"Enough, enough, they were but shrimp soldiers and crab generals after all; one shouldn’t expect too much."
Yang Chaoyu retreated with his remaining battered troops.
...
A range of undulating mountains stretches far and wide; amongst them stands a peak of unparalleled height, towering like a crane among chickens, dwarfing all other mountains. This is the mountain gate of the Absolute Sect, the Absolute Mountain.
At the pinnacle of Absolute Mountain, an elder with white whiskers gazes down upon the mountains, his face calm, deep in thought.
Tap, tap, tap.
Suddenly, light footsteps approach rapidly from behind.
"Lord Tang, the message from over there."
It is a woman, carrying an enormous crescent sword on her back.
The massive weapon, even larger than her stature, seems weightless on her, as if lifting it was effortless.
The elder turns around to see the disciple holding a blue paper crane, which prompts him to sigh.
"The methods of demons are truly varied and endless. Under normal circumstances, sending a message there would take at least a week or two to be delivered. But demons, relying on their abilities, can deliver a message within a few days."
The woman bows her head, not daring to speak recklessly.
Luckily, the elder is merely sighing.
As one ages, they tend to talk more without even noticing it.
Receiving the paper crane and inspecting it closely, the elder’s expression grows complex.
"To actually be willing to give up the Buddha’s Heart, what a grand gesture!"
In his lifetime, few among humans or demons possess such audacity.
"Since this is the case, we agree. At the critical moment, we shall lend them a hand."
The woman keeps her head down, still silent, but her body begins to tremble slightly.
Suddenly, she raises her head.
"Lord Tang, as a child when demons attacked our village, I witnessed my parents being brutally killed by demons! After I joined the sect, I vowed to eliminate all the demons in the world, not sparing a single one! But now... why, why must I serve the demons now? I don’t understand, Lord Tang, is the mere Buddha’s Heart truly worth our efforts?"
"A mere Buddha’s Heart, you say... Do you realize what status the Buddha Demon lineage holds among the demons? You understand nothing."
The elder looks into the distance.
"Buddha’s Heart, Buddha’s Hand, Buddha’s Feet, Buddha’s Brain, Buddha’s Clothes... our Absolute Sect has battled demons for too long. Absolute opposition has made our name known far and wide. But who knows what we have sacrificed for this? So many years have passed, have we eradicated all the demons in the world? No!"
The elder’s tone suddenly intensifies.
"Too pedantic, the followers of my elder brother’s lineage are too pedantic! To eradicate demons, one must delve deep into understanding them! The Buddha’s Heart is an important beginning! Only by thoroughly understanding your opponent can you eliminate them at the root! What I want is... a world without demons!"
"Short-lived slaughter is just a temporary suppression of demon numbers, meaningless. Demons are unceasing in life, multiplying generation after generation, there will never be a day of extinction."
"Lu Lu, as my last direct disciple, I hope you inherit my ideology, so that even if one day I pass away from this world, at least someone will continue to carry out my plan to eliminate demons."
As the elder finishes speaking, the girl immediately responds with excitement.
"Lord Tang! You won’t have any problems! A mere stubborn ailment..."
The elder waves his hand dismissively.
"I am well aware of my own body condition."
The eradication of demons is endless.
Only if one can understand the root of demons is there a possibility of extermination.
For the future, for a world without demons, the current sacrifices are all worth it.
"Lan Yuhe, huh... The Tang lineage of my Absolute Sect will accept your service!"
The elder sighs.
In this world, perhaps no one has noticed that their Absolute Sect, which claims absolute opposition to demons, has, through ceaseless killing and the passage of time, quietly given birth to another ideology and... its supporters.
And who is right and who is wrong, only those in future generations will be able to judge.
For now, he can only hope to lead these people, to give their all; perhaps, this eternal golden age will begin with them!
...