Two weeks later.
In a rundown housing complex, on the bed in a small apartment room.
Li Xijun sat with his fingers forming a hand seal, his eyes half-closed as if asleep yet awake, silently reciting the incantation for the sensing method.
"The human heart is perilous; the Dao heart is subtle. Be utterly refined and single-minded, and hold fast to the center."
His voice was quiet, yet as it echoed through the room, it carried an ethereal quality.
At the same time,
within Li Xijun's Ancestral Aperture between his brows, beneath the radiance of the golden sun formed by the Grand Luo Mark,
his own soul had almost fully manifested. Its limbs, torso, and features were all lifelike, identical to Li Xijun's physical body.
The only thing lacking was that the soul's eyes remained closed.
Its long eyelashes trembled faintly, as though they might open at any moment,
yet it still gave the impression that it was just short of the final step.
Another person might have grown anxious at this last hurdle, unable to make progress,
but Li Xijun, whose mind had already settled into a state of peace and tranquility, was in no hurry.
He simply continued sensing and cultivating bit by bit,
until he forgot the passage of time outside and forgot the space he occupied.
Then, it was as if something suddenly grew lighter.
Li Xijun felt that no cage bound him any longer. His soul naturally opened its eyes, and like a river of stars pouring down, they shone with the radiance of the "spirit."
Your "Spirit-Refining Detailed Explanation: Orifice-Sensing Method" increased from 99% to 100%. Your Spirit-Refining System: Aperture Opening Realm increased from 98% to 100%.
Li Xijun opened his eyes in the real world as well and let out a long breath.
"My soul has fully sensed and manifested itself. The Aperture Opening Realm is complete."
"Next comes the Spirit Solidification Realm, where I can use cultivation methods to strengthen my soul."
"Just as a Mortal Shedding Realm martial artist has truly stepped into the extraordinary,"
"only by entering the Spirit Solidification Realm will my mental power truly break free of its cage and begin to possess extraordinary strength."
"However, Introduction to Spirit Refinement only says that the Spirit Solidification Realm requires cultivating a Contemplation Method. There's no additional information. I'll probably have to make another trip to the Contemplation Society and spend money on books."
With that thought, Li Xijun turned and pulled a black standard-issue Electromagnetic Handgun from beneath his pillow.
Unlike the old era's Desert Eagles, Glocks, and Beretta 92Fs—pistols that all looked stylish and aesthetically pleasing—
this standard-issue Electromagnetic Handgun had neither a metallic sheen nor the dangerous aura of a firearm. Instead, it looked more like a plastic toy gun.
It appeared utterly harmless, but in terms of power:
a single shot could easily kill a Servant-Level mythical creature. Even a martial artist at the first step of Mortal Shedding would find it difficult to evade, and taking a shot would almost certainly result in severe internal injuries.
In terms of intelligence:
the trigger also had a concealed fingerprint lock. If it failed to detect the registered user's fingerprint, it would not fire no matter how hard someone pulled it.
If someone forcibly dismantled it in an attempt to modify it, the explosive force of its self-destruction was said to be enough to cripple a Mortal Shedding Realm martial artist with ease.
"Organ Refining Martial Artists may be called humanoid tigers and are indeed powerful, but the times have changed!"
Filled with a sense of security, Li Xijun tucked the Electromagnetic Handgun into his waistband, intending to bring it back to the other world.
Although a weapon like this was probably eighty percent likely to have some sort of backdoor,
no matter how advanced Federation technology was, it could not possibly cross worlds and obtain information about him shooting someone.
A moment later.
Inside the bathroom, its thick curtains drawn shut,
after growing used to the sense of security that this place gave him when crossing worlds,
Li Xijun silently focused his consciousness and looked at the Attribute Panel before him.
Name: Li Xijun Age: 17 Realm: Apprentice Level 6 Blood Essence Level: 6.3 Spirit Level: 9.0 Spirit-Refining System: Aperture Opening Realm (100%) Martial Arts System: Skin and Flesh Realm (86%) Cultivation Methods: Azure Dragon Heaven-Reaching Method: (Proficient 94%) Spirit-Refining Detailed Explanation: Orifice-Sensing Method (100%) Subduing Tiger Bone Refining Method (Proficient 89%) Martial Skills: True Martial Thirty-Six Forms (Mastery 25%) Basic Saber Technique: (Beginner 98%) Unifying the Heavens (0%)
"These past few days, I've focused on spirit refinement and refining my skin and flesh, so my Blood Essence Level has risen a little slowly."
"On average, it only rises by 0.1 every five days. That's only slightly better than someone like Zhou Yibai, who needs sixteen days to improve by 0.1."
"Still, the gains have been pretty good."
"Not only have I completed the first realm of spirit refinement, but I'm also nearly done cultivating the Skin and Flesh Realm of martial arts."
"Senior Brother Yu's estimate of one month wasn't quite accurate. I reckon another week of training will be enough to complete it by the school's monthly exam."
"Although my proficiency in the True Martial Thirty-Six Forms has increased somewhat from sparring with Ye Liuyun these past few days, I still can't grasp the essence of the second killing move, Drooping Cloud Hand."
"Looks like I'll have to wait until I cultivate the Tendons and Bones Realm's Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist and let the two complement each other."
Li Xijun silently calculated everything in his mind. After confirming there were no issues, he began crossing worlds.
A moment later.
After returning as usual to his home in the wealthy district lined with Western-style houses,
Li Xijun put on his Nano Protective Suit and used a drone to patrol the surroundings as usual.
"Heh. Given enough time, someone was bound to get ideas about me."
Looking through the drone's view at the man identified as having lingered near his home and kept watch for three consecutive days, Li Xijun sneered.
He had actually been mentally prepared for something like this long ago.
After all, his supposed identity as a wealthy young man returning from study in the Western Continent was not especially intimidating.
Leaving aside the five hundred taels he had secretly donated,
he had openly spent five hundred taels to become an Inner Disciple, then several hundred more on Medicinal Baths and Greater Blood Essence Pills, for a total of over one thousand taels.
That would probably be enough to stir the greed of some hyenas and vultures.
What was more, after Ye Liuyun helped him apply for an Electromagnetic Handgun and the application was approved, he had eaten Medicinal Cuisine on the second floor of the martial hall's cafeteria almost every day.
So many Outer Disciples of the Life-Slaying Martial Hall had seen it clearly, and plenty of rumors about him had spread in recent days.
The fact that someone had only begun targeting him now was already rather late.
Li Xijun watched the man loiter nearby, but he did not rush to alert him or strike him down.
Now, he had the Nano Protective Suit for defense, the standard-issue Electromagnetic Handgun for offense, and the ability to flee through worlds if necessary.
He no longer regarded Organ Refining Martial Artists as a threat, and he could even fight a Marrow Refinement Grandmaster.
Naturally, he wanted to use this opportunity to uncover exactly who was behind this greed toward him.
"Pulling weeds means pulling up the roots!"
"My strength grows by the day. I'm the least afraid of dragging this out."
"I want to see exactly who has been setting their sights on me."
Having made up his mind, Li Xijun simply walked openly out through the front gate of his home and headed straight for the Life-Slaying Martial Hall.
When the watcher saw Li Xijun taking his usual route to the martial hall, he immediately fled ahead of him.
Locked within the drone's view, he actually ran into a room inside the Life-Slaying Martial Hall early to report the news.
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