At the Possession stage, one could attach one's soul to all kinds of spiritually aware animals. The methods were as varied as the clouds, making it impossible to guard against them. Once Hong Yi had fed the horse, drowsiness and exhaustion washed over him. His eyelids were nearly too heavy to lift, so he forced himself to stay awake and returned to his side room. He calmed his mind, hid several important belongings, then lay flat and visualized, nourishing his spirit. Before long, he had sunk into a deep, deep sleep.
Hong Yi gazed at the heavy needle in his hand, its entire length wrapped in blood-red threads, and pondered. He had spent a full half hour feeding the horse before Lightning Chaser finished chewing. By then, the night was already deep. Once one reached the Object Manipulation stage, one could use the soul to propel flying swords, needles, and knives to assassinate people, killing without leaving a trace. Hong Yi examined the Blood Patterned Steel Needle, then the dagger in his hand, covered in purple talismans. Frowning, he carefully tucked them into his sleeve. "Young Master Yi, are you up?"
Hong Yi knew his cultivation was still nowhere near the Object Manipulation stage. Even with a needle made of Blood Patterned Steel, he couldn't use it, let alone test the power of this legendary immortal steel. "That's right. Consort Yuan is visiting the Marquis Mansion today, and she specifically asked to see me? Could this Consort Yuan be the same Miss Yuan I met at Qiuyue Temple that day?" Their gazes met, and Hong Yi felt a sharp pain in his eyes, as if the other person's eyes were the blazing sun. Deep in his heart, he even had the vague feeling that Consort Yuan, like Bai Ziyue, was a friend he could trust. This horse looked like a difficult one to handle.
"The Ox Demon Great Strength Fist is meant for the human body. A horse's muscles and sinews are completely different from a person's. How could it practice that?" Incense burned on several large altar tables. After eating, Lightning Chaser paced gently, as if digesting its food. It stretched its four hooves, twisted its neck, flexed its hindquarters and belly, snorted, and chewed slowly. It was just like a master practicing boxing, loosening his muscles and bones and circulating his qi and blood. It was brimming with energy.
"These Daoists belong to the Wusheng Dao and Zhenkong Dao cults. They actually dared to attempt to assassinate an important official of the Dagan Empire twice. And each attempt was more formidable than the last, displaying immense power. What are they really after?" After quietly putting his things in order, he climbed back over the wall into the estate and brushed off his clothes. Practicing martial arts really is better. Before, I couldn't even have climbed the walls of the Marquis Mansion. After tidying up, Hong Yi didn't hurry back to his room. Instead, he went to check on the horse beside the side room. He mixed the prepared eggs and soybeans in a wooden bucket, then fed Lightning Chaser handful after handful.
"I wonder if the assassins from yesterday were wiped out?" After opening his eyes, Hong Yi exhaled a cloud of breath and thought back to what had happened the day before. The guards in the main residence were all experts, and there hadn't been any commotion in the estate. They must have wiped them out. But I deserve some credit for what happened. If I hadn't been there, that Daoist might really have activated the Explosive Flame Talisman Sword and blown up the house. Even if he couldn't kill Father, it would have caused a huge disturbance and surely disrupted Consort Yuan's visit. That would have made the Marquis Mansion lose face.
But this was only the most basic kind of Daoist cultivation, barely enough to count as an introduction. A thought suddenly sprang into Hong Yi's mind, but he immediately rejected it. Although Consort Yuan had barely spoken to him, her clean, decisive manner, her swift movements, and the way she came and went like a sword-wielding immortal heroine had left a deep impression on him.
After getting ready, he went to the main courtyard.
"I've only just reached the Day Wanderer stage. I can only come out on cloudy days, or in the morning and evening when the sunlight is weak. Under the blazing sun, it's absolutely impossible, let alone using Object Manipulation. The further I get into the Past Amitabha Sutra, the harder it becomes to practice. Today, I only managed to visualize the Rakshasa King by chance, and I was nearly consumed by his killing intent, doomed to eternal ruin." As soon as he entered the main courtyard, he saw that nearly everyone in the Marquis Mansion had gathered. Not just the three principal wives, the four concubines, and all their children, but also the maids, servants, stewards, and matrons with any standing, all mingled among them. Even Hong Xuanji stood in the very center, his expression solemn as he prepared to receive the guest with the utmost formality. His manners were beyond reproach.
"No wonder Fire Horses are so powerful. They've been trained in the army, and can actually exercise their bodies like people. But this isn't any profound martial art, just ordinary exercises for the muscles. What would happen if one taught it the Ox Demon Great Strength Fist? Or even the Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist? The Spirit Turtle Breathing Technique? How powerful would it become?" Lightning Chaser seemed to have a habit of eating late-night snacks, too. It watched Hong Yi while chewing one mouthful at a time, eating with such care and slowness that it was more dainty than the daughter of a wealthy family. Hong Yi's heart trembled at the thought, and he felt a sudden surge of emotion he could barely contain. At the same time, his soul shuddered deep within.
This young man was Hong Xuanji's legitimate eldest son, Hong Xi, who would inherit the marquis title one day. Though Hong Yi had only just begun cultivating the Dao, relying on the Past Amitabha Sutra to reach the Day Wanderer stage, he had already learned some methods of visualization and subduing demons to attack an enemy's soul.
"Blood Patterned Steel? Such a thing really exists in the world? I never would have thought it. I'd assumed everything written in those scholars' notes and Daoist Classics was pure fiction. But this is only a tiny needle. What a pity my soul hasn't reached the Object Manipulation stage. Otherwise, I could test how well Blood Patterned Steel works—is it really ten times faster and ten times more nimble than other common metals when propelled by the soul?" The Blood Patterned Steel Needle was one thing, but this dagger, the Explosive Flame Talisman Sword, was said to explode when activated, powerful enough to blow up an entire house. Hong Yi had to handle it with extreme care.
Hong Yi had originally climbed over the wall to search for the Daoist's corpse, hoping to find anything else on him like the Explosive Flame Talisman Sword. He hadn't expected to find a Blood Patterned Steel Needle instead.
When he woke, it was already full daylight. Hong Yi immediately spotted a tall, slender young man standing behind Hong Xuanji. He wore elegant brocade robes, had a jade-like complexion, and carried himself with the stillness of a mountain.
"Lightning Chaser, my friend, you'll have to put up with this for now. A month from now, once I've finished the imperial examination and moved out to start a household of my own, I'll hire four capable grooms to look after you. I promise they'll take wonderful care of you." Hong Yi was dumbfounded by the entire display. He had once seen Bai Ziyue attach his soul directly to a massive mastiff to frighten off enemies. Faced with such a technique, people had no way to respond. Powerful Ghost Immortals could even possess an expert and directly control his body, using it to perform all sorts of feats. That was truly terrifying. To truly master Daoist cultivation, one still had to reach the Object Manipulation stage and form a Yin Spirit. Only then would the many subtle Daoist arts and the vastness of the world truly reveal themselves. At the Manifestation stage, one could even borrow the lead-and-mercury essence of a Golden Core to make the soul appear and temporarily gather into a physical form.
Just then, Zi Yu walked in. "Steward Wu just sent someone over. He said that as soon as you get up, you should wash and dress. Then get ready and go to the main courtyard to wait. Consort Yuan's carriage will arrive around noon." Hong Yi waved his hand. "I understand. You can go."
Before you continue