Slaying Demons: Starting with Upgrading my Calligraphy

「Three days later, Linlang Inn.」

This was a place for Inner Sect Disciples to relax and be entertained. Constructed along the hillside, it stood with pavilions and towers rarely seen in the Mortal World. The doors of these lofty buildings were wide open, revealing delicious food and beautiful scenery, like a gallery of landscapes. Many mortals resided here, serving these Inner Sect Disciples. Of course, the services offered were quite proper. After all, the Shenxiao Sect was a Righteous Path Sect, and those dubious activities could not be conducted here.

Next to a babbling brook, listening to the flowing water, the air filled with a faint fragrance in the quiet and elegant private room. The young man Li Guanqi, handsome like a noble son and gentle in manner, delicately peeled a peanut. The shell cracked open, releasing a rich, roasted nutty aroma.

"I told you he wouldn't come," he said. Throwing the peanut into his mouth, Li Guanqi seemed to have anticipated Qi Xiu's decision.

"What a pity. I actually quite liked him." Standing with a straight back, Dong Xingzhou slowly shook his head, showing a hint of disappointment.

"You may like him, but he may not fancy you. Qi Xiu is calm and shrewd. I've looked into him. This man is a Loose Cultivator from humble beginnings. The hardships he's faced on his journey are countless. Someone like him has trod on thin ice for the first half of his life. Even with his current status and identity, he will not easily change the stubbornness in his heart. And let me remind you of one more thing. If he does not wish to interact with us, don't provoke him anymore. Though he looks gentle, like a scholar devoted to studying the classics, he is quite ruthless when he strikes. Vengeful and bitter, with a venomous hand and a wicked heart. If you startle him, be careful. If he develops a murderous intent, he might take us both down."

"But my father gave me…"

"Don't forget, he is the one who returned unscathed from Divine Sorrow Ridge."

Their gazes met, and Dong Xingzhou slowly nodded, "Understood. If he is unwilling, I won't seek him out."

"Ah, that's more like it. Come on, have a peanut."

Knowing that Dong Xingzhou, a hidden danger, was under the surveillance and control of the Sect, Qi Xiu no longer worried. Every day he continued with alchemy, writing, painting, and cultivating. What seemed like a dull life to others was actually his perfect comfort zone.

Mixed Primordial Beads were accumulating, one by one. Qi Xiu's cultivation was also becoming deeper and more unfathomable. After all, considering the quantity of his True Gang, he was already several hundred times that of an average Dao-Entering Realm practitioner. And "The Secret of the Primordial Dragon-Tiger Scripture" itself was a True Scripture Volume that combined martial arts and cultivation methods. The vast amount of True Gang Qi not only granted him an almost endless mana pool but was also constantly tempering his physical body.

In the courtyard, Qi Xiu held a bright red bamboo staff in both hands—it was the Autumn Sandalwood Bamboo Staff, the Magic Artifact he had snatched from the hands of Yuhua Viewpoint's Master when he was still a young scholar. He had used this Magic Artifact a few times since it fell into his hands. However, due to its relatively singular effect, and since his methods had become more diverse after he had comprehended "The Secret of the Primordial Dragon-Tiger Scripture," the power of the Autumn Sandalwood Bamboo Staff gradually fell behind and no longer kept up with current needs. This Magic Artifact had been put aside and sunk into the Flood Dragon Pool; only a few days ago, he fished it out again.

Gripping both ends of the Autumn Sandalwood Bamboo Staff, Qi Xiu slowly applied force with his arms. The Magic Artifact immediately started to emit an endless stream of black smoke. The slender, straight bamboo staff began to bend slowly, emitting a grating sound as if it couldn't bear the strain. At the same time, blood began to drip from the entire staff, and an inexplicable power started eroding Qi Xiu's palms. However, it was blocked by the faint colorful glow emerging from his hands.

While observing the state of the Autumn Sandalwood Bamboo Staff, Qi Xiu continued to exert force. Soon, agonizingly sharp screams began to emanate from within the Magic Artifact, as if some entity was enduring unimaginable torture. Ignoring the screams that felt like needles stabbing his ears, Qi Xiu suddenly exerted his full strength.

With a loud SNAP, the Autumn Sandalwood Bamboo Staff in his hands was forcibly broken into two pieces.

The next instant, an extremely violent force surged forth. A miniature fire cloud formed between Qi Xiu's palms, its rampant, destructive power twisting and distorting the void. His robes billowed violently, and a visible, ferocious shockwave roared out from the fire cloud. Clasping his hands tightly, Qi Xiu squinted, his gaze solemn. Veins bulged on his arms, and wisps of dim, indistinct colorful energy flowed and circulated within his blood vessels and meridians. For a moment, this terrifying explosion, capable of annihilating everything within a radius of tens of li, was actually held firmly between his palms.

Seeing that the explosion's power was suppressed, Qi Xiu swiftly brought his hands together. Faintly, the roars of a dragon and the howls of a tiger could be heard. This power, comparable to the self-detonation of a Dao-Entering cultivator, was forcibly extinguished in his hands.

As the Magic Artifact was destroyed, the demon spirit essence it contained surged out, transforming into billowing black smoke that blotted out the sky.

"Destroying my host artifact… I want your life in return…" A pair of crimson eyes lit up within the black smoke. It shrieked, stirring the black fog as it lunged violently toward Qi Xiu.

"Audacious!" Watching the attacking demon spirit essence, Qi Xiu snorted coldly. His voice was like a vast roll of Thunder Sound, a sudden clap in a clear sky. Flashes of lightning violently sparked in the void. With a miserable shriek, the pervasive black smoke instantly vanished. And those two sections of the bamboo staff also completely lost their bright red luster, turning dull and withered yellow.

Crushing the Magic Artifact with bare hands was still strenuous; it seems the refinement of my body is not yet perfect. I should probably wait until all three hundred and sixty-five Mixed Primordial Beads within me are fully refined. Only then can the effects of Hunyuan Body Refinement reach their pinnacle.

Qi Xiu spread his hands open and lowered his gaze. Horrifying scars were etched onto his hands, corroded so severely in some places that white bone was almost visible. Suppressing his protective Gang Qi and relying entirely on his physical body to destroy a Magic Artifact—this was akin to stopping a Dao-Entering cultivator from self-destructing with his bare hands.

After all, most Magic Artifacts are made from demon spirit essence. Because Demons naturally possess Divine Marvels, extracting their spirits, sealing them within artifacts, and coupling this with refinement incantations makes them usable. There are specialized Dharma Gates for their creation, allowing even those in the Blood-Stained Realm to make them. Moreover, directly killing some Demons that possess special Divine Marvels would be quite wasteful. Only by refining them into Magic Artifacts can their full potential be utilized. It's just that such artifacts are thus known as Demonic Artifacts. The demon spirit essence within them contains a savage nature; a moment of carelessness, and the artifact could devour its master at any time!

Another kind of Magic Artifact can only be crafted by Dao Experts. Only those who have glimpsed the mysteries of the Dao are able to seal Divine Marvels within objects to create Magic Artifacts. These types of Magic Artifacts are more powerful and have a smaller risk of backlash. However, they are much more difficult to wield. One must be at least in the Blood-Stained Realm to even handle them. Otherwise, the innate power emanating from the Magic Artifact alone is enough to injure an ordinary Dao-Entering cultivator. This type of Magic Artifact is already on the level of a rare treasure. Thus, they are also called: Magical Treasures!

Moreover, judging from the current situation, the Fifth Realm's Divine Marvels in "The Secret of the Primordial Dragon-Tiger Scripture" are likely also related to the physical body.

Qi Xiu flicked his fingers, forming medicinal talismans that began to heal the wounds on his hands, and shook his head with a light laugh. "I've only recently broken through to the Fourth Realm, and yet I'm already looking forward to the Fifth Realm. It really is like that old saying goes, 'Still wanting the pot while eating from the bowl.'"

For him to break through from the Third Realm to the Fourth Realm of the Hunyuan Dragon Tiger Scripture Mystery took nearly ten years. And to break through from the Fourth to the Fifth Realm, it will probably take at least twice as long, if not more. Thankfully, the Divine Marvel 'Hunyuan Palace' that I comprehended in the Fourth Realm allows me a bit more time. Otherwise, in the not too distant future, I might indeed become the only Dao-Entering loner on Yunti Peak.

Qi Xiu chuckled to himself, about to stoop and pick up the remnants of the Autumn Sandalwood Bamboo Staff he had destroyed with his bare hands. A message suddenly surged into his mind through a mysterious connection—twelve brief words, but enough to subtly change Qi Xiu's expression.

*At the source of the Nu River, an Exotic Treasure has appeared! Come quickly! Come quickly!*

The source of the Nu River. Here lay a desolate, barren stretch of dark yellow grassland. A small stream, like a silver ribbon, gushed from a spring eye and flowed downwards. Here, mountains undulated endlessly, their peaks brushing against layers of clouds. The stream flowed onward from its source, continuously merging with waters gathering from all directions. Gradually, the stream transformed into a river, and the river swelled into a mighty torrent! The Nu River swept across three large provinces and meandered for millions of li. Who would guess that its headwaters were just a spring no thicker than a person's arm?

And today, this secluded source of the Nu River welcomed a young Daoist clad in black robes, his appearance both handsome and eerily beautiful.

This should be the right place.

Taking out a piece of Bone Armor, Tai Yin poured a bag of fresh blood onto it. The mottled, cracked Bone Armor immediately made gulping noises. As the bag of blood seeped in, a line of small, bright red, eye-catching text slowly surfaced on the previously empty Bone Armor.

*Travel fifty li ahead. Enter upon finding water.*

The writing flashed briefly before vanishing. Tai Yin memorized the contents and was just about to step forward when he suddenly heard a thunderous boom behind him. An intense killing intent, even from over a thousand li away, had already locked firmly onto him. In an instant, eight hundred li of fiery clouds covered the sky. These clouds transformed into dozens of golden-red, ferocious-looking fire dragons, roaring mightily in the sea of clouds!

Goosebumps shot up all over his body. Tai Yin turned his head to look, his eyes immediately flashing with a fierce light, and he cursed under his breath, "Damn it, he's been after me for over three months now, and he still won't give up! Cheng Junie! You just wait! When my true self arrives, I'll be sure to bury you alive!"

After venting his anger, Tai Yin dared not delay. With a flicker, his body transformed into a streak of harsh light and instantly fled into the distance, terrified that the single-minded fool behind him would catch him.

A wise man knows better than to fight when the odds are against him!