Chapter Fifty-Five: Grasping the Essence Through Copying

Absurd Village.

Severed limbs and broken arms lay scattered in heaps.

Four figures clashed madly, fists and feet colliding with muffled thunderous sounds that echoed endlessly.

Alone, Qi Xiu faced the siege of three corpse children.

His gaze was fierce, and his Crimson Sand Palm and Swift Swallow Step were pushed to their limits.

At this moment, every exchange was like a hammer striking iron, insights bursting forth like sparks.

Strange power surged from within him, every cell, organ, flesh, and bone rejoicing, eagerly absorbing this supernatural force.

His body strengthened, his cultivation advanced.

The aura emanating from his pores shifted moment by moment, as if grass had been pressed to fast-forward, growing taller at a speed visible to the naked eye.

As the battle dragged on, Qi Xiu’s movements grew steadier and more composed.

His palm strikes became heavier, the internal energy rushing through his body expanded, and a vague outline of something mysterious began to emerge in his mind.

From the initial need to focus entirely to withstand the corpse children's assault, he now suppressed all three with ease.

Qi Xiu swept his sleeve and struck with flowing grace.

He drove the corpse children back repeatedly, the frequency of the corpse-controlling bell’s chime rising ever higher.

Ding—

Suddenly, the bell’s eerie sound was abruptly cut off, as if someone had forcibly snuffed it out.

Without the supernatural power of the bell, the corpse child whose neck Qi Xiu had shattered with a palm strike twitched a few times before falling into utter silence.

"It seems Yuan Baiyi is finished over there."

Dispatching the other two corpse children with swift blows, Qi Xiu was wreathed in white steam, sweat evaporating in the heat, making him look like a celestial being emerging from the clouds.

As he spoke, a streak of light flew back from afar.

Yuan Baiyi, covered in cuts and bloodstains with fragments of jade dust in his hair, held a shriveled, dirty fox’s head.

"How did it go?" Qi Xiu glanced sideways at Yuan Baiyi.

With that appearance, did he not win?

"That Jade Bodhisattva demon tried to escape, but my Heavy Profound Sword pinned it down, preventing it from breaking free. In the end, it self-destructed, destroying the jade and itself. I found this fox demon’s head in its hiding place."

Shaking the fox's head, Yuan Baiyi let out a relieved breath.

The Jade Bodhisattva self-destructed; the fox demon was decapitated.

The demon hunt had been acceptable, though failing to capture the Jade Bodhisattva was somewhat regrettable.

"It self-destructed?"

Surprised, Qi Xiu's eyes flickered with intrigue.

He had fought the Jade Bodhisattva several times, knowing well its cunning rivaled any human.

Page (1/3)

He never expected it to choose such a fierce end, exploding rather than falling into Yuan Baiyi’s hands.

"This time, I owe you, Brother Qi. When we return to the city, I shall reward you handsomely."

Yuan Baiyi tied the fox’s head to his belt and cupped his hands to Qi Xiu.

Had Qi Xiu not joined the mission, Nie Xun would surely have perished.

Without Qi Xiu holding off the three corpse children—those tough, fearless, endlessly regenerating monsters—he might not have pinned down the Jade Bodhisattva and forced its self-destruction.

"Ah, Commander, you’re too polite."

Qi Xiu smiled, waving his hand and lightly shaking his sleeves, looking at Yuan Baiyi with curiosity.

"You still have true skills?"

Yuan Baiyi: "…"

I was being polite.

You are truly unreserved.

…

The wind blew dust, raising yellow sand.

The silhouettes of Qi Xiu and his companions grew smaller outside the village, fading toward the horizon.

As their figures were about to disappear, a fragment of crystalline jade, shaped like an eye, stood quietly atop a ruined rooftop.

Silently, it watched the trio’s departing backs.

…

…

"Finally, a breakthrough."

Rubbing his aching eyes, Qi Xiu, covered in colors, let out a long, heavy breath.

The floor was carpeted with various sheets of drawing paper, piled thickly and rustling beneath his feet.

Eighteen days had passed.

From nothing, Qi Xiu had finally elevated his [Painting] skill to the first realm.

"Twelve days remain of the month-long agreement with Yuan Baiyi."

Stretching his stiff body, Qi Xiu slowly flexed his fingers.

Five true skills.

Yuan Baiyi had given him one month.

When time was up, he could keep only one; the rest must be returned to the Western Wind Army.

But who could bear to give back what he had obtained?

Unwilling to part with them, he could only try to make copies.

The difficulty lay in replicating the True Intent diagrams.

The diagrams themselves were abstract paintings with special meanings.

Ordinary copying produced only meaningless abstract images.

Only by reaching the first realm in painting could he capture their unique essence and supernatural power.

"Twelve days. Subtracting the one I’ll keep, I have about three days per diagram to replicate. That’s no easy task."

Page (2/3)

First-realm painting allowed him to copy True Intent diagrams, but barely.

It required meticulous attention, tracing every detail bit by bit.

One mistake meant starting over; otherwise, the diagram’s effect would suffer.

"There’s nothing else for it. Let’s paint."

Qi Xiu rubbed his brow, stood up, and brought in a mass of prepared pigments, colors, and small minerals.

After the fox demon and Jade Bodhisattva were slain, the Western Wind Army lifted the blockade on Baohe County, and trade resumed.

Otherwise, Qi Xiu wouldn’t have been able to buy enough pigments.

He dipped his brush lightly in color and unfolded a sheet of tanned beast-hide paper.

True Intent diagrams carried supernatural power; ordinary paper couldn’t bear it and would tear or curl, only tough beast-hide could preserve the painting.

Hiss—

As soon as the brush touched the paper, it suddenly smoked, as if ignited, visible sparks dancing and the fire intensifying.

He hurriedly plunged the brush into a nearby bucket.

The flames died.

Qi Xiu stared at the scorched brush head, then laughed wryly.

So, replicating True Intent diagrams really was a dangerous job.

The diagrams contained supernatural power, and copying them was like standing before a deity; one misstep could provoke a supernatural backlash.

Burning the brush was minor.

Severe cases could even trigger a supernatural counterattack, as formidable as a martial artist’s full strike.

Having experienced the danger, Qi Xiu focused all his spirit, pouring his energy into the task to avoid further mishaps.

…

"Commander, the demon-slaying tally has been sent back to the garrison. Also, the magistrate of Huangtan Prefecture sent a letter, hoping we can move out to Qingliu County and join forces with the Kanglong Army stationed there."

The adjutant handed a letter to Yuan Baiyi.

"Qingliu County? The same Qingliu County that recently repelled the Golden Blossom Mother Sect rebels?"

Holding the letter, Yuan Baiyi narrowed his eyes.

"Yes. According to our sources, after being defeated by Magistrate Li Jiufang last time, Golden Blossom Mother Sect requested reinforcements from their main temple, planning to attack Qingliu County again.

Currently, the magistrate of Huangtan is mobilizing all forces to join in resisting the sect’s rebels. Besides us, the same letter was sent to the Tongtang Army and Flower Leaf Army, who are on demon-slaying missions in other counties," the adjutant reported steadily.

"The commotion is growing."

Playing with the letter, Yuan Baiyi tapped the table.

"Commander, in that case, the provincial marshal is likely to focus on Qingliu County, perhaps even change his plans because of it."

"Exactly. Once the armies hear this, they’ll all rush in. That’s why the magistrate dared bypass the garrison and privately invite us to Qingliu County."

Leaning back against his chair, Yuan Baiyi gently caressed the sword at his waist.

Qingliu County…

Page (3/3)