Demonic Blade Traits, Cultivating Pill Devourer

Indra gently stroked the Demon Blade Hirumaru, unable to hide the delight in his eyes.

The Demon Blade Hirumaru possessed leech-like parasitic and bloodsucking properties. By killing enemies and absorbing their qi, it allowed its wielder to replicate the "arts" they possessed.

Nikaido Eita had relied on the Demon Blade Hirumaru's properties to use Ruyi Force, the Tang Sect's Silken Step, and more.

Now that he had removed the evil spirit dwelling within it, this demon blade had nothing but advantages left.

The only regret was that the Demon Blade Hirumaru's ability to copy arts had its limits.

Many of the Tang Sect's techniques could be copied, but its ultimate art, "Pill Devourer," clearly could not.

After carefully sensing the Demon Blade Hirumaru, Indra understood why.

The Demon Blade Hirumaru devoured an enemy's qi, thereby recording the route through which they circulated it.

For the vast majority of techniques, as long as one followed that route, the wielder could use them with ease.

But "Pill Devourer" required not only a specific qi circulation route, but also Tang Sect secret medicine to alter one's constitution. Only after finally seeing through the barrier between life and death could one learn it.

The Three One Sect's Reverse Birth Triple Layer worked the same way. Even if you were given the qi circulation route, if your aptitude was insufficient, then you simply could not learn it.

Basic arithmetic was easy, but once it came to calculus, function theory, and the like, even if the formulas were laid out before you and the answers were handed to you to copy, what you could not do was still what you could not do.

"The Demon Blade Hirumaru really does test its wielder's talent."

Indra gripped the hilt and continuously poured chakra into it, preparing to first make the Demon Blade Hirumaru his own.

The other bladed weapon, the Phantom Sword, was not so complicated. Its blade was naturally compatible with qi. As long as qi was infused into it, there was no need to feed it; it could be controlled directly.

But now that he had the Demon Blade Hirumaru, Indra did not really need the Phantom Sword anymore.

"I'll give it to Mikoto later."

Following the principle of not wasting even a single grain of rice, Indra still put the Phantom Sword away.

When Indra raised his head and looked in the Tang Sect group's direction, Tang Bingwen's heart skipped a beat.

He was truly afraid that Indra had been controlled by the Demon Blade Hirumaru. If that happened, all of them combined would not be enough for him to fight alone.

"Don't be so nervous, Sect Leader Tang."

Indra greeted him with a smile, and Tang Bingwen instantly let out a sigh of relief.

He forced a smile and stepped forward respectfully to welcome him. "Brother Qiao truly is extraordinary. Even this demon blade couldn't affect you in the slightest."

Seeing their sect leader flatter him and smile ingratiatingly, the Tang Sect disciples found it perfectly understandable.

The methods Indra had displayed just now could no longer be described as human.

If this had been at a drinking table, every one of them would have had to kneel and offer Indra a toast.

While making small talk, Tang Bingwen shot a glare at the disciples behind him.

Liang Wuer immediately understood and hurried forward to curry favor. "Brother Qiao, I can repair this Invisibility Haori. In two days, I guarantee I'll return it to you in perfect condition."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Brother Liang." Indra replied with a smile as well. With everyone trading remarks, the atmosphere soon became lively.

On the way down the mountain, Tang Bingwen also earnestly begged Indra to help treat the Tang Sect disciples.

Although Indra had killed more than half the Hie Ninja with a single Laser Eye, the remaining ones' desperate counterattacks had still caused the Tang Sect considerable casualties.

Naturally, Indra did not hesitate at Tang Bingwen's request.

With the Horse Talisman in his palm, all he had to do was give each person a light pat.

As long as they still had a breath left, they could be saved.

In just a short while, dozens of injured and even dying Tang Sect disciples had all risen to their feet, completely restored.

Tang Bingwen, who had witnessed it all, could not suppress the joy on his face at all.

The Tang Sect's foundation had been preserved!

If more than half of these disciples had been killed or injured, it would have been questionable whether the Tang Sect could continue to endure.

"Lord Indra, from now on, as long as it is something the Tang Sect can do for you, we will spare no effort to accomplish it!"

Tang Bingwen solemnly bowed to Indra and made the promise from the bottom of his heart.

Indra raised his eyes to Tang Bingwen and said directly, "In that case, Sect Leader Tang, I wish to cultivate the Tang Sect's ultimate art, [Pill Devourer]. Would you permit it?"

The moment Indra said this, Tang Bingwen fell silent.

After hesitating for a moment, Tang Bingwen frowned. "Our Tang Sect does not mind passing [Pill Devourer] on to you, Lord Qiao. It's just that cultivating this secret art is far too difficult!"

Tang Bingwen meant it sincerely. Compared to everything Indra had done for the Tang Sect, he was willing to teach him the secret art of [Pill Devourer].

Even within the Tang Sect, only a handful of people could learn this secret art.

Before cultivation, one first had to use external medicine to alter one's constitution, then circulate qi according to the Pill Devourer diagram, and finally see through the barrier between life and death.

If even the slightest mistake occurred at any stage, the cultivator themselves would become a sacrifice to the deadliest poison in the world.

Tang Bingwen had been able to learn [Pill Devourer], but looking back now, luck had accounted for most of it.

"I can eliminate all external forces affecting my body and restore it to its original state. Outwardly, it appears as healing injuries and illnesses. Sect Leader Tang, do you think I can learn it?"

"..."

Tang Bingwen fell silent at once.

No wonder Indra had been able to break his Toxic Miasma so easily. Even his Pill Devourer probably would not be able to harm him in the slightest.

Transforming his entire body into qi made him immune to all physical attacks and able to dispel all external influences. It was equivalent to being immune to every poison and possessing a pseudo-immortal body.

Even if Indra had not done the Tang Sect a favor, once they learned he possessed such an ability, Tang Bingwen figured that if the Tang Sect did not want to be wiped out, they would have no choice but to obediently hand over the secret art.

"Lord Qiao, the Tang Sect accepts your request."

Tang Bingwen respectfully lowered his head, without the slightest arrogance befitting an elder.

Indra smiled and helped him up, replying seriously, "Once I finish learning [Pill Devourer], choose two disciples. I can help them learn it as well. I guarantee the Tang Sect will not lose out."

The moment he said this, Tang Bingwen's eyes lit up.

One had to know that disciples qualified to cultivate Pill Devourer could basically be considered candidates for the position of Tang Sect leader. Every one of them was a genius within the Tang Sect.

Yet more than half had already died while cultivating Pill Devourer!

Now, through Indra, they could safely produce two disciples who had mastered Pill Devourer. The Tang Sect's inheritance had hope!

After leaving some Tang Sect disciples behind to deal with the aftermath, Tang Bingwen impatiently brought Indra back to the Tang Sect.

"These are the external medicines required to cultivate [Pill Devourer]. They must be taken internally and applied externally, then absorbed through specific qi circulation to form medicinal poison.

"The deadly poison of Pill Devourer is formed by combining qi poison and medicinal poison. It can devour any qi it touches, so even the initial stages of cultivation must be approached with caution."

Although he knew of Indra's ability, Tang Bingwen still carefully gave him a round of instructions.

Leaving behind the external medicines and the secret chamber, he went to speak with the Tang Sect elders first.

He laid Indra's abilities and the promise he had made this time completely bare before the Tang Sect's elders.

Elder Hong of the Tang Sect, leaning on a cane, nodded in approval. "Bingwen, you did the right thing. He is both the Tang Sect's benefactor and a powerful expert we cannot oppose. Only by following his will can we avoid bringing destruction upon ourselves."

"Elder Hong... then who do you think we should choose as the two to cultivate Pill Devourer?"

"I propose Yang Lie. He survived the battle at Mount Mian, and both his talent and temperament are exceptional."

"It's a pity about Dong Chang and Xu Xin. If they hadn't gone off to become part of those Thirty-Six Bandits, I definitely would have nominated them."

After some discussion, Tang Bingwen and the others selected their candidates: Yang Lie and Tang Guanhai.