Cultivation Time Was Always Fleeting

"Senior Brother, why so quiet? Don't tell me you're shy. If you won't make a move, then your junior sister will."

Jin Xiaoxiao's almond-shaped eyes brimmed with affection. Her index finger traced up Fang Huai's trouser leg, teasing the taut muscles beneath.

If Fang Huai's resolve hadn't been extraordinary, his Dao heart might already have faltered!

A woman like her had to have been a noble young lady or a well-bred daughter from a humble family before coming to the secular world. How could she possibly take a liking to a beggar covered in festering sores?

A swan would never look a toad in the eye. If it ever did, there could only be one reason:

The swan was hungry and wanted to eat the toad.

The Body Forging Technique in the Hundred Sha Technique could seize the qi and blood of the living to temper the body once it was mastered. If a Qi Refining cultivator used it, they could kill and plunder directly. Those who had yet to refine qi could only seize qi and blood through cultivation by absorption.

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Jin Xiaoxiao was acting this way because she had surely mastered the Body Forging Technique and had set her sights on his qi and blood.

"Get lost!" Fang Huai's voice grew stern.

"Hehe, Senior Brother, don't play hard to get. Just surrender already!"

At Jin Xiaoxiao's coquettish cry, Fang Huai bent down and leaned close to her. His expression was hard to read, as if he were about to fall at her feet.

Hah. Men!

They said no, but she still had them wrapped around her little finger.

Jin Xiaoxiao felt rather pleased with herself. She had met plenty of hypocrites like Fang Huai—outwardly righteous, but filthy inside.

"Senior Brother..." Her eyes grew hazy, and her cheeks flushed.

"Thump!"

Her head spun... Warm liquid trickled down her forehead.

Jin Xiaoxiao stared at Fang Huai in disbelief. He held a bluestone in his hand, smeared with blood.

Fang Huai swallowed and backed away several steps.

After cultivating the Body Forging Technique, Jin Xiaoxiao's constitution far surpassed that of an ordinary person. An ordinary person would have passed out—or worse—from a blow like that. But judging by her appearance, she seemed to be all right.

"If I said the stone jumped up and hit you on its own, would you believe me?"

"You crippled beggar! You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!"

Among the Corpse Sha Sect's servant disciples, there were plenty who lusted after beauty. Jin Xiaoxiao had never once failed to get her way thanks to her looks. Now that Fang Huai had gotten the better of her and even made her bleed, she couldn't help flying into a rage.

Burning with fury, she lunged at Fang Huai. "I only wanted a little taste, but you've gone too far!"

His qi and blood rapidly drained away...

No longer tender and gentle, Jin Xiaoxiao crazily plundered his qi and blood.

Fang Huai was in agony. With an assailant this vicious, even a three-year sentence wouldn't have been enough in his previous life—she deserved thirty!

He had to find a way to interrupt Jin Xiaoxiao's cultivation by absorption, or he might die right there in the room.

Heaven above, please give me a usable gray tag.

He had only two points left. Fang Huai prayed, then silently thought: Refresh.

Jin Xiaoxiao's tags changed: [Half-Step Body Forging (Gray)], [Steadfast Dao Heart (Red)]

[Half-Step Body Forging: As the name suggests, you're still halfway from successfully tempering the body.]

There was one he could use!

Jin Xiaoxiao suddenly lost her strength, her body growing somewhat weak. What frightened her even more was that Fang Huai, beneath her, had tensed his muscles as his aura surged.

"Six hours. That'll be enough!"

Demonic Beasts howled outside. Pained cries sounded within...

It wasn't until the rooster crowed that Fang Huai finally ended the fierce battle. He looked with satisfaction at the information on the light screen:

[Body Forging Technique Initiated: 51/100]

Cultivation time was always fleeting.

Fang Huai opened the door. Sunlight outside was a little harsh. Behind him, Jin Xiaoxiao's hair was disheveled, and her face was as pale as paper.

The Way of Heaven kept its own accounts. Last night Jin Xiaoxiao had been Half-Step Body Forging; this morning, Fang Huai was Half-Step Body Forging too.

When Jin Xiaoxiao saw Fang Huai's gaze turn toward her, she trembled all over and hurriedly grabbed a vine to climb down.

But she was far too weak. After only a few moves, she fell from the high perch, startling the crowd into cries of alarm.

"That stinking beggar would do something so beastly!"

"No wonder he's crippled. It's heavenly punishment!"

"Miss, don't be afraid. Come to my room tonight. I'm a gentleman."

"..."

The crowd chattered among themselves.

Fang Huai couldn't be bothered with them. When he had been weak, he might have feared these people.

Now that he had seized Jin Xiaoxiao's qi and blood, his tag had become [Half-Step Body Forging]. He wasn't afraid of facing a crowd of skinny mortals, even outnumbered.

The Body Forging Technique was great. Cultivating immortality was great!

Seeing the crowd bristle with indignation, Jin Xiaoxiao couldn't stop her tears from falling. She said bitterly, "Don't blame him. It was my fault, all my fault. I was just too weak!"

Her already charming face, paired with those beautiful eyes brimming with tears, made her all the more pitiful and heartbreaking.

The women sneered, but the men couldn't hold back. Several self-styled champions of justice surrounded Fang Huai, ready to teach him a lesson.

"Get lost!"

Fang Huai's face was expressionless. Today, he planned to exchange for some Miasma-Clearing Pills, then head to Miasma Valley to gather baleful intent. He didn't want to delay his trip.

There was no need for Inedia Pills. Wild greens and Wild Yam grew everywhere in the Corpse Sha Sect. If he got hungry, he could just find something to eat.

"You stinking beggar, looking to die?" The man had wanted to play the hero in front of Jin Xiaoxiao, but Fang Huai had made him look a fool. Anger welled up in him, and he swung a punch at Fang Huai.

Fang Huai dodged to the side, then casually smashed his fist into the man's chin. "From now on, call me Senior Brother Fang!"

The man's body went stiff, then toppled straight to the ground.

Anywhere, anytime, force decided everything. Whoever had the bigger fist spoke the truth.

The crowd scattered in a flurry, leaving only a burly man behind. Smiling broadly, he clapped his hands and stepped forward to greet Fang Huai:

"Pei Long of the Pei Family. May I ask your name, brother?"

"Fang Huai."

"In the demonic sects, no matter how strong someone is alone, they can't amount to much. Joining forces is the only way to get by in the long run."

Pei Long's hand landed on Fang Huai's shoulder, and an invisible pressure bore down on him.

As the Pei Family's eldest son and heir, Pei Long was no wastrel. He had trained in martial arts since childhood, and his strength had already surpassed Half-Step Body Forging.

"Pei Long knows talent when he sees it. I'd like to invite you to join the Pei Family, so we can advance and retreat together!"

"Sorry, but I have no taste for holding hands with men."

The Pei Family had killed the original owner of this body and bullied him repeatedly. Working under Pei Long would hardly put Fang Huai's Dao heart at ease.

Besides, the Pei Family was full of people and prying eyes. It would be awful if his abilities were exposed.

"Damn it, you think you can just—!" The Pei Family guards had already drawn their weapons.

Pei Long raised a hand to stop them, then advised, "A servant who doesn't band together has only one way out: death. If you won't join the Pei Family, are you going to team up with those worthless nobodies?"

Fang Huai glanced around. The Pei Family guards watched him intently, while the ordinary servants all hung their heads.

"I appreciate your kindness, Brother Pei, but I'm used to going it alone. I'm afraid I can't accept your offer."

Seeing that Pei Long had no intention of letting him go, Fang Huai smiled. "If you won't let me leave, does that mean you really want to hold hands with me in front of all these people?"

Pei Long eased his grip, the corners of his mouth curling upward. "That wouldn't be out of the question. If you change your mind someday, the Pei Family will still welcome you."

After Fang Huai left, one of the Pei Family guards asked, "Master Pei, should we kill that arrogant bastard?"

Pei Long shook his head. "The Hundred Sha Technique contains a body-tempering art. Once mastered, it lets you cultivate by absorbing the qi and blood of the living. I tried cultivating it last night, but couldn't grasp the method.

"The woman who just came out of Fang Huai's room had been drained through cultivation by absorption. That means he has mastered the Body Forging Technique and cultivated a demonic art.

"Until we know how strong he is, we can't make an enemy of him rashly."

Pei Long gazed in the direction Fang Huai had gone, his eyes deep and inscrutable.

He hadn't told the Pei Family guards that when he had laid a hand on Fang Huai's shoulder, he had secretly planted a Black Death Spider on him.

The spider's poison would gather around its victim's heart. At first, there would be no unusual symptoms. Three hours later, the poison would flare up, killing its victim without a trace.

"Fang Huai, since you don't want to join the Pei Family, then you can die."