Mechanic Monster

[Mental Cultivation Method: Erosion Essence Scripture (Learn?)]

[Martial Art Discovered: Poison Blood Hand]

[Learn?]

Seeing the messages on the panel, Lu Li chose to learn them.

[You have learned the mental cultivation method Erosion Essence Scripture]

[Level: First Layer]

[Mental Cultivation Passive: Origin-Eroding Body (Unlocked)]

[Effect: While injured, your Internal Qi continuously stacks. You may absorb toxins to increase your Internal Qi.]

[You have learned the martial art Poison Blood Hand]

[Level: First Layer]

[Effect: Contains thirty-six finger techniques. Condense poison into blood, gain immunity to toxins, and stack its effects with Origin-Eroding Body. You may absorb an opponent's blood to recover from injuries and increase your cultivation.]

Two Demon Martial Path arts: one automatically sent him into overdrive when injured, making him stronger the longer he fought; the other was a bloodsucking poison art.

Most importantly, it granted immunity to poison, while allowing him to absorb blood and devour toxins in daily life to increase his cultivation.

The memories of the two martial arts flooded into his mind. Lu Li could feel a wisp of Qi rising within his body—it was Demon Inner Qi.

The instant the Demon Inner Qi appeared, Lu Li felt that his blood was now completely under his control.

Of the nine Demon Compendiums, every one could provide terrifying enhancements, and all of those enhancements relied on Demon Inner Qi.

Ordinary martial arts could not perfectly unleash the power of Demon Inner Qi. Only Demon Martial Path arts could do so, just like Origin-Eroding Body and Poison Blood Hand, whose effects could stack.

He could suck blood to recover from injuries, erupt with strength when wounded, and cultivate by absorbing blood and poison.

If others injured him, they would instead be corroded by poison.

Combined with the Taowu Bestiary's passive ability and the enhancement of Intransigent Qi, his hardened-body defense made him nearly impossible to injure for those in the same realm.

Aside from speed, Lu Li had practically become a Mechanic Monster.

"Whew..."

Lu Li let out a long breath. The Demon Compendium did not conflict with other Demon Martial Path arts. Though he had lit up the Taowu Bestiary, he could still cultivate Xiangliu Martial Arts.

Attack and defense in one, with reflected damage to boot—they complemented each other perfectly.

I never managed to put together this build in the game before, yet I've actually achieved it now.

Lu Li smiled as he pondered inwardly.

In the game, only a handful of cultivation methods in the initial version could provide stats comparable to Demon Martial Path arts.

Meridian-Unblocking Realm martial artists possessed the strength of ten thousand jin. Those in the Astral Condensation Realm could cleave water with a drawn blade; as long as their Astral Qi did not disperse, the water would not flow.

Divine Intent Realm martial artists could even fly through the sky.

In the version dominated by the Demon Martial Path, Divine Intent Realm martial artists were everywhere. The most important reason was Demon Martial Path arts.

Demon Martial Path arts were far easier to cultivate than ordinary martial arts.

Take the Erosion Essence Scripture, for instance. Absorbing blood and ingesting poison could both increase one's Internal Qi. Compared to the primitive martial path of meditating according to ancient methods, it was an overwhelming advantage.

"Without realizing it, I've already pulled ahead by an entire version."

With his gains complete, Lu Li was in high spirits. He immersed himself in the techniques of Poison Blood Hand, their moves flowing through his mind, ready to be used at any time.

Now that he possessed martial arts, he at least had a few cards up his sleeve.

He did not know whether Shuang Qiuyue was friend or foe. If she killed him to silence him after they left the city, he would be doomed. He still needed to make preparations early.

Lu Li placed the Emerald Jade back on Liu Yueling. Perhaps it was an illusion, but the jade pendant's luster had noticeably dimmed.

Soon, he put Liu Yueling's clothes back on her. He then bundled up the remaining clothes and carried them on his back, where they could also be used to hold things.

Lu Li carried the sleeping Liu Yueling out of the kitchen. Strands of sunlight fell from the blazing sun in the sky, yet they carried not the slightest warmth.

He calculated the time. An hour would be up soon.

Though he had obtained martial arts, he did not yet have time to cultivate them.

Carrying Liu Yueling on his back, Lu Li entered the training ground, where the servants and guards of the Liu Residence exercised.

All manner of weapons lay scattered across the ground, though most were already damaged.

For ordinary people, the fastest way to increase their strength was to take up a weapon.

Being bare-handed and wielding a weapon were entirely different matters.

Lu Li swept his gaze over the many weapons on the ground and found three or four that were still in good condition.

Staffs, sabers, spears, swords... In the end, Lu Li chose a Ring-Backed Broadsword that fit comfortably in his hand.

Spears and swords required time to practice. Staffs were easy enough to use, but the staffs on the ground were made of wood, likely not even enough to scratch a demon.

A saber, on the other hand, only required knowing how to swing it. With enough force behind it, it could injure someone.

Lu Li deliberately chose a sufficiently heavy Ring-Backed Broadsword. Even with the physique strengthened by the Taowu Bestiary, he found it somewhat heavy.

Watching dark clouds gradually gather in the distance once more, Lu Li gripped the broadsword tightly, his gaze calm.

The confusion he had felt upon first arriving had unknowingly faded somewhat.

A hundred zhang away.

A woman in red stood atop a roof, a longsword hanging at her waist. Thin gauze covered her face, revealing only a pair of cold, narrow eyes.

It was Shuang Qiuyue.

She took in Lu Li's every movement. If he made the slightest suspicious move, the sword in her hand would take his head.

"Shuang Qiuyue, here is the Hundred-Li Soul-Chasing Worm you wanted."

A voice came from behind her. A fierce wind howled as Shuang Qiuyue glanced sideways.

A black figure leaped across roofs and walls toward her, carrying an open wooden box. Inside was a brown insect no larger than a fingernail.

"As agreed, I will make one move for you and kill one person."

The black-clad figure was a rough-faced man. Hearing this, he grinned.

"I truly don't understand why a mere Liu Residence, without even an Astral Condensation Realm martial artist, is worth using up one chance to ask you to act."

As his words fell, the black-clad man's gaze also turned toward Lu Li a hundred zhang away, as well as Liu Yueling in his arms.

"Don't ask what you shouldn't. Be careful, or you'll lose your head."

The eyes beneath the gauze turned icy. Shuang Qiuyue's sword had somehow already left its sheath.

The black-clad man felt a sharp gust of wind strike him, and the hair at one of his temples was severed.

"You..."

The black-clad man's face darkened. Cold sweat soaked his back. He had not even noticed the sword leave its sheath before taking a trip to death's door.

"If you want to live longer, don't be so curious."

Shuang Qiuyue returned her sword to its sheath. The black-clad man wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, cursing the madwoman inwardly as he immediately replied aloud,

"I won't ask. I won't ask anymore."

Yet intense doubt rose in his heart. As far as he knew, that little girl's parents were merely ordinary people. They should have had no connection to Shuang Qiuyue.

The black-clad man lowered his head slightly, a glint flashing in his eyes.

He had roamed freely with his lightness skill, stealing and seducing countless women, succeeding time and again while remaining safe to this day. He had even cultivated to the Astral Condensation Realm.

What he relied on was not merely his lightness skill.

He had been born with keen senses and could detect unusual auras.

Even from a hundred zhang away, the black-clad man could vaguely sense an exceedingly fierce aura emanating from the little girl.

"Treasure?"

The thought stirred in the black-clad man's mind, and his heart burned with greed.

In the martial world, killing people for treasure was common. So what if an orphan of the Liu Residence had some connection to Shuang Qiuyue?

He did not believe Shuang Qiuyue could protect her forever.