Ji Xiang had not expected that in his final life, he would not enter a character in an illusion, but would instead experience all the malicious and strange words in the world. This was a great torment to the spirit.
His blood pressure soared, and his fists clenched.
Some people heard one sentence and paid little attention; some heard ten sentences and greeted them with smiles; some heard a hundred sentences and remained unmoved. But this final demonic trial was to last for a hundred years!
These last hundred years might be longer than a thousand years. These voices appeared incessantly. Even if he covered his ears and closed his heart, these voices would still manifest from within!
The wickedness of the human heart surpassed that of demons!
Taoism believed that "all things are created by the mind; when the mind arises, desires arise; when the mind is still, desires are extinguished." It also emphasized that "the human mind is often scattered, but a single thought is pure." This meant that humans were both embodiments of morality and creators of all sins.
This saying had existed since the Zhou Dynasty, precisely "words of men are to be feared!"
However, Ji Xiang's eyes had turned red, and his fists were clenched. Hearing thousands of words in a moment, he would have to hear tens of thousands of words in a day!
"Even if Grand Heavenly Master Zhang were here, he might not be able to pass this trial! Can anyone truly endure hearing a hundred thousand malicious words in a day and still remain indifferent?"
"Even if one were made of stone, they would not be made of flesh and blood! I cannot do it!"
Ji Xiang was already struggling. After only about fifteen minutes, his forehead felt like it was about to explode.
At this moment, text appeared in the blank divine tablet within his inner vision!
[The Way of Heaven is established for humanity. Kindness arises from harm, and harm arises from kindness. The change between good and evil is but a single thought!]
[A common man's rage spills blood five steps; an emperor's rage causes millions to fall. The rage of immortals and demons overturns the heavens and earth! The rage of mortals inevitably ends in slaughter! Those who wish to become immortals must use their anger cautiously, lest they incur disaster! They may accumulate heavy karmic sin, be entangled in tribulations, have external forces invade their bodies, or degenerate into evil! All of these will prevent them from attaining the Great Dao!]
[If one person speaks evil words, they kill one person; if a hundred people speak evil words, they kill a hundred people; if thousands upon millions speak evil words, would that not mean killing everyone under heaven?]
[Even if one kills all the people of the current generation, how can one kill all those who come after?]
The Demon King exploited the weakest parts of the human heart, causing the mind and spirit to lose control. Therefore, they were indeed the most qualified examiners.
The blank divine tablet provided a method of response, but it only cautioned Ji Xiang to think clearly and understand, and not to commit great mistakes due to momentary impulse.
After all, this was not an examination for a minor Taoist. It was an examination for Heavenly Masters, True Men, and celestial beings. Given Ji Xiang's current mental state, he had to be extremely cautious to pass!
The trial of the human heart could not be circumvented. One had to either endure what ordinary people could not endure, or completely overturn the examination table and be deemed as having failed!
"This is not an exam for me anyway. Why should I even take it! Since I have come to the mortal world from the Great Fuliu Earth, even if I fail the exam, can they cast me into hell!"
Ji Xiang felt a sense of self-abandonment, with an urge to give up this trial. So, after a long while, Ji Xiang recited the "Scripture of Purity and Stillness" in his heart, not daring to stop for a moment.
As time passed, it seemed as if one or two years had flown by. At this time, the demonic voices, curses, and malicious words continued to pour into his ears. Ji Xiang's method of reciting the "Scripture of Purity and Stillness" had evolved from silent recitation to aloud chanting.
Silent recitation could no longer suppress them; he could only shout them out. However, he dared not get angry, so he could only recite faster and faster, as if any pause on his part would cause those demonic voices to surge back like a tide and engulf him!
Strangely, despite such frequent recitation of scriptures, his mouth did not feel dry, and his body hardly felt fatigued. Of course, mental fatigue was another matter.
Ji Xiang felt that this might be a small benefit of the examination.
Thus, the fifth year passed.
The sound of him chanting the "Scripture of Purity and Stillness" grew louder and louder!
Only by doing so, by letting his own voice drown out the demonic sounds in his ears, could he calm his mind!
Conversely, due to five years of painful tempering, Ji Xiang's spirit had become somewhat numb. The basic malicious words gradually became familiar to Ji Xiang, and his emotions no longer showed on his face.
But this was merely the calm before the ultimate suppression.
It was like the sea, which always has a period of calm before a storm.
Ji Xiang was actually starting to lose his grip.
Finally, at the end of ten years, Ji Xiang, who had been chanting the "Scripture of Purity and Stillness," faltered.
Instantly, the immense demonic sounds filled his ears again. The malicious words, absent for ten years, were now even more potent than before, transforming from simple insults to sarcastic remarks.
Sometimes, listening to simple foul language was also a form of happiness?
It was better than listening to sarcastic tones!
Ji Xiang finally couldn't hold on. This was only the first decade, and he had already exerted himself to the utmost. For these ten years, he had been constantly bombarded by insults, every moment, every second!
"I can't hold on anymore, I'm not taking this exam!"
"If my thoughts cannot be clear, can mere endurance allow me to pass the exam?"
Ji Xiang completely let go of his mental defenses, abandoned himself, and stopped reciting scriptures, letting the unspeakable demonic sounds whisper in his ears!
Becoming an immortal, why was it such a demeaning thing?
If so, why not become a heretic, a demon, or something similar!
At least then one could do as one pleased without looking at others' faces! After all, he was already a celestial demon from beyond the domain!
Ji Xiang was about to reach out and punch the divine tablet of the Azure Heaven Demon King, withdraw from this trial, and then curse the heavens and earth, venting his frustrations thoroughly. But in his inner vision, the blank divine tablet suddenly flashed with text:
[The mind is the lord of the form, and the master of the spirit and intelligence.]
[When the mind listens to the sounds of external matters, its choice is not restricted by anything.]
Ji Xiang's fist was about to strike the divine tablet of the Azure Heaven Demon King, but it stopped abruptly at this moment.
The demonic realm around the Azure Heaven Demon King began to fluctuate, as if it was about to confirm Ji Xiang's disqualification.
Ji Xiang slowly withdrew his hand.
Was it truly intended that every celestial immortal and divine general should "forget their emotions," abandon their "seven emotions and six desires," cast aside their human hearts, and transform into a heart of heaven devoid of emotion, good, evil, or thought?
As this thought arose in Ji Xiang's mind, he couldn't help but ponder it carefully. As his contemplation deepened, the faces of those who prayed to gods and worshipped Buddha gradually appeared in his eyes.
They appeared devout, but in reality, many of them were seeking solace for their souls, and some, having done wrong deeds, were even more reverent in their prayers.
But Ji Xiang knew that true celestial gods and supreme immortals were divine tablets. Gods did not exist inherently, but because people feared evil thoughts and deeds, desires for good deeds were born, and sacrifices were made with incense and offerings, thus condensing divine tablets.
Gods were inherently without minds, so they were all shaped by the human heart, and good emerged from evil.
"Good indeed comes from evil!"
This was not a particularly significant discovery, but Ji Xiang suddenly felt as if he had grasped something.
He did not notice that many of the malicious words in his ears had gradually disappeared.