CHAPTER 91: CHAPTER 91: HEAVENLY GANG QI

"Found anything?"

Seeing Tianyu return with a gloomy expression, Tianshi felt his heart sink. It seemed he hadn’t found anything.

"That Daoist is extremely cunning. I’ve patrolled a radius of one hundred to one hundred and fifty miles around Red Flower Town, but found no trace of him. He must have sensed we were after him and slipped away in advance. Big Brother, if we don’t get rid of this person, I’m afraid we won’t be able to gather five hundred Little Demons in a short time."

Slamming his fist on the table in frustration, Tianyu wore a sinister look, his blood-red eyes slowly moving as he pondered darkly. Could this person have a dog’s nose, able to sense danger and flee at the first sign of trouble?

"We have to deal with this matter as soon as possible. The longer we delay, the more disadvantageous it becomes for us. In my opinion, why don’t we do this: if this Daoist has come to catch Demons, why not lay a trap and wait for him to walk right into it? Let him fall into our net on his own."

Tianshi’s words brought a change to Tianyu’s expression, and he couldn’t help but ask, "Big Brother, you mean... set a trap and ambush him?"

"That’s right, we could do it like this..."

...

The valley was quiet and winding, a concealed and narrow gap between mountains. It was an inconspicuous mountain peak. As the year-end approached, large snowflakes drifted down. All signs of life had vanished, and the place was desolate and uninhabited.

WHOOSH—

A streak of light, as thin as a silken thread and glowing faintly, barely visible, tore across the sky. It pierced the clouds and broke through the void, shooting straight into the valley.

CLANG—

In the dim ravine, sparks flew.

A pair of bright, clear eyes suddenly snapped open. The vitality within his body surged like a tidal wave, engulfing the piercing light that had entered him, disintegrating it and absorbing it into his system.

"Heh... they really are going to all lengths to kill me, aren’t they."

Qi Xiu exhaled a breath of white air, looking up at the sliver of the Sky Dome above him.

That extreme light, thin as a silken thread, was the greatest tribulation before the Initiate Realm: Heavenly Gang Qi!

This Gang Qi originated from the Nine Heavens above. It was extremely fierce and intense, all-pervasive. A mere puff of it could turn not just flesh and blood, but even metal and stone, to powder in the blink of an eye.

But this Heavenly Gang Qi, an invisible killer, was both a tribulation and a gift. Originating from the Nine Heavens, it was extremely fierce and intense, yet also exceedingly pure and spiritual. As long as one could withstand the scouring of Heavenly Gang Qi, both their physical body and their Internal Qi and Magic Power would transcend the mundane, allowing them to enter the Initiate Realm and return to their true essence, undergoing a qualitative transformation.

At this stage, disciples and clan members of prominent families and great sects would first strengthen their bodies with ancient bloodlines. They would be protected by their elders, who would draw away the excess Heavenly Gang Qi, ensuring the disciples and clan members successfully passed the tribulation.

Loose Cultivators like Qi Xiu naturally didn’t have this luxury. Even if some Loose Cultivators, for various reasons, possessed a portion of ancient blood, very few could survive the Heaven Gang Qi Tribulation. Ninety-nine percent of them perished under this immense force of heaven and earth.

This was also why there were so many Demons and rebellious demon-kin. The blood of Demons was considered an "alternative" form of ancient blood. By becoming a Demon, not only could one break through the shackles of the Ancient Gathering of Celestial Strength, but a Demon’s powerful physical body also increased the chances of successfully enduring the tribulation.

The Heavenly Gang Qi that just descended wasn’t even one ten-thousandth the strength of the formal tribulation. This tribulation to enter the Initiate Realm is truly terrifying!

Qi Xiu lowered his gaze to his arm, where a tiny speck of blood had not yet scabbed over. This was the wound left when the Heavenly Gang Qi had pierced his body moments ago.

One can only imagine, once the formal Heavenly Stem Tribulation Sequence descends, I’ll likely be riddled with holes in an instant. With the Gang Qi running rampant, I’d turn into a puddle of flesh in a single breath.

However, this was also because he was a special case. With his current cultivation realm, he should have, by all rights, attracted the Heaven Gang Qi Tribulation long ago. But due to the unique nature of the Hunyuan Dragon Tiger Scripture Mystery, he had generated his own ancient blood, thereby incurring Heaven’s envy. The Heaven Gang Qi Tribulation had remained dormant, continually accumulating, seeking to obliterate him in one fell swoop. That was why this Heavenly Gang Qi was so immensely powerful. It was an exclusive tribulation reserved for the great Divine Marvels of ancient times. If everyone faced a tribulation of this magnitude, perhaps not one person in a thousand or eight hundred years would succeed in entering the Initiate Realm.

"And this is with my body constantly being reinforced by the Hunyuan Body Refinement. If it were my former self, that single wisp of Heavenly Gang Qi would have probably obliterated half my body."

The higher his cultivation realm, the more Qi Xiu could feel the arduousness and difficulty of the path ahead. It was a perilous journey where a single misstep could lead to utter annihilation.

"The Gathering Yuan Pills are all gone, and the Hunyuan Body Refinement isn’t complete. I still need to capture more Demons to refine pills. This is the final hurdle. Otherwise, when the Heaven Gang Qi Tribulation descends, all my previous painstaking efforts will have been for nothing."

With this thought, Qi Xiu stood up and headed towards Red Flower Town. Although the three Demons in Red Flower Town had already noticed his demon-capturing and pill-refining activities and were preparing to apprehend him, there were few other places that could currently provide such a stable supply of Demons. Besides, he didn’t have time to search elsewhere. Moreover, as long as he didn’t encounter three Initiate Realm Demons simultaneously, with his current cultivation, even if he couldn’t defeat them, he was confident he could retreat safely. After all, he still had many trump cards up his sleeve.

...

Snow fell overnight, blanketing the landscape in a vast expanse of white, adding a touch of poetic charm to the mountain range.

Carrying wooden spears, four Crow Demons shivered as they walked along a narrow forest path. The CRUNCH-CRUNCH of their steps on the snow was especially clear in the silent woods, where the only other sound was the soft SSSHHH of falling snowflakes.

"D-do you think we’ll run into that Shi Yao Dao Ren?" a Crow Demon with a scar at the corner of its eye stammered, swallowing nervously as it glanced around.

"I heard that when the Daoist eats Demons, he first skins them alive and then dips them in salt. That must hurt like hell," another Crow Demon said, trembling.

"That’s not right. I heard he cuts them into slices to eat them."

A large number of Demons passing through Red Flower Town had recently vanished—unseen if alive, their bodies unfound if dead. This gave rise to a rumor in Red Flower Town: that a deranged Shi Yao Dao Ren roamed outside the town, capturing Demons and taking them back to be skinned alive and devoured. The Demons, who usually took pleasure in eating humans, were now equally terrified and trembling at the thought of being eaten themselves, completely oblivious to how much more hideous and detestable their own expressions were when they feasted on human flesh.

"Can you bastards shut your traps? You’ve been yapping this whole way! Won’t you be satisfied until you actually summon that guy?" the leading Crow Demon snarled, turning its head to glare at them. It ground its teeth, wishing it could stab the three idiots dead. Drawing the short straw to be bait had already filled it with rage, and these three morons had been muttering incessantly about the Shi Yao Dao Ren ever since they left town. It was enough to make its head split.

After the rebuke, the three Crow Demons quieted down considerably, though their eyes still darted around, terrified that the fearsome Daoist might appear at any moment.

"You three, stay alert. The moment you spot that Daoist, crush the Talisman Seal in your hand. The Great Ones will arrive quickly, and then we can escape this mess..." the lead Crow Demon muttered instructions to its companions, relieved by the quiet.

But before it could finish, it suddenly found its tongue inexplicably tying itself in knots. "P-poison! It’s taking effect! Quick, crush the—"

A tidal wave of dizziness crashed over the Crow Demon, and it pitched forward, half its face burying into the snow. Through the blurry vision of its one exposed eye, it saw a figure in a long robe with a deathly pale face and dark circles under his eyes approaching slowly. He held a dark, jade-like bag in one hand—the Gathering Yuan Treasure Bag. The smile on his face was gentle and sincere.

"What luck for you all. My Gathering Yuan Treasure Bag is quite empty. In this freezing snow, hurry inside and warm yourselves."

Chanting an incantation, Qi Xiu opened the Gathering Yuan Treasure Bag. A powerful suction force surged out, swallowing the four Crow Demons.

However, just as it was about to be sucked into the bag, the lead Crow Demon used its last ounce of strength to snap a Hei Yu feather it clutched in its hand.

The next instant!

From the direction of Red Flower Town, a monstrous demonic aura erupted, soaring into the sky. Amidst a deafening, savage shriek, a terrifying giant vulture, its wingspan blotting out the sky, took flight. It transformed into a black streak of lightning and hurtled towards them.

"You there, little thief! Prepare to die!"

Just as Qi Xiu tightened the Gathering Yuan Treasure Bag, the overwhelming demonic aura and the bone-chillingly hateful shriek reached his ears.

They’re here already?

Leaping onto a giant tree, Qi Xiu narrowed his eyes, spotting the huge black shadow riding the wind, rapidly approaching.

So those four Demons just now were bait? It seems these three Old Demons are determined to capture me. Hmm... In that case, you’ll have to forgive what I do next.

Watching calmly as the shadow, reeking of demonic energy, drew near, Qi Xiu slowly took out a metal talisman plate from his robes.

"That’s him!" Tianyu’s pupils contracted to pinpoints as he snorted in anger. If not for this Daoist, they would have already gathered five hundred Little Demons and begun practicing the Sky-covering Demon Skill.

With a powerful beat of his wings, thousands of black feathers shot out like swords, piercing the air and unleashing a terrifying wave of energy that enveloped Qi Xiu.

But at that very moment, the Daoist facing him merely smiled faintly. He held up the metal plate between his fingers, and his form abruptly became illusory and indistinct.

[Martial Talisman—Elusive and Formless Shadow]

PFFT PFFT PFFT—

The feather projectiles, capable of piercing Hundred Refinement Fine Steel, passed straight through the Daoist’s body, yet not a single drop of blood spattered.

"What?!"

Watching Qi Xiu dissipate and slip away before his very eyes, Tianyu was first stunned, then flew into a towering rage. He flapped his wings frantically, conjuring a massive hurricane that obliterated the forest for dozens of meters around and even ripped up a layer of the ground itself.

Three hundred meters away, Qi Xiu’s figure slowly reappeared. Sensing the Initiate Realm Demon’s unwilling fury, a slight smile touched his lips.

Want to catch me? You’re still too inexperienced.

The power of the Innate Cloud Talisman had always been directly proportional to his own strength. Ever since he mastered the Hunyuan Dragon Tiger Scripture Mystery, the potency of his various Martial Path insights and spiritual techniques had also improved significantly. Previously, the Gui Ying Wu Shuang Talisman could only teleport him a mere dozen meters, and the direction was random and uncontrollable. But now, a single teleportation could cover a distance of three hundred meters, and he could even control the general direction. It’s simply an essential Divine Talisman for murder, arson, and making a quick getaway!

It was precisely because he possessed this Martial Talisman that he dared to so brazenly pluck the tiger’s whiskers—capturing Demons and refining pills right under the noses of three Initiate Realm Demons.

"It seems these three Initiate Realm Demons have locked onto me. Capturing Demons like before probably won’t be possible anymore."

Rubbing his brow, Qi Xiu’s eyes flashed with a hint of gold.

"If that’s the case... I might as well play a bigger game with you all. You want to catch me, right? Then I’ll just use your own plan against you. Time to make my winning move!"