I spent hours cultivating the wood qi in my surroundings. I felt like an endless void as I absorbed the qi around me at a much quicker pace than I did before. My flesh was filled with drops of wood qi suffusing it. Once my flesh was filled, I was able to get my viscera filled a quarter of the way before my time was up and it was time to head back to the inn to meet with the others.

I left my spot in the tree and found one of the green robed cultivators to return my token. I returned the token, and with Shimmer in tow I returned to the inn before it got too late. Jia was already waiting for me when I returned. She fussed over Shimmer’s new tail and asked me what happened, but I told her I’d explain once Ji got back. While we waited, I asked Jia about her time at the library.

“I wasn’t able to find anything useful about demons locked in swords.” She said.

I frowned.

“I totally thought that the library would have something on cursed swords.” I said.

“Oh, there was plenty on cursed swords, just not a lot on the demons sealed with the swords. Apparently, swords are the most common thing to seal demons within back when sealing demons was common.” She said.

“Well, what did you learn?” I asked, eager to hear what she figured out.

“Mostly that should you come into contact with a cursed sword you should return it to where you found it and leave it alone. Apparently only ruin will come to those who wield cursed swords.” She said.

“I was actually hoping you could ask Text if it knows anything about cursed swords and if they’re safe.” She added. I facepalmed, why hadn’t I thought about that?

“Text, what can you tell us about cursed swords?” I asked.

“ANSWER: Cursed swords are the result of a cultivator sealing a demon within a normal sword. The sword’s quality is changed to masterwork quality, and it becomes attuned with the element the demons was most proficient with. They are the favorite weapons of powerful cultivators who are able to resist the demon’s influence from within the sword.” Text answered.

“What’s the danger when using one?” I asked.

“ANSWER: Below the Domain Creation realm a cultivator will be susceptible to the demon’s influence. Over time the demon will influence the cultivator’s mind until it convinces the cultivator to release the demon. The majority of demon related disasters that occur are due to cultivators not understanding this and releasing the demon, resulting in their deaths.” Text answered.

I relayed this information to Jia, and she asked a poignant question.

“Is there any way to prevent the demon’s influence below the Domain Creation realm?”

I asked Text the same question and eagerly waited for its answer.

“ANSWER: Treasures may exist that prevent the demon’s corruption. Some techniques related to demon sealing may give the user protection against demonic influence. There are one thousand three hundred and forty-six demon sealing techniques stored within the inheritance. Would the user like a list of the techniques?” Text asked.

“Yes!” I said without thinking about it. My vision was flooded with name after name of techniques.

“Ahh!” I yelped out spooking Jia.

“What happened?” She asked, standing now, ready for a fight.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Text gave me a list of demon sealing techniques to look through but there are too many.” I said.

“Can you ask Text to sort them or look through them for us?” Jia suggested.

“That’s a great idea!” I said, tasking Text with finding the techniques most likely to allow Jia to resist the demon’s influence.

I waited a few seconds before a much more reasonable amount of text showed up in my vision.

“ANSWER: three techniques have been found that have the potential to prevent demonic influence. The techniques are as follows:

Sage Technique: Demonic Purification Flame

Sage Technique: Demon Subduing Song

Demon Suppressing Mantra.”

Wow those sounded cool! I told Jia about them and she thought about them.

“They do sound strong, but what are sage techniques?” She asked.

I didn’t know either, so I asked Text.

“ANSWER: Sage techniques are techniques used by those of the transcension realm or higher. They are extremely powerful techniques that have the ability to affect the world in macroscopic ways or change reality all together.”

I relayed the information to Jia and her eyes opened wide.

“Techniques for people in the transcension realm? That seems so far away. What about that third one?” She asked.

I asked Text about the Demon Suppressing Mantra.

“ANSWER: The Demon Suppressing Mantra was developed by a group of reclusive monks who focused on honing their spirituality through reciting mantras and body cultivation. The Demon Suppressing Mantra is one of their techniques used to fight against demons by reducing their power while the mantra is being recited. A side effect of reciting the mantra is the user’s soul is nourished and protected from demonic influence.” Text answered.

Wow, this technique seemed perfect!

I told Jia about its effects and her eyes opened wide.

“That sounds perfect, let me see if it’s easy to learn!” She said.

I gave her the technique book from within the inheritance and she began studying it. While she studied, I played with Shimmer and brushed her coat with a small brush I bought. Ji came back and Jia took a break from studying the technique book. It was time to explain what had happened to me and Shimmer. I told them my story and they were both surprised by the time I finished it.

“So, presumably, once you are acknowledged by each of the Daos Shimmer is related to, she’ll get more tails?” Jia asked. I nodded.

“Yes, I think so.” I answered. Jia cooed to Shimmer about how she was going to get cuter and cuter as time went on. The fox was loving the attention as she started strutting across the bed.

Ji told us about how much he was learning at Huang's smithy and both Jia and I congratulated him on his progress. Jia explained about her findings in the library and our subsequent discovery of the demon suppressing mantra technique. He was interested to see how it worked so we let Jia get back to studying it. We talked about various things like body cultivation and we mused on the meaning of the Daos of earth and metal but neither of us attained any type of enlightenment.

Eventually, after enough time, Jia exclaimed from her spot on her bed.

“I think I’ve got it!” She said.

“Ji and I gathered around her as she pulled out the sword. It was thrumming with restrained power even now releasing its chilly aura to the room when it wasn’t in its scabbard.

Jia began reciting words from the technique book while holding her hands together in front of her and over the sword. After she recited a few lines, she closed her eyes and began reciting the mantra from the beginning. As she recited the mantra, the sword seemed to rebel against the words, it shifted from its position on the bed and began emitting more icy qi into the air. As Jia recited the mantra, her voice took on a sonorous quality that seemed to be building up to something. Ji and I backed up as the sword’s rebelling increased and the bedsheets began to freeze under the sword.

Jia’s recitation reached a crescendo, and with one final recitation of the mantra the sword’s strange actions ceased and the icy aura retreated back into the sword. The sword appeared to be more restrained, and Jia picked it up and swung it a few times, testing it for any flaws. She deemed the demonic influence nullified for the moment and sheathed the sword.

“I think it worked; I don’t feel anything weird from the sword. Do you mind if I keep this technique in case the new seal I placed on the sword starts weakening Astra?” She asked. I shook my head and told her she could keep it.

It was getting late, and we all decided to go to sleep. I thought over my attainment in the Dao of wood and when I thought on it, I found myself starting to fall into meditation. I shook myself out of it, needing to sleep right now, but thought about the long road ahead of me with needing to reach enlightenment with all of the Daos.