June twentieth—thirteen days remained!
That morning, someone came to the door early to report a death.
Cheng Yubo was dead!
Ever since Cheng Wanli had replaced the Sanjiang Gang and established his own Dragon Fang Gang,
the days of hunting Crocodile Dragons had essentially come to an end.
The Sanjiang Gang had left behind a vast territory and numerous avenues for making money, so Cheng Wanli no longer needed to trudge over there miserably to hunt dragons.
With fifty Spirit Stones from Li Haitian's inheritance, Luo Zhou was no longer short of money either.
That was the tacit understanding between adults: they did not disturb each other, and silently went their separate ways.
Who would have thought that someone would come to report a death that morning? Cheng Yubo was dead.
That chubby Cheng Yubo had always looked after Luo Zhou.
Luo Zhou had to go!
The coffin was placed in the grand residence where Zhang Meng had been slain.
The funeral was being held there...
Luo Zhou frowned. What an unlucky place. Why hold the funeral here?
He bowed, paid his respects, offered incense, and presented gift money...
Cheng Yubo, who had once had his eyeballs knocked out yet still fought desperately, had died just like that, lying forever in his coffin.
Luo Zhou found it hard to believe.
Lu Yue was there, maintaining order and handling the funeral arrangements.
Luo Zhou found him and asked, "Brother Yu Bo, how did he die?"
Lu Yue gritted his teeth and said, "Sigh, this place used to be where Zhang Meng of the Sanjiang Gang kept his mistress.
"That woman was quite pretty. After things were over, Little Cheng was overcome by lust and kept her.
"She was a tough one, though. To avenge Zhang Meng, she pretended to submit to him, then poisoned them both last night. They died together—a pair of ill-fated lovers!"
"What a fierce woman..."
Luo Zhou was rendered speechless. He did not know what to say!
He could only let out a long sigh!
"Little Zhou, can we still hunt Crocodile Dragons?"
Lu Yue suddenly asked.
"Brother Lu, I'm free whenever!"
Lu Yue shook his head and said:
"Sigh, Zhang Chuan and I have both become managers of the Dragon Fang Gang. I have wives and concubines now, and I'm no longer short of Broken Spirits. Every day, I enjoy fine wine and good food.
"If you ask me to crawl through those muddy swamps again in search of Crocodile Dragons, I'm afraid I can't do it..."
Luo Zhou nodded. People changed with their circumstances.
"Brother Lu, that's even better. Enjoy life properly!
"By the way, where's Captain Cheng?"
"The City Lord summoned him. He went to the City Lord's Mansion.
"By the way, the Purple Crickets you asked him to find have been located through contacts in Great Xuan Mountain. A batch can be delivered at noon. I'll send someone to take them to your home then."
Purple Crickets were spirit insects containing spiritual energy. They could only be found in Great Xuan Mountain, and each one was worth thirty Broken Spirits.
Luo Zhou had asked Cheng Wanli to use his connections in Great Xuan Mountain. After all these days, they had finally obtained some!
This was crucial to him!
According to Li Haitian's memories, Full Moon Devil was the demon Blood Parrot, the pet of the City Lord's daughter, Fang Ningshuang.
It lived in the rear garden of the City Lord's Mansion, where the entire garden was its playground.
The guards kept far away from it, because it was certainly no vegetarian.
The City Lord's Mansion was heavily guarded, with at least Foundation Establishment cultivators on defense. Luo Zhou could never get inside, not even if he were beaten to death.
However, Li Haitian had his own method.
If he could not go in himself, he would lure Blood Parrot out.
In Li Haitian's memories, aside from transforming and eating people on the fifteenth full moon, Blood Parrot was usually just an ordinary parrot, only somewhat larger—three feet tall.
Parrots loved eating crickets more than anything.
Blood Parrot was no different, which was why Luo Zhou had specially asked people to capture the spirit insect Purple Cricket.
As luck would have it, Luo Zhou possessed the Insect Control ability. He could control the Purple Crickets and lure Blood Parrot out of the rear garden of the City Lord's Mansion.
In Li Haitian's memories, there was a weak point in the defenses outside the rear garden. It had only a courtyard wall and a barrier, with no guards stationed there.
That was the flaw he had discovered after repeated observation and study.
His goal was to one day wipe out the City Lord's entire family on the third day of the first lunar month.
The City Lord's Mansion was crawling with Foundation Establishment cultivators. If a Qi Refinement cultivator like him entered, he would surely die without a burial place.
But a person had to have some ideals, right?
There were no guards at this place, only the courtyard wall and barrier. Luo Zhou would not enter either. He would lure Blood Parrot out here and kill it with a single Dragon-Slaying Thrust!
No one would see him. The plan was airtight, flawless!
The Purple Crickets had finally arrived. He could put it into action.
As for the night of the fifteenth, using himself as bait to lure Blood Parrot before attempting to assassinate it would be pure suicide.
Every month, during the hour of demons, Blood Parrot transformed into a terrifying fiend.
From more than thirty feet away, it only needed one glance to absorb the prey's entire vital essence, energy, and spirit, killing it with a glare!
It would never enter the range of Luo Zhou's Dragon-Slaying Thrust.
After repeatedly calculating, Luo Zhou had discovered the key points of Blood Parrot's Woodworm Devil ritual.
Time: the fifteenth, under the full moon. Place: a crossroads. Person: a passerby. Method: kill and drain the essence. Ritual trait: regret!
Everyone who died to the Full Moon Devil had one final thought: regret.
Why had they come to the crossroads on the night of the fifteenth full moon? Amid endless remorse, they were slowly drained dry and died.
After the funeral rites were complete, Luo Zhou hurried to school.
When he arrived at the Dao Academy, he immediately went to the dean's office to report.
Seeing him come over, Headmaster Zhao asked, "What kind of force-user?"
Luo Zhou was just about to answer when Headmaster Zhao waved his hand. "Wait. Let me guess.
"Your body has grown taller, your figure is slender as a pine, and you possess innate spiritual energy. Aloof and refined—the Hinoki Force User. Bamboo-Thin Pine-Slender. Congratulations!"
Luo Zhou said, "Teacher, what are you congratulating me for? The Hinoki Force User ranks thirty-third among the thirty-six force-users. The increase in strength is far too small."
"You don't understand its benefits. Girls will scream when they see you. You'll understand its advantages later.
"The Hinoki Force User is the best among the many force-users!"
Luo Zhou wore an utterly disbelieving expression.
"Teacher, can I advance to become a Curse Master?"
"A Curse Master needs powerful mental strength, dark power, or a ghostly aura. You must radiate hatred and death with your entire being. You're far too sunny, a silly fool—you have no hope.
"You're just a laboring ox of a force-user who relies on brute strength. You have no chance of becoming a Curse Master."
He had already advanced, so he no longer bothered pretending and bluntly labeled him a laboring ox of a force-user.
"Teacher, is there really no way?"
"Why are you so interested in Curse Masters?"
"I want to curse a Crocodile Dragon to death!"
"There is one method. If you can curse someone of a higher realm than yourself to death, you'll naturally become a Curse Master. Easy as pie."
"Curse someone to death? How could I possibly curse someone to death? Someone of a higher realm? If I made him angry, he'd crush me with one kick!"
"If cursing him to death won't work, then fool and deceive him. With that pretty little face of yours, as straight and upright as a green pine—
"Cackle, cackle, you're a complete pretty boy, a milky little wolf-dog, the sort of white-faced scholar women adore. Little girls will live and die for you!"
"Teacher, I may be young, but I'm not stupid.
"Just because I'm good-looking, I can make girls live and die for me? What kind of joke is that?"
"Hahaha, young people are so naive. They understand nothing. Simpdom knows no gender."
Luo Zhou smiled. Teacher, I actually know much more than you do!
Scenting a woman by her fragrance, the Plain Maiden's arts, equestrian techniques—you've probably never even heard of eighty percent of them. I may never have used them, but I have the knowledge!
Luo Zhou began chatting with Headmaster Zhao.
Headmaster Zhao was learned and talented, knowing everything under the sun. He instructed Luo Zhou there.
He also liked chatting with Luo Zhou. Luo Zhou looked young, but in his words were both a teenager's childishness and a maturity, self-awareness, and breadth of vision far beyond his years.
He was not actually an ordinary person. With the knowledge of the six Woodworm Devils, he naturally was no ordinary youth.
As they chatted, Luo Zhou suddenly remembered something.
He gritted his teeth, took out the Wang Family's treasure, and asked:
"Teacher, could you help me identify this?"
He did not recognize the treasure himself, and keeping it on him was useless.
He might as well ask his teacher what it was and what wondrous uses it had.
If his teacher wanted it, he would give it to him. Given his character, he would not take it for nothing.
Ten birds in the forest were not as good as one bird in the hand.
Headmaster Zhao glanced at it and said:
"The Heavy Mix Profound Bead of the Jellyfish Celestial Palace!
"I haven't seen one of these in many years. They used to be unearthed here quite often and were one of our specialties.
"Refining this during the Qi Refinement stage grants the Qi Refinement trait Heavy Water Qi!"
At those words, Luo Zhou's heart sank.
As for Qi Refinement traits, he already possessed Icy Qi, Water Ripple Qi, Ethereal Qi, Geomagnetic Qi, Water Tide Energy, Heavy Dust Qi, and Three Eyes Qi...
He already had a full seven. Adding another would not mean much.
But then again, Old Wang had spent his whole life cutting hair. What kind of good treasure could he have?
Headmaster Zhao continued:
"You can sell the Heavy Mix Profound Bead. To Qi Refinement cultivators, it's a precious treasure, and its price is considerable. You could sell it for at least eighty Spirit Stones.
"You can also refine it. Heavy Water Qi can condense water and refine it into a form of Heavy Water Qi.
"It's an extremely powerful spiritual-energy trait. Paired with lightning arts in particular, it's practically invincible."
It could be sold or cultivated?
That did not sound bad!
Headmaster Zhao began speaking at length:
"Heavy Water Qi is one of the one hundred and eight Qi Refinement traits of the Jellyfish Celestial Palace.
"Moreover, it is one of the twelve first-grade water qis, and the spiritual energy best suited to lightning arts.
"This spiritual energy can drive the various lightning arts of the Jade Pivot, Purple Mansion, Profound Mechanism, Immortal Capital, and Taiyi lightning-art lineages."
Luo Zhou could not help asking:
"Teacher, I know of Icy Qi, Water Ripple Qi, and Ethereal Qi as Qi Refinement spiritual-energy traits. Compared with Heavy Water Qi, which of these three is better?"
"The Icy Qi, Water Ripple Qi, and Ethereal Qi you mentioned are called Heavenly Water Qi.
"Heavenly refers to the three natural states of water, while water is the core. This qi represents water's three great forms: solid, liquid, and gas.
"Heavenly Water Qi unites all three states and encompasses every form of water under heaven. It is specially suited to all kinds of water arts and is also one of the twelve first-grade water qis of the Jellyfish Celestial Palace.
"Naturally, it is stronger than Heavy Water Qi, which is specially suited to lightning arts!"
Luo Zhou nodded, his knowledge growing.
"Teacher, what about Water Tide Energy?"
"The water qis controlled by those beasts do not count among the one hundred and eight Qi Refinement traits of the Jellyfish Celestial Palace.
"They have no significance.
"However, Water Tide Energy can transform into Great Tidal Surge and evolve into Tidal Qi. The tides of the boundless sea can sweep across all realms!
"That is also one of the twelve first-grade water qis of the Jellyfish Celestial Palace.
"But it ranks below Heavenly Water Qi and Heavy Water Qi."
"Teacher, what about Geomagnetic Qi, Heavy Dust Qi, and Three Eyes Qi...?"
"Compared with Heavy Water Qi, Heavenly Water Qi, and Tidal Qi, they are several grades lower.
"Three Eyes Qi is equivalent to the ninth-grade water qis of the Jellyfish Celestial Palace.
"Geomagnetic Qi and Heavy Dust Qi have a chance to evolve into powerful gravity- and earth-element Qi Refinement traits, so they are equivalent to fifth- or sixth-grade water qis."
"You just mentioned evolution and transformation? How do they transform and evolve?"
"You're only at the Body Tempering stage. Why are you asking about this?
"Wait until you reach the Qi Refinement stage."
That was what he said, but Headmaster Zhao still taught him.
"The basic method of evolution is to first refine a Qi Refinement trait, then use a natural treasure to guide your Qi Refinement trait through evolution.
"Transformation is easier. Personal conviction is enough.
"In the end, true qi is a part of your own body. If you believe it, it may change.
"It may, mind you—not certainly. There's a one- or two-tenths chance. And refining this isn't certain either; the success rate is only fifty or sixty percent."
"Remember, the cultivation world changes with every passing day. It casts off the old and brings forth the new, forever advancing.
"Even if you master the weakest Qi Refinement trait, you can still defeat ten Qi Refinement cultivators without one!"
"Teacher, I understand!
"Teacher, you mentioned the Jellyfish Celestial Palace just now. What is that?"
Headmaster Zhao gave a sinister chuckle and said:
"All that has passed is ancient dead bones."
That was what he said, but he couldn't help himself and continued:
"Back in the day, the Jellyfish Celestial Palace held sway over the three oceans and four seas, and was hailed as the foremost supreme sect of water arts.
"Later, it was wiped out..."
"By whom?"
Headmaster Zhao quietly looked around before answering:
"The Myriad Sword Devil Sect!"
"But the Myriad Sword Devil Sect is gone now, too.
"It has abandoned the sword to cultivate the Dao, and left behind its devilish ways to enter the Dao. It's now the Heaven and Earth Dao Sect!"
"Seventy thousand years ago, the Myriad Sword Devil Sect destroyed the Jellyfish Celestial Palace. A hundred and fifty thousand sword cultivators soared into the sky, wielding their swords to boil the seas and remake heaven and earth!
"An endless torrent—their swordlight veiled the sky for thirty thousand li. Towering and majestic, their Sword Qi pierced the nine heavens.
"They split the three oceans, swept the four seas, and none could stand against them. Who could rival them?!"
As he spoke, Headmaster Zhao seemed to be in a state of fervor. He gazed into the distance, as if yearning for something.
Luo Zhou suddenly understood. No wonder the Wang Family had water mines and the bloodline ability Overturning Rivers and Seas, Li Haitian had the secret manual The Azure Waters Flow East to This Return, and so many people possessed an affinity for water spells.
It turned out these people were all descendants of the Jellyfish Celestial Palace.
Headmaster Zhao sensed what Luo Zhou was thinking and nodded.
"Supposedly, some surviving cultivators of the Jellyfish Celestial Palace are still around, dreaming of restoring it. Wishful thinking!"
It took a long while for him to calm down. Then he warned Luo Zhou:
"Also, remember this: what I just told you about the Myriad Sword Devil Sect must stay between you and me.
"Once you leave, forget it. This is the greatest taboo of the Heaven and Earth Dao Sect.
"If word gets out, you'll be branded a traitor to the sect and put to death. You're done for!"
Before you continue