Slaying Demons: Starting with Upgrading my Calligraphy-Chapter 469 - 415: Heavenly Punishment

As Qi Xiu operated the "Immortal Scripture of Myriad Laws and Primordial Unity," wisps of colorful, immortal light appeared around his body. His entire being suddenly seemed ethereal and intangible, his form flickering as if he were about to ascend to immortality.

His right hand gradually became transparent, then slowly transformed into strands of the most refined and pure Innate Primeval Breath, as insubstantial as they were immeasurably heavy.

Transforming his right hand into the state of Innate Primeval Breath, Qi Xiu silently gazed at the backlash wounds on it. He watched as his hand reconstituted itself from the energy into flesh and blood.

The wound in his palm, which had nearly severed it, had indeed vanished without a trace.

Yet this transformation did not elicit a trace of joy on Qi Xiu’s face.

As time passed, the healed palm once again revealed the same horrific wound, unchanged in every detail.

It still won’t work. The backlash injury from heaven and earth is inflicted upon my very origin. Even if I transform into Innate Primeval Breath, I cannot eradicate this injury. However, achieving the state of Innate Primeval Breath isn’t without its benefits. With it, I can temporarily cause the backlash wound to disappear. This way, I can prevent the backlash from stacking up and triggering a chain reaction. The situation is also more manageable than it would be in the Blood-Stained Realm.

Clenching his palm, Qi Xiu silently withdrew his gaze. After reaching the Dao Body Realm, the healing rate of backlash injuries was nearly double that in the Blood-Stained Realm.

Furthermore, with a mere thought, a towering and majestic figure slowly emerged behind Qi Xiu; it was his Daoist Spirit, Hunyuan Daoist.

After the Hunyuan Daoist manifested, he immediately extended his right hand and placed it on Qi Xiu’s back.

The ghastly wound in Qi Xiu’s palm instantly healed by half.

Yet an identical wound appeared on the right hand of the Hunyuan Daoist.

The Daoist Spirit was connected to the original body’s life force, essentially a second body. They shared the same origin and naturally could also share wounds.

Flexing his right hand a couple of times, Qi Xiu gave a slight nod.

With the Daoist Spirit as support, and using the state of Innate Primeval Breath to suppress the backlash, the Command Talisman power he could wield was at least five times that of the Blood-Stained Realm.

"Let’s go."

Having roughly assessed the current strength of the Command Talisman, Qi Xiu lifted his hand and, bringing Shi Eryue along, ascended towards the Heaven-reaching Peach Tree, heading for the sixth floor of the Hall of Myriad Laws.

...

Elsewhere, at Shenxiao Sect, on Sect Master Peak.

Dongfang Qing, seated beneath a golden Dao tree, was drinking tea and playing chess with Daoist Yunxiong.

However, although Dongfang Qing’s cultivation was vastly superior to Daoist Yunxiong’s, his skill at chess was quite poor. He hadn’t finished his cup of tea before he swept the chessboard clear with a snort, waving his hand and turning his face away.

"I’m done playing. Let’s talk business."

Staring blankly at the chessboard where he was about to win by capturing the dragon, Daoist Yunxiong sighed with resignation and carelessly tossed the chess pieces back into the box.

"Please give your instructions, Sect Master."

"The Dao Alliance has reached a tentative decision. In a few days, they plan to ask the Mountain God to seal off that continent. The sword must be recovered. When the time comes, all the great sects from each province will dispatch personnel, and it’s likely the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains will also make a move. This operation is serious; it will be a tough battle. I intend for you to take Qi Xiu with you."

"Qi Xiu? He has only just achieved the Dao Body Realm and hasn’t experienced a single Dao Embodiment. Why would you have him go?"

Upon hearing his young disciple was involved, Daoist Yunxiong sat up straight. His thick eyebrows and bristling beard gave him the dignified appearance of a majestic lion.

"I consulted Guigu about it. That sword has a strong karmic entanglement with him. If he doesn’t go, who knows into whose hands it might fall. If he goes, this great Opportunity will likely end up in his hands."

Playing with a black Go piece, Dongfang Qing rested his cheek on his palm, his slender eyes shimmering with an extraordinary light.

"Moreover, you will be personally leading him this time. With you and your disciple working together, there shouldn’t be a major problem."

Hearing Dongfang Qing say this, Daoist Yunxiong chuckled. "Sect Master, you flatter me. I’m well aware of my own limitations. There are countless heroes in the world; I am far from the cream of the crop. It’s just that I got into more fights when I was younger, so I can gain a bit of an advantage when things get physical. Xiuer has just achieved the Dao. If he goes to the Southern Ming Wasteland and faces those Dao Experts who have undergone Dao Embodiment several times, he’s bound to be at a disadvantage."

"A disadvantage? Then you’re seriously underestimating this young disciple of yours who broke our Shenxiao Sect’s record for achieving the Dao. Believe it or not, although he hasn’t undergone Dao Embodiment yet, if it really came to a fight, Dao Experts who have undergone Dao Embodiment fewer than three times might not even last ten breaths against him."

Dongfang Qing’s words surprised Daoist Yunxiong. He was well aware that a prodigy like Qi Xiu couldn’t be measured by common standards. However, for Dao Experts, the difference between having undergone Dao Embodiment and not was immense. It was like ordinary mortals on a battlefield: one unarmed and in plain clothes, the other in iron armor with a long spear. How could they fight? One thrust of the spear, and you’d be pierced through. Therefore, Daoist Yunxiong found it hard to believe Dongfang Qing’s claim that Qi Xiu could suppress Dao Experts who had undergone Dao Embodiment up to three times.

Sensing the doubt in Daoist Yunxiong’s eyes, Dongfang Qing explained, "Although the boy hasn’t undergone Dao Embodiment, he possesses numerous ingenious and formidable methods, all extraordinarily fierce. Apart from anything else, just his Life-Bound Magic Treasure refined from Haotian Dao Jade, and the True Dragon Clan’s Dragon Court’s Supreme Treasure, would likely leave most Dao Experts no chance to even speak when clashing with him. This doesn’t even take into account the other trump cards he possesses that I’m unaware of. My assertion that he can defeat Dao Experts with fewer than three Dao Embodiments is merely a conservative estimate. If that kid really got vicious and went for the kill, I’m afraid nearly half of the Dao Experts in our Shenxiao Sect wouldn’t stand a chance against him."

If Daoist Yunxiong’s expression was merely surprised before, after Dongfang Qing’s explanation, his face was a mask of utter shock.

What’s going on? To possess such combat power just after achieving the Dao Body... What on earth has my young disciple experienced out there all these years?

"So, for this trip to the Southern Ming Wasteland, you needn’t worry about him. Besides, I’ve already arranged for him to go to the Hall of Myriad Laws. If all goes well, he should complete his first Dao Embodiment within ten years."

As Dongfang Qing was speaking, a skylark, its wings shimmering with colorful light, flew straight towards them at extreme speed, like a streak of light.

"Hm?"

With a raised eyebrow, Dongfang Qing extended two fingers and casually pinched the air. The skylark, a hundred miles away, vanished and reappeared in his hand.

That’s Xiuer’s aura...

Sensing the colorful light on the skylark, Daoist Yunxiong’s gaze sharpened.

Taking the spiritual jade carried by the skylark into his palm, Dongfang Qing’s eyes flickered as he instantly absorbed its contents.

"All the Dharma Spirits have disappeared?"

The black Go piece Dongfang Qing was toying with cracked under his grip, and an immense, majestic aura of Thunder Magic instantly swept out. For thousands of miles around Sect Master Peak, dark clouds roiled and thunder boomed, causing countless disciples within the Mountain Gate to look up in astonishment.

"Has something happened?"

Noticing Dongfang Qing losing control of his aura, Daoist Yunxiong’s expression grew serious.

For the Sect Master to lose control of his aura, this must be a serious matter.

"Gu and all the Dharma Spirits from the fifth level of the Hall of Myriad Laws have disappeared. I cut down the peach tree leading from the fifth to the sixth level, so theoretically, they shouldn’t have been able to reach the sixth level. It seems those old fellows on the top floor have started causing trouble again."

Crushing the spiritual jade in his hand to dust, Dongfang Qing’s eyes darted around, evidently plotting something.

"Gu..."

Upon hearing the name, Daoist Yunxiong didn’t react at first. But a moment later, his expression changed drastically, and he shot to his feet.

"Could it be..."

"Yes, it’s him. I estimate this has been going on for a year or two. Qi Xiu happened to stumble upon it in the Hall of Myriad Laws and sent word to me."

Nodding, Dongfang Qing placed the cracked Go piece back into the chess box.

"Gu was responsible for the suppression of all Dharma Spirits within the Hall of Myriad Laws. His disappearance without any ensuing chaos suggests he hasn’t left the Hall. Otherwise, had they sensed his aura vanish, those Dharma Spirits would have gone mad by now."

"Are you saying those six from the seventh level are behind this?" Daoist Yunxiong guessed with furrowed brows.

"Besides them, no one else has such capability. They’ve been wanting to stir up trouble for years. To prevent future problems, I personally cut off the paths to the sixth and seventh levels and instructed Gu to only guard the four levels below. If any turmoil arose on the sixth or seventh levels, he was to inform me directly, and I would personally go to suppress it. Unexpectedly, barely more than two years have passed, and they’ve started their ruckus again. And this time, they even managed to take Gu away."

Slowly rising to his feet, Dongfang Qing yawned. With a beckoning gesture, a green gleam suddenly flew out from the Sect Master Hall at the mountain’s peak.

It was a rust-covered, notch-laden bronze Longsword, about three chi long, archaic and simple, with two small characters engraved on its guard in ancient seal script:

[Heavenly Punishment]

The Tianxing Sword?

Seeing this bronze Longsword, which looked as if it were about to snap from rust, Daoist Yunxiong’s eyelids twitched violently, and his heart skipped a beat.

It seems the trouble in the Hall of Myriad Laws is no small matter. The Sect Master... intends to kill!

"Sect Master, you are..." Realizing Dongfang Qing was likely about to go on a killing spree, but recalling that his own disciple was still in the Hall of Myriad Laws, Daoist Yunxiong braced against the chill running down his spine and forced himself to ask.

"In these years of peace, I’ve grown increasingly lax, too lazy to deal with some reckless fools who think they can openly disrespect our sect as if it’s no big deal."

With two fingers, Dongfang Qing gently caressed the mottled and pitted blade, shaking his head slowly.

"This time, I really need to teach them a lesson. They shouldn’t think that just because they’ve lived a long time, they can act so recklessly. I haven’t killed them because I didn’t want to, not because I couldn’t. Since they are so eager for death, then this Sect Master shall grant their wish."

As the Sect Master’s tone grew increasingly somber, a cold breeze rustled Daoist Yunxiong’s robes. In a daze, he saw the Dongfang Qing before him abruptly transform.

He was clad in a blood-stained Taoist Robe, his face emotionless. Behind him, endless thunder reflected upon the myriad beings. He brandished the Longsword, and with a swing, ten thousand thunders roared—like the wrath of the heavens, capable of annihilating heaven and earth.

This terrifying, oppressive vision vanished in an instant.

When Daoist Yunxiong looked again at the Sect Master before him, Dongfang Qing had returned to his usual indolent and detached demeanor.

However, the once rusty bronze Longsword in his hand had somehow shed all its blemishes, transforming into a supremely sharp, snow-bright, and flawless Divine Sword.