It transformed into a massive black vortex, enveloping Qin Bo and Little Black Charcoal within it.
Qin Bo only felt a powerful suction force pull him in, his body flying uncontrollably toward the center of the vortex.
Little Black Charcoal struggled desperately nearby, but was likewise unable to break free of the suction.
"Oh no! This female ghost is going to take us down with her!"
Qin Bo cried out inwardly that something was wrong.
The female ghost had already transformed into a massive mass of yin energy, devouring the essence surrounding it.
Qin Bo now held the saber in one hand, his entire body relaxing.
His mind was filled entirely with the moves of the Pig Slaughtering Saber Technique.
"System, let me spend my life force to cultivate the Pig Slaughtering Saber Technique!"
[First year, your Pig Slaughtering Saber Technique had already reached the pinnacle of mastery, with no further progress possible] [Second year... you still failed to comprehend it] [Third year... you always felt that the Pig Slaughtering Saber Technique should not be like this. With one saber strike, all pigs should submit!] [Fifth year... when facing pigs, you no longer drew your saber, but communicated with them, comprehending and deeply understanding their lives] [Sixth year, the ice-cold heart forged while slaughtering pigs transformed into a burning passion. Slaughtering pigs was no longer an action, but an art. The Pig Slaughtering Saber Technique successfully reached the Return to simplicity realm]
At that very moment, Qin Bo felt as though he and the kitchen cleaver in his hand had merged into one.
A strange and powerful force surged from within his body.
He slowly opened his eyes, a transcendent light shining in them.
By then, that massive mass of yin energy was almost done devouring the entire room.
Little Black Charcoal struggled to resist the corrosion of the yin energy nearby, letting out faint "meows."
Qin Bo drew a deep breath and lightly swung the kitchen cleaver in his hand.
"Today, I'll use you to offer blood to my saber!"
"Let's try the final move of the Pig Slaughtering Saber Technique that I comprehended!"
"One Saber Severing Heaven and Earth!"
Qin Bo's aura abruptly changed.
The peaceful aura of Return to simplicity instantly transformed into a fierce killing intent that charged forward without hesitation.
Golden light blazed atop the kitchen cleaver in his hand.
Within the radiance, the phantoms of countless divine pigs faintly emerged. They raised their heads and howled, as if cheering Qin Bo on.
With Qin Bo's light swing, a dazzling golden saber beam howled forth.
The saber beam contained endless force of laws, as though it could sever all falsehood in the world.
In an instant, heaven and earth seemed to freeze.
The aura around Qin Bo climbed to a terrifying height.
The seemingly ordinary kitchen cleaver in his hand now bloomed with incomparable radiance.
The dazzling light was blinding, as if it were about to tear the entire dark space apart.
This saber strike contained Qin Bo's ultimate understanding of the Pig Slaughtering Saber Technique.
It fused together his experiences and insights from all those years, as well as the potential that erupted between life and death.
The saber beam shot forth at a speed beyond imagination.
Everywhere it passed, the yin energy shattered like broken glass, layer upon layer collapsing with heart-pounding sounds.
With one slash, the entire mass of yin energy split in two.
[Ding: Resentful-level anomaly slain] [Obtained five years of lifespan]
As the system's voice rang out,
the battle finally ended, and Qin Bo lowered the kitchen cleaver in his hand.
His face was somewhat pale.
He had already lost quite a bit of blood after enchanting the kitchen cleaver with his own blood earlier.
Looking up, he saw a huge ravine carved into the ground.
Not far away, Little Black Charcoal was also lying on the ground with its head drooping, seemingly exhausted from overexerting itself.
"Little Black Charcoal, come here!"
Qin Bo pulled out a corncake and tossed it to her.
Unexpectedly, she merely glanced at it before turning her head away.
It seemed to be saying, You've got some nerve bringing out something like this!
"Huh? You little Little Black Charcoal, you won't eat unless there's meat, will you?"
Qin Bo raised a brow and reached out to pinch Little Black Charcoal's soft, floppy ear.
"Not bad, you've even learned to be picky?"
"But there's no meat right now. Tomorrow, I'll see if I can go hunt something."
"But for now..."
He deliberately drew out his words, broke the corncake in half, and slowly stuffed one piece into his own mouth.
"If you don't eat it, there won't be any left."
At his words, Little Black Charcoal's ears twitched, her bright eyes locked tightly on the corncake in Qin Bo's hand.
She let out an unhappy whine from her throat, but in the end, she could not resist the temptation of food.
Reluctantly, she picked up the corncake from the ground in her mouth. As she chewed, she angrily swept Qin Bo's trouser leg with her tail.
Qin Bo chewed the corncake while checking his attributes.
[Host: Qin Bo] [Physique: Slightly improved] [ cultivation: Body Tempering Realm (Organ Refining)] [Skills: Pig Slaughtering Saber Technique (Return to simplicity)] [Remaining lifespan: 9 years]
"Return to simplicity! It really is formidable."
"And there are Resentful-level anomalies. In other words, that female ghost was at the Resentful level, and I can now defeat one even when facing it head-on."
"The only flaw is that I need to enchant the saber with blood. Otherwise, I can't inflict any actual damage."
"One Resentful-level anomaly provides five years of lifespan. Not bad!"
Early the next morning!
Qin Bo was jolted awake by a bout of knocking at the door.
"Brother Bo! Brother Bo!"
"Are you there? Open up!"
"Who is it?"
When he opened the door, he saw that it was that kid, Li Ergou.
"What's wrong?"
"Quick, come help me!
Uncle Li's family invited a Taoist Master back to perform a ritual. Who would've thought something would suddenly go wrong? Li Dong and his wife actually disappeared."
"The Taoist Master needs eight young men to help. That's why I came to find you."
Qin Bo was instantly shocked when he heard this.
"What? Something happened to Li Dong and his wife?"
Yet inwardly, he was puzzled.
That shouldn't be. Didn't I kill that female ghost?
Could there be another ghostly entity?
With no time to think, Qin Bo told him to wait while he grabbed something.
He turned back into the room, wrapped the kitchen cleaver in cloth, and fastened it behind his waist.
The two of them hurried along and soon arrived at Li Dong's house in the east of the village.
From far away, the talismans pasted across the courtyard wall flapped loudly in the wind, exuding a strange, murderous aura.
Before they even entered, they heard a Taoist Master's hoarse shouts from inside:
"Peachwood sword, suppress the four directions! Borrow the righteousness of heaven and earth to shine forth!
"Whatever demon you are, reveal yourself at once!"
Qin Bo crossed the threshold, and the sight inside made his pupils contract sharply.
The Eight Immortals table was covered with black dog blood and cinnabar, while a peachwood sword lay across the center. Old Man Li's mourning hall had actually been wrecked.
Old Man Li's wife, Madam Lan, was as pale as paper.
Her daughter-in-law's embroidered shoes lay forlornly beside the offering table, stained with dark-red filth.
"Auntie Li! What exactly happened?"
"Where are Brother Li and Sister-in-law Li?"
Qin Bo hurried forward to ask.
"Xiao Bo, I don't know what happened to Dongzi and his wife either. They disappeared in the middle of the night."
"That's why this Taoist Master is trying to find a way to locate them!"
"Alas, what sin did my Old Li family commit?"
"Your old man died for no apparent reason, and now even my sons have to suffer?!"
At this point, Old Madam Li was wailing and crying out to heaven and earth. For a moment, Qin Bo did not know how to comfort her.
Soon, the other six arrived. They were all young men about his age, brimming with vigor.
They were all familiar faces from the village, and the group exchanged greetings.
Before you continue