I Am Merciful at Heart, So I'll Send You on Your Way

This worked too?

Hearing the system prompt, Lu Li was stunned for a moment.

Thinking back on it, though, it made sense.

He only knew a few martial arts. He had just used the White Bone Heart-Destroying Palm and Spirit Ghost Phantom Step to kill the Big-Headed Ghost Infant, so gaining some experience was only natural.

"So that means I can pass the martial arts assessment at the end of the month?"

Lu Li's eyes lit up.

As long as he delivered enough resentful souls and vicious ghosts, those two martial arts should be able to break through to the second level and satisfy Ghost Demon True Person.

Good!

That was the plan!

Still, he would go back and rest today, recover his energy, and come again tomorrow!

Having made up his mind, Lu Li did not hesitate. He turned and left.

The next day, inside the cave abode.

Lu Li, who had slept on the floor, woke up refreshed and clear-headed.

"Your Indestructible Vajra Divine Art underwent a night of diligent cultivation. Progress increased by 2%."

"Your Purple Haze Sun-Refining Scripture underwent a night of diligent cultivation and gained some insight. Progress increased by 3%."

"Your White Bone Heart-Destroying Palm was incredibly excited at the thought of you killing enemies again. It cultivated diligently. Progress increased by 2%."

Not bad, not bad. A teachable child indeed.

After hearing the system prompts, Lu Li nodded in satisfaction.

It seemed this White Bone Heart-Destroying Palm was also a good student who corrected its mistakes and strove to improve.

In contrast, the Spirit Ghost Phantom Step was somewhat lazy.

"System."

Lu Li called out silently, and the system panel appeared.

Host: Lu Li.

Realm: First Layer of Qi Refinement.

Indestructible Vajra Divine Art: Third Layer (Progress 10%).

Spirit Ghost Phantom Step: First Layer (Progress 11%).

White Bone Heart-Destroying Palm: First Layer (2%).

From now on, he would rely on the Indestructible Vajra Divine Art for defense, the Spirit Ghost Phantom Step for evading and pursuing enemies, and the White Bone Heart-Destroying Palm for frontal attacks.

That was the plan!

Brimming with motivation, Lu Li ate and drank his fill before leaving the cave abode and heading straight for Ten Thousand Ghost Cave.

It was still the same place as yesterday.

Lu Li arrived.

However, he did not immediately enter the depths of Ten Thousand Ghost Cave. Instead, he waited beside the Blue Light Barrier Restriction.

Whoosh.

Before long, a streak of green light whistled in from the horizon. After flashing several times and crossing several li, it appeared before him.

It was that senior sister, Qing He!

"Junior Brother, you came again? No one bullied you yesterday, did they?"

This time, the charming young girl sat half-reclined atop the White Bone Greatsword, swinging her bare feet as she asked with a smile.

Those little feet were delicate and flawless, rosy and lovely, as beautiful as jade carvings. One could not help wanting to play with them.

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister. They did not."

Lu Li cupped his hands in reply.

"Heehee, that's good. Oh, and since you're so handsome, I'll tell you another little secret. Your master, Ghost Demon True Person, only accepts one entry disciple at a time. I hope I'll still see you next month."

After saying that with a smile, the charming young girl waved her hand.

Whoosh.

The White Bone Greatsword flashed with spiritual light and carried her away in a whistling rush.

Was that woman trying to frighten him, or was she telling the truth?

Lu Li's expression darkened slightly.

Still, even if she was merely trying to scare him, with Ghost Demon True Person's ruthless temperament—making people explode the moment they disagreed—if he failed the cultivation assessment again this month, he would truly die!

Continue delivering evil ghosts!

Lu Li's expression turned solemn as he ran toward yesterday's Gathering Yin Land.

Very quickly, he found that black stone.

Then, he took off his magic robe and began circulating his blood and qi.

Since those resentful souls and vicious ghosts had been drawn here by his blood and qi, all he had to do was wait here, and the ghosts would come to him on their own.

However, to be safe, Lu Li did not circulate his blood and qi at full force.

Sure enough!

Before the time it took to burn an incense stick, a mass of black qi appeared in the west!

It was swift as the wind, rolling and surging toward him.

Lu Li drew back his blood and qi, narrowed his eyes, and looked carefully.

It was a Water Ghost!

Judging by its aura, it was somewhat weaker than yesterday's Big-Headed Ghost Infant.

In the blink of an eye, the black qi rushed to within ten zhang and revealed its true form: a soaking-wet woman with a face full of savage resentment.

Her complexion was white as paper, her eyes bulged and bloodshot.

There was also a handprint bruise around her neck.

Lu Li frowned.

This Water Ghost had clearly been strangled by the neck and drowned alive.

The people of the Ghost Sect are truly guilty of monstrous crimes! To create resentful souls and vicious ghosts, they actually torture and kill people like this! They deserve to die! Lu Li raged inwardly.

Whoosh.

At that moment, the Water Ghost attacked. With a flash, it rushed to within a meter of him, opened its mouth, and spewed out a huge mass of black qi at Lu Li's face.

This was the Water Ghost's spell. Once the black qi covered someone's face, they would be unable to breathe and suffocate to death on the spot.

After returning last night, Lu Li had looked up information and come prepared.

He twisted his body like a swimming fish and, in a blur, suddenly appeared beside the Water Ghost.

Boom.

His blood and qi erupted!

Blazing, furnace-hot masculine blood and qi crashed fiercely into the Water Ghost.

"Ah!"

The Water Ghost let out a pained cry.

At that moment, Lu Li's expression became grave as he unleashed the most vicious move of the White Bone Heart-Destroying Palm.

Bone Claw Heart-Grasp.

Bang.

His palm, glimmering with pale golden light, struck straight into the Water Ghost's chest and pierced through it.

Boom!

The Water Ghost exploded on the spot, turning into ghost qi that filled the sky.

"The mortal world is no longer suitable for you. Go into reincarnation. Amitabha, the Buddha is merciful." Lu Li withdrew his hand and sighed inwardly, allowing the surrounding ghost qi to flow into his body.

Ding, ding, ding.

Three system prompts rang out in succession:

"Your Purple Haze Sun-Refining Scripture went completely berserk after ghost qi entered your body. Your cultivation regressed."

"Your Spirit Ghost Phantom Step absorbed pure ghost qi and was greatly invigorated. Cultivation efficiency increased by 60%."

"Your White Bone Heart-Destroying Palm was delighted because you killed an enemy. Cultivation efficiency increased by 80%."

Continue!

Lu Li did not slack off. Using the same method, he continued drawing in vicious ghosts.

Very soon, a second vicious ghost was attracted by his sweet, rich, pure blood and qi.

This time, it was a Long-Tongued Ghost.

Its aura was extremely fierce.

It looked as though its cultivation had already reached the ninth layer of Qi Refinement.

"Not good. It's a Long-Tongued Ghost!"

Lu Li's expression turned serious.

Long-Tongued Ghosts excelled at long-range attacks, and they could also cast illusion spells!

Sure enough.

The Long-Tongued Ghost rushed over, stopped directly twenty zhang away, grinned viciously, and released a series of strange shrieks like fingernails scraping across a blackboard.

At once, Lu Li's head throbbed. The graves, withered trees, and stones around him seemed to twist and warp.

Yet he could not see the Long-Tongued Ghost.

He had already been affected by the illusion!

Just as he thought this, the sound of something cutting through the air came from beside his left ear.

Without a second thought, Lu Li threw himself to the right and rolled like a lazy donkey, evading the attack.

As he got up, he happened to see a jet-black long tongue retract from above his head. It flashed once and vanished again.

"What a Long-Tongued Ghost! Roar!"

Lu Li took a deep breath, gathered his qi in his dantian, and suddenly unleashed a lion's roar.

At the same time, an invisible mass of blood and qi, blazing like fire, erupted from his body and swept outward.

Bang.

It seemed as though a soundless crack rang out.

The illusory scene around him vanished.

Lu Li saw the Long-Tongued Ghost again.

Sure enough, for someone with abundant blood and qi, a single roar was enough to shatter bewildering illusion spells like ghost walls.

"Hiss!"

Seeing its spell broken, the Long-Tongued Ghost snarled fiercely and began spinning at high speed, circling Lu Li and launching one long-tongue attack after another.

For a time, Lu Li could only dodge.

That was because the long tongue stank too badly. Whenever it shot toward him, a foul reek of rotten eggs mixed with Chinese toon blossoms rushed straight at his face.

He truly did not want to be struck by that tongue.

But he could not keep dodging forever.

"Roar!"

Suddenly, Lu Li seized an opening and leaped ten zhang, landing not far from the Long-Tongued Ghost. Then he boomed like spring thunder bursting from his tongue.

Stunned by the roar, the Long-Tongued Ghost froze for a moment.

Seizing the opportunity, Lu Li formed a blade with his hand and chopped down on the long tongue.

Sizzle.

The long tongue immediately began billowing black smoke.

"Ahhh~"

The Long-Tongued Ghost screamed, its face twisted in pain as though it had burned itself while drinking water.

"The Buddha is merciful. I'll send you on your way!" Lu Li's expression was solemn as he stepped with ghostly footwork, flashed forward, and appeared before the Long-Tongued Ghost.

Without another word, he unleashed Bone Claw Heart-Grasp.

Bang.

The Long-Tongued Ghost exploded, turning into ghost qi that filled the sky.

Lu Li absorbed it all.

Ding, ding, ding.

Three more system prompts sounded.

"Your Purple Haze Sun-Refining Scripture went completely berserk after ghost qi entered your body. Your cultivation regressed."

"Your Spirit Ghost Phantom Step absorbed pure ghost qi and was satisfied. Progress increased by 1%."

"Your White Bone Heart-Destroying Palm was very satisfied with your killing intent. Cultivation efficiency increased by 150%, and progress increased by 1%."