Chapter 863: Hold it

Within the world of the mind, Li Shiwei and Li Qi finally faced each other.

And the only thing Li Shiwei felt was… she had become stronger.

She had truly become much stronger.

The most direct way to feel it was probably that she had surpassed this world.

No matter how strong she was before, she was always within the world, exerting 'destructive power,' but now, she had undoubtedly reached a higher level.

As long as she still controlled the Demon of Death’s Dao Resonance, then all this power belonged entirely to her.

The Demonic Lords said so.

This 'demonic thoughts shell,' forged by the combined efforts of the Demonic Lords and operating with the Demon of Death’s Dao Resonance as its core, was most suitable for Li Shiwei’s current state and could perfectly align with her desires.

All of her… desires.

“All of them?” Li Shiwei walked up to Li Qi. Although her father was speaking to her, she paid him no mind.

Because she was thinking.

Of course, she knew that this current form… was extremely powerful, incredibly formidable, transcending reality, possessing substantiality, so magnificent, so…

Ugly.

How could a shell made of demonic thoughts be beautiful?

“I won, so that’s why I became like this, right?” Li Shiwei asked herself in her heart.

To control this body, she endured much hardship and took many risks, thus gaining the power of the Fourth Rank.

This was truly… hard to describe.

Controlling the power of the Fourth Rank in only one hundred and twenty years.

In these one hundred and twenty years, she experienced countless things, not a single second of which was relaxed.

When she first came to this world, she was curious. She wanted to understand the truth of this world, and she succeeded.

She wanted to help her parents and friends, yearning to become stronger, and she succeeded.

She hoped to expose the secrets of the Demonic Dao, and she succeeded.

She left the Demonic Prince and sought to use the power of other Demonic Lords to approach her father, and she also succeeded.

Due to the Demon of Death’s death intent, she wanted to release her killing intent, and she also succeeded.

Judging solely by the results, she succeeded at every step.

Every one of her desires succeeded, which is why she ended up in this state.

But there will only be other “desires” and greater “desires,” and this is precisely what the Demonic Dao hopes for, her path of cultivation.

The scheme constructed by the ten Demonic Lords might even involve greater existences from higher levels.

Li Shiwei was perfectly clear about this.

It’s like… a middle school student who also clearly knows that not studying or going to school is bad.

But how many people can genuinely study from the bottom of their hearts?

The prisoner’s dilemma, everyone knows it.

In reality, each prisoner’s optimal choice is to confess. If their accomplice denies and they confess, they can be released.

If their accomplice confesses and they also confess, then both get five years. Compared to denying and getting ten years, confessing is still better than denying. So, confessing will never lead to the worst situation, and betraying each other, while violating the best common interest, is the best individual interest.

Therefore, such a simple prisoner’s dilemma has become an unsolvable problem. On an individual level, how many times do people sacrifice greater benefits for small gains? Enlarged to the societal level, there are countless instances of pushing a nation’s destiny towards death for personal gain.

Another example is studying diligently.

This is a matter of pure benefit with no harm; everyone knows that studying diligently is good, and it will surely lead to a good outcome. But in reality, how many people truly study diligently?

Also, Grand Shaman Yun Fang, a dignified Third Rank, does he not know how to remove the demonic thoughts from his heart and advance his cultivation further?

The method of liberation is clearly right before their eyes, yet why are sentient beings so deluded?

This is ‘Demon.’

Acting like the deaf and blind, with ears that cannot hear the true Dao, and eyes that cannot see the future.

The more you recognize this point, the clearer you perceive the existence of ‘Demon,’ the more you are unable to escape it.

Li Shiwei walked up to Li Qi—

——————

Li Qi watched his daughter walk up to him.

Killing intent overflowed.

Facing her own father, Li Shiwei revealed killing intent.

This killing intent and Evil Qi surged forth.

Leaving aside the killing intent for now, that Evil Qi cannot be conjured out of thin air.

So, how many living beings did she kill to cultivate Evil Qi sufficient to shake Li Qi?

How great was this karmic sin?

Li Qi couldn't even begin to calculate.

The power from the Demon of Death did not control her; in fact, the Demon of Death was already killed by someone, having vanished without a trace during the ancient war. How could it control people? Everything was Li Shiwei’s own decision.

In other words, she knew everything that was happening, just like knowing that skipping school to go to a bar was bad, yet she still did it.

How to put it, the feeling of disappointment didn't instantly fill his body.

First, his limbs became heavy.

A feeling of numbness, a dull ache in his chest, as if something was lodged in his throat.

His back could not straighten.

Soon, his cheeks hardened, his lips dried, and the depths of his mind became chaotic and blurry.

He lost hope.

He didn't even want to show any expression to anyone anymore.

Li Qi let out a long sigh.

If it truly came to this, then it was time to make a choice, wasn’t it?

Li Qi looked at Li Shiwei before him, waiting for her to make her choice.

——————

The fact that Li Qi was waiting for Li Shiwei to make a move caught the attention of all the Demonic Lords.

And not just the Demonic Lords.

The three Patrolling Envoys outside, as well as Jing Wuzhen, Sariputra, and Maudgalyāyana, all noticed what was happening here.

Because this was the center of the battle, the balance point of the scales.

If Li Qi’s Dao Heart showed a flaw, and the ‘emptiness’ of the Purification Method disappeared, then in the next instant, the Heavenly Demon Lord within his body would immediately act to open a passage. The Demonic Lords would abandon everything, madly surge into Li Qi’s mind, then proliferate, replicate, and quickly establish victory.

This was the Demonic Lords’ ‘sixty percent chance of victory.’

But if Li Qi held on, even facing this situation, remaining unmoved, without any fluctuations, his Dao Heart showing no flaws, still maintaining the Purification Method, then he would quickly purge the demonic thoughts and come out to provide support.

At that time, the Demonic Lords would be in dire straits.

Everything depended on Li Qi.

It all depended on whether Li Qi could withstand this wave of demonic thoughts impact.

His daughter’s rebellion was something the Demonic Lords had planned for a long time, rehearsing it many, many times.

To resist it was by no means easy; this was not something you could ignore by pretending to have a heart of stone.

Even if Li Qi thought about killing Li Shiwei and having another child, the demonic thoughts would probably erupt.

But ignoring it would also not prevent the birth of demonic thoughts.

In fact, any emotional fluctuation—grief, anger, regret, even joy, relaxation, and so on—would open a flaw in Li Qi’s Dao Heart at this moment.

This feeling was somewhat like the state of mind when a loved one dies.

After a loved one dies, some people appear completely normal; they don't cry at the funeral, show no special expressions, and continue to work, commute, eat, drink, and play as usual, busying themselves with daily affairs, thus having no time to think that their loved one has passed away, seemingly forgetting the matter.

From any perspective, he looks like nothing happened.

However, a void has already opened in the depths of his heart—this is a flaw in the heart. It appears calm from the outside, and he himself may not even realize it. He might even think he feels nothing, perhaps believing he has a heart of stone.

But in the silently opened hole in his heart, demonic thoughts is already breeding, unbeknownst even to himself.

One day, he continues his routine, filled with eating, drinking, and playing, and after a busy day, as night falls, he suddenly sees a kitchen knife that his loved one often used.

At this instant, the gloom of death will suddenly erupt again without warning, making everything before you lose its luster. You collapse by the bed, gasping for breath, trembling all over, unable to do anything else.

Because demonic thoughts has already filled his heart; this is not driven by emotion, nor does it depend on your personal cognition.

People are not necessarily able to perceive their own inner selves.

But demonic thoughts can.

This is also why demonic thoughts can cause people to fall.

Human nature certainly has its brilliant aspects—those unyielding wills, never-giving-up beliefs, the dazzling flashes of heroes facing difficulties—but these cannot conceal the void in the heart, and in fact… these themselves are demonic thoughts.

Many people feel that being easily defeated or corrupted is boring, attributing it to the victim's willpower being too weak to keep up with the Demonic Dao.

But in reality, this is a pure lie, a message spread by the Demonic Dao.

They deliberately make people believe that as long as the victim's will is firm and strong enough, they can resist the invasion of demonic thoughts and persevere.

No, that's not right.

Willpower can resist killing intent, Evil Qi, or certain Auras, such as the pressure of Martial Dao Divine Intent.

But… it uniquely cannot resist demonic thoughts.

Even the very notion of 'strong willpower' is itself a gathering place for demonic thoughts.

The more you believe your willpower is strong, the greater your vulnerability to the Demonic Dao.

How many 'strong-willed' people have fallen because of this?

Just as Li Shiwei mockingly said.

“Every one of your desires succeeded, which is why you ended up in this state.”

You think you can resist the invasion of demonic thoughts with willpower?

In fact, your willpower is demonic thoughts itself.

The insidious nature of the Demonic Dao goes far beyond this.

The Demonic Lords all watched Li Qi, and others also watched Li Qi. The victory or defeat of the battle almost entirely depended on whether Li Qi could resist the demonic thoughts in his heart.

Li Qi should maintain 'emptiness' and a 'normal mind.'

The next second—

A void opened in Li Qi’s heart.

The Demonic Lords were overjoyed!

They won! They won!

Even Li Qi had weaknesses; his wife, his daughter, and his Master were his weaknesses!

Instantly, the Demonic Lords went berserk! They abandoned everything and charged towards Li Qi in a furious manner.

All things became very hazy because of this; everything was stretched, as if falling into the event horizon of a return to nothingness, with shrieking gales raging within!

Every event was not simple, but woven from many wills, forming complex, intertwined脉络.

A certain phantom, radiating unparalleled heat, enveloped Li Qi’s Physical Body, making his flesh crackle and pop, spewing out oily droplets, emitting a strange smell somewhere between fragrant and foul.

Li Qi’s Physical Body was almost instantly enveloped by an indescribably dense Demonic Qi!

Sharp cracking sounds emanated, the air exploded under the pressure of the Demonic Qi, and a bright, dazzling flash of light, a bolt of Demonic Qi lightning that pierced the heavens and earth, accompanied by endless high temperatures, erupted with a thunderous roar!

The Heavenly Demon Lord inside Li Qi, and the ten Demonic Lords outside—exactly eleven in total—rushed into his Inner World.

Among the intelligence, there was one piece of information.

That was, Li Qi’s inner body spirits were almost completely destroyed, with only one Nascent Soul remaining, and the Five Peaks Mountain Gods, the Four Rivers Water Gods, and the Sun and Moon Heavenly Gods had all been annihilated.

Perhaps it was truly a coincidence; out of twelve inner body spirits, eleven were destroyed.

These eleven positions were practically tailor-made for the Demonic Lords.

They directly rushed through Li Qi’s裂口 and swiftly entered his Inner World.

And then… it was ‘magpie occupying a cuckoo’s nest.’

The Inner World had twelve inner body spirits; Li Qi only had his Nascent Soul left, all others were destroyed.

So the Demonic Lords manifested themselves, taking advantage of the Purification Method's failure, occupying the eleven empty positions, and directly began to manipulate Li Qi's Inner World.

It was previously mentioned that the Demonic Dao’s ‘transformation technique’ was quite formidable, with the Heavenly Demon being the most powerful, capable of transforming into anything at its core.

The Demonic Lords, of course, did not possess such capability, but their transformation technique could also achieve converting into something that perfectly resembled its target.

Li Qi’s cultivation was instantly sealed, and his Inner World was filled with Demonic Qi!

Moreover, being filled was not enough; the Demonic Lords immediately joined hands, letting out sinister laughs! They began to proliferate within Li Qi’s body, the demonic thoughts continuously replicating, and the Demonic Qi growing exponentially!

Maudgalyāyana sighed deeply.

Sariputra’s expression remained unchanged, but his Divine Ability had already enveloped the surroundings, seemingly intending to single-handedly withstand the pressure of the eleven doubled Demonic Lords.

Jing Wuzhen and the Patrolling Envoys stopped simultaneously.

“It seems we don’t need to get serious; you have already lost. Retreat as soon as possible,” the Roc bird said coldly.

Jing Wuzhen’s hand gripping the sword had turned white as she looked down.

Didn’t Li Qi say he had a trump card?

Where is the trump card?!

————————

And at the very bottom…

The killing intent-filled Li Shiwei suddenly lowered her head.

“I…”

“Didn’t kill anyone.”

She hugged Li Qi, speaking with a choked voice, filled with tears.

It was hard to imagine; the Demon of Death’s Dao Resonance still surged within her, that immense Evil Qi capable of transforming billions of worlds into a sea of blood, yet her tone held not a trace of killing intent, but rather was somewhat hesitant and faltering.

Like the chirping of a newly hatched chick.

“I held back.”

“As soon as I thought that Father would be sad if I killed anyone, I held back.”

“So…”

“Don’t… fall into the Demonic Dao.”

The Demonic Lords were stunned.

The void that had torn open in Li Qi’s heart seemed fake, rapidly closing!

“Don’t cry, you know, I never doubted you.” Li Qi stroked his daughter’s head, saying with a smile.

This was his trump card. (End of Chapter)