die!"

Blue Goat said furiously, "Sha Qiutong, your arrangents were completely useless!"

"Ha ha ha!"

"Chen Shi's" laughter ca from afar. He looked like a big ape with dozens of arms, leaping and bounding between mountaintops, fleeing into the distance.

"I'm free!" "Chen Shi" called out.

Chen Shi had already arrived beneath the gnarled, intertwined roots of the old willow tree. Looking up at this massive giant, he carefully examined the stone tablet, thinking to himself, "No wonder I could never dig this stone tablet out. It's planted in the underworld and entwined by roots, so it can't be dug up."

He looked up at the scene in the mortal world and could vaguely see the towering tree canopy. His heart stirred. "This willow tree really does connect directly to the mortal world!"

He even saw Scholar Zhu hanging from the tree, like a thousand-zhang giant who had hanged himself.

Just as Chen Shi was stunned, he unconsciously turned around and saw his own corpse escaping back to the mortal world.