Slaying Demons: Starting with Upgrading my Calligraphy-Chapter 513 - 449: Ginseng Spirit
Even though I had mentally prepared myself before coming here, the Daoist friends who had marched alongside me have now fallen in melancholy, and even their bodies might not return to their homeland.
All the Dao Experts couldn’t help but feel a sense of grief.
After all, perhaps in the future, this could be the fate they themselves might face.
It was precisely because companions were starting to fall, the remaining Dao Experts began to advance at a faster pace.
The sooner we find that sword, the sooner we can leave this ancient battlefield, this Life Forbidden Zone.
"With five Dao Experts falling at once, the probability that Demonic Evil Cultivators did it isn’t very high.
It’s likely due to some forbidden zones and desperate lands within this ancient battlefield."
A fleeting thought flashed in Qi Xiu’s mind, suddenly presenting a thousand blurry black and white visions.
These were all visual information transmitted back from his dispersed Tenacity Retention.
Luckily, his spirit had already transformed into a True Spirit, possessing powerful computational and information processing abilities.
Had it been an ordinary cultivator, they might have had their brains overwhelmed by this incessant flow of information.
Thanks to these Tenacity Retentions, Qi Xiu’s field of vision was much broader than other Dao Experts.
Though the pictures transmitted back from the Tenacity Retention were somewhat indistinct and interspersed with a lot of noise,
it was still better than being completely in the dark against the turbulent and dense muddy fog ahead.
"As we delve deeper into this ancient battlefield, the frequency of forbidden zones and desperate lands appearing is increasing.
On the outskirts, those who died in battle were mostly ordinary cultivators at the Initiate Realm, with blood stains, and very few Dao Experts.
But in the depths, desperate lands formed after the death of Dao Experts, even Tenacity Retentions, began to emerge."
Sorting through the images sent back from the Tenacity Retention, Qi Xiu organized them one by one.
Dao Experts, because they harbor the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, upon their demise, if unable to control the power of the Great Dao they bear, would choose to transform into Dao, returning the taken power back to heaven and earth.
But if, for some reason, or intentionally, a Dao Expert does not choose to transform into Dao upon falling,
the Power of the Great Dao within them would lose control, turning the site of their demise into a forbidden zone rampant with Power of the Great Dao.
The Southern Ming Wasteland was once an ancient battlefield.
The Dao Experts that fell here were generally slain by enemies, having no opportunity to transform into Dao by themselves.
Thus, in the depths of the Southern Ming Wasteland, there exist various forbidden zones and desperate lands formed after the death of Dao Experts.
It’s like a swamp full of deep ponds everywhere, one slight misstep, and one might fall into an abyss.
Qi Xiu had encountered one before.
It was a forbidden zone formed by a Demon Path True Monarch; over the shattered and desolate land, a boundless black mountain appeared on flat ground.
Moreover, this black mountain seemingly sensed Qi Xiu approaching, autonomously spreading in his direction, as if eagerly wanting him to enter the mountain.
Fortunately, Qi Xiu detected this eerie black mountain through the eyes of his Tenacity Retention long ago.
Amidst a barren land of thousands of miles, the sudden emergence of such a mountain range clearly signaled something amiss.
So he changed his route directly, bypassing this black mountain.
Not long after distancing himself from the black mountain, he heard a faintly malicious murmur.
"Demonic Evil Cultivators of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, along with forbidden zones formed by fallen Ancient Cultivators.
This Southern Ming Wasteland is indeed growing more dangerous."
Gazing at the muddy fog before him, which could only be seen through for a mere ten meters at most, Qi Xiu sighed.
He had Tenacity Retentions formed from residual souls to foresee environmental changes and lurking dangers around him.
Imagine how difficult it must be for other Dao Experts without such means.
Where on earth is that sword...
[Fellow Daoists, be careful! There is currently a Bloody Robe Demon Path Cultivator whose combat power is extremely formidable, about equivalent to Dao Embodiment phase three. He killed Wuchenzi from the Xuanzhong Legal Sect! Fellow Daoists, if you encounter him, be very cautious!]
While Qi Xiu pondered his next path, the latest imprint in the Mind Sensing Spirit Plaque immediately caught his attention.
Bloody Robe Cultivator?
His pupils shrinking, Qi Xiu narrowed his eyes slightly, a vast aura roared, instantly cracking the ground within a hundred miles of his feet.
This was the first time someone had personally witnessed Demonic Evil Cultivators killing a human Dao Expert.
Raising a Daoist incantation, countless invisible gray-white phantoms suddenly flew out from Qi Xiu’s brow, heading in all directions.
Though the Tenacity Retention is undying, once killed, it takes time to recover.
To avoid losing too many Tenacity Retentions, which could affect his control over the surrounding environment,
Qi Xiu withdrew most of the Tenacity Retention, leaving only about three thousand distributed around.
But now, he increased this number to thirty thousand.
Hoping to have a chance to meet this Bloody Robe fellow.
With a gaze as cold and still as the deep sea, Qi Xiu stepped forward, with fierce muddy fog surging in his wake, yet constantly retreating under the dim radiant glimmers at his side.
...
"These Righteous Dao cultivators indeed have some skills. Had my True Monarch not reacted quickly, I would have been taken down with him in his dying counterattack."
Pulling aside a robe dyed like blood, Li Su frowned, revealing two golden fingerprint imprints deep in the flesh near his right rib, surrounded by numerous blood-like forces attempting to remove them but being easily eliminated by him.
"Truly a high disciple of the Xuanzhong Legal Sect, his dying strike sealed two of my Great Daos, causing me to drop from Dao Embodiment phase three to phase one.
Five Finger Seal Sword Technique!
Tsk tsk tsk, this legendary Xuanzhong secret technique, this kid had the luck to find it again.
Unfortunately, such a heaven-defying technique, how could I allow you to take it back."
Closing the robe, Li Su’s face was bloodless and pale, with an elongated, thin face, and a pair of green-blue eyes slowly turning.
"I’m too severely injured; I must find a living creature quickly, extract its essence, and heal my wounds.
Then break through these two Seal Swords."
Being in a place like the Southern Ming Wasteland, having one’s power sealed for so many years is no trivial matter, but at this moment, Li Su was feeling rather troubled.
If he were in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, he could easily devour a few spirit tribes to replenish the lost blood Qi and Dao Yuan.
But this Southern Ming Wasteland, is barren for miles without a blade of grass in sight.
Besides those forms left by tenacious spirits, there are essentially no other living creatures visible.
And those forms, being mere shadows of their original bodies, fundamentally lack essence and thus cannot be used by him.
As Li Su scratched his head, suddenly, on the ground less than five meters ahead, a small mound puffed up.
A stamen, emerald like jade with three red fruits, suddenly emerged.
"Ha~ what a good nap I had."
Yawning, a plump and flawless Ginseng Spirit with a human face and limbs, chubby cheeks and rosy skin, slowly walked out from the soil.
Brushing off the soil particles from its body, the Ginseng Spirit smacked its lips:
"This little master’s nap wasn’t short at all. Why does it feel like I’ve changed the Southern Ming Wasteland’s climate in my sleep?
It’s so much colder than before.
Hmm? Is it raining?"
As it suspiciously shrunk its hands, muttering about the cold, the Ginseng Spirit suddenly noticed a small wet patch on the ground ahead. Looking up, glistening sticky drops were falling right in front of it.
"This is..."
Sensing something wrong, the Ginseng Spirit swallowed hard, then slowly turned its head.
Li Su, with a sinister smile, was standing behind it, rubbing his hands, while his pale, sharp teeth were grinding with a creaking sound.
"Hello, little Ginseng Spirit."
"Ah!!!!!!"
With a sharp explosive sound, the Ginseng Spirit instantly burrowed back into the ground, raising mounds as it fled swiftly into the distance.
"Hahaha, don’t run, treasure!"
Gifted with such a vibrant and spiritually rich treasure, how could Li Su let it go?
Immediately, he transformed into a blood wind and chased after it.
It’s over... over...
Didn’t expect to wake up from one nap and stumble into such a big trouble, the Ginseng Spirit thought as it desperately sprinted, pondering how to rid itself of this problem.
But Li Su, urgently needing the life essence to heal and break the seal, was absolutely not going to let this Ginseng Spirit, which had come right to his doorstep, escape.
The Ginseng Spirit, having lived in this Southern Ming Wasteland for a long time, was well-versed with the path despite the hindrance of muddy fog.
Though Li Su was a Dao Expert and could easily outpace the Ginseng Spirit, he dared not fully unleash his Escape Skill due to the muddy fog’s impediment. He could only closely follow the constantly moving mound ahead, waiting for the Ginseng Spirit to tire and slip, then capture it in one move.
A demon and a spirit, thus chasing and fleeing endlessly.
"Oh no, there’s another one ahead!"
As it was about to reach its lair, the Ginseng Spirit suddenly noticed a figure straight ahead, approaching with obvious intention.
With wolves in front and tigers behind, blocking both ends! 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
In panic, the Ginseng Spirit inadvertently slowed down.
And with that slight delay, Li Su’s eyes lit up sharply as he fiercely struck with a roaring blood wind, extending a large hand to seize the Ginseng Spirit.
But just then, the figure still at a distance accelerated abruptly, stepping forward and shimmering to arrive nearby.
Bam!
The two hands collided, instantly exploding with terrifying vigor, flipping and throwing the Ginseng Spirit into the air.
"Friend, one must observe the order of first come, first served, right?"
Retracting his painfully throbbing right hand, Li Su wore a gloomy expression.
Such heavy strength...
This person’s cultivation is truly profound!
"Friend? Are you sure we’re friends?"
With a flick of his sleeve, dispelling the fog, the indifferent Qi Xiu stood there, a tall and mighty figure manifesting behind him. Streams of oppressive, fierce Dao Charm breath transformed into various mystical visions, twisting the surrounding void under heavy burden.
"Bloody Robe Cultivator, it was you who killed Wuchenzi, wasn’t it?"
Feeling the abyss-like monstrous aura from Qi Xiu, Li Su’s eye slightly twitched.
Avenging?
"Wasn’t me."
With a grin, Li Su suddenly turned into a puddle of blood, sinking into the soil with a splash.
Narrowing his eyes, a surge of purple, Qi Xiu was just about to give chase when suddenly, the Ginseng Spirit beside him burst into laughter:
"You’re still chasing? I’m home."
Buzz——
The ground suddenly cracked with infinite crevices, blinding splendid golden light shooting up like a surging wave, swallowing everything within a hundred miles in an instant.
Completely engulfed!
...
