From start to finish, what Monk Ci Hong wanted to express was merely a hope to exchange martial skills with the Demon Venerable before his rise, become friends with him, and then prevent him from causing calamity in the Central Domain, thereby earning merits and achieving the Longevity Tao Fruit in this life, rather than the rumors that he wanted to duel with Chen Zhixing and suppress the Demon Venerable.
Becoming friends first and then preventing him is fundamentally different from simply using force to stop him.
The former is an understanding from the heart.
The latter is wishful thinking.
Anyone who knows about the rise of the Demon Venerable wouldn't harbor such thoughts, because they know, even at his weakest, he had Chen Tianyuan, a top Peak practically invincible in the Longevity Realm, supporting him, making it impossible to snuff out his potential.
