Slaying Demons: Starting with Upgrading my Calligraphy-Chapter 437 - 389: The True Great Tribulation of Dao Body!
Deep within the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
By a serene pond, cranes wandered and monkeys climbed branches, while the deep green grass swayed gently in the breeze, and a faint white mist rippled across the surface of the water.
On the crooked, withered branches of a tree, a man in a white robe lay resting on his right arm, surrounded by a faint purple aura. He emitted soft snores, seemingly in peaceful sleep.
"For goodness’ sake, just let me in, will you? I have urgent matters to report to Mr. Li."
At a small path entrance by the pond, a graceful woman with an elegant face was cradling a longsword, confronted by a burly man with a face full of twisted beard and a formidable presence.
This man was rugged and hefty, with the phantom of a nine-headed lion that roared defiantly at the sky, its feet treading on the Netherworld, faintly appearing behind him.
A soft roar from it resulted in incessant rumbling within ten thousand miles, the pressure seemingly boundless.
"No, the master is resting and has given orders not to see anyone. Nine-Origin Demon Ancestor, please leave."
Glancing at the burly man before her, the sword-wielding woman slowly shook her head, addressing him as the Nine-Origin Demon Ancestor—evidently a being of Primordial Spirit Realm stature.
Among demons, those at the Bloodstain level were known as Great Demons, while those at the Dao Body level were called Demon Kings. Only those at the Primordial Spirit Realm could be revered as Demon Ancestors, on par with the Primordial Spirit True Honor of the Human Race.
"You..."
Seeing the sword-wielding woman unyielding, the Nine-Origin Demon Ancestor gritted his teeth and craned his neck to glimpse at the white-robed man sleeping by the pond.
"If the master awakens, please inform me at the first opportunity."
"The Demon Ancestor should take care."
Watching the Nine-Origin Demon Ancestor leave, looking back with every few steps, the sword-wielding woman slowly turned and walked over to the pond.
"Who seeks me?"
The white-robed man sleeping in the tree did not awaken, yet a faint silhouette congealed next to the sword-wielding woman, assuming the form of another white-robed man.
"The Nine-Origin Demon Ancestor from Bamboo Joint Mountain, still about the matters concerning his lion tribe," said the sword-wielding woman, bowing slightly.
"Next time he comes, send him away directly. No need for further discussion."
Standing by the pond with his hands behind his back, the white-robed man spoke slowly, "Go call Du Zhong."
"Understood."
With a soft assent, the sword-wielding woman turned and left. Moments later, a streak of starlight flashed, and a man with hair as red as a Blood River, his eyes closed and his posture erect and strong, appeared behind the white-robed man.
"Are you injured?"
Noticing the purple aura surrounding the original form of the man in white on the tree, the red-haired man, Du Zhong, hesitantly asked.
"I discovered a new variable. I intended to erase him directly, but his protector discovered me. We clashed mid-air, and I estimate I’ll need to slumber for a while." Calmly gazing at the tranquil water before him, the white-robed man turned slightly, looking at his sleeping original form on the tree.
"Another variable?"
Hearing this, Du Zhong frowned and pinched his fingertips as if calculating.
"It doesn’t seem like it’s time yet..."
"This variable is special. His protector is extremely strong—beyond ordinary. Even after taking a sword strike from me, he could still counter with composure. He must be one of those people from back then that we didn’t manage to clear out. That variable is now in the Valley of Deceased Gods. Make a trip there; it would be best if you could bring him back alive. If not, just eliminate him."
Hearing the white-robed man’s instructions, Du Zhong slowly nodded. "Understood. What cultivation does this variable possess?"
"Bloodstain."
"Bloodstain?"
Surprised, Du Zhong’s expression became somewhat peculiar.
"Do not underestimate him. Variables can ignore all causality and fate; even the Heavenly Dao struggles to restrain them—they possess absolute ’freedom.’ Moreover, this individual’s way of cultivation is very unique; you won’t hold the same expression once you know what it is."
Looking at Du Zhong’s peculiar expression, the white-robed man slowly smiled.
"Oh? Let’s hear it."
Raising an eyebrow, Du Zhong crossed his arms, his blood-red hair radiating glimmers of light.
With a serious gaze, the man in white, his eyes clear-cut in black and white, faintly reflected a streak of color as he softly said, "Hunyuan!"
「In the Valley of Deceased Gods, Divine Mausoleum.」
Hidden within the extremely deep burial site of the gods, Qi Xiu stood still as a pine tree, his eyes continuously gleaming.
His right hand, looking like a living gemstone, had its surface shimmering in brilliance and unpredictability.
This hand was gently pressed against the forehead of an ancient divine corpse. As he pressed down lightly with his fingers, a chaos-colored halo of mist began to rise slowly from the deity’s forehead.
The mist, behaving like a living entity, entwined around his palm. It then flowed along his arm towards his body, like a stream returning to the sea, seeping into the four hundred eighty million pores on his skin.
These four hundred eighty million tiny portals, like stars illuminating the sky, received the chaotic qi one by one.
The halos coursed beneath his skin as if they were blood in his veins, infusing him with new power.
With constant rumblings in his mind, Qi Xiu’s gaze flickered slightly.
The proficiency panel surfaced, and behind the sixth realm of "The Secret of the Primordial Dragon-Tiger Scripture," a row of small characters slowly appeared.
[Pending Extreme Breakthrough]
Indeed! The sixth realm of the Hunyuan Dragon Tiger Scripture Mystery is indeed the limit. To advance to the Dao Body Realm, I must take this natal True Scripture through an Extreme Breakthrough and reforge it. And the condition for the Extreme Breakthrough of the Hunyuan Dragon Tiger Scripture Mystery... is to devour three hundred sixty-five deities, aligning with the count of the Great Circle of Heaven! This is what it means: To achieve the Great Dao Body, one must hold all the gods of the heavens in hand!
The glint in his eyes burst forth for a brief inch, and the anxiety that had always hung unresolved in Qi Xiu’s heart finally settled.
He had been constantly worried about the difficulty of the Great Tribulation of Dao Body.
Now it seemed that although there was difficulty, it was not insurmountable. Perhaps the difficulty had indeed been significant before. But now, with this mysterious piece of iron that could suppress the divine corpse, the difficulty could be said to have plummeted.
"It seems that a long streak of good fortune is indeed very beneficial."
Chuckling softly, as if he could already see himself successfully achieving the Dao Body Realm, Qi Xiu drew the last wisp of chaotic qi from the divine corpse. The divine corpse before him completely stilled and, with a THUD, fell into the coffin. The piece of iron embedded in its brow also fell out on its own.
Picking up the piece of iron, Qi Xiu silently calmed the chaotic qi flowing within him, his expression serene.
This chaotic qi, drawn from the divine corpse, gradually converged into a single Hunyuan Aperture. This Hunyuan Aperture, which had once seemed like a bottomless pit, began to fill and even overflow with the influx of chaotic qi.
"This chaotic qi must be the essence of the Dao remaining within the divine corpse. The gods may die, but the Dao is eternal. Thus, this essence of the Dao has remained inside the divine corpse."
As he watched the Hunyuan Aperture become full to the brim, Qi Xiu’s gaze suddenly changed slightly.
Hm? This...
His heart filled with astonished doubt, Qi Xiu’s brow furrowed. He saw the Hunyuan Aperture, now filled with the essence of the Dao, slowly begin to close and then gradually vanish from within his body.
Gone?
After searching every corner of his body, Qi Xiu fixed his gaze, and his expression grew complex.
The Hunyuan Aperture hadn’t disappeared. Instead, it had unbelievably appeared in his Spinal Palace, upon the Wondrous Spiritual Embryo.
"The Wondrous Spiritual Embryo is key to stepping into the Dao Body Realm and is also the foundation for evolving the Daoist Spirit later on. The process of advancing from the Bloodstain Realm to the Dao Body Realm involves inscribing one’s entire Dao onto the Wondrous Spiritual Embryo, forging it into a Daoist Spirit. Then, one uses the Strength of the Daoist Spirit to nourish the physical body, merging the two into one. Thus, it seems that the Hunyuan Aperture appearing on the Wondrous Spiritual Embryo is indeed the correct path to breaking through to the Dao Body Realm. But..."
Having found the correct method to break through the Dao Body Realm, Qi Xiu’s face grew many times more solemn than before.
Once the Hunyuan Aperture settled on the Wondrous Spiritual Embryo, he could no longer draw upon its power. This meant that every time he absorbed the Dao essence from a deity, one of his Hunyuan Apertures would transfer to the Wondrous Spiritual Embryo. And his own strength would be reduced accordingly. If this continued, by the time he absorbed the essence from three hundred sixty-five deities and refined all three hundred sixty-five Hunyuan Apertures into the Wondrous Spiritual Embryo... It meant he would lose all his power. He would be reduced to a mortal, completely devoid of cultivation. The fate of a mortal walking through a treacherous place like the Valley of Deceased Gods... well, that hardly needed to be spelled out.
Standing silently on the spot, after a long silence, Qi Xiu shook his head with a self-deprecating smile.
"So it turns out... this is my Great Tribulation of Dao Body."
Having realized this, Qi Xiu finally understood that what he had previously assumed to be challenges didn’t even count as his true great tribulation.
This Dao Body Realm tribulation was far more insoluble and desperate than his previous Blood-Dye Tribulation.
During the last ordeal, although dangerous, he still had his cultivation and many methods he could employ. He could always carve out a path to survival in a desperate situation.
But this time, he had to personally strip away all his cultivation step by step. Then, with a body devoid of any cultivation, he had to pass through this great trial. And it was in a place completely sealed off from the outside world like the Valley of Deceased Gods, cutting off all external help and protection.
"Damn it, they really want to play me to death."
Facing a tribulation of such difficulty, even Qi Xiu, who had cultivated the Dao for over a hundred years, couldn’t help but curse.
With his hands behind his back, he paced back and forth in the narrow, cold Divine Mausoleum for a long time.
Only after a long sigh resonated did Qi Xiu reluctantly roll up his sleeves and exhale a breath of turbid air.
There was no other way. No matter how difficult the tribulation, it had to be faced. Instead of lamenting over the difficult path, it’s better to set out right away.
"Since the tribulation is inevitable, I can only start preparing early."
Qi Xiu unfastened the Primordial Sword Gourd from his waist. With a gesture of his sword technique, the surging Primordial Sword Mang instantly enveloped the divine corpse in the coffin, dragging it directly into the gourd.
Although he had drained all the Dao essence from this divine corpse, the corpse of a deity was still an exceptionally rare divine object. Using such a divine object to hone its Sword Light would undoubtedly allow his Primordial Sword Gourd to undergo a qualitative leap.
And once he lost all his cultivation, all methods would become unusable, possibly even the Cloud Seal Talismans. At that time, the only thing he could rely on would be this Sword Gourd, forged with Mixed Element Qi.
Having stripped the divine corpse bare and stored even that in the Primordial Sword Gourd, Qi Xiu meticulously searched the Divine Mausoleum once more. Confirming he hadn’t missed any treasures, he then casually departed under the hateful gaze of the God’s Loathful Remnants, which looked as if they wanted to eat him alive.
With the divine corpse gone, these God’s Loathful Remnants were like water without a source; it wouldn’t be long before they slowly dissipated, never to return.
