BUZZ!
As Sevrin's thought moved slightly, a segment of information suddenly expanded within his vision:
「 Whether to promote "Destiny-Reversing Profound Art" from Layer 0 to Layer 3: Yes / No? 」
"Hah, it actually works!"
Amidst his delight, Sevrin immediately chose 「 Yes 」.
Subsequently, he felt a dazed sensation as if he had fallen into the deepest part of a boundless ocean, surrounded by cold, icy, and metallic-scented seawater.
This seawater acted almost like a living thing, surging in waves filled with malice, continuously rushing into Sevrin's ears, eyes, nose, and mouth, as if trying to completely block his breath and make him suffocate to death.
But simultaneously, hundreds of transparent liquid streams, even colder and more chilling than this deep-sea water, abruptly manifested around Sevrin and instantly burrowed into every pore of his body.
In a flash, these freezing streams permeated and pierced through all of Sevrin's internal organs, tendons, bones, and even smaller, more minute levels.
While passing through, these streams also performed a deep-level, massive reconstruction of every part of his body from the inside out.
WHOOSH!
As if having experienced a cycle of reincarnation, Sevrin felt that from his body to his soul, he had transformed entirely into a fish in a single breath, becoming a Whale wandering in the vast ocean and galloping through the million-meter deep abyss.
He no longer feared the cold and gloom of the deep sea; instead, he felt the vast ocean was so intimate, filled with endless vitality, and this life force was continuously nourishing and strengthening him, making him eternally unharmed, undamaged, invincible, and fearless.
However, Sevrin knew that all of this was actually just an illusion.
There was no ocean at all, and he had not turned into a Northern Venomous Whale.
According to the records of the technique, this was merely a normal phenomenon occurring during the practice of Demon-natured Martial Arts, caused by the influence of the memory fragments within that demon blood.
Once the work reached full completion, it would naturally vanish into nothingness.
Sure enough, in the next moment, these various illusions abruptly receded and vanished.
At the same time, Sevrin also slowly opened his eyes.
And his pupils had turned a deep azure color, just like the ocean.
"The various realms of Demon-natured Martial Arts, from low to high, are sequentially divided into Nurturing the Demon Seed, Breeding the Fetus, Fetal Transformation of the Soul, Moving Soul Out of Body, and Tempering the Body into a Demon."
Sevrin grinned and laughed loudly, "Hahaha, in a single step, I've leaped to the fifth realm of demon martial arts: Tempering the Body into a Demon. The system is truly effective; as for things like Whale blood, secret potions, none of them are needed at all."
By now, although his physical appearance hadn't undergone much change, his eyes had turned a deep azure.
But the internal organs, viscera, and even the tendons, bones, and blood in every part of his body had completely evolved, becoming far superior to those of ordinary mortals.
Simultaneously, this also upgraded two new traits: Level 3 Self-healing and Level 2 Underwater Living.
"My physical strength... has increased by more than several times!"
Sevrin slowly raised his hand, pressing his fingers together like a blade before suddenly slashing down.
SWISH!
In an instant, a vacuum air blade visible to the naked eye was slashed forth, cutting diagonally toward a point over 100m away.
BANG!
A split second later, a stone statue leaning against a ruined wall within the ruins of the Ancient Sect had its head sliced off by the vacuum blade as it flashed past.
Although Sevrin could achieve this kind of effect before, he was never able to do it with such effortless grace as he did now, as natural and easy as breathing.
However, in the Special Traits column of his personal interface, his traits related to physical strength and power, such as Robust Physique, Nails, and Stamina, currently remained only at Level 3 and had not reached Level 4.
This led Sevrin to speculate:
"From the looks of it, the gap between each level of a trait is still very large, so large that even if my strength increases several times, I still cannot reach the Level 4 threshold."
After pondering for a moment, he turned and called out to Peon: "The business here is done. Let's go, Peon."
"No,"
To his surprise, Peon refused, "My Lord, you should go. I... forget it."
"Eh?" Sevrin asked in confusion, "Why?"
"My Lord,"
Peon's jawbone opened and closed, "Just now, while you were reading the book, for some reason, I heard a mysterious voice. That voice told me... my hatred and malevolence have dissipated, and I can... reincarnate."
After saying this, his skeletal face suddenly blurred and miraculously transformed into a normal human face with flesh and blood.
"Reincarnate?"
Sevrin looked at Peon's transformation, his expression dazed.
In fact, back in the warehouse of the Nina Town's Demon-Slaying Bureau, he had indeed read related materials concerning the reincarnation of ghosts.
According to those records, ghost reincarnation was historically rare, so rare that in the entire world, not even one might appear in a hundred years.
The reason was that the malice and hatred of evil spirits were heavy and extremely difficult to resolve.
Even as time passed and more killings occurred, the malice would grow thicker and thicker, eventually solidifying completely, leaving no possibility of even a shred of resolution.
Unless that ghost was naturally pure and kind during their life and, despite dying a tragic and sudden death filled with resentment, remained benevolent by nature and never killed indiscriminately.
Otherwise, the so-called reincarnation of an evil spirit would be nothing more than empty talk.
But seeing this today, it was clearly not empty talk.
Because Peon happened to fit the description in the materials perfectly.
In life, he was a kind person, so kind that even after being murdered by Xin Gein in the deep mountains and turning into an evil spirit, he never followed the ferocious nature of a ghostly entity to eat or harm people, and even benevolently protected Dashan's family.
And now that Sevrin had helped him seek revenge and assisted in resolving his longing and anxiety for his sister Failan, wasn't this... equivalent to completing all the prerequisite conditions for an evil spirit's reincarnation?
After figuring these things out, Sevrin said no more, only sighing, "This is truly a good thing. You are finally liberated and can be human once again."
"Yes," Peon nodded, "My Lord, you are right. Being human is still better than being a ghost."
As he spoke, his ghostly form visibly began to blur, and the thick resentment and malice that had constantly enveloped his body slowly dissipated and vanished without a trace.
At this moment, Peon raised his head slightly as if sensing something, and suddenly added:
"My Lord, I can vaguely sense... I may be reincarnated within the borders of Graew. If you need me in the future, you can seek me out. With your vast supernatural powers, you will surely find me, and at that time, I will go through fire and water for you!"
Hearing these words, Sevrin couldn't help but fall silent for a moment, then he raised his voice and said:
"Rest assured, I will definitely find you. You are much older than me, so there is no need to call me 'Lord' anymore. Let us call each other brothers."
Peon was startled for a moment, then he laughed heartily, "Good, good, good! For me, Peon, to know a heroic brother like you is truly the fortune of three lifetimes. If there were wine here, I would have to get dead drunk with you for three days!"
Sevrin laughed upon hearing this, "No rush. Once you grow to seven or eight years old and can drink wine, I will find you and we shall have a grand drink."
"Hahaha, good," Peon laughed boisterously. "Then this wine shall be an appointment for my next life. Until we meet again, brother."
With that, he vanished like smoke, completely disappearing within this cavern deep beneath the earth.
Only Sevrin remained standing with his hands behind his back, his thoughts unknown.
After Peon's reincarnation, Sevrin returned the way he came, quickly leaving this spacious cavern.
As for that mysterious Dragon Egg that had previously caused the entire Kariku Pavilion to relocate...
Unfortunately, the stone monument clearly bore the character for 'Damaged', so there was no point in thinking he could find it.
On the return journey, because he was traveling alone, Sevrin's speed this time was much faster.
In just about half an hour, he had traversed the entire underground tunnel and arrived at the cavern in the deep mountains where Dashan's family resided.
As Ghost Citizens who hid by day and were active by night, the Dashan couple and their two children were now all asleep.
Only Dashan remained, keeping a solitary watch by the edge of the pond, quietly waiting for Sevrin and Peon to return.
So the moment Sevrin appeared, he immediately stood up to greet him and asked:
"My Lord, did everything go smoothly?"
After stepping out of the pond, Sevrin nodded and said: "Very smoothly."
"Then, my brother-in-law..."
Dashan glanced behind Sevrin and stammered, "Why hasn't he returned?"
Sevrin replied: "His malevolence has completely dissipated; he has gone to be reincarnated."
"Ah? Truly?!"
Dashan was both surprised and delighted, "Haha, that's wonderful! This is a great event! Wife... Wife!"
Shouting and calling out, he ran toward the depths of the cavern.
A short while later, joyful exclamations from the Dashan couple echoed within the cave, followed by the dissatisfied cries of the two children being woken up.
But as soon as they started making a fuss, they were met with the education of Dashan's iron fists, and they immediately became well-behaved.
Sevrin, who slowly walked over and witnessed this scene, couldn't help but let a smile spread across his face.
"Dashan, have you thought about leaving this place and returning to Nina Town to live a normal person's life again?"
Sevrin said, "The entire Xin family and their henchmen have been eradicated by me; there will be no one left to bully you."
Upon hearing these words, Dashan, who was laughing and playing with the children, stiffened for a moment, then looked up at Sevrin and said hesitantly:
"My Lord, our family... has actually adapted to the environment here. We are a bit, uh... a bit unwilling to go out, and furthermore..."
"And furthermore, you have developed a fear of the outside world." Sevrin pondered and said, "Is that so?"
After Dashan and his wife looked at each other, they nodded honestly: "Yes, My Lord."
"Very well." Sevrin sighed, "It is indeed safe here, just a bit lonely."
Immediately, as if thinking of something, the word Naeaie suddenly glowed in his palm. Under the trembling gazes of Dashan's family, he released the tall and imposing Demon-Subduing Vajra Brao from the grotto.
Once outside, as soon as Brao saw Sevrin, he immediately dropped to one knee. "My Master," he said with deep respect. "What are your orders?"
"Take this."
Sevrin tossed a piece of gold to Brao. "Head to Nina Town immediately. Buy a male and a female water buffalo and bring them back. I have a use for them."
"As you wish, Master," Brao answered instantly.
Sevrin turned back to the bewildered Dashan and gave a faint smile.
"Would you mind leading Brao out of the cavern and pointing him toward the road to Nina Town?"
"Sure, it's no trouble, but..."
Dashan scratched his head, looking curious. "You asked this... Lord Brao to buy buffaloes? Is there a specific reason for that?"
"They have a use," Sevrin replied. "I intend to give your family a gift."
"A gift?" Dashan murmured, but he stopped asking. He honestly led the way toward the pond with Brao.
Meanwhile, Sevrin slowly closed his eyes and sat cross-legged on the ground. He waited in total silence, as unmoving as a statue.
Before long, Dashan returned to the cavern alone, carrying two dead fish for the family's meal.
About half a watch later, the figure of Brao emerged from the pond. He was hauling two massive water buffaloes, one tucked firmly under each arm.
The two beasts had clearly been carried by sheer strength the entire way.
Before Sevrin could speak, Brao addressed him.
"Master, I have a situation to report."
"A report?" Sevrin looked surprised. "Go ahead, speak."
Receiving permission, Brao immediately spoke.
"While I was in Nina Town, I encountered over a thousand men calling themselves Black Wolf Bandits. they were scouring the town for information about you."
"They never learn," Sevrin gave a cold snort. "I slaughtered their Second Leader and thousands of their men, yet they still dare to crawl back."
He knew that the thousand men surrounding Nina Town must have been dispatched by the First Leader of the Black Wolf Bandits.
"Their arrogance is boundless. It seems I must strike with a heavy hand," Sevrin whispered coldly.
He immediately began to plan.
As the saying goes, a snake is nothing without its head. Although these Black Wolf Bandits were numerous, they were ultimately just a pack of thieves.
If he killed the First Leader, the mastermind, the rest of the rabble would scatter like dust. They would become nothing more than broken soldiers of no concern.
By then, the threat to Nina Town and other settlements would vanish.
After making up his mind, Sevrin asked Brao again, "And those bandits? Did you handle them?"
"I have cleared them all out, Master."
Brao said calmly, "Malice toward you was thick within them. There was no reason for them to live."
"Well done," Sevrin nodded. He opened the grotto portal, pulling Brao and the two water buffaloes inside.
Once finished, he closed his eyes and shifted his focus into the Kiyou Grotto, specifically onto the beasts.
Sevrin planned to use the buffaloes as raw materials. By utilizing the methods within the "True Art of Demon-Shifting", he would mutate them into two Iron-Scaled Fungus Bulls. They would be his gift to Dashan's family—a permanent meat source.
He chose this specific demon beast because its temperament was incredibly mild. It was virtually indistinguishable from an ordinary buffalo.
Furthermore, its training difficulty was minimal. As long as the materials were right, the process could be completed in a single day.
More importantly, these beasts were survivors. They could rapidly grow meat by eating almost anything—moss, weeds, dust, or even filthy water. They were remarkably like a Warhammer Ork.
Their vitality was just as resilient.
As long as the head was intact, the beast would not die. Even if it lost half its body, it would fully recover within days.
...
A day passed.
"My Lord, what are you..."
Dashan stared at the two sturdy, coal-black bulls before him in a daze. "What breed is this? I have never seen anything like it."
"These are Fungus Bulls," Sevrin said, stroking their hides. "Feed them moss, weeds, or even dirt. That is all they need to thrive.
If you are hungry, take a knife and carve a few pieces of meat from them. These bulls feel no pain. As long as you aren't excessive and keep their heads safe, they will never grow angry."
Upon hearing this, Dashan immediately fell to his knees and kowtowed three times. His wife hurried over, dragging the two children to kneel and kowtow with him.
Once finished, Dashan looked at Sevrin with intense gratitude.
"My Lord, I see your kindness. Now that my brother-in-law has been reincarnated, there is no one left to protect us. By giving us these Fungus Bulls, you have ensured we can stay in this cavern forever. We never have to risk the beasts or bandits outside for food. You... you are truly the savior of this family!"
"That is an exaggeration," Sevrin waved his hand. "You are simply people in a hard place. I had the ability to help, so I did. Just live your lives well from now on."
With that, he stepped toward the pond.
Under the grateful gazes of Dashan's family, he disappeared into the water.
...
CRACK!
CRACK-BOOM!
Heavy clouds gathered, crackling with thunder and lightning.
Under a grey shroud of drizzling rain, the wilderness stretched out like a giant, bleak carpet toward the horizon.
A bitter wind blew from the dimming edge of the world, making the air even gloomier.
It whipped against millions of withered weeds, making them sway like waves on a dead sea.
Occasionally, a few jagged trees stood amongst them, swaying like ghosts brandishing claws in the storm.
But this gloom was torn away in the next second as a figure flew in from the horizon, roaring past like a meteor.
It was Sevrin, moving at his absolute limit.
BOOM!
Trailing a rolling, white sonic boom cloud, he pierced through the rain curtains. He sped just above the ground, his sheer wind pressure acting like a scythe. He violently plowed a thick trench through the desolate yellow grass and mud below.
It was a jagged wound inflicted upon the earth by the force of his flight.
Because Sevrin's speed was so immense, the trail of flying grass was like an endlessly growing dragon. In an instant, it crossed the entire wilderness, reaching the other side of the rain-submerged horizon.
Despite the massive commotion, Sevrin paid no mind.
He was currently recalling the intelligence gathered on the First Leader of the Black Wolf Bandits, the man who was also Coeu's master—Lan Yuca.
In the stories told by the father and son, this man's image was as different as heaven and earth.
To Coeu, Lan Yuca was a heroic master with god-like martial arts, a man worthy of reverence.
But to his father, Xin Gein, the man was a thick-skinned, shameless, and despicable beast who deserved to be sliced into a thousand pieces.
The reason for these conflicting views was linked to a twisted personal hobby.
Lan Yuca had a deep fondness for other men's wives.
This was why Xin Gein hated him with such a passion.
Decades ago, when Xin Gein was a young man, he had studied martial arts under Lan Yuca.
He and his son were effectively fellow disciples of the same man.
At that time, Xin Gein had a childhood sweetheart. They joined the sect together and eventually married.
However, after the wedding, Lan Yuca took an interest in his disciple's wife.
Using sinister methods, he seduced the woman. They maintained a secret relationship for three years.
Xin Gein was completely oblivious.
Until three years later, when Lan Yuca, seeking a thrill, intentionally waited for Xin Gein to return home and find them.
The trauma was so severe that Xin Gein fled, living like a ghost for six months before he recovered.
But when he finally returned home, he discovered his wife was six months pregnant.
It was an utter humiliation.
Just as Xin Gein was driven mad by rage, Lan Yuca appeared. He threatened the lives of the entire Xin clan, forcing the man to accept the wife and the unborn child.
Hemmed in by fear for his family, Xin Gein helplessly agreed.
Months later, Coeu was born. Thus began Xin Gein's decade-long life as a cuckold.
Throughout those years, Lan Yuca would appear in the home whenever he pleased. He didn't avoid Xin Gein at all. Sometimes, he would even force the man to stand guard at the door, or leave it wide open so he could watch.
He did it for the thrill.
Broken by the humiliation, Xin Gein felt no love for the home or for Coeu.
Coeu, growing up under such cold stares, naturally grew to hate his nominal father.
When the boy reached his teens, Lan Yuca personally took him in as a disciple.
Now, Xin Gein was fellow disciples with the boy who was technically his own son.
That was the final straw. Xin Gein fled his home that night and never looked back.
Lan Yuca had seemingly had his fill of the game, so he let him go.
From then on, Xin Gein severed all ties and began a life of human trafficking, until he was captured by Sevrin.
Sevrin, having processed this information, came to one conclusion.
"A scoundrel. A beast among beasts."
His killing intent blazed. He would bet that Lan Yuca had committed countless such disgusting acts against morality.
Between the robbery, murder, and arson, there was no doubt the man was a plague. For an old beast like this, who polluted the very air he breathed, there was only one solution: kill, kill, kill!
But as Sevrin prepared to accelerate his flight, a scene at a lakeshore caught his eye, causing him to stop in his tracks.
...
"Salt God of Ly Lake, accept our offerings. Protect Lialod Village from disaster. Grant us a bountiful harvest and a flourishing people!"
On a silent shore, nearly a hundred villagers knelt in prayer. Following an elder's cry, they shouted toward the water.
"Lord Salt God, protect us! Grant us a bountiful harvest!"
After the prayer, two men stepped out. They walked toward a small boat moored at the shore. They leaned over, lifting wooden buckets of coarse salt above their heads. They poured them over a young boy and girl who were sleeping in the center of the boat.
WHOOSH!
A heap of dull, grey salt covered the small children.
The men continued, pouring bucket after bucket until the children were completely buried, without a single gap left.
Once they were covered, the two men gave a unified shout and pushed the boat into the lake.
But at that moment, a shout louder than thunder crashed from the sky.
"STOP!"