Chapter 100: Premonitions of the Four Realms

"Here you are, the keys. We are square now."

The grinning old man handed a ring of keys to Qi Xiu, then, as if fearing Qi Xiu might change his mind, he bolted out of the alley at twenty miles per hour, vanishing in a flash of dust.

Watching the dust settle outside the gate with a faint, amused shake of his head, Qi Xiu closed the courtyard door and casually affixed a [Suppression Talisman] to it.

For thirty-five hundred taels of fine silver, he had secured this quiet and elegant, moderately sized courtyard in the land-scarce Qingliu County.

"Another year is passing in the blink of an eye."

He sat down on the edge of the courtyard’s flower bed. The chilly wind bit at his skin as fluffy, pure white snowflakes drifted down. Qi Xiu reached out and caught one, watching as it slowly melted into a few drops of clear water in his palm.

His gaze grew distant. It had been but a short year. The destitute scholar who once had to scrape and struggle for every daily meal had now become a cultivator of the Way, someone looked up to by ordinary people. Truly, the past was like smoke, vanishing at a wave of the hand.

Reflecting for a moment, Qi Xiu turned and entered the inner room, waving his hand to retrieve his various belongings from his dragon-pool storage. Clothes, brush and ink, a rocking chair, two large chests of true cultivation manuals, and a clutter of miscellaneous items.

Having decided to stay in Qingliu County for a while, Qi Xiu had simply bought the house. Firstly, staying in taverns and inns lacked discretion; secondly, he had always favored quiet, and inns were far too noisy.

He lightly smoothed his robes and reclined in the rocking chair. Outside the eaves, the sky was a leaden gray, with specks of white falling incessantly. Rubbing his brow, Qi Xiu quietly considered his future plans.

The "Lesser Five Elements Water Patrol Evasion Method" was being practiced by the Ink Flood Dragon on his behalf, so he didn't need to worry about it for now. Law and order in Qingliu County were decent enough that he wouldn't need to use evasion techniques anytime soon.

As for the "Formless Sword Canon of Body-Breaking," he was practicing it with great enthusiasm. After all, what man hadn't dreamed of being a sword-wielding hero? However, the difficulty of this technique was undeniably high. It was vast and incredibly complex. Postures, intent, visualization, the circulation of qi and blood, the traversing of true vital energy... every step had to be executed with absolute precision; a single mistake would render all previous efforts useless.

If not for the miraculous assistance of his proficiency panel, which allowed insights and experience to manifest even when he failed, gradually correcting and improving his practice, he likely wouldn't have even entered the threshold yet. This showed just how arduous the path was for ordinary practitioners.

"Martial and Daoist paths must progress together. I cannot let the crafts I’ve practiced for so long fall too far behind."

His gaze shifted, and a primitive, simple panel appeared in his vision:

[Calligraphy (Third Realm): 83.2%]
[Secret Essence of the Hunyuan Dragon-Tiger Scripture (First Realm): 3%]
[Lesser Five Elements Water Patrol Evasion Method: 2.9%]
[Formless Sword Canon of Body-Breaking: 0.7%]
[Alchemy (Second Realm): 81.2%]
[Painting (First Realm): 44.2%]
[Culinary Arts: 98.9%]

Scanning through the various arts and methods he had mastered, Qi Xiu’s gaze settled on the final line—the one that had appeared on the panel right after Calligraphy, but which remained stuck at the threshold of the first realm despite his calligraphy reaching the third.

"It’s not that I don't want you to break through, but I’m afraid of what divine ability you might manifest. If the next time my calligraphy breaks through, I end up realizing a 'Cooking' character, that would be incredibly awkward."

Looking at the only skill that could break through at any moment but which he had forcibly suppressed, Qi Xiu felt a sense of helplessness. After all, every time his calligraphy broke through a realm, it could only manifest a single cloud-seal script. Whether it was the mysterious [Suppression Talisman], the formidable [Martial Talisman], or the uncanny [Medicine Talisman], they had provided him with immense help over the past year. Several times, he had only narrowly escaped crises thanks to these talismans. Naturally, he wanted to reserve the chance to comprehend a cloud-seal script for a more powerful ability, such as the [Dharma Talisman] he had been longing for.

"When one day I dominate a region and am invincible under heaven, perhaps I’ll consider becoming a master chef."

Withdrawing his gaze from his culinary skill, Qi Xiu turned his attention to his old friend: Calligraphy. This was the skill that had accompanied him the longest. Even during the five months he had spent in the cave grinding away at the Hunyuan Dragon-Tiger Scripture, he had never once neglected his calligraphy practice. Now, it was poised to become his first fourth-realm divine ability.

"17%... a month or so should do it."

Estimating the progress of his calligraphy proficiency, Qi Xiu felt a touch of anticipation. Ever since his calligraphy reached the third realm, he had a hunch—a premonition—that stepping into the fourth realm would bring about a qualitative transformation. But what this transformation would be, his premonition did not say.

"It really is something to look forward to..."

***

Eight hundred miles from Qingliu County, mountains shaped like tombstones were shrouded in thick, black smog. Surrounded by towering peaks that blocked the sun, it was a place devoid of daylight. Dense fog permeated the mountains, casting a hazy, indistinct veil over the entire range. The cliffs were pitted with numerous caves, and dense, sharp protrusions of rock looked like rows of teeth.

At the foot of the mountains, skulls formed mounds and bones were like forests; the ground was littered with human hair, and the stench of rotting flesh was unbearable. Small demons to the east carved meat from living people, while cruel monsters to the west boiled human flesh. It was a true scene of hell on earth, enough to make one tremble with terror.

Deep within this graveyard of mountains, inside a vast cave, countless demons and evil cultivators were gathered. Some stood in the open, others lurked in the shadows, their eyes darting around with sinister intent, occasionally turning their gazes toward the center.

There, sitting on a lotus throne, was an ancient demon. The old demon sat with hands folded in a mudra, wearing a smile; at first glance, it looked like a compassionate Buddha statue from a grand temple. But if one looked closer, half of its face was destroyed, revealing rotting, blackened flesh. Through that flawless, peaceful, and reassuring facade, a twisted and terrifying demonic visage emerged. Its single eye was bloodshot, burning and ghastly. Its body, once as bright as copper and radiating a divine aura, had been corrupted by decay. Its hair, black as a raven's feathers, was braided into a heavy, chain-like plait at the neck. Its skin had turned ash-gray, covered in cracks and sores, emitting a nauseating, putrid odor.

"Arhat of Hatred, the time limit has arrived. Have you considered my offer?"

A calm voice echoed before the old demon, who stood nearly six zhang tall like a small mountain. The voice belonged to a woman—a woman with a gentle appearance, dressed in white silk, her body faintly glowing with a white-gold radiance that exuded a holy and peaceful aura.

Looking at the woman who seemed as pure as white jade, the surrounding demons and evil cultivators were filled with fanaticism. If not for the presence of the old demon, they would have long ago lunged at her, shrieking, to toy with her before gnawing every inch of her flesh, then cracking open her bones to drink the marrow and turning the fragments into whistles to play with daily.

"This matter is of great consequence. If we fail, you know the price," the Arhat of Hatred on the lotus throne spoke slowly. His voice was like rolling thunder, shaking the cave and causing the gathered demons to tremble in fear.

"But if we succeed, Arhat, you can reshape your dharma body, shed this half-demon, half-devil husk, and take a step further," the woman said, her tone indifferent, yet every word struck at the heart of the matter.

"How much certainty do you have?" After a moment of silence, the Arhat of Hatred spoke again.

"Fifty percent."

"Hmph? You dare to act with only fifty percent?" The single eye suddenly flashed with a cold light. The Arhat of Hatred let out a low hum, and instantly, all the surrounding demons and evil cultivators became restless, as if they would pounce and tear the woman to shreds the next second.

"I have fifty percent, but if you join us, Arhat, it becomes one hundred!"

Unfazed by the terrifying gazes around her, the woman walked forward. With every step, the ground trembled as if an earthquake had struck. The light surrounding her grew even more dazzling. Countless golden flowers blossomed in the void, releasing an incomparable, alluring fragrance. As this scent spread, the hideous, devilish, and twisted demons suddenly became docile. Their filthy, bloody, and deformed bodies were continuously purified, becoming clean and serene.

"Enough!"

With a low shout from the Arhat of Hatred, the demon cave, which had nearly become a place of sanctity, reverted to its cold and foul state. The demons, who had been wearing faint smiles, suddenly snapped back to their senses, becoming filthy and twisted once more, with no memory of what had just occurred.

"I can cooperate with you." As the Arhat of Hatred spoke these words, a smile appeared on the woman's lips.

"But I have one condition."

"Speak, Arhat. As long as it is not excessive, I can agree to it," the woman said after a brief hesitation.

"I want to borrow your Golden Flower Mother Sect’s 'True Scripture of Ten Thousand Nurturing Origins' to study."

Upon hearing this, the woman’s brows furrowed. "This... this is not exactly difficult, but although you are an Arhat with a Buddha body, transcending yin and yang, our Golden Flower Mother Sect’s 'True Scripture of Ten Thousand Nurturing Origins' can only be practiced by those with a yin body. Arhat, this is..."

"Hahahaha, you little girl, your curiosity is quite great." A sudden burst of laughter erupted, the wild sound waves blowing away the weaker demons at the cave entrance. The Arhat of Hatred said nonchalantly, "I won't hide it from you. While your 'True Scripture of Ten Thousand Nurturing Origins' is a great volume that points directly to the Dao body, my 'True Scripture of World-Crossing Slaughter' is no less inferior. I ask for this text not for myself, but for my foster daughter."

"Foster daughter?" A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. The woman looked up at the grim-faced Arhat of Hatred, whose aura was shrouded in immense terror, and thought to herself. This Arhat of Hatred was filled with the desire to kill, using slaughter to prove the Dao. Given such a temperament, he would actually take a foster daughter?

"Come, Yu'er, greet this Holy Maiden of the Golden Flower Mother Sect."

Looking toward where the Arhat gestured, the woman’s eyes showed a flicker of curiosity. Beside the Arhat of Hatred’s lotus throne, a jade statue had appeared out of thin air. It was a Bodhisattva statue, with a compassionate and peaceful expression, hands pressed together, radiating a warm aura. And at the feet of this Bodhisattva stood a young girl with slender eyes, an oddly bewitching charm, and skin as delicate as carved jade.

"She is the foster daughter of the Arhat of Hatred?" The woman narrowed her eyes as she gazed at the jade Bodhisattva.