Chapter 775: Fang Tianshi

It is difficult to assess a demon slayer's true strength, as their understanding of talismans and seals, and whether they possess powerful magical artifacts, are not outwardly apparent.

At this moment,宗主 Feng employed a secret technique to gauge the spiritual power of the person before him. Most demon slayers do not prioritize their physical bodies, focusing instead on cultivating their souls and spirits. This is because, for the majority of their lives, their souls never reach the full potential their physical bodies could contain, making it unnecessary to spend time on physical cultivation.

"What powerful spiritual energy,"宗主 Feng thought, secretly surprised but unafraid.

Talisman techniques and seal methods demand slow, meticulous study over time, naturally leading to higher mastery with age. All contemporary Demon Slayer Heavenly Masters are over fifty years old, and their spiritual power similarly grows stronger with age.

Unlike Meng Chuan, whose spiritual will was already at the eighth tribulation realm of the Primordial Spirit upon his arrival. The strength of his soul depended entirely on his physical body; it would be as strong as his body could bear. Therefore, Meng Chuan's spiritual power peaked before he was thirty. In contrast, in this world, demon slayers typically grow stronger in spiritual power and more formidable in ability with increasing age.

"Esteemed fellow cultivator,"宗主 Feng asked, smiling slightly, "From which sect or school do you hail?"

The moment he spoke, almost everyone in the hall looked at Meng Chuan; even Marshal Shi remained silent. After all, Marshal Shi, a warlord, dared to be so audacious only because of the Refined Demon Sect backing him.

With the Refined Demon Sect's宗主 speaking personally, everyone realized that this one-armed young man was also a demon slayer, and likely of significant background.

"Do you know this young man?" the old man with the wart whispered to his companion.

"No, I don't," the young man whispered back. "I haven't heard of him among the eminent figures in the demon slayer world."

"Neither of us knows him, so he's probably not from our Binhai demon slayer community," said the old man with the wart. "Let's observe."

Meng Chuan looked at the grey-robed old man on the platform and said, "I am self-taught."

Hearing this,宗主 Feng felt a sense of relief.

Among the demon slayer world, the Refined Demon Sect ranks only in the top ten, with stronger sects existing. There are also several contemporary Demon Slayer Heavenly Masters across the land, and he had feared this young man might hail from one of those powerful major sects.

"Self-taught? It seems he's just a lucky kid who stumbled upon some demon-slaying techniques, or perhaps someone from the Great Yu Dynasty's Demon Slayer Bureau, who lacks any powerful backing,"宗主 Feng thought, a hint of coldness in his eyes as he looked at Meng Chuan. "These days, too many young people don't know their place."

Even he, the dignified宗主 of the Refined Demon Sect, had been so cautious, first attempting to gauge the young man's background.

Yet, this one-armed young man was so arrogant.

"Ignore him,"宗主 Feng said, turning to Marshal Shi beside him, uttering the words he would regret most in his life.

Upon hearing this, Marshal Shi nodded slightly, too lazy to say another word to the one-armed youth. He merely glanced at his subordinates, his eyelids drooping.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three gunshots rang out almost simultaneously, aimed at Meng Chuan.

"Qi'er!" Fang Dalong, an expert marksman, instantly determined the direction of the muzzles and, in his urgency, instinctively moved to shield Meng Chuan.

Meng Chuan stood his ground, perfectly calm, and with his sole left hand, he stopped his father.

A sharp sound!

A translucent azure talisman suddenly appeared in front of Meng Chuan. There was no hand seal formed, no magical artifact visible; yet, a pure, ethereal talisman materialized out of thin air.

This ethereal talisman, about a foot and an inch long, was incredibly clear, its patterns intricate and profound.

With Meng Chuan at the center, a three-zhang radius around him shimmered with flowing water. The three bullets fired into the rippling water, barely advancing half a foot before stopping completely within the currents.

The old man with the wart and the young man stood up in fright, exclaiming, "Talisman drawing in the void!"

"Talisman drawing in the void!" On the platform,宗主 Feng's expression also changed dramatically.

The path of talismans is vast and profound. Talismans are typically drawn in advance because there isn't enough time to create them instantly during combat. Furthermore, high-quality talisman paper and other materials aid in casting. However, legend speaks of individuals with immense spiritual power and profound talisman mastery who can form a talisman with a single thought. This is known as "talisman drawing in the void," a technique that signifies both exceptional talisman mastery and formidable spiritual power. Only a few dozen individuals across the land are estimated to be capable of this feat; at the very least, they have one foot across the threshold of becoming a Heavenly Master.

"Disperse," Meng Chuan said coldly. The rippling water within the three-zhang radius immediately sent droplets spraying in all directions, aimed at the soldiers holding guns, including Marshal Shi and宗主 Feng.

"Bang bang bang." Aside from a few soldiers who, in their panic, immediately fired at Meng Chuan, the other soldiers didn't even have time to raise their muzzles before the water droplets pierced through the firearms in their hands.

Only five soldiers who had fired at Meng Chuan fell, blood holes appearing in their foreheads. The dozens of other soldiers in the hall were merely terrified and weak-kneed but unharmed; however, all their firearms were destroyed. To Meng Chuan, these ordinary soldiers were just trying to earn a living in troubled times. As long as they didn't shoot at him, he could spare them. As for those who did, it was simply repaying karma, sending them on their way.

"Clang." A golden bell fell from宗主 Feng's sleeve. Holding it with one hand, he shook it, and waves of sound enveloped their surroundings, blocking the incoming water droplets and shielding himself, Marshal Shi, and two lieutenants.

Meng Chuan's "talisman drawing in the void" was truly terrifying. The dignified宗主 of the Refined Demon Sect dared not directly form a hand seal to counter it, instead resorting to using the Refined Demon Sect's powerful demon-slaying artifact, the 'Nine-Tone Golden Bell'.

"Fellow cultivator, there seems to be a misunderstanding between us,"宗主 Feng hastily said. Marshal Shi and his two lieutenants were utterly terrified, recognizing that a powerful demon slayer's methods made resistance truly impossible.

"There is no misunderstanding," Meng Chuan said coldly, his left hand, for once, forming a seal.

As the seal was formed.

Even more terrifying currents of water descended upon the hall, entwining themselves around宗主 Feng, Marshal Shi, and their companions.

"Is that my son?" Fang Dalong stared blankly at the scene.

"What powerful water talisman techniques,"宗主 Feng snarled, a fierce glint in his eyes. "Fellow cultivator, let's see you try the techniques of my Refined Demon Sect!"

宗主 Feng threw the golden bell from his hand. The golden bell floated in mid-air, driven by his spiritual power, jingling rapidly. At the same time,宗主 Feng formed a hand seal and shouted, "Refined Demon, heed my command, kill!"

The wall behind the high platform suddenly exploded, and a monster, about a zhang tall and covered in black scales, appeared. Dark mist rose from its body, causing the surrounding walls to disintegrate into crumbling sand under its erosion. This black-scaled monster then lunged towards Meng Chuan.

The moment it appeared, the old man with the wart immediately retreated swiftly, and the young man quickly pulled his wife away, fleeing for safety.

"A Great Demon!"

"The Refined Demon Sect's 'Black Armored Great Demon'!"

The Refined Demon Sect's ability to rank among the top ten demon-slaying sects relied on the two Great Demons still under its control: the Black Armored Great Demon, typically controlled by the宗主, and the Mountain-Moving Great Demon, which usually remained at the sect's mountain gate.

The Black Armored Great Demon could withstand cannon fire, bathe in lava, and endure lightning strikes. It was virtually invincible to mortals; even an army would simply crumble before it.

With the Black Armored Great Demon,宗主 Feng was capable of contending with a Demon Slayer Heavenly Master.

"My first encounter with a Great Demon," Meng Chuan thought, surprisingly excited. He had originally sought out this place precisely for this Great Demon.

Thoughts flashed through his mind.

"Fire technique!" Meng Chuan commanded, and a fiery-red ethereal talisman appeared before him.

Flames immediately descended from thin air, coiling around the pouncing Black Armored Great Demon.

The flames were five-colored: gold, white, red, black, and purple. Under the scorching five-colored flames, the Black Armored Great Demon involuntarily stopped, howling in pain. Its dark-red eyes stared at Meng Chuan with a hint of fear and hesitation.

"Five-colored divine fire? A Demon Slayer Heavenly Master?"宗主 Feng's expression changed, and he formed hand seals, forcefully commanding the Black Armored Great Demon. He urgently shouted, "Refined Demon, act quickly!"

What if he was a Demon Slayer Heavenly Master?

Even a Demon Slayer Heavenly Master would require significant effort to kill a Great Demon. The Black Armored Great Demon, in particular, was renowned for its defense among many Great Demons, which was why the Refined Demon Sect constantly deployed it for battles in the outside world.

The Black Armored Great Demon endured the scorching five-colored divine fire, roaring in pain, and charged at Meng Chuan once more.

"It seems that's not enough," Meng Chuan said, forming a seal with one hand. Beside the floating fiery-red ethereal talisman, an azure-grey talisman appeared.

Immediately, murky water currents appeared, coiling around the Black Armored Great Demon.

The five-colored divine fire burned the upper half of the Black Armored Great Demon, while the murky water currents corroded its lower half.

"Water of the Yellow Springs?"宗主 Feng said, disbelief in his voice.

The Five-colored Divine Fire could only be mastered by those who cultivated the Fire Talisman path to the Heavenly Master level. The Water of the Yellow Springs, terribly corrosive and poisonous, representing death, could only be mastered by those who cultivated the Water Talisman path to the Heavenly Master level.

Cultivating both the Water and Fire paths simultaneously, and both at the Demon Slayer Heavenly Master realm?

Being able to cultivate even one path to the Demon Slayer Heavenly Master realm was extraordinary, with only a few such individuals in the current era. To master both the diametrically opposed Water and Fire paths simultaneously, one could perhaps be called the foremost under heaven.

"Senior, spare this refined demon,"宗主 Feng pleaded, now understanding the gravity of the situation. In its history, the Refined Demon Sect had only refined three Great Demons in total; one was lost in battle, leaving only two! These refined Great Demons were far more important than he, the宗主. A宗主 could be replaced if he died, but if a refined Great Demon was lost, wanting to refine another was simply too difficult.

"Roar!" The Black Armored Great Demon howled in agony. Its lower body was enveloped by the murky water currents, lifting it completely off the ground, unable to escape.

The Water of the Yellow Springs corroded, and the Five-colored Divine Fire scorched. Even its body was rapidly corroded and permeated; its scales crumbled, its flesh disintegrated, and the rising dark mist was completely burned away.

"No, no,"宗主 Feng watched the scene in terror and despair.

The guests in the hall retreated to the corners, watching the scene with trembling hearts and fear.

"Old Five, do you know this Demon Slayer Master?" The other five high-ranking members of the Gold and Silver Gang also watched. Their limited knowledge prevented them from understanding what Meng Chuan's techniques represented, so they could only vaguely refer to him as a 'Demon Slayer Master'.

Fang Dalong watched the talisman techniques his son displayed, feeling as if everything was somewhat unreal.

Was his son truly this powerful?

Could losing an arm have somehow transformed his son instead?

"This, this..." Outside the grand hall, layers of guarding soldiers saw everything happening inside through the windows and doors, and each one was stunned.

"Quick, let's go! The Great Demon is finished, and the宗主 is finished too."

"Hurry and leave."

"Don't worry about the strange demons either."

Some disciples of the Refined Demon Sect, disguised among the soldiers, saw this and were so frightened that they immediately scattered and fled, not even bothering with the sixteen strange demons stored in the mansion. They clearly understood that Demon Slayer Heavenly Masters had many ways to track demons, and carrying strange demons would make them easily traceable.

"Refined Demon宗主, what do we do now?" Marshal Shi and his two lieutenants anxiously looked at宗主 Feng.

At this moment, the Black Armored Great Demon had completely turned to ash.

宗主 Feng looked up at Meng Chuan: "I failed to recognize a truly eminent master. Could you, eminent master, spare me this time, considering the contributions my Refined Demon Sect has made to the world?"

"The ancestors of the Refined Demon Sect indeed rendered meritorious service in demon slaying. But what does their merit have to do with you?" The moment Meng Chuan finished speaking, the Five-colored Divine Fire touched宗主 Feng, as well as Marshal Shi and the two lieutenants beside him. All four of them instantly turned to ash.

"A bunch of worthless scum!" A cold glint was in Meng Chuan's eyes.

If they were truly an army for the common people, he might have respected them.

But in reality, when the war against the corrupt Great Yu Dynasty broke out, they were absent.

Once the Great Yu Dynasty fell, warlords emerged one after another, occupying various regions and plundering everywhere. Their plundering was even more rapacious than that of the Great Yu Dynasty. For instance, this time, Marshal Shi seemingly only targeted the wealthiest and most powerful strata of Binhai City; however, once this stratum was harvested, the impact would naturally trickle down to the lower classes, making life even harder for Binhai's common folk.

In chaotic times, those who further fueled chaos with plunder were even more detestable. Those who condoned rogue armies' plundering deserved to die.

"Dead?"

"The Refined Demon宗主, Marshal Shi, all dead?" The Binhai elites in the hall were somewhat shocked as they looked at the one-armed commoner youth.

Meng Chuan looked at the scene, yet mused, "Merely relying on talisman drawing in the void, and needing to combine both water and fire talisman techniques to slay a Great Demon... It seems I'm still far from being able to kill a 'Source Demon'."

Meng Chuan looked at Fang Dalong beside him: "Father, let's go home."

"Okay, okay," Fang Dalong nodded repeatedly, still a bit dazed.

"Father?"

The other five high-ranking members of the Gold and Silver Gang, along with other influential figures in the hall, all looked at Fang Dalong.

The Fang Manor suddenly became the most frequently visited place by Binhai City's elite.

High-ranking officials from the military, business, and demon slayer communities all came to visit. If they couldn't visit the Demon Slayer Heavenly Master 'Fang Qi', visiting his father, Fang Dalong, was also acceptable.

"Big Brother, I heard Master Fang is *the* person in Binhai City now!" a man said, giving a thumbs-up. "We're just a small gang, the Blood Axe Gang; can we even get into the Fang Manor?"

"Your Big Brother here also once had drinks with Senior Fang Dalong; he'll surely give me some face." Gang Leader Ma, carrying gifts and accompanied by his deputy, arrived at the gates of the Fang Manor. He ingratiatingly stated his purpose, claiming only that he was an old acquaintance of Master Fang and had come to visit.

"Wait at the gate," someone went in to relay the message.

Gang Leader Ma and his deputy waited anxiously.

"Gang Leader Ma, please come in."

Gang Leader Ma immediately straightened his back a little, smugly glanced at his deputy, and walked in together.

All across the land, it became known that a Demon Slayer Heavenly Master named 'Fang Qi' had emerged in Binhai City in the south.

Information on Fang Qi also appeared on the desks of various factions: Fang Qi, originally the son of a country landlord, entered the capital's Demon Slayer Academy as a youth, displaying considerable talent. He later joined the Demon Slayer Bureau, becoming a Silver Emblem Demon Slayer. After losing an arm, he became disheartened and taught at the Demon Slayer Academy, where he frequently visited the scripture library to read. After the capital fell, Fang Qi also returned to Binhai City.

When he made his move, he used no talismans or magical artifacts, relying solely on talisman drawing in the void. He killed the Refined Demon Sect's Black Armored Great Demon with water and fire talisman techniques. Such terrifying strength hinted at the prowess of the foremost person under heaven.

Various factions in Binhai City sent all sorts of rare treasures to Master Fang, adopting a posture of obeying his commands and willingly acting as his loyal servants. After all, in chaotic times, with Master Fang, implicitly the foremost person under heaven, holding sway in Binhai City, the city would remain stable.

In the following days, various forces from the demon slayer world also sent people to visit Master Fang. Master Fang was very amiable and willing to share his experience in demon-slaying secret techniques with visitors. This even attracted other Demon Slayer Heavenly Masters to visit. Master Fang held nothing back, exchanging experiences with all, and when he occasionally displayed his techniques, they were extraordinarily terrifying. Any Demon Slayer Heavenly Master who interacted with him invariably admitted to being inferior to Master Fang.

Time flowed on, and in the blink of an eye, seven years had passed since Master Fang slew the 'Black Armored Great Demon'.