System Possession, One Sword Shocks the Gods

87: Inner Demon TribulationThat demonic thought came too abruptly and too cunningly! It did not directly attack Ye Chen’s consciousness; instead, like the most devious parasite, it instantly merged into the slight ripples of his mind caused by the Breakthrough, transforming into countless fragmented, malicious, and seductive whispers that echoed directly in the depths of his Soul!

”Look... this endless power... the stars shine for you, the earth fire burns for you... devour them! Devour everything! You were originally the Sword Venerable who wields the end; all things are but food for you! Why suppress it? Why hold on?”

”Those ant-like Mortals, those hypocritical members of the Righteous Path... are they worth your protection? Look at the tragic state of Liuyun City! Power! Only absolute power can control everything and prevent tragedy from repeating! Let go of your restraints and release your true nature!”

”What is the Shadow Demon Lord? What is the Dark Hall? If you wish, the guixu sword can devour everything! Become a new Demonic Lord, or even surpass one, and dominate this world. Wouldn’t that be delightful?”

”Hold onto your sword heart? Ridiculous! A sword is inherently a tool of slaughter; destruction is its ultimate destination! Your so-called protection is merely an excuse for the weak! Look at this Furnace—the strong prey on the weak, and Laws collide. This is the truth of the Universe!”

Countless thoughts filled with negative emotions and twisted logic struck Ye Chen’s defensive line of will like a tide. They did not arise from nothing; they took the fear, anger, resentment, and desire for power hidden deep within his heart, amplified and distorted them infinitely, and then fed them back to him!

This was a Heart Demon! It was one of the most perilous tribulations on the path of cultivation! Especially within this Furnace where myriad Laws were in Chaos and the dark side of one’s heart was easily triggered, its power was amplified several times over!

Ye Chen’s newly broken-through aura instantly became erratic, his face flickering between light and dark. The Nirvana Sword Intent around him, which had been stabilizing, began to fluctuate violently. At times, it erupted with a greedy desire to devour, and at others, it fell into a madness to destroy everything. Within that dark chaotic light, an ominous hint of dark red faintly appeared!

His Physical Body was already riddled with scars from the impact of chaotic energy. Now, with the Heart Demon causing trouble, he was beset by troubles from both within and without, and his situation was critical!

”Get out!”

Ye Chen let out a low growl like a wild beast, clutching his head tightly with both hands, his nails sinking deep into his scalp as blood trickled down from his forehead. He desperately channeled the ancient sword phantasm deep within his Soul, attempting to suppress the Heart Demon with the supreme will of a Sword Venerable.

However, the Heart Demon was like a maggot in his bones, entangled with his own thoughts, making them indistinguishable from one another. Although the light of the ancient sword phantasm could dispel a portion of it, it could not eradicate the source that originated from his own emotions and desires.

”Resistance is futile... accept it... this is the true you...” The whispers of the Heart Demon became increasingly rampant, even beginning to manifest various illusions—

He saw images of his parents dying tragically under the butcher knives of the Dark Hall; he saw Liuyun City reduced to ruins amidst demonic shadows; he saw Liu Qingfeng, Yun Canghai, and others lying in pools of blood; he saw himself holding Guixu, yet only able to watch everything happen, powerless to change it... ”See! Without power, you can protect nothing! Embrace devouring, embrace destruction, and only then will you possess the power to protect everything!” the Heart Demon issued a sharp, seductive lure.

Intense anger, hatred, and a sense of powerlessness nearly consumed Ye Chen. The Nirvana Sword Intent around him erupted uncontrollably, turning into streaks of violent dark chaotic Sword Qi that slashed madly and indiscriminately in all directions, throwing the surrounding chaotic energy into complete disarray!

The guixu sword emitted an anxious hum, trying to soothe its master, but it was flicked away by the out-of-control Sword Intent.

Seeing that Ye Chen’s will was about to be completely eroded by the Heart Demon, causing him to fall into the Demonic Path and be beyond redemption—

At this critical moment!

In the depths of his Soul, at the core of that ancient sword phantasm that had remained silent—the one representing the Origin of the Myriad Worlds Sword Venerable—a faint but incredibly pure ”Spiritual Light” that seemed capable of illuminating eternal darkness suddenly lit up!

This was not power, but a kind of... ”enlightenment”!

It was the ultimate realization of the essence of the ”sword” and the meaning of ”protection” after experiencing endless Reincarnations and witnessing the birth and death of eras!

Fragmented yet incredibly clear images, accompanied by that spark of Spiritual Light, flooded into Ye Chen’s consciousness, which was nearly submerged by demonic thoughts—

It was not destruction and slaughter, but a sword strike that pushed aside galaxies to guide a wandering civilization home; a sword fall that severed Karma to eliminate world-ending disasters; a sword spanning the sky, protecting billions upon billions of living beings as they continued the spark of life on the edge of Guixu... A sword can be a symbol of destruction, or it can be... a beacon of civilization, a hope that carves out new life amidst Nirvana!

”My sword is not for destruction, but for protection.”

”My Nirvana is not for the end, but for the beginning of new life.”

”Power is neither good nor evil; it only depends on the heart of the one wielding the sword.”

”If one wields slaughter for the sake of protection, then this heart... is the Righteous Path!”

”If one falls into the Demonic Path due to fear, even with power that reaches the heavens, one is but a slave to that power!”

The grand realization, like a divine revelation, instantly cleansed all the whispers of demonic thoughts! That spark of Spiritual Light expanded rapidly, turning into a stream of pure, flawless Sword Intent that flowed through Ye Chen’s entire body!

The originally violent and out-of-control Nirvana Sword Intent, under the harmonization of this Sword Intent stream containing the true meaning of ”protection” and ”new life,” quickly calmed and withdrew. The dark chaotic light no longer appeared tyrannical; instead, it became deeper and more vast, like a night sky embracing a sea of stars. The dark red devouring patterns interspersed within also shed their sinister nature, transforming into Dao marks that pushed Reincarnation and refined myriad Laws.

The unwilling shrieks of the Heart Demon quickly weakened and dissipated, like snow exposed to the sun.

Ye Chen slowly raised his head. His eyes no longer held the previous struggle and confusion, replaced instead by a clarity and firmness that came after washing away all impurities. His aura completely stabilized, and his cultivation at the second level of the Spiritual Gang Realm became perfectly harmonious, even more condensed and heavy than before.

He reached out, and the guixu sword let out a cheerful light hum as it landed in his palm. Upon the sword’s body, the brilliance was restrained, yet it seemed to merge as one with his heartbeat and breathing.

”So that’s how it is...” Ye Chen lightly stroked the sword’s body and murmured softly, ”Nirvana is not the end, and devouring is not the goal. To see new life within destruction, and to prove protection within slaughter—that is my sword path.”

His gaze swept over the still violent and chaotic energy around him, his expression calm. This time, he did not expand the Guixu Domain; instead, he simply sat cross-legged, allowing those energies to strike his body.

But this time, the situation was entirely different.

When those violent energies approached within three feet of him, they were influenced by an invisible and gentle Sword Intent field, becoming less aggressive. Instead, like tamed wild horses, they slowly merged into his body and were systematically refined and absorbed by the Nirvana Sword Intent, becoming nourishment for his growth.

His Physical Body was further strengthened under the washing of energy, his Meridians expanded, and the quality and quantity of spiritual power within his Dantian steadily improved. After experiencing the baptism of the Heart Demon, his Soul also became increasingly resilient and transparent, and his connection with the ancient sword phantasm grew tighter.

Time continued to flow in this Chaos.

When Ye Chen felt his own state had adjusted to its Peak and his adaptation to the third-tier environment had reached its limit, he rose again, casting his gaze toward the deeper parts of the Furnace—the energy barrier leading to the fourth tier.

The fourth tier, according to Yun Canghai’s description, was a Domain that even ordinary Earth Fiend Realm experts dared not easily set foot in, and the time flow rate reached a terrifying twenty-to-one! The pressure and level of Law Chaos within were far beyond the third tier.

But Ye Chen could feel that it held an even stronger attraction for him. He needed greater pressure to temper this sword heart and Sword Intent after their Nirvana.

”Then I shall go to this fourth tier and take a look at the scenery.”

Holding Guixu, he took a step forward, his figure turning into a determined stream of light as he boldly charged toward the fourth-tier barrier that emitted a suffocating fluctuation!

This time, he did not hesitate in the slightest. The Guixu Sword Intent was held in reserve, and his entire being seemed to transform into an indestructible sharp sword, crashing directly into that thick energy barrier!

”Boom—!!!”

Pressure and Law impacts several times stronger than before descended instantly! Ye Chen felt as if he had crashed into a divine mountain condensed from Laws, and every bone in his body let out a groan of being overburdened!

But his gaze was as sharp as a sword. The guixu sword let out a ringing sound like tearing silk, and that hint of ”Return to Nothingness” intent at the sword tip appeared once more!

”Open!”

With a low shout, the guixu sword forcefully tore a crack in that incredibly solid barrier! Ye Chen’s figure flashed and instantly vanished into it!

The fourth tier was reached!

The moment he entered, Ye Chen felt his entire body sink, as if countless great mountains were pressing down on him! The energy here was no longer a chaotic ocean but nearly solidified amber! The power of stars and the fire of the earth’s core had completely fused, turning into a heavy, seven-colored shimmering ”Law Crystal Gang”! The difference in time flow even made his thoughts seem to become sluggish!

Looking around, this space was no longer vast and boundless; instead, it appeared somewhat ”crowded.” Countless massive crystals condensed from pure Laws floated in the air, slowly colliding, merging, and splitting. Every change caused the surrounding space to distort violently!

Here, even the concept of ”space” seemed to become fragile and unstable!

Ye Chen took a deep breath, but an even more blazing Battle Intent burned in his eyes.

This was the place! This location would be the... best place for him to strike for the Earth Fiend Realm!

He found a relatively stable, dark-golden Law crystal roughly the size of a house, landed on it, and sat down cross-legged.

The guixu sword lay across his knees, and the Nirvana Sword Intent slowly spread out, beginning to attempt a deeper... Fusion and confrontation with this terrifying fourth-tier environment.

He knew that he didn’t have much time left. The Dark Hall’s counterattack could come at any moment; he had to possess enough strength to deal with everything before then!

The Earth Fiend Realm was imperative!