The Thunder-Inducing Sword Technique.
The renowned method of the Celestial Court for exterminating evil.
Any knowledgeable demon would understand the power of this sword technique.
Thunder inherently restrains evil spirits. However, when invoking thunder, the convergence of strong spiritual energy at the lightning strike point serves as a beacon for the thunder. Therefore, while thunder techniques are formidable, they are also easily detectable.
One only needs to evade the gathering of spiritual energy in advance.
But the Thunder-Inducing Sword Technique is different.
Drawing thunder without releasing it, using the long sword as a beacon, every sword strike is accompanied by thunder.
This is a method where there is no escape, no avoidance.
Throughout history, many notorious demons and monsters have perished under this Thunder-Inducing Sword Technique.
"This Thunder-Inducing Sword Technique is extremely difficult to cultivate. A slight mistake could lead to self-immolation by thunder! How could a mere cultivator at the Third Realm possibly master it?" The fox demon fled in a frenzy, refusing to engage Lin Ji head-on.
"Just managed to cultivate it by chance," Lin Ji casually replied.
The fox demon simply did not understand that there were no bottlenecks in cultivation, no difficulties.
The karmic ledger bestowed upon Lin Ji was far more than just aptitude.
It was about learning and mastering everything.
Moreover, his cultivation was steadily progressing every day, not achieving great heights overnight, but progressing smoothly without setbacks.
It was because Lin Ji's innate aptitude was average, so his cultivation speed was not considered fast. And due to the short time spent cultivating, he had only reached the Third Realm.
The reason he did not use the Thunder-Inducing Sword Technique initially was that the method consumed too much energy. Even just invoking thunder without it striking would burden Lin Ji greatly.
If the fox demon were at full strength and couldn't be caught, that would be troublesome.
After a moment, Lin Ji had once again caught up to the fox demon.
Another sword strike.
Thunder descended, striking heavily on the fox demon.
The fox demon was directly split from humanoid form to demon form. Where the lightning struck, a gruesome piercing wound appeared, the area around the wound charred black by the extreme heat of the thunder.
"Have mercy on me!" The fox demon finally grew fearful.
As she fled, she hurriedly shouted, "I-I am from the Qingqiu Fox Clan! If you kill me, the Qingqiu Fox Clan will not let you off!"
"You dare to harm people recklessly in Qingyang County. The Celestial Court will not spare you either!" Lin Ji coldly declared. "Qingqiu Fox Clan? So what? Qingqiu Valley is far in Yunzhou. This place is within the territory of Liangzhou!"
As his words fell, the fox demon's escape speed had slowed down significantly.
Lin Ji was ready to deliver the final strike.
With the remaining spiritual energy in him, after invoking three thunder strikes, he would be depleted.
Having already unleashed two strikes, this final strike would undoubtedly slay the fox demon.
But at that moment, a slightly elderly voice suddenly resonated in the sky.
"Stop."
With the descent of this elderly voice, the pink mist surrounding the fox demon, her illusion technique, dissipated unremarkably.
The depletion of spiritual energy being continuously drained from Lin Ji's body finally ceased.
The thunder looming in the sky without being unleashed also disappeared without a trace.
Lin Ji's body was covered in goosebumps.
The fox demon no longer fled.
Tap... tap... tap...
The rhythmic sound of a cane striking the ground drew closer.
After a moment, an old woman appeared in front of Lin Ji.
"Mother." As soon as the fox demon saw the old woman, she quickly transformed into human form and hid behind her.
"This brat nearly killed my daughter. You must avenge me," the old woman said calmly.
"I asked you to find the Demon Nourishing Pill. Did I ask you to cause trouble in the city?" the old woman asked in a calm tone.
The fox demon shrank her neck, lowering her head, not daring to speak further.
The old woman then looked at Lin Ji.
"My daughter is ignorant. Now that you have beaten her, let this matter rest. What do you say?"
Lin Ji pursed his lips, quietly observing the old woman.
His spiritual eyes couldn't see through, but the restrained demonic aura of the old woman was something he couldn't contend with.
"Are you Madam Hua?" Lin Ji forced a calm tone.
"It is I."
"So, the fox demon who passed the transformation test with the help of Mr. Liu's family?"
"Correct."
"You don't seem like a wicked demon causing trouble. Mr. Liu assisted your daughter in her transformation, which was a great favor. Why did you want to kill his entire family?" Lin Ji continued to inquire.
Madam Hua fell silent for a moment.
"Fei, bring it out," she said.
The fox demon frowned, reluctant.
"Mother, that belongs to our Qingqiu Fox Clan..."
"Bring it out."
The fox demon dared not argue further and opened her mouth, revealing a round demon pill suspended in mid-air.
"A demon pill?"
"The demon pill of the Eight-Tailed Demon Fox, from the Fox Clan's Heavenly Tomb in Qingqiu Valley."
"Eight tails?!" Lin Ji's expression showed slight surprise.
Even the most formidable fox demon in Qingqiu Valley seemed to have only seven tails.
"This was stolen from the Fox Clan's Heavenly Tomb by a traitor from our Qingqiu Fox Clan. The traitor was hunted down all the way and exhausted, arriving in Liangzhou by chance. Unfortunately, he was killed by human cultivators, and news of this demon pill was lost."
"I searched throughout Liangzhou for decades before tracing it to the Liu family in this small Qingyang County, the ancestral family of the person who took the demon pill from the tomb."
"That person has long since died, but the demon pill cannot remain lost. Hence, this incident occurred."
Lin Ji furrowed his brow.
"You found the Liu family three years ago. Why did you only take the demon pill now?"
"The Liu family's ancestors killed members of the Qingqiu Fox Clan. They should have paid with the lives of their entire family. But I did not want to attract the Celestial Court in Liangzhou. Moreover, my daughter's transformation was imminent. So, I thought, if the descendants of the Liu family helped my two daughters transform, this matter could be overlooked."
"So, after the Liu family refused you a second time, you became angry and harmed their entire family?"
"I only made them into wooden puppets to attend the wedding. They wouldn't even agree to that. How stubborn." Madam Hua spoke expressionlessly.
Lin Ji looked at the fox demon again.
"You killed Miss Liu from the Liu family just to cover up in the city and leave after obtaining the demon pill? If so, why did you harm those two constables?"
The fox demon remained silent, but Madam Hua chuckled, "They were just two mortals. If they die, they die. What's the big deal?"
Lin Ji fell silent.
No wonder they could have concealed their actions, taken the item, and left, but they chose to cause trouble.
Reckless abandon.
Before Lin Ji could ask further questions, Madam Hua added, "Telling you all this is just to give an explanation to the Celestial Court, to let you know that there are reasons and consequences to this matter. Do not entangle yourselves further, or I won't hesitate to eliminate you."
With that, Madam Hua beckoned, then soared into the sky with the fox demon and disappeared after a moment.
Lin Ji breathed a sigh of relief, his back covered in cold sweat.
If not for his identity as a Celestial Court constable, the old demon from Qingqiu Valley would never have explained anything to him, let alone spared his life.
After a moment, he picked up a cluster of fox fur from the ground.
Taking out the Karmic Ledger, he stored the fur inside.
He added a new line beneath it in the Karmic Ledger.
"Madam Hua and Fei of the Qingqiu Fox Clan, killed Mr. Liu's family of five."
End of Chapter.