The night passed without incident.
「The next day.」
In the morning, Xu Qing woke early and removed the Evil Ghost Mask from his face. He had gained another 480 Experience Points, though he was still a long way from leveling up.
After a night of rest, the backlash from the Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique had completely subsided.
"Upgrade Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique,"
Xu Qing commanded.
BUZZ!
The next moment, Xu Qing's mind jolted. His consciousness seemed to enter a mystical space where time ceased to flow, allowing him to devote himself entirely to comprehending and deducing the Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique.
Before he knew it...
BOOM!
Xu Qing's eyes snapped open. A flood of information and knowledge surged into his mind. The Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique had undergone a complete transformation.
[Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique Level 2: 0/20 (A Blood Curse Secret Technique recorded in a scribble-filled book using a special arrangement and notation. Once mastered, it allows one to condense a 'Beast Taming Blood Spell' to control different types of beasts. Currently able to control two beasts simultaneously.)]
As he could see, it was only a single level up, so the changes didn't seem that significant.
However, the Level 1 Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique could only control one beast, while the Level 2 version could control two simultaneously—doubling his capacity.
Of course, the effectiveness of the control and manipulation had naturally improved as well.
「Later that morning.」
Xu Qing left the town again and headed for White Dwarf Mountain. He found the same anthill as yesterday and, just as before, began using the ants to grind Experience for his Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique.
In the blink of an eye, an hour passed.
[Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique Level 2: 10/20.]
He had gained ten Experience Points.
Xu Qing had killed ten ants and suffered the backlash from the Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique ten times. Unable to endure any more, he had reached his limit and had no choice but to head back.
After returning, Xu Qing began practicing Baji Fist.
[Experience +1]
...
[Experience +1]
...
「At dusk.」
Yu Hu came to Xu Qing's residence. Xu Qing continued to teach him Baji Fist and also asked the Witch Evil Ghost about the boy. So far, the Witch Evil Ghost hadn't noticed anything unusual about Yu Hu.
That night, Xu Qing began practicing the Life-taking Thirteen Swords in his courtyard.
Time flew by.
「Seven days later.」
On this day, in the evening...
"Hoo..."
CLANG!
Xu Qing swiftly sheathed his sword with a faint ringing sound. It was getting late. Having finished his practice of the Life-taking Thirteen Swords for the day, he planned to go rest.
In those seven days, first was his Baji Fist, which he practiced day and night.
[Baji Fist Level 7: 455/640.]
'It's about to level up,' Xu Qing thought to himself. 'Probably another three or four days. When that happens, Level 8 Baji Fist will surely allow me to step into the realm of Huajin.'
[Snake Body Technique (Incomplete) Level 5: 0/80.]
Although Xu Qing spent little time practicing the Snake Body Technique, a Body Technique was still a crucial Martial Art, so he had raised it to Level 5.
It was good enough for now.
[Cyan Eagle Claw Force Level 1: 1/20.]
Xu Qing hadn't practiced this Martial Art at all, let alone upgraded it. It had been left to gather dust. He had no plans to cultivate Cyan Eagle Claw Force to the level of An Jin yet.
[Life-taking Thirteen Swords Level 2: 40/60.]
The Life-taking Thirteen Swords was also a little short, likely needing another four or five days.
[Evil Ghost Mask Level 10: 1760/5120 (A terrifying mask containing an Evil Ghost. It is a Deceitful mask refined by a Divine Woman who sacrificed to a Ghost God, using eighteen living people. The mask devoured the Divine Woman's soul and fused with the resentful souls of the eighteen victims, ultimately becoming a Witch Evil Ghost. This gave the Evil Ghost Mask a Deceitful Spirituality, allowing it not only to disguise one's appearance and change their aura, but also alter their body and form, and even summon the Witch Evil Ghost.)]
'The Evil Ghost Mask has already reached Level 10,' Xu Qing mused. 'It's just like before. After my Iron Sword reached Level 10, I could have kept upgrading it, but my Cultivation wasn't high enough. If I had leveled it up, a Level 11 Iron Sword would have developed true Spirituality, leading to a situation I couldn't control. I might have even suffered a backlash.'
'A weapon like the Iron Sword could cause a backlash, to say nothing of a Deceitful item like the Evil Ghost Mask. If I really raise it to Level 11, I'll definitely suffer for it.'
[Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique Level 4: 20/80 (Originally a rather ordinary prerequisite skill for Curse-Sealing Beastmasters, it has undergone a massive transformation after repeated deductions. It can now control eight beasts simultaneously and can even borrow the Power of the tamed beasts.)]
'So this is all the progress I've made these past few days,' Xu Qing mused. 'A shame I haven't reached Huajin yet, but it's close. It'll happen any day now. Besides, I have enough money on hand, so I don't need to risk my neck for more silver. I can just focus on improving slowly.'
"Hm?"
Suddenly, in the very next instant, because of the Evil Ghost Mask, Xu Qing had control over it and was able to subtly connect with the Witch Evil Ghost. And right now, Xu Qing sensed a disturbance from it.
"So, you've finally shown your true colors?"
Xu Qing said in a low voice.
Seven days had passed. For the past seven or eight days, Xu Qing had the Witch Evil Ghost constantly follow Yu Hu. Nothing had happened during that time, and he was even beginning to think it had all been his imagination.
But tonight, there was finally some movement on Yu Hu's end.
'Something is definitely up.'
Without hesitation, Xu Qing put on the Evil Ghost Mask.
BUZZ!
The mask's power activated. Xu Qing's appearance changed in an instant, transforming him into a burly, middle-aged man with a sword on his back.
"Go."
SWOOSH!
Xu Qing executed the Snake Body Technique and swiftly departed.
It was worth noting that the place Yu Chen was renting was already very close to Xu Qing's, less than a hundred meters away. Thus, Xu Qing arrived in the shortest possible time.
HUM! HUM! HUM!
Inside the house, Yu Chen and his wife, Wang Cuilan, were still sound asleep. In fact, their sleep was unnaturally deep; they had been knocked unconscious by an Illusion Technique.
In the other bedroom, Yu Hu stood up straight. A Wooden Token levitated from his neck, emitting waves of Demon Fog Black Qi.
The next moment, this Demon Fog Black Qi coalesced in the room to form a graceful figure. However, the figure was still rather illusory and insubstantial, its feet not touching the ground, like a ghost.
CRACK!
Just as the graceful figure finished forming, the Wooden Token around Yu Hu's neck shattered, turning into a cloud of ash that dissipated into the air.
"Haha..."
The graceful figure let out a laugh, a sinister sound that filled the air with a chilling Ghost Qi. "Eight whole days. It took this Witch that long to drain all the Yin Qi from this piece of Extremely Yin Wood."
"Extremely Yin Wood is truly worthy of its name. Such a small piece contained such dense Yin Qi. It has completely stabilized my Demon Soul."
Apparently, this graceful figure was none other than the not-quite-dead Blood Demon Desire Woman, Qinglian. The Government Office had been searching for her everywhere but had found no leads.
Who could have imagined that Qinglian had actually abandoned her physical body, refining herself into a Demon Soul? She had been on the verge of her soul scattering to the winds when she unexpectedly encountered Yu Hu, who happened to be wearing a Wooden Token made of Extremely Yin Wood.
Through a series of coincidences, the Government Office failed to catch Qinglian, but Xu Qing had stumbled right upon her instead.
"Little Hu,"
Qinglian licked her lips, her eyes raking over Yu Hu like a starving wolf eyeing its most delicious meal, drooling with desire.
"To repay you for saving my life, this Witch will let you experience what true earthly paradise is tonight. You will die in my arms in a state of absolute, blissful ecstasy."
BUZZ!
The moment her words fell, Qinglian's Demon Soul stirred with lust.
The next moment, Qinglian was about to pounce on Yu Hu like a starving tiger.
BOOM!
At that critical moment, Xu Qing arrived. The Witch Evil Ghost, receiving Xu Qing's command, quickly materialized and, with a wave of its right hand, formed a whip of black qi that sent Qinglian flying.
"AHHH!!!"
A shrill scream echoed.
"Who is it?!"
Qinglian looked on in terror. She quickly glanced over and saw the Witch Evil Ghost not far from her, her own Demon Soul already wavering unsteadily.
"An... an Evil Ghost..."
Qinglian's voice trembled.
"Run!!!"
BUZZ!
Without hesitation, Qinglian had no intention of fighting. She transformed into a wisp of green smoke and shot out of the bedroom, trying to flee outside.
She knew that this was an Evil Ghost—a real one. At her peak, she could have naturally suppressed it. But now, as a mere Demon Soul, encountering an Evil Ghost meant becoming its food.
"Evil-breaking Annihilation!"
CLANG!
A sword hummed through the air.
Xu Qing locked his gaze on Qinglian's position. The Level 10 Iron Sword in his hand descended, executing an exceptionally sharp Swordsmanship technique.
"!!!"
Qinglian screamed as her Demon Soul was slashed in two. It flew a great distance before the two halves slowly began to fuse back together.
However, the body of her Demon Soul had become even more transparent.
"You... Who are you?"
Qinglian's pupils constricted. She stared at Xu Qing, her expression turning incredibly ugly, especially when she saw the terrifying Evil Ghost standing respectfully by his side.
"A Demonic Ghost Cultivator?"
Qinglian couldn't help but ask again, "Which sect or school are you from? Why are you opposing me? I am the Blood Demon Desire Woman of the Blood Demon Sect! Aren't you afraid of the Blood Demon Sect's retaliation?"
In this time of crisis, with her life on the line, Qinglian had long since lost her usual composure. Faced with this situation, she could only announce her affiliation, hoping to scare Xu Qing off and at least give herself a chance to survive.
"So you're the Blood Demon Desire Woman."
A look of surprise flickered across Xu Qing's face as he sized up Qinglian. "I never would have thought I'd run into the mastermind wanted all over Qingbei Town."
"Wait a minute..."
Suddenly, a flash of insight struck Qinglian. She remembered the information Ye Yi had reported earlier, about a master of Swordsmanship who had suddenly appeared on Red Leaf Street.
The description perfectly matched the man before her.
"It's you!"
Qinglian put the pieces together, her mind racing. "You're that mysterious Swordsmanship expert from Red Leaf Street! Who in the world are you? I've never done anything to offend you."