The Ancestor of All Demons

Shi Feiyang followed Sikong Xuan as they flew down from Dinghu Peak, with the night at its thickest. A ghost and a dragon weaved through the forest; the ghost's body was semi-transparent, stirring up gusts of chilling wind in its fleeting wake, while the dragon's body, large and long, undulated above the treetops, and where it passed, waves of fog arose.

Sikong Xuan led him to an extremely secluded spot, where the woods were lush and the grass thick and leaves dense, "Senior, look quick, that's it!"

The area he pointed out covered several tens of feet in diameter, with exposed black soil. It was clean and bare, not a blade of grass in sight, as if the land had been sprayed with potent herbicide.

Only in the center grew two plants, one resembling Lingzhi fungus, as large as a wash basin, lustrous in its blackness, highly conspicuous. Beside it was another plant, a glossy green tuft of grass, the two living in symbiosis.

"Indeed, it is Queen Mother Grass!" Shi Feiyang praised, waving his dragon claw. A dense white fog billowed around him like a tide flooding over, descending from above and filling the space between the trees.

Sikong Xuan drifted off to the distance, and from within the thick fog, he saw a black dragon shadow, over thirty feet in length, glide down near the Queen Mother Grass. His heart instantly leapt to his throat.

"Bang! Bang Bang!" Explosions sounded one after the other, and banner formations rose up from all directions.

Each banner, about thirty feet long and made of bright yellow satin, was embroidered with complex and red-threaded talisman patterns; there were sixteen in total, floating in the air without poles. These talisman patterns shimmered, their light connecting to form an array.

A Daoist in light blue robes appeared on a tree to the east, standing motionless on a horizontal branch as thick as a chopstick, his gaze as sharp as lightning, holding in his hand an Immortal Sword that shone with white light, he bellowed, "Evil beast, your time has come!"

This man was none other than Sikong Xuan's uncle, the master of the Three Lights Cave on Chongming Island in Jiangsu, the Eight-eyed Vajra, Sikong Hu!

"Uncle!" Sikong Xuan called out, about to float over.

"Stay back for now, let me first slay this beast!" Sikong Hu said, holding his sword in his right hand while forming a sword technique with his left, casting down thunder. The sixteen long banners flashed with red light, pressing inward, and from within, fist-sized clumps of blood-red lightning exploded in chaos, thundering incessantly.

After the thunder had barraged for a moment, the dragon's shadow was bombarded into dissolution, and the anticipated strong counterattack from the Demon Dragon did not manifest.

A dark premonition rose in Sikong Hu's heart, a chill running down his spine. He looked around and saw the fog in the forest growing thicker. Suddenly, his heart tightened, and he quickly protected himself with his sword while leaping forward, turning around swiftly in mid-flight.

The black Giant Dragon materialized behind him, its lower half on the ground and upper half in the air, its sharp teeth bared, its eyes emitting a cold light, its mouth commanding a sword light several tens of feet long that hurtled towards Sikong Hu's chest!

"Clang!" Sikong Hu parried the incoming sword with his White Light Sword, using the force to retreat back into the banner formation he had set up. Seeing the sword light was yellow with hues of blue and white, he recognized the very sword he had bestowed upon Sikong Xuan. His anger flared hotter, "You wretched beast! You dare use my own sword to kill me! Today, I'll surely flay you and draw your tendons, then take your Primordial Spirit to make my Sword Spirit and refine my sword!"

In his mind, the sword was originally refined by him, and after giving it to Sikong Xuan, it was further refined by following his Sword Refining Technique, descending through their lineage. Even if temporarily taken, he thought this monster surely wouldn't understand the Daoist Sword Refining Technique. At best, it could envelop the sword in Dan Qi, extend its reach for attacks, but couldn't wield it as a Daois>Totalt would an Immortal Sword, reacting at will. To think it could be used to strike him was utterly delusional.

He said to Sikong Xuan, "Xuan'er, there's no need for more heartache. Watch your uncle retrieve this sword for you!"

He tried to recapture the sword using his own sword retrieval technique, unaware that Shi Feiyang, this Demon Dragon, had obtained the Heavenly Book Supplement and was employing the authentic Daoist Sword Refining Technique, which was many times more sophisticated than his!

Shi Feiyang saw that he dared to grab the sword with his bare hands, so he devised a plan to feign incompetence in wielding the sword, waiting until the moment Sikong Hu nearly grasped the end of the blade before suddenly expelling a blast of Primordial Qi. With a "buzz," the sword leapt forward with increased speed, its tail glowing fiercely, swinging left and right, aiming to sever Sikong Hu's entire arm.

Fortunately, Sikong Hu, after years of arduous cultivation, had solidified his skills and was quick to react. He dodged just in time and used the Gang Qi solidified from his True Yuan as a barrier, barely managing to save his right hand, yet the sword light left a deep wound across his palm.

"Damn beast! You're utterly infuriating!" Sikong Hu stamped his foot in anger. He had spent over sixty years cultivating on Chongming Island, slaying countless Tuo Dragons in the Yangzi River. These different beings became enlightened through the years; possessing formidable mana due to maturation rather than mentorship, they instinctively gathered Spiritual Energy and absorbed the Sun and Moon Essence with abysmal efficiency. They generally knew the methods of gathering but not the techniques of refining, unable to undergo Refining and Ascending, and despite their apparent hundreds or thousands of years of cultivation, their combat prowess was exceptionally weak.

He had assumed that the capture would be effortless. Because his nephew repeatedly emphasized the Demon Dragon's formidable nature and unfathomable mana, he had set up an Array in advance, giving the Demon Dragon enough respect. Yet the creature saw through the ploy, using some unknown spell to send a false shadow into the trap while hiding behind to launch a sneak attack, nearly impaling him right through.

Subsequent attempts at deceit and stealth attacks had left him in two cold sweats!

Sikong Hu's anger burned fiercely. He flung the Immortal Sword from his hand, formed a Spiritual Formula with his fingers, and bellowed, "Evil creature, meet your death swiftly!"

Shi Feiyang, too, wished to test the effectiveness of the sword refinement he had diligently practiced recently, so he gathered his spirit and countered with Sword Control.

The two swords clashed in the air, one white, one yellow, colliding and slashing, twisting and cutting, creating sparks that blossomed like fireworks.

After a brief standoff, Shi Feiyang realized he was no match for his opponent.

The sword techniques from the Heavenly Book Supplement were undoubtedly more sophisticated than Sikong Hu's. The strikes often went for oblique angles, incredibly sharp and merciless. If their skills were comparable, Sikong Hu's head would've been severed after a mere moment of battle.

However, Shi Feiyang's cultivation period had been too short, his experience with Flying Swords severely lacking. Additionally, the quality of his sword was inferior; Sikong Hu held the White Light Immortal Sword, which he had found in the Three Lights Cave on Chongming Island alongside two Daoist books. The sword's gleam was pure as the moon's reflection on autumn water, its brilliance radiating in all directions. With each passing movement, it transformed into rings of brilliant Bai Hong. Against it, Shi Feiyang's Flying Sword dimmed upon impact.

Knowing he couldn't win with the Flying Sword alone, Shi Feiyang took out the Three Talents Mirror and infused it with Dan Qi, lifting it into the air. Blue light poured out from the mirror's surface, pressing down like a mountain.

Sikong Hu was shocked to see the Three Talents Mirror; he hadn't expected the Demon Dragon to be adept in both Sword Refining and treasure-making. He urgently tried to perform a Sealing but failed to retrieve his treasure and seeing the blue light descend, he knew the power of the treasure mirror; once covered by the blue glow, his movements would be restricted.

Taking the Demon Dragon seriously, he dared not risk any further gambles and quickly formed Sealing hand signs across his chest, reciting a couple of Spelles. Biting his tongue, he spewed out Essence Blood mixed with True Yuan toward the sky, shouting, "Quick!"

His Flying Sword immediately erupted with a dazzling white glow, illuminating the surrounding forests like broad daylight, speeding forward like a hot blade through butter, piercing through the blue light in an instant. Upon contacting the mirror's surface, it hesitated only momentarily before piercing right through with Sikong Hu's sharp call, shattering the treasure!

Shi Feiyang didn't expect Sikong Hu to be so formidable that the treasure mirror would be destroyed as soon as it was unveiled. He yelled, "Don't you care for the life of your nephew?"

With renewed vigor, Sikong Hu pierced the Three Talents Mirror, immediately reversing the white light of his sword, which he then used to weave a trap for the yellow sword light Qi he had personally refined. "Crack, crack," it sounded sharply, smashing the Feiyang Flying Sword to pieces!

He was determined to slay the Demon Dragon that day, regardless of destroying two treasures. He thought of his nephew's future reincarnation and his plans to forge a new Flying Sword Magical Treasure for him. Once his nephew came of age, he would lead him back to the mountain, bequeath the sword and treasures, and begin a new cycle of cultivation.

His relationship with his nephew was as close as father and son. He considered him his successor and the depth of their bond was substantial. He resented the Demon Dragon for killing his nephew and was set on revenge. Hearing the Demon Dragon suddenly speak human language caught him off guard, and he didn't catch it entirely, "What did you say?"