Emerald Jade, Erosion Essence Scripture

Without time to think, Lu Li heard the sound and instinctively threw a heavy punch to his right.

Bang!

A dull impact rang out. After taking a punch to the waist and abdomen, the Dog Demon was sent flying backward. Lu Li seemed to hear the sound of bones shattering.

After being hit, the Dog Demon's movements were slightly affected and slowed. It let out a low growl from its throat, then turned and fled.

Seeing the Dog Demon leave, Lu Li did not relax.

Who was the woman speaking from the shadows? Was she friend or foe?

Could she also be here for the Erosion Essence Scripture?

Lu Li remained alert, his body taut.

The martial sects of Martial World were far from entirely benevolent. In the game, villains and demonic paths were everywhere.

Even in the initial version alone, there had been over a hundred character side quests involving murder for treasure.

"Thank you for your help. May I ask who you are, so I can repay today's kindness in the future?"

Forcing himself to remain calm, Lu Li cupped his hands toward the source of the voice.

The cold female voice from the shadows sounded again, saying flatly:

"Shuang Qiuyue."

Lu Li froze when he heard the name. It sounded familiar, but he could not recall why.

Then Shuang Qiuyue's voice came again:

"You entered the Liu Residence. Judging by your appearance, you certainly did not stumble in by accident..."

Lu Li was startled. Before he could react, a streak of dark-red astral qi shot toward him.

The artificial hill behind him instantly exploded, scattering into fragments.

Lu Li's pupils contracted slightly.

An Astral Condensation Realm martial artist!

If that strike had landed on him, even Intransigent Qi likely would not have been able to block it.

Looking at the remains of the artificial hill, Lu Li's expression hardened. Even among Astral Condensation Realm martial artists, this opponent was an expert.

Intransigent Qi possessed unmatched defense among those of the same realm, but it was most vulnerable to fighting opponents a major realm above it.

Lu Li's heart pounded violently. He knew he had been dragged into something.

"Do you want to die or live?"

Shuang Qiuyue's voice rang out. Clearly, that attack had been a warning.

Lu Li calmed down at her words and assessed the situation.

This woman had not killed him immediately and was even communicating with him. Clearly, he was useful to her.

"I want to live!"

Lu Li answered without hesitation.

As his words fell, a red figure swept out from one of the rooms and flew beyond the courtyard, leaving only a voice behind:

"In one hour, the North City Gate will open. The demon free agents will go deal with it. Take that little girl out of the city to the earthen temple twenty li east of the city."

A shadow fell over Lu Li's heart.

He had not expected an Astral Condensation Realm expert to be hiding within the Liu Residence.

In the game, the reason given for Cloud Province City's fall was a disturbance in the demonic qi at Phoenix Furnace Mountain, a hundred li away.

But it had not been an accident. It had been deliberately orchestrated by Five Manor Tower, Fusion Cave, and Shangling Cliff.

In Lu Li's view, Shuang Qiuyue was clearly connected to those three factions.

He just did not know what relationship she had with the Liu Residence.

Intransigent Qi was effective against ordinary attacks, but before a true expert capable of breaking through its defense, it was no sturdier than paper.

"The Erosion Essence Scripture really wasn't that easy to obtain."

Lu Li sighed inwardly.

Clearly, it had not been a coincidence that Liu Yueling, a mere child, had survived the demon calamity.

Lu Li thought of the corpses he had seen along the way.

If the demon calamity had been so easy to evade, the city would not have become such a horrifying sight.

With that thought, Lu Li looked toward Liu Yueling inside the shack.

The little girl was curled up in a gap amid the piled firewood, like a frightened fawn.

Lu Li walked over and tried to make his voice as gentle as possible. "Don't be afraid. I'm here to save you."

After speaking, he pushed the piled firewood aside. Fortunately, he had activated the Demon Compendium and had Intransigent Qi protecting him, so it was not too strenuous.

Liu Yueling's face was slightly pale. Perhaps from excessive fear, she looked listless and weak.

The moment she stepped out, Liu Yueling's legs gave way. Lu Li hurriedly caught her, and she promptly fainted in his arms.

Lu Li thought to himself, Shuang Qiuyue was an Astral Condensation Realm martial artist. She could clearly have sent this little girl away with ease, so why had she gone to such lengths to entrust her to a stranger like him?

Lu Li could not figure it out, but he knew he had no right to bargain with her.

Anyone who casually asked whether someone wanted to die or live was clearly no kind person.

Lu Li did not particularly resist taking Liu Yueling out of the city.

The city was in ruins and had no food. Once night fell, it would become a true hell on earth. Lu Li had no desire to remain any longer.

Escorting Liu Yueling out of the city also suited his wishes perfectly.

One hour...

Lu Li noted the time, then froze. Reaching out to touch her, he found that Liu Yueling's clothes were thin and her forehead was slightly hot.

His heart immediately tightened.

This was the sign of an impending fever.

In this era, a fever could cost someone their life, much less now, when all of Cloud Province City had fallen and there was no medical clinic where he could buy medicine.

Carrying Liu Yueling, Lu Li headed toward the front courtyard of the Liu Residence.

He needed to find the little girl another layer of clothing. There was no way to seek medical care now; once the fever truly set in, she might die here at any moment.

Lu Li searched through the side rooms, but the entire Liu Residence was like a drafty sieve. Broken furniture lay everywhere, while most of the clothes and bedding had been shredded apart.

Across more than a dozen courtyards, Lu Li could not find a single piece of wearable clothing.

"No way, right? Is the future Cold Moon Sword Hero going to die in my arms? If she dies, will that Shuang Qiuyue chop me down when she finds out?"

A bead of sweat appeared on Lu Li's forehead, yet he did not dare waste any time. After searching for more than half an hour, he finally found some clothes in a kitchen.

These clothes should have been what the servants of the Liu Residence normally changed into.

He changed Liu Yueling out of her sweat-soaked clothes and dressed her in thick hemp garments. He also found a somewhat fitting set of hemp clothing for himself.

His pajamas truly counted as bizarre attire in this world.

However, the pajamas were warm, so Lu Li planned to wear them as underwear, with only a layer of hemp clothing over them.

While changing Liu Yueling's clothes, Lu Li suddenly noticed a layer of emerald-green light shining from a small pocket outside her inner garment.

"What is this?"

Seeing the glow, Lu Li took it out and found a smooth, emerald-green jade pendant.

Lu Li froze for a moment.

This jade was precisely the goal of his visit to the Liu Residence: Emerald Jade, which carried the Xiangliu Martial Arts technique, the Erosion Essence Scripture!

Holding Emerald Jade in his hand, Lu Li was excited, but he also began recalling what he knew.

Emerald Jade had a clear description in the game. It contained sealed demon essence souls, as well as the most primitive Demon Martial Path created by ancient martial artists.

It was from these ancient Demon Martial Paths that, after demons completely revived in later generations, martial artists across the world developed a flourishing variety of Demon Martial Paths.

But how was he supposed to obtain the Erosion Essence Scripture from it now?

In the game, he only needed to directly take it with his character, but this was no longer a game...

As he considered this, a glint flashed in Lu Li's eyes. New information appeared on the panel:

[Heart method Erosion Essence Scripture discovered]