Shadow Slave, Heavenly Phenomenon Manifestation

Looking at the shadow beneath his feet, Li Yan saw it faintly radiating golden light.

The effects after the side effects had been turned beneficial appeared before his eyes as well.

[The Su Family Secret Scroll (Blood Shadow Technique) you cultivate carries extremely severe side effects.]

[Current Cultivation Method: Beginner]

[Blood Shadow Technique Side Effect: Those who cultivate the Blood Shadow Technique for a long time will gradually be replaced by their shadows, eventually becoming Shadow Slaves.]

[Side Effect Turned Beneficial: Your shadow will become your loyal servant. As your cultivation improves, it can eventually be refined into a Heavenly Phenomenon Manifestation.]

After seeing the side effect, Li Yan stroked his chin and guessed.

"Those who cultivate the Blood Shadow Technique will become Shadow Slaves over time? Could it be...!"

Li Yan looked at Su Mo, the corpse puppet before him. Why had this Blood Pill Realm fairy fallen? Why had her family used her as a bargaining chip in a transaction?

Everything became clear!

"The so-called immortal cultivation family, the Su Family."

"From beginning to end, it has actually been controlled by blood shadows. The entire Su Family is made up of Shadow Slaves!"

When Li Yan said this, the corpse puppet Su Mo blinked curiously, confusion in her eyes.

That made sense.

She was no longer the Su Mo she had once been. The original Su Mo's soul had long since scattered.

This corpse puppet had little to do with her original owner. She could be regarded entirely as a newborn child.

There were not many residual memories of the original owner in her mind. The corpse puppet was like a blank sheet of paper, utterly clean.

"Forget it, you don't understand. What happened before has nothing to do with you either."

He waved a hand, comforting the somewhat dull corpse puppet, then turned his gaze beyond the cave dwelling.

Jingle, jingle!

Jingle, jingle!

Rhythmic peals of bells reached his ears.

Li Yan closed his eyes and used his Mind's Eye to investigate the outside.

Beside that old ghost Xuan Wang stood an additional Daoist, broad and burly.

The man wore Daoist robes, yet his entire body exuded the air of a bandit.

Within the mist, Li Yan's Mind's Eye had been strengthened by the side effects, allowing him to easily hear the two men's conversation.

"Xuan Sha? Old ghost Xuan Wang's Senior Brother?"

Eavesdropping on their conversation, he learned that this newly arrived martial uncle had come to capture him as well.

As Senior Brother Xuan Sha shook his bell, the commoners covered in white talismans hopped along ahead of them, clearing the way.

These two old ghosts were determined to capture Li Yan, this traitorous disciple, no matter what happened today!

Watching the situation within the mist, Li Yan remained calm, with a trace of composure in his expression.

"Outside, I truly wouldn't be a match for you."

"But you insisted on drilling your way in here, which is perfect. I can use you to test the Blood Shadow Technique."

Within the mist of Broken Sword Valley, Li Yan was extremely confident.

This was a game of cat and mouse. They could only see what was within twenty or thirty paces with their naked eyes.

Yet through his Mind's Eye, Li Yan could see and hear disturbances six li away.

Even though he only possessed the strength of the seventh layer of the Blood Condensation Realm, with the aid of the mist, he could evade these two old ghosts at the peak of the Blood Moving Realm.

Li Yan formed a hand seal with one hand and silently recited the Blood Shadow Technique.

His shadow began to stretch, reaching forward like a giant python.

"With the beginner-level Blood Shadow Technique, my shadow can move forward a li. Outside Broken Sword Valley, its effects would be ordinary."

"But within this mist, the Blood Shadow Technique is simply outrageously powerful!"

As he spoke, Li Yan's lips curled upward. His shadow had already moved several hundred paces away.

The two Daoists, Xuan Wang and Xuan Sha, were leading a group of disciples as they probed ahead.

Yet no one noticed a shadow silently appearing beneath their feet.

Li Yan, standing where he was, suddenly swung his fist with force!

The shadow lying in ambush on the ground abruptly flared with golden light.

A twelve-foot Golden Body Dharma Aspect rose from the earth, roughly two stories tall!

A bare-chested Dharma Form stood up, dazzling golden light flowing across its body. Its physique was translucent like glazed crystal, and the flow of its blood vessels could faintly be seen.

Its bulging muscles were sharply defined, as though carved by blades and axes. Its lines were powerful, erupting with vast strength.

As Li Yan threw this punch, the Dharma Form followed suit and swung its fist down!

Accompanied by a terrifying boom, the fist rubbed against the air and blasted out a fierce gale of force!

The many disciples who had yet to react were sent flying by Li Yan's punch.

Several disciples spat blood as they flew backward, smashing headfirst into the ancient Changyuan stone walls.

Before those disciples could recover from their daze, the ancient resentment buried in the walls behind them stretched out arms one after another and dragged the injured inside.

"Master, save me!!"

Amid several miserable screams, those unlucky disciples were dragged into the stone walls, merging with Changyuan. Their voices soon fell silent.

Li Yan's punch—

He controlled the shadow Dharma Form to send his opponents flying, using the terrain to kill them by shoving them into an ancient trap.

It saved time and effort, while delivering no small shock to those on the other side.

After throwing that punch, the benefits of the Blood Shadow Technique became apparent once more.

The twelve-foot golden body that had just risen from the ground instantly shrank back into the shadow. When Old Daoist Xuanwang and the others tried to find it again, Li Yan's shadow had already vanished without a trace.

"Interesting. With the Blood Shadow Technique combined with the mist in Broken Sword Valley, I can strike when they least expect it."

Watching the shadow instantly retract beneath his feet, Li Yan grinned. "After being turned beneficial, the Golden Body Dharma Aspect summoned by this Blood Shadow Technique truly suits me perfectly."

"Moreover, the Su Family Secret Scroll records that once the Blood Shadow Technique is cultivated to its peak, the shadow can transform into a Heavenly Phenomenon Manifestation..."

Having tasted the benefits of the Blood Shadow Technique, Li Yan became even more determined to master this secret art to its utmost.

This way of controlling shadows and turning them into Golden Body Dharma Aspects—I like it!

Hiding in the mist, he controlled his shadow to launch surprise attacks, toying with those two old Daoists until they spun in circles.

After Li Yan succeeded in several consecutive sneak attacks, he became increasingly adept at it.

He could not help sighing. "Su Mo, finding you and obtaining this Su Family Secret Scroll really has been my good fortune."

As he spoke, Li Yan reached out and patted the corpse puppet's head.

A pleased expression appeared on the fairy's face. Though she did not understand why Li Yan was happy, she could sense her master's emotions and revealed a blank, foolish smile as well.

In her pure, untainted spiritual world, she did not know why she was smiling. She was simply happy for her master.

Li Yan's current ease and delight were clearly built upon Xuan Wang's suffering.

As this traitorous disciple used the Blood Shadow Technique to control the Golden Body Dharma Aspect, making it emerge from the mist again and again—

Every sneak attack caught Xuan Wang completely off guard!

"This damned mist restriction!"

"If not for this mist, would you, traitorous disciple, dare to be so rampant!"

The crooked-eyed Daoist, beside himself with rage, began roaring hysterically.

He made it sound as though Li Yan's victory was somehow dishonorable?

Ridiculous.

The combined ages of these two Daoists amounted to several centuries.

Both were at the peak of the Blood Moving Realm. Two Daoists were bullying Li Yan alone, yet they still could not do anything to him.

Who, exactly, had won dishonorably? Justice lived in the hearts of the people.

While Xuan Wang and Xuan Sha raged helplessly within the mist, Li Yan thoroughly enjoyed the feeling.

They shouted themselves hoarse only because they wanted Li Yan to reveal a flaw.

He would not stupidly answer them and let them pinpoint the direction of his voice.

Silence was a form of camouflage. Hidden within the mist, Li Yan watched old ghost Xuan Wang flounder about in panic.

Li Yan muttered inwardly, I've played enough. Killing his disciples is boring.

How about... trying that move?

A wicked idea surfaced in his mind, and Li Yan turned his gaze toward the corpse puppet Su Mo beside him.