Chapter 265 179: Cultivating the Demon Technique
This person's name was Chu Huan. Like Wei Tu, she had also joined the Loose Immortal Alliance.
However, unlike Li Daoyuan and the others, Chu Huan had a daughter who had been accepted into Jingshui Pavilion.
Chu Huan had somehow found out that Wei Tu had some connections within Jingshui Pavilion. Because of this, she had spent the past year trying to curry favor with him.
Wei Tu took the Talisman and glanced at it.
"The Five Peaks Exchange?" A hint of surprise appeared on Wei Tu's face after he finished reading the Talisman.
The Talisman only mentioned one thing: in seven days, the Independent Cultivators of Chaning Cliff and the defending Independent Cultivators from nearby posts would hold an exchange for mutual benefit.
The event was jointly organized by the Independent Cultivators from five different defensive posts, hence the name "Five Peaks Exchange."
In the message, Chu Huan asked Wei Tu if he would attend the Five Peaks Exchange.
Although defending the borders of Zheng Country was an arduous task, there were Opportunities to be found amidst the danger. The Defending Cultivators who survived were mostly wealthy, far surpassing the Independent Cultivators from the inner regions.
Cultivators who attended each "Five Peaks" Exchange always reaped substantial rewards. Some even obtained powerful Magical Artifacts that saved their lives on the battlefield.
"I'm not going." Wei Tu replied, declining Chu Huan's invitation.
In terms of Magical Artifacts and life-saving measures, Wei Tu was already far ahead of over ninety percent of other Foundation Establishment Realm Independent Cultivators. He wouldn't gain much from attending this "Five Peaks Exchange."
On the other hand, if he left Chaning Cliff, he might be ambushed and killed by Demon Cultivators.
'The potential loss outweighs the gain.'
...
After refusing Chu Huan's invitation, Wei Tu returned to his Cave Mansion, walked to his Seclusion Chamber, and took out a dark black Jade Scroll from his Storage Bag.
'Now that I've condensed two Blood Pills with the Hundred Veins Blood Refining Spell, my foundation is set. It's time to start practicing this Demonic Cultivation Method.' Wei Tu's eyes flickered.
After learning that the Demon Dao was about to invade Zheng Country, he hadn't hesitated to enter the Yunze Secret Realm to temporarily evade the Immortal Sect's conscription and avoid becoming cannon fodder.
After leaving the Yunze Secret Realm, he had made two preparations for the unexpected.
First, he would befriend Master Qin. After Master Qin achieved Core Formation, Wei Tu could use his status as a high-level member of Jingshui Pavilion for protection.
Second, he would practice a Demon Technique as a contingency.
But unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.
For the former, Master Qin had successfully broken through to the Golden Core realm. However, he was greedy and harbored ill intentions toward Wei Tu, so that plan had to be temporarily abandoned.
Ultimately, he could only rely on himself.
Now, cultivating the Demon Slayer True Skill had become his only viable strategy.
'My Body Refining Cultivation has already reached Middle-Stage Tier Two. Switching to the Demon Slayer True Skill shouldn't be too difficult.'
Wei Tu sat cross-legged and began to study the true meaning of the Cultivation Technique within the Demon Slayer True Skill.
Unlike the Hundred Veins Blood Refining Spell, the Demon Slayer True Skill did not focus on cultivating Qi and Blood. Instead, it strengthened a Cultivator's Physical Body by refining Demonic Qi.
However, all Body Refining Techniques shared common principles. For Wei Tu, cultivating the Demon Slayer True Skill would certainly be much easier than for a Beginner.
Perhaps it was luck. During Wei Tu's Seclusion this time, Chaning Cliff was unusually free from Demon Cultivator incursions.
Time passed slowly.
In the blink of an eye, a year went by.
From the Cultivation Room came wails and howls of Demonic Sound, like the crying of wolves and weeping of ghosts, frightening the Sky-Splitting Carving in the Beast Room into folding its wings and trembling.
At this moment, a spectral image of a Sheep-Horned Demon had appeared on the chest of Wei Tu, who was seated on his cushion. This Sheep-Horned Demon seemed alive; as Wei Tu's abdomen pulsed, it opened its mouth and exhaled streams of black Demonic Qi.
The exhaled Demonic Qi frantically absorbed the surrounding Spiritual Qi, gradually growing stronger.
And as the Demonic Qi was expelled, sharp, shrill Demonic Sounds were also emitted with every movement of the spectral Sheep-Horned Demon's mouth.
Just then, the cross-legged Wei Tu formed a Spell with his hands. The dozens of streams of Demonic Qi swirling in the chamber swarmed back, drilling into his body through his limbs and bones.
A look of agony appeared on Wei Tu's face as the Demonic Qi enveloped him. His forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, and his tightly clenched lips began to bleed.
The pain caused Wei Tu's body to tremble violently, and with each shudder, a loud RUMBLE echoed as if a great hammer were striking the walls of the Cave Mansion.
Several hours later, the Demonic Qi coiling in the Cultivation Room finally entered Wei Tu's body, one stream after another, merging into his skin and meridians.
"Finally, it's done." Wei Tu looked down at the spectral image of the Sheep-Horned Demon on his chest and let out a long sigh of relief.
The "Sheep-Horned Demon" now visible on his chest was the "Evil Demon" from the Demon Slayer True Skill.
The first step in cultivating this Body Refining Demon Technique was to successfully condense this "Sheep-Horned Demon" using Magical Power and Guardian Map Divine Sense, branding it onto one's skin.
In the Demon Slayer True Skill, this Evil Demon was also known as the "True Seal of Magical Power."
Condensing a True Seal of Magical Power was a prerequisite for cultivating most Tier Three and higher Cultivation Techniques.
While cultivating the method, Wei Tu had also sensed the "Evil Demon" on his chest. Seeing that it was completely under his control and was merely the equivalent of a Guardian Map Divine Sense Clone, he was able to set his mind at ease.
Otherwise, he would never have branded such a "spectral image of a Demon" onto his own body.
「Demon Slayer True Skill (12/100): Practice once every ten days, mastery in two hundred and seventy years.」
After reaching the entry level in the Demon Slayer True Skill, Wei Tu sank his consciousness into his mind and saw this new line of text appear on his Golden Purple Destiny Chart.
'It takes so much longer to cultivate than the Hundred Veins Blood Refining Spell? The Demon Slayer True Skill is truly worthy of being a Tier Three Cultivation Technique,' Wei Tu thought to himself.
After he had reached the entry level for the Hundred Veins Blood Refining Spell, the text on his Golden Purple Destiny Chart had stated it would take "one hundred and fifty years" to cultivate the Body Refining Technique to the Great Success stage.
Things were different now.
His Body Refining Cultivation had now reached Middle-Stage Tier Two, and his Physique was countless times stronger than when he first started cultivating the Hundred Veins Blood Refining Spell.
'There hasn't been a battle in over a year. The Demon Cultivators must be planning something big.' Wei Tu formed a spell, causing the spectral "Sheep-Horned Demon" on his chest to fade away. Then, with a flick of his sleeve, he opened the door to his Cultivation Room.
This year of peace, Wei Tu believed, was the calm before the storm.
A few days after leaving his Cultivation Room, while Wei Tu was still recuperating his mind and body, a Talisman arrived from the "Immortal Sect Envoy," Xi Ying, instructing him to go to the "Assembly Hall" as soon as possible.
He flew out of his Cave Mansion.
Along the way, Wei Tu ran into Li Daoyuan and his wife, who were also heading out.
"Fellow Daoist Wei, later, if Xi Ying assigns a mission to us, don't refuse it. Just accept it outright."
"The missions he gives us are less dangerous than the ones he gives the Immortal Sect Cultivators."
"Xi Ying is one of our own, from the Loose Immortal Alliance."
Li Daoyuan said in a low voice.
Hearing this, Wei Tu thought to himself, 'So Li Daoyuan is finally dropping the act and being frank.'
But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, the full import of what Li Daoyuan had just said hit him, and he was secretly astounded.
Who would have thought that Xi Ying, who was publicly harsh and arrogant towards Independent Cultivators, had secretly joined the Loose Immortal Alliance long ago?
Unaware of this, the Immortal Sect Cultivators sent to their deaths by Xi Ying would die without ever knowing why, or that their chances of survival were even lower than those of the Independent Cultivators.