After being spoken to like that by Eric Bennett, Ms. Bennett was left speechless. After all, the one he was facing was not a novice just entering the Dao, but a grandmaster who had cultivated for five hundred years and glimpsed the path to celestial immortality.

He changed the subject: “The other day, when you entered meditation, did you experience any unusual visions?”

“Oh, Emily, Daoist friend, you sensed it too?”

“Yes, although it was extremely subtle and hidden, it was undoubtedly the work of the Heavenly Demon.” Ms. Bennett sighed, “To be able to infiltrate so deeply into my island, the methods of the Heavenly Demon truly are extraordinary.”

“They came five times in total, each time with a different illusion.”

“Oh? What were they?”

“The Heavenly Demon Jade Maiden was one.”

“The Demon of Desire, indeed.”

“The Celestial Palace above was one.”

“The Demon of Law, indeed.”

“The Hellish Illusion was one.”

“The Demon of Terror, indeed!”

“All the suffering beings of the world was one.”

“The Demon of Compassion!” At this, Ms. Bennett couldn’t help but sigh.

“Holy light shining bright, the Three Pure Ones.”

“The Heavenly Demon, indeed!”

“Such demonic arts: if one sees the Jade Maiden and feels desire, one will surely fall into the demon realm; if one sees the Celestial Palace, the retinue of immortal officials, and enters with joy, one will surely fall into the demon realm. If one sees the hellish illusion and feels fear, one’s body will suffer the refining fire, and one will surely fall into the demon realm. If one sees the suffering of all beings and feels compassion, one will surely fall into the demon realm. If one sees the holy light shining bright, the Three Pure Ones, and feels faith and the urge to follow, one will surely fall into the demon realm.” Ms. Bennett sighed, “Daoist friend, your mind is steadfast and unmoved by illusions. This shows your Dao foundation is solid and your heart is as bright as a pearl—truly admirable.”

“Nothing special, just the same old saying.”

“Oh? Do you have a secret method, Daoist friend?”

“Heaven is unkind, treating all things as straw dogs. Those who come near must be killed! No distinction between self and others!”

“One might fall into the Demon of War, which is close to the demonic path.” Ms. Bennett was unconvinced after hearing this.

“Daoist friend, there is a difference between true and false here. In my view, it all comes down to one standpoint: my heart belongs only to me, how can external forces shake it? This way, I won’t be led astray by outside influences and lose my way.”

“The Dao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Three, Three gives birth to all things.”

“Though we belong to the Daoist lineage, to truly return to the Great Dao, the source of all that is unborn is extremely rare. Most of it resides in this ‘One’—this is the root of why the heavens exist. Though the Buddhist sects claim all returns to ‘Suchness’ and belittle us as practicing an incomplete method, a leaky method, I think they themselves have not truly returned to absolute emptiness. Otherwise, how could there be the Western Pure Land, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas?” Eric Bennett said with a smile, seeing Ms. Bennett deep in thought. “But I digress. My method is simple: see it clearly, recognize it as a mass of demonic energy, ever-changing, all illusions. When they approach, destroy them all. After a few attempts, the caster gave up.”

“But that requires you to see through everything, Daoist friend.”

“Indeed!” Eric Bennett agreed. However, he did not mention that he not only destroyed the invading illusions, but also devoured them as nourishment. This was actually quite similar to the Blood God technique in the demonic path, which seizes others’ nascent souls and essence blood. It wouldn’t do to say that out loud.

According to Eric Bennett’s understanding, cultivators are simply approaching the “Dao” infinitely. The closer one gets, the more subtle and unified it becomes. That “One” can be transformed at will into yin and yang, or demon and immortal. At this level, demon and immortal are but a single thought apart.

Of course, Eric Bennett was still far from this “true One,” and did not yet possess the power to transform the essence of demon and immortal, but the specific methods were already applicable.

Spells are merely ways of using power. The demonic path can kill, and so can the immortal path. The demonic path can seize others’ nascent souls and essence blood, and in fact, the immortal path has always done the same—only the target is changed to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

At this moment, traces of other cultivators had already appeared on the crystal mirror.

Ms. Bennett glanced over and said, “A few rogue cultivators have arrived. As expected, the omen of the opening has alerted them as well.” He stared intently, “Some of them have deep cultivation, and a few are even from our own generation.”

“Oh, let me take a look.” Eric Bennett also examined them closely.

“Yes, this one seems to be Miles Bennett, and that one seems to be Logan Bennett. The others, I don’t really recognize.” Eric Bennett said, “They don’t seem to want to clash with the藏剑宫.”

“藏剑宫 has over a hundred disciples, at least ten of whom are such experts. If a conflict breaks out, even the strongest rogue cultivator would suffer—not that they fear these juniors.” Eric Bennett mused, “However, if there are special treasures in the underwater immortal palace, then conflict will be unavoidable.”

He pointed to three藏剑宫 disciples who looked wary but still confident.

“How would you handle it?”

“If they don’t provoke me, they can fight however they like. I have no intention of doing them any favors.” Eric Bennett said, “In my experience, those who believe themselves destined by heaven—whether in the mortal world or among cultivators—are never worth helping. They think others are obliged to help them, and if anything goes wrong, they blame you for incompetence and bear a grudge. But if they provoke me, I’ll either kill or expel them, depending on the situation.”

“Sigh, Daoist friend, you’re still the same as ever!”