Slaying Demons: Starting with Upgrading my Calligraphy-Chapter 423 - 378: Lifebound Magic Treasure!

A dead silence pervaded the room as Yang Jingzhe fixed his gaze on the unassuming piece of warm, simple jade in Dongfang Qing’s hands, which showed no sign of any Divine Marvel.

The Haotian Dao Jade.

Among the Divine Materials and immortal ingredients of the world, if one were to discuss its mystical characteristics, this object wouldn’t even rank within the top hundred.

Yet, when it came to the difficulty of forging Magical Treasures, it was unanimously regarded as the most challenging!

In the eyes of a Primordial Spirit Boss like Yang Jingzhe, who was proficient in forging Magical Treasures, the effort expended on using Haotian Dao Jade to forge a Magical Treasure was far more exhausting than using any other Divine Material to forge ten Magical Treasures.

"Where did you get such a large piece of Haotian Dao Jade?"

Looking at Dongfang Qing’s smiling face, Yang Jingzhe heaved a long sigh in his heart. What’s done was done; the boastful claims had already been made, and taking them back was nearly impossible.

He also found it strange. Aside from its extreme difficulty in forging, the existing quantity of Haotian Dao Jade was very scarce.

The largest piece he had ever seen was merely the size of a thumb.

Yet, the piece in Dongfang Qing’s hand was as large as a sea bowl, a rarity that could truly be termed unparalleled since ancient times.

"After all, our Shenxiao Sect has stood tall through several eras, an ancient, great sect; we do have this bit of heritage. So, I’ll have to trouble you to put in the effort."

Not lingering on the origin of this piece of Haotian Dao Jade, Dongfang Qing directly stuffed it into Yang Jingzhe’s hands and cupped his fists in thanks.

With a complex expression, Yang Jingzhe flipped over the rare Divine Material in his hand. Suddenly, as if he had remembered something, he looked up and glanced suspiciously at Dongfang Qing before him.

"Why do I suddenly feel... Have I been set up by you again? First, you deliberately refused my request to borrow the Hua Sheng Thunder Pond, annoying me. Then, just as the Valley of Deceased Gods was opening, you enticed me to come for a showdown. And after that, you raised the stakes for the bet, you..."

Seeing Yang Jingzhe’s guesses becoming more and more detailed, Dongfang Qing hastily chuckled, preventing him from continuing his analysis.

"You’re wrongly accusing me there. Let’s set aside the matter of the Hua Sheng Thunder Pond for now; you decided to come for the showdown on your own."

After looking deeply at Dongfang Qing, who spoke with a righteous expression, Yang Jingzhe shook his head and waved his hand.

"Forget it, I won’t argue with you anymore. Tell me, what kind of object do you want forged? Let me be clear beforehand: this Haotian Dao Jade isn’t like other Divine Materials. It can only be roughly polished and shaped; overly complex Magical Treasures cannot be forged from it."

Yang Jingzhe was not deceiving Dongfang Qing on this point.

The Haotian Dao Jade was naturally attuned with the Dao and could harmonize with the Ten Thousand Laws, which meant that this Divine Material could hardly be altered in shape or nature by any means.

Exposed to fire, it would merge with fire; encountering metal, it would absorb metal.

Only by using the pure Path of Strength could one barely polish it.

In the entire Tianyuan Main Realm, aside from a Primordial Spirit Boss like Yang Jingzhe, whose body had reached sainthood and who was also skilled in the art of forging Magical Treasures, there was likely no second person capable of using this Haotian Dao Jade to forge Magical Treasures.

This was also why, upon seeing this piece of Divine Material, Yang Jingzhe suddenly suspected that Dongfang Qing had deliberately set him up.

"No need to worry. There’s no need to create any special Magical Treasure."

His eyes flickered slightly, and after a moment of contemplation, Dongfang Qing slowly said, "Just forge this treasure into a mirror for me; that’s not too difficult, is it?"

"A mirror?"

Hearing Dongfang Qing’s request, Yang Jingzhe’s eyes narrowed slightly as if he had thought of something, and his lips curled up. "Oh~ I know for whom you are preparing this Magical Treasure now. You’re quite willing to spare no expense, eh? Is he a direct disciple?"

Smiling and shaking his head, Dongfang Qing tucked his hands into his sleeves, his gaze profound. "He’s just an ordinary disciple of mine, but this child’s talent is truly a rarity, even in ancient times. If he can grow up safely, he will eventually stand shoulder to shoulder with you and me."

Upon hearing Dongfang Qing give such high praise to the boy named Qi Xiu, Yang Jingzhe was slightly moved. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

He knew that Dongfang Qing rarely complimented others, but there was no denying that his ability to judge people was extremely sharp. For Dongfang Qing to speak of the child in such a way was proof enough of his extraordinary potential.

Recalling the past showdown between Qi Xiu and Zhong Gu, where Qi Xiu had completely suppressed Zhong Gu, who was at the near-Dao Body Realm—indeed, if Qi Xiu hadn’t held back at the end, Yang Jingzhe’s own disciple would likely have been turned to ash by that booming, hand-generated white light—Yang Jingzhe slowly nodded, accepting Dongfang Qing’s words.

"In that case, I will indeed make a solid effort to forge a Magical Treasure for our future Primordial Spirit True Honor."

With a slight shift in his attitude, Yang Jingzhe wouldn’t think much of forging a Magical Treasure for someone in the Blood-Stained Realm or even the Dao Body Realm.

But forging a Magical Treasure for a future Primordial Spirit True Honor—that was a completely different matter.

This was no ordinary favor.

If Qi Xiu truly became a Primordial Spirit True Honor in the future, then thanks to this connection, the Domineering Body Sect would be able to stand even taller.

...

「Springs turned to autumns; seven years passed in the blink of an eye.」

「A secluded residence on Yunti Peak of the Shenxiao Sect.」

Within the quiet abode, a young Daoist sat as still as a mountain, his gaze deep and tranquil, as if it encompassed the myriad mysteries between heaven and earth.

The void around him seemed to have grown incredibly dense, filled with a mysterious power.

Within this intangible void, ancient and wondrous characters began to emerge quietly, like stars at dawn, appearing from nothingness, materializing from the ethereal into the real.

These characters were not tangible entities visible to the naked eye; they shimmered with a faint golden light, as if an invisible hand wielded an unseen brush, writing furiously in the air.

As minutes and seconds ticked by, the entire room gradually filled with characters, overflowing with golden light, resplendent and magnificent.

Slowly opening his eyes, Qi Xiu’s clear, black-and-white pupils gazed at the Cloud Seal Talismans floating throughout the room, and a sense of calm settled in his heart.

Finally, it’s done. Seven years. Just the right amount of time.

On the proficiency panel, the calligraphy skill, listed at the very top, had advanced from its original Sixth Realm to a new Realm.

The Seventh Realm!

"Although it didn’t produce a heaven-defying Divine Marvel like the Command Talisman when I broke through to the Sixth Realm, now that my Seven Realms Calligraphy is complete, my Cloud Seal Talismans are powerful enough to rival the sect-suppressing techniques of any major sect."

A glint of golden light flickered deep in his eyes. Though Qi Xiu remained motionless, a Suppression Talisman suddenly materialized from thin air before him.

This was the divine effect brought by Seven Realms Calligraphy.

Mind forms Talismans!

With a single thought, Talisman Scripts manifest!

No need for any gestures or spells; a single thought is all it takes to generate Talisman Scripts.

Compared to the previous method of drawing Talisman Scripts in the void, the speed of creating Talisman Scripts with the mind was now worlds apart.

More crucially, with this ability, Qi Xiu’s deployment of the Talisman Array Tao would become unpredictable and nigh impossible to guard against; with a single thought, a Rune Array could descend from thin air.

With such a divine ability, he felt even more confident about his upcoming journey to the Valley of Deceased Gods.

Besides the ability of Mind Forms Talismans, this breakthrough in calligraphy also led to the evolution of a new Cloud Seal Talisman—the Dragon Talisman.

This Cloud Seal Talisman was likely derived from the Dragon Might Spell, yet Qi Xiu faintly felt that this Dragon Talisman seemed immature and not fully developed, possibly because he had mastered too few True Dragon techniques.

Only when he mastered more comprehensive True Dragon techniques in the future would this Dragon Talisman be able to unveil its full power.

With a thought, Qi Xiu retracted the golden, light-suffused Cloud Seal Talismans that filled the room and slowly rose to his feet. Seven years had passed, and it was time for him to prepare for his visit to the Valley of Deceased Gods.

Pushing open the door, he found Qingyi sound asleep, leaning against the doorframe.

Hearing the noise, she quickly opened her eyes and greeted Qi Xiu with a light bow. "Master, the Supreme Sect Leader came by five months ago and asked you to see him after you came out of seclusion."

"Mm, I understand."

Nodding, Qi Xiu stepped out. Suddenly, a wisp of ethereal cloud rose from beneath his feet, and he vanished in an instant.

During these seven years, besides improving his calligraphy skill level, he had also thoroughly refined his Clear Moon Cloud Robe.

This Cloud Body Moon Shadow was one of the abilities he had gained.

Its movement speed was not only far superior to the Escape Light of Thunder Magic, but it was also colorless and formless, making it incredibly difficult to detect. Even a Dao Expert would not be able to notice it unless they were specifically paying close attention.

It was truly an indispensable divine skill, perfect for everything from travel to less savory activities like assassination and robbery.

Arriving at Sect Master Peak by riding the clouds, Qi Xiu dispersed the mist and walked towards the Sect Master’s Hall. He announced softly, "Disciple Qi Xiu requests an audience with the Supreme Sect Leader."

"Come in."

The doors of the Sect Master’s Hall slowly opened, and Dongfang Qing’s voice, tinged with a slight laziness, drifted out from within.

Stepping into the somewhat cluttered hall, which was filled with a plethora of miscellaneous items and showed visible scorch marks and damage, Qi Xiu’s expression turned hesitant.

Is the Sect Master conducting some kind of experiment?

"It’s been seven years. Your cultivation hasn’t improved much, but your foundation seems to have deepened considerably."

Emerging from a dim corner, Dongfang Qing examined Qi Xiu from head to toe, then nodded with satisfaction.

It seemed he also possessed some technique similar to an Observing Qi Skill. He could tell that although Qi Xiu’s cultivation hadn’t advanced much in seven years, his methods had become even more refined.

"Have a seat. I’ve been rather busy lately and haven’t had time to tidy up."

Casually tossing a meditation cushion to Qi Xiu, Dongfang Qing himself plopped down on a pile of ancient books and rare manuscripts.

"It seems you’re ready to enter the Valley of Deceased Gods."

"I’ve made some preparations. After all, I can’t embarrass you, Sect Master," Qi Xiu replied frankly with a light smile.

"Good. On this trip, pay close attention. Those qualified to go to the Valley of Deceased Gods are all at the Blood-Stained Peak, on the verge of a breakthrough. If you can witness their breakthroughs, it will be beneficial for your own tribulation crossing in the future. Also, take this."

With a flip of his palm, Dongfang Qing flicked a streak of brilliant white light towards Qi Xiu.

Qi Xiu instinctively raised his hand to catch it and immediately felt his right hand grow heavy. So heavy! he thought.

Surprised, Qi Xiu lowered his gaze to the object in his hand.

It was a perfectly round, flawless mirror with a crystal-clear, glazed surface. Its material was neither gold nor jade, yet it was exceedingly heavy.

On its back were ancient tadpole-script seals and figures of the Cloud Dragon Rare Bird. These patterns seemed raised, yet felt smooth and traceless to the touch, neither carved nor painted, but as if deeply embedded into its very essence.

At first glance, the front of the mirror emitted a faint, azure-green glow. But upon focusing, the view within seemed to recede, drawing the gaze ever deeper. Inside, a shower of flower petals rained down amidst shimmering golden radiance, with phenomena of wind, clouds, water, and fire swirling about. Figures materialized within the golden radiance, constantly shifting and transforming in endless variations.

"You must nurture this Magical Treasure carefully. It’s forged entirely from Haotian Dao Jade and possesses endless potential; it can accommodate the Ten Thousand Laws and give rise to Ten Thousand Daos. However, this mirror is currently only in its nascent treasure form. You will need to refine it diligently for it to gradually grow, transform, and fully harmonize with you."

Upon hearing Dongfang Qing’s introduction, Qi Xiu was slightly moved. Truthfully, the moment he first saw this mirror, his heart had filled with boundless joy.

It felt as if this round mirror was inherently, perfectly attuned to him.

"Sect Master, what is the name of this treasure?"

"It hasn’t been named yet. Since it’s your Magical Treasure, you should be the one to name it."

"Hmm..."

After a brief moment of contemplation, a spark of inspiration suddenly flashed through Qi Xiu’s mind. "Since this treasure is forged entirely from Haotian Dao Jade, why not call it...

The Haotian Mirror!"

...