CHAPTER 54: CHAPTER 54: A TRIVIAL INJURY, NOT WORTH MENTIONING!_1

While other Heavenly Demons were stronger in combat than the Formless Demon, capable of shattering all techniques with overwhelming force and being nearly immortal, their bodies were wreathed in a dense Demonic Qi that was impossible to completely conceal.

The Formless Demon, however, could instantly transform into a perfect likeness of anyone it had seen, even mimicking their mannerisms and mana signature. Even the target’s closest companions might not notice anything amiss.

It is said that over a hundred thousand years ago, a Formless Demon appeared in the Cultivation World. She whimsically roamed amongst the various great powers, playfully mocking their prodigies, fairies, and Elders for amusement. The united forces had attempted to lay inescapable nets to trap and kill her on more than one occasion, but she resolved these situations with nonchalant ease. She even disguised herself as an exceptionally handsome man and seduced countless beautiful fairies.

This caused numerous prodigies to lose their beloveds to her, and they hated her with a burning passion!

Later on, the Formless Demon vanished without a trace. Some said she was suppressed and killed by the combined forces of various Holy Lands, who had exhausted their foundational powers to do so. Others said she ascended to the Demon Realm after passing twelve Ninety-nine Heavenly Tribulations. There were also rumors that after toying with the various Immortal Sects, she went to sleep in the endless northern snowfields and would one day reawaken to trifle with the Cultivation World once more.

In any case, no one had concrete evidence that the Formless Demon was ultimately exposed and captured by the Righteous Path, nor was there any recorded method for identifying one.

...

As streaks of golden light melded into Wang Xiu’s body, his understanding of this supreme technique, which originally belonged only to the Formless Demon Race, improved at an unbelievable rate.

Beginner!

Intermediate!

Advanced!

Perfected!

Such a rate of improvement would be considered absolutely explosive even in the Demon Realm. After all, over the past ten thousand years, it wasn’t for lack of trying that Demon Cultivators had sought out the cultivation techniques of the Heavenly Demon clans and attempted to practice them.

But Heavenly Demons are born with demonic bodies. Although their appearance is similar to the Human Race, the differences in their meridians and acupoints are vast. Their cultivation techniques are extremely difficult for humans to adapt to. Even the most brilliant prodigy of the Demonic Path, after spending millennia, could only cultivate a Heavenly Demon’s innate technique to the Advanced level.

And even then, they would need to borrow the source power of a Heavenly Demon, transforming themselves into a ’half-demon, half-human.’ Otherwise, even reaching the Intermediate level would be difficult.

Now, Wang Xiu, despite still possessing the body of a human, had managed to perfectly adapt to the hereditary technique of the Formless Demon Race with the aid of the System. If word of this were to spread, it would surely cause a massive uproar in the Demon Realm!

Time slowly passed.

As Wang Xiu’s understanding of the Demonic Myriad Transformation Scripture deepened, the aura emanating from his body also continually changed.

He sat cross-legged.

At times, he was as solemn as a Buddha descending upon the world. His body radiated a golden light as if cast from solid gold, and all his mana transformed into a pure golden Buddhist glow accompanied by chanting.

At other times, he seemed ethereal and detached, like a Taoist Lord visiting the mortal realm. Purple qi swirled around him, coalescing into visions of immortal cranes, Kylin, heavenly palaces, and mountain ranges.

And at other times, he became sinister and terrifying. Black qi emanated from his body, forming endless Shadow Fiends that bared their fangs and brandished their claws. Behind him, hundreds of layers of demonic prisons manifested, suppressing an endless number of Evil Demons. The auras of these Evil Demons were wild and rebellious, constantly swirling around Wang Xiu. They would sporadically merge with him, making his aura become incredibly sinister and evil.

Fortunately, before integrating with the Demonic Myriad Transformation Scripture, Wang Xiu had already enveloped the entire abandoned Taoist temple with the Green Lotus Sky-covering Array. Otherwise, given the potent Demonic Qi he was now releasing, the entirety of Maple City would have been thrown into a panic.

However, even with the Formation’s enhancement, it was still impossible to completely conceal this imposing aura. As Wang Xiu’s understanding of the Ten Thousand Demonic Transformations Art continued to deepen, the Demonic Qi also intensified. The Green Lotus Sky-covering Array, after all, was still based on ordinary array flags. When faced with such a powerful spiritual impact, it would ultimately be unsustainable. The collapse of the Formation was only a matter of time.

...

「Meanwhile.」

Outside the Zhao Residence ruins in Maple City.

As the sun set, the sky grew darker and darker. The Yin Sha Qi saturating the Ghost Domain that shrouded the Zhao Residence grew increasingly dense. Even though the Three Talents Sword Formation continuously dissolved the sinister energy within the Ghost Domain, it was like using a cup of water to put out a cartload of burning firewood. They couldn’t completely eliminate the aura and could only watch as it grew stronger.

The Evil Day of the Third Mother!

The Malicious Ghost’s Seventh Night!

The convergence of these two dates was a sign of extreme malevolence. At midnight, Nie Linglan would surely manifest within the Zhao Residence, devouring the massive amount of Yin Sha Qi in the world to reach her strongest state. At that time, with the geographical advantage within her Ghost Domain, even the three Li brothers, who were all above the seventh level of the Core Formation Stage, could not afford to be careless and had to proceed with extreme caution.

"Second Brother, what time is it?" Li Longyou’s gaze was grave as he stared intently at the Zhao Residence. His twin swords were already drawn as he stood ready for battle, prepared to face the enemy at a moment’s notice.

"Don’t rush, Third Brother. It’s only the third quarter of the Hai hour. There’s still time!" Li Longji yawned.

Li Longhao: ...

Li Longyou: ...

Time, my ass! Midnight is when Malicious Ghosts run rampant. There’s less than a quarter of an hour left, and you’re still dozing off! I know you have a special constitution, but you’re just too lazy. How can you slack off while we’re here to slay a Malicious Ghost?

"Big Brother!" Li Longyou said. "My right eyelid keeps twitching. Something feels off. How about we call for a couple more helpers?"

Li Longhao rolled his eyes.

He silently vowed that the next time he took a mission, he would never team up with his two peculiar brothers again. One was a sleepyhead, the other a coward. They would drive his hot-tempered self to an early grave from sheer frustration.

...

RUMBLE—

A quarter of an hour passed in the blink of an eye. As midnight struck, the Evil Day of the Third Mother and the Malicious Ghost’s Seventh Night arrived. The entire Zhao Residence was instantly enveloped by an incredibly dense Yin Sha Qi that sent a bone-deep chill through everyone.

"That abomination’s aura has appeared!" Li Longhao’s eyes blazed. He drew the heavy sword from his back and shot toward the Zhao Residence, his surging sword intent forcefully shattering the dense Yin Qi. In a radius of several zhang around him, not a trace of Yin Qi remained.

"Big Brother, slow down! Let’s wait for everyone to group up before we engage. Charging in so fast is just asking for a glorious death!" Li Longyou shouted.

Light flashed from his Storage Ring, and four silver array flags shot out, striking the four corners of the Zhao Residence and enveloping it completely. Instantly, the Yin Sha Qi within the residence seemed somewhat suppressed, and its surging momentum was slightly curbed.

"Second Brother, wake the hell up!" Seeing Li Longji starting to doze off again, Li Longyou rolled his eyes, hoisted his brother onto his shoulder, and chased after Li Longhao.

...

As the estate of one of Maple City’s four great families, the Zhao Residence was vast. Compounded by the swirling ghostly fog, Li Longhao vanished the moment he rushed in. Fortunately, by following the trail of sword Qi left in his wake, Li Longyou was just barely able to keep up with their foolish big brother.

"Fiend, taste my sword!"

After passing through several gloomy alleys, Li Longyou, still carrying his second brother, arrived at the back garden of the Zhao Residence. From amidst the dense fog, he heard Li Longhao’s furious roar, followed by the slash of sword Qi in all directions