Slaying Demons: Starting with Upgrading my Calligraphy-Chapter 463 - 409: Old Friend..._2
Upon arriving before Qi Xiu, Shi Eryue slowly bowed, performing a dignified and elegant curtsy.
Provoked by this self-recommending Dharma Spirit, Qi Xiu chuckled lightly. "You are quite an interesting Dharma Spirit. Other Dharma Spirits dislike following people around, preferring a stable and comfortable life. Why do you volunteer yourself so eagerly?"
A Dharma Spirit. That is, when a certain Dharma Gate is practiced to its extreme, a spirit is born from the techniques, mysteriously giving rise to a trace of Spirit Essence.
It’s akin to the tales in mortal storybooks where even inert stones gain sentience.
From a certain perspective, Dharma Spirits can also be considered a peculiar type of demon.
However, compared to demons, the birth of Dharma Spirits is largely due to the Dao’s favor, a Spirit Essence bestowed through enlightenment.
There is still a fundamental difference from ordinary demonkind.
It is also because of this that most Dharma Spirits are inherently leisurely and cherish freedom. Unless it’s their first master, they rarely acknowledge another.
Most of the Dharma Spirits in the Hall of Myriad Laws had lost their first masters either to old age or demise. They lived quite comfortably in the Hall of Myriad Laws, so except for rare instances when both sides saw eye to eye, Dharma Spirits generally ignored the cultivators who came here. Some of the more aggressive and irritable Dharma Spirits might even resort to violence.
Just like the Primordial Sword Gourd in Qi Xiu’s possession, which had also developed a Dharma Spirit. If Qi Xiu were to die, whoever dared approach it seeking its acknowledgment as master would certainly face a swift sword strike.
So, this Dharma Spirit who came forward willingly, seeking adoption, naturally aroused Qi Xiu’s curiosity.
"The aura from Your Excellency resembles that of my old master, evoking a sense of affinity in my heart. I hope Your Excellency will bestow your favor," Shi Eryue said.
Hearing Shi Eryue’s explanation, Qi Xiu’s gaze shifted slightly, revealing a hint of surprise. "Resembles the aura of your old master? You can sense my aura?"
He was the first in the world to possess the Hunyuan Myriad Laws Immortal Body. Moreover, Cultivators of the Mixed Yuan Path were extremely rare. He had read eighty to a hundred thousand ancient texts and rare codices, yet none of them mentioned a single cultivator of the Hunyuan Great Way.
The fact that Shi Eryue could sense his aura was even more astonishing. The Divine Luster Inward Concealment of the Hunyuan Myriad Laws Immortal Body was instinctual. Even when he was in the Blood-Stained Realm, not even Dao Experts could easily discern it. Now that he had achieved the Dao Body Realm, for a Dharma Spirit in the Blood-Stained Realm to perceive his aura’s foundation was indeed startling.
Wait a minute!
As if suddenly realizing something, Qi Xiu stared intently at the Dharma Spirit who called herself Shi Eryue, his eyes narrowing slightly. Could it be that you are...
He suddenly remembered the Sect Master’s instruction not to mention that it was he who had sent him to the Hall of Myriad Laws.
With a thoughtful gaze, Qi Xiu looked at the Dharma Spirit before him. "Have we met before?"
Unexpectedly, upon hearing Qi Xiu’s question, the Dharma Spirit Shi Eryue suddenly smiled faintly. "What do you think, Your Excellency?"
Qi Xiu’s mind was shaken by Shi Eryue’s response. His gaze gradually intensified as he slowly fondled the Golden Cry Jade Beads on his wrist.
"Shi Eryue..." he muttered slowly, his eyebrows gradually furrowing. But as he uttered the name for the fifth time, a Spiritual Light suddenly streaked through his mind.
The next moment, his expression abruptly changed, as if he had an epiphany.
The three characters... Shi... Er... Yue... When combined... Don’t they form the character for ’Qing’?! Qing... Daoist Qingya! Yes! Other than his Observing Qi Skill, who else could possibly see through my Hunyuan Myriad Laws Immortal Body!
His mind reeled. Qi Xiu had never imagined that the old acquaintance mentioned by the Sect Master would be the incredibly mysterious Daoist Qingya, who had left behind countless arrangements and backup plans.
"Who exactly are you?"
Realizing that this Shi Eryue must have a profound connection with Daoist Qingya, Qi Xiu slightly lifted his right index finger.
Suddenly, a mighty force surged into the great hall.
Hunyuan Palace! Descend!
Using the power of the Hunyuan Palace to forcibly isolate a separate space, Qi Xiu looked at Shi Eryue before him with a solemn gaze.
"As I said, my name is Shi Eryue." Glancing with keen interest at the void around her, Shi Eryue’s gaze towards Qi Xiu grew increasingly appreciative. "Nevertheless, Your Excellency is indeed as perceptive and astute as Father said, shrewd and keen-witted. Merely from my name, you’ve figured out some clues. Truly impressive."
"Father?" Qi Xiu asked.
"What, isn’t that right? Is it not appropriate for a Dharma Spirit to honor its original master as ’Father’?" Seeing the doubt in Qi Xiu’s eyes, Shi Eryue seemed slightly annoyed, apparently taking this matter rather seriously.
"So it seems reasonable." Qi Xiu didn’t want to quibble too much with Shi Eryue over the matter of her calling her original master ’Father.’ What he was more eager to know was why Daoist Qingya had left Shi Eryue here.
And why was it Supreme Sect Leader Dongfang Qing who reminded me to come to this place? Could it be that the Sect Master also knew Daoist Qingya? But if so, why did he tell me not to mention that he was the one who sent me here?
"Then why did your father leave you here to wait for me? What exactly is the matter?" After a brief silence, Qi Xiu asked directly.
From the current situation, Shi Eryue had definitely not arrived at the Hall of Myriad Laws recently but had been left here long ago. And had it not been for Sect Master Dongfang Qing’s explicit reminder, he might not have come here for hundreds more years. In that case, the connections between all involved became even more obscure and perplexing.
"Father didn’t specify why he left me here, only that if a True Monarch with an aura similar to his own came, I should follow him," Shi Eryue said, shaking her head, indicating she also didn’t know the answer to Qi Xiu’s question.
"Then how long have you been waiting here?" His gaze deepening, Qi Xiu continued to inquire.
"About..." Puckering her lips, she considered carefully. Shi Eryue slowly held out her right hand. "Five hundred years."
Five hundred years?!
Hearing this number, Qi Xiu’s eyes suddenly grew intense. Five hundred years ago, he hadn’t even transmigrated into this world yet. Daoist Qingya from that time had actually left Shi Eryue in the Shenxiao Sect to wait for his arrival five hundred years later.
"Observing Qi Skill..." Qi Xiu murmured, uttering the name of the secret technique capable of peering into the past and future. He gazed calmly at Shi Eryue before him, a strand of purple essence flickering in his eyes, barely visible.
「In the Endless Sea, waves undulated.」
Lying flat on a piece of pristine white floating ice, Daoist Qingya, his Taoist robe wide open, snored thunderously, sleeping incredibly soundly. But just then, a wave of moderate size suddenly struck, and the splash cunningly entered his mouth and nose, causing him to cough repeatedly and sit up.
"Elder Shui! Are you deliberately looking for trouble?" Wiping the water from his face, Daoist Qingya complained with a resentful expression, "How does my nap bother you?"
"Hmph! You knew that the sword imprisoned at the Valley of Deceased Gods was going to be released, yet you deliberately concealed it. If I hadn’t detected it in time and intercepted it, the sword would have already flown back into that person’s hands." Walking over the waves with an expressionless face, Elder Shui approached Daoist Qingya, his ice-blue eyes looking down on him.
Feeling Elder Shui’s gaze, sharp as a blade, Daoist Qingya knew he was in the wrong. He shrank his neck and avoided Elder Shui’s stare. "The release of that sword was a major turning point. Forcefully stopping it, even for you and me, would result in being obliterated by the backlash. It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you. However, even if I had, it wouldn’t have prevented it from happening and would only have wasted more energy," Daoist Qingya explained, spreading his hands.
"Bullshit! Those excuses might deceive others, but not me. Tell me, why did you deliberately let that sword escape? With your skills, you could have suppressed it the moment it broke free, or not even have given it the chance to escape in the first place. You did this... was it for that child...?" Elder Shui’s eyes were sharp; he didn’t believe Daoist Qingya’s explanation. This portly Daoist might seem complacent and lazy, but he almost never failed in what he set out to do.
"After the events at the Valley of Deceased Gods, that child’s identity can hardly remain hidden any longer, so I had to divert Mr. Li’s attention elsewhere. Although this method is just a temporary solution, once my injuries are healed, I will personally reseal that sword. Everything will then return to normal," Daoist Qingya said calmly, glancing at his still-bleeding right hand.
"But what if they find that sword before then?" Elder Shui’s gaze turned grave.
"They won’t find it," Daoist Qingya said, his eyes calm, his tone certain, as if what he believed was absolutely infallible.
"That’s for the best." Seeing Daoist Qingya so confident, Elder Shui’s expression softened. "How long until your injuries heal? Although that child has attained the Dao, he merely has the qualification to enter the fray. I think I should take on the role of Protector."
Hearing Elder Shui offer to become the Protector, Daoist Qingya’s eyes flickered, and he revealed an inscrutable smile. "Alright."
Surprised by Daoist Qingya’s ready agreement, Elder Shui was about to speak but was then utterly exasperated by the fat Daoist’s next words.
"But you’ll have to wait until I’m dead."
