Chapter Ninety-Eight: Another Golden Seal of the Earth Gate

Demons lurked, their presence ominous and chilling.

On the Dharma platform, the Master of Enlightenment Cave remained seated with eyes closed, delivering his discourse. Occasionally, he paused slightly at subtle points of insight, as if savoring the profound meaning, a faint look of satisfaction gracing his face.

Nearby, two scattered cultivators, Lu Yu and the Qi Refiner from the Blood Lotus Sect, were utterly unaware of the lurking dangers, absorbed entirely in the lecture.

This time, the Master expounded on a talismanic scripture called the “Pure Spirit Pot Lord’s Strong Record Talisman.”

Once inscribed and activated, this talisman could unlock the mind, enabling one to read without forgetting, absorbing three thousand words daily; long-term use could even strengthen the blood. Yet, it was merely an enhancement of memory, lacking any true enlightenment or aid in the cultivation of Daoist arts.

To demonstrate this talisman’s practice, a brilliant azure spiritual energy burst forth from the Master’s crown, transforming into cinnabar, golden paper, large brushes, and spiritual ink. Step by step, the talismans were drawn, their luminous spirits swirling upward in a dazzling spectacle of radiant light.

“Old fool still conceals his true feelings—he’s cunning…” Chen Heng’s thoughts chilled slightly, his eyelids lowering as he feigned bewilderment.

On one side was pure Daoist majesty, celestial aura swirling and misty, suffusing the air with iridescent light.

On the other side, an eerie scene unfolded: monstrous creatures kowtowing in terror, their hatred and killing intent nearly piercing the heavens. Most striking was a colossal golden figure, half its face embedded within the palace walls, where the flowing golden blood reeked unbearably, making one wish to tear off their nose to escape the stench.

Chen Heng attempted to communicate with these demons through sound transmission, but received no response.

Even the red-skinned dwarf, seemingly sentient and addressing him as “Demon Child,” now appeared as a lifeless wooden figure, as if oblivious.

He cautiously released a thread of embryonic breath from his sleeve to touch the head of a nearby human-faced serpent, but felt no flesh or substance—it passed through as if a mere illusion.

His eyes flickered.

Neither of the two companions beside him noticed, but this subtle act did not escape the Master of Enlightenment Cave seated above on the Dharma platform.

From the moment the skinned blood corpse appeared, though he could not see it, the Master sensed something amiss and tightened his expression.

As the human-faced serpent and red-skinned dwarf emerged, he clenched his fingers tightly around his whisk, nearly fracturing it, shattering many spiritual lights.

Only when he saw Chen Heng seated calmly on his mat, his aura intact though his expression was wary, and no loss of flesh or spirit apparent, did he finally exhale deeply in relief.

“Two hundred years! A full two centuries! At last, a remarkable talent capable of resonating with the ‘Silent Heavenly Palace Holy Prayer Great Technique’ has emerged. This page of the Earth Gate Golden Scripture is so difficult to cultivate. Liu Niang and I have waited two full centuries, and finally, a breakthrough!”

The Master’s heart was overwhelmed with complex emotions, his words faltering mid-discourse, his gaze wavering between joy and sorrow:

“Fortunately, despite the risk of angering the Flower Spirit Mansion afterward, I insisted on inviting Chen Heng to listen. The blood corpse was one thing, but for him to so easily pass through the Six Dust Demonic Barriers without a scratch… truly a remarkable figure. No wonder even Xie Tan of the Xie family, who hails from the Long Right Xie clan, regards him with respect.

“Alas, the ‘Silent Heavenly Palace Holy Prayer Great Technique’ is a heavenly demon art created by the Resplendent Demon God... Unless one belongs to the heavenly demon race or has a deep spiritual resonance with this great technique, it is utterly impossible to cultivate.”

This thought brought a twinge of unease to the Master’s heart.

Even in his relief, he felt a lingering fear.

If Chen Heng’s body were truly that of a heavenly demon, judging by how effortlessly he passed the Six Dust Barriers without harm, then nine times out of ten, he would be able to cultivate the “Silent Heavenly Palace Holy Prayer Great Technique” and become a child of the Resplendent Demon God.

If that were so, with direct connection to the Resplendent Demon God’s celestial ear, even though the Master was a Cave Profound cultivator and had Liu Niang, a malevolent Yin-victorious demon, at his side, while they could win, if Chen Heng chose to flee, they would be utterly unable to stop him.

“If only you had been born two hundred years earlier, so I could have met you sooner, my hands would not have been stained with so much killing, ruining my reputation.”

The Master sighed in regret.

“If only two centuries earlier, Liu Niang and I would have pierced the cold Qi layer and escaped far beyond the heavens, living a carefree life as a pair of mandarin ducks. Why must I now scurry like a rat in the Underworld, hunted by all?”

As the Master’s emotions swirled atop the Dharma platform, Chen Heng attempted to send messages outward, but, as expected, the surrounding heavens and earth had long been sealed, barring entry and exit.

A flicker of terror crossed his face, deeper than when the demonic beings first appeared, his body trembling so much he could barely remain seated.

“I’ll try this great technique first…”

He thought silently and, connecting his mind with the Golden Cicada, instantly entered the One-Truth Dharma Realm.

It was the same vast, hazy, boundless world of darkness and wilderness.

“Silent Heavenly Palace Holy Prayer Great Technique… I want to see what wonders it truly holds.”

Without hesitation, Chen Heng seated himself cross-legged and projected the grand technique’s text within his mind, carefully examining every character.

Within less than a tea’s time, he had thoroughly memorized it, but his brow furrowed.

“A heavenly demon art? After communing with the Silent Heavenly Palace and becoming the Resplendent Demon God’s child, one can barter with this Father God to gain infinite creative power? To seize the sun and moon, to roam the netherworld—this is no mere fantasy. Its ambition rivals that of the Great Pure Jade Body.

“Yet how is it that this heavenly demon art, created by the Resplendent Demon God, is listed among the Earth Gate Golden Scripture…”

Chen Heng pondered silently:

“Moreover, such Earth Gate Golden Scripture should be subject to Daoist prohibitions—manifest where the Way is, hidden where it is not, visible only to those destined. I have clearly not yet seen the original Earth Gate Golden Scripture pages, yet I’ve managed to memorize the technique simply by listening to the Master’s discourse.

“I haven’t even used the Golden Cicada to simulate any mental image.

“So what exactly does the Master intend by using this Golden Scripture? To refine me into a demon retainer?”

The Earth Gate Golden Scripture—manifest where the Way is, hidden where it is not—

Just as Tong Gaolu and Daoist Yangshan were able to obtain the Great Pure Jade Body because they were destined by the Earth Gate Golden Scripture.

The Golden Scripture was strictly forbidden by Daoist law, its secrets not to be spread.

Tong Gaolu repeatedly tried to pass the Great Pure Jade Body to his brothers and descendants, only to be thwarted time and again by these prohibitions.

Without the Golden Cicada, Chen Heng himself might never have glimpsed the mysteries of the Great Pure Jade Body.

Yet this great technique, judging by the Daoist court’s Tai Shi Ling annotations and its distinct classification system, was clearly from the Earth Gate Golden Scripture.

Yet he had only listened to the Master’s lecture and inexplicably committed it to memory without seeing the original golden pages or using the Golden Cicada to simulate any mental image.

With this realization, Chen Heng set aside his doubts and, within the One-Truth Dharma Realm, began to practice the “Silent Heavenly Palace Holy Prayer Great Technique” according to its instructions.

But not long after, he emerged from meditation, sighing deeply.

As expected, the technique was as described.

Being a heavenly demon art, it was utterly impossible for a human body to cultivate; only the heavenly demon race could even attempt it.

Could it be that the Master intended to transform him into a heavenly demon’s body in order to possess him? Could such a thing actually work?

Chen Heng shook his head, connected his mind with the Golden Cicada, and returned to the present world.

Though the process seemed lengthy, under the rule that one day in the mortal world equals ten days in the Dharma Realm, it had only taken moments.

He glanced back at the Dharma platform. The Master of Enlightenment Cave had ceased lecturing, his expression complex as he looked at Chen Heng silently.

“Liu Niang, is it satisfactory now?”

The Master did not speak to Chen Heng or meet his gaze, his eyes filled with shock and confusion yet forced calm, as if burdened by guilt or some other unfathomable thought. Slowly, he sighed and called out into the void:

“Satisfied! Satisfied! Absolutely satisfied!”

Suddenly, a wild female voice rang out, joyous and mad, followed by uproarious laughter.

“Praise the Great Resplendent Demon King! Hope! Hope! At last, this wretched Nine Provinces and Four Seas can be escaped. Ai Yuan, next time I return, you will be the one trembling with fear, the one reduced to a stray dog!

“Indeed, the Resplendent Demon Lord’s mighty power has broken through the Daoist court’s prohibitions. Our heavenly demon race is no less than the immortals, Buddhas, or saints! Ha ha ha! That Prince Changming never imagined that his methods on the Earth Gate Golden Scripture would be repeatedly erased. Now, I am the new child of the Resplendent Demon God! I shall enter the Silent Heavenly Palace!”

Following this shout, electricity crackled through the void, and a vague silhouette emerged from the boundless darkness, laughing madly as it prepared to leap forth.

“Prince Changming? Who is this predecessor? A prince of the Daoist court?” Chen Heng mused inwardly.

Yet his outward expression was carefully composed, though upon seeing the figure lurking in the dark void, a shiver ran through him, nearly eroding the last trace of his calm.