Chapter Twenty: The Emergence of the Deadly Weapon

The Supreme Demonic Dao Innate Talisman?

With a single glance, Qingxu discerned the profound mystery within: the ancient demonic energy and the blood-transforming aura were both born from these talismans.

Cultivators, when wielding supernatural powers and spells, use themselves as the medium. At this moment, the two streams of demonic energy were masterless, and only by means of the talismans within could they mount an attack. Once the talismans were exhausted, it would be like removing the fuel from beneath the cauldron—the energies would vanish into nothingness in an instant.

“What great fortune, truly magnificent fortune!”

He was about to employ his primordial avatar but decided to set it aside for now; having discovered a way to break the trap, he could not afford to squander his only trump card. His magical power was already greatly depleted, less than a third or fourth of his usual strength, making resistance increasingly difficult.

Whoosh!

The Azure Abyss Sword shot out like a bolt of lightning, transforming into a streak of blue brilliance that pierced directly into the two streams of demonic energy. The three Supreme Sage Talismans instantly began to absorb and devour each illusory demonic Dao talisman.

Swish! Swish! Swish!...

A series of faint sounds of air being torn reached Qingxu’s ears, calming his anxious spirit.

As long as he could devour the demonic Dao talismans, this calamity could be overcome!

He watched as each ancient demonic energy talisman and blood-transforming aura talisman was consumed by the Azure Abyss Sword, like a starving ghost devouring its fill.

With every talisman swallowed, the Azure Abyss Sword began to emanate a primordial aura; its power surged, its keen edge enough to strike fear into any who beheld it.

Luckily, the Azure Abyss Sword was protected by three Supreme Sage Talismans. Otherwise, the moment it entered the demonic energies, it would have been reduced to dust, corroded and dissolved in an instant.

One hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred ancient demonic energy talismans!

One hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred blood-transforming aura talismans!

//

After the formation of the two demonic Dao prohibitions, the ancient demonic energy and blood-transforming aura weakened by more than half. Though some illusory talismans remained, they were now undevourable.

Qingxu waited for the demonic prohibitions to solidify, then immediately began to absorb the two streams of demonic energy.

Like a weary bird returning to its nest or a giant whale gulping water, the rich and abundant ancient demonic energy and blood-transforming aura surged into the Azure Abyss Sword. Instantly, the sword's body flashed with an eerie black, blood-red, and celestial blue radiance.

The Azure Abyss Sword, after all, was a sword of the immortals, a post-celestial spiritual treasure, naturally restraining all manner of demonic and heretical forces. Yet the ancient demonic energy and blood-transforming aura were the progenitors of the demonic Dao, remnants of Rahu, supremely domineering and unmatched. Not to mention the Azure Abyss, even treasures such as the Mo Ye Sword or the Five-Flame Seven-Avian Fan—mighty post-celestial treasures—would be gravely damaged, perhaps even destroyed. But with two innate demonic prohibitions in harmony with the two streams of demonic energy, the situation was altogether different.

It was the perfect convergence!

Ancient demonic energy, blood-transforming aura, and celestial azure essence—three elements united, righteousness and evil, yin and yang coexisting, containing the momentum of the Taiji, as if in accord with the laws of heaven.

An unparalleled demonic weapon was about to be born, prompting a cascade of strange phenomena!

Unlike the birth of immortal treasures, which were accompanied by auspicious colors, rosy clouds, purple mist, and celestial music, the birth of a demonic weapon was utterly terrifying.

Corpses littered the land, rivers of blood flowed, like a field of slaughter in the Ashura realm, countless wronged souls and vengeful specters howling in torment, the grim spectacle of the eighteen levels of hell... Demonic energy, baleful aura, blood mist, rancor, the breath of the dead—all manner of evil mists surged forth.

The supreme demonic weapon, an innate treasure of slaughter, was born, its terrifying phenomena unmatched through the ages. Witnessing it, Qingxu felt his soul on the verge of collapse.

[Autonomous Protection Engaged. Host’s Mind: 1%...]

Just as Qingxu’s mind reached 1%, the Investiture System activated to protect him, raising his spirit back up to 50%, and there it stabilized, no longer declining.

“What a close call! If not for the Investiture System, my mind would have collapsed and my soul dissipated.” As he recovered, Qingxu was filled with emotion. He hadn’t expected his golden finger from transmigrating to be so reliable at such a critical moment!

“So this is the companion cheat of crossing worlds—there must be many more mysteries waiting for me to unlock!”

The ancient demonic energy and blood-transforming aura flooding the blood-black main hall seemed inexhaustible; no matter how much the Azure Abyss Sword devoured, it never ceased.

A low-grade innate spiritual treasure (two layers of innate prohibition, two layers of post-celestial prohibition)

Though the prohibitions did not increase, as more ancient demonic energy and blood-transforming aura were absorbed, its power soared by leaps and bounds.

One day, ten days, even a month!

He had no idea how much time had passed before the ancient demonic energy and blood-transforming aura in the blood-black main hall were finally depleted, and the demonic weapon had completed its transformation.

All strange phenomena vanished; its aura became restrained.

The demonic weapon was born!

With his spiritual imprint, Qingxu collected the weapon with a wave of his hand.

Upon careful inspection, he found that this sword was a supreme demonic treasure of slaughter, straddling the line between primeval and ancient times. Although it fell short of the likes of the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords, the God-Slaying Spear, Yuantu, Abi, and other innate treasures born of the primordial chaos, it was far above ordinary post-celestial treasures. It could be called a pseudo-innate spiritual treasure, between innate and post-celestial, barely worthy of the name innate spiritual treasure.

“Compared to this, the Blood-Transforming Divine Blade is mere scrap.”

Indeed, the Blood-Transforming Divine Blade contained but a single wisp of blood-transforming aura, whereas the demonic weapon in Qingxu’s hand now brimmed with such power a thousand, ten thousand times over!

“With this sword in hand, is there anywhere in the world I cannot go?” A soaring pride welled up in his heart, and Qingxu felt as though, with sword in hand, he ruled the world.

After the excitement faded, he carefully examined the interior of the demonic weapon and found three streams of energy, clearly separated, forming the beginnings of the Taiji’s yin-yang pattern. But at present, he could only wield one-tenth or one-twelfth of its power. Moreover, Qingxu noticed a degree of repulsion between the innate and post-celestial prohibitions—clearly, righteousness and evil could not coexist, Dao and demon were eternally at odds.

After his investigation, Qingxu sighed inwardly. For now, the demonic weapon was likely unusable; if the righteous and evil prohibitions within clashed, it would be self-destruction—hurting himself before harming the enemy! Especially since these clashes might occur at any unpredictable time.

“Henceforth, you shall be named the Xuanmo Sword!” He could no longer call it the Azure Abyss Sword, so after a moment’s thought, Qingxu gave it a new name.

Xuanmo—Mystic Demon—represented the union of the Dao and the demonic. This sword embodied both righteousness and evil, thus the name was fitting.

Having named it, Qingxu stored it in his Niwan Palace, where he would nurture and harmonize it day and night with his spirit, hoping to wield its full power in the future.

Cultivators draw the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into their bodies, refining it into immortal power stored in the central dantian or divine palace. The upper dantian, the Niwan Palace, is where the three souls and seven spirits refine the primordial spirit, enabling one to comprehend the mysteries of creation, discern yin and yang, perceive all things, and wield one’s own immortal power (magical power).

Besides the upper and central dantian, there is also a lower dantian within the body.

The lower dantian is used by the mundane to store internal energy and vital qi, generally abandoned by cultivators, who find the upper and central dantian sufficient.

Yet, unlike ordinary cultivators, Qingxu had created his own path of sword cultivation, refining sword qi and storing it in the lower dantian. Since it would otherwise go unused, it was a good way to utilize what would be wasted.

In the void, countless illusory talismans drifted, duplicates of those within the Xuanmo Sword.

With a thought, Qingxu waved his sleeve and collected them, intending to study them later. Directly comprehending the talismans was far easier than unraveling the prohibitions within the Xuanmo Sword.

Suddenly, a streak of azure light flashed from the blood-black main hall in the distance. Though it was only a flicker, Qingxu saw it clearly.

“Could there be some hidden mystery within?” he wondered silently.