The core of the Eight Trigrams Formation is to ensnare. As Pei Xuanjing's realm advanced, his understanding of this sword technique became even more refined. The so-called trap was no longer just a simple, tangible spatial constraint, but also an intangible bondage.
Take this moment, for instance. Even if someone could shatter the spatial command of the Eight Trigrams Formation and grasp the fleeting opportunity to escape during the reformation of shattered space, the power that composed the Eight Trigrams space wouldn't cease to exist. In that instant, the eight forces would fuse with the opponent, entwining them, making it impossible to expel in a short amount of time.
It is important to note that the Eight Trigrams Formation was constructed with Heaven and Earth Essence Qi and Pei Xuanjing's sword qi. As long as the sword qi wasn't worn down or the connection to the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi utterly severed, then within this timeframe, the Eight Trigrams Formation could reassemble and create a new spatial configuration to ensnare the opponent once more.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye, from the emergence of the malevolent god, to its betrayal and assault, and finally to Pei Xuanjing's subjugation of it.
After trapping the malevolent god, Pei Xuanjing no longer focused on it. No matter how furiously it rebuked or roared, he viewed it only as the whining of a defeated dog, not worthy to be mentioned.
With a wave of his sleeve, he once again brought Qingxu Taoist to his side and said, "I had mentioned earlier that there is a way to recover the losses of your True Martial Sect. Do you remember?"
At this moment, the divine power still emanated from Pei Xuanjing, who seemed more like a god king wielding authority, high above the firmament, rather than the Taoist from Shenxiao Mountain who had been solely focused on pursuing the Tao.
Sensing the might and the manner of speech coming from Pei Xuanjing, Qingxu Taoist, who had also refined and controlled a divine position, clearly understood Pei Xuanjing's current state.
"I, of course, remember. Please, Zhen King, employ your divine abilities, and I shall offer my full cooperation," Qingxu Taoist responded, adjusting his address from 'True Man' and 'National Preceptor' to that of 'Jade Purity True Monarch,' which was a way of addressing gods and deities.
"Good!" A satisfied look flickered across Pei Xuanjing's dignified eyes as he nodded slightly and said, "This malevolent god harbors ill will because it is influenced by a spirit of slaughter. Now, I can erase its intelligence, and your True Martial Sect can select another to merge with it, naturally assuming this divine position."
After experiencing all of this, Pei Xuanjing had a complete understanding of the True Martial Sect's Zhenwu Plan, the core of which was to replace gods with humans.
In such a situation, since the True Spirit of Master Sanfeng, originally fused with the malevolent god, couldn't be controlled, Pei Xuanjing thought the solution was simple: just erase its intelligence and let another cultivator's True Spirit merge with it to assume the divine position.
At least, for someone of Pei Xuanjing's current power, while the task wouldn't be considered trivial, it also wasn't particularly difficult; it would just require a bit of thought.
"You, you dare to erase my intelligence! This is a blasphemy against the gods; you will certainly incur divine retribution," the malevolent god, originally struggling and angrily rebuking, cried out in horror when it heard Pei Xuanjing's words.
The gods, representing Heaven on Earth, hold authority that is favored and watched over by the Will of Heaven and Earth. Their deaths naturally displease Heaven and Earth, and the killing of ordinary or less powerful gods generally doesn't have much impact.
But the more control a god has over authority, the more attention they receive from Heaven and Earth, and their death as such results in the slayer also facing rejection and punishment from Heaven and Earth.
Of course, this does not mean that the killing of weaker gods goes unpunished. The saying 'many a little makes a mickle' applies; the wanton killing of a large number of gods would also result in the malice and punishments of Heaven and Earth.
For the gods, whether they are Innate Gods or enfeoffed deities, they have all received the favor and attention of celestial intent. As long as they comply with the operation of Heaven and Earth, representing the Tao on behalf of Heaven, then they will always be partly protected by Heaven and Earth.
However, should a god or deity go against the Will of Heaven and Earth and fail to fulfill their duties, they will lose the favor and protection of Heaven and Earth. Under such circumstances, the death of a god or deity will not provoke the rejection or punishment from Heaven and Earth; in fact, executing a malevolent god or deity might even earn celestial rewards.
The malevolent god before them might not meet the expectations of Pei Xuanjing and his group, but it was undeniable that it was an Innate God borne from the divine embryo that the True Martial Sect had created at great cost, even holding a position as high as that of the True Martial Emperor. The blessings of the Will of Heaven and Earth and the authority it wielded were significant, and at times of flourishing Qi Luck, it could even be referred to as a 'Child of Heaven and Earth.'
Typically, for such an Innate malevolent god, who has yet to truly harm Heaven and Earth and has not exhausted its celestial favor, a rash killing would certainly draw the disdain and rejection of Heaven and Earth and might lead to divine retribution due to the death of an Innate God.
"Actually, the best approach would be to let you go, wait for you to harm Heaven and Earth, gradually losing the protection and Qi Luck from Heaven and Earth, and then suppress and execute you. At that time, not only would there be no celestial punishment, but there would also be a reward," Pei Xuanjing said coldly, his voice devoid of any emotion.
"However, I am unwilling," he continued, his voice turning authoritative as it echoed between Heaven and Earth, "I have always acted according to my heart. Why should I rely on others, and I cannot allow you, this malevolent god, to harm Heaven and Earth. Such a deceitful act is not something I can condone. It is not my way of the Divine Tao."
Cultivators cultivate not only their Qi, Spirit, Body, and reach the level of Golden Core or follow the Spirit Divine Tao, but they also follow their true heart.
At Pei Xuanjing's level, their every word and deed originates from their true heart, aligning with their own Tao and will. Lies can deceive others and even Heaven and Earth, but they cannot deceive one's own heart.
No matter how powerful or authoritative a cultivator becomes, once their actions betray their heart, they risk halting their progress or even dissipating their cultivation and meeting their demise.
Allowing the malevolent god to expend its heavenly grace by committing evil, waiting for it to lose the protection of Heaven and Earth before executing and erasing its intelligence, is indeed the most favorable approach. However, it is not in line with Pei Xuanjing's heart, and he cannot reconcile with this.
Even though Pei Xuanjing has relentlessly executed countless throughout his journey, he does not agree with using innocent lives as pawns and letting a malevolent god wreak havoc upon the world.
It may seem hypocritical to some, but this is Pei Xuanjing's true heart, undeniable.
"Zhen King!" Qingxu Taoist cried out in alarm.
His face was filled with horror, and although he did not understand why Pei Xuanjing was willing to pay such a heavy price to help them, he also wanted to stop him.
Pei Xuanjing's existence was too important now, not only concerning the Shenxiao Sect and the Taoist School, but also related to the entire Great Ming world.
With the merging of the worlds, the original beings of the Daming World were to face the overwhelming domination of the Sky Wasteland, unable to resist at all. However, due to Pei Xuanjing's existence, those forces from the Sky Wasteland were deterred, which earned the beings of the Daming World their peace, leading to today's stability.
Therefore, after learning of this possibility, Qingxu Taoist showed a hesitant look. Indeed, he truly wished to salvage the situation, to subjugate the deity, but definitely not at the cost of Pei Xuanjing sustaining severe injuries.
"Foolish words, there is no need for you to worry about anything, I am fully confident," Pei Xuanjing said, completely ignoring the previous concern, confidently stating, "Next, I shall take action to suppress the opponent, and then erase their sapience. What you need to do is decide who among you will make the sacrifice to merge with this deity."
Seeing Pei Xuanjing so decisive and still brimming with confidence, Qingxu Taoist also temporarily suppressed his own anxieties.
"If that's the case, let me do it myself!" Qingxu Taoist did not tell others about this matter, choosing to take on the responsibility himself.
He did not know how assured Pei Xuanjing was, nor did he know the probability of success in merging with the deity after erasing the evil deity's sapience, but he decided to do it himself.
When you occupy a position, naturally, you have to bear its responsibility.
As the Sect Leader of the True Martial Sect, Qingxu Taoist wielded the authority of the sect, respected by thousands of disciples, enjoying power, and naturally, he also needed to assume the corresponding responsibility.
Of course, he was aware that with his prestige within the True Martial Sect, even without him speaking up, just by bringing up this matter, the disciples of the True Martial Sect would volunteer, competing with each other to do it.
But Qingxu Taoist would not do so. The disciples of the True Martial Sect could make sacrifices, but it was not for him to allow them to do so, especially since at this stage of the Zhenwu Plan, he, as the Sect Leader, also needed to take on the greatest responsibility. Since that was the case, let him make the sacrifice!
"Good!" Pei Xuanjing nodded his head.
He did not persuade or explain the possible consequences that could happen, for although he had made clear the reasons and knew what to do, the final outcome was actually not absolutely certain.
And Qingxu Taoist's willingness to attempt it personally was, in Pei Xuanjing's view, actually the optimal choice, since based on the latter's power and realm, he was the most suitable person from the True Martial Sect.
"Are you really willing to risk the threat of divine punishment and act against the heavens?" Seeing Pei Xuanjing's attitude, the evil deity's expression changed drastically, and he said sternly, "You and I are of the same origin, why do you have to be so aggressively oppressive?"
Unfortunately, his rage and words meant nothing to Pei Xuanjing. He completely ignored what was said, not even interested in responding.
Divine Power circulated, the Divine Position of Jade Purity True Monarch was fully activated, and Pei Xuanjing's Sanbao Jade Ruyi in his hand shone with dazzling light, emitting terrifying energy.
The Sanbao Jade Ruyi floated in space, bursting with blinding light, and then Pei Xuanjing's pair of white and slender palms danced in the void, his fingers flicking lightly, as mysterious Talismans formed out of thin air.
He stepped on Gang steps, each step releasing an aura of profundity, embodying the Will of Heaven and Earth, as if merging with heaven and earth, holding authority in hand.
"Decree!"
Pei Xuanjing's roar was like thunder, resounding majestically and spreading in all directions. Following his shout, it was as if his figure grew millions of feet tall, standing erect like the shadow of a deity between heaven and earth.
With this cry, the light from the Sanbao Jade Ruyi grew even brighter, gushing out like the water of the Heavenly River above the nine heavens, instantly covering the Eight Trigrams formation space that trapped the evil deity.
"Ahhhh…"
Once the light enveloped the Eight Trigrams formation space, the struggling evil deity inside immediately let out a crazed scream as if it had encountered some ferocious flood or beast.
Indeed, it was not surprising that the opponent felt such pain for the divine power Pei Xuanjing had displayed was no simple feat.
In his last projection simulation of human life, Pei Xuanjing had established his Divine Court. As the master of the Divine Court, he naturally possessed the power to restrain gods, for how else could he command a multitude of deities?
This divine power had little effect on ordinary cultivators, but it innately restrained deities, created specifically to obliterate the wisdom of gods.
An Innate Deity, birthed from the primordial, even if it was an evil one, was still under the blessing of heaven and earth before losing its divine favor. When harmed, heaven and earth would naturally react.
Boom!
The firmament trembled, the sky darkened, and clouds thickened. Lightning flashed and thunder roared as the will of heaven and earth began to watch over this place, as if the entire world was issuing a warning about the impending annihilation of this Innate God.
The rich power of thunder began to gather, followed by a huge black lightning bolt streaking across the sky, bringing with it oppressive currents and storms.
The terrifying aura descended upon Pei Xuanjing, the instigator of it all, as if warning him to cease his actions.
"Would this Supreme Being shrink back for this reason?" Pei Xuanjing scorned the warning conveyed by the will of heaven and earth in his heart.
Far from thinking of retreat, he faced the difficulty head-on. Divine power surged more mightily, emitting even greater radiance that enveloped the evil deity.
"Now, by the decree of Jade Purity True Monarch, Emperor of the South Pole Eternal Life, I strip away its spirit and wisdom…" Pei Xuanjing murmured, each word he spoke solidifying like golden rules and jade decrees into written characters. These characters danced and arranged themselves in the void in front of him, eventually forming a line of Shenwen talismans and culminating into a purple-gold divine edict.
Pei Xuanjing reached out for the Sanbao Jade Ruyi, placed it upon the purple-gold divine edict, and then it descended into the hands of Qingxu Taoist.
"Take this divine edict, let your Yin Spirit merge with it, and enter the divine body of this evil god. It will aid you in suppressing the evil deity's spirit and wisdom, and taking control of the divine body," Pei Xuanjing's voice sounded in the ears of Qingxu Taoist.
"I understand, many thanks to the True King," with no hesitation, Qingxu Taoist felt the terrifying power of the purple-gold divine edict in his hands and decisively did as Pei Xuanjing had said.
His Yin Spirit flew out, enveloped by the purple-gold divine edict, piercing through space directly into the Eight Trigrams formation space, and then rushed into the divine body of the evil deity.
On a certain mountain peak of Shenxiao Mountain, Pei Xuanjing sat cross-legged on a cloud bed, surrounded by a thick and substantial-like essence Qi of Heaven and Earth.
His eyes were slightly closed, and the Sanbao Jade Ruyi resting on his knees radiated light, enveloping him entirely. Although he made no move at the moment, the imposing aura emanating from him was impossible to ignore.
"Deities are born innate; their foundation and core are the authority of Heaven and Earth. Without authority and laws, even with a divine body, they can no longer exert sufficient power," Pei Xuanjing reflected in his heart.
At that time, more than a month had passed since he had suppressed the evil god who claimed to be the Zhenwu Damo Heavenly Sovereign Xuandi at the Taihe Mountain True Martial Sect. After stripping away the evil god's spiritual wisdom with divine power, and with the decree of Jade Purity True Monarch to help Qingxu Taoist gain control of that divine body, Pei Xuanjing left the True Martial Sect and returned to Shenxiao Mountain.
This trip to Shenxiao Mountain was greatly beneficial for Pei Xuanjing. He had witnessed the process of the divine birth of Innate Gods and, afterward, the removal of their authority and laws, which allowed him to understand the Innate Gods even better.
"Innate birth; existence and life are naturally granted. In the case of Deities, these so-called Innate Gods simply exist; they are born from the origin of Heaven and Earth," Pei Xuanjing had a new enlightenment in his heart. "Thus, these Innate Gods were not actually created by the True Martial Sect, but rather it seemed as if Heaven and Earth used the Sect to nurture and manifest them. The later transformation into an evil god was indeed a misstep. If not for Master Sanfeng's True Spirit tainted with the aura of slaughter, perhaps an Innate God could indeed have been born."
Pei Xuanjing reviewed everything that had happened and thoroughly understood the process and its oversights. However, these were not important. Right now, there were two matters of utmost importance to Pei Xuanjing.
"Even the evil god, whose favor from heaven had not yet been lost, once I erased his spiritual wisdom, truly incurred the disdain of Heaven and Earth. Even with my status as the Jade Purity True Monarch and the favor of the Will of Heaven and Earth, I could not completely counteract it," Pei Xuanjing murmured to himself.
In the palm of his left hand was a shallow scar about an inch long, the price he paid for forcibly erasing the evil god's spiritual wisdom—a Heavenly Dao scar.
This Heavenly Dao wound was a Dao injury, not easy to dispel. For ninety-nine percent of cultivators between Heaven and Earth, it was a wound beyond repair, one that would exist forever, indelible.
Of course, Pei Xuanjing was not among them. With his power and realm, there was little in the world that could harm him, even the will of Heaven and Earth itself could hardly inflict severe damage on Pei Xuanjing.
For others, a Dao injury from Heavenly Dao damage might be impossible to remove, but for Pei Xuanjing, who had control over the Small Thousand World of the Longevity World, it was not truly insoluble. With the power of the Longevity World, all he needed to do was calm his mind and spend time to easily heal this Dao injury.
Yet Pei Xuanjing did not rush to do so; instead, he endured the temporary weakening of his strength as a consequence of keeping this Dao injury on his body. Because after truly bearing this injury, he made a significant discovery, which pertained to the other most important matter for him at this time.
Although the injury brought severe damage, Pei Xuanjing also noticed that it was honing his body, making the flesh carved by the minute injuries even tougher and stronger.
Who was Pei Xuanjing? As a supreme strong of the Nine Realms of Spirit, standing at the pinnacle between Heaven and Earth, his body refining had reached the peak, arriving at the limits of the physical body.
With the current strength of Pei Xuanjing's physical body, even common Divine Weapons could not harm him. Leaving other factors aside, in a contest of pure strength, Pei Xuanjing's physical body was capable of severing many Divine Weapons.
Yet now this injury could actually damage his flesh, and he found that his body was not completely defeated in the ongoing struggle with this wound. Instead, it was slowly enhancing the strength of his physical body.
This was a novel discovery, undoubtedly opening a new world for Pei Xuanjing.
He had thought that his physical body had been honed to the pinnacle of the Spirit Realm and could not be improved further. The only way forward was to perfect Martial Arts, then explore Divine Hidden to step into the Human Immortal Realm.
But now Pei Xuanjing realized that wasn't the case; his physical body had not been developed to its fullest potential and still had room for growth.
"It's uncertain whether the strengthening of the physical body is merely an extension of the pinnacle of the Spirit Realm or a fundamental transformation," Pei Xuanjing pondered to himself.
These two possibilities held completely different meanings: the former suggested that his physical realm had not reached its limit, far from the true Human Immortal Realm, while the latter meant he might have found a way forward to the Human Immortal Realm. Regardless of its validity, it represented a viable opportunity to attempt.
Demonic God Physique!
According to legend, the constitution of Gods and Devils was different from the mundane; they were born close to the Great Tao, harmonizing with the path of cultivation and even without the use of divine power, they possessed the strength to move mountains and seas.
If the essence of the body could transform again, does it imply a potential evolution into the Demonic God Physique? Even if it wasn't the pursued realm of the Human Immortal, it would still be a path to continue growing stronger.
Pei Xuanjing truly did not know what lay ahead. Without any reference to guide him, he could only rely on his existing knowledge and understanding to boldly speculate and deduce, then cautiously attempt, to eventually find the most fitting path.
"In the darkness, I grope alone; perhaps the pioneers who established the cultivation system also underwent such experiences to reach today's era of flourishing cultivation. Thus, for someone like me, who aspires to be the founder of all Immortals and the ancestor of all paths, this process is necessary and inevitable. There is no need to avoid it. Only by groping through the darkness can the most solid Dao be forged," Pei Xuanjing's eyes were filled with determination.
And here on Shenxiao Mountain, as Pei Xuanjing gained insight into his future path from suppressing the evil god at Taihe Mountain and resolved to explore that path in darkness, the whole world between Heaven and Earth once again surged with activity. Yet all this had little to do with Pei Xuanjing; the true protagonist was the True Martial Sect from before.