Chapter 1276: Immortal Opens Their Eyes

Jiang Wang had encountered Daoist script several times before. Unlike the Zhuang Kingdom's script he learned from childhood, and the Qi Kingdom's script he encountered later, Daoist script, passed down through ancient times, contains the secrets of the Great Dao. Whether one is literate or not, upon seeing it, its meaning is instantly known.

Legend has it that when a Great Power uses Daoist script, one character can encompass an entire article, with a few strokes holding boundless meaning. The birth and death of the universe, the myriad states of the world, are all contained within.

The various scripts used by ordinary people today are a normalized evolution, facilitating communication and transmission among common folk. One could say it is a diffusion and exposition of the "Dao."

The threshold of Daoist script lies with the user, not the reader.

The principles a Great Power can express with one character of Daoist script might require an ordinary cultivator to compile an entire canon.

But ordinary cultivators can also expound their own Dao by compiling canons. Is this not proof of the continuous development of the cultivation world?

It seems Demonic script and Daoist script originate from the same source, or at least exist on the same level, possessing similar effects.

Previously, in the 《Seven Hates Demonic Art》, the opening Demonic script was also instantly understood upon sight, accompanied by demonic sounds. It was likely one sound, one character, one character, one meaning.

The Demonic character formed by condensed demonic energy at this moment, though only one character, has infinite resonance extending from it.

This is a higher level of Demonic script expression.

Evidently, what came before was merely the demonic art's spontaneous allure, but now it is a certain existence unable to restrain itself, exerting influence across realms!

Such a demonic character with boundless meaning is by no means something an ordinary demon lord can use.

It is powerful, and even more so, magnificent.

In terms of the level of power, it is an existence that can be called vast.

When it was seen by Jiang Wang, it was imprinted upon Jiang Wang's heart.

Firmly, without resistance, it was imprinted.

At this moment, his heart was completely occupied by this character.

It was as if it were a heavenly truth, unchangeable.

It was even more like this entire world was condemning him—

Why the "persistent delusion"!?

"Persistent delusion" can have two interpretations.

One is to condemn Jiang Wang's stubborn adherence to his human identity, enduring all manner of grievances rather than entering the demonic path, failing to recognize the Great Dao with unseeing eyes, foolishly ignorant of choosing and discarding, unable to distinguish between gain and loss… this is persistent delusion.

The other is to make Jiang Wang, from this point on, persist in demonic delusion and never awaken!

After rebuking Jiang Wang and seizing control of his mind, this character shifted its meaning towards the second interpretation.

It was merely a character, a symbol.

But once it appeared, it seemed to control this entire realm, controlling all rules.

At this moment, all results of thought, all evolutions of wisdom, should lean towards "demonic."

Because at this very moment, this is the truth!

"Why not enter the demonic path?"

This voice resounded in his ears and in his heart simultaneously, affecting both body and soul.

Demonic sounds filled his ears, demonic sounds filled his heart!

Distorted demonic energy even spread within the Sky-Connecting Sea and the Five Palaces Sea.

Demonic energy invasion.

Rumble!

The dome of the Five Palaces Sea, the four inner palaces simultaneously manifested.

A crimson great sun, a black and white crescent moon, a frosty white star, and a figure in a green robe, without a face, holding a long blade—an Immortal!

Such a glorious sight is rarely seen in the world.

Divine ability to repel demons!

In the void above the Five Palaces Sea, the layered clouds parted, and the Cloud-Top Immortal Palace moved with a roar. The Spiritual Void Hall devoured terrifying primal energy, and the Cloud-Piercing Pavilion commanded the entire complex, expressing the same resistance.

An Immortal's name shall not be defiled!

Above the Five Palaces Sea, the massive Heaven and Earth Isolated Isle remained unmoving.

The Dao-脉 Soaring Dragon coiled on the Heaven and Earth Isolated Isle issued a dragon's roar of righteous indignation.

The Heaven and Earth Isolated Isle suppressed the storm, the Sky-Connecting Palace resisted external enemies!

At this moment, in the ancient demonic cave at the bottom of the magma lake, Jiang Wang sat cross-legged alone on the millstone-like boulder, facing the grotesque and distorted demonic character.

His sword was tightly held in his hand, and in his torso, four sources of light shone so brightly.

Samadhi True Fire, Crossroads, Buzhou Wind, Sword Immortal!

The light of the four divine abilities connected into one, calling out—

For the fifth light!

All the way here…

He had stood at the pinnacle of glory, the foremost of the Yellow River, shining brightly among the brilliant stars, unique for a time. In the Qi Kingdom, he received boundless favor, gaining high office and noble titles.

Known throughout the world!

When spoken of by others, none failed to call him the foremost inner palace in the world. The people of Qi, when mentioning Jiang Qingyang, all spoke of him as a person of faith and righteousness.

Yet in an instant, the city of Linzi was filled with storm and rumor, rumors flying everywhere.

He was said to occupy a position without fulfilling its duties, selling out his country for personal gain, being falsely benevolent and righteous, falsely faithful and sincere.

Framed, hunted, and spurned!

Just when he had finally set things straight and cleared his name, he was saddled with an even heavier label, that of "colluding with demons"!

From the recently cleared suspicion of being a "traitor to the Qi Kingdom," he became a "traitor to the human race," a crime of an even more heinous nature.

Among the wicked in the world, none were more wicked than Jiang Wang!

From the peak of the mountains to the bottom of the mire.

From being praised by the whole world to being denounced by the whole world…

It was merely the blink of an eye.

The flourishing scene was like a dream.

Awakening from a great dream, the world had transformed.

But had Jiang Wang changed?

At the most glorious moment, did he have a heart to slight others?

At the lowest ebb, did he harbor resentment and hatred towards the world?

For every grievance, there is a source; for every debt, there is a debtor; for every feeling, there is a object; for every trust, there is a recipient!

At this moment, he looked at the demonic character without wavering.

That demonic character, containing infinite meaning, represented the truth of this realm at this very moment. Every stroke was a rule of the world. To follow it was prosperity, to oppose it was destruction.

But Jiang Wang had his own "truth," his own "reason"!

His gaze was firm, his voice like a sword cry, ringing out with force: "I walk this path, I question this heart, I stand upon this sword!"

Rumble!

In the Five Palaces Sea, the fifth inner palace, magnificent and resplendent, descended!

It was a mansion of crimson gold, with an indestructible luster flowing.

Indelible, never fading.

Responding to the other four inner palaces, it soon materialized, transforming into a vibrant, crimson-gold heart.

Thump-thump!

His heartbeat was like a drum.

Thump-thump!

With each beat, it brought almost infinite energy to the Five Palaces Sea.

This is the Heart Palace, and also a New Palace!

Divine ability, Crimson Heart!

Crimson heart means true heart.

Crimson heart means unchanged!

One who possesses this divine ability shall never be tainted by alien wills!

Does there exist in this world a person who can never be changed?

This divine ability seed, perhaps, can provide the answer!

Above the Five Palaces Sea, this heart leaped out of thin air, actually jumping into the body of the Sword Immortal manifested by the fourth inner palace.

The faceless Sword Immortal thus gained a heart. In an instant, it became vibrant, its aura rising like substance.

Thus, a nose bridge formed, resembling a towering peak.

Thump-thump!

The heart beat.

The other three inner palaces also arrived with a rumble.

The crimson sun opened its mouth as lips, the cold moon listened as ears, the cold star flew down, opening the eyes!

The Sword Immortal opened its eyes!

It came alive!

This was a magnificent spectacle beyond description.

The Five Palaces shone together, the Heavenly Palace completed today!

The moment the Sword Immortal opened its eyes, the entire Five Palaces Sea, and even the entire Sky-Connecting Sea, roared with sword qi like a tornado, rushing east and west, raging through the angry sea, instantly cutting away all the invading demonic energy.

As the saying goes—

"One morning the Immortal opens its eyes, a lifetime of gloom is dispelled!"

At the most glorious moment and at the most desolate moment, he was still this same Jiang Wang.

His crimson heart remains unchanged, and his spirit is the same.