What About This Soul Devouring?!

On the other side, ever since the Seven Kill Blood-Transforming Divine Stele had swallowed the Black Sha, it was as if his Governing and Conception Vessels had been unblocked.

He felt his spirit had been greatly strengthened, and he seemed to have become remarkably sensitive to changes in his surroundings.

This change undoubtedly increased Liang Qisheng's control over his body and the outside world.

In particular, some subtle changes within his body that he had never sensed before—now, through some form of spiritual perception, he directly discovered some deeper hidden meridian blockages.

As he continuously gathered blood energy, Liang Qisheng consciously guided it, following his tendons and bones to extend into the range of those hidden, tiny meridians.

Relying on the force of the blood energy, he constantly cleared the blocked minor meridians.

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Without him even realizing it, the meridian network circulating through his entire body was greatly expanded.

This undoubtedly further solidified the foundation and groundwork of his cultivation, making his roots even more stable.

It was like forming an iron bucket, allowing him to gather far more blood energy than a martial artist at the same realm.

"Both at the Tendon-Forging Realm, Shopkeeper Lin is still at the mid-to-late stage of Tendon-Forging."

"...But now, the blood energy within my body has already surpassed Shopkeeper Lin's by at least sixty to seventy percent, and this rate is still skyrocketing."

Liang Qisheng had fought Shopkeeper Lin before, a life-and-death struggle, so he had a rough estimate of the other's total blood energy, killing power, and forging strength.

Using him as a benchmark and comparing it to his own current level, it was easy to see the gap.

Though he started late, his foundation was extremely solid.

If Shopkeeper Lin represented the average level of a martial artist at the same realm, then in terms of foundation, Liang Qisheng surpassed him by at least double.

Moreover, this gap was rapidly widening as his strength grew, even exploding exponentially.

By the time Liang Qisheng reached the height of Shopkeeper Lin's realm, his blood energy would be more abundant, his tendons and bones more tempered, and his killing intent would completely overwhelm the other.

He could even open up an astonishingly vast gap.

Gathering the blood energy of his entire body to nourish that blade technique seed, after ten consecutive days, Liang Qisheng felt the seed had reached the foundation of maturity.

In his mind, the seed seemed to tremble slightly, then naturally took root and sprouted, growing rapidly until a pitch-black flower bud emerged.

The roots, stems, and leaves quickly decayed, rotted, and dissipated, until finally, beneath the flower bud, a blackish-red fruit formed.

The moment this fruit appeared, Liang Qisheng only felt a sudden chill at the back of his neck.

All the hairs on his body stood on end, as if invisible, razor-sharp blades were pressed against his throat, the back of his neck, and every vital point on his body.

A single light cut, and he would be riddled with holes, his soul scattered and spirit destroyed.

Liang Qisheng understood that this fruit was the Ghost-Devouring Blade Seed, formed from the Sha Qi he had condensed by executing over a hundred wicked villains as an executioner these past days, fused with the lingering remnants of the Seven Kills.

It represented the complete essence of his blade technique, the culmination of all insights from the Decapitation Blade Technique reaching great mastery, then perfection, then transcendence, and finally approaching the Dao itself.

A fruit the size of a billiard ball condensed atop the flower, standing there silently.

Its surface emitted faint strands of blackish-red luster, and drifting mist quietly dispersed.

"...Once the inner core seed absorbs all the fruit's nutrients, this blade seed will be fully mature."

This kind of spiritual change was ethereal and intangible, but in Liang Qisheng's eyes, it seemed almost materialized.

Every day of his effort could be transformed into precise data, visible to his eyes, with everything progressing in a favorable direction.

As that fruit gradually began to ripen, the expression on Liang Qisheng's face grew increasingly steady.

The more critical the moment, the more patience was required.

Liang Qisheng opened a porcelain bottle and tipped out a blood-red pill, swallowing it down.

This was a Blood Source Pill, used to replenish blood energy in the body, and it wasn't cheap.

Because it involved changes in blood energy and penetrating the meridians, though not as expensive as a Body Tempering Pill, its price was still as high as five taels per pill.

But Liang Qisheng was now flush with wealth, and he valued the growth of his martial skills more.

Making progress every day had him utterly engrossed.

Various pills flowed in endlessly, and soon he would finish spending the five hundred taels of private silver notes he had "acquired" from Shopkeeper Lin.

As for the two-thousand-tael Great Silver Banknote from Nine Harmonies Hall, he would also have to find a way to exchange it for resources.

Liang Qisheng swallowed the pill directly, and instantly, blood energy surged within his body like a furnace.

The pill dissolved into blood essence as it went down his throat, the intense blood energy turning into a surging, bloody mist within his body.

Guided by the boxing stance drills, it continued to converge into his mind.

The empty space within his mind was immediately shrouded by this mist.

The entire space was hazy and indistinct, making it impossible to see the fruit at the center at a single glance.

"Involving spiritual changes is completely beyond my current martial realm's understanding. I can only take it one step at a time."

"Now is the most critical moment for this fruit to mature. I need to handle it carefully."

Liang Qisheng continued to temper himself with the Tiger Demon Bone-Forging Fist, a fist technique entirely prepared for those at the Bone-Forging Realm.

Although he could not fully comprehend it, he had gained considerable insight during this period.

His bones, tendons, and the hundred joints of his limbs moved in unison—a single hair pulling the whole body—as they frantically strengthened themselves with the aid of the medicinal power.

At this moment, Liang Qisheng swallowed the Blood Qi Pill, refining the essence of its blood energy and condensing it into every part of his flesh and blood.

The writhing of sinews, bones, and skin merged into a single furnace.

Suddenly, the fruit standing alone in his mind erupted with a fierce suction force, as if a gaping mouth had opened from nowhere, drawing in all the surrounding blood energy.

A red light blazed, and black stripes covered the fruit's surface.

On closer look, the fruit now resembled a ripe plum, exuding an enticing red glow, giving the impression of being fully mature.

Under Liang Qisheng's eager gaze, the fully ripened fruit directly fell off.

In an instant, it sank completely into his mind.

Almost at the same moment, familiar data changes rang out in his head.

"...Ghost Devouring Blade Art, successfully evolved!"

This shook Liang Qisheng's mind, and he hurriedly checked the information in his head.

"Name: Liang Qisheng

Realm: Tendon-Forging Early Stage.

Lifespan: 75 years.

Techniques: Tiger Demon Bone-Forging Fist 1%(+)

Ghost Devouring Blade Art 1% (Contains will, can kill and devour souls)

Seven Kill Blood-Transforming Divine Blade! (Contains blade intent, exceeds bearing realm, sealed)

Auxiliary: Hundred Herb Scripture

Merit: 0!"

"This Ghost Devouring Blade Art is essentially a blade seed parasitic on the original Ghost Slaying Blade Art taught by Master Chen. Besides inheriting all the advantages of the original Ghost Slaying Blade Art, it has even developed a new ability."

"...So sinister—not only can it kill, but it can also devour souls?"