Vitality Realm

Zhou Yi left the constables to clean up the scene and went to the village entrance, where he found his master meditating with his eyes closed.

Hearing footsteps, Qu Yong opened his eyes and said to Zhou Yi, "Is it resolved?"

It seemed Old Qin had already told his master.

Zhou Yi nodded at Qu Yong and said, "It's resolved."

"That's good," Qu Yong said.

Zhou Yi seemed hesitant to speak.

Qu Yong saw this and said to Zhou Yi, "Do you want to know about the strength of the Vitality Realm?"

Zhou Yi nodded.

Qu Yong smiled and said to Zhou Yi, "You should go rest. You don't need to patrol tonight. Rest well, and meet me by the river tomorrow morning."

"Okay!" After answering Qu Yong, Zhou Yi walked towards his home.

Back home, Zhou Yi took off his Patrol Team uniform, which had been damaged in the fight, and lay on his bed, falling asleep shortly after.

The next morning, Zhou Yi got up early, put on his clothes, and headed towards Moon Creek River, south of Qingzhu Village.

Upon arriving at Moon Creek River, Zhou Yi found Qu Yong already standing by the riverbank.

Hearing footsteps, Qu Yong turned around and said to Zhou Yi, "Do you remember I told you that when one reaches the Vitality Realm, their Vital Energy undergoes a qualitative change?"

Zhou Yi nodded and said to Qu Yong, "I remember."

"In the Strength Channeling Realm, the denser the Vital Energy, the better. But the Vitality Realm is different. When breaking through to the Vitality Realm, the Vital Energy is compressed by the body, undergoing a qualitative change. Simply put, in the Vitality Realm, the paler the color of the Vital Energy, the higher the compression and the greater the power."

Qu Yong paused after speaking and said, "You wanted to see the strength of the Vitality Realm, didn't you? I'll show you."

After speaking, Qu Yong took down the spear he carried on his back. Qu Yong's Vital Energy had clearly not yet been compressed to its limit, and faint red Vital Energy spread along the spear shaft.

Qu Yong casually thrust his spear towards the river. The air at the tip of the spear seemed to compress, causing a huge air bubble to form beneath the river's surface. After a moment, the air bubble burst, sending water splashing up two zhang high.

Zhou Yi was shocked by what he saw. His pupils dilated slightly. He hadn't expected the gap in strength between the Strength Channeling Realm and the Vitality Realm to be so vast.

The ghost infant from last night probably wouldn't have lasted a single move under his master's spear.

Qu Yong was about to boast in front of Zhou Yi when he saw Zhou Yi scratching his head and asking, "Master, you're so strong, how did you let that scarecrow get away?"

Qu Yong's face immediately darkened. He said to Zhou Yi, "That scarecrow's recovery speed was too fast. And if I hadn't injured it, you wouldn't have been able to take it down so easily."

Hearing his master's explanation, Zhou Yi finally felt that the scarecrow's attack power back then wasn't strong; its recovery ability was what was formidable.

Just as the two were about to say more, bursts of white mist suddenly emerged from the riverbank.

The sky, which had been bright with sunshine moments before, suddenly turned gloomy. Zhou Yi and Qu Yong immediately sensed that something was wrong. They both placed their hands on their weapons, warily scanning their surroundings.

The white mist by the river grew larger and larger, reducing Zhou Yi and Qu Yong's visibility to only two meters around them. Whether it was an illusion or not, Zhou Yi felt like there were people moving within the mist, creating a bustling scene.

Sensing that the white mist was unusual, Zhou Yi said to Qu Yong, "Master, I feel like there are many people in the white mist!"

Qu Yong replied grimly, "I feel it too."

After speaking, Qu Yong took out an Evil Warding Talisman from his clothes. As soon as the talisman was revealed, the runes on it flashed, and then it began to burn itself. In an instant, the Evil Warding Talisman turned to ash.

Qu Yong and Zhou Yi spoke simultaneously, "Crimson Grade Weirdness!"

Seeing this, Qu Yong turned to Zhou Yi and said, "Stay behind me. Let's break out first."

Zhou Yi didn't try to be brave. He nodded at Qu Yong and hid behind him.

Just as the two were preparing to make a move, the white mist began to move in a specific direction with remarkable regularity.

As they were bewildered, the white mist, which had appeared so quickly, also disappeared quickly. In a short while, the mist passed by them. With their vision restored, Zhou Yi and Qu Yong watched the direction the mist was heading – towards Gualin Mountain, east of Qingzhu Village.

Unsure why the weirdness hadn't attacked them, Qu Yong and Zhou Yi decided not to dwell on it.

At least knowing that a Crimson Grade weirdness had appeared in the village was not a good sign.

They didn't choose to track the weirdness but instead ran directly towards the village, intending to find Old Qin to inquire first.

Upon finding Old Qin, Qu Yong recounted the events they had just experienced.

However, even the knowledgeable Old Qin didn't know what it was.

Qu Yong decided to take Old Qin to see it himself, leaving Zhou Yi in the village.

Before leaving, Old Qin handed Zhou Yi a Body Refining Technique as a reward for eliminating the ghost infant.

After they left, Zhou Yi took the manual back home, determined to improve his strength as quickly as possible. After witnessing the abilities of Qu Yong and the white mist, Zhou Yi's desire to increase his strength grew even more fervent.

The sense of powerlessness brought on by the white mist left a deep impression on Zhou Yi. He had thought his strength was sufficient for self-preservation, but the appearance of the white mist had taught him a profound lesson.

Even someone as strong as Qu Yong had not acted rashly in the face of the white mist.

Zhou Yi calmed himself down, sat on the bed, and opened the Body Refining Technique that Old Qin had given him.