The Three Teachings Converge into One: The Path of the Mortal and the Saintly is the Same

Poetry:

Black waters swallowed the city, blood still wet, and a three-headed demonic shadow roared in the clouds.

The wicked and treacherous dream of a thousand years ends in death, becoming the devil's meal.

Alyosha then strode towards the churning black water.

He heard a sizzling, corrosive sound coming from the soles of his feet, and felt a burning, stinging pain seeping into his skin, but he paid no attention to it.

"Alyosha! Come back!" the surviving townspeople cried out in despair.

Alyosha slowly turned his head and glanced at the devastated ruins of his homeland.

He glanced around at the cold, menacing muzzles of the guns.

Then he looked at the twisted, demonic figures crawling out of the underworld beside the fountain.

Everywhere I look is filled with sorrow, and I have no more attachments.

"Lyuba, Daddy's here to keep you company."

He leaped into the dark, murky water.

There were no screams, no struggles; the black water instantly swallowed the figure.

It only created a shallow ripple, which quickly subsided, as if no one had ever been there.

The nine black water demon bodies suddenly stopped, their invisible gazes...

They all fixed their gazes on Colonel Andreyev in the center of the square.

The battle-hardened officer's hands trembled uncontrollably.

He spent half his life in the military, experiencing numerous border battles and witnessing countless life-and-death struggles, yet he never felt the slightest fear.

But the bizarre demon before him completely shattered his understanding.

An extreme fear originating from his very soul instantly overwhelmed him.

With trembling hands, he drew the signal pistol from his waist and pulled the trigger hard into the dark night sky.

A crimson signal flare shot into the sky, exploding into a blinding burst of fire against the inky black sky.

Three kilometers away, in a temporary frontline battle camp, was Yamamoto Ichiro, a battlefield observer dispatched by the Eastern Continent.

They are indifferently watching the human tragedy unfold in the square through real-time footage transmitted by drones.

Dressed in a neat military uniform, he wore a sinister and eerie smile.

"General, should we send troops to intervene?" the adjutant asked in a low voice, bowing.

"No need, let's wait and see." Yamamoto Ichiro took a sip of cold wine, his eyes filled with gloom.

"The more these monsters run rampant, the deeper the fear in people's hearts will accumulate."

The more pure and sweet the offerings required by the Demon Lord, the better.

On the screen in front of him, besides the battlefield scene, there was also a pulsating wave of blood-red energy.

The nine intense red rays fluctuated violently, their peak values ​​soaring and constantly breaking limits.

"The inner demon's nourishment level is already 89%." Yamamoto Ichiro licked his lips.

With a fanatical expression, he said, "Once the threshold of 95% is reached, the final harvesting array can be activated."

The extreme fear of the northern border peoples is the finest spiritual nourishment for the Demon Lord.

The adjutant hesitated: "But what about the garrison in the city-state of Wuhuan..."

"Just a bunch of foolish pawns," Yamamoto Ichiro scoffed.

"Andreyev thought he had gained an advantage by borrowing external forces."

Little did they know that from beginning to end, they were merely victims of the Black Lotus Holy Society's scheme.

Once all twelve extraterritorial altars are completed, the entire Northern Lin territory will be...

All of this will become fertile ground for the Demon Lord's descent.

His eyes blazed with a sudden, intense rage, filled with a mad ambition:

"When the Demon Lord descends upon the world, he will scatter across the Eagle Federation, the Western Continent nations, and the Eastern Continent islands."

All can revere the Demon Lord's divine might! Only the Great Xia firmly upholds the righteous path of morality.

Those who obstruct my great cause, in this chaotic world, where the righteous path is declining, and those who stubbornly cling to the old ways...

They will ultimately become stepping stones for a seemingly prosperous but ultimately wicked dynasty!

He had never known the Dongzhou Kingdom, which was so confident in its strategic planning.

It is merely an insignificant pawn in this game of chess, easily discarded.

At that moment, the screen suddenly began to shake violently, and the signal became severely erratic.

"What's going on?" Yamamoto Ichiro's face darkened.

"General Qi! A gigantic creature has broken free from its seal beneath the earth!"

The voice controlling the soldier trembled, filled with terror.

On the screen, the abandoned fountain suddenly exploded, sending rubble and black water flying everywhere.

A giant hand covered in jet-black demonic scales tore through the soil and clung tightly to the ruins of the fountain.

A second and third giant hand reached out in succession, revealing an enormous...

Bizarre-looking monsters slowly crawled out of the underground abyss.

It has a human-like torso, but abruptly grows three distinct heads:

A ferocious wolf's head, a sharp eagle's head, and a rotten human face.

Six demonic arms stretched out in a staggered pattern, their ends not ordinary hands and feet, but rather extremely evil and bizarre forms:

The supple, clinging, dark tentacles; the scorpion's venomous stinger with a chilling glint.

A man-eating demon's mouth covered with fine, sharp teeth.

Its lower body was submerged in thick, black water, making it impossible to see its entire body; only its upper body was visible.

It was already three stories high, exuding overwhelming power.

On the square, the surviving soldiers and civilians stood frozen, their hearts broken.

The nine black water demon bodies that had just wreaked havoc in all directions were now all prostrate on the ground.

They bowed their heads and kowtowed, showing complete submission.

The three demon heads rotated in unison, and six pairs of dark demonic eyes scanned the entire area, locking onto all living beings.

The eagle raised its head and let out a long cry, the sound of which reverberated throughout the surrounding fields.

The wolf's head howled at the moon, its ferocity reaching the heavens;

The rotting human face slowly stretched its muscles.

It outlined a twisted, eerie, and sinister smile.

Andreyev's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, his clothes soaked with cold sweat.

The courage gained from years of fighting, the iron will of a soldier,

Before such inhuman and otherworldly demonic behemoths, they completely collapsed.

The three demon heads turned towards him simultaneously, their rotting human faces splitting open to their ears.

"Fresh...frightening...top-quality sacrificial food..."

A series of overlapping, hoarse, demonic sounds suddenly erupted, as if hundreds of vengeful spirits were howling simultaneously.

The vibrations caused a sharp pain in everyone's eardrums.

Andreyev was terrified and wanted to turn and run away.

His legs felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and he couldn't move them at all.

Suddenly, a jet-black tentacle shot through the air, instantly wrapping around his waist and lifting him into the air.

The bones cracked and popped one after another, accompanied by a low, devouring demonic sound.

All the struggle and wailing came to an abrupt end.

Inside the battle camp, Yamamoto Ichiro was completely jolted awake from his extreme shock.

He shouted hoarsely, "All troops, retreat! Retreat immediately!"

It's already too late.

The entire temporary battle camp trembled violently, and pitch-black demonic water seeped out continuously from the cracks in the floor tiles.

A chilling, demonic aura enveloped the surrounding area.

The screen lit up again, showing the three-headed monster had already devoured the offerings.

All three heads turned towards the drone's camera simultaneously, their dark, demonic eyes piercing through the screen.

They locked onto Yamamoto Ichiro.

The rotting human face revealed a bloodthirsty grin once more.

"You're next."

hum-

The screen suddenly went black, and the connection was completely lost.

……

Daxia, Longjing, Sanyi Abode.

In the dead of night, before dawn, the conference room lights were on all night long.

Su Qingxuan, Lin Wanqing, Xiao Lingxi, Xiao Lingyue, and Chi Ying sat around a long table.

The table was covered with satellite remote sensing images, intelligence on the demonic disaster, and reports on the detection of strange toxins.

There is also a global map marking the twelve nodes of the Magic Altar worldwide.

Chi Ying was dressed in a smart combat outfit, with a short blade at her waist. Her eyebrows and eyes were sharp, and she exuded a heroic aura.

She pointed her finger at the crimson dot on the map's northern border and spoke in a deep voice:

Three hours ago, the town of Golova on the border of Beilin completely lost contact.

The final battle report indicated that the local garrison had been attacked by an unknown evil force.

The entire area was then enveloped by a super-powerful magical electromagnetic barrier.

The celestial reconnaissance imagery is blurry, only revealing a gigantic, demonic shadow and a sky filled with black mist.

As the image appears, amidst the hazy light and shadow, a colossal demonic figure with three heads and six arms can be vaguely discerned.

Black water and demonic bodies ravaged the land, their demonic energy pressing down for miles.

"It's the Black Lotus Society's Demonic Altar of Descendants." Xiao Lingxi stared at the screen, her face grave and pale.

"There's more than one unusual activity." Chi Xian pulled up the confidential files, her tone growing increasingly heavy.

"At the same time, several spiritual energy strongholds around the Western Mountain Spiritual Vein and the Zhongnan Secret Realm fell silent."

More than 500 mountain residents mysteriously disappeared, and traces of the pure black lotus flower association remained at the scene.

At the edge of the Kunlun Ruins, a strange omen was reported by the herdsmen: the sound of a demonic drum continuously reverberated from the ground.

Sixteen of our Demon Suppression Division's on-duty cultivators have gone missing, and three have perished.

The cause of death perfectly matched the result of being invaded by the demonic host.

"They simultaneously activated the Magic Altar globally, achieving widespread success and breaking the seal in all aspects."

Lin Wanqing gripped the pen tightly, her expression solemn.

"The intention is to use the chaos and evil in the world and the wicked thoughts of people to completely nourish the Demon Lord and break through the seal of the Void."

Su Qingxuan gazed silently at the map, at the twelve crimson demon altar nodes.

Five have already been fully illuminated, and demonic energy is leaking out:

The Old Altar of the Western Frontier, Kunlun Ruins, Qinling Mountains, Northern Ling Golova, and the Secret Altar of the Capital of the Eastern Continent.

What is the specific situation of the underground demon altar in Dongzhou Dujing?

"Intense magical energy fluctuations have been detected beneath the forbidden area of ​​Dujing."

Its frequency is completely of the same origin as the three-headed monster of the North.

Chi Ying retrieved the latest detection data: "The local royal family is using the pretext of restoring the secret realm..."

The area within three miles of the restricted area was sealed off.

Our informants have sent back a secret report: a sinister ritual is held year-round deep within the forbidden area.

The chief priest was none other than the ruler of the Eastern Continent royal family.

They had long since become devout followers of the Black Lotus Sect.

The meeting room fell into a deathly silence.

The royal ruler, seen by the world as a reclusive and inactive figure, a figure of empty fame.

They were actually the masterminds behind the chaos and calamities of the world.

"There's more than one person." Chi Ying dropped this bombshell report.

"Following our comprehensive investigation, high-ranking officials of the Eagle Union Parliament,"

The ruler of the Western Continent Alliance, the leader of the rebel army in the city-state of Wuhuan, etc.

Seventeen extremely powerful political figures, tycoons, and sect elders from across the continent

They have all been corrupted by demonic thoughts and secretly submitted to the Black Lotus Sect.

This event has permeated the mortal and powerful circles of the human world, with a depth and breadth far exceeding our expectations.

Xiao Lingyue twirled the Bodhi beads between her fingertips and softly chanted the mantra for calming the mind.

His gentle brows betrayed a deep melancholy, and his fingertips trembled slightly.

"Use chaos to nurture demons, and use people's hearts to feed evil."

Su Qingxuan spoke slowly, his voice low and hoarse.

"The tragedy in the North was just the beginning of a catastrophe."

If all twelve demon altars are fully formed, and all evil thoughts in the world converge, the Demon Lord will be completely broken.

The entire world will become a hell.

He got up and walked to the window.

As the eastern sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, the capital city of Longjing gradually awoke.

Smoke curls from chimneys in the streets and alleys, carriages and horses gradually rise, the everyday life is ordinary, peaceful and serene.

But beneath this peaceful and prosperous surface, undercurrents were already surging, and demonic calamities lurked.

Countless people silently bear the burden and persevere, guarding the light of humanity.

"Five years ago, the master left me with three entrustments, which laid the groundwork for today's catastrophe."

Su Qingxuan turned around, his gaze sweeping over the four people standing beside him, his words ringing out firmly:

"First, establish the Flame Guard, dedicated to suppressing demons and evil spirits and dealing with demonic disasters across the entire region; "

Second, reinforce the two major natural sealing nodes, Kunlun Ruins and Qinling Mountains, to guard the foundation of the Great Xia spiritual veins;

Third, with chaos looming, it is necessary to personally go to the front lines to curb the spread of war and the growth of evil intentions.

"Now that the catastrophe has begun, there is no time to lose; we must immediately divide the tasks and make arrangements."

He bent down and pointed to the map, methodically arranging the tasks:

"Red Tassel, you are in full charge of all military affairs and intelligence coordination of the Firewood Guard."

The Candle Dragon Demon Suppression Camp has arrived in Dragon Capital today and is now entirely under your command.

The primary task is to thoroughly investigate the precise locations and threat levels of the twelve demonic altars.

A strategy to break the altar and suppress the demon was devised, and defenses were deployed across the entire area.

"Your subordinate obeys!" Chi Ying stood tall and straight, solemnly accepting the order.

"Wanqing, you are stationed in the central government of Longjing, overseeing the Mingde Academy and the Spiritual Station..."

Moral education uses all resources.

The calamity of demons is not only about killing and slaughter, but also about the bewitching power of demonic thoughts and the collapse of people's hearts.

You spearheaded the effort to organize and refine the doctrines of moral character and wrote "An Outline for Maintaining Moral Character in Chaotic Times".

"Anti-Demon Bewitchment Proposal" aims to stabilize the hearts of the people of Great Xia and spread the voice of righteousness throughout the world.

"Use the positive spirit of culture and education to counteract the evil and malevolent forces."

Lin Wanqing nodded solemnly: "A complete plan will be available within three days to stabilize morale and defend the people."

"Lingxi, you have integrated the strengths of the World Medical Alliance and the National Centers for Mind-Body Healing."

Establish a system for screening against the erosion of demonic thoughts and intervening in mental alienation.

Rapidly train medical professionals to identify the initial symptoms of malignant infection.

At the same time, he took the lead in uniting alchemy and pharmacology practitioners from all sides.

We urgently need to analyze the properties of the Black Water Demon Poison and find a way to counteract and neutralize it.

Xiao Lingxi took a deep breath, her gaze resolute:

"I have already assembled a special research team with renowned medical experts from all sides, and a breakthrough is expected within 24 hours."

"Lingyue, your task is the most complicated and difficult."

You traveled throughout the world, visiting various sects and monasteries, carefully selecting and screening esoteric sects, unorthodox schools, and folk cultivation groups.

Eliminate the hidden Black Lotus demons and strip away the evil and demonic thoughts disguised as faith.

Remember, good and evil are separated by a single thought. We are vanquishing demons, not righteous beliefs.

Xiao Lingyue clasped her hands together and bowed in response:

"This disciple will remember to rectify the source, protect the righteous faith in the world, and vanquish all evil spirits."

Finally, Su Qingxuan raised his eyes to look at the gradually brightening sky, his tone resolute:

"I will set off tomorrow, first to Kunlun Ruins, and then to the Qinling Mountains."

"Strengthen the seal of heaven and earth, suppress the cracks in the spiritual veins, and prevent the demonic calamity from spreading from the very foundation of the Great Xia."

"I'll go with you!" the four women said in unison, their voices firm, none of them backing down.

Su Qingxuan shook his head slightly: "The Kunlun Ruins and the sealed rifts of the Qinling Mountains are filled with overwhelming demonic energy, and are extremely dangerous and unpredictable."

Your cultivation has not fully recovered; going there rashly would be far too dangerous.

"Precisely because it is dangerous, we must not let the young master venture into danger alone." Chi Ying abruptly stood up.

His gaze was unwavering.

"Six years ago, during the war to seal the demons in the Western Regions, the young master narrowly escaped death."

This calamity is worse than ever before; I will stay by your side and together we will quell the demonic calamity.

Lin Wanqing then stood up and said softly:

"The ancient seal of the Qinling Mountains in Kunlun Ruins requires the Three Lineages Mantra and ancient seal script to activate."

The young master is well-versed in the Three Schools of Thought, while I am deeply versed in ancient texts and seal script.

It can help you strengthen the seal and break through the magic array.

Xiao Lingxi stepped forward: "I entered the Dao through medicine, and I am well-versed in meridians and spiritual channels..."

"Medicinal pills and acupuncture techniques can dispel the corrosive influence of demonic energy and protect the body and soul of everyone."

Xiao Lingyue bowed silently, her eyes clear and resolute, vowing to walk together in silence.

Looking at the four people's sincere expressions, Su Qingxuan felt a warmth in his heart and finally sighed softly.

"Very well." He traced the long route from Longjing to Kunlun Ruins and the Qinling Mountains with his fingertips.

"Your four remote affairs are all entrusted to trusted and capable people for management."

During this trip, we must strictly adhere to orders; if the situation gets out of control...

Withdraw immediately and do not act recklessly.

"And what about you, young master?" Chi Ying pressed.

Su Qingxuan raised his eyes and looked at the dawn sky, his gaze clear and resolute.

"I am the inheritor of the Three Lineages of Righteous Path, the head of the Flame Guardians, and the night watchman for the people of Great Xia."

He chuckled softly, yet his words carried immense weight:

"If the calamity is unsolvable and the demonic disaster is not quelled, then I will sacrifice my own soul and blood."

"To be a beacon of light for humanity, illuminating countless mountains and rivers, and safeguarding peace in the world."

The first rays of dawn pierced the clouds and fell upon the map.

The twelve crimson altar nodes, under the morning light, were dazzling and eerily beautiful.

Beyond the northern border, dark clouds blanket the sky, demonic energy surges, and a chaotic calamity has descended.

It is:

The snow on Kunlun is cold, the sword's light is chilling; the clouds over Qinling are deep, the imperial edict is mottled.

Who says scholars are useless? They dare to burn their souls to illuminate a thousand mountains.