Slaying Demons: Starting with Upgrading my Calligraphy-Chapter 450 - 399: Tai Yin and Taiyang, on the Eve of Tribulation.
Black mist surged, and Yin energy burst forth! A green-eyed, black-scaled Mo Jiao slowly swam out. In an instant, the Spiritual Object formed from the essence of Extreme Yin transformed into a young Daoist dressed in a dark Taoist Robe.
The Daoist’s face was as exquisitely carved as jade, majestic and regal, with a pair of green pupils that were deep and cunning. On his forehead, a vermilion dot burned like a flame, adding a touch of eerie charm. His figure was tall and slender, and as he walked, it was as if mists coiled around him, each step seemingly treading upon nothingness. His entire being gradually exuded an aura of utmost Yin and turbidity, sinister and ice-cold.
「On the other side.」
Within the roaring flames, a majestic and stately purple tiger with violet-gold fur slowly paced out. Its steps were slow and heavy, each footfall seeming to make the earth tremble. As the purple tiger walked out of the blaze, it was replaced by a Daoist of upright stature and calm features, dressed in a snow-white Taoist Robe. This Daoist was not surrounded by flames, yet his very presence was like a brilliant sun, radiant, warm, and imposing. Every move he made, every breath he took, contained endless power. Merely standing there, he exuded a boundless majesty that seemed to illuminate All Heavens.
"Original Self, it has been a long time," the Daoist of Tai Yin said, arms crossed, a faint, unreadable smile playing on his lips as he looked at Qi Xiu.
"Has it?" Qi Xiu chuckled, hearing the hint of complaint in the Daoist of Tai Yin’s tone.
Back when the Daoist of Tai Yin fell during the great disaster in Dianchuan Province, Qi Xiu had intended to resurrect him. However, he was entangled in too many affairs at the time, leading to several delays, and eventually, he forgot about it. Later, when the situation in Dianchuan Province stabilized, he had originally planned to revive the Daoist of Tai Yin. But considering the fellow’s brazen and defiant way of doing things, and the peculiar atmosphere in Dianchuan Province at the time, letting him out could have led to untold troubles. Thus, the Daoist of Tai Yin’s revival was postponed again and again, until today.
"If not for today’s Great Dao Tribulation, I bet you wouldn’t have planned to let me out," the Daoist of Tai Yin said, unhappily glancing at Qi Xiu. He then slowly turned to look around, his nostrils flaring as he sighed, "Such heavy resentment and killing aura! This place is simply a sacred ground for cultivation!"
This evolution of the Daoist of Tai Yin and the Taiyang Daoist didn’t rely on the power of the Dual Heart Mirror; instead, they were directly born from the transformation of the Mo Jiao and the purple tiger. Therefore, although the Daoist of Tai Yin and the Taiyang Daoist could not stray too far from him, there would be no issues within the Valley of Deceased Gods.
Feeling the eons of resentment and hatred accumulated in the void, the Daoist of Tai Yin excitedly rubbed his hands together.
"I summoned you two because I am about to undergo a Great Dao Tribulation, and I am not entirely confident about this one. Moreover, I sense an impending crisis from the unknown, but I cannot pinpoint the specifics. We’re still short of the divine corpses I need for my Dao-attainment. This time, I’ll have to trouble you two," Qi Xiu said with a slight bow, speaking slowly to the Daoist of Tai Yin and the Taiyang Daoist before him.
"The three of us are one and the same; shared glory, shared loss. Let us two take care of it," the Taiyang Daoist said, nodding slowly as he replied.
"The two of us? Did I agree? I..." The Daoist of Tai Yin, intending to act haughty, was cut short as his gaze met the Taiyang Daoist’s sweeping glance. "Fine, let’s go. I’m sure I will obtain more divine corpses than you."
Facing the Taiyang Daoist, the Daoist of Tai Yin was visibly less confident. After all, the Taiyang Daoist, manifested from the essence of extreme Yang, followed the Martial Path of shattering all techniques with overwhelming force, dominating the present and attaining Dao by sheer power. In a real fight, the Taiyang Daoist’s destructive power might even surpass that of Qi Xiu, his Original Self. Moreover, the purple tiger had always been stronger and more domineering than the Mo Jiao. By nature, the Daoist of Tai Yin was weaker by a degree. Facing the Taiyang Daoist, he instinctively felt intimidated.
"Then let’s see whose abilities are greater," the Taiyang Daoist said with a faint smile. He took a step and instantly transformed into a streak of golden light, traversing a thousand miles in the blink of an eye.
"Is that even a question? Of course, it’s me," the Daoist of Tai Yin said, shaking his head with his eyes closed. He then transformed into an endless black mist, dissipating into the void and vanishing to an unknown location.
Watching the Taiyang Daoist and the Daoist of Tai Yin depart, Qi Xiu silently flicked his sleeve. A wave of invisible Vigor swept out, forcibly smoothing the uneven terrain within a hundred-mile radius into a flat plain.
Sitting cross-legged, the Golden Cry Jade Beads on his wrist lit up continuously. One by one, Qi Xiu pulled out items exuding robust auras and the glimmer of hidden treasures: Array Plates, Magic Artifacts, Talisman Scripts, Elixirs...
Qi Xiu had long been preparing for his own Great Dao Tribulation, even though he did not know beforehand what it would entail. But it was always good to prepare in advance. Almost emptying nine-tenths of the treasures stored within the Golden Cry Jade Beads, Qi Xiu found himself completely submerged in an endless brilliance of divine radiance.
Let’s start with the Formations, Qi Xiu thought, his gaze slowly sweeping over the items laid out before him. He decided to begin by setting up the Formations.
This Great Dao Tribulation would first dissolve all his Cultivation, reducing him to an empty shell without any power. Consequently, Magic Artifacts requiring Cultivation to activate would become useless. The Array Plates he had prepared were expensive acquisitions from Wanbao Hall; they did not require Cultivation to activate and could operate autonomously.
With a wave of his sleeve, myriad colors filled the air. Hundreds of Array Plates before Qi Xiu activated and soared into the sky, transforming into magnificent Great Formations that overflowed with infinite Dao Charm and Divine Marvels. His gaze trembled slightly as Qi Xiu’s hand moved through the void, adjusting them. The Divine Marvels of these Great Formations were all distinct. If arranged haphazardly, their effectiveness would be at least halved. Although he had not specialized in Daoist Methods of Formations, his experience with the Talisman Array Tao was akin to an alternative path of Formations. The stones from other hills can be used to polish one’s jade. Relying on his experience with the Talisman Array Tao, harmonizing these Great Formations was not a difficult task.
The internal structures and the flow of Array Patterns within these Great Formations continuously materialized in his clear, black-and-white eyes. Qi Xiu’s fingers moved slowly, meticulously resolving any conflicts between these Formations. This process was complex and delicate; a minor mistake could lead to the collapse of numerous Formations. However, Qi Xiu became even more composed. Perhaps it was this extreme pressure that allowed the accumulation, learning, and epiphanies from countless Dharma Gates and techniques he had practiced over many years to gradually ferment, transform, and radiate an even more dazzling brilliance.
Under Qi Xiu’s adjustments, the Great Formations fitted together like interlocking gears. Not only was their power undiminished, but they also complemented each other, coalescing into an even more vast and immense Formation array.
Exhaling a long breath of turbid air, Qi Xiu gazed at the Formation array that gradually receded into the depths of the void, with only wisps of divine light occasionally flickering into view. He then turned his attention to the Magic Artifacts before him. Magic Artifacts required Cultivation to be activated and were of no use in this tribulation. The only useful ones were Magical Treasures that possessed Spirit Essence and could awaken autonomously.
Counting the Magical Treasures he currently possessed, Qi Xiu’s fingers slowly moved as he made his calculations: the Clear Moon Cloud Robe, the Hundred Zhang Sumeru Ruler, the Nine Orifices Peach Divine Effigy, and... the Haotian Mirror. Four Magical Treasures!
However, aside from the Haotian Mirror and the Clear Moon Cloud Robe, he had not deeply refined the Hundred Zhang Sumeru Ruler and the Nine Orifices Peach Divine Effigy. These two Magical Treasures were obtained from extorting one of the Eight Great Country Lords of Divine Sorrow Ridge, the Lord of Night Peace. Although he had obtained these Magical Treasures, the specific spells for refining them had not been acquired smoothly. His refinement of them over the years had remained superficial; he had not fully grasped how to awaken their Spirit Essence, making them unlikely to be of much use in this Great Dao Tribulation.
Moving his gaze away from the Hundred Zhang Sumeru Ruler and the Nine Orifices Peach Divine Effigy, Qi Xiu flipped his palm, summoning the Haotian Mirror. This Dao-Achieving Magical Treasure, personally forged for him by the Sect Master, possessed unparalleled offensive and defensive capabilities and was one of his key reliances for this Great Dao Tribulation.
It’s a pity the Dragon Binding Rope is needed to suppress the Divine Origin in that space, Qi Xiu mused. Otherwise, with it, my chances of overcoming this Great Dao Tribulation would increase by at least thirty percent.
The Dragon Binding Rope was his greatest trump card. If unleashed without restraint, even a Primordial Spirit expert would have to yield. And this time, it seemed almost like a deliberate act of fate. Using the Divine Origin to tie down the Dragon Binding Rope meant his strongest card couldn’t be played.
Is my destiny too strong, prompting fate to deliberately suppress me? Qi Xiu wondered, raising his eyes thoughtfully to the sky above. He gave a slight chuckle, then continued with his preparations.
He probably couldn’t use the Hundred Zhang Sumeru Ruler now due to his lack of Cultivation. But the other Magical Treasure, the Nine Orifices Peach Divine Effigy, could still be somewhat useful. When not activated, this Magical Treasure was a somewhat crude wooden figurine with a tender peach blossom on its head. But once activated and awakened, it would transform into a Peach Divine Effigy with overwhelming combat power and terrifying presence. Inscribed within this Peach Divine Effigy were ninety-nine Martial Path divine runes, containing ninety-nine different Martial Path Divine Marvels. When activated, it could shatter heavens, crack the earth, and reverse the course of mountains and rivers. However, the consumption was also terrifying; maintaining its operation for a mere quarter of an hour would be enough to drain the entire Cultivation of a cultivator at the peak of the Blood-Stained Realm.
Holding the Nine Orifices Peach Divine Effigy in one hand, Qi Xiu’s eyes glinted with colors. The vast and boundless Mixed Element Qi within his body suddenly turned into a roaring torrent, forcefully injected into the wooden effigy. The nine orifices on the effigy’s body abruptly blazed with light. Under Qi Xiu’s incredibly potent infusion of Mixed Element Qi, the originally crude body of the Nine Orifices Peach Divine Effigy became jade-like. Chain-like Martial Path divine runes coursed over its surface, exuding a profound aura capable of shaking heaven and earth, and obliterating all of Qiankun. Estimating that the infusion was nearly complete, Qi Xiu casually waved his hand, and the Nine Orifices Peach Divine Effigy instantly flew into the void, concealing itself.
"Only one step remains," Qi Xiu murmured. His eyes lowered, a trace of weariness visible, and for a moment, his back seemed to bend slightly. But he quickly straightened up again, lifting his head slightly and closing his eyes.
The next instant!
Between heaven and earth, countless ancient Cloud Seal Talismans appeared. These were all the Cloud Seal Talismans Qi Xiu had mastered. At this moment, these Divine Talismans appeared densely in the void like stars, interconnecting and combining to form numerous immense Great Formations, each pulsating with robust energy.
After establishing layer upon layer of Great Formations using the Talisman Array Tao, countless rays of golden light began to emerge. They stretched across the horizon, releasing their majestic and boundless aura. Gradually, they merged, forming a colossal Cloud Seal Talisman that seemed vast enough to cover the entire sky.
Suppress!
...
