Within the ancient demon cave, nestled at the bottom of the magma lake, a profound stillness permeated the air. The silence was broken only by a ripple that spread outwards, unseen but felt. At its heart, a scroll of ancient beast skin slowly materialized.

As if possessed of sentience, the beast skin book drifted towards Jiang Wang, who sat cross-legged with eyes closed, and unfurled itself. The script upon it, though undoubtedly Dao text, was unlike any known. While its meaning could be grasped with a single glance, the characters were twisted and bizarre, completely distinct from conventional Daoist script. Perhaps…it could be called demon text.

The four characters at the opening were fiercely rendered, spelling out: “Seven Hates Demon Skill”.

This volume of beast skin book now hung suspended before Jiang Wang, like a banner.

His brow was furrowed in a deep crease, a sign of some agonizing internal struggle. Unconsciously, his hand reached out. He desired to grasp that ‘banner’, as if performing some ancient ceremony, embracing the transformation that awaited him this very day. His hand, the same hand that wielded his sword, slender and powerful, moved slowly towards the ancient sheepskin scroll.

But just as his fingertips neared, they stopped.

The torment was evident in the deep lines etched between his eyebrows. The struggle between heaven and man, a visible battle waged upon his features.

As Jiang Wang’s hand hesitated, unable to descend, the ancient beast skin book seemed to grow restless and impatient. The demon text upon it began to float upwards, one by one.

And the demon text spoke.

A voice, grand yet ferocious, echoed through the ancient demon cave, carried by the unrest of the demon text. It struck the listener with awe, fear, and a strange intoxication.

The voice chanted:

*Hate heaven for its lack of benevolence!*
*Hate earth for its absence of virtue!*
*Hate man for his utter righteousness!*

*Hate the inversion of black and white!*
*Hate the self-serving and selfish!*

*Hate a world devoid of justice!*

*Hate ten thousand ancient eras, yet only my name remains!*

*I hate all beneath heaven as my enemies, and thus all beneath heaven shall hate me.*
*The hatred of a parricide is no more profound! The hatred of a cuckold is no more profound!*

*There is no one beneath heaven I cannot slay! There is no one beneath heaven who cannot slay me!*

This demon sound seemed to possess a terrifying power. The ancient demon cave, abandoned for years, its rules scattered, unexpectedly showed signs of a faint vitality reviving. Everything began to stir. It was as if a stagnant, dead pond, filled only with rotten mud and fallen leaves, had suddenly been infused with a spring of living water.

With this, everything held new possibility.

The “Seven Hates Demon Skill” opened with such momentum, clearly hating heaven and earth, viewing all beings with enmity, taking the world as its foe! Its power was, without a doubt, immense.

Jiang Wang’s finger, suspended above the beast skin book, trembled slightly. A crushing weight seemed to press down upon it. At this moment, his eyes were still closed, seemingly trapped in an unending dream. His usually clear and bright eyes were veiled by a haze of pain and gloom.

Trembling Yuan power, restless energy, and the slowly reviving rules of the demon cave all seemed to declare:

This world awaited his choice! Awaited the final decision of this young man.

An endless supply of demon qi, its origin unknown, tumbled and rolled in the ancient demon cave, like subjects awaiting their king. That desolate tomb of ten thousand realms, awaited a newborn power!

In that wine building in Zhongshan Country, just before confronting Zhao Xuan Yang, a volume of beast skin book appeared before Jiang Wang. A voice roared in his heart: “Cultivate my Seven Hates Demon Skill, and killing Zhao Xuan Yang will be like slaughtering a chicken!”

In the city Dao courtyard of Fenglin City in Zhuang Country, as Jiang Wang walked, the ancient beast skin book floated and sank before him. A voice in his heart roared in fury: “All under heaven call me demon; then I shall become a demon for them to see! Cultivate my Seven Hates Demon Skill, and I shall ultimately be invincible beneath the heavens! Let the world no longer defy me, hate me, falsely accuse me! Let them only obey, serve, and kneel!”

The real and the illusory intertwined, reality and dream locked in battle. Like a surging tide sweeping in, Jiang Wang’s will was as a candle flame in a fierce wind. His will, shattered in the dream of Yujing Mountain, plummeted into an endless abyss.

Within the ancient demon cave at the bottom of the magma lake, Jiang Wang reached out, intending to seize the volume of Seven Hates Demon Skill.

But at that instant, his eyes opened.

They were eyes that still held pain, still held confusion, still held torment. But when these eyes gazed upon the “Seven Hates Demon Skill,” a skill seemingly destined for unparalleled mastery, there was no greed, no longing, not a hint of desire.

“All under heaven call me demon; am I a demon?” the young cultivator asked. His calm voice resonated in the abandoned ancient demon cave: “All under heaven take me for a demon; do I wish to be a demon?”

Within his body, four sources of light illuminated in succession. Divine ability light, illuminating his true heart. His voice became clearer and sharper, growing louder with each word:

“I, Jiang Wang, a man of seven feet, look up to heaven, bow to earth, practice my promises, seek my desires, live in this world—is it for the words of others?!”

His hand, which had almost grasped the beast skin book, suddenly recoiled. Long Xiang Si clanged from its sheath, held firmly in his hand, and without hesitation, he struck down at the volume of “Seven Hates Demon Skill” before him!

In that wine building in Zhongshan Country, Jiang Wang gripped his sword and faced Zhao Xuan Yang directly, saying only: “You all have forty breaths to leave this place. After forty breaths, I will fight to the death with all my might.” He spoke these words calmly, never once sparing a glance for the beast skin book beside him.

*This is the choice I make, following my true heart. Were I to live it a thousand times, ten thousand times, I would still choose this way.*

*I do not regret.*

In the city Dao courtyard of Fenglin City in Zhuang Country, Jiang Wang walked forward alone. He had already formed a complete plan. One: to use Zhao Ru Cheng to implore the mysterious Uncle Deng to warn Yujing Mountain of the White Bone Dao’s conspiracy. Two: to use the Taixu Illusion to request the help of “Zhen Wu Di,” who temporarily hid his true name, to report this matter to the Three Punishment Palace and request that they send people to Zhuang!

Methods, if one thought hard enough, could always be found.

Regardless, he could not stand by and watch Fenglin City be destroyed again. He could not be like Zhuang Gao Xian, who sat back and watched so many people die, only to seek his final harvest. Perhaps they could live better, more glorious lives, perhaps they could reach their goals more easily.

But I, Jiang Wang, am not like them.

There is no need to be like them!

That volume of beast skin scroll, representing formidable power, was just before him, within reach. Yet, he took a step and placed it under his foot.

He strode forward! The dream, indistinguishable from reality, had already been stepped out of.

In the lightless ancient demon cave, Jiang Wang’s single sword strike fell. Fierce, decisive, leaving no room for retreat.

Just as the sword’s edge was about to meet its target, the beast skin book silently dissipated. Like a shattered bubble, like an extremely light sigh. It was no more. He searched the entire cave chamber, but found no trace of its existence. Of the now completely calm dark ripple, Jiang Wang naturally perceived nothing. He was only acutely aware that, just moments ago, some power had been eroding his will…a power connected to the “Seven Hates Demon Skill.”

At this moment, gripping his sword, his eyes were thoroughly clear, like a limpid pool. All the pain and torment had sunk to the bottom, leaving visible only an unyielding firmness and an unwavering persistence.

And the demon qi that had previously surrounded and drawn near him, now devoid of his support, gradually withered. But before it completely dissipated, as if a return of spiritual light, it suddenly clustered, condensing in mid-air into a strange, twisted demon text! It faintly distorted the space around it.

The meaning of this character was:

“Stubborn and unenlightened!”

ps: 仇 (chóu): Enemy.