Slaying Demons: Starting with Upgrading my Calligraphy-Chapter 416 - 372: The Wild Sect!

Atop the Shenxiao Sect’s main peak, which seemed forged from jade and rosy morning clouds, stood a majestic grand hall.

The roof of this grand hall was covered with golden glazed tiles, and its four corners rose sharply, like the wings of a phoenix about to take flight. Vermillion pillars stretched up into the clouds, standing tall and imposing.

Above the Nine Heavens, thunder roared like dragons, striking the grand hall from time to time, each strike seeming to temper the hall itself.

Amidst the flashes of lightning and rolling thunder, the grand hall exuded a faint aura, like a series of sacred halos, faintly emanating an overwhelming and solemn authority.

This place was the Sect Main Hall of the Shenxiao Sect.

And at this moment, within this grand hall, two groups of people were arrayed, one to the left, the other to the right.

On the highest-positioned Taishi Chair on the left, Dongfang Qing sat calmly, his hands caressing a golden-yellow, perfectly round jade ball from which a faint divine light pulsed.

Beneath him stood the Peak Masters of the Shenxiao Sect’s seventy-two peaks, with the exception of a few who were either traveling or in secluded death cultivation. Nearly fifty Dao Experts were gathered within the grand hall.

In contrast to this solemn and grand assembly, on the right side stood a group of tall figures. Each was enveloped by a domineering aura, their breathing reminiscent of a mountain’s roar and a tsunami’s crash, and every man among them seemed as fiery as a volcano.

"Sect Master Dongfang, it’s been over three months. If you still can’t pick someone suitable, we’re leaving," said a man in plain grey martial attire. He had an ordinary face, but when he smiled, two shallow dimples appeared on his cheeks as he spoke slowly and softly.

This man, able to sit shoulder to shoulder with Dongfang Qing, was clearly also a Primordial Spirit Boss!

Upon hearing the man’s urging, Dongfang Qing’s gaze shifted slightly, and the fingers stroking the golden-yellow jade ball paused abruptly.

"Tsk..."

With a soft sneer that everyone could hear, Dongfang Qing raised his hand, ready to toss the golden-yellow jade ball to the man.

But just as the jade ball was about to leave his hand, Daoist Yunxiong, who was standing in the crowd, suddenly wore a stunned expression. He quickly moved to Dongfang Qing’s side and spoke to him via voice transmission in a low tone.

Hmm? Damn it, that brat has finally had enough of his wandering. The annoyance deep in Dongfang Qing’s eyes was instantly masked by a sly look. He inwardly cursed, yet his face showed a hint of hesitation.

Seeing the golden-yellow jade ball, which Dongfang Qing had been about to release, now firmly gripped in his hand again, the dimpled man couldn’t help but look puzzled.

"Sect Master Dongfang, what’s this...?"

"Old Yang, letting you take the item away so easily... tsk, it just doesn’t sit right with me," Dongfang Qing remarked.

Seeing Dongfang Qing’s intention to renege, Yang Jingzhe chuckled, "So, what now? Rules can’t be broken. I’ve given you three months already; I can’t keep waiting here forever."

"I certainly won’t break the rules. What I mean is, how about we raise the stakes?" Dongfang Qing said with a cunning smile, propping up the golden-yellow jade ball with one finger. "Let’s condense the original three Blood-Stained Realm matches into one. If you win, I’ll not only give you this, but I’ll also lend you the Hua Sheng Thunder Pond for a hundred years. If you lose, besides going back where you came from, you’ll also have to forge something for me, free of charge. How about it?"

Hearing Dongfang Qing’s words, Yang Jingzhe raised his eyebrows, sizing up the Supreme Patriarch of Shenxiao Sect across from him.

"Let me think about it." After a moment of silence, Yang Jingzhe didn’t give an immediate answer, instead stating he needed to consider it.

"No problem, take all the time you need to think," Dongfang Qing said, waving his hand generously. He then stood up to see Yang Jingzhe and his entourage off. Only after they had completely disappeared did he slowly turn around, his expression terrifyingly dark.

"Where the hell is that little bastard Qi Xiu? He’s been gone for twenty years, leaving the Spirit Rice paddies to me in neglect. Has that little bastard grown tired of living?" 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Reporting to the Supreme Patriarch, I can explain," Qi Xiu said, somewhat awkwardly stepping out from behind his master, Daoist Yunxiong. His journey Outside the Domain had been purely accidental.

"Explain? What can you explain? Can explanations make up for your mistake?" Dongfang Qing said, standing before Qi Xiu, his expression as dark as still water. The terrifying pressure from the Primordial Spirit Boss suddenly crashed down like a breached dike.

HUM—

Sensing the Primordial Spirit Boss’s pressure, the Dragon Binding Rope within Qi Xiu instinctively stirred, but he quickly suppressed it.

"This disciple is at fault. I implore the Sect Master to punish me," Qi Xiu said, bowing respectfully. He didn’t try to shirk responsibility. Although there were reasons for his actions, he had been negligent and careless, so he was indeed at fault.

Seeing Qi Xiu maintain his composure under his pressure without showing much abnormality, Dongfang Qing’s grim expression instantly melted away like spring snow in the sun.

"Hmm, your attitude is acceptable. In that case, I, the Sect Master, will give you an opportunity to redeem yourself. Come, follow me."

Transforming into a gust of wind, Dongfang Qing swept Qi Xiu away, leaving the assembled Dao Experts of the Yun Generation Elders looking at each other in dismay.

Daoist Priest Yunqing even walked over to Daoist Yunxiong’s side and said in a low voice, "Aren’t you going to follow them? Make sure the Sect Master doesn’t act too harshly and injure the boy."

"Heh heh, don’t you worry. Haven’t you noticed? The Sect Master is putting on an act," Daoist Yunxiong said calmly, stroking his wiry beard, clearly privy to some inside information.

"An act? For whom is the audience?" Daoist Priest Yunqing asked, perplexed, and scanned his surroundings but noticed nothing unusual.

"Stop looking. If you could detect them, they wouldn’t be very skilled, would they? Just wait. There’ll likely be a good show soon," Daoist Yunxiong said with a mysterious smile, his gaze flicking towards a streak of golden light speeding away from the gate.

Upon arriving at the divine and wondrous void, filled with countless sky-obscuring lotus flowers, Dongfang Qing smiled, patted Qi Xiu on the shoulder, and said, "You brat, you’re truly blessed by immense fortune! To think you silently cultivated to the peak of the Blood-Stained Realm. It seems you gained quite a lot Outside the Domain. Hmm, this Taoist Robe of yours..."

Before he could finish, Dongfang Qing noticed the Clear Moon Cloud Robe Qi Xiu was wearing. Although Qi Xiu had concealed all the divine and wondrous aura of this Magical Treasure, it couldn’t escape the sharp eyes of a Primordial Spirit Boss.

"This is no ordinary Magical Treasure. Where did you get it from?" Dongfang Qing couldn’t help but ask, having discerned that the Clear Moon Cloud Robe was not just an ordinary Magical Treasure but a high-grade one, forged with the full effort of a Primordial Spirit Realm expert.

Since Dongfang Qing asked, Qi Xiu didn’t hide anything. He recounted the entire sequence of events: how he accidentally ended up Outside the Domain, stumbled upon clues to the Demonic Devouring Inheritance, then traveled to Qinlong Province and met Moon Sea True Venerable, among other things. However, he left out some details, making them slightly vague, such as the True Dragon sleeping in the Longevity Star Realm...

"Good heavens, your experiences are truly convoluted and full of dramatic turns.

"You did the right thing regarding the Evernight Ancient Kingdom. Once the resentment of the Divine Generals gets out of control, it could sweep across the world in a very short time. The karma from such slaughter would inevitably be entirely blamed on you.

"This is actually part of the calculations by the one who left this inheritance. In that way, the one who obtains the inheritance is destined to become the common enemy of the world, thus being forced to ruthlessly seize the power of all things in heaven and earth and become an eternally indestructible sovereign.

"He probably never imagined that someone would actually give up the Demonic Devouring Inheritance. No... he probably didn’t expect someone’s appetite to be so large as to want to take away the very wills of the Divine Generals as well."

Listening to Qi Xiu’s experiences in the Evernight Ancient Kingdom, Dongfang Qing nodded repeatedly.

It’s not frightening for people to have greed; that’s common human nature, even for Primordial Spirit Bosses. But one must be greedy with intelligence, with reason. Otherwise, one will sink step by step into the abyss of greed until they drown.

"However, I have no real impression of this Moon Sea True Venerable you speak of. If she claimed you and I had a passing acquaintance, she must have been pulling your leg.

An old relic, over four thousand one hundred years old, having survived four tribulations... Lethean Sea Cliff... It seems many people have heard that news..."

As if remembering something, Dongfang Qing’s gaze gradually grew heavy. He only snapped back to reality when Qi Xiu called out to him softly from the side.

"Sect Master, what were those people doing just now? Junior Sister Ye mentioned they came to cause trouble. They don’t seem to be cultivators from our province."

"Yes, they’re from the Domineering Body Sect in Huihuai Province. They’ve come this time to snatch a spot for the Valley of Deceased Gods from me."

The Domineering Body Sect? That audacious sect where all members are Martial Cultivators, the one that proclaims, ’Heaven and Earth may perish, but I shall not!’?

Startled, Qi Xiu hadn’t expected that group to be from the Domineering Body Sect of Huihuai Province.

The Domineering Body Sect was the foremost sect in Huihuai Province. Furthermore, among all the sects in the Twelve Great Provinces of the Great Xuan Dynasty, it was the only one with two Primordial Spirit Bosses in its ranks!

As a Martial Cultivator sect—no, more accurately, as a cultivator sect in general—the Domineering Body Sect had an extremely unique cultivation method. Everyone in the sect, from the Sect Master down to the disciples, cultivated only one and the same True Scripture Volume. It was named "The Indestructible Body."

Legend had it that this True Scripture Volume was exceedingly special, allowing for limitless cultivation. With each breakthrough in its stages, one’s physical strength would double, with no apparent end. Furthermore, the Domineering Body Sect revered "The Indestructible Body" as its sole and supreme cultivation manual. Aside from this True Scripture Volume, they resolutely cultivated no other Dharma Gates or techniques.

This nearly fanatical dedication to a single cultivation method had forged the Domineering Body Sect into a Martial Cultivator sect unparalleled throughout history. They even adopted the motto: "Heaven and Earth may perish, but I shall not!" Consequently, the Domineering Body Sect was also dubbed the "Audacious Sect" by outsiders.

What Qi Xiu didn’t quite understand was why the Domineering Body Sect, with Huihuai Province being separated from Dianchuan by several other large provinces, would traverse thousands of mountains and rivers to cause trouble at the Shenxiao Sect.

All for that so-called spot in the Valley of Deceased Gods?

"The Valley of Deceased Gods is an ancient mystical land that opens once every three hundred years. Each Primordial Spirit True Honor is allocated one spot. And if one desires more spots, they must be seized by force."

"Seized?"

"Not outright robbery, but through competitive duels between two parties. Yang Jingzhe and I had some... disagreements a few years ago. With the Valley of Deceased Gods opening this time, he’s been nursing a grudge and came to snatch the spot I hold. Before you returned, we had already fought six matches—three wins and three losses. The remaining matches are at the Blood-Stained Realm level. Originally, our chances of winning at this level were very high. But, as ill luck would have it: Qingshan is in seclusion, preparing to undergo his tribulation and attain the Dao Body; Bo Xue is traveling abroad and we’ve lost contact; Sun Sanqian is still recovering from grievous injuries sustained in a deathmatch; and then there was you, who had inexplicably vanished."

Mentioning this, Dongfang Qing shot Qi Xiu another sidelong glance, making the latter chuckle in embarrassment.

"Fortunately, you returned just in time. I’ve already laid a trap for Yang Jingzhe, consolidating the three Blood-Stained Realm matches into a single one. You get ready and deliver that bastard a resounding slap in the face for me!"