Cultivation

Old Man Xiang stumbled out of the Marquis Mansion in a daze.

Under the black sky and silver moon, everything was vast and indistinct.

On the dim branches, old crows blinked, ready to sleep.

Old Man Xiang walked under a tree, startling the crows on the branches.

This also woke Old Man Xiang up.

He didn't quite remember what he had said to the Heir Apparent, nor did he remember what instructions the Heir Apparent had given him.

It was as if something had been said, and yet nothing had been said.

Even if something had been said, he didn't remember it.

He had no other desires; his heart held only one thought: revenge.

It was a pity that Xue Yi stood in his way.

After Old Man Xiang left, Xue Yi mused, "Although he has broken through to the Viscera Refining Realm and become a First-Rate Expert, his aura is very strange."

"Furthermore, he has killed someone recently."

"The killing intent on him has not dissipated."

"Entering the Marquis Mansion was definitely not to see the Heir Apparent."

"This person carries killing intent."

First-Rate Experts in the Viscera Refining Realm are already rare in the mundane world.

Their Internal Qi undergoes a qualitative change, becoming closer to Magic Power, and their ability to sense and perceive auras is far beyond ordinary people.

After a test, Xue Yi naturally understood that Old Man Xiang had not come for the Heir Apparent.

But since he wasn't here to kill the Heir Apparent, he must be here to kill someone else in the Marquis Mansion.

Someone worth a First-Rate Expert personally making a move was definitely not a small fry in the Marquis Mansion.

However, because Old Man Xiang had entered the Viscera Refining Realm, Xue Yi did not expose this matter.

A Viscera Refining Realm expert could accomplish many things. It would be a pity if he were killed here.

It would be better to win him over and make him a resource for the Heir Apparent's recovery.

Many things require foresight.

Wen Yue sighed, "His eyes were full of hatred. How could I not see it?"

"Something must have happened."

"Chujiu, find someone to go to Centurion Xiang's house and see what exactly happened."

"I will go tomorrow."

The attendant Chujiu agreed.

Although it was difficult to investigate freely due to the disruption of the intelligence system after the Heir Apparent's collapse, Chujiu was also familiar with Old Man Xiang, and he had contact with Old Man Xiang's subordinates.

Even if he couldn't ask Old Man Xiang, asking others was the same.

Xue Yi used his Internal Qi to soothe Wen Yue's injured leg, his expression grave.

The bone was broken.

Even if it was set, it would eventually result in legs of different lengths.

This kind of injury would definitely leave a lasting mark, and even Viscera Refining experts had little recourse.

Most importantly, this injury showed no signs of improving.

The Marquis would also not allow a cripple to become the Young Marquis.

A crippled leg when meeting the emperor would be a breach of etiquette in front of the sovereign.

Although it was a charge that could be treated as serious or minor, if someone seized upon it, it would become a point of attack.

There was no precedent in Great Liang for a cripple to hold office. Who would dare to defy convention and set a new one?

How could a cripple serve as the Deputy Commander of the Military Affairs Department, or command the Southern Bureau's Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Thousand Households' garrisons?

Wen Yue was equally anxious and worried.

This was a matter of life and death.

Lying here, he was no different from a废人.

Every day, he could only quietly wait for death.

The fact that such pressure had not driven him mad was enough to show how strong Wen Yue's psychological resilience was.

But even the strongest person will be tormented by impending death.

One day, he would go mad.

Everything he once had vanished with his broken leg, and the people who surrounded him also left one by one.

This kind of decline was difficult for ordinary people to accept.

"Master Xue."

"Can my leg really not be cured?" Wen Yue suppressed his sorrow, his voice choked.

"There is still one way."

"Ask the Immortal Master from the Hall of Offerings to take action."

"Perhaps there's a chance it can be cured."

After talking for a while longer, Xue Yi also got up and left.

The night sky was desolate.

Old Man Xiang returned home and channeled Internal Qi into the Venerable Soul Banner.

A black bead fell from the surface of the Venerable Soul Banner.

He heated up the heated bed and ate his fill.

Old Man Xiang swallowed the Yin Soul Pill in one gulp.

He was already familiar with the process. As the chilling spiritual energy entered his body, his Internal Qi increased once again.

Following this trend, it wouldn't be long before he could revert from Houtian to Xiantian and enter the Qi Condensation stage.

Tu Shan Jun didn't know if Old Man Xiang had a Spiritual Root.

After memorizing the Nether Spirit Cultivation Method, Old Man Xiang didn't directly cultivate into a Qi Cultivator, which indicated that even if he had a Spiritual Root, it wasn't a good one.

It was better to follow the martial artist path.

He was already in the Viscera Refining Realm, and the next step was Xiantian.

By switching to a Qi Cultivation method, he could convert his Internal Qi into Magic Power and officially step through the door of cultivation.

With the Yin Soul Pill as an aid, his progress wouldn't be slower than others.

The Venerable Soul Banner itself was a High-Grade Magic Tool. As long as he had one chance to strike, he could kill enemies above his level.

After this incident, Old Man Xiang's desire for revenge grew stronger, but he no longer looked around openly.

He needed power.

As long as he channeled Internal Qi into the Magic Treasure, he could obtain black beads.

He would become stronger, and even have a chance to glimpse the Xiantian Realm.

By then, the world would be vast, and he could come and go as he pleased.

"Grow up quickly, at least to Qi Condensation First Layer."

Tu Shan Jun muttered to himself within the banner.

As long as Old Man Xiang could enter Qi Condensation, even if it was only the first layer, he could summon Tu Shan Jun's evil ghost body.

Those mundane enemies were nothing but ants, why worry about them?

Everyone had their own thoughts.

Tu Shan Jun was particularly heartbroken by the loss of Li Qing Feng's corpse.

But he couldn't do anything.

Absolutely nothing.

He had thought it would fall into the hands of the Enshrinement Immortal Masters, and he could preserve Li Qing Feng's corpse through the Qi Cultivators there.

At least let him rest in peace.

But fate played tricks, and due to some matters, it ended up in Old Man Xiang's hands instead.

As time passed, a hint of impatience appeared between Tu Shan Jun's brows.

The green-faced ghost face added a touch of ferocity, his disheveled crimson hair trembling slightly, like an enraged lion.

Restrain your impatience!

Tu Shan Jun remembered what Li Qing Feng often said.

He punched by himself.

The Three Forms of the Demonic Ape roared, scattering the evil ghosts and亡魂 within the banner, making them all hide far away.

Old Man Xiang woke up from his dream again.

It was already the fourth watch, not far from the Yin Yang Transition of early morning.

Without so many formalities, he assumed the Five Hearts Facing Heaven posture and chanted the Nether Spirit Cultivation Method in a low voice.

Although the cultivation method's incantations were obscure and difficult to understand scriptures, maintaining a constant frequency while chanting would cause the bones to vibrate along with the pronunciation from the mouth.

Muscles and bones resonated in unison.

His body moved in coordination.

The cultivation method's incantations clearly held an unknown rhythm, capable of directly guiding one's body in its practice.

This was the mystical aspect of cultivation methods.

However, Old Man Xiang did not perceive the qi sense mentioned in the cultivation method's text.

Years ago, when he cultivated the Tiger Roar Force, the scripture was complex and lacked rhythm. Yet, through the process of refining his strength, he had gained qi sense, cultivated Internal Qi, stepped into the Skin Movement Realm, and thus entered the threshold of a third-rate expert in the martial world.

Despite the mystical nature of the cultivation method in his hands, he had yet to feel the so-called Magic Power qi sense.

Since it was an Immortal cultivation method, it certainly wouldn't be that simple.

Old Man Xiang thought to himself.

He stopped pondering and instead channeled his Internal Qi into the small Magic Treasure banner.

Given the time, it was better to obtain a couple more black beads.

The sun rose, its light streaming through the window.

It seemed to be the Chen Hour.

It was time for his shift again.

The work of a jailer was monotonous, but thankfully, prisoners died every day. In the vast prison, there were countless inmates.

Old Man Xiang would use the Magic Treasure in his hand to collect living souls for replenishment.

Everything was as usual.

In the evening, after finishing work, Old Man Xiang headed straight home.

He couldn't miss the second Yin Yang Transition of the day.

Still no qi sense.

Old Man Xiang didn't feel disappointed.

"Thump thump."

At this moment, there was a knocking sound outside.

Old Man Xiang, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, opened his eyes and landed lightly on the floor.

In the space of two breaths, he had already reached the gate of the courtyard.

He peered through the crack in the door.

Standing outside the door was none other than Shizhu.

Creak.

The gate opened, and Old Man Xiang looked at Shizhu with some confusion.

"Boss, I just got off duty and came to see you," Shizhu said with a smile, lifting the wine pot and half a cage of food in his hand. There was a smell of meat.

Just as Shizhu was about to squeeze through the door, Old Man Xiang moved his foot forward, resting it against the door panel, blocking Shizhu's way.

While not exactly a refusal, it didn't mean he was inviting him in either.

Old Man Xiang shook his head, looking at him frankly, "Go back."

His voice was calm, filled with a myriad of emotions.

"Boss, tell your brother what's going on. How much can you handle by yourself?" Shizhu didn't leave; instead, he became more anxious.

Old Man Xiang looked dejected, his tense body finally relaxing, "Forget it."

"Come in."

Saying this, he released the foot that was propping against the door panel.

Shizhu didn't think it was a big deal until he walked into the inner hall. He was instantly stunned, and the wine pot and food cage in his hand clattered to the ground.

His lips trembled.

"How... how could this happen!"

Shizhu, with a choked sob, fell to the ground with a thud.