Transforming Force

After the Rat Demon ran off, rescuing the people had earned five Merit Points. That showed just how many among them deserved to die.

From entering the courtyard, to killing the demons, to preparing to chase the Rat Demon, Gao Fei had barely looked at the dozen or so people in the yard.

Now, he found himself wanting to look.

Every one of them wore expressions of pain and hope. Their bodies were covered in wounds, and their clothes were nearly unable to cover them.

This was the Rat Demon's usual method of attack. Its body was small and its movements nimble; Gao Fei had experienced it several times already.

"Go to my second uncle's courtyard. I cleared the way there just now."

As he prepared to leave again, Zhang Xinyu stepped forward. Though she was wounded as well, not a trace of pain showed on her face. She still wore that icy expression.

"I hired you to come to my home. Name your price. How much silver do you want?"

This time, Gao Fei did not look back. He quickly pursued the direction in which the Rat Demon had fled.

As for whether he would encounter that Spirit-Absorption Realm, Perfected Yellow Great Immortal, Gao Fei's stance was—

He would deal with it if he encountered it. He would not die, and perhaps he could find another chance to launch a sneak attack before it raised its spiritual-energy barrier.

As for breaking that barrier, he still could not do it. Judging by the realm, his current body should have no problem fighting someone at the Middle Spirit-Absorption Realm.

This pursuit did not claim many demons.

He circled the area, but the Rat Demon was nowhere to be seen.

Though Gao Fei had not been in this world long, his second uncle's family treated him no differently from their own son.

Now that the Rat Demon had entered the city and Gao Linyue could not make a move, going back would put his mind more at ease.

This trip brought his Merit Points back up to 385.

Now that he knew they could heal injuries, he could not spend all his Merit Points. No matter what, he had to keep a few in reserve.

Without demon cores to replenish his spiritual energy, it would be difficult for this small amount of Merit Points to advance the Golden Body Art.

There was only one way left to increase his combat strength: techniques.

System, use 300 Merit Points to comprehend Form-Intention Fist.

In the first year, you discovered that Dark Force had not yet reached its limit. Many parts of your body had yet to be fully opened.

In the one hundred and twentieth year, the sinews and fascia throughout your body became fully open. Force could travel to any part of your body, no longer limited to fists and feet. With a thought, any part of your body could unleash Dark Force.

The Tiger-Leopard Thunder Roar became completely effortless, able to be released and withdrawn at will.

In the two hundredth year, you discovered the method of entering Transforming Force: using the spirit to command strength, with blood, qi, and the body all guided by the spirit.

In the two hundred and ninetieth year, your Form-Intention Fist reached great mastery. You first entered Transforming Force. Through attacks at a special frequency, a single palm strike against an ordinary person could turn their entire body into a puddle of blood, bones included. (Fists could not do this yet; they could not vibrate so drastically.)

"Bone-Melting Palm!"

As his consciousness returned, Gao Fei immediately thought of this move. But he could not strike from afar; it was still a little lacking.

He just did not know whether it could break through the defenses of the Peak Spirit-Absorption Realm Yellow Great Immortal.

Gao Fei took a different route back this time, but still did not see the Rat Demon. By the time he arrived home, it was much later.

The moment he entered, Gao Fei sensed that something was wrong.

Gao Linyue and his wife stood in the courtyard, along with the martial hall master's wife and daughter.

Gao Yan, Qiu Mei, Xiaocui... were nowhere to be seen.

Even the other surviving members of the martial hall were absent.

"Cough! Madam Yue, didn't the others come along?"

The instant Gao Fei finished speaking, he heard his second aunt whispering beside his second uncle's ear.

"Did you hear that? Madam Yue. Don't stare..."

He did not know whether she was deliberately saying it for others to hear, or truly did not know others could hear her.

Everyone present could catch most of it.

Gao Fei was even more formidable. He could hear every word clearly; he could even hear the sound of Gao Linyue's waist flesh being pinched.

"The other disciples went home. They'll be here soon."

Ever since the martial hall master's wife saw Gao Fei, she had smiled throughout, without the slightest change.

What man would not be dazzled by such a sweet neighboring young wife?

Gao Fei had watched plenty of such videos in his previous life. Such temperament and beauty were exceedingly rare; no wonder his second aunt was jealous.

"Madam Yue, do you have any cultivation manuals for the Spirit-Absorption Realm?"

"No! Even if there were, no one would dare pass them on in private. The Great Wu Kingdom is not generous enough to allow uncontrolled Spirit-Absorption Realm cultivators to exist."

Gao Fei considered it. Body-tempering arts were more than enough for ordinary people to protect themselves, and still remained within the realm of normal humans. They merely made one stronger, faster to react, and sharper in the five senses.

Martial techniques were also merely techniques for using strength. The Spirit-Absorption Realm was different; it had already begun to become fantastical.

Gao Fei had encountered several Early Spirit-Absorption Realm demons. He could only contend with them because every layer of his physical body had reached the True Return Realm.

Under normal circumstances, five Body Tempering Realm, Perfected practitioners would only have a chance to win. They would have to fill the gap with human lives, taking three spiritual-energy attacks from their opponent, and only when the enemy's spiritual power was exhausted could two of them step up for close combat.

Even then, those two might not win. Their bodies had been nourished by spiritual energy and were far stronger than those of ordinary Body Tempering Realm, Perfected practitioners.

If he were the ruler, he would not allow such cultivation arts to spread freely either.

"All right, I'll go rest first. Call me if anything happens."

Now that he understood the situation, Gao Fei did not wish to stay long. The atmosphere was far too strange, and his second aunt was at a disadvantage. To avoid being caught in the crossfire, he had better hide.

"All right!"

The two women spoke at the same time.

After sweeping his gaze around and seeing no objections, Gao Fei hurried back into his room.

He searched around and found a palm-sized wooden board.

Holding it in his left hand, he swung his right hand in a steady rhythm. Blood and qi vibrated in his palm, then he struck out.

His left hand felt a violent tremor. A black palm print, slightly larger than his hand, appeared on the wooden board.

Not a shred of force leaked out.

His left hand suddenly felt empty. The board turned into wood dust and slowly drifted to the ground.

He had tested it during the simulation. Its damaging effect was not a problem.

Charging it took roughly one second.

The longer he charged it, the higher the vibration frequency and the greater the damage.

With his current body, ten seconds was the limit. Any longer, and he would injure himself before injuring anyone else. There was also a high chance that the strike would fail.

Just as Gao Fei was about to lie down, he heard two hurried sets of footsteps outside the courtyard.

Gao Fei opened the door and went out.

The people in the courtyard had heard the sound as well. All of them warily stared toward the open gate.

When they saw who had arrived, it was the Zhang Family siblings returning.

"The Spirit-Absorption Realm, Perfected Greater Monster Yellow Great Immortal descended upon the Zhang Family. The entire Zhang Family has been wiped out."

More people began arriving one after another.

All they brought were reports of one official being killed, then another official being killed.

No demons could be seen anywhere in the city now.

Half an hour later.

Two men dressed in Lin Family guard uniforms appeared on the street, walking while shouting:

"Demons have thrown the city into chaos, and officials have died in battle. Registrar Lin has taken over affairs. Lord Lin orders every household in the county to send one representative to gather outside the county yamen in half an hour. An announcement will be made."

The two took turns shouting, repeating the message over and over as they gradually disappeared at the end of the street.

"Do you know how these Rat Demons entered the city?"

"By digging tunnels. I saw a huge hole ten zhang outside the southern wall. I think the Rat Demons entered the city from there."

A young man with a fresh, finger-length knife scar on his face stood amid the crowd and spoke.

At that moment, his eyes were red and bloodshot, as though he had wept bitterly not long ago.

"I saw one near the northern city wall too. As far as I know, apart from the Lin Family successfully holding their position, everyone above the Skin Tempering Realm in the rest of the city is gathered in this courtyard."

"Yes, I heard that too!"