Slaying Demons: Starting with Upgrading my Calligraphy-Chapter 390 - 354: Blue Lotus Sword Sect!

Across the sprawling expanse of the Loess Plateau, stretching for hundreds of thousands of miles, a peculiar, spiral-shaped mountain valley was etched deep into the wind-eroded grains of sand like a scar upon the earth.

The yellow sand, like an enraged behemoth, tumbled and surged, blanketing the sky, obscuring sun, moon, and stars, tinting the world in a monochrome hue of murky yellow chaos.

On the periphery of the valley, a formation flickered with a faint light, barely revealing a large earthen cauldron protecting the entire valley, steadfastly blocking the sandstorm’s assault.

Outside the valley, two demons stood amidst the whirling sands.

Their forms were colossal and terrifying, enveloped in dense demonic aura, as if corroding the very air. Their gazes were cold and merciless, indifferently watching the trembling formation, quietly awaiting the perfect moment to shatter this fragile defense.

"In at most six months, this turtle shell will crumble, and we’ll see if they can still protect that wench then," said one of the demons, whose stature neared a hundred zhang, with a body covered in stone skin. Between the mottled cracks on his surface, a jade-like texture peeked out. The terrifying sandstorm that could grind a cultivator of the Dao-Entering Realm to dust in an instant was no more than a gentle breeze against his skin.

"Remember, once the formation breaks, immediately cast the Nine Poisons Demon Blood Miasma to envelop the entire valley. If we let even one escape, we won’t be able to live in peace," uttered the other demon gravely, his body clad in tattered yellow robes. His bloody red eyes were fearsome to behold, and as he spoke, a stench of decay wafted around him, like a dead thing come to life.

"I know, I know, you’ve said it eight hundred times. Aren’t you being a bit too cautious? This Qinlong Province is nothing like Xiangchu; it’s not like there’s a major cultivator coming to trouble us. With that effort, they would be better off digging up a few more ancient ruins, hunting for treasures."

Being nagged by the yellow-robed Corpse Demon was irritating, and the stone demon waved his hand dismissively.

Qinlong Province was vast, with many Sect Aristocracies, attracting numerous cultivators from other provinces. However, unlike other provinces, due to its history as the ancient capital of eight dynasties, Qinlong Province had a multitude of underground relics, as numerous as the stars. Hence, the local cultivators spent their days either exploring these ancient ruins or on the path to find them. They paid little mind to demons and Demonic Evil Cultivators. After all, compared to the life-and-death struggle of subduing demons and quelling evil, seeking out relics and treasures was a more tangible endeavor, equally fraught with extreme danger. The former would, at most, yield the body of a Demonic Evil Cultivator, trading it in at the County Yamen for a modest reward. But the latter was different; if one discovered a grand tomb, it would be like a roc soaring ninety thousand miles upwards with the wind in a single day. Astute cultivators certainly knew how to weigh these choices.

"Being cautious is never wrong. You don’t know about the Demonic Evil Cultivators in Dianchuan Province being all slaughtered over twenty years ago; that’s an example. The hearts of the Human Race are not for us to fathom," said the yellow-robed Corpse Demon gravely, noticing the stone demon’s indifferent attitude.

In his previous life, he himself was part of the Human Race and a cultivator who had entered the Dao-Entering Realm. Compared to this stone demon, whose mind was filled with nothing but rocks, he understood the foundations and methods of humanity far better. That was why he remained so cautious.

"Alright, alright, I get it," the stone demon, tired of listening, simply turned away and stopped paying attention to the yellow-robed Corpse Demon.

While the two demons were contemplating how to breach the valley’s formation in half a year’s time, they were completely unaware that at the edge of the horizon, a bolt of thunderous Escape Light was racing towards this location, covering thousands of miles in the blink of an eye at a terrifying speed.

With his sleeves gathered, Qi Xiu stood upon the Escape Light, surveying the seemingly endless Loess Plateau before him.

Dianchuan Province was about the same size as Qinlong Province. However, its territory was narrow and elongated, stretching from north to south, exhibiting three different climates and terrains. The northernmost forty percent consisted of the continuous Loess Plateau, characterized by a dry and hot climate. The central thirty percent offered somewhat better conditions but still suffered from scant rainfall. Its terrain was predominantly mountainous, rugged, difficult to navigate, and prone to frequent seismic activity. Only the southernmost thirty percent bordering Dianchuan Province had a pleasant climate with an open plain terrain. Therefore, nearly seventy percent of Qinlong Province’s population was concentrated in the south. The northernmost Loess Plateau was sparsely populated, with hardly any common people in sight; only some Sect Aristocracies were stationed there.

"It is rumored that in the past, the terrain of Qinlong Province was comparable to the current Jiangnan Province, but in the late ancient times, an earth-shattering war took place here. This war drastically changed the geological framework of the province, and the ancient capital of the Eight Dynasties was gradually abandoned and forgotten. However, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. Despite its decline, Qinlong Province still has its heritage. The number one Sword Sect in the Great Xuan—the Blue Lotus Sword Sect—is stationed right here."

Upon hearing Qi Xiu’s assessment of Qinlong Province, Li Jiufang also nodded and said, "Yes, it is said that the Blue Lotus Sword Sect inherits the Daoist Inheritance of the Taibai Sword Sect, foremost from ancient times. Although they have few disciples, each of them is a Sword Cultivator with astonishing prowess. Their leader, the Supreme Blue Lotus Exemplar, is recognized as the number one Sword Cultivator in the Great Xuan Dynasty! His combat power is overwhelming, and his Sword Dao is profound. He once roamed outside the realm and was ambushed by nine Outer Realm Evil Gods. The result was that he killed three, severely wounded five, and only one narrowly escaped."

Sword Cultivators. In any era, they are synonymous with top-level executioners. Compared to the scarcity of Thunder Law Cultivators, there are relatively more Sword Cultivators, and Qinlong Province happens to have the most elite group of Sword Cultivators in current times.

While Qi Xiu and Li Jiufang were discussing the Blue Lotus Sword Sect, the two had already approached the mountain valley.

"Hmm?"

At the same time, Qi Xiu and the two demons became aware of each other.

Blood-stained demons?

Standing atop the Escape Light, Qi Xiu’s eyes lowered, his pupils with Divine Luster Inward Concealment flashed a trace of purple light, locking onto the yellow-robed Corpse Demon and the stone demon through the dim and dusty sandstorm.

On the other hand, the constantly vigilant yellow-robed Corpse Demon also sensed the rapidly approaching Thunder Magic Escape Light above the Sky Dome.

Thunder Magic? Under the shadow, its withered face changed slightly as its blood-red eyes swirled maniacally. Qinlong Province has no Thunder Magic sects. The closest would only be... the Shenxiao Sect of Dianchuan Province? The mere thought of Dianchuan Province made its expression grow increasingly solemn. The tragedy that occurred there over twenty years ago was a psychological shadow for demons from neighboring provinces like them. Seeing a cultivator from Dianchuan Province’s Shenxiao Sect suddenly appear here now stirred countless unsettling thoughts within its heart.

"These two demons are besieging this place?" Atop the Escape Light, Li Jiufang also noticed the presence of the two demons. Seeing the valley protected by a formation, he immediately understood what was happening.

"One in the Blood-stained Triple Realm, one in the Blood-stained Quadruple Realm..." His gaze swept over the two demons, capturing their aura in an instant. Qi Xiu took a big step forward, and his figure instantly turned into a streak of thunder light, arriving in front of the two demons in a blink.

"You, quickly..." The yellow-robed Corpse Demon was startled. He discovered he couldn’t sense even a trace of aura from the young, fair-skinned Daoist. His eyes changed dramatically. With a roar, he was about to signal the stone demon to run.

Calmly watching the two demons try to flee, Qi Xiu raised his right hand, his fingertips gleaming with golden light, and he slowly spoke, "Capture... two demons."

HUM—

The void trembled slightly as five Cloud Seal Suppressing Talismans shot out, transforming into resounding golden chains, which directly charged at the two demons.

"What..." Feeling the terrifying presence emitted by the Suppressing Talismans, which had turned into binding chains, the yellow-robed Corpse Demon completely panicked. So cautious, so careful, yet how could such a terrifying Daoist appear out of nowhere?

The chains of the Suppressing Talismans bound them. Instantly, the two demons felt their overwhelming demonic power extinguish. Their massive, burly bodies, as if drained of all strength, collapsed to the ground with a boom.

The Suppression Talismans drawn by one at Blood-Stained Peak cultivation were truly invincible. Not to mention two demons from the Blood-stained Triple and Quadruple Realms, even a demon from the Blood-Stained Peak, if they came, would be tightly bound.

Having captured the two demons, Qi Xiu slightly turned to the side and looked towards the valley. "Are you planning to keep watching?"

Before Qi Xiu’s words fell, the formation above the looping valley was suddenly lifted, and several streaks of light sped across the sky, coming to a stop before him.

"Junior Zhao Yishi thanks Senior for saving the Zhao Family." With both hands clasped, the simple and honest-looking middle-aged man bowed deeply to Qi Xiu.

"You are Zhao Yishi?" Giving the middle-aged man a glance, Qi Xiu’s eyes flashed with depth as he said to Li Jiufang, "It seems that our trip here was indeed timely. Had we been a few days later, your sister’s family would have likely joined the underworld together."

Hearing the implications in Qi Xiu’s words, Li Jiufang also stepped forward, but due to his lost cultivation, he really couldn’t see any clues.

"Life force damaged, soul severely injured. What hurt you like this?" Instantly seeing through Zhao Yishi’s unusual state, Qi Xiu’s words caused the man’s face to change drastically.

"Senior’s mercy! My wife has been poisoned with a strange toxin. It has reached a critical state. I beg Senior to show kindness and save my wife." THUD. Zhao Yishi knelt before Qi Xiu, kowtowing and pleading.

"My sister is poisoned?" Hearing this, Li Jiufang showed a hint of surprise and urgency. Although Jia Yufei often bullied them, their sibling affection was genuine. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have entrusted her with that item from the Food Demon Sect. Now that he heard Jia Yufei was inflicted with a strange poison and was at death’s door, he naturally became anxious.

"Alright, let’s go and see." With a flick of his sleeve, Qi Xiu pulled up the kneeling Zhao Yishi, and the group entered the valley.

...

In front of a wooden building plastered with numerous talisman papers, Qi Xiu looked pensively at Zhao Yishi beside him. In the special vision of interlaced black and white from the Observing Qi Skill, terrifying black qi was crazily dissipating from the gaps in the doors and windows of this wooden building. If not for the talismans outside suppressing it, the area within a hundred meters of the wooden building would have been eroded into a poisoned land.

Gathering his sleeves, Qi Xiu then asked Zhao Yishi in a soft voice, "And... are you sure your wife was only poisoned?" 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"It... it is so," Zhao Yishi nodded, his tone slightly hesitant.

But just as he finished speaking, a terrifying thunderbolt as thick as a water bucket descended from the sky! Accompanied by dazzling light and thunderous roars, it struck the wooden building with a deafening crash!

BOOM—

The wooden building shattered, reduced to dust.

A strange figure, six meters tall, with limbs and head tightly bound by scripture chains and enshrouded in a miasma of blood mist, was fully exposed to everyone.

"You call this being poisoned?" Turning slightly, Qi Xiu’s eyes looked down at Zhao Yishi.

"In our Dianchuan Province, we call such a thing... An Inverted Kind Demon!"

...