Ghost Nurturing Method: Qi Refining

Yang He frowned slightly.

Grandmaster Taiyi's third arm stoked the bonfire. The pill furnace was burned red-hot, and the temperature inside the temple surged until even the air began to warp.

In ancient times, naturally born people with multiple arms and legs did exist, and they were indeed known as freaks.

In the original work, Nezha's Three-Headed, Six-Armed Dharma Body had been taught by Grandmaster Taiyi. By all rights, the Old Daoist before him should be that very person.

Yet Yang He sensed that something was off. His Ghost Eye could faintly detect that the pressure brought by the third arm was far less terrifying than he had imagined.

"Wasn't Grandmaster Taiyi an immortal deity? How could his strength be so... ordinary?"

Grandmaster Taiyi rubbed the mole at the corner of his mouth and counted on his fingers.

"There's no time to lose. Your master will immediately teach you the cultivation method for Spirit Eyes, or we won't make it in time for the auspicious day to revive your senior brother."

Yang He forcibly suppressed his stray thoughts. Grandmaster Taiyi's third arm underwent skeletal growth and, in an instant, burrowed into the earthen jar and pressed against Yang He's brow.

Faint light spilled everywhere as a vast amount of memories poured into Yang He's mind from nowhere.

Yang He clicked his tongue inwardly as he studied the cultivation method of the Ghost Eye.

"Hiss..."

At first glance, there was nothing wrong with the method. It fit the words Qi Cultivator perfectly: simply communicate with the Ghost Eye and guide external yin qi into the body.

But from another perspective, Yang He realized that the entire text was about 'nurturing ghosts.'

It was completely a method of nurturing ghosts through qi refinement.

Yang He could not help asking, "Master, is our Qianyuan Mountain's Three-Headed, Six-Armed Dharma Body cultivated in a completely different way?"

"Of course!"

"The lineages of the world differ greatly, and every lineage gives rise to divine abilities. Your Spirit Eyes are one such innate divine ability and must be cultivated through qi refinement."

Grandmaster Taiyi said with a strange laugh, "As for the Three-Headed, Six-Armed Dharma Body, that is Grafting Cultivation."

Though he did not specifically describe Grafting Cultivation, Yang He immediately realized that it was a Ghost Nurturing Method unique to the Ghostly Path of Power.

What divine ability? A ghost was still a ghost!

The Hungry Ghost Path's Ghost Nurturing Method was eating, while the Pupil Ghost Way refined qi. As one advanced through the realms, Weak Ghosts were in fact transformed into Evil Ghosts.

"Hehehe, disciple, you truly struck it rich by meeting your master!"

"Your master will not merely teach you a cultivation method. I'll also help you lay your Dao Foundation!!"

Grandmaster Taiyi lifted the scorching pill furnace's lid. His third arm tugged at his sleeve, and all manner of medicinal herbs immediately rained into it.

The pill furnace crackled as mysterious three-colored spiritual light flickered.

"Open the furnace!"

Bang.

The third arm raised the pill furnace high, and the boiling black medicinal liquid writhed like a living thing.

Through Yang He's Spiritual Vision, the liquid was saturated with dense yin qi. As it churned within the furnace, it gradually transformed into newborn Weak Ghosts.

Refining pills was refining ghosts!

"Disciple."

"This medicinal liquid is called Acquired Yin Meridian Derivation Pill Water. It will help you take fewer detours in the Acquired Realm. Hehehe, the Innate Realm is just around the corner."

Yang He's thoughts stirred. The Acquired Realm (Weak Ghost) and Innate Realm (Evil Ghost) designations were indeed the same as in the Main World.

"Damn it, Bigan is floating in the skies above the Main World. How could there possibly be no connection?"

Grandmaster Taiyi laughed heartily. It seemed as though a small world lay within his sleeve, with medicinal herbs pouring forth without end until eyeball-shaped bubbles emerged from the medicinal liquid.

Not long after.

The medicinal liquid had become brilliantly multicolored. Even after the bonfire went out, it continued to boil.

"Disciple, the pill water is ready!"

Grandmaster Taiyi beamed with delight. He could not help swallowing as he looked at the medicinal liquid, while his third arm carried the pill furnace to the earthen jar before Yang He.

The dense, pungent medicinal aroma flooded Yang He's nostrils.

"Cough, cough, cough."

"Disciple, endure it for a while. Once your Spirit Eyes refine the pill water, you can enter the Acquired Realm."

Grandmaster Taiyi took out talismans one after another and pasted them across the earthen jar's surface. Yang He could sense that they were sealing off the yin qi, mainly to prevent the medicinal liquid from being wasted.

"Close your eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. Enter meditation in the posture of an infant hugging its knees, visualize yourself becoming Spirit Eyes, and completely relax the meridians throughout your body."

Immediately afterward, all the Yin Meridian Derivation Pill Water was poured into the earthen jar.

"Ugh..."

Yang He let out a muffled groan. The medicinal liquid seeped through his pores into his flesh, bones, and blood, and the pain nearly drowned his consciousness.

He did not dare slacken. He connected with the Ghost Eye and absorbed the dense medicinal power.

Smack, smack, smack.

Though the Ghost Eye clearly had no mouth, Yang He heard strange chewing sounds.

Veins bulged on his forehead, and he could not help cursing inwardly, "Don't smack your lips while eating!!"

The noises from the Ghost Eye stopped abruptly.

Yang He entered meditation in the posture Grandmaster Taiyi had described.

In his daze, it was as if he had returned to the first time he accommodated the Ghost Eye. A phantom image of the Ghost Eye appeared in his mind, and every change could be reflected before his eyes.

The Ghost Eye began returning surging yin qi, choosing to share its food with Yang He.

Yang He stopped breathing as he watched the yin qi travel through his flesh, bones, and blood before finally returning to the Ghost Eye, forming a complete circulation.

A tiny blood vessel slowly grew from the Ghost Eye, greatly increasing its efficiency in absorbing the medicinal liquid.

Grandmaster Taiyi leaned close to the earthen jar and said with satisfaction, "Disciple, your Spirit Eyes have already derived a Yin Meridian. From now on, you can cultivate on your own."

"When your Spirit Eyes derive nine Yin Meridians, you can attempt to elevate your divine ability into the Innate Realm."

The Ghost Eye's growth during the Weak Ghost stage mainly involved nine blood-vessel Yin Meridians. Once they reached completion, it could advance further with the appropriate strange object.

Yang He had also learned the method for a Pupil Ghost to advance into an Evil Ghost from the memories transmitted by Grandmaster Taiyi. The mere requirement of twelve eyeballs from different Weak Ghosts made his scalp tingle.

He did not dwell on it for now. Nurturing ghosts was not something that could be accomplished overnight.

"Achoo~~"

Grandmaster Taiyi sneezed, and every earthen jar shattered one after another.

Yang He crawled out in a sorry state. His small body was little more than skin and bones, clad in an equally tattered patched Daoist robe.

Seeing that the sky had fully brightened, Grandmaster Taiyi put away the pill furnace and left the ruined temple.

"Disciple, don't forget what your master told you. The time is about right. You and I must set off for Cailian Town, lest we miss the auspicious day."

"This disciple understands."

Yang He knew there were no gifts without reason. He was most likely Nezha's spare body.

Just as he was about to follow Grandmaster Taiyi, he suddenly heard a faint meow. He quickly turned around and began searching through the earthen jar debris.

Meow~~

A black cat crawled out from a corner, yin qi radiating from its body and its eyes glowing blood-red.

It showed no unfamiliarity at all and leaped into Yang He's arms.

Ghostified Wildcat
A wildcat that survived being tainted with yin qi. At night, human eyes find it difficult to see its form, and it can sense the danger brought by ghosts.

Yang He gently stroked the black cat. Its body temperature was merely a little lower.

The other living creatures from the Main World had all died within the earthen altar. The black cat was half cat, half ghost, making it just right for use as a warning.

"I'll call you Blackie. Don't make a sound, or I won't take you home."

The black cat nodded intelligently.

Yang He hurried out of the ruined temple and limped after Grandmaster Taiyi.

Yet after only a few steps, the black cat's claws scratched wildly at Yang He's waist. A yellowed sheet of paper fell from within his torn Daoist robe.

The paper was heavily creased and dotted with bloodstains.

Yang He unfolded it and saw that it had been written by a Daoist child in the past.

'My mother and I got separated. Boss Zhang took me in, but when I wanted to leave, Boss Zhang locked me in an earthen jar and raised me there.'

'I'm so scared. Boss Zhang said that as long as I was raised in the jar, I would never grow up. After becoming a dwarf, I could earn him a great deal of money.'

Yang He suddenly felt that something was wrong and observed Grandmaster Taiyi from the corner of his eye.

He continued reading. An inexplicable terror rose in his heart; the paper concealed an utterly horrifying truth.

'Boss Zhang grew a third arm. It's like he became another person.'

The handwriting became increasingly messy, showing how panicked the Daoist child had been while writing it.

'Boss Zhang put on a Daoist robe and called himself Grandmaster Taiyi of Golden Light Cave of Qianyuan Mountain. Boss Zhang has gone mad. What should I do?'

Yang He hurriedly stuffed it into his robes and suppressed his stray thoughts as he stared at Grandmaster Taiyi.

If what the paper recorded was true, then who exactly was this person? Or taking a step back, if he truly was Grandmaster Taiyi.

Then...

What kind of sinister thing was Grandmaster Taiyi?