CHAPTER 37: CHAPTER 37: EXTREME

Void and elusive, an apparition that closely resembled a human form hovered before his eyes.

Cold and biting like the sting of needles, the chill encircled him, yet it hesitated and roamed about, cautious of the glint of gold in Qi Xiu’s arms, never daring to approach.

WHOOSH—

A flick of his finger and a stone whistled through the air.

The projectile, powerful enough to pierce a human body, passed through the ghost’s form like smoke, emerging on the other side.

Do ordinary methods not cause any harm at all?

Seeing the stone pass through the ghost, Qi Xiu found it somewhat troublesome.

SCREECH—

A shrill, bizarre cry echoed.

The ghost’s body coiled, and its white mist-like tendrils spread.

Its extreme sonic vibrations made the weeds in the yard shake violently.

It can attack from a distance, too?

In an instant, a buzzing filled his ears, and Qi Xiu’s brows furrowed. With a tap of his foot, his legs burst with Qi Force.

Appearing before the ghost in a flash, Qi Xiu’s palms revealed cracking fissures, exuding a sinister black aura.

Black Sand Palm!

His palm struck like an enraged dragon rising from the abyss, the sheer Vigor causing the air to twist and warp.

HISSS—

His hand easily pierced through the ghost, as if it had struck a wad of cotton.

Only the dispersing Black Sand energy made the ghost’s form slightly dissipate.

As expected, it didn’t work. Even with the Black Sand energy’s enhancement, ordinary attacks couldn’t hit this intangible ghost.

Moreover, the Black Sand energy didn’t seem to harm the ghost much.

Quickly withdrawing his palm, Qi Xiu charged directly at it, the "Suppress" Character in his embrace bursting with golden light.

The scalding energy made the ghost shriek in panic, trying to evade in every direction.

"You still want to run?"

As the ghost ascended, attempting to fly, Qi Xiu pushed his Qinggong to the limit with Swallow Soar, hovering in mid-air. Biting his tongue, he swiftly inscribed a "Suppress" Character in his palm with a drop of his blood.

Empowered by his essence blood, endowed with Divine Marvel!

SMACK!

His right hand, wrapped in golden light, ferociously struck the ghost on the forehead.

"Get down!"

Pressing the ghost down forcefully, he hurled it towards the ground. Qi Xiu then pulled out from his embrace a dozen or so "Suppress" Characters, nailing them down like steel spikes and immobilizing the ghost’s movement.

"SCREECH—"

Twisting in agony, it emitted an extremely mournful scream as the Divine Marvel Power of the "Suppress" Characters consumed it.

The ghost’s form grew fainter and fainter until it finally turned into a small pile of white ash.

After dispatching the ghost, Qi Xiu was just about to step toward the Fox Demon statue when urgent, heavy footsteps rapidly approached.

Glancing over, Qi Xiu quickly took out the Hundred Faces Mask he carried with him and transformed into the burly, black-clad Ye Wen.

"This is it!"

With a low shout, a tall and imposing silhouette leaped into the eerie, decrepit yard.

With a solemn gaze, Jin Tai, sensing the ghost’s presence upon landing, saw a familiar figure.

"Ye?"

Jin Tai was astonished to find this master skilled in both mystic and martial arts also present.

Noticing the human-shaped ash and falling "Suppress" Characters on the ground, he instantly understood. It seemed this master had discovered the ghost and directly vanquished it. This Ye truly despises evil. First, there was the sorcerer Wu Changqing, and now, this ghost had also perished by his hand. The citizens of Baoho County were truly lucky.

Watching Jin Tai suddenly appear, Qi Xiu remained composed, nodding his head without showing any expression. After exchanging greetings with a nod, Jin Tai surveyed the surroundings of the yard and also noticed the Fox Demon statue. His expression darkened.

"A Demon Altar?"

Seeing Jin Tai apparently recognize this demonic shrine, Qi Xiu shifted his gaze and asked in a hoarse voice,

"You know of it?"

"I’ve heard my master mention it before. Demons, in fact, are not as brutal and foolish as we imagine them to be, nor are they like wild beasts. Demons have intelligence, and some are even more cunning than many humans. Some physically weaker demons will breed ghosts, bewitch the living, and create Demon Altars for themselves, forging statues for worship to gain Blood Meal."

Staring at the Fox Demon statue, Jin Tai’s expression was grave.

"So you mean, the demon outside the county city is not that strong?" Qi Xiu asked thoughtfully.

"That’s one way to put it."

Jin Tai nodded and then suddenly turned his head, staring at Qi Xiu as if he had seen a ghost.

"Are you asking because you plan to go after that demon?"

This man must be insane. He had just killed the demon’s ghost, and now he wanted to confront the demon head-on?

"No, just asking casually."

After staring at Qi Xiu for a long time, Jin Tai said seriously,

"Ye, I know you are skilled in both mystic and martial arts, and your combat power is outstanding. But demons are an entirely transcendent species. Even a True Meaning master like my teacher can’t defeat a demon on his own. You should give up this idea as soon as possible."

Even True Meaning isn’t enough?

Qi Xiu nodded slightly, a trace of surprise in his reaction.

Seeing Qi Xiu let it go, Jin Tai heaved a sigh of relief.

It didn’t matter to him if Ye Wen himself wanted to court death. What he feared was that acting rashly could anger the demon, and the Qian Family’s properties had not yet been fully taken over and transported away. At this time, chaos absolutely couldn’t erupt.

After searching the entire courtyard and finding nothing else unusual, Qi Xiu and Jin Tai destroyed the Demon Altar and cremated the seven hapless sacrificed individuals.

The billowing flames cast an uncertain light on the faces of Qi Xiu and Jin Tai.

"A Demon Altar appearing in the city probably means there is more than one. This matter might need to be reported to the official office so the County Magistrate can dispatch people to thoroughly investigate the entire city. Otherwise, sacrifices like these will happen again," Jin Tai said.

"Then I’ll leave this matter to you."

With a wave of his hand, Qi Xiu leapt up and vanished into the night after a few bounds.

"This guy..."

Watching the direction in which Qi Xiu disappeared, Jin Tai’s expression became somber.

"Master hasn’t replied to the letter yet. He probably hasn’t found this guy’s background. It’s odd. A master of both mystic and martial arts, how could he be unknown in the pugilistic world..."

「The next day.」

「Ghost Market Treasure Ship.」

The vendor selling Red Blood Medicine Wine glared with murderous intent at the man opposite him wearing a pale mask.

"You actually dare to steal my ancestral secret recipe!?"

"Don’t play dumb. I have no idea who you are. Where would I steal your secret recipe?" Nonchalantly pulling out a bottle of his own replicated Red Blood Medicine Wine, Qi Xiu said, "My Red Blood Second Generation may have twenty percent less medicinal power than yours. However, my production cost is lower. I can make three bottles with the same amount of ingredients it takes you to make one. If you don’t agree, I’ll set up a stall right next to you tomorrow. If you agree, I’ll give you the recipe right now. And I guarantee I’ll never sell the recipe or the wine to others. How about that?"

Facing Qi Xiu’s threats and temptations, the vendor clenched his teeth, hesitated in bitter resentment for a long while, and finally nodded reluctantly.

"Fine! I’ll give you what you want!"

"Hahaha, boss, you’re a smart man."

"But I should tell you in advance," the vendor said gravely, "I do have the ’Red Heart Palm’ manual, but it’s not complete. It only includes the Tempering Power and True Meaning Chapters. It’s missing the Vital Energy Consolidation Chapter. So even if you get it, it won’t be of much use."

"No worries, that’s not a problem."

With the proficiency pane at his disposal, Qi Xiu was unconcerned about missing content.

As long as he could get started, he could deduce the rest of the content by increasing his proficiency. If only True Cultivation Powers could be improved like ordinary martial arts. He thought again of the two-thirds of the Frigid Waterfall True Cultivation Power he possessed, and a pang of regret struck him. True Cultivation Powers are entirely different from ordinary martial arts. They are integral in themselves. It’s not just about missing one-third; even if one line is missing, it’s impossible to comprehend the full meaning and get started. Without being able to get started, even I, with my heaven-defying proficiency cheat, would be helpless.

After finalizing the terms, Qi Xiu gave the vendor his improvised and perfected version of the Red Blood Medicine Wine recipe. Then he took the ’Red Heart Palm’ manual that he had longed for from the vendor, who looked as if he wanted to kill him.

「Returning home from the Ghost Market Treasure Ship.」

Laying the ’Red Heart Palm’ manual flat on the table, Qi Xiu summoned the proficiency panel with a thought.

[Calligraphy (Second Realm): 36.3%]

[Black Sand Palm (Extreme): To Be Integrated]

[Swallow Soar (First Realm): 41%]

[Sun Observing Strengthening Skill (First Realm): 19.7%]

[Culinary Arts: 66.7%]

[Alchemy (Second Realm): 7.4%]

[Acupoint Striking from Afar (First Realm): 79.2%]

...