Xu Qing carefully immersed himself in this state, savoring the sensation as the mysteries of the Eight Extremities Fist flowed through his heart. The Eight Extremities Fist had originally been nothing more than an ordinary fighting style.
But now.
After Xu Qing's successive upgrades, the Eight Extremities Fist, having reached LV7, had undergone earth-shaking changes, becoming an exceedingly profound martial art that fused combat techniques with cultivation methods.
Moreover.
After fully mastering it, Xu Qing had reached peak Dark Force.
That meant.
If Xu Qing could take one step further.
He would reach the level of "Transformed Force."
"Whew..."
Xu Qing exhaled, his breath already capable of shooting forth like an arrow. His physical constitution had long since undergone a rebirth, shedding its mortal shell.
"Upgrade the Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking."
Clang!
The next moment.
After familiarizing himself with the LV7 Eight Extremities Fist and the strength of peak Dark Force, Xu Qing willed it and began upgrading the Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking.
The Omni-Codex glimmered with fluorescent light.
Countless sword cries seemed to ring beside his ears.
Vaguely.
Xu Qing saw innumerable tiny sword-wielding figures continuously practicing the Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking before him. They transformed into a surging torrent and flooded into his mind.
Boom!
His mind trembled.
At that moment.
Xu Qing's consciousness seemed to enter a mysterious space. Within that mysterious space, the passage of time could not be sensed. Ten thousand years seemed like an instant, while an instant seemed like ten thousand years.
Thus.
Xu Qing continuously practiced the Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking, deducing and refining them.
Gradually.
After the Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking, he deduced the Fourteenth Sword Strike of Life-Taking.
Crack!
Xu Qing opened his eyes. All manner of insights, mysteries, and profound subtleties flooded into his mind, deepening his understanding of the Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking even further.
Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking LV2: 1/60 (This was originally an exceptionally exquisite sword technique. It had thirteen strikes in total, each containing one hundred and eight variations. It emphasized speed, precision, and ruthlessness. Every strike also carried an extremely vicious aura, representing a sword technique of death and destruction. After deduction and evolution, the Fourteenth Sword Strike of Life-Taking was preliminarily deduced, named: Sword of Death.)
"Fourteenth Sword Strike of Life-Taking."
Xu Qing awoke, yet did not practice the Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking. Instead, he continued to comprehend the Fourteenth Sword Strike of Life-Taking. With his current cultivation, he simply could not wield it. Even if he managed to force it out, he would surely be left with his oil exhausted and lamp extinguished.
Moreover.
Each of the Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking contained one hundred and eight variations, while the preliminarily deduced Fourteenth Sword Strike of Life-Taking had only thirty-six variations. It was far from complete.
"It is already very powerful."
Xu Qing pondered. "If I can reach Transformed Force, then by exhausting all my strength, I may be able to use this Fourteenth Sword Strike of Life-Taking."
An hour later.
Xu Qing had adjusted himself back into condition.
"Upgrade the Ghost Mask."
Xu Qing said.
Boom!
The Omni-Codex glimmered again, while the Ghost Mask in Xu Qing's hand began to change. In a haze, Xu Qing saw scenes of the Ghost Mask being reforged.
It was still that shrine, still that gloomy and shadowy environment, still that shaman whose features could not be seen clearly, still that bloody scene.
But this time.
Xu Qing saw that the materials used to create the Ghost Mask were no longer animal hides and flesh, but living humans. Special methods were used to keep them alive before their entire skins were flayed off intact.
A total of nine complete human skins were required.
Therefore.
Nine living people were needed.
Furthermore.
The living humans' flesh, internal organs, and bones were all materials for refining the Ghost Mask. They were refined through special methods into ink and pigments for drawing runes.
Before he knew it.
The Ghost Mask had already been made. Nine complete human skins, the flesh and remains of nine living people, coupled with the shaman's special refining methods, had ultimately created the Ghost Mask.
Not only that.
After the Ghost Mask was completed, it devoured the shaman in backlash, swallowing her soul into the mask. Then, merging with the resentful souls of the nine who had died miserable deaths, it transformed into an evil ghost.
Buzz!
Xu Qing looked again at the Ghost Mask in his hand. It had changed tremendously, becoming a transparent mask. Once worn on the face, it could neither be felt nor seen.
In other words.
As long as Xu Qing did not awaken the power contained within the Ghost Mask, wearing it on his face was no different from wearing nothing at all.
Ghost Mask LV9: 402/2560 (This was a terrifying mask containing an evil ghost, an eerie mask refined by a shaman who worshipped ghosts and gods using nine living people. The mask devoured the shaman's soul and merged with the resentful souls of the nine living people, ultimately becoming a Shaman Evil Ghost. This gave the Ghost Mask eerie spirituality. Not only could it disguise one's face and alter one's aura, it could also change one's body and appearance, and even summon the Shaman Evil Ghost.)
"It can already change my body and appearance."
Xu Qing was overjoyed.
After pondering for a moment.
Xu Qing still took off the mask. Wearing such a mask while swaggering through the streets would be troublesome if he encountered a true expert.
Therefore.
It was better not to wear this mask when going out during the day. He could put it on only when truly needed and awaken the Ghost Mask's power then.
There was no need to wear a mask all day long.
Or he could wear it while sleeping at night, allowing the Ghost Mask to gain experience.
Elsewhere.
Because the Ye family feared the Azure Hawk Martial Arts School, Xu Qing was no longer targeted or ambushed by the Ye family's death warrior squads. Instead, he spent six very peaceful days.
However.
Xu Qing had no intention of letting the matter end like this.
Also.
Ye Yi had been investigating the whereabouts of that swordsmanship expert these past few days, but he had found no clues. That swordsmanship expert had only truly acted twice, appearing without a shadow and leaving without a trace each time. There was simply no way to investigate.
The scene shifted.
The Ye family residence.
Inside the basement.
Three people had gathered.
Straight ahead.
A blood pool came into view. Its diameter reached one hundred meters, and at the center of the blood pool stood a blood-black furnace.
Buzz! Buzz!
Beneath the blood-black furnace, waves of blood flames burned, wrapping around its base as they tempered and refined something.
On closer inspection.
The edge of the blood pool was covered in blood-red lines. These lines intertwined to form a special blood formation, giving off a bloody and eerie aura.
Furthermore.
The blood-black furnace at the center of the pool was covered by an enormous lid. Three massive, thick chains were coiled around the lid, extending outward, with their other ends embedded in the basement walls.
Moreover.
The massive, thick chains were also covered in dense blood-red patterns, like scarlet runes, filled with a bloody and eerie aura.
"How much longer?"
At this moment.
The white-haired old man standing in the middle stared with blazing eyes. His face was aged, much of his white hair had fallen out, and his face was covered in age spots. His body was hunched, and he was already one foot in the grave.
"Hee hee..."
The curvaceous woman on the left chuckled. "Old Master Ye, it should originally have taken only three days. But some time ago, we lost quite a few corpse ghosts, and even several Black-haired Zombies were slain. That slowed our collection of 'life essence.'"
"What a bunch of busybodies."
Old Master Ye leaned on his cane and viciously struck the ground several times. "How can this old man's life be compared to the lives of those lowly commoners? This old man merely wants to live another ten years. Why are there so many people throwing obstacles in my path?!"
"Old Master Ye."
Suddenly.
The brawny middle-aged man on the right, draped in a black cloak, took a deep breath and said calmly, "We do not have much time left."
"The corpse ghost incidents have gone on for so long, yet the Yamen Agency still has not uncovered the truth. More and more commoners are dying. I fear the county magistrate intends to mobilize the Demon Extermination Agency."
"When that time comes..."
The black-cloaked man did not continue.
"What do you say we should do?"
Old Master Ye shouted, "You were the ones who came looking for this old man in the first place. This old man truly does not wish to die, truly wishes to live another ten years, truly wishes to refine the 'Blood Demon Pill.'"
"But."
"It has been a full half year, half a year already. The Blood Demon Pill still has not been refined. You said it could be completed within a month."
"Furthermore."
"The various factions in the outer city have already begun keeping an eye on our Ye family."
"Old Master Ye, rest assured."
The curvaceous woman giggled. "We actually made preparations long ago. Tonight, we will release every corpse ghost and zombie."
"At that time."
"We will seize enough 'life essence' in a single night to refine the Blood Demon Pill for you in one fell swoop. After you consume the Blood Demon Pill, your lifespan will increase by another ten years."
"What?!"
Old Master Ye's eyes widened. "Y-you... have you gone mad?!"
"Hee hee hee..."
The curvaceous woman's laughter became shrill. "How could we be mad? Old Master Ye! Everything we are doing is for your sake."
Splash...
Gulp... Gulp... Gulp...
Suddenly.
As the curvaceous woman's jade-like hands formed one seal after another, the blood pool before them began to boil. One corpse ghost and zombie head after another emerged from beneath the pool.
There were enormous numbers of them.
And.
There were nine such blood pools in total throughout the outer city of Qingbei Town, constructed with the Ye family's influence. One had been built in the secret chamber beneath Kaiyuan Tower.
The other seven had been built within the Ye family's major businesses, concealed under the cover of those various enterprises.
"!!!"
Old Master Ye's entire body turned cold at the sight. At that moment, he finally woke up to the truth. He stared in horror at the curvaceous woman and asked in alarm, "Y-you... who exactly are you?!"
"You were never refining the Blood Demon Pill at all. You have been deceiving this old man from the very beginning."
At this moment.
Old Master Ye finally understood.
Unfortunately.
It was too late.
"Blood Demon Desire Woman, Qing Lian."
The curvaceous woman still spoke in a playful, giggling tone.
Splurt!
Blood splashed.
The brawny man in the black cloak slapped Old Master Ye into a puddle of flesh. Looking toward the curvaceous woman, he said, "Junior Sister, hurry up."
"The reason those people from the Demon Extermination Agency have endured until now without acting is that they want you to make this matter even bigger. That way, they can claim greater merit."
"They discovered the Ye family's involvement a month and a half ago."
Before you continue