Chapter 22: Sword Skills to Slay Demons Sharpening knives does not miss woodcutters. Tao Tie had just obtained a boy's talisman, three earthly evil techniques, and two lower-grade yellow magic weapons. He needed some time to digest them in order to further improve his strength. In this way, it is safer to be a "monster catcher". It just so happened that he had just received seventeen strings of copper coins from Li Zeyuan, which was enough to cover his daily expenses during this period. With the boy's talisman in his sea of ​​consciousness, a compass in his pocket, a magic sword on his waist, and a new uniform of a ninth-rank monk in place, Tao Tie held his head high and strode forward, walking from the Welfare Department back to his own single dormitory. Along the way, I was in high spirits, with a feeling of "riding a horse at a gallop in the spring breeze, and seeing all the flowers in Chang'an in one day". During the past period of time, other formal students had become very distant towards Tao Tie because of his "poor" style of trying to complete the 100-day foundation-building with the Five Animal Exercises. They were already hesitant and agitated because Tao Tie had added a three-hook mark similar to a talisman on the chest of his uniform a few days ago, and now they were even more hesitant and agitated. They have not yet recovered from the fact that Tao Tie was able to complete the 100-day foundation-building by using the Five Animal Exercises. Some formal students with good family background, good talent and good status have not yet figured out how to "accept" Tao Tie into their circle and make Tao Tie their younger brother. How come Tao Tie suddenly entered the realm of rank, and even made it all the way to becoming a ninth-rank cultivator in one step? You have to know that this guy has poor qualifications, comes from a poor family, and was born as a dock porter.

It has been less than two months since I entered the missionary school! According to common sense, for someone like Tao Tie, even if he encountered some good luck and completed the 100-day foundation-building process by chance, he would still need at least one to three years to refine grains and nourish his essence, and make adequate preparations for collecting herbs and practicing. Formal students of the missionary academy with good family background and good qualifications like them, who have already completed the hundred-day foundation-building and the refining of grains into essence, have only just begun to try to collect herbs for cultivation, or have completed the collection of herbs for cultivation not long ago and have only entered the grade, but have not reached the standard of ninth-grade cultivators! How could they not be extremely surprised when Tao Tie suddenly became a ninth-rank cultivator? However, no matter how surprised we are, there are not so many cool and awesome Long Aotians in the world, nor so many "My dad is Li Gang". The vast majority of people have relatively normal outlooks and mindsets. No matter how Tao Tie managed to jump from a dock porter to a ninth-rank monk in such a short period of time. No matter what opportunity Tao Tie got. These formal students who had a good status in the missionary academy, when faced with the fact that Tao Tie became a ninth-rank monk, after being surprised, the first thing they thought about was whether they had done anything excessive in the past to offend Tao Tie. These formal students couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief after they were sure that they had only alienated Tao Tie and excluded some of Tao Tie intentionally or unintentionally, but had not done anything excessive. "That's good! That's good!" For a time, many people expressed such sentiments at the same time. After feeling extremely grateful, these formal students began to think about whether they could still repair their relationship with Tao Tie. If possible, how to repair it with pottery and iron. Is it necessary to tell my family about Tao Tie’s existence and specific situation? Etc., etc…… Among the official students of the Mission Academy, especially those monks who had already entered the Tao and had reached the ninth level of cultivation but whose power had not yet reached the ninth level, there was a stir. However, no matter how big or small these waves are and how long they last, they are both related to Tao Tie and not very related to Tao Tie. On the way back to his single dormitory, Tao Tie noticed many strange looks, but he ignored them all and acted as if nothing had happened.

After returning to the single dormitory, Tao Tie immediately calmed down, adjusted his state, and sat cross-legged on the cushion in the middle of the room. His consciousness sank into the sea of ​​​​consciousness between his eyebrows to check the boy's talisman he had just received. Taoist talismans are divided into inner talismans and outer talismans. The so-called inner talisman means that from the heaven to the underworld, and even the human world in Middle-earth, all are taken care of by the ancestor. Whether it is the altar, rituals, or summoning gods and frightening ghosts, they are all "relatives". In the practice and use of many spells that require extremely strict requirements, this kind of protection can exempt you from many costs. In short, I have someone! The so-called external talismans are the talismans that can be obtained by practitioners outside of Taoism. There is no such thing as an ancestor. However, the external talisman of Dayong Dynasty is different. Since Taizu founded the Dayong Dynasty, the imperial court has essentially built a complete system of gods from the heavens to the underworld outside the Taoist system. For example, Tao Tie, who received the external certificate from the missionary academy, was able to train and cultivate personal soldiers and generals, which came from the system of gods constructed by the imperial court. Unlike the Taoist inner-seated monks, the soldiers and generals they train come from the accumulation of various Taoist schools and sects over the generations. Time has changed. Perhaps at the beginning, the outer talisman system of Dayong Dynasty could not compare with the inner talisman system of Taoism either in terms of foundation or existing strength. However, after so much time of development, the external talisman system of Dayong Dynasty had long surpassed the internal talisman system of Taoism, achieving overtaking. Putting aside these distracting thoughts, Tao Tie carefully observed the boy's talisman in his sea of ​​consciousness. At this moment, this magic talisman is still a blank certificate and cannot accommodate any soldiers or generals. The Boy's Talisman is the lowest level of magic talisman. According to the hierarchy established by Taizu of the Dayong Dynasty, it is classified as the ninth grade. It can accommodate no more than seventy-seven forty-nine soldiers and horses, and can cultivate no more than three ninth-grade divine generals, or one eighth-grade divine general. The more realistic and cold fact is that training personal soldiers and divine generals is not free and requires a very high cost. If a monk does not want his soldiers and generals to become evil, he must offer nectar and incense every day to cleanse the evil aura of the soldiers and generals. The training of the military generals is actually very similar to the practice of the corpse-transmigration immortals, both of which require stripping away all yin and obtaining a ray of pure yang. Thus, the turbid yin body of the ghost can be transformed into a pure yang body that is just like a real body. “There really is only one disease in the world.” Thinking of this, Tao Tie's consciousness withdrew from the sea of ​​consciousness between his eyebrows, and he shook his head and sighed, "Poverty is a disease!" Given his current financial situation, he couldn't even recruit soldiers, let alone train soldiers and generals. You don’t have that ability, you know? With a sigh, Tao Tie shifted his attention from the Boy's Talisman to two lower-grade yellow magic weapons. There is not much to say about the compass. It has many functions and will definitely play a big role in your future career as a "monster catcher" or even in participating in the expansion and recruitment of the Demon Slaying Bureau or the Demon Exorcism Bureau.

The only special thing is that the compass is easy to use, but it also requires sufficient knowledge reserves. The Eight Trigrams, Feng Shui, astrology, etc. all require great proficiency. Tao Tie has only been practicing for a short time, and even though he has devoted all his attention to studying in the past, his knowledge reserves in this area are relatively weak. "So, the next thing I can do with the compass is to identify the breath of demons and monsters, discover their whereabouts, and find their location." Tao Tie thought so in his heart, and put the compass into the blue storage bag, which was carefully stored and convenient for use at any time. Then it was the magic sword. The lower-grade yellow-level missionary sword is ordinary in terms of its material, forging method, and the rune formations engraved on it. It follows the path of being moderate, peaceful, and widely applicable. You can slay demons, kill ghosts, eliminate evil spirits, and kill monsters. There is no bias or specialness in any subject. All in all, this is a very ordinary, even mediocre magical weapon. For a cultivator like Tao Tie who has just entered the ninth level, it is just enough. After checking the two yellow-grade lower-level magic weapons, Tao Tie took out three jade slips from his arms, pressed them one by one on his forehead, and used his spiritual consciousness to draw out the true meaning of the spells in the jade slips and obtain detailed explanations of the spells. After a while, Tao Tie had initially learned the three ninth-grade earthly magic techniques of "Passing through the Underworld", "Slaying Demons" and "Swordsmanship". It's just learned, not mastered. Without any reminder, Tao Tie took the initiative to activate [Knowledge of All Things], triggering the information fragments of the three ninth-grade earthly evil techniques of "Passing the Ghostly", "Slaying Demons" and "Swordsmanship". [Skill: Passage through the secluded space (not yet mastered).] [Information fragment 1: One of the 72 Earthly Evil Techniques, it is said to be an encounter with the gods, which means to be deeply immersed in the gods, to be able to see through the underworld and hell, and to see through illusions.] [Information fragment 2: After being divided by the Great Ancestor of the Great Yong Dynasty, this is the ninth grade, and there are eight grades above. The current grade can detect illusions and demons and monsters of the ninth grade and below.] [Information fragment three: The thirty-six heavenly magics and the seventy-two earthly magics, when practiced to the extreme, are all magical powers.] [Information fragment 4: Incorporating the Taotie Visualization Method may have miraculous effects.] [Skill: Demon Slayer (Not yet mastered).] [Information fragment 1: One of the seventy-two earthly evil arts, it can be used to bless weapons or limbs with magic, and can be used to slay demons, exorcise ghosts, kill monsters, and eliminate formless extraterritorial demons.] [Information fragment 2: After being divided by the Great Ancestor of the Great Yong Dynasty, this is the ninth grade, and there are eight grades above. The current grade can cause considerable damage to demons and monsters of the ninth grade and below, or even kill them; it can cause certain damage to demons and monsters of the eighth to seventh grades, but it is relatively small.] [Information fragment three: Same as "通幽".] [Information fragment 4: Same as "通幽".] [Skills: Swordsmanship (not yet mastered).] [Information fragment 1: Seventy-two Earthly Evil Techniques, which penetrate the mystery of the unity of sword and Qi, and are also the method of controlling the sword with the soul. Killing people invisibly when the white light appears.] [Information fragment 2: After being divided by the Great Ancestor of the Great Yong Dynasty, this is the ninth grade, and there are eight grades above. The current grade can significantly assist in the comprehension and use of the ninth grade and below swordsmanship, sword techniques, and sword-related spells, and can assist in the comprehension and use of the eighth grade swordsmanship, sword techniques, and sword-related spells to a certain extent.] [Information fragment three: Same as "通幽".]

[Information fragment 4: Same as "通幽".] After checking the information fragments of the Three Earthly Evil Techniques, Tao Tie did not waste any time and immediately practiced the "Taotie Visualization Method", visualized Taotie, transformed himself into Taotie, and successively incorporated the Three Earthly Evil Techniques into them, obtaining a shortcut to practice by making up for one's deficiencies with food. There is no road in the world, and as many people walk, it becomes a road. A shortcut is also a way. The three earthly evil arts, "Tongyou", "Zhan Yao" and "Swordsmanship", all have shortcuts to practice by making up for deficiencies with food. But without exception, they all made Tao Tie feel a little troubled. To practice "Tongyou" by shortcuts, one needs to conceptually eat a certain amount of tears from an old ox over seven years old; To practice "Demon Slaying" by shortcut, one needs to conceptually eat a bucket of incense ash that has been offered in front of the statue of the Three Pure Ones for at least 49 days; To practice "swordsmanship" by taking a shortcut, one needs to conceptually eat a magic sword of the lower grade yellow level or above! These three things that need to be eaten, whether it is the tears of an old ox or the ashes of incense in front of the statues of the Three Pure Ones, are difficult to obtain. These difficulties are not insurmountable; you just need to spend more time and energy. If you have a magic sword of lower yellow grade or above, it is easiest to meet the requirements. The key point is, after eating it, what can you use to slay demons, exorcise ghosts and kill monsters, and become a "monster catcher" to get paid? Tao Tie was in a difficult situation for a moment. "Let's take one step at a time." After thinking for a while, Tao Tie decided not to take the low-grade yellow magic sword issued by the Mission Academy for the time being, and think of other methods later. For now, I should collect the old ox’s tears and the incense ashes in front of the statue of the Three Pure Ones, and learn how to “pass through the dark” and “slay the demon” first. Just as Tao Tie was staying in his single dormitory, checking the benefits he had obtained and looking for shortcuts to practice the three earthly evil techniques, something happened in Liuxian County. First, the news that a ninth-rank monk had been added to the missionary academy spread through various channels. Soon, individuals, families, and forces with certain power in Liuxian County all obtained Tao Tie's detailed information. "Dock porter? How lucky!" Many people expressed such sentiments. Only the eldest daughter of the Shahe Gang, Mo Yuhan, expressed a different feeling: "If a person has no dreams, what is the difference between him and a salted fish! You are indeed not a salted fish." "Miss! Miss! Who isn't a salted fish?" Xiuxiu, Mo Yuhan's personal maid, walked into her boudoir from outside and heard Mo Yuhan's sigh and asked questions one after another. "nothing." Mo Yuhan said lightly, then changed the subject and asked, "How is Li Zeyuan now?" "Crazy! Miss, I don't know what happened to Li Zeyuan. He has gone completely crazy!" Xiuxiu heard this with a trace of horror in her eyes. She raised her right hand and gently covered her lips with it, her voice trembling slightly, "He doesn't even look like a human being now, Miss. What did he do? How did he make himself look like a ghost?" "Nothing, don't worry about it. Just remember to stay away from that pier next time."

Mo Yuhan still didn't directly answer Xiuxiu's question. As he spoke, he stood up and walked out of the room, sighing, "The storm is about to come. Liuxian County will soon be in turmoil." pier. Li Zeyuan, who Xiuxiu described as completely crazy, was holding the sculpture of twisted tree roots with his eyes wide open, and his face was extremely ferocious. Just now, he couldn't resist the desire to get promoted as quickly as possible, and once again painted the sculpture of twisted tree roots with his heart blood, but he didn't get the feedback of improved martial arts skills as usual, only a thought. The sculpture of twisted tree roots has been defiled! If Li Zeyuan wants to continue worshipping Wutong God, he must find the person who desecrated the statue, and then... Living sacrifice! (End of this chapter)