Under One Person: My Inner Realm Connects to All Worlds!

Chapter 264 The Demon-Slaying Transformation, The World Within the Painting

The Wang family is a family of extraordinary individuals that has been passed down since the Eastern Han Dynasty. They are known as one of the four great families in the world of extraordinary individuals, along with the Lü family, the Lu family, and the Gao family.

The Wang family's lineage is actually older than the other three families; they are descendants of the Langya Wang clan!

The Langya Wang clan is a prominent Wang family that lived in the Langya region for a long time during the medieval period of China. It was formed during the Qin and Han dynasties, and its lineage can be traced back to Prince Jin, the crown prince of King Ling of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty.

The family rose to prominence during the Cao Wei and Western Jin periods, and in the early Eastern Jin Dynasty, they assisted Sima Rui in establishing a regime, forming a situation where "the Wang and Ma families shared the world."

The Wang clan gradually declined from the Southern Dynasties to the late Tang and Five Dynasties period, but later branches such as the Gushi Wang clan and the Sanhuai Wang clan still emerged. Representative figures include Wang Dao, Wang Xizhi, Wang Xiang, and Wang Jian.

This mural depicting the demon-subduing transformation is a work from the Tang Dynasty.

During the Yuanhe era of the Tang Dynasty, there was a Buddhist temple called Baojing Temple in Longxi. A strange monk was hidden in the temple, whose Dharma name was Xuanji.

This monk neither chanted Buddhist mantras nor studied scriptures; he was solely devoted to the art of painting. He often said, "When painting reaches its highest level, one must break through the barriers of illusion and attain a state of divine enlightenment."

One year, a severe drought struck, leaving the land parched for miles. Xuanji secluded himself in the Sutra Repository and suddenly uttered wild words: "To paint the transformation of demons, no human pigments can be used."

They stole newly buried corpses overnight, cut off the flesh to make a paste, ground the bones into powder, and even captured passersby in the wilderness, gouging out their eyes and storing them in a glass cup.

The monks, terrified, peered over and saw him using human blood as paint and finger bones as brushes to sketch the demon king's likeness on the whitewashed wall. When it came to adding the eyes, he took the pupils of a living person and pressed them into the wall, and the demon king in the mural suddenly emitted a red light from his eyes.

That night, thunder and rain raged, and the villagers heard incessant screams coming from the temple. When they got up at dawn to investigate, they found the monk Xuanji's robes lying empty on the ground, and a blood-sucking demon king had appeared on the pink wall, with fragments of silk still hanging between his fangs.

Before ten days had passed, the murals began to fade, but the demonic shadows appeared in the marketplace, first devouring children, then swallowing strong men. Those who were harmed all became the demons in the paintings, their dark souls trapped in the walls, howling in agony.

In just over a month, more than a thousand people were devoured, and every night hundreds of ghosts were seen patrolling the city, with dark clouds obscuring the moon.

At that time, a member of the Wang family of Langya named Jue, who had studied the "secret art of divine lacquer" for generations, heard the news and led seventy-two members of his clan, carrying a hundred catties of cinnabar, a rhinoceros horn seal brush, and a thousand-year-old pine soot ink to rush to the aid.

Outside the Baojing Temple, the fields were transformed into a blood-red painting, with human faces appearing on the grass and trees.

Wang Jue sighed, “The essence of painting is to preserve the true spirit of heaven and earth; how can we allow evil things to distort reality?”

He then wielded his brush, and where the brush tip passed, a golden lotus blossomed in the void, leading the Wang family disciples in a fierce battle against the demonic shadow.

The Demon Lord laughed loudly: "Could your writings possibly be a match for my ten thousand demon soldiers?"

He opened his mouth and spat out a thousand skeletons, which transformed into painted demon soldiers upon landing.

After three days of fierce fighting, almost all of the Wang family's members were killed or wounded.

In his moment of crisis, Wang Jue tore silk into paper, bit his finger into a brush, drew upon his own soul as ink, and poured all his life's cultivation into the brush tip, shouting, "I will use my brush to paint your bones and soul, in exchange for your eternal imprisonment in falsehood!"

First, he painted the light of Prajna Buddha, where the demons melted away as the golden light rose; then he painted the bodhisattvas, whose dharma appearances were as solemn as the sun shining on snow; finally, he painted the seated Shakyamuni Buddha, and with each stroke, Wang Jue aged ten years.

As the painting reached the Buddha's right eye, the figure dissipated, leaving only the right hand suspended in the air to complete the final touch. Instantly, the mural burst forth with dazzling light, and the demon, howling fiercely, was sucked into the wall.

Only one painting depicting the demon-subduing transformation was left, to be kept and sealed by the Wang family descendants.

Wang Ai's aged and hoarse voice echoed in the silent tower as he recounted this secret that had been sealed for a thousand years, leaving the Wang family elites present deeply moved.

They finally understood why this place was a forbidden area that the royal family never revealed to outsiders, and why it was necessary to worship the gods and Buddhas in the tower with incense and vows for generations.

"The monk Xuanji attempted to communicate with the gods using evil methods, but instead created this demon that exists between reality and illusion. Our ancestor, Lord Wang Jue, sacrificed his life to seal it into this painting, but the demonic thoughts are immortal and can only be suppressed and neutralized."

Wang Ai slammed his cane down heavily, his sharp gaze sweeping over the crowd: "This painting is both a seal and a gateway. If any external force or evil thought were to trigger it, the demons within the painting might break free and reappear in the world. At that time, the first to suffer would be my Wang family!"

He took a deep breath and said resolutely, "The world of supernatural beings is currently turbulent, with treacherous villains from Japan harboring wolves' ambitions and causing chaos everywhere. Their target is very likely to be ancient evil beings like this 'Demon Subduing Transformation,' which have been suppressed by various factions!"

"In the days to come, I will stand guard over this tower with you all, never leaving its side, and remember our ancestral teachings: as long as the painting exists, so too will the Wang family's roots be severed if the painting is destroyed!"

"Yes! I will obey the patriarch's orders!"

All the Wang family members responded in unison.

Although Wang Ai herself is disliked and disliked by many, fundamentally she is at least not wrong and can distinguish right from wrong on major issues.

The Wang family members are "arrogant," considering themselves superior to others, even to the point of looking down on ordinary people and other extraordinary individuals.

But if it were someone else, born into such a prestigious family, they would understand that such a person truly has the means to do so.

During the Tang Dynasty, the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families were incredibly arrogant, looking down on high-ranking officials and even the imperial family. As a prominent family in the world of supernatural beings, the Wang family naturally despised ordinary supernatural beings without any background.

Wang Bing is annoying enough, but the Wang family's tradition is to spoil their children. Back then, Wang Ai was also the Wang family's darling.

However, Wang Ai also had some affection for Lü Ci when they were young, especially his good relationship with Lü Ci. In the Rusty Iron Chapter, he not only passed on his family's craftsmanship to Lü Ci.

When Lü Ci sent the message, he went to ask his father for help without saying a word.

But people will eventually grow up, have their own path to walk, and have their own responsibilities to bear. On the way forward, they will gradually lose their former selves.

It's a choice we can't make; there's no way around it.

Wang Ai's ability to rise to the position of family head must be due to his shrewdness and ruthlessness. His ability to lead the Wang family to stability during that turbulent era and remain one of the Ten Elders must also be due to his own methods.

People aren't all black and white; most people are gray, just a bit more gray.

In the following days, the Wang family's ancestral land was outwardly relaxed but inwardly tense. All the elites took turns guarding the Demon-Subduing Tower day and night, and the incense inside the tower became increasingly prosperous, with the smoke almost solidifying into a tangible substance.

The thousands of images of gods and Buddhas appeared even more vibrant in the misty smoke, their gazes burning brightly, together suppressing the enormous "Demon Subduing Transformation" mural at the base of the pagoda.

However, what was bound to happen eventually did happen.

On a seemingly peaceful night, the moon was dark and the wind was high, and all was quiet.

Sudden--

"Boom!!!"

The entire ancestral land of the Wang family suddenly trembled violently, as if an earth dragon were turning over. Houses collapsed, the ground cracked, and the sturdy gray-black tower groaned under the weight, its surface instantly covered with cracks.

"what happened?!"

"The earth shook?!" Everyone inside the tower was caught off guard and staggered. Only Wang Ai, leaning on his cane, stared intently at the "Demon Subduing Transformation" mural in the center of the tower's base with a terrifying glint in his eyes.

On the mural, the demonic energy that had been suppressed by the Buddha's light and was showing signs of dissipation was now writhing and surging wildly like a living thing.

In the painting, the face of the demon king Mara is distorted, as if he is letting out a silent roar, and his demon sons and grandsons are even more restless, impacting the boundaries of the Buddha's light!
"It's not an earthquake! There's something underground! It's coming towards the seal!" Wang Ai shouted sharply, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible shock and anger.

Before he finished speaking, a huge hole suddenly exploded in the ground outside the tower, sending dirt and debris flying into the sky.

An intensely dense, malevolent aura erupted like a geyser, instantly enveloping the entire ancestral land of the Wang family.

Immediately afterwards, a colossal, breathtakingly large creature slowly crawled out from the abyss beneath the earth!
It is shaped like a small mountain, with the main body being a spider's body covered with a thick, ferocious carapace. However, its head is not that of a spider, but a twisted, ugly human face covered with compound eyes, with fangs protruding from its mouth, dripping corrosive dark green venom.

Eight thick, pillar-like limbs were covered with black hairs as sharp as steel needles, their tips pointed like spears, capable of easily piercing through rock. Their bellies were swollen, and countless vengeful spirits could be faintly seen wailing and struggling within, emitting a nauseating stench and an aura of despair.

【One of the Twelve Divine Lords - Tsuchigumo】!
"Hehehe... Your royal family's seal is indeed here!" The Earth Spider let out a hoarse, grating laugh, its enormous compound eyes fixed on the crumbling Demon-Slaying Tower. "Release the Demon King and wreak havoc on the Divine Land, today is the day!"

Inside the tower, Wang Ai's expression changed drastically, but having weathered many storms, his will was as firm as a rock. He roared, "You neon demons, how dare you invade my ancestral land and covet the seal! Wang family disciples, follow me to meet the enemy!"

In this critical moment, Wang Ai demonstrated the composure and leadership of a family head.

Although he was hunched over, his movements were as fast as lightning. He suddenly reached out and plucked a scroll from the wall beside him. The scroll depicted Indra, the chief of the Buddhist guardian deities!
Clad in armor and wielding a vajra, he exudes an awe-inspiring majesty!
"Divine Paint, Invite the True Saint to Descend!"

Wang Ai's powerful Qi surged into the painting, causing it to burst forth with dazzling golden light. The Indra in the painting seemed to come alive, with rays of golden light surging out and rapidly condensing in the air into a majestic and sacred Indra statue, three zhang tall.

Although it appears somewhat illusory, the overwhelming divine power and the immense energy fluctuations are undeniably real.

The image of Indra let out a deep roar, and the vajra in his hand, formed from golden light, slammed down with the power to vanquish demons and evil spirits towards the enormous phantom of the earth spider outside the tower.

"Make your move!" Seeing this, the other elites of the Wang family followed suit and rushed towards the thousands of paintings hanging around the tower walls.

Suddenly, the tower shone brightly, and strange phenomena appeared!

Someone took down the Arhat Subduing Dragon painting, and the black energy transformed into a ferocious, roaring black dragon, which rushed out of the tower and coiled around the limbs of the earth spider.

Someone summoned the statue of the White Tiger Star Lord, and a gigantic white tiger with a fierce aura appeared, its sharp claws tearing through the wind as it pounced on the head of the Earth Spider.

The Bodhisattva lowered his brows and sprinkled purifying nectar; the Vajra glared and unleashed demon-subduing fist seals; the Eight Immortals crossed the sea, each displaying their supernatural powers, with phantom images of magical treasures flying everywhere; and there were also phantom images of heavenly gods standing in rows, with beams of divine light shooting towards the demons like a rain of arrows.

Some even urged the painting depicting the Eight Trigrams Furnace to open, spewing out waves of Samadhi True Fire that could burn everything.

Some people even created the Vajra Bracelet pattern, from which a beam of extremely refined white light shot out, carrying an unbreakable sharpness that struck straight at the core of the Earth Spider.

The paintings in this tower are all the "swan songs" created by generations of Wang family ancestors before their death over the past thousands of years, embodying their lifelong cultivation and will.

After receiving offerings of incense and prayers over the years, it has long since become something extraordinary.

At this moment, it was activated by the Wang family descendant using the divine secret technique, turning the illusory into the real. Its power was amplified and vividly presented, as if a wisp of the spirit of all the gods and Buddhas in the sky had been summoned to descend.

"Boom boom boom——!!!"

Countless attacks instantly engulfed the earth spider that had just crawled out of the ground: the black dragon coiled and bit, the white tiger's evil aura surged, the Arhat's fist imprint bombarded, the Bodhisattva's pure light baptized, the Eight Trigrams True Fire scorched, and the Vajra Bracelet's white light pierced...

Energy of various attributes erupted wildly, colorful yet full of destructive power.

The earth spider let out a painful and angry howl. Under such a dense and powerful attack, cracks began to appear on its hard shell. Dark green sap splattered everywhere, making a hissing corrosion sound as it fell to the ground.

It swung its massive limbs wildly to block and strike, scattering the black dragon and forcing the white tiger back, but more attacks followed.

In particular, the image of Indra that Wang Ai summoned caused the earth spider to tremble violently with each strike of its vajra, and its demonic aura dissipated.

"Damn you strange people from Shenzhou! Don't even think about stopping me!"

The earth spider roared, its abdomen contracted sharply, and it spewed out a vast, sticky spider web.

This net is not only incredibly tough, but it also contains a powerful force of filth and curse, attempting to taint and weaken the divine and Buddhist images.

At the same time, its countless compound eyes lit up with a dim light, and beams of petrifying rays shot towards the tower and the Wang family like a sudden rain.

The battle instantly heats up!
Above the ancestral land of the Wang family, the phantoms of gods and Buddhas were locked in fierce battle with a colossal demon. The roar of colliding energy, the howls of the demon, and the chanting of gods and Buddhas intertwined, creating a deafening sound.

The light shone brightly, illuminating half of the night sky, and the whole scene was like a myth come to life.

Wang Ai's hair and beard stood on end as he pushed his own Qi to its limit, maintaining the form of Indra, but his heart was heavy.

This earth spider demon possesses immense power and strange, evil magic, making it like a meat shield. However, each painting in the tower is one less to be created, representing the accumulated resources of the Wang family over thousands of years.

If this drags on, even if they manage to kill this monster, the Wang family will suffer heavy losses.

More importantly, the demonic energy in the painting "Subduing Demons" at the bottom of the tower is boiling more and more violently under the influence of external demonic energy. The Buddha's light in the painting is dimming at a visible speed, and the limbs of some demons seem to be faintly protruding beyond the boundaries of the painting.

"We must deal with this monster as soon as possible, otherwise once the seal is broken, everything will be over!"

A resolute glint flashed in Wang Ai's eyes as she turned her gaze to several of the oldest and most powerful paintings on the tower wall.

One of them was completely blank!

"And only it can bear it!"

After making up his mind, Wang Ai manipulated the Di Shitian Dharma form to withstand a claw attack from the Earth Spider that was filled with filth and evil energy.

The Dharma Image fluctuated violently, and its golden light dimmed slightly. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Dharma Image's giant foot suddenly stepped into the void, and its body soared into the sky. It did not attack the Earth Spider, but instead rushed straight to a very high and hidden corner on the inner wall of the Demon Subduing Tower.

There, hanging there was a yellowed scroll that appeared to be empty.

The giant hand of the Dharma form of Indra reached out, carefully yet swiftly plucking the blank scroll, and carried it with golden light to Wang Ai's side.

Without hesitation, Wang Ai put his left index finger into his mouth and bit it hard, causing a bead of bright red blood to gush out. With a solemn expression, he used his finger as a brush and his own blood as ink to rapidly paint on the blank canvas.

What he painted was not a concrete image, but a twisted, complex boundary gate containing the mysteries of space.

【Divine Paint: A World Within a Painting!】

(End of this chapter)