Chapter 102: The Burning Heart Sutra (1/2)

Xukong was a little shocked upon seeing the faces of Lin Mu's parents appearing on the dark figure's face.

”Why did Lin Mu never speak to me about this?” Xukong questioned himself.

'Has he been suppressing this in his mind all long, such that it has now turned into his Heart Demon?' Xukong thought to himself.

Indeed, the figure that was alternating between the two faces was none other than a Heart Demon. A Heart Demon is the product of the cultivator's emotions, memories, and guilt. They combine together and give birth to an entity that eventually becomes a Heart Demon.

A Heart Demon can gravely harm a cultivator if they don't deal with it or suppress it. Every cultivator that exists will one day develop a Heart Demon, the only difference is when. Even the most staunch, just, righteous, and willful of cultivators develop Heart Demons when they undergo their tribulations, not to say about the other common or unorthodox cultivators.

Though the reason why Xukong was so shocked was because Lin Mu was simply not at the cultivation stage where he could develop a Heart Demon. A Heart Demon also required a large quantity of spirit qi to be born, thus the earliest a cultivator could develop a heart demon was at the Core Condensation realm.

Lin Mu developing one at the Mid-stage of the Qi refining realm simply did not make sense. This was apparent since looking at the heart demon, Xukong could tell that it was not fully developed and was thus forcibly absorbing the spirit qi in Lin Mu's dantian.

”Even if it absorbs the entirety of Lin Mu's Spirit Qi stores, it still won't be able to live. Nevertheless, I have to do something.” Xukong spoke inwardly.

Xukong was just about to act when suddenly, his spirit sense was pushed back because of an immense pressure.

”Wha… What?” Xukong spoke after recoiling.

He looked around and saw that the True Grand Formation Array had activated. The runes on it started shifting and showed a myriad of changes. It was as if the workings of the heavens were hidden within the formation and gave one a slight glance into it.

Xukong could not help but be lost within the mysteries of the True Grand Formation Array. A moment later he forcibly snapped out of his daze, as a chill went down his body.

”This is truly fearsome. It can even pull someone like me into it.” Xukong spoke with a little fear in his voice.

~screech~

Xukong then heard a loud echoing screech and saw an oval mass appear over the formation array. The oval mass was making shrieking and crying noises which made one's ears hurt and hair stand on the end.

The oval mass dissipated and revealed the heart demon that was hidden within. The heart demon was floating above the formation array and seemed to be greatly distressed. It seemed to have stabilized its form temporarily after absorbing the spirit qi from Lin Mu's dantian, but probably could not maintain it for much longer.

”Why is the heart demon here?” Xukong questioned.

The heart demon's movements were being restricted by something invisible which even Xukong could not determine. Suddenly the altar that was glowing with white light started to thrum with power. Even more intense waves of energy started being released from it. Xukong was just about to brace for its impact when he discovered that the energy waves never reached him.

Xukong gazed at the altar and saw that the waves of energy were only targeting the heart demon. The energy waves would be released by the altar and then surround the heart demon into a certain kind of a shell.

”The altar is sealing the Heart Demon? No! This is something else…” Xukong uttered.

After the heart demon was completely encased within the energy shell it started floating towards the altar. It came to a halt right above the beam of white light and was veiled within it.

And then it happened…

The entire environment within the ring changed. The beam of light that was being emanated by the altar was no longer white. Instead, it had turned into a crimson shade of red. The light kept on being intensified until finally; it became blood red.

”This aura… how can it be here…” Xukong uttered in between breaths.

A violent and oppressive aura spread inside the ring and made Xukong recoil.

”There's no doubt… It is the aura of the Demonic Path!” Xukong stated before he was pushed back a large distance away.

*****

Back in the real world. A stream of memories were currently flashing in Lin Mu's mind.

A young teenage boy was standing in the door frame while crying. He was looking at a rough and brawny man that was currently sharpening a blade with a whetstone.