Chapter 67 <Slaughter Demon Sutra>

Duncan opened the bag and poured out its contents on the ground as he sat in his dwelling after coming back. He didn't waste much time checking out the contents as he didn't have anything else to do at the moment.

Duncan had to admit that he was really curious to see what a real cultivation technique looked like. He wanted to see if there were any similarities between it and the <Coiling Dragon Sutra> the old coot had given him.

However, he decided to keep it for last. The first thing he perused was the book containing the rules of the sect. He didn't want to create some blunders just because he didn't read the rule book.

The rule book listed out the few rules that generally governed the sect. Duncan was really surprised to see such loose governance. He was expecting the sect to be much stricter in their governance, but they were pretty lenient as long as someone followed the basic rules.

The basic rules were similar to what his master had said to him. Respect the seniors, be loyal to the sect, and don't kill fellow disciples. It was easy enough for him to understand.

He was glad that he didn't have to figure out some complex stuff. There were simple tenants he could follow up with. Then came the responsibility part of the rulebook.

And they too were very simple as well.

Basically, the responsibility of a disciple included standing up for the sect, being willing to die for the sect if a need arose, and not betraying the sect in any manner. Duncan didn't feel that the sect was unfair to ask him of that after providing him a way for him to cultivate.

He then turned his attention to the next section. The one where how things actually worked in the sect and what are the important things he ought to know. After pursuing it for some time, Duncan gradually got a clear picture of how the sect operated.

Duncan made notes mentally about some key points that he needed to remember. As for the parts that applied to him, Duncan was really fine with them.

Basically, a new disciple like him would have to do some chores in the sect and cultivate diligently. Other than chores within the sect, the new disciples were also required to complete two yellow-rank missions by the end of the year. If not, they will be kicked off.

By now, Duncan knew that the only way for someone to leave the sect was as a dead body. So, he clearly understood what the phrase kicked off meant here. But, he didn't see much of an issue here.

Duncan figured doing some chores and a couple of missions were absolutely fine as he would be getting room and board from the sect for an entire year. Duncan also realized that each disciple will be assigned a chore to keep the sect running and he needed to present himself to the administrative building tomorrow to get his assigned.

Once he was done with that booklet, Duncan wasn't in the mood to read any more about the sect or its rules and such. He was already itching in his heart to check out the cultivation technique that his master had selected for him.

So, Duncan eagerly opened the booklet that his master had given to him. Taking a deep breath he started to read the first page of the book.

[Slaughter Demon Sutra is a true demonic technique that has been handed down by our ancestors for hundreds of years. If you have chosen this technique to practice, I congratulate you for having a bold heart and being unflinching in the face of difficulties. For it is said that only a true demon could really bring out the full potential of this cultivation technique.]

Duncan frowned as he read the first paragraph. He hadn't actually chosen this technique for himself. It was his master who chose this for him. He wasn't exactly sold on that last warning bit.

If only a true demon could unleash the full potential of this technique then it didn't seem ideal for him to cultivate this. However, this was the technique that his master had chosen for him. There had to be a reason for it. Being a novice in cultivation, Duncan didn't have the balls to question the judgment of an expert like his master.

So, he decided to read further and see what this technique was all about. He had a vague feeling that this technique was chosen because of the special state he supposedly entered during his battle two nights ago.

[However, if you aren't a true demon, you don't need to be disheartened. While the full potential of this technique can only be exhibited by a true demon, any demonic cultivator who practices this is bound to obtain unimaginable benefits as well. This is the reason Slaughter Demon Sutra is considered to be one of the top-tier cultivation techniques to exist amongst the demonic path.]

Duncan nodded as he realized that he might have judged the cultivation technique a bit hastily. If this was one of the premier cultivation techniques present in the sect, then it was no wonder that his master chose it for him.

[State of Mind – One of the prerequisites to cultivate this technique is that you need to have a proper state of mind. Without it, it is very hard to even successfully reach the first layer of this sutra.

It is naturally ideal that you switch to this cultivation technique after exploring others as the state of mind required for this technique is highly difficult to attain. For a cultivator to reach the ideal state of mind to cultivate this technique effectively, they need to have a jaded worldview and a thirst for power.

They need to be remorseless in their quest to power as this cultivation technique, true to its name, is based on the path of slaughter. A cultivator who cultivates this technique to higher levels will naturally be predisposed to understand the secrets behind the Slaughter Dao.

As its name suggests, the Slaughter Dao is a dao that comprises of finding the true meaning of slaughter. In order to do so, a cultivator must truly immerse himself in slaughter and experience it in a profound way. A cultivator who practices this particular sutra will not be afraid of getting blood on their hands.

On their path to power, these cultivators will slaughter millions of lives and peek at the secret behind the slaughter dao. However, if a person practices Slaughter Demon Sutra, they will be able to easily perceive the insights into Slaughter Dao easily.

However, there is no free food in this world. In order to reach the higher levels of this technique, a truly demonic mindset is needed. The cultivator in question must have power as their ultimate goal and should be willing to do whatever it took to achieve it.]

Duncan took in a deep breath and fell into deep thought. He could see why this technique suited him now. He wanted power beyond any other thing in this world. Maybe, his master had sensed it and had prepared such a technique that was compatible with his goal because of this reason.

However, he wasn't sold on the idea of being a remorseless killer. And the part about truly immersing himself in slaughter sounded vaguely like what he had experienced in the Grasslands. This unsettled him a bit. But, Duncan bravely soldiered on.

The next segment talked about how to draw in the qi of heaven and earth into his body. The entire process was explained in a very detailed manner, allowing even a novice like him could understand how to actually perform it.

After reading it, Duncan decided to go ahead and give it a try before he read any further. Frankly, he had been waiting for a long time to experience how cultivation felt. It was like an unbearable itch within his heart. And he could no longer suppress the chance to scratch it.

Duncan closed his eyes and calmed his mind. He went through the process of how to draw in the qi one last time and started breathing in and out in a manner specified in the manual.

At first, Duncan was incredibly disappointed when nothing seemed to happen. However, Duncan decided to not worry about outcomes and soon started to concentrate entirely on the breathing rhythm.

Time flew by as Duncan started to truly lose himself in meditation. As his entire mind was focused on how to regulate his breathing, he forgot about his surroundings soon.

He breathed in and out in a strange rhythm that was specified in the manual and lost himself to it. As time passed by, Duncan began to feel something registering in his senses that he was sure he wasn't able to see with his eyes open.

Maintaining the rhythm, Duncan switched his focus towards that something. Slowly bright colors started to blossom inside his mind as they slowly moved toward him.

After what felt like an eon, these bright spots reached his body and his mind shook as they made contact with him. Duncan felt as if a thin paper door was separating him from them. So, he tried to pull them in past the paper door desperately.

The moment that paper door broke down, Duncan felt something rush into his body and settle just below his navel in the stomach region. His entire body felt fresh and his fatigue was magically washed away.

He felt as if something that was absent from him all this time was at last reunited with him. He could feel the existence of that something within his body now. It felt brighter than anything he had seen so far in his life.

Duncan slowly opened his eyes and mumbled thoughtfully to himself.

"So, that is the effect of qi, huh?"

*****

A/N: Hey folks!

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