Crisis, Advancement to First-Rate Master!

Yet Lin Changsheng felt somewhat uneasy.

He knew that cultivating immortality required a Spiritual Root. He wondered whether a body like his possessed one!

"Have you heard? Something strange happened in West Alley of Pasture City yesterday."

"What strange thing?"

"Three people died there. The strange part was that a skull pattern appeared on their chests, and then the skull pattern carried the three souls away, flying into the distance without a trace!"

"Souls? Don't make it sound so mysterious. Who among us has ever seen a soul?"

"I haven't either, but the rumors over there are incredibly detailed, and quite a few people saw it at the time."

"..."

As Lin Changsheng hurried home to East City, he heard plenty of people discussing it along the way.

"A skull pattern?"

"Could the skull pattern on my body be the same as the ones on those three dead people?"

Lin Changsheng's heart tightened when he heard the discussion.

He remembered that a skull pattern had appeared on his chest before. Then, after he circulated the Sun-Moon Breathing Method, the skull pattern had vanished.

Yet the Yin Energy Invasion status remained displayed on the panel.

"Brother, is it true that the souls of those three dead people flew away?"

Lin Changsheng stepped forward and asked the skinny man gossiping away.

"Of course it's true. It happened right in West Alley. That family is still holding funeral rites, and they'll be buried tomorrow. If you don't believe it, go see for yourself!"

said the scar-faced, skinny gossip.

Southern Fujian Commandery.

Northwest.

Within a mountain hollow spanning thirty zhang in every direction, an array covered in eerie skull patterns had been drawn upon the ground.

A young man with a strange mark on his forehead sat cross-legged in the center of the array. He watched a small triangular banner floating before him, his hands constantly forming seals.

Black light flickered across the banner, and waves of miserable howls echoed from it.

At that moment, three illusory souls flew over—one woman and two men. Their eyes were filled with unwillingness as they screamed without end.

The young man revealed a satisfied expression. With a wave of his hand, black light flashed from the banner and drew the souls of the three people inside.

"One Soul Seed is still missing?"

"What happened?"

Suddenly, the young man looked at the small banner flickering with black light, a trace of confusion appearing in his eyes.

Qi Hui remembered that he had planted eighteen Soul Seeds in more than ten cities throughout Southern Fujian Commandery, almost one in every major city.

Those who could become Soul Seeds were all people who could make the Five Elements Stone in his hand react. In other words, people who could have Soul Seeds planted within them possessed Spiritual Roots.

Once Soul Seeds were taken into the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, their strength would increase rapidly, and they could become leaders among the hundred ghosts within the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

But now—

He had recovered seventeen Soul Seeds, yet one Soul Seed could not be retrieved!

"You can't run! Once I finish refining the other ninety-nine Soul Seeds, I'll come find you!"

Qi Hui thought to himself.

Every Soul Seed had cost him no small amount of painstaking effort!

Even a single missing Soul Seed from the Myriad Souls Banner could leave it flawed!

According to Qi Hui's estimate, by now the hundred Soul Seeds should have nearly finished absorbing the qi and blood of their hosts, strengthening themselves through nourishment. The Soul Seeds would leave their hosts and return, while their hosts would die!

Since this Soul Seed had not returned on time, it seemed that its host's qi and blood had yet to be fully absorbed!

This was a good thing!

The stronger the Soul Seed, the more likely it could become the main soul of the Myriad Souls Banner!

The leader of ten thousand ghosts!

Lin Changsheng's home.

Yu Wenjing sat in the room, holding Lin Changsheng's bow. She had tightly wrapped a circle of black cloth around its grip.

"This bow is one used by an ordinary hunter."

"Once I go back, I'll definitely find the finest divine bow and give it to you. Only then will it be worthy of your Divine Archery."

Yu Wenjing looked at the bow in her hands and murmured to herself.

Before long, the sound of footsteps came from outside.

Yu Wenjing went to the window and saw that Lin Changsheng had returned. She immediately got up to open the door. "You're back. The food is ready. Let's eat."

With an apron around her waist, Yu Wenjing looked every inch like a graceful young housewife as she headed straight for the kitchen.

Before long.

Yu Wenjing brought out three dishes and a soup. They looked quite good. After practicing during this time, Yu Wenjing's cooking had improved greatly and already surpassed Lin Changsheng's.

"Wen Jing, your cooking has already surpassed mine!"

Lin Changsheng sat down, picked up his chopsticks, placed a slice of green vegetable into his mouth, and praised her.

"Changsheng, you're teasing me again!"

Yu Wenjing shot Lin Changsheng a glance. As she smiled sweetly, she was like spring blossoms bursting into bloom!

"Huh? This bow..."

Lin Changsheng suddenly noticed the bow set aside nearby and could not help feeling surprised.

"This bow was a little damaged, so since I had nothing to do, I wrapped cloth around the damaged parts. It should be more comfortable for you to use now. I also washed and mended some of your clothes. Don't blame me if I didn't do a good job."

Yu Wenjing said, her beautiful eyes flickering.

"This... thank you."

Lin Changsheng looked at Yu Wenjing, warmth rising in his heart.

Though he had gotten quite a bit of silver from Ma Zhankui, aside from what he needed for daily living, he had used it all for simplification. He had not bought many clothes and wore old ones, so damage was unavoidable.

He had not expected Yu Wenjing to mend them all. They had been folded neatly into squares and placed on the chair.

Lin Changsheng even saw that his underpants had been folded properly as well.

When Yu Wenjing had first arrived, she could not cook, wash clothes, or do anything. Yet during her time living here, she had learned everything.

"Why are you being so polite with me?"

"If you hadn't saved me, I might already be dead."

After Yu Wenjing finished speaking, she recalled how Lin Changsheng had rescued her. Her pretty face immediately flushed crimson. Though she had been unconscious at the time, she had still vaguely felt it.

"Alright, alright, let's stop talking about it. Let's eat."

Lin Changsheng said nothing more.

Great Yu.

Yu Capital.

A thousand li away.

Within an underground hall beneath a princely residence.

A handsome young man dressed in white stood in the center of the hall with his hands clasped behind his back. Behind him stood an elderly man in black, respectfully reporting, "Young Master, something happened to the Eldest Princess. Quite a few senior court officials have petitioned His Majesty, strongly demanding that you be named Crown Prince!"

"His Majesty has long found it difficult to make a decision. Now is the time to settle the matter!"

"Very good."

The young man in white nodded, his expression calm. "Continue the search for her!"

"Yes, Young Master!"

The old man in black turned and left.

Lin Changsheng sat at the spot where he had killed Tie Yang. The sunlight here was excellent, and there was a pile of mud on the rock before him.

Lin Changsheng's left hand moved as though he were scraping fish paste into balls. The experience points for Alchemy: Qi-Replenishing Pill continued to rise on the panel, while the experience points for the Sun-Moon Breathing Method also kept increasing.

In his right hand, he held a pebble and kept tossing it. The experience points for Heavenly Maiden Scatters Flowers were rising as well.

He was killing three birds with one stone!

[Alchemy: Qi-Replenishing Pill (367/500)]

[Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers (Remnant) (Proficient 487/500)]

"Not bad! Keep going!"

Lin Changsheng looked at the panel, anticipation appearing in his eyes.

Crack!

Suddenly, Lin Changsheng sensed an almost imperceptible sound echo within his body!

At the same time, a vast surge of inner force arose from the meridians throughout his body, rushing like a surging river into his dantian in an instant!

"This is... a breakthrough?"

"First-Rate Master?"

Feeling the sudden changes within his body, Lin Changsheng was deeply satisfied.

After all—

As the Sun-Moon Breathing Method's experience kept increasing, his inner force cultivation had become more and more vigorous. He had only been one final kick away from breaking through!

This counted as accumulating strength through constantly basking in the sun and moon!

At last, he had broken through the barrier of a First-Rate Master!