Mysterious mirror hanging high

Chapter 942 Framing

Jing Yu's unorthodox remarks were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, immediately stirring up whispers among the disciples listening to the sermon.

The True Lord of the Mysterious Mirror, seated high on the golden lotus, frowned slightly, as if he were deducing the merits and demerits of this argument, but did not rush to refute it.

Upon hearing this, Guan Lingxiao slightly turned the blindfold towards Jing Yu's direction. He was not angry; instead, he fell into deeper thought.

He was a pure sword cultivator with a pure Dao heart as clear as crystal. He always adhered to the principle of "slaying any delusive thoughts as soon as they arise" to prevent them from escalating.

But at this moment, the words of this unfamiliar disciple were like a ray of light, illuminating a corner of his sword heart that he had never pondered deeply before.

"In your opinion..."

Guan Lingxiao slowly spoke: "Do you mean to deliberately nurture your inner demons and let them grow stronger? This is not cultivation, but playing with fire and getting burned."

Jing Yu's expression grew increasingly composed. He stepped forward and said loudly, "Senior Brother, you are wise. I believe that inner demons are not entirely external evils; their root lies in one's own heart. They are the projection and distortion of one's own obsessions, fears, and even desires. Sword cultivators should be sincere to the sword, but even more so to themselves."

His gaze swept over everyone present, finally settling on Guan Lingxiao. His words carried a mysterious rhythm, as if they were in harmony with the will of Heaven:

"Trying to catch the moon's reflection in the water, one realizes it's just an empty illusion; leaving a mark on the snow, one can only see the faint trace of a wild goose. The same is true of inner demons; they are the ripples that inevitably rise in the lake of our hearts as cultivators, and the fog that we must pass through when ascending to the Dao realm."

"By simply being afraid, avoiding, and rushing to eliminate, one may seem decisive and efficient, but in reality, one may miss the opportunity to examine one's own heart and understand one's own weaknesses."

"Without seeing through the chaos of delusions, how can one discern one's true self, and how can one speak of 'enlightenment'?"

"True swordsmanship is about not being confused by countless illusions and not being hindered by the seven emotions and six desires. It is about being able to temper the sword's edge in the midst of the mortal world, rather than hiding in a vacuum to maintain a fragile purity."

"Therefore, I have spoken presumptuously!"

Jing Yu's voice suddenly rose, carrying an almost provocative tone: "Those who treat their inner demons as if facing a formidable enemy, and who are filled with anxiety and unease at the mere sight of delusions, have already become cowardly and dulled their swords."

Guan Lingxiao's expression changed slightly, a hint of doubt appearing on his face: "How can an ordinary disciple have such insight? Why are you unknown in the academy? Who exactly are you?"

Taking advantage of the moment when his mind was shaken and his cognitive barriers were most relaxed, the ordinary disciple that Jing Yu had transformed into blurred into his true form—the familiar appearance of the master that Guan Lingxiao knew.

Jing Yu stared directly at Guan Lingxiao, no longer concealing her intentions, and solemnly said, "Lingxiao, do not draw your sword again! I am not an ordinary inner demon or delusion, but a wisp of your master's consciousness, coming through a dream! The inner demons you have encountered in the past few days are all my master!"

Guan Lingxiao subconsciously flicked his fingertips, releasing sword energy, but the Daoist discourse on inner demons still echoed in his mind, causing his invincible sword heart to hesitate for the first time regarding "annihilation".

He "looked" at the figure before him, which was identical to his master but whose aura was as faint as a candle flame, and said in a deep voice, "What... exactly are you? My master... would never do something like peeping into a dream!"

Despite his doubts, he ultimately did not immediately strike with his sword.

"I really am your master." Jing Yu said helplessly, "Entering your dream was a last resort. After all, I am only a minor cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage. If I didn't have such special means, how could I have broken through layers of guards and contacted you?"

"I came here to ask you some questions... not specifically to break your Dao heart. Inner demons need to be nourished by delusions to grow, and they are thieves of the Dao heart. Thieves never leave empty-handed, and they are all very busy. I don't have time to stay here and chat with you."

"I'll ask, you answer; you just need to give me a general idea."

The sword energy at Guan Lingxiao's fingertips gradually weakened. He asked in a daze, "Master...Master, are you really Master?"

Jing Yu said bluntly, "Ling Xiao, I have already learned about the marriage agreement between the Tianmang Sect and the Ling family. I also have a general idea of ​​how you were imprisoned in the Tianmang Sect... Let me ask you, what exactly happened? Did you really have an affair with the eldest daughter of the Ling family, Ling Qishuang? And were you caught red-handed?"

Seeing that Jing Yu had truly not done anything to disturb his Dao heart, Guan Lingxiao was already seven or eight parts convinced. Upon hearing this, he recalled the past and his anger surged: "Damn it... I was wronged!"

Jing Yu was taken aback: "You're not Ling Qishuang's lover?"

"I've only seen that wicked woman once! How could I possibly have an affair with her?"

Guan Lingxiao said sullenly, "After ascending to the Immortal Realm, I was traveling and cultivating in the First Heaven. Later, I encountered a life-or-death crisis. Fortunately, a senior sword cultivator saved me, which prevented me from perishing."

"That senior was a junior disciple of the Heavenly Immortal lineage, the Formless Sword Sound Pavilion, who was assigned to the first level of Heaven. Seeing that I had some talent in swordsmanship, he introduced me to the Formless Sword Sound Pavilion."

"Later, I gained the appreciation of the Master [One String Sword Immortal], who devoted himself to my cultivation, which is why my cultivation progressed so rapidly."

Guan Lingxiao briefly recounted his experiences over the years before getting to the main point:

"About a few years ago, the Master took his disciples to visit old friends in the Ling family. After all, the Ling family is the only True Immortal power in the Shattered Storm Starfield. The Wuxiang Sword Sound Tower has to rely on them. The Master took his disciples there mostly to let them make more friends with the Ling family's prodigies and build relationships."

"Later, the host went to the main hall of the Ling family to attend a banquet, while the younger generation below the Mahayana realm gathered in a side hall... On that day, many geniuses from the entire Shattered Storm Starfield came, and there were many exchanges and battles during the banquet, but they all stopped short of each other, and for a time, the guests and hosts were all happy."

"That wicked woman Ling Qishuang was in charge of the banquet... I even sparred with her. To be honest, that wicked woman's supernatural abilities are quite impressive, and she is considered outstanding among those in the Cave Heaven Realm. Unfortunately, she is nothing compared to me."

Guan Lingxiao snorted coldly: "However, the disciple still understands human relationships. At that time, he let Hai go during the battle and fought him to a draw, thus saving face for the Ling family."

"But I never expected that Ling Qishuang would repay kindness with enmity, secretly adding a mind-altering drug to my disciple's wine... That drug was colorless and odorless, and of extremely high quality. As a minor cultivator in a grotto-heaven realm, I was completely unable to guard against it."

"As a result, I inexplicably fell into a coma for a long time. When I woke up, I found that this slut was sleeping in the same bed with me... Before I could react, a large group of people rushed in noisily from outside the door. Among them was a Celestial Immortal Elder of the Tianmang Sect. When he saw this scene, his face turned ashen. He was convinced that I was having an affair with Ling Qishuang. He took me to the dungeon of the Tianmang Sect to await my judgment. I was imprisoned there for several years."