"Every one is more expensive than the last!"
Lin Fan curled his lip.
One Calming Heart Talisman cost 30 points, while one Eye-Opening Technique cost 70 points.
The optimized Eye-Opening Technique was even more expensive than the Five Thunders Spell!
Once I save up enough merit, you'd better be worth every penny!
Skill Points were still the best. They came in while he did nothing!
Lin Fan stopped letting his thoughts run wild and called out in his heart, "System, upgrade Purple Heaven Divine Thunder."
[Upgrade failed. Upgrading Purple Heaven Divine Thunder requires 100,000 Skill Points!] [Host's current Skill Points:]
"Are you robbing me?"
Lin Fan cursed inwardly, but when he saw the remaining ninety thousand-plus points, his mood improved again.
A divine technique like Purple Heaven Divine Thunder would soon be upgraded to Grand Perfection. What more could he ask for?
This was Purple Heaven Divine Thunder!
Once upgraded to Major Accomplishment, it was already several times more powerful than at Minor Accomplishment.
And if it reached Grand Perfection...
"Almost there!"
The corners of Lin Fan's mouth lifted as he eagerly watched the Skill Points in the status panel steadily increase: +1, +1, +1...
Suddenly!
Urgent footsteps rang out from outside!
"Don't make so much noise. This is a critical moment!"
Lin Fan cursed. The instant his words fell—
He heard Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng shouting anxiously.
"What happened?"
Lin Fan's eyes narrowed. He leaped up at the sound and opened the door.
He hurried toward the main hall.
Qiu Sheng was charging ahead, his face full of anxiety.
Behind him, Wen Cai ran into the courtyard holding incense, his face tense.
"I thought it was something serious."
Lin Fan glanced at the incense in Wen Cai's hand. Realizing what it was, he relaxed.
"Why are you panicking? Have you no sense of propriety?"
Uncle Jiu walked out of the Longevity Room and scolded Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng.
"Master, this is bad! This is really bad!"
Wen Cai handed Uncle Jiu the incense burned by the Plum Blossom Incense Array.
Uncle Jiu took the incense. His expression darkened as he shook his head. "As the ancient saying goes, people fear three long and two short, while incense most fears two short and one long. If it burns into this shape, someone in the household is certain to die. And yet, that is exactly how it has burned."
As he spoke, Uncle Jiu walked toward Old Master Ren's coffin.
"Master, is there something wrong with this coffin?"
Lin Fan followed and asked.
Uncle Jiu crossed his hands, his expression solemn. "You saw it during the day. There's nothing wrong with the coffin. The problem is the corpse!"
"Exactly. It's been almost twenty years, yet it hasn't rotted at all."
Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng spoke in unison.
"Open the coffin!"
Uncle Jiu gave the order.
Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng immediately stepped forward and pushed open the coffin together.
They saw—
Old Master Ren's body inside the coffin had swollen slightly and begun to wrinkle!
All ten fingernails had turned a deep purple, and the corpse aura was even stronger than when they had first seen him that afternoon!
Wen Cai shuddered in fright and shouted, "Master, Old Master Ren has actually grown plump!"
"Cover it up, quickly."
Uncle Jiu urged him on, then ordered, "The two of you, hurry and prepare paper, a brush, ink, a knife, and a sword."
"What?"
Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng both looked at Uncle Jiu, their faces blank with confusion.
Lin Fan waved his hand and explained, "Yellow paper, a red brush, an ink marker, a cleaver, and a wooden sword."
"Uneducated fools. You should learn more from your Senior Disciple Brother!"
Uncle Jiu sighed and waved his hand.
"Yes!"
Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng hurried outside.
Before long, they had gathered everything and handed it to Uncle Jiu.
"Rise!"
Uncle Jiu grabbed a chicken and stood before the ritual altar.
With one hand, he held the chicken by the head, and with the other, he gripped its feet, holding it upside down.
Lin Fan raised his knife and slashed at the chicken's neck.
The chicken's blood quickly dripped into a bowl on the ritual altar.
Uncle Jiu took the ink Wen Cai handed over.
He poured it into the bowl, mixing it with the chicken blood by stirring with his index finger.
He spread both hands into sword fingers and pointed them toward the bowl. The Ignite Spell set the liquid inside alight.
Then he firmly covered the bowl with a Bagua mirror, raised both hands, and pressed his index fingers securely against the bottom of the bowl.
Afterward, he used both index fingers to push the bowl swiftly downward from top to bottom.
Not a single drop of liquid remained outside the ink marker.
"Take it and snap it across the coffin."
Uncle Jiu let out a soft breath and handed the ink marker to Wen Cai.
Wen Cai took it and walked toward the coffin with Qiu Sheng.
The two of them stood on opposite sides of the coffin.
They pulled the ink line taut and snapped it across the coffin, section by section.
"You two do it properly. Don't slack off. I'm going to prepare for tomorrow's grave relocation."
After giving his instructions, Uncle Jiu rose and walked outside.
"Got it, Master!"
Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng answered.
Once Uncle Jiu had left, the two immediately began playing with the ink marker.
"Behave yourselves! Do it properly—even the bottom of the coffin must not be missed!"
Seeing this, Lin Fan shouted angrily.
In the original story, it was precisely because Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai had failed to snap ink lines across the bottom of the coffin that Old Master Ren's corpse transformed and escaped.
"Yes, Senior Disciple Brother."
Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng shuddered in fright and hurriedly stopped fooling around.
They pulled the ink line in their hands taut and answered in unison.
Before long, Lin Fan saw that the two had also snapped the bottom of the coffin. Only then did he relax.
"Whew! I'm dead tired. I have to head back to my aunt's place."
Qiu Sheng stretched lazily as he spoke and headed outside.
"Senior Disciple Brother, satisfied now?"
Wen Cai also looked exhausted as he spoke to Lin Fan.
"Go get some rest."
Lin Fan waved his hand and turned toward his room.
He had enough Skill Points!
Inside the room.
[Host's Skill Points:]
"Finally!"
Lin Fan stared at the Skill Points with burning eyes and said, "System, upgrade Purple Heaven Divine Thunder!"
Crackle!
The sound of thunder rang out!
Lin Fan tightly shut his eyes. In his mind, bolts of lightning surged into the sky one after another!
Terrifying thunder filled the entire world, like an overbearing force that devoured everything as it swept across the earth!
[Ding! The host has consumed Skill Points. Purple Heaven Divine Thunder has been upgraded from Major Accomplishment to Grand Perfection!]
The system's crisp voice rang out.
Only after gasping for breath did Lin Fan jolt awake from his terror.
"So this is the ultimate form of Purple Heaven Divine Thunder?"
Residual fear still lingered on Lin Fan's face as he drew a deep breath.
Then he raised his sword fingers, and the incantation began.
He cast Purple Heaven Divine Thunder at its lowest possible power.
A purple bolt of lightning danced above his sword fingers.
An overbearing, unruly aura instantly filled the room.
The terrifying aura seemed capable of swallowing the entire room!
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