Chen Weichen felt that he could not escape no matter what.

But Ye Jiuya was faster than him. As soon as he saw the Demon Emperor trying to escape, he immediately drew his sword to block his path.

Xing Qiu bent his waist backwards, dodging the sword, then immediately leapt up, his robes fluttering. With flashy moves, he exchanged hundreds of blows in an instant.

Chen Weichen only had time to shout: "Don't hurt him!"

Hearing this, Xing Qiu was very angry. Amidst the flurry of blades and swords, the black flute blocked the sword's momentum. As their qi collided, it forcibly paused their entanglement for a moment. He said to Ye Jiuya: "Didn't you hear what your master said!"

Chen Weichen: "..."

He remembered that Xing Qiu knew Ye Jiuya's aura after he transformed into a sword.

Now fighting against Ye Jiuya, he naturally recognized him.

Then--it was only natural to assume that Ye Jiuya was his sword.

He really wanted to know where Xing Qiu's confidence in him came from.

Ye Jiuya slightly frowned. Taking advantage of Xing Qiu's distraction, in a flash he twisted Xing Qiu's shoulder back with his right hand, using the momentum to draw his sword and place it horizontally against his neck.

Xing Qiu, not in the demon realm, had his power suppressed. Coupled with Ye Jiuya's sword intent being the bane of demon cultivators, he could only give Chen Weichen a look.

--Hurry up and make him let go of me.

Chen Weichen shrugged.

--He doesn't listen to me.

However, during their fight, it was enough time for Zhichen Temple to set up a formation.

Eighteen disciples, each holding a staff, stood on either side chanting scriptures. In front of the gate, glorious golden lotuses bloomed. It was a famous demon-subduing formation called "Cihang", without a trace of killing intent. It signified guiding the way to liberation in the boundless sea of suffering, like a ship ferrying the world.

The Dao sects eliminate demons swiftly and decisively, while the Buddhist sects emphasize compassion. Compassion means giving comfort, while mercy means removing suffering. Demons and resentful ghosts harbor all kinds of evil thoughts, thus their bodies fall into the sea of suffering. Guided by compassion, removing evil and insincerity, leaving the three evil realms, turning back is the shore - this is the supreme way. In Jinxiu City, Master Kong Shan would rather sit for a hundred years, waiting for the opportunity to enlighten resentful souls, rather than directly eliminating them. This illustrates the point.

Xing Qiu felt he had not done anything bad. If the monks suspected he was not walking the righteous path and wanted to capture him, so be it. But to be "enlightened" out of the blue--he was no longer in a hurry to escape, and provocatively said to the monk with palms pressed together in the center of the formation: "Twenty years have passed, the bald donkey's magic power has improved quite a bit. I want to see if you can enlighten me or not."

But Chen Weichen saw his hands hanging by his sides trembling unnaturally, suppressing something.

Venerable Kong Ming, with a calm and fearless demeanor, walked towards Xing Qiu with eyes closed amidst the glorious Buddha's light, lotus pedestals emerging with each step.

"If I face the mountain of knives, the mountain of knives will crumble. If I face the boiling soup, the boiling soup will dry up," he chanted the vow, "If I face hell, hell will vanish. If I face the asura, the evil heart will be subdued."

Xing Qiu was bound, enveloped by myriad golden lights, but the black qi around him became more and more rampant, demons running amok. He let out a cold laugh, his eyes gradually becoming unfocused as the blackness spread: "Monk, if you can't even enlighten me, don't let people laugh at you."

Venerable Kong Ming opened his eyes, his gaze deep: "You are too deeply involved in the evil way."

Chen Weichen sighed, knowing that once this person changed, he would inevitably commit some killing, and if that thing was seen by the immortal way, it would stir up another storm.

He stepped forward to Ye Jiuya's side and glanced at him: "Lend me your sword for a moment."

Ye Jiuya released the already bound Xing Qiu and handed him the sword hilt.

Chen Weichen used the sword edge to cut open his own wrist, blood flowing from the wound.

He brought the wound to Xing Qiu's lips, coaxing like to a child: "Drink it."

Fortunately, the person had not completely lost his senses. The crimson lips pressed against the wrist, sucking heavily, and the black qi in his eyes gradually receded.

The monks quietly watched this scene without saying a word.

When Xing Qiu finally regained clarity, Chen Weichen was already so dizzy that he almost couldn't stand steady, his vision going black in waves. Ye Jiuya supported him. He lightly panted a few breaths: "Damn it."

Seeing Chen Weichen's appearance, Xing Qiu felt distressed and directed his anger at the monk: "Baldy, I came to find you with a calm heart, but you are so unreasonable."

At the impasse, footsteps sounded from the door again. It was the kind-faced Master Kong Shan.

He bowed to everyone: "This young monk, having not dealt with worldly affairs for decades, acted recklessly. This poor monk apologizes on his behalf first."

He also said to the Demon Emperor: "For the honored guest to come here from the demon realm, I wonder what brings you?"

The Demon Emperor laughed coldly in a mocking tone: "It was your own junior monk brother who invited me to come reminisce about old times. Otherwise, how would this State Preceptor come to your shiny bald donkey den."

Venerable Kong Ming said to his senior monk brother: "Abbot Senior Brother, I did not invite him, and he is already a demon cultivator."

"You are so unreasonable--I naturally cultivate the most orthodox demon way. Since when is it up to you, a vegetarian chanting baldy, to lecture me?" Xing Qiu crooked a finger at the timid followers hiding in the forest, and they all came over in a line to bolster the State Preceptor's prestige, not to be outdone by the Zhichen Temple disciples on the other side.

He was not shy about his identity as a demon cultivator, and glanced at Venerable Kong Ming: "I've been the Demon Emperor for twenty years. Have I ever led troops to invade your immortal realm? Have I ever harmed your human world? Since we have no grudges, you are deliberately making things difficult for me."

Master Kong Shan's face remained amiable: "Everyone, there were many offenses just now. Please follow me into the hall."

He turned his eyes and saw Chen Weichen looking at him, his expression not very friendly. He smiled and bowed again: "Benefactor Chen is also here."

The storm was stopped by the abbot's senior monk brother. Venerable Kong Ming gave Xing Qiu a light look and turned to enter the temple.

Xing Qiu looked at his back, hooked his lips in a smile, and followed, his deep purple robe draped with fine silk gauze, luxurious and trailing, completely at odds with the pure and clean Buddhist temple.

Inside the temple, there was another round of arguments, nothing more than Xing Qiu's unwarranted disaster just now.

Chen Weichen saw that Xing Qiu was deliberately trying to confront Venerable Kong Ming, but it was just a war of words. Seeing that a fight wouldn't break out for a while, he turned to look at Master Kong Shan--this old monk could see through some of his background, so he had to be on guard.

Ye Jiuya brought him to Master Kong Shan: "Great Master, he was injured by the Brahma Sound and needs your guidance."

Master Kong Shan smiled warmly as the two sat facing each other. He placed his palm on Chen Weichen's right hand, and immediately a stream of Buddhist energy flowed in, guiding the previously chaotic and entangled Immortal and Demon energies, integrating them into his own Buddhist energy.

It would take some time for the energy to flow through all the meridians and the large and small heavenly circuits. Master Kong Shan chatted with him unhurriedly: "Sir Chen now possesses the bones of an immortal and the body of a demon, it seems you have had quite an adventure."

"Indeed I have," Chen Weichen replied, "but unfortunately not a very pleasant one."

Master Kong Shan said: "With the conflict between immortal and demon, it is naturally unbearable. Apart from removing the immortal bones or recasting the flesh and blood, there are few other methods."

"Master, I have a question."

"Please ask."

"Immortals can subdue demons, and Buddhas can also suppress demons. The Immortal Dao is ruthless, while the Buddhist Sect is pure. What is the difference between them?"

"When we first met in Jinxiu City, I knew that you had an affinity with Buddhism," Kong Shan's voice was steady. "If you had asked this question at that time, this poor monk would not have been able to answer. But now I can."

Chen Weichen looked at him with interest.

"This poor monk's junior brother Kong Ming was intelligent from a young age. He has cultivated the transcendent Dao for many years, meditating in seclusion every day. The profundity of his understanding of the Great Dao is beyond words."

Hearing this, Xing Qiu snorted: "Stupid monk, you seem quite impressive from what I hear."

Kong Ming remained serene and did not pay any attention to him.

"Just now, he spoke of the evil path and took action against this benefactor from the Demon Realm. This matter is of great importance. Looking at both the Immortal and Buddhist sects, I'm afraid only my junior brother has truly comprehended it. Zhichen Temple originally wanted to announce this matter, but the Great Dao Conference has not been held in recent years."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Master Kong Shan, waiting for him to continue.

However, the elderly monk said: "Junior brother, now that Sword Pavilion Master and Daoist Xie are both here, it saves the trouble of summoning the Immortal Dao. You may inform the benefactors."

Then, Kong Ming's voice was heard, first answering Chen Weichen's previous question: "The Immortal Dao takes ruthlessness as its core, while the Buddhist Sect embraces compassion."

He paused for a moment, then continued: "In Buddhist meditation, one often encounters heart demons. I have entered deep meditation for many years and have glimpsed the Heavenly Secrets. The greed, ignorance, and delusion in the hearts of worldly people give rise to endless suffering due to the confusion of heart demons and wisdom. Immortal cultivation eliminates desires and slays heart demons. Buddhist cultivation saves oneself and others, distancing from heart demons. Demonic cultivation understands desires and nurtures heart demons to borrow their power. In the end, all paths separate the mind and spirit from demonic thoughts, although the paths differ, they ultimately converge."

His eyes, with a cold light, looked at Xing Qiu: "But you are about to merge with your heart demon, deviating from the Great Dao. You will inevitably fall into hell, lose your wisdom, and bring calamity to the world."

Xing Qiu nodded thoughtfully: "Our Demonic Dao techniques do indeed have some meaning of borrowing power."

The corners of his crimson lips curled up slightly, his brows raised a little. He no longer called him "bald donkey": "Monk, from what you say, you were trying to enlighten my heart demon earlier, not really intending to kill me?"

Kong Ming still ignored him.

But the Demon Emperor seemed to be lacking in grasping the main point. Not only was he not worried about walking down the wrong path, he insisted on clarifying himself: "I wholeheartedly cultivate, how would I know about so many twists and turns? I cultivated and ended up like this, it really wasn't intentional. You told me not to kill the innocent indiscriminately, so I didn't even use my sword. Being so kind, yet you only focus on the evil path."

As he spoke, he almost pressed himself against Kong Ming.

Kong Ming gently closed his eyes, his face expressionless, his hand slowly turning a string of Buddha beads, solemn and majestic.

With Xing Qiu stirring things up like this, the atmosphere eased by seventy to eighty percent. In the great hall, the three factions of Immortals, Demons, and Buddhas actually coexisted peacefully.

Xie Lang seemed to recall something: "In our Dao Sect, it is said that at the beginning of the universe, life and death were divided, the pure and turbid were separated. The purer the separation, the deeper the Dao attainment."

Kong Ming continued: "In the world, there is pure Qi and turbid Qi, but heart demons are even more turbid than turbid Qi."

Ye Jiuya: "How so?"

Kong Ming said: "I believe that heart demons do not reside in the human heart, but outside the heavens. People have obsessions, which become heart demons and create the world of heart demons. The human world and the world of heart demons are separated, like the division between the Immortal and Demon Realms. Heart demons do not belong to the Heavenly Dao, so eliminating heart demons aligns with Heaven, while nurturing heart demons goes against Heaven."

Chen Weichen blinked and said to Master Kong Shan: "Old monk, your junior brother is quite formidable."

The old monk looked at him, his kind smile profound.

Xing Qiu's tone was lazy, still fixated on Kong Ming's earlier attack on him: "Since heart demons are not in the human world, let them go play by themselves. Monk, to turn against me over this, you're really petty."

This time, Kong Ming finally paid attention to him and said: "It's not that simple."