The false smile disappeared, leaving only cultivators with nascent inner demons.

Even those who truly enjoyed killing had inner demons. These demons were the repressed parts of people's hearts. Under the guidance of words and the Chapter of Subduing Demons, the inner demons manifested, even influencing the host's will and thoughts.

For Ji Xiang, simply touching someone's body was like touching their inner demonic thoughts.

Words were merely external guides, accelerating the manifestation of the inner demon. As long as the other party felt a hint of fear, they would, as if compelled by a ghost, confess to things they had done that could not be openly spoken of. At that moment, the inner demon would be released.

And inner demons do not lie.

Since ancient times, demons have had bewitching methods.

Using demonic might to deceive the world was the content of the ninth chapter of the Jade Purity Hidden Book.

The third level of the Chapter of Subduing Demons enhanced this ability, turning it into a terrifying method of stirring up inner demons, leading people to self-destruction.

Jiang Quzi didn't have any psychological burden about killing people, but he did have a psychological burden about demonic tribulations. He was also afraid that other Daoists would find out what he had done, and his years of cultivating a reputation would be ruined.

His inner demon was born from this. He had fears, repressions, concerns, and things he was unwilling to face. Even a little bit of this could be amplified infinitely.

Bai Wuzi also saw the distorted phantom of a demon behind Jiang Quzi. The outward manifestation of an inner demon was a sign of losing control of one's mind and becoming possessed. Furthermore, the inner demon was like a second personality. If the first personality became trapped in demonic obstacles and couldn't extricate itself, the inner demon would take its place.

At this moment, the phantom of the demon had already opened its eyes. Although its outward appearance was that of a lowly person with a terrified expression, the look in its eyes was quite sinister.

Inner demons have no righteous form. Although they don't lie, they are by no means benevolent. And the inner demons of evil people are only more ferocious than their original masters.

"An inner demon has manifested!"

The cultivators were all shocked. Before an inner demon devoured its host, it would display a second distorted form. Among the ten demons, there was also an inner demon. This was supposed to be a minor tribulation that cultivators should have already overcome.

Bai Wuzi was sweating profusely. At this moment, a thought flashed through his mind:

"Daoist Jiang! You must not be devoured by this Heavenly Demon's sorcery! Wake up quickly!"

Bai Wuzi hurriedly explained loudly to the other cultivators, claiming that the demonic form was a trick of Ji Xiang, this Heavenly Demon. The methods of demons could not be trusted. This was to make Daoist Jiang fall into demonic possession. Just now, Jiang Quzi suddenly admitted to the evil deeds he had committed, and this was also the result of the guidance of Ji Xiang, this Heavenly Demon!

But this time, many cultivators were somewhat skeptical.

There were too many excuses. Even the person in charge of the Taiqing Palace was full of suspicion. After careful consideration, he reprimanded Bai Wuzi, "Whether you have done it or not, you know it in your heart. Why bother explaining to us?"

"If one's heart is righteous, one has no fear of inner demon disturbances. Besides, those in the Refinement of the Spirit realm have already passed the Ten Demonic Tribulations. How could inner demons still arise?"

"Could it be that he never passed the inner demon tribulation at all?!"

The person in charge of the Taiqing Palace made what he considered a reasonable deduction. The person in charge of the Chongyang Palace changed his expression several times, and then sighed, "The Ten Demonic Tribulations can be easily overcome by finding the corresponding methods, and these methods have long been passed down through generations in the cultivation world. Those little demons hiding in the world, who have bodies of merit, will not conduct the examination too seriously. Perhaps that is why we have never truly faced our own inner demons."

"This inner demon is not an external thing, but something that comes from within oneself."

The Realm Demon among the Ten Demons is the inner demon. For cultivators at the Refinement of the Spirit level, it was a minor tribulation that they had already passed and was not worth mentioning.

"How can this be called a tribulation?"

At this time, Ji Xiang spoke, causing everyone to be afraid to say more. The scene quieted down. Clearly, Ji Xiang's previous display of power was very effective.

"This is not an examination at all. It is merely his own inner demon acting up. Without an examination, there are no results after the examination. Something without results cannot be called a tribulation, but should be called a disaster."

"A disaster will continue, without a fixed time, perhaps for a moment, perhaps for thousands of years. The torment suffered during this time is not determined by anyone, but by the amount of wrongdoing he has committed."

As Ji Xiang spoke, his voice, with its strange intonation, entered Bai Wuzi's ears again:

"You are the same. I can clearly see the inner demon in your heart."

"The things you fear, the things you are unwilling to say, the things you dare not face, in front of these fellow cultivators, what you fear most is your 'painted face' that is so well-maintained. Once it is uncovered, the ugliness beneath will be exposed."

"Bai Wuzi, can you hear any cries of agony? If you can't hear them, it means that your conscience has already rotted."

Waves of demonic sounds lingered. Bai Wuzi really heard an extremely miserable wail in his ears, and then the sound gradually became smaller, just as Ji Xiang said, as if after his conscience had rotted, it could no longer make a sound.

A trace of fear appeared.

Then a new laugh appeared.

The inner demon transformed and began to influence Bai Wuzi's will. He opened his mouth and spoke as if compelled by a ghost:

"No, I abandoned my conscience a long time ago. Without a conscience, doing evil deeds is easy, so how could there be any decay!"

"When I killed those children and sent them to Prince Lu to refine elixirs, I never felt any warnings from my conscience! Heavenly Demon, you dare to deceive me!"

He spoke indignantly, scolding Ji Xiang loudly.

The faces of the cultivators changed drastically.

The person in charge of the Taiqing Palace was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged: "You bastard actually did such a rebellious thing?! Do you want to completely destroy the inheritance of my Laoshan!"

"Do you want to let the Celestial Master, let the imperial army, come to encircle and suppress my Laoshan's Daoist lineage, and completely destroy it!"

The phantom of the inner demon behind Bai Wuzi appeared and said softly, "If you don't have any sense of belonging to the sect, why should you worry about the sect's destruction? What you learn are spells, what you hang on to is reputation, and among the many things that can be used, the most valuable is the friendship of these fellow disciples."

The face of the person in charge of the Taiqing Palace turned pale.

The person in charge of the Chongyang Palace also looked at the muddle-headed Jiang Quzi, but finally turned his face away, unwilling to believe that such a villain had emerged within his Quanzhen sect. He was truly blind.

As for the remaining cultivators kneeling on the ground, they were all terrified, and the sounds of crying rose and fell one after another. The cultivators were all silent, neither daring nor having any reason to plead for them.

The person in charge of the Taiqing Palace gritted his teeth and said with difficulty, "It is the misfortune of our sect! That such a wicked creature was hiding within and cultivating! Today's matter is because we are old and our eyes are dim, unable to distinguish between good and evil, that we have committed such an offense."

"Please forgive us, Real Person, and let us take these great sinners back to the sect..."

He didn't finish the word "dispose."

Ji Xiang's response came decisively.

"You all get out."

Everyone was stunned. The person in charge of the Taiqing Palace saluted and said, "Then we will take them..."

"Even if the imperial court does not deal with these sinners, my Wudang, as the representative of the imperial court in the cultivation world, must deal with them. Even if we take a step back, to Longhu Mountain, to the Shangqing Sect, to Gezao Mountain... Wudang is in front, and the Three Mountains are behind. Where is it your turn to speak?"

"Where I am, the imperial court is here."

Ji Xiang's sarcasm made everyone feel depressed, and then the stern rebuke almost scattered their heart's blood!

Ji Xiang rebuked, "Having committed the great crime of rebellion, and also killing innocent people wantonly, eating human hearts and livers, and extracting human essence and blood, with such sins, the laws of mortals and the rules of heaven have long lost their authority in front of these people! Now that things have come to this, you still want to take them back and dispose of them yourselves at your own sect?"

"Is the world the world of your sect alone?!"

Ji Xiang reached out, turned his sleeve, and suddenly the world turned upside down, and the gale surged!

"All of you, scatter!"

The Nine Heavens Gale blew across their faces, creating a heaven and earth tornado, and the universe changed!

The sound of roaring shook the hundred mountains, and the cold air swept across the nine fields!

Hundreds of Innate cultivators were swept away by the gale, directly brushed to the outer reaches of the Nine Heavens with a flick of a sleeve. Their qi and blood scattered, like uncontrolled meteors, falling in all directions!