Close-Quarters Combat

The Heavenly Thunder Pearl was supremely fierce and yang, the bane of yin entities. Yet it had not inflicted the slightest damage on the Jade Bone Skeleton—far beyond Xu Yi's expectations.

He hurriedly stuffed several pills into his mouth. As their medicinal effects spread, he felt a faint hollowness deep in his soul.

He knew this wasn't from overusing the Soul Splitting Art. It was a sign that too much Life Source Power had drained away.

In the great battle at the imperial grounds, he had suffered countless minor and severe injuries. He had been especially badly hurt when the Dragon Lock Imperial Qi ambushed him earlier, nearly rotting away half his body and draining too much of his Life Source Power. Now, during his second transformation into a demon, his muscles, bones, skin, and organs had all been stretched, torn, and repaired, draining yet more Life Source Power. As the potent pills took effect, they healed his injuries but also carried away a great deal of that power.

"Cackle, cackle. You really do have a fine brain. In a little while, I'll crack open your skull and see if your brains are stickier than other people's."

The Ghost Master let out a grotesque laugh and shot forward again, his bone-white shadow streaking across the air.

Xu Yi's thoughts shifted, and he was already ten zhang away, leaving the Ghost Master to miss.

Xu Yi had activated the Return to Origin Steps. Compared with his current speed, the technique was no longer an outstanding means of travel. With a thought, he could cover ten zhang; at his current cultivation, he could often run more than ten zhang in less than a thought.

But for short-range shifts, the Return to Origin Steps were wondrous beyond compare.

The Ghost Master had barely