Slaying Demons: Starting with Upgrading my Calligraphy-Chapter 419 - 374: Bring It On!
RUMBLE—
The void continuously arched and burst open, as divine light trembled over the arena, which spanned hundreds of miles.
With surging qi and blood, and his physical strength continuously recovering its awesome might, Zhong Gu, resembling a descended divine demon, shattered the Cosmic Bi with pure force and brazenly charged into the four Great Formations arranged by Qi Xiu.
Thunder and fire crisscrossed, accompanied by thick columns of lightning that pierced the extremities of the world. Zhong Gu, with his incredibly domineering and undying body, neither dodged nor evaded, directly withstanding the onslaught as splendid golden light coursed over him. Despite the turbulent clash of heavenly thunder and earthly fire, he sustained not a single injury.
CACKLE...
An eerie laugh brimming with malevolent intent swept over them as the Twelve Yuanxu White Bone Demons gathered. With green hair and red eyes, they exuded a boundless light of slaughter. The twelve massive White Bone Demons, towering like mountains, danced wildly, summoning an ancient and enigmatic fire with their mysterious powers.
The void twisted, and clusters of tadpole-like, dark-green sparks revived from the river of time, surging toward Zhong Gu in waves. This fire was very peculiar; though it burned fiercely, one could not feel its heat.
"Hmm?"
Sensing the strange green fire approaching, Zhong Gu, who could withstand even heavenly thunder and earthly fire, swayed and directly evaded it.
"Yuanxu Youtu?"
Keeping his distance from the strange green fire, Zhong Gu raised an eyebrow and uttered an ancient, obscure name: Yuanxu Youtu. Legend has it that in ancient times, when cultivators did not exist, the frail and insignificant Human Race relied on a special method to control the Divine Marvels between Heaven and Earth. They used this to contend with Heaven and Earth, fight demons, and protect their tribes and progeny. Those who could wield these Divine Marvels in that era were called Witches!
Compared to the current era, where all kinds of teachings flourished and numerous paths contended, the means available to ancient Witches were very few. Each Witch could only master one or two forms of witchcraft in their lifetime. Those who could create witchcraft were revered as Great Witches. The Yuanxu Youtu that Zhong Gu had just invoked was one such Great Witch, and this strange green fire was a form of witchcraft he had created.
This peculiar green fire looked ordinary and did not even possess a trace of heat. But it held an extremely terrifying Divine Marvel: it burned the soul!
The Twelve Yuanxu White Bone Demons continued their chaotic dance. Under their control, the strange green fire began to split incessantly. One bloom became two, two became four, four became eight, and eight became sixteen...
In the blink of an eye, the space beside Zhong Gu had transformed into a dark-green sea of fire. The great fiery waves rolled and surged boundlessly, rushing up like pairs of giant hands reaching from Qing Tian to the earth, clutching at Zhong Gu.
Before Zhong Gu could counterattack, thunder roared. Hulking figures draped in Magical Treasures, wielding divine hammers and thunder drums—the Thunder Drum Strongmen—strode forward. These Thunder Drum Strongmen, based on Yellow Turban Strongmen, were soulless and spiritless, fundamentally lacking a divine soul. The strange green fire that burned souls was like air to them.
They barged into the sea of fire. As the Thunder Drum Strongmen’s right hammers fiercely struck their left thunder drums, layer upon layer of resplendent glow burst forth. These sonic waves shook the void and instantly spread throughout the entire arena with the force of a tsunami.
"Ugh!"
Zhong Gu suddenly groaned, as if struck by thunder in both ears. The sonic waves from the Thunder Drum Strongmen also targeted the soul. Compared to the peculiar green fire, the colorless and formless thunder drum waves were even harder to defend against. More critically, he now faced not just one, but hundreds of Thunder Drum Strongmen.
Layer upon layer of thunderous sonic waves surged and cascaded, amplifying one another, then echoed back and continued to stack. In just a few seconds, the power of the thunder drum waves had become so terrifying that they solidified into visible waves within the arena.
Four Formations! Two to blast the flesh, two to annihilate the soul!
With such tactics, an ordinary Blood-Stained Realm cultivator entering these Formations would likely have been reduced to ashes in an instant, their body and soul obliterated.
"Qi, your elder brother has indeed underestimated you," Zhong Gu said, shaking his head to clear the ringing caused by the thunder drum waves. He exhaled a long breath of foul air, his arms outstretched as his body emitted a resonant sound akin to a great bow fully drawn.
Although he had sensed Qi Xiu’s unusual composure from their first meeting, and knew that Dongfang Qing assigning him to the match meant the man must be extraordinary, years of wandering, surviving countless life-and-death battles, and even calmly walking away from confrontations with Dao Experts, had inevitably fostered a bit of pride in his heart.
"No injustice in taking these hits," Zhong Gu said with an easy smile, offering a fist salute to Qi Xiu from a distance.
In the next instant, an earth-shattering aura erupted from the body of the Domineering Body Sect’s genius.
ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!—
Amidst the world-shaking collisions, a series of fierce and brutal figures burst out from Zhong Gu’s body. They transformed into streaks of gold and crimson rainbow light, forming a glaze-colored ancient saber that split Heaven and Earth, its savage majesty permeating the Nine Heavens.
A Magical Treasure? Qi Xiu’s eyes flickered slightly, his gaze landing on the long saber in Zhong Gu’s hand, composed of countless ancient, brutal figures. A wisp of purple flashed deep within his eyes.
In an instant, the long blade transformed into myriad colossal figures, brimming with a murderous aura that pierced the heavens. These were extremely ancient beasts, each an unrivaled sovereign of Heaven and Earth. The blade was forged from their vital essence and ancient blood. This was no ordinary Magical Treasure!
"This blade is named Abyssal Swallower. It is a treasure of attainment my mentor bestowed upon me. Be careful, Qi," Zhong Gu warned.
Holding the Abyssal Swallower, Zhong Gu’s aura increased a hundredfold. Standing blade in hand in the void, the mere pressure of his presence continuously forced back the Twelve Yuanxu White Bone Demons and the legion of Thunder Drum Strongmen. Even the endless expanse of dark-green fire was forcibly extinguished by more than half.
BOOM—
Zhong Gu transformed into a martial demon that seemed to hail from a savage age. His sturdy and towering physique, reminiscent of a divine mountain, surged with boundless and scorching vital blood. His spine rose like a great dragon. With a momentum that seemed to split Heaven and Earth, he swung the Abyssal Swallower, slashing towards Qi Xiu.
CRACK-BOOM!—
The sound was earth-shattering; the Abyssal Swallower’s might was domineering and supreme. With a single strike, it seemed as though it would truly cleave the world asunder. Streaks of ink-like, pitch-black light bloomed from it, causing the four Great Formations before it to crumble inch by inch, teetering on total collapse.
"A True Venerable’s disciple is indeed extraordinary."
As the Formations shattered, the Primordial Sword Gourd flew out from Qi Xiu’s waist. Streaks of rainbow-like sword light whistled out, transforming into the Primordial Sword Circle that firmly protected him at its center.
CLANG!—
The ground of the entire arena instantly spiderwebbed with cracks.
Zhong Gu, wielding the Abyssal Swallower, continued to press down on the semi-circular Primordial Sword Circle. The Primordial Sword Gourd vibrated crazily, ancient and mysterious characters surfacing on the gourd’s skin. The void erupted with countless, dazzling lightning bolts—a phenomenon created by the friction of two different levels of power.
The sword circle began to dent inwards. Zhong Gu’s power was simply too immense, possessing the might to move mountains and seas. Coupled with the Abyssal Swallower’s weight, the Primordial Sword Circle was already showing signs of struggling to bear the load. Had the Primordial Sword Circle not been absorbing Zhong Gu’s power, it likely would have already shattered.
If I can get close, this boy will surely be defeated, Zhong Gu thought. Realizing the Primordial Sword Circle was close to collapsing, he took a deep breath, his qi and blood roaring within him as he prepared to make one final push to break Qi Xiu’s defense.
But at this moment, Qi Xiu, who had stood with his hands clasped behind his back, suddenly lowered them. From within his wide sleeves, a frightening surge of purple and green light emerged.
Nine Heavens Thunder King Greatsword!
Purple Cloud Boundless Sword!
Purple-green fusion!
Descent of the Golden Crow!
He unleashed the Heaven and Earth Imperial Sword Skill. Accompanied by a sky-piercing, malicious howl, a colossal vermillion rainbow swept out. It emitted an endlessly brilliant radiance, akin to a great sun bursting forth from Qi Xiu’s hands, its tyrannical power directly flinging Zhong Gu away.
HISS! HISS!—
Billowing white smoke rose from his body. Zhong Gu looked down at the extensive burns on himself; first, he was taken aback, then his gaze fixed piercingly on the titanic vermillion rainbow hovering above Qi Xiu’s head.
"Exciting! Now it’s getting interesting!"
The burns, deep enough to expose bone, healed instantly. As fighting spirit thickened in his eyes, Zhong Gu let out a low roar and charged toward the colossal vermillion rainbow, Abyssal Swallower in hand.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
In an instant, the two collided countless times!
The void above the entire arena shattered madly, as colorful shockwaves spread and thunderous vibrations shook the area. Had it not been for the arena’s restrictive enchantments, everything within a thousand miles would have been pulverized by this terrifyingly extreme force. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺
Struck in the center of his back by the Golden Crow, Zhong Gu vomited black blood with a WAH!, his body crackling and blazing with intense flames. Despite such a grave injury, this scion of the Domineering Body Sect felt no fear. Instead, he grew more excited, the qi and blood around him becoming even fiercer and more turbulent.
"Eh?"
Standing off to one side, Qi Xiu seemed to notice something, looking at Zhong Gu with a peculiar glint in his eyes.
"Heh, this guy... is he using me as a whetstone?"
Keenly sensing the subtle changes in Zhong Gu, Qi Xiu’s lips curved into a faint smile.
Initially, whenever Zhong Gu collided with the Golden Crow Sword Rainbow, his body would be scorched to a bloody mess by the power of the Taiyang—a horrific sight. But after several exchanges, although he began to cough up blood, the burns on his body were decidedly less severe. Even a direct hit from the Golden Crow Sword Rainbow only caused a patch of blood blisters, nowhere near as grotesque as before.
This Undying Golden Body is no ordinary body-refining technique. It seems that once it has experienced a certain type of attack, the Undying Golden Body gradually adapts to this force, using it to temper itself and continuously strengthen. Not dying, hence achieving indestructibility. Zhong Gu is quite clever; fearing I would catch on, he even spat out some waste blood from his body to muddy the waters.
Grasping Zhong Gu’s little ploy, Qi Xiu didn’t expose it; instead, the purple in his eyes deepened.
The Undying Golden Body is the unrevealed secret of the Domineering Body Sect. All disciples upon entry are imbued with a secret prohibition; should anyone dare to divulge even half a word about "The Indestructible Body" manual, even a Dao Expert would perish on the spot.
Taiyang, today’s opportunity is rare. This lad is using his Undying Golden Body, leveraging my Golden Crow Sword Rainbow to temper his own body. I will now use the Observing Qi Skill to scrutinize the secrets of his qi circulation. Remember as much as you can, Qi Xiu said indifferently to the Taiyang Daoist within his Ancestral Aperture, then lifted his gaze towards Zhong Gu, who was fiercely battling the Golden Crow Sword Rainbow.
So, you want to use my hand to temper your flesh? In that case, I, Qi Xiu, will gladly accept the secrets of your Undying Golden Body.
...
