Slaying Demons: Starting with Upgrading my Calligraphy-Chapter 403 - 364: Golden Crow!

"Hold on, don’t get killed too quickly!"

With a devilish grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, Wei Ling shouted wildly, his hand flashing as he unleashed eight strikes with his black sword. Eight beams of sword light roared out like a bursting dam. The surrounding void cracked, and an aura, seemingly from the Nine Nether Land, permeated the area, poised to decay, wither, and turn everything to ashes.

From afar, the sky-covering black sword light seemed like a ten-thousand-zhang tidal wave, thunderously surging, intent on obliterating the upright figure standing with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Talking to yourself."

Staring serenely at the incoming terror of Nine Nether sword light that threatened to shatter the heavens and the earth, Qi Xiu’s Taoist robe fluttered as a purple and a blue sword light shrieked out from his sleeves.

Nine Heavens Thunder King Greatsword!

Purple Cloud Boundless Sword!

Wielding two tremendous Magic Swords of daunting might, Qi Xiu’s black hair whipped wildly in the wind, his Taoist robe billowed. He raised his hand and tossed them; the two Magic Swords suddenly shot up from the ground, transforming into two rainbow arcs over a thousand zhang long that raced across the Nine Heavens, boldly confronting the crushing black tide.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM—

A purple and a blue rainbow arc rampaged through the black tide. The combined power of the "Heavenly Sovereignty Sword Skill," Thunder Magic, and the Boundless Fire Emperor’s might shook the heavens and the earth. Each vibration of the rainbows unleashed dominating swaths of sword light that evaporated huge waves.

"Hahaha, how interesting, how interesting!"

Laughing madly, the remaining few faces on Wei Ling’s body suddenly all opened their eyes at once. In an instant, the sky darkened and the earth dimmed; the White Bone Plains seemed to have plunged into the endless abyss of the Nine Nether Land, exhibiting terrifying visions of the sky weeping blood and myriad Spirit Beings wailing. In a flash, nine figures emerged behind Wei Ling as if they were the supreme rulers of the Nine Nether Land. Standing in the void, their presence made the firmament shudder, their cold and sinister gazes overlooking all creation.

Having unleashed the full might of the Nine Nether Gathering Shriek Divine Sword, Wei Ling’s combat strength soared. Without moving, his black sword spontaneously brewed layers of black Netherworld tidal waves that threatened to capsize and bury the entire plain.

So this is the complete Nine Nether Gathering Shriek Divine Sword!

A flash of sharpness appeared in his eyes. Qi Xiu showed a hint of fighting intent as he looked at Wei Ling, who was protected by nine Netherworld supremes, his aura seemingly crossing the bloodstained threshold.

The reason he, who usually preferred stillness over movement, harbored such a belligerent thought was simple. From a certain perspective, this "Nine Nether Gathering Shriek Divine Sword" shared some similarities with his "The Secret of the Primordial Dragon-Tiger Scripture."

The secret of the Nine Nether Gathering Shriek Divine Sword lay in the connection forged with the fabled Nine Nether Land through endless slaughter, frenzied killing, and the extreme of all carnage. Every act of slaughter brought a reward from the Nine Nether Land. This practice disturbed the balance of the world, depleting Yang to nourish Yin, prompting the Heavenly Dao to deliver thunderous punishments to grind it to dust. Therefore, the practitioner of this sword technique became an accomplice to the Nine Nether, thus despised by the heavens and the earth, suffering a great loss to their fortunes.

Qi Xiu’s Hunyuan Dragon Tiger Scripture Mystery, on the other hand, was about nourishing heaven and earth with the Dao. But the heaven and earth he nourished were his own microcosm: the three hundred and sixty-five Hunyuan Apertures within his body. And unlike the Nine Nether Gathering Shriek Divine Sword, which slaughters all living beings and plunders vitality and spirit energy, the Hunyuan Dragon Tiger Scripture Mystery required the boundless Great Dao of the world, which were the Dharma Gates Qi Xiu placed in the Hunyuan Apertures.

Compared to each other, one was unrestrained robbery, while the other was about learning, comprehending, and reconstruction. Therefore, the Nine Nether Gathering Shriek Divine Sword cultivated at an extremely fast pace with terrifying power because the Nine Nether Land was already an ancient and complete world. With the backing of the Nine Nether Land, those who practiced the Nine Nether Gathering Shriek Divine Sword were nearly invincible in combat—unless you could overcome an entire world.

In contrast, Qi Xiu’s Hunyuan Dragon Tiger Scripture Mystery was extremely slow in its initial cultivation stages. Had it not been for a stroke of fortune when he obtained the Spirit Pill Bag and Wonderful Medicine Pot, consumed the Dragon Origin in the Dragon Palace, and subsequently experienced various adventures, supported by Human Dao Merit and destiny, he would not have achieved the Hunyuan Myriad Laws Immortal Body. In comparison, the difficulty in cultivating these two True Scriptures with similar principles was worlds apart. But the endpoints they led to were also different.

"Nine Nether Gathering Shriek, Lifeless Great Tide!"

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

All nine figures behind Wei Ling moved at once. The nine faces on his body emitted terrifying divine light, filling the void with waves of ghastly Netherworld energy. In an instant, the heavens wept and the earth trembled as Nine Nether descended upon the world of the living. Amidst the howls and cries, living beings were slaughtered. A sea of corpses spread in all directions as the limitless power of the Netherworld pervaded every corner!

"Rise!"

This land transformed into a lifeless domain. The nine figures strode toward Qi Xiu, striking in unison. Their Netherworld energy pierced the void, echoing with the roars of countless deceased souls, carrying a thick, ominous force aimed at Qi Xiu.

SSS—

Feeling as if his whole body was about to decay, wither, and disintegrate, a terrifyingly intense spark appeared beneath Qi Xiu’s feet.

Purple Cloud Lotus Nirvana!

Purplish-golden flames rose around him, enveloping Qi Xiu directly in a huge budding lotus. Ring after ring of densely potent Purple Cloud True Fire vibrated at an unimaginably terrifying frequency, erupting and blasting outwards with frantic force. The endless fiery onslaught, wave after wave, seemed relentless. The whole world seemed on the verge of explosion, with surging seas of fire, a sky filled with purple hues, and the void a shimmering blur, as if everything was to be incinerated here.

Blocked by the force of the Purple Cloud True Fire, the nine blurred figures halted in their tracks.

The amassed Purple Cloud Lotus explosively bloomed at its peak! The brilliant true fire illuminated heaven and earth, instantly dispelling the bone-chilling cold brought by the Nine Nether’s power. With the purifying rebirth of the Purple Cloud Lotus, it nullified Wei Ling’s first wave of assault.

Qi Xiu brought his hands together in prayer, softly chanting. This mysterious sword technique, derived from the "Heavenly Sovereignty Sword Skill," was yet melded with the Mixed Yuan Path from "The Secret of the Primordial Dragon-Tiger Scripture."

Under the guidance of this mysterious sword technique, the two sword rainbows, over a thousand zhang long, like meteors chasing the moon, collided with endless might and resolution. The moment of collision saw the light of the purple and blue sword rainbows skyrocket, becoming so bright as to seemingly concentrate all of the masculine energy of the universe within them. Intertwining and colliding, they formed a crimson, tyrannical Sword Light stretching across the sky and earth. It was like the scorching sun on the horizon—fierce and powerful, with a width reaching ten thousand zhang!

This crimson, tyrannical Sword Light trembled slightly, and the bones scattered across the White Bone Plains were swept up by the agitating winds, rolling like waves. The entire plain shook and trembled under the impact of this force, as if it might shatter and disintegrate!

Thunder Magic is the Extreme Yang Force!

Fire magic is also the power of pure yang! 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Extreme Yang + Pure Yang!

Using the secret of the Mixed Yuan Path that governs the Ten Thousand Laws, Qi Xiu merged the Nine Heavens Thunder King Greatsword and the Purple Cloud Boundless Sword into one.

Qi Xiu named it: Union in Jade!

Extreme Yang plus pure Yang amounts to Taiyang! Calling it the Taiyang Sword Rainbow doesn’t sound quite right; it’s too blunt. Legend has it that the sun is the transformation of an ancient divine bird. Then let’s call it... Golden Crow!

With a shout, Qi Xiu beckoned with his hand, and instantly, the ten-thousand-zhang crimson rainbow burst forth with infinite golden light, its dazzling and brilliant radiance piercing, shining throughout the ages. Under the brilliance rivaling the sun, the nine indistinct silhouettes showed a trace of solemnity on their bizarre faces. They began to step back slowly.

"Your Nine Nether Gathering Shriek Divine Sword is extreme in yin, supremely evil, and utterly malevolent. Today, I shall use this Golden Crow to cleanse you of all its wickedness."

As his words fell, Qi Xiu’s hand brought the ten-thousand-zhang crimson rainbow fully to life, as if he held a great sun in his grasp.

"You tarnish this world with Nine Nether’s murk; I possess the Golden Crow that illuminates the Yang realm!"

With a light cry, ten thousand zhang of brilliance erupted. The crimson rainbow transformed into an ancient Divine Bird soaring with wings spread, the magnificent radiance of the great sun falling upon them. The nine figures grew increasingly dim. Even the nine faces on Wei Ling’s body were forced to shut their eyes in pain, seemingly unable to withstand the sun’s brightness.

"Pfft..."

Unexpectedly, Wei Ling, who had always relied on the enhancements from the Nine Nether Land to overpower others, found himself treated with a taste of his own medicine. He spat out a mouthful of blood, aging a hundred years in an instant. The Nine Nether Gathering Shriek Divine Sword was incredibly potent and advanced rapidly. As long as there was ongoing slaughter, it had virtually no thresholds or constraints. However, correspondingly, once this sword technique was broken, the backlash from the Nine Nether Land was equally excruciating.

Feeling as if half of his body had become numb, a chill ran through Wei Ling’s heart. This was the punishment from the Nine Nether Land, directly robbing him of half his body. To recover, he must offer sacrifices through slaughter. But even if he recovered now, he would still be no match for Qi Xiu...

There is still one inheritor who has not revealed himself. I really didn’t want to use this trump card... A hint of regret appeared on the severely wounded Wei Ling’s face as he tore off the black blindfold over his eyes.

In his eyes, there were a pair of extraordinarily turbid pupils: aged, gloomy, with a touch of bleakness.

Almost at the moment Qi Xiu saw these eyes, his expression changed, and a thought came to his mind. These eyes... they aren’t his, are they?

"Qi, didn’t I tell you earlier that I was the third person to master the Nine Nether Gathering Shriek Divine Sword? Do you know who was the second?"

With that sinister and bewitching smile reappearing, Wei Ling violently plunged his hands into his own eye sockets. Amid a cringe-inducing sound of tearing, he brutally gouged out those two murky, dull eyeballs. With a flick of his wrist, two blood-streaked eyeballs flew out, and Wei Ling then threw a porcelain bottle with his other hand. As the bottle flew, the eyeballs slightly rotated in mid-air, changed direction on their own, and ruthlessly smashed it!

CRACK—

The porcelain bottle shattered, releasing countless sparkling points from within that quickly started to vanish. This was a conglomeration of countless souls!

Sacrificial slaughter!

Nine Nether returns!

Flesh and blood spread like vines over the surface of the two eyeballs, rapidly forming a twisted visage. Pulsing red veins underneath the skin provoked a visceral shudder. In the blink of an eye, the growing flesh enveloped a vague outline; bones took shape, muscles tightened, eventually forming a hunched figure.

His hair, yellowed like autumn grass, was sparse and unkempt, falling over his shoulders and betraying the passage of years. His body was frail, his spine curved, and every step appeared feeble. With the final condensation of flesh and blood, the old man was fully revealed. Each breath he took seemed to carry frost. Every movement conveyed a coldness emanating from the depths of his soul.

The old man slowly lifted his gaze towards Qi Xiu, his voice rasping like rough sand dragging across the floor:

"The lowly Wei Changhen, of the Nine Nether Gathering Shriek Divine Sword, the second Sword Master."