First Steps in Daoist Arts

A few days later.

Xiao Han finished reading all three books seized from the Tiger Demon and determined their contents.

This was truly a great opportunity!

The first scripture was an internal Qi cultivation method called the Danyuan Technique, said to have come from a Taoist from Kunlun.

The reason Taoists like Yan Chixia and Zhiqiu Yiye could use all kinds of strange magical arts was that they cultivated Zhenyuan and then converted it into Magical Power.

But Xiao Han's Dou Qi was more like the internal energy practiced by mortal martial artists. It was just that due to different worlds, the power systems were also different. Compared to Zhenyuan, Dou Qi—an enhanced version of internal energy—was no less impressive.

At least in Xiao Han's view, cultivating Dou Qi would gradually increase one's lifespan and strength. Once reaching the Dou Ancestor level, a single wave of the hand could easily shatter mountains stretching thousands of meters, and one could even walk through the air—truly terrifying!

Such means were no less than those of the Earthly Immortals in xianxia novels.

Moreover, although he didn't know exactly how much lifespan it could extend, a Dou Emperor should conservatively have at least tens of thousands of years.

After all, a man like Gu Yuan had lived for at least several thousand years.

Furthermore, cultivating Dou Qi would also enhance Soul Power when advancing in strength. Though it still fell far short of Alchemists who specialized in Soul Power, it was still a significant improvement, equivalent to how cultivators continuously strengthened their Spiritual Sense.

In other words, Dou Qi was the xuanhuan version of immortal cultivation.

But there was one problem here. Due to the difference in worldviews, the Dou Qi in Battle Through the Heavens was, strictly speaking, an amplified version of martial arts. As for spell-type Dou Skills like those in immortal cultivation worlds, the Douqi Continent couldn't be said to have none, but they were extremely rare.

If these Dou Skills were placed in an immortal cultivation worldview, they could be classified as "Martial Path" rather than "magic arts."

In Xiao Han's view, Huang Stage and Heaven Stage Dou Skills were essentially the various martial arts of a low-martial world. By the time one reached Earth-Tier Dou Skills, they could already launch long-range energy waves, causing large-scale destruction, and could be categorized as martial arts of a high-martial world.

For example, the Emperor Seal Technique and the Flame Splitting Wave Ruler were both large-scale AOE damage, having broken away from ordinary martial skills and entered the realm of "techniques"—all Dou Qi amplification amplifiers.

As for the higher Heaven Stage Dou Skills, there was no need to mention them. A Dou Ling relying on a Heaven Stage Dou Skill might even be able to defy the odds and slay a Dou King.

But no matter how powerful they were, they could not escape the foundation of "Martial Path." This was probably also related to the differences in worldviews and power systems.

The second scripture was titled Nameless, more like a miscellaneous record of spells, but Xiao Han gave it a name—Compendium of Spells.

Not to mention anything else, just its thickness rivaling that of a Xinhua Dictionary was enough to make Xiao Han regard it with newfound respect!

It recorded a large number of Taoist spells, including the roar that the Tiger Demon had used to disturb his mind and throw him into an extremely brief daze.

There were also spells for summoning clouds and rain, calling down Heavenly Thunder, and various other auxiliary spells.

Each and every one of these magical powers left Xiao Han marveling repeatedly. If he could bring these spells back to the Douqi Continent and have the system convert them into Dou Skills, he would have the capital to establish his own sect. After all, spells like these were unheard of on the Douqi Continent!

And what made Xiao Han even more delighted was that it also recorded the methods for making several kinds of Taoist talismans. This was an immense help to him.

But unfortunately, the owner of this scripture was not a sword cultivator. It didn't record how to refine Magic Artifacts, nor the Sword Control Technique that Xiao Han had long yearned for!

Only in this matter was Xiao Han truly unlucky.

But he currently had a refined Dharma Sword in his hands, so there was no rush. When he reached his destination, he would have plenty of time to study the thing.

As for the third book, it was something else entirely.

The moment he opened it, a burst of golden light emerged from the Buddhist Scripture.

The dense Buddhist aura within made Xiao Han's heart tremble, and even the Demon Armor inside his body began to grow restless.

It wasn't that the Demon Armor was afraid of the scripture, but rather that under their natural opposition, the Demon Armor instinctively expressed its aversion to the Buddha light.

He then looked at the title—good heavens!

Immovable King Mantra!

After examining this thing, Xiao Han found that its lethality against souls was extraordinary.

Not to mention whether he could use it to send his teacher Old Man Yao off to the afterlife, just reciting a couple of lines at the group of female ghosts at Luo Temple would surely make them wail like ghosts and howl like wolves.

If this thing were played as music for those ghosts, Xiao Han was sure it would be even more addictive than the Great Compassion Mantra.

This was definitely a scripture personally transcribed by some eminent Buddhist monk. Xiao Han racked his brains but couldn't figure out what means the Tiger Demon had used to take down the Taoists and Monks who possessed these Magic Incantations.

It couldn't be that these people were underdeveloped and still tried to play the hero, feeding themselves to the enemy, could it?

If that were the case, Xiao Han would look down on them.

With these three items in hand, if anyone had cultivated even one to Great Accomplishment, they wouldn't have had to fear the Tiger Demon. He really couldn't understand how those previous people had lost.

In Xiao Han's imagination, a naive young Monk charged alone up Tiger Head Mountain, raising the Immovable King Mantra to show off.

"With one Immovable King Mantra unleashed, can you kill me in a second? Can you one-shot me? If this Tiger Demon here today can shatter my Immovable King Mantra, this humble monk will let you, the demon, eat me on the spot!"

And then, there was no then.

Ahem, getting off track.

Regardless, these people had sacrificed themselves to subdue demons and vanquish spirits.

Looking down on them like this was truly impolite. So he would just raise a middle finger slightly, then show a pure gaze to express his respect.

After understanding the nature of these three books, Xiao Han unhesitatingly fused the Danyuan Technique, and the Swallowing Spirit Technique gained new characteristic changes.

Now, the Dou Qi Xiao Han cultivated was almost the same as Zhenyuan, only far surpassing it in power.

Continuously converting Magical Power according to the Danyuan Technique, Xiao Han began to practice the Taoist spells.

As for the Immovable King Mantra, he forcibly spent 100 Energy Value to get started.

This thing didn't require deliberate cultivation—with an entire copy of the Immovable King Mantra radiating Buddhist light placed close at hand, proficiency naturally shot up by leaps and bounds.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Han's talent in spell cultivation was no less impressive than his talent in Douqi cultivation.

Some low-level spells he could casually pull off, such as the Clone Technique, splitting off a thought and placing it on a small prop for reconnaissance—like Paper Cranes or Paper Airplanes.

Other spells were a bit more perverted, things like the Invisibility Technique or the X-ray Technique.

Ahem, you know what I'm thinking.

Yet what helped Xiao Han the most were the methods in the Compendium of Spells for tempering Spiritual Sense—that is, Soul Power—some of which were far superior to what Old Man Yao had taught him.

And so, with the aid of spells, Xiao Han traveled along, cultivating while subduing demons and vanquishing evil, and his strength began to soar!

Though these spells were a bit miscellaneous, there was no denying their sheer quantity.

With Xiao Han's abundant Magical Power, casually tossing out a few spells was enough to drive those monsters mad.

Whenever a monster caused trouble, it never escaped Xiao Han's Dog Nose Tracking Technique.

Heaven and Earth Have No Limits, Tracking for Thousands of Miles—catching a whiff of Demon Aura, he'd go straight in with the Immovable King Mantra to control the field. Bathed in Buddhist light, these Evil Spirits would either be severely injured or suppressed to the point of crying for their mothers and fathers, their combat power halved in an instant.

No matter how clever the monsters' escape methods were, they somehow never slipped out of Xiao Han's grasp.

Xiao Han: "I said I'd kill your whole family, so I'll kill your whole family—I never break my word."

And so, along this path of demon-subduing and evil-vanquishing, Xiao Han gradually gained fame among the common folk, earning a considerable reputation for chivalry.

After all, a boy of only thirteen or fourteen, possessing such formidable strength and a Chivalrous Spirit—how could people not find it worth talking about? As fodder for Commoners' idle chatter over tea and meals, Xiao Han's name spread far and wide.

Because Xiao Han favored black clothes and used a sword as his weapon, the common folk gave him the title "Black-Clothed Swordsman."

But Xiao Han didn't care much about it.

Titles and such—good enough, that's all.

This nickname couldn't add stats, couldn't grant buffs—useless except for sounding nice.

He had transmigrated to this world to cultivate and grow stronger, not to strive for fame and fortune. When the time came to leave and return to the Douqi Continent, what use would fame from the world of A Chinese Ghost Story be to him?