Jiang Dao narrowed his eyes, staring fixedly at the Eerie Youth, his heart surging like storm-tossed waves.
If there was one force he least wanted to see right now—
It was undoubtedly the Spirit Child Palace!
He had killed one of their spirit children in Hengzhou City and had been worried they would seek revenge.
Yet he had not expected to run into their members again.
They truly clung like restless ghosts!
Squelch!
Jiang Dao suddenly drove the long blade in his hand forward. Carrying incomparably terrifying force, it savagely pierced the strange figure's neck and burst out through the back of its neck.
The strange figure's eyes flew wide in terror. Black blood filled its mouth. "You... you..."
Jiang Dao's gaze was icy. He twisted the blade hard, sending blood gushing out, then swept it fiercely.
Pfft!
The strange figure's head was sent flying on the spot, smashing heavily into the distance.
Even after its head had flown off, its lips still twitched with difficulty and its eyelids fluttered, as though it could not believe it had died just like that.
The headless corpse collapsed to the ground, convulsing violently before soon dying completely.
Black blood flowed across the scene, filling the air with a rank stench.
Jiang Dao's expression darkened as he turned back to look at Li San.
Li San jumped in fright and hurriedly backed away. "Brother Jiang, what are you doing?"
"Nothing, Brother Li. Get everyone out."
Jiang Dao spoke.
Li San finally let out a breath of relief. His face shifted as he said, "Brother Jiang, you... are you even human?"
"Of course I am!"
Jiang Dao replied calmly. The swollen muscles all over his body began to relax rapidly.
His burly physique soon returned to normal.
He grabbed Du Feng and the others and began carrying them outside.
Li San also hurriedly picked up his companions and started moving people.
The two bustled about for half an hour before finally rescuing everyone.
By then, the unconscious group had finally been awakened one after another.
The moment they woke up, their expressions changed, and they hurriedly got to their feet.
"Hall Master, how did we end up unconscious?"
Du Feng cried out in alarm.
"Let's go. Leave this place first!"
Jiang Dao said.
He did not want to remain in this place of trouble for even a moment.
He had thought that after leaving Hengzhou, he would no longer encounter anyone from the Spirit Child Palace.
Yet he had still run into them here.
This was absolutely no good thing.
Meanwhile.
Li San was also quickly waking everyone up and preparing to withdraw.
"Brother Jiang, thank you for your help. I will surely repay you someday!"
Li San said with cupped fists.
"There is no need. Do not return to Qianyuan City again!"
Jiang Dao said.
Li San immediately understood what Jiang Dao meant. His heart tightened as he said, "Brother Jiang, may I ask one more question? Could it be that you practice a hard martial art?"
"That is correct!"
Jiang Dao calmly watched Li San.
Having received the answer he wanted, Li San was deeply shaken. He no longer dared linger and hurriedly led everyone away.
He had simply never seen anyone cultivate a hard martial art to such a degree!
Jiang Dao's previous form could only be described as inhuman.
Even if he went back and told the others about it, they would certainly refuse to believe him.
The two groups withdrew overnight.
Not long after they had left.
An eerie chill wind swept through, its howls piercing to the ear. It rolled up great clouds of dust beneath Little Stone Temple, sending fallen leaves dancing through the air.
The entire Little Stone Temple became gloomy once more, black and unfathomable.
Two figures, one black and one white, appeared within the underground palace from before.
Looking at the chaotic underground palace and the Eerie Youth, who had died a gruesome death, the black figure frowned. "Useless fool. He was killed so easily."
"Hee hee, the person who killed him does not seem to have been a Spirit Eliminator. These marks look like they were left by a martial artist..."
The white figure laughed.
She wore a white dress, had exquisite features, and was barefoot. She was one of the fiendish monsters who had appeared in Hengzhou City not long ago.
"There is only the Blazing Flame Sect within several hundred li that could cultivate martial arts to such a level. The one who killed him must have been from the Blazing Flame Sect."
The black figure said coldly.
"What does my lord intend to do?"
The woman in white asked with a smile.
"What else can be done? They are merely a group of mortals. Blood debts must be repaid in blood. That person carries Wu Lai's blood on him; he cannot escape. Go kill him and refine his soul into a spirit child."
The black figure said coldly.
"My lord is indeed wise. Hee hee hee..."
The woman in white laughed sweetly.
Not long afterward.
Jiang Dao led the group back all the way and finally arrived at the Greenstone Town branch before dawn.
Lü An hurried over at once from within the branch and bowed. "Greetings, Hall Masters!"
"Rise!"
Jiang Dao said.
The moment Lü An stood up, he noticed something was wrong. He froze slightly and asked, "Hall Master Jiang, where are... where are the other two Hall Masters?"
"Hall Master Hu and Hall Master Fan died in the line of duty. Their deaths were noble, and I am deeply sorry. Once I return, I will request recognition for their merits. Do not be afraid. Prepare a room for me."
Jiang Dao said.
"Yes, Hall Master Jiang!"
Lü An's heart trembled. He did not dare ask further questions and hurriedly led Jiang Dao away, bringing him to an empty room.
Whether Hall Master Hu and Hall Master Fan had truly died in the line of duty was no longer important.
After all, a few people died every year.
But how exactly they had died was not something he dared ask about.
Inside the room.
Jiang Dao sat cross-legged and looked once more at the panel before him.
The words "modifiable" had appeared behind all seven martial arts on the panel.
However, according to the panel's rules, only two techniques could be modified at once.
Jiang Dao pondered slightly.
Among all his techniques, the most powerful now was the Mad Demon Bloodsoul Blade!
And the most useful was the Life Nurturing Art.
He immediately focused his thoughts and tapped down.
Whoosh!
The text behind the two techniques changed once more.
Mad Demon Bloodsoul Blade (ninety years later) cannot be modified
Life Nurturing Art (two hundred and forty years later) cannot be modified
In an instant, two masses of dense information flooded into Jiang Dao's mind. A current of heat clearly appeared within his body, spreading toward his limbs and bones before rapidly diffusing.
Veins and sinews rose across the surface of his body one after another.
But these veins and sinews soon began to recede once more.
The Life Nurturing Art's inner energy had originally been only as thick as a phone charging cable, but it had now become as thick as chopsticks. It was more profound than before, and it had even gained a new function.
Accelerated recovery!
However, this accelerated recovery could not last long—only around one minute.
Within that minute, the Life Nurturing Art would directly accelerate the recovery of injuries and strength, allowing him to rapidly regain his combat power.
This ability was downright monstrous. At a critical moment, it could absolutely save his life!
When everyone believed he was gravely wounded and on the verge of death, with all his strength exhausted, he could suddenly activate this accelerated recovery and surely kill every enemy in one fell swoop.
Aside from the Life Nurturing Art gaining a new function, the Mad Demon Bloodsoul Blade had changed as well.
Its original three realms had all been strengthened!
Strengthened? Swift!
Strengthened? Baleful Intent!
Strengthened? God-Slaying Blade!
This meant that every slash he made now possessed at least more than twice the power it had before.
Jiang Dao looked at the panel before him again.
Strength: 4.1 Speed: 3.3 Spirit: 1.4
Below the three attributes were the other five techniques.
As he watched these techniques, Jiang Dao pondered again.
"I wonder whether the Wind Thunder Palm and Poison Sand Palm can be fused..."
Both palm techniques were far from weak. If they could be fused successfully, they would surely become even more powerful.
He immediately closed his eyes and began deducing them within his mind.
Time passed bit by bit.
Before he knew it, the sky had brightened.
Lü An came several times to deliver food, but each time he saw Jiang Dao's door tightly shut. Not daring to knock lightly, he retreated again.
Finally, noon arrived.
Jiang Dao abruptly opened both eyes, revealing his delight.
"It worked!"
The Wind Thunder Palm and Poison Sand Palm had fused successfully, becoming the Wind Thunder Poison Sand Palm.
Not only that, the two fused techniques had also directly gained a new function.
Thunderfire!
Thunderfire referred to how, when all palm force erupted, there was a certain chance that a purple poison would form in the palm. It looked like flame and erupted with the sound of thunder, hence the name Thunderfire.
Once struck by Thunderfire, a person's body could rot away in an instant. Poisonous fire would assault the heart, causing the body to decay from the inside out.
Its power would absolutely be several times greater than before.
Before you continue