Slaying Demons: Starting with Upgrading my Calligraphy-Chapter 441 - 392: If My Companion Dies, I Will Not Die Poor
Words followed by the law?! Pinned firmly in place, the Bone Staff Elder’s pupils trembled violently. This was the work of the Primordial Spirit Realm! Weren’t those in the Primordial Spirit Realm unable to enter the Valley of Deceased Gods?
Mistaking Qi Xiu’s Command Talisman for the law-invoking power of a Primordial Spirit Realm expert, the Bone Staff Elder and the Flesh Demon Buddha’s minds raced, frantically pondering how to escape!
Having immobilized the two Great Demons before him, Qi Xiu swiped his hand across the Primordial Sword Gourd. The mouth of the gourd suddenly burst forth with a brilliant glow of colors as the Primordial Sword Mang pulsed.
A massive number of Demons had entered the Valley of Deceased Gods. Within each of them, a mysterious restriction had been planted that would cause them to die violently if they touched upon the secrets they were meant to guard.
Still, he had managed to glean some information from these Demons by skirting around the edges—details that wouldn’t trigger the restrictions.
For example, these two Great Demons before him were the leaders among the Demons entering the Valley of Deceased Gods. They were also responsible for carrying out that special mission.
As for the other Demons, they were mostly suicide squads, used to engage and tie down the Human Cultivators.
They had even ingested a poison called the Soul Beckoning Elixir. Anyone who killed them would be marked and subsequently attacked by God’s Loathful Remnants, ensuring mutually assured destruction.
Knowing he would get nothing more out of these Demons, Qi Xiu stopped asking.
By killing these two Great Demons, their special mission would naturally come to an end. After that, he could unleash a cleansing onslaught on all the Demonic Evil Cultivators in the Valley of Deceased Gods, eradicating all potential threats to himself. So he could calmly surmount his own Great Tribulation of Dao Body.
This was the change in him after shifting from the kingly path to the hegemonic path.
No longer would he scheme and calculate as before, cautiously planning every move. Instead, he would sweep across the entire board, settling the game with a single, decisive move!
The colorful sword light emitted from the Primordial Sword Gourd burned ever brighter.
In the next instant, the Primordial Sword Mang roared forth, transforming into a thundering pillar of light that radiated an infinite halo as it blasted towards the Bone Staff Elder and the Flesh Demon Buddha.
Seeing the colossal, rainbow-like attack sweeping toward them, the Bone Staff Elder and the Flesh Demon Buddha, although pinned by the Command Talisman, could still feel the deadly terror of the murderous aura overwhelming them.
The next moment, the Flesh Demon Buddha erupted. A golden-red seed in the center of his forehead split flesh and skin, sprouting a grotesque demonic tree formed from an entanglement of blood vessels and flesh.
This flesh-and-blood demonic tree bore eighteen enormous, bloated meditation cushions. Upon each cushion sat a bizarre Demon Buddha robed in human-skin Kasayas, surrounded by black Buddha Light.
The Eighteen Demon Luo Beads!
The Flesh Demon Buddha originated from the Demon Mara Zen Temple in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains. He was originally a Stone Statue that, after being eroded by demonic energy, gained Spiritual Wisdom and transformed into a Demon.
After gaining Spiritual Wisdom, he was taken as a direct disciple by the Head of the Prison Court of the Demon Mara Zen Temple. Due to his exceptional talent, he gradually became the prodigy of his generation in the Demon Mara Zen Temple.
His selection for this mission was an opportunity that the Abbot of the Demon Mara Zen Temple had expended great resources to secure. The purpose was to gain Mr. Li’s favor upon successfully completing the mission.
And these Eighteen Demon Luo Beads were the trump card bestowed upon the Flesh Demon Buddha by his master, the Head of the Prison Court.
They were refined from the relics of eighteen Demon Mara True Monarchs of the Demon Mara Zen Temple and possessed overwhelming power. Once deployed, they could summon the spectral manifestations of the eighteen Demon Maras.
Although these spectral manifestations did not possess the full power of the Demon Mara True Monarchs, they could empower the Flesh Demon Buddha, boosting his strength eighteenfold!
The eighteen Demon Mara True Monarchs were seen sitting upon the flesh-and-blood demonic tree, chanting Demon Scriptures filled with distorted, malevolent verses. Pitch-black Demon Luo scriptural texts transformed into streams of light, plunging into the Flesh Demon Buddha’s body and causing his aura to inflate wildly at a visible, insane rate!
"ROAR—"
With an earth-shattering bellow, terrifying sound waves pierced the Sky Dome! The Flesh Demon Buddha erupted in full fury, his body blazing, his battle power multiplied eighteenfold. He trembled slightly and completely shattered the Command Talisman’s suppression!
BOOM!
Black Buddha Light surged into the sky, dyeing the firmament for thousands of miles pitch-black, as if the world were descending into an apocalypse.
Accompanied by countless eerie and terrifying sutra chants, the Flesh Demon Buddha’s black eyes locked onto Qi Xiu. His massive hand, seemingly forged from demonic gold, blasted out, tearing through the endless void with explosive Qi Force.
Incredibly, he managed to halt the sweeping Primordial Sword Mang!
"Shatter!!!"
With a fierce tug, the Flesh Demon Buddha roared like thunder, the sound echoing across the land. He firmly grasped the Primordial Sword Mang and, with a furious exertion of strength, tore the radiant sword light to shreds with a HISS.
He does possess some brute force.
Standing high in the Sky Dome, Qi Xiu quietly watched the Flesh Demon Buddha rip apart the Primordial Sword Mang. He then formed a sword seal with his fingers and lifted it slightly.
"Hunyuan is formless; it gathers and scatters at will! Sword Array, arise!"
HUMMM—
The void trembled. Below the Flesh Demon Buddha’s feet, countless streams of iridescent light interlinked and rapidly reassembled, vaguely revealing a corner of an immense sword array that commanded all ambient spiritual energy.
Instinctively sensing a bone-chilling crisis, the Flesh Demon Buddha moved to escape the sword array’s range.
However, this sword array had already been covertly laid down by Qi Xiu using a Sword Gourd Talisman the moment he arrived. How could the Flesh Demon Buddha possibly escape it in his haste?
Surging, turbulent streams of iridescent light soared into the sky, transforming into countless incomparably fierce sword beams that wildly pierced the Flesh Demon Buddha’s massive, towering body.
This Hunyuan Sword Array was something Qi Xiu had created by referencing the refining Formation within the Food Demon Sect’s Magic Artifact, the Spirit Pill Bag.
The Spirit Pill Bag could, through its internal Formation, Refine and Assimilate any living beings within it into Spirit Pills.
However, the original refining Formation was a Secret Technique of the Food Demon Sect. Without the corresponding True Scriptures and Dharma Gates, even an exact replica could not be activated.
But Qi Xiu himself was proficient in the ancient esoteric art of the Talisman Array Dao.
Since he couldn’t replicate the refining Formation directly, he reinvented it, taking its core principles and using the Hunyuan Sword Gourd Talisman as the new foundation.
After he re-refined the Sword Gourd using Hunyuan Power, its Primordial Sword Mang also contained the divine marvel of Hunyuan Devouring Stars. This happened to share a similar wondrous utility with the refining Formation.
However, this Hunyuan Sword Array, having inherited the core principles of the refining Formation, would only cease once the enemies within were completely refined and absorbed.
This was contrary to Qi Xiu’s previous modus operandi of careful consideration before acting and always leaving himself some leeway, which was why it had almost never been used.
But now, his mindset had shifted from the kingly path to the hegemonic path. When he acted now, he did so decisively and without restraint, leaving no room for concessions.
This Flesh Demon Buddha thus became the first unlucky soul to fall prey to the Hunyuan Sword Array since its creation.
Myriad beams of iridescent Sword Light, as fantastical as a rainbow, crisscrossed with the speed of lightning, weaving a magnificent yet terrifying tapestry in the void.
Each strand of Primordial Sword Mang, tempered by the divine corpse and countless Great Demons, now possessed a tyrannical power. Every strand seemed alive, agile, and lethal.
The Flesh Demon Buddha’s body, though as hard as demonic metal, could not withstand the continuous onslaught of thousands of sword beams within the array. Soon, clouds of blood mist erupted from its body.
With each penetration by the Primordial Sword Mang, there was a ruthless reaping—his cultivation, his flesh and blood, his Essence, Qi, and Spirit were all mercilessly drained in an instant.
Amidst flashing crimson light, its terrifyingly powerful body, which contained limitless destructive force, disintegrated under the sword beams like spring snow under a blazing sun.
"AGONIZED ROAR!"
The Flesh Demon Buddha howled in agony. The eighteen Demon Luo phantoms atop the blood-flesh demonic tree between his brows all turned their heads simultaneously to look at the young Daoist standing calmly in the void. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
From activating the Eighteen Demon Luo Beads to break free from the Command Talisman’s immobilizing effect, to retaliating against the Primordial Sword Mang with eighteenfold terrifying power, and then to being trapped in the Hunyuan Sword Array with most of his cultivation and flesh-and-blood essence drained away—this seemingly tumultuous series of events had, in reality, transpired in mere moments.
Overwhelmingly powerful! Utterly dominant! Unmatched!
Though they were both at the peak of the Blood-Stained Realm, the current Qi Xiu seemed to be on an entirely different level compared to Great Demons like the Flesh Demon Buddha.
Having abandoned scheming, concealing his strength, and maintaining a low profile, Qi Xiu, now fully revealing his sharpness for the sake of his chance at Dao attainment, had become an unparalleled sword sweeping across the Blood-Stained Realm!
Those who submit to me shall live! Those who defy me shall die! Today, in this Valley of Deceased Gods, I, Qi, am Heaven itself!
"You decrepit old scoundrel! If you don’t act now, not only will this Buddha die, but you won’t survive either!"
Having fully recognized the terrifying might of this young Daoist—a truly monstrous prodigy—the Flesh Demon Buddha shed his contempt and ferocity, twisted around, and furiously roared at the Bone Staff Elder, who was still spectating as if watching a play.
Exposed by the Flesh Demon Buddha, the Bone Staff Elder’s immobilized figure trembled slightly.
From the bone staff he held, one of its seven skulls suddenly exploded. A cascade of pale white bone ash scattered into the void, slowly coalescing to form another Bone Staff Elder.
Meanwhile, the Bone Staff Elder who had been immobilized began to crack all over and then, with a resounding crash, shattered into a pile of bone fragments littering the ground.
"I told you to be more careful, to keep a lower profile! Now you see how formidable he is, don’t you? I’ve recorded this entire process. If this mission fails, you will be held primarily responsible."
Shaking the strange Compass in his hand, the Bone Staff Elder spoke gravely, directly shifting the blame to the Flesh Demon Buddha.
"If you keep spouting nonsense, I’ll be dead for real!"
Ignoring the Bone Staff Elder’s rebuke, the Flesh Demon Buddha bellowed in rage. In the short time it took the Bone Staff Elder to break free, another thirty percent of his blood and vital essence had been drained. In less than ten breaths, he would be completely devoured alive by this terrifying sword array!
Serves you right if you die.
Muttering quietly, the Bone Staff Elder hadn’t wanted to save this detestable Stone Statue, with whom he constantly clashed.
But, just as the Flesh Demon Buddha had said, if he died, the Bone Staff Elder would inevitably be next.
Glancing up at the young Daoist standing aloof on the clouds, hands clasped behind him, the Bone Staff Elder couldn’t help but grimace.
I’m no match for this savage. Better find a chance to slip away.
His eyes flickered. The Bone Staff Elder lightly shook the bone staff in his hand. One of the skulls on it suddenly cackled strangely, its hollow eye sockets blazing with Devilish Fire. He then took out a piece of flesh from his robes; it faintly showed traces of black Buddha Light and seemed to have been cut from the Flesh Demon Buddha before him.
Feeding the piece of flesh to that skull, the Bone Staff Elder began to chant an obscure incantation. The archaic and cryptic tones drifted through the void.
The next instant, an incredibly bizarre power suddenly descended upon the Flesh Demon Buddha.
With ninety percent of his cultivation already drained, the Flesh Demon Buddha, now in an extremely weakened state, had his expression change slightly. He abruptly turned his head to look at the Bone Staff Elder.
"You..."
"Heh heh, better you die than I. Demon Buddha, have a safe journey to the afterlife."
"Mysterious Yin Celestial Demon Reincarnation Skill! Arise!"
