Slaying Demons: Starting with Upgrading my Calligraphy-Chapter 407 - 367: Choices? I want them all.

"A seal on the Evernight Ancient Kingdom?" Qi Xiu couldn’t help but ask curiously, faintly sensing an immense, deeply hidden secret unfolding before him.

"Have you heard of the Sheng Tang Empire?" A smile crept onto Jiang Peng’s face, his eyes revealing a hint of strangeness.

"The largest empire established by the Human Race in legends, and the only one that expanded its territory Outside the Domain, known by All Clans as the sacred and heavenly dynasty," Qi Xiu spoke slowly. He had read extensively and was quite knowledgeable about various historical secrets.

There were very few records about the Sheng Tang Empire in historical texts. But every casual reference highlighted the empire’s strength and invincibility.

If the Sheng Tang Empire was truly so vast, then why were there no detailed records? It was as if everything about this empire had been deliberately erased, leaving behind only fragmented words, faintly narrating the existence of this empire revered as a heavenly dynasty.

Such contradictory phenomena also made Qi Xiu quite curious about this once invincible dynasty. But despite searching through all of Shenxiao Sect’s library, he found no additional information about the dynasty and eventually gave up helplessly.

"Heh heh, it’s rumored in the marketplaces that the Evernight Ancient Kingdom hides the treasures of the Sheng Tang Empire. Nonsense. If the treasures of the Sheng Tang Empire were really hidden here, those Primordial Spirit Bosses would have taken notice. The curse within this ancient city is indeed fierce, but to a Primordial Spirit Boss, it’s merely somewhat threatening."

Jiang Peng smiled softly as he patiently revealed the secret of the Evernight Ancient Kingdom. "Lingyan Pavilion’s twenty-four Divine Generals—each one a top Primordial Spirit Boss, a magnificent existence that has lived for over ten thousand years. The Thought within the Evernight Ancient Kingdom belongs to one of them. A Primordial Spirit Boss’s soul undergoes endless purification and tempering, where even a single thought can condense into substance. The Thought within the Evernight Ancient Kingdom was a contaminated curse that arose when that Divine General practiced a Cultivation Technique from Outside the Domain.

Since the curse was born of the Divine General, it is difficult to erase. To completely eliminate it, the Divine General sealed it within a Thought, achieving its suppression within the Evernight Ancient Kingdom. The intention was to gradually cleanse the contaminated curse within the Thought by leveraging the bustling energy of the city’s people.

But man’s plans cannot match those of Heaven. It seems even the Divine General underestimated the contaminated curse within the Thought. Not only did the bustling energy of the city fail to cleanse it, but it also allowed the curse to grow stronger and spread throughout the city, turning an immeasurably prosperous city into a bizarre city of doom that devours Spirit Beings."

"Such secrets lie within this city." Hearing the secret Jiang Peng shared, Qi Xiu also showed a look of surprise.

The undying monsters transformed by the curse in the Evernight Ancient Kingdom were indeed troublesome—immortal and indestructible, each beset with its own curse. Once such a curse spilled out, it could quickly spread, possibly to an uncontrollable and difficult-to-contain extent.

"So what does this have to do with the Demonic Devouring Inheritance of the Food Demon Sect?"

"Naturally, it’s related. After the cursed Thought erupted, the Evernight Ancient Kingdom instantly became a place of ghosts and monsters, with undying creatures rampant. But by that time, the Sheng Tang Empire had already disappeared. Facing the Thought left by the Divine General, even Primordial Spirit Bosses were wary. Helplessly, the Primordial Spirit Bosses guarding this place at the time had to join forces to cast spells and seal away the ancient kingdom to prevent the curse from spreading. But as the power of the curse continued to accumulate and deepen, it would inevitably erupt even more terribly one day. And it was during this time that an unforeseen variable appeared."

"A variable?"

"The Skill System and Methodology cultivated by the Food Demon Sect involves seizing the power of all things in Heaven and Earth to achieve eternal supremacy. Such a Dharma Gate is too greedy and goes against the harmony of nature. The fall of the Food Demon Sect could be attributed to the ruthlessness of the Sky Demon Sect, but it could also be seen as the will of the Heavenly Dao. Those Food Demon Sect cultivators who narrowly escaped its destruction continued to die off in the following years, ultimately because they were targeted by the Heavenly Dao.

Until a man named Li Xian appeared. This man was exceptionally talented. After fortuitously receiving the Demonic Devouring Inheritance, he advanced by leaps and bounds. In less than a century, he became a Dao Expert. But afterward, his identity was exposed, prompting the Human Race and Demonic Evil Cultivators to jointly hunt him down.

Fleeing, this man eventually reached the Evernight Ancient Kingdom. Fighting against numerous powerful enemies within the Evernight Ancient Kingdom and nearing death, he sensed that the Dharma Gate placed by the ancient Primordial Spirit Bosses on the Evernight Ancient Kingdom was about to fail. So, under the watchful eyes of all, he took his own life. In secret, however, he transformed the Demonic Devouring Inheritance’s Dharma Gate within his body into a seal. Using the Food Demon Sect’s Skill System and Methodology, it devoured the overly accumulated curse, calming the Evernight Ancient Kingdom that was on the verge of erupting. His reason for doing this was to spare countless Spirit Beings from the curse, thereby earning a final flicker of hope for the Food Demon Sect with the merit of saving the world."

Softly conveying all he knew, Jiang Peng quietly watched Qi Xiu. He said no more, as if merely giving a farewell to a fellow townsman in his final moments of life.

"How does Fellow Daoist Jiang know all this?" As Qi Xiu slowly processed the astonishing information, he was also curious about how Jiang Peng could know these things.

"Seven hundred and fifty years of dedicating every thought, racking my brains day and night, using every means, exhausting all wisdom. You could say it’s the accumulation of my entire life." A touch of desolation appeared in Jiang Peng’s eyes. Anyone would feel disheartened to have their life’s efforts fall short at the last moment.

"Qi, if you decide to take the Demonic Devouring Inheritance, the seal on the Evernight Ancient Kingdom will also break, and you will bear all the ensuing Karmic Cause and Effect. This is an Opportunity, yet also a tribulation. Whether or not to take this inheritance is now your choice."

Looking at Qi Xiu, Jiang Peng’s eyes held a trace of anticipation; he too wanted to know how Qi Xiu would choose. After all, both he and Wei Ling could be considered Demonic Cultivators of the Demonic Path. A great calamity endangering countless lives had never been their concern. But Qi Xiu was different. He was not only a cultivator of the Righteous Path but also possessed overwhelming Human Path Merit. If he chose to take the Demonic Devouring Inheritance, it would mean relinquishing this vast Human Path Merit. The choice was obviously a significant dilemma.

However, facing what Jiang Peng saw as an extremely difficult decision, Qi Xiu showed little struggle. Perhaps his heart had long been prepared.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, you’ve disclosed such a significant secret to me. As fellow townsmen, I should also gift you something in return. How about that?" With a mysterious smile, Qi Xiu began to speak, puzzling Jiang Peng. What use did a dying man have for a gift?

"What gift? I’m about to die anyway. Better keep it for yourself," Jiang Peng said with a shrug and a wave of his hand.

"Really? Not interested? What if I said I want to give you this Demonic Devouring Inheritance?"

"What?!" Suspecting he was on the verge of death and experiencing auditory hallucinations, Jiang Peng stared at Qi Xiu blankly, his expression clearly saying, You must be crazy.

"This world is under a restriction; the inheritance will only activate when but one person remains. Do you plan to commit suicide?"

"Die? Of course, it’s you who will die. But I can allow you to live again in a different way."

A pool of light formed in his palm as a hauntingly cold, pale blue flame rose from Qi Xiu’s right hand.

"This is..."

"White Bone Demonic Dao!"

Qi Xiu informed Jiang Peng of this divinely marvelous Dharma Gate, one that toyed with life and death, and quietly awaited his response.

The White Bone Demonic Dao could turn death into life. As long as Jiang Peng was transformed into a White Bone Devil God, he would no longer be bound by lifespan, and Qi Xiu would have absolute control over the White Bone Devil God. Transforming Jiang Peng into a White Bone Devil God and then having him receive the Food Demon Sect’s inheritance would mean he would bear this Karmic Cause and Effect. Qi Xiu, on the other hand, could obtain this Food Demon Sect’s Dharma Gate without getting his robes wet.

This idea had been in Qi Xiu’s mind ever since he learned the conditions for the inheritance. However, compared to Jiang Peng, Wei Ling’s temperament was extreme and frenzied; he would never have abandoned his own self to willingly become Qi Xiu’s subordinate White Bone Devil God. That was why he killed Wei Ling and spared Jiang Peng. After their conversation, Jiang Peng’s character and temperament seemed acceptable. Crucially, he possessed an extremely deep desire for the Food Demon Sect’s inheritance. Under this longing, he would very likely choose to abandon himself and accept the conditions Qi Xiu offered.

"White Bone Devil God... your slave?" His eyes turned colder as Jiang Peng scoffed, "Do you truly think that I, Jiang Peng, would stoop so low just to cling to life?"

"You’ll retain your consciousness and gain the inheritance you’ve longed for your entire life. All you need to give up is merely your freedom. This deal isn’t too bad for you, is it?"

Qi Xiu’s voice was calm; he seemed unconcerned that Jiang Peng might refuse. Perhaps his eyes, capable of peering into the near future, had already seen this blond-haired man submit.

Slightly moved, Qi Xiu’s words echoed in Jiang Peng’s mind. The inner conflict made his eyes dart around. Freedom... A lifelong aspiration... Freedom... A lifelong aspiration...

Torn between these two choices, Jiang Peng suddenly looked up and exhaled sharply. "What freedom does a dying old man need? A contract of servitude? I’ll sign it!" 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"Heh heh, clever." With a knowing smile, displaying the cunning of an old fox again, Qi Xiu walked slowly towards Jiang Peng. The pale blue flame in his hand surged, rushing towards the withered old man before him.

「A moment later.」

A towering White Bone Devil God, its entire skeleton adorned with star-like patterns, knelt before Qi Xiu with its head bowed.

"Greetings, My Lord."

"Hmm. Your old self is dead, so don’t use your former name." Surveying Jiang Peng, now a White Bone Devil God, Qi Xiu’s gaze swept over the star-like patterns on his bones before he spoke slowly, "You have a foundation in a Starry Dharma Gate, and you will also learn the Demonic Devouring Inheritance. I shall name you after a star: Greedy Wolf."

A dim flame flickered within its hollow eye sockets. Greedy Wolf lowered its head and responded in a deep voice, "Greedy Wolf thanks My Lord for bestowing this name!"

And at the moment Jiang Peng became the White Bone Devil God, Greedy Wolf, this space sensed that only Qi Xiu remained among the living. Suddenly, the world began to shake violently.

The Demonic Devouring Inheritance was about to manifest!