The shadow of the Dao Ancestor, I am the Demon Ancestor!

"To induce the Demon Shadow, one must be in a state of intense emotional fluctuation... extreme rage, ecstasy, profound sorrow, immense terror..."

"But these emotions, for me right now, seem a bit difficult to achieve?"

Inside the quiet room, Lin Mo sat cross-legged, his brows slightly furrowed.

His Dao Heart was incredibly stable now, and his emotions were as calm as still water.

What seemed to be the simplest 入門 requirement in this Nine Nether Demon Seeding Heart Sutra, for him, had instead become the biggest obstacle.

"Perhaps I should recall the days of working 996 in my previous life, being exploited by my boss? To feel that towering rage?"

This thought had just arisen when he quickly dismissed it himself.

"No, those Mortal desires can no longer stir true ripples in my heart."

"Recalling them now would at most be finding some amusement for myself, far from reaching the level of 'extreme rage'."

"To forcibly create emotions for the sake of Cultivation is ultimately a lesser path, and unnecessary."

"Since it is a 'Heart' Sutra, its Origin lies in the 'Heart', not in superficial emotions."

"Instead of taking those detours, it's better to go straight for the Dragon."

"I'll directly immerse my consciousness, delve deep into my mental sea, and see where that so-called 'Heart Demon Shadow' is truly hidden."

Lin Mo had always been a person who liked to strike at the essence; cumbersome preludes only wasted his time.

With this thought, he no longer hesitated.

He slowly closed his eyes.

All external sounds, light, and sensations began to recede rapidly.

His consciousness seemed to break free from the shackles of his Physical Body, transforming into an invisible thought, sinking straight down into his bottomless mental ocean.

This process was much faster than he had imagined.

Just as his mind completely quieted, entering a state of empty nothingness.

Boom!

His spiritual world suddenly trembled, and an irresistible suction force appeared out of nowhere.

This suction was like a deep vortex, instantly dragging his consciousness into an boundless, purely dark Void Realm.

"Did I succeed?"

"Is this... my spiritual Origin sea?"

Lin Mo's consciousness body floated in this Void Realm, quickly stabilizing.

He wasn't panicked, merely calmly observing his surroundings.

It was excessively empty here; apart from endless darkness, there was nothing else, as if it were the Chaos before all creation.

"So, where is the so-called 'Lifebound Demon Shadow'?"

Lin Mo's thought transformed into a voice, spreading through this silent space, yet it didn't elicit a single echo.

He wasn't impatient, simply waiting quietly.

Because he knew very well that in this inner world belonging to him, any pretense or eagerness was meaningless.

Just then, a gaze, without warning, fell upon his back.

That gaze had no temperature, no emotion, not even any substantive power, but Lin Mo clearly felt its presence at the very first moment!

It was as if another "observer" had suddenly appeared in this absolute Void Realm.

Lin Mo slowly turned around.

The next moment, his pupils suddenly contracted.

He saw another figure quietly floating not far in front of him.

That figure had the exact same appearance and physique as him.

The only difference was that the other wore a black robe that seemed woven from the deepest night.

His demeanor was cold and aloof, his expression indifferent and distant, and his eyes were like two ancient wells leading to the Void Realm, in which was deposited the loneliness and indifference of ages.

"Are you... my Heart Demon?"

Lin Mo was somewhat bewildered, his voice filled with surprise and incomprehension.

This scene before him was completely different from what he had expected.

According to the secret technique's description, a newborn Demon Shadow should be ignorant and vague.

But this one, not only was its form incredibly clear, but its temperament and aura were also a bit too high-grade.

Upon hearing this, Black-robed Lin Mo's lips curled into a barely perceptible, mocking smile.

"Heart Demon? A definition that is too shallow."

"I... don't like it."

His voice was identical to Lin Mo's, but his tone was as flat as an unfluctuating straight line, devoid of any emotion.

"This isn't right."

Lin Mo's brows were tightly furrowed, the confusion in his heart growing heavier.

"According to the secret technique, a Demon Shadow is ignorant and unconscious at birth, acting purely on instinct, making it the lowest-level 'Heart Demon servant'."

"Even if I am unique and the Lifebound Demon Shadow I condensed has extraordinary potential, there should still be a process of growth."

"You... why can you respond to me so fluently? What exactly are you?"

To Lin Mo's questions, Black-robed Lin Mo merely looked at him indifferently.

"That's because..."

"I am not the 'shadow' born from that secret technique."

"But your 'True Self'."

"I am your truest, most primal self, untouched by any worldly rules or Acquired morality."

"I am the past you severed, the madness you suppressed."

"That secret technique, for you and me, is merely a key."

"A key that allows you... or rather, allows us, to acknowledge each other's existence."

These words left Lin Mo stunned.

Hiss...!

This script development was completely off!

He realized that the direction of things seemed to have gone awry!

This Black-robed Lin Mo, who claimed to be his "True Self," seemed to possess wisdom and sophistication far beyond imagination.

This was fundamentally not the kind of Demon Shadow, defined in the introductory chapter of the Nine Nether Demon Seeding Heart Sutra, that needed to be fed emotions and slowly nurtured.

This guy appeared on the scene with the demeanor of a max-level boss!

"Do you know what role you are currently playing in the eyes of those Mortals in Great Xia?"

As Lin Mo pondered, Black-robed Lin Mo suddenly changed the subject, mentioning Great Xia without warning.

Lin Mo was startled; he hadn't expected the other party to know even this.

He mused for a moment, then answered truthfully: "They... honor me as the Dao Ancestor of Great Xia."

"Dao Ancestor..."

Black-robed Lin Mo repeated these two words in a low voice, and for the first time, a peculiar, indescribable light flickered in his eyes, which were like cold stars in an eternal night.

"An... interesting title."

His gaze returned to Lin Mo, as if penetrating the surface and looking directly into Lin Mo's Soul Origin.

His voice, at this moment, became incredibly distant, as if coming from the end of Chaos, carrying an undeniable sense of destiny.

"Since you, who bask in the light and forge a path for all living beings, are the 'Dao Ancestor'..."

"Then I, who was born in darkness, as your dark side..."

"Shall be... the 'Demon Ancestor'!"