How Did I End Up with a Master Like This?

At dusk, Su Fan returned home from the marketplace with a battered bundle on his back.

The moment he entered, he saw Ye Tianhe. The man came out of the kitchen and asked him as soon as he saw him.

"Do you have any of that sauce-marinated Demonic Beast Meat left?"

Su Fan shook his head and said with a bitter smile, "It was gone yesterday..."

Ye Tianhe immediately grew anxious, his face filled with displeasure.

"Then why aren't you going to buy more? I just love that flavor. Hurry up..."

What the hell...

He was acting like some pampered lord, without even knowing whose house this was.

"I made all of that myself. The marketplace doesn't sell it. Make do with some pickled vegetables today, Old Ye."

Ye Tianhe's interest was instantly piqued.

"You made all that sauce-marinated Demonic Beast Meat? You've got some skills. Make some more tomorrow, will you..."

"Old Ye, fresh Demonic Beast Meat at the marketplace costs several times more than it used to. It's not worth it. See if you can buy some cheaper meat from Qingxuan Sect."

If this had been before, Su Fan truly wouldn't have cared. But things were different now.

He was so stingy that he wished he could split even a single spirit stone in half before spending it.

Ye Tianhe shook his head and said, "This isn't Qingxuan Sect's mountain gate. They buy theirs from the marketplace too."

After saying that, he thought for a moment, then clapped his hands.

"How about we go to Shaoyang Mountain? We can clear our heads and kill a few Demonic Beasts while we're there. Then we'll turn them all into sauced meat when we get back."

Su Fan was stunned when he heard that. You call killing Demonic Beasts clearing your head?

Were Demonic Beasts pet dogs? Could you just grab one whenever you had nothing to do and give it a few strokes?

Within his limited memories, he had entered the mountains several times in the past to hunt Demonic Beasts, and every trip had been fraught with danger.

Moreover, almost every time, someone had been injured.

Ye Tianhe shot Su Fan a contemptuous look.

"When I was at the second layer of Qi Refining, my master threw me into the mountains. With nothing but a sword, I killed my way back out."

Su Fan felt not the slightest bit of admiration for Old Ye's glorious exploits.

He only felt that it was a miracle the man had managed to live this long.

How did I end up with a master like this?

He was way too ruthless. Who treated their own disciple like that?

Ye Tianhe chuckled and needled him, "Don't tell me you still haven't even seen what a Demonic Beast looks like."

Su Fan immediately flew into a rage. Who are you looking down on?

"I used to go into the mountains to hunt Demonic Beasts all the time too. I only stopped after becoming a talisman master."

Ye Tianhe slapped him on the shoulder and laughed. "Then what the hell are you afraid of? It's settled. We'll enter the mountains tomorrow morning. I'm sick to death of staying in the marketplace every day."

After Old Ye finished speaking, he turned and left. Su Fan called out several times, but the man completely ignored him.

What the hell...

Fine, I'll go. With my current strength, as long as I don't venture into the depths of the mountains, there shouldn't be much danger.

Besides, Old Ye will be there. Even if we run into a second-order Demonic Beast, he'll be the one carrying the load.

No, that bastard is always screwing me over. I can't trust him again.

No matter when, I have to rely on myself.

Su Fan took out the Jade Slip Old Ye had given him from his Storage Bag and pressed it against his forehead.

This secret art was no simple matter. It came from the inheritance of Ghost King Sect's lineage and was called the "Profound Nether Ghost Eye."

It was a spiritual-eye secret art of the bewitchment and intimidation types.

Through bewitchment, it could influence a cultivator's mind, causing them to completely lose themselves and their reason.

It could also intimidate. When faced with an opponent whose conscience was troubled and whose courage wavered, it could even frighten them out of their wits. It was said that once cultivated to the extreme, it could scare someone's soul right out of their body on the spot!

Su Fan lowered the Jade Slip. He couldn't have been more satisfied with this secret art. It was excellent for blindsiding people.

After studying it carefully, he quickly reached the entry level.

Su Fan opened the Game Panel and had the "Lightning Eye Dharma Eye" fuse with the "Profound Nether Ghost Eye."

As the secret arts fused, a vast amount of information filled his mind, all of it insights and experiences regarding the "Profound Nether Ghost Eye."

After who knew how long, the divine ability and secret art finally finished merging.

He opened the Game Panel again.

Lightning Eye Dharma Eye (Mastered): 321/400.

The "Lightning Dharma Eye" divine ability had not only gained the abilities of bewitchment and intimidation, but its proficiency had also risen by more than a hundred points.

He truly hadn't put much thought into this divine ability. Yet after devouring two spells, it had been pushed by him to the verge of the subtle realm.

Ancient divine abilities really were incredible.

With the help of the Game Panel, if he fused several more spiritual-eye techniques in the future, this divine ability would become truly astonishing.

Su Fan's gaze sharpened, and a faint flash of lightning flickered in his eyes.

He didn't know whether it was merely his imagination, but the "Lightning Dharma Eye" now seemed to carry a trace of haziness.

Of course, spiritual secret arts all had one drawback.

The strength of one's Spiritual Sense had to be greater than that of the person being targeted. Otherwise, one would inevitably suffer a backlash from the Spiritual Sense, with extremely miserable consequences.

Su Fan took out another book and searched through it until he found the secret art called "Misty Smoke Step."

Compared with Ghost King Sect's inherited "Profound Nether Ghost Eye," this secret art was somewhat inferior. It was probably an inherited technique left behind by some minor sect.

"Misty Smoke Step" could make one's movement as swift as lightning.

Su Fan didn't care much about that. No matter how fast it was, it couldn't be faster than "Lightning Ghost Step."

What he cared more about was the secret art's other function: creating an afterimage to confuse an opponent.

Now that was something.

In the middle of a fight, two people would suddenly appear in front of the enemy—and both would be insanely fast. How was anyone supposed to defend against that?

However, one had to use a yin-attributed material called "Soul Falling Sand" to achieve this unexpected, decisive effect.

The marketplace didn't have this material. It was said to be easy to find within the territories controlled by the demon sects.

Fortunately, Yue Heng's Storage Bag still contained several bottles of "Soul Falling Sand," enough for him to use dozens of times.

It was a pity that although Yue Heng had mastered this secret art, he had never gotten the chance to use it before Su Fan severely wounded his Spiritual Sense.

He must have died feeling terribly stifled.

Su Fan excitedly came to the courtyard and began practicing in earnest.

After putting in some effort, he quickly reached the entry level with this secret art.

Su Fan followed the same method and had the divine ability "Lightning Ghost Step" fuse with "Misty Smoke Step."

As insights surged into his mind, the Misty Smoke Step was completely fused into the divine ability.

He was somewhat excited. "Lightning Ghost Step" was already on the verge of reaching the subtle realm, so he wondered whether this fusion could push it over the threshold.

Su Fan opened the Game Panel, and a smile spread across his face. It had finally reached the subtle realm.

Lightning Ghost Step (Subtle): 3/800.

He had poured a great deal of time and effort into the "Lightning Ghost Step" divine ability. At last, all that work had not been wasted.

Su Fan closed his eyes. Lightning flashed beneath his feet, and his figure vanished from the spot in an instant.

When he appeared again, he was already seven or eight meters away, and his speed had clearly increased somewhat.

Su Fan slapped his Storage Bag, took out a gray porcelain bottle, and poured some of its contents into his hand.

He activated "Lightning Ghost Step," and his figure vanished once more.

When he appeared again, two blurry figures stood seven or eight meters away.

But the shadow remained for only a few breaths before naturally dissipating.

It was a little short-lived, but it was enough.

After all, during a battle, an opponent wouldn't wait several breaths before attacking.

Su Fan was thoroughly satisfied with this fusion.

The "Lightning Ghost Step" divine ability was, at least for now, absolutely his most important trump card.