System Bestows Treasure, Repelling Little Demons

The tip of the blade was less than half an inch from my throat.

The wind stopped, and so did the sounds. I could hear my own heartbeat pounding against my eardrums like a drum, each beat slower than the last. My body wouldn't move, my spiritual power was completely cut off, I couldn't even lift a fingertip. The spirit beast lay pinned to the ground, only its weak breaths audible.

Just then, a voice sounded in my mind.

[Ding—Hidden Quest "First Battle Against Many Foes · Not Retreating an Inch" has been completed. Reward issued: Mid-grade magic artifact: Demon-Slaying Thunder Talisman Seal]

The voice came suddenly, yet it was as clear as if it were carved into my bones. I snapped my eyes open, my right hand instinctively reaching forward. Something cold and heavy landed in my palm.

It was a bronze seal, its four corners worn smooth, its surface covered in intricate patterns. It vibrated slightly to the touch, as if something were flowing within. I didn't have time to examine it closely, only knowing by instinct that this was what the System had spoken of.

The little demon leader's blade was still pushing forward.

I bit the tip of my tongue, the taste of blood flooding my throat. A surge of strength exploded from my chest. I raised my hand, bringing the bronze seal before me, pouring the last trace of spiritual power within me into it.

The bottom of the seal lit up.

With a flash of purple light, the air above my head exploded. A thick bolt of lightning struck down from the seal, hitting the little demon leader squarely in the shoulder. It didn't even have time to scream before it was blasted backward, taking a swath of its companions with it. Its bone blade flew from its grasp, tumbling through the air before embedding itself in the dirt.

The shockwave swept outward, knocking over every little demon within five paces. Some twitched on the ground, unable to rise, while others had simply fainted. A smell of burnt flesh filled the air, mixed with a foul stench that made me want to vomit.

I didn't stop.

Pushing myself up with my knees, I gripped the bronze seal in my left hand and pointed it at the remaining demons. They were still sprawled on the ground, each looking up at me with eyes full of terror.

"Come at me again," my voice was hoarse, unrecognizable, "and I'll use the second lightning strike to split your leader's head open."

No one moved.

A few little demons exchanged glances, then slowly began to retreat. As one turned to flee, I raised the bronze seal a little higher. It immediately scurried back to its original spot, daring not to move again.

I stood still, but my legs were trembling. That last strike had drained all my remaining strength; I was only holding myself up by sheer willpower. If these creatures had dared to charge, I might not have been able to unleash a second lightning strike.

But they didn't dare.

A few seconds later, I don't know who started it, but one by one they turned and fled. Some abandoned their weapons, scrambling over their companions to escape. The leader who had been at the front lay on the ground, its body half charred, smoke rising from its mouth, clearly on the verge of death.

The assault was over.

I let out a sigh of relief, my knees buckling. I quickly reached out to steady myself against a broken stone nearby, barely managing to stay upright. The bronze seal was still hot in my hand; I clutched it tightly, afraid I'd lose it if I loosened my grip.

I turned to look at the spirit beast.

It was still lying on the ground, a deep gash on its hind leg bleeding profusely. There were other scrapes and bruises on its body, and the light on its horn had completely extinguished. Seeing me approach, its ears twitched, and its tail gave a slight wag, indicating it was alright.

I tore off the hem of my Daoist Robe and first cleared the fur around the wound before wrapping it layer by layer. I moved slowly, afraid of hurting it. After bandaging it, I took out the last Qi-Restoring Pill from my storage bag and placed it in its mouth.

"Eat this."

It swallowed with great difficulty, then closed its eyes. Its breathing gradually steadied. I knew it couldn't hold on any longer; this battle had pushed it to its limit.

And me too.

I leaned back against a rock, sitting more steadily. I placed the bronze seal on my lap. Its heat hadn't subsided yet, and the lightning patterns on its surface were still slowly circulating. I stared at it for a long time, finally confirming it wasn't an illusion.

This was the first time the System had given me something during a fight.

Not a cultivation technique, not a pill, but a magic artifact that could save my life. And it only appeared when I was about to die, as if timed perfectly for that moment.

I looked down at my hands.

My fingernails were blue, my knuckles white, and my palms were covered in sweat. The wound on my calf was still bleeding, soaking through my pant leg. But I ignored it. The most important thing now was to recover some spiritual power. Otherwise, if those little demons recovered their senses and came back for another wave, neither of us would make it out.

I closed my eyes and tried to guide my breath.

My meridians were empty, like a dried-up riverbed. My Dantian showed no fluctuation whatsoever. It would take at least several hours to recover in this state, but I wasn't sure if we had that much time.

A rustling sound reached my ears.

I opened my eyes. It was the corpses of a few little demons that hadn't fled far, their bodies stirring. The wind blew through the trees, rustling the leaves and revealing a half-face beneath. It was a young female demon, her neck twisted at an odd angle, her eyes wide open, still clutching a rusty knife.

I didn't look away.

She must have been ambushing here with the others, waiting for prey to pass by. We just happened to stumble upon them. But she didn't know that this hunt would turn into her funeral.

Birdsong echoed from the distance.

A gray-winged mountain sparrow landed on a dead branch, pecked at its feathers, and flew away. This forest would soon return to silence, as if nothing had happened.

But there lay seven corpses on the ground, three broken weapons, and that bone knife stuck in the earth.

I reached out and flipped the bronze seal over.

Two characters were carved on the back: Demon-Slaying.

So that was its name.

I put it into my storage bag, handling it gently. This magic artifact could only be used three times. I had used the first strike just now, leaving two remaining. I couldn't use it again unless absolutely necessary.

I looked up at the sky.

The clouds were thick, the sun hidden behind them, casting no shadows. It was probably past noon, and the wind was starting to get cold. I needed to find a way to leave here, but not now. The spirit beast was severely injured, and I didn't have the strength to travel. At least until it could stand, or I could muster even a sliver of spiritual power.

I leaned my back against the stone wall, settling myself more firmly.

My fingers unconsciously traced the edge of the storage bag. Inside, there were a few low-grade talisman papers, made earlier, not very powerful. The Qi-Restoring Pills were gone, but there was still a little healing ointment left; I'd have to reapply it to the spirit beast later.

Suddenly, there was a sound from the grass to my right.

I immediately raised my hand and pressed down on the storage bag, my other hand reaching for my waist. A short dagger was tucked there, the first defensive tool I'd obtained after crossing over.

The grass parted, and a little demon rolled out.

It wasn't quite dead. There was a gaping wound across its belly, half its intestines spilling out. It crawled on the ground with its hands, moving very slowly, its face covered in mud and blood. When it saw me, it paused, its eyes cloudy, its mouth moving as if it wanted to say something.

I didn't go any closer.

It continued to crawl forward, each movement causing it to twitch in pain. It reached a spot five steps away from me and finally couldn't hold on any longer, collapsing face-first into the mud. Its hand was still outstretched, fingertips digging into the cracks of the soil.

I watched it.

It stopped moving.

After a few seconds, its fingers twitched, then it was still again.

I stood up, walked over, and squatted down. I reached out and felt for its breath.

It was still breathing.

Its eyes opened a tiny slit, its lips trembling as it let out an extremely faint sound.

"...Let... me..."