Liquid Condensation Mid Stage! Flesh Cloak! Thousand Faces!

Yang Xiao sat cross-legged, the booklet for the Myriad Rivers Return to the Sea Qi-Condensing Method spread open on his knees.

The ink on its pages was clear, the handwriting neat. It detailed the method for condensing the spiritual energy within the body into liquid form.

Although the explanation was thorough, putting it into practice would take considerable effort.

Yang Xiao glanced at his two empty equipment slots and thought, Why go through all that trouble?

The equipment slots trembled faintly, and the manual was equipped in an instant.

[Myriad Rivers Return to the Sea Qi-Condensing Method]

[Effect 1: Mastery of the Myriad Rivers Return to the Sea Qi-Condensing Method reaches perfection.]

[Effect 2: Grants trait (blue), Qi Sea Expansion: Significantly increases aperture capacity, doubles reserves, and greatly enhances endurance.]

[Permanent binding requirement: Equip for seven days or kill one liquid condensation realm demon.]

Yang Xiao closed his eyes and focused. Under the effects of the perfected Myriad Rivers Return to the Sea Qi-Condensing Method, spiritual energy circulated through his meridians, compressed and refined over and over.

At first, the spiritual energy merely contracted slightly, with no obvious change.

But as time passed, it began to thicken.

A quarter of an hour later.

A faint tremor arose within Yang Xiao's body.

Under repeated compression, the pure spiritual energy in his first aperture finally reached a critical point.

A pale golden drop of liquid condensed deep within the aperture.

Delight stirred in Yang Xiao's heart, and he continued circulating the cultivation method.

With the first drop of spirit liquid as a seed, the subsequent condensation grew noticeably faster.

Spiritual energy surged like rivers returning to the sea, compressed into liquid spiritual power that filled one aperture after another.

Drip, drip...

It was as though a fine rain were falling within his body, drop after drop of spirit liquid condensing.

The first aperture filled.

The second aperture filled.

The third...

As the spirit liquid accumulated, Yang Xiao felt an unprecedented sense of fullness.

Compared with the qi gathering realm, the spiritual power of the liquid condensation realm was heavier and denser.

If the spiritual energy of the qi gathering realm was a weightless cloud of mist, then the spiritual power of the liquid condensation realm was a stream of water with real weight.

Two hours later.

A soft sound came from within Yang Xiao's body.

All his spiritual energy had finished transforming. Four apertures filled with spirit liquid, and he broke through to the liquid condensation early stage.

Yang Xiao slowly opened his eyes, sensing the spiritual power surging within him.

He stood and stretched his limbs, immediately feeling the difference.

His physical strength seemed to have improved with his breakthrough as well. Every movement brimmed with power.

Golden spirit liquid filled his apertures, giving off a sweet fragrance like heavenly nectar.

"The liquid condensation realm..."

Yang Xiao murmured, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

Then he took two essence cores from inside his robe.

They were spoils from the battle in Heishui County: the Straw-Cloak Ghost's essence core and the Painted-Skin Demon's essence core.

The two cores gave off a faint demonic glow, one grayish green and the other grayish white.

As expected, his breakthrough had increased his equipment slots to three. With one occupied by the Myriad Rivers Return to the Sea Qi-Condensing Method, two remained empty.

Yang Xiao simply equipped the Straw-Cloak Ghost's essence core and the Painted-Skin Demon's essence core at the same time.

The equipment slots trembled repeatedly again.

[Liquid condensation · Straw-Cloak Ghost essence core (single-use consumable)]

[Effect 1: Replenishes spirit liquid.]

[Effect 2: Grants trait (purple), Flesh Cloak: Greatly enhances the resilience of flesh and blood, granting extremely rapid healing and recovery.]

[Use successful!]

Yang Xiao closed his eyes and focused, guiding the core's power into his body. The spirit liquid in his apertures steadily increased.

At the same time.

Another cool, damp current flowed in through his palm, traveled along his meridians, and finally gathered between his skin and flesh.

His skin seemed to gain a subtle layer of resilience, as though he had donned an invisible straw cloak.

He drew his Spring Embroidery Saber and slashed hard across his left wrist.

The blade passed through, splitting skin and flesh. Blood welled out, yet he barely felt any pain.

But the next moment.

The flesh around the wound began to writhe, healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Within a few breaths, the wound had scabbed over.

A short while later, even the scab fell away, leaving only a faint pink mark.

Such rapid healing was hardly inferior to the Straw-Cloak Ghost's swift recovery.

"The recovery speed really is astonishing."

Yang Xiao nodded in satisfaction.

Against demons skilled in tearing and piercing attacks in particular, this recovery ability would be extremely useful in combat.

As long as he suffered no fatal injuries, he could recover immediately.

[Liquid condensation · Painted-Skin Demon essence core (single-use consumable)]

[Effect 1: Replenishes spirit liquid.]

[Effect 2: Grants trait (blue), Thousand Faces: Allows changes to facial features and physique to impersonate anyone previously seen, and can even briefly deceive demons' senses.]

[Use successful!]

Yang Xiao once again guided the core's power into his body.

A strange current flowed in, as though countless fine threads were passing beneath his skin, bringing a tingling sensation.

With a thought, Yang Xiao tried activating this new ability.

He closed his eyes, picturing Xu Qingshan's appearance.

The next moment.

His facial muscles began to shift slightly, and his bones gave faint cracks.

Yang Xiao opened his eyes and walked over to the bronze mirror.

Reflected in the mirror was a face identical to Xu Qingshan's. Even the complexion, expression, and fine wrinkles at the corners of the eyes were exactly the same.

The imitation could easily pass for the real thing!

"Interesting."

Yang Xiao touched his face, feeling the texture of the disguise.

This ability would be tremendously useful for infiltration, reconnaissance, and evading pursuit. Its drawback was that, for now, he could only impersonate humans.

If I could impersonate demons, couldn't I stroll right into their lairs?

Then I could slaughter to my heart's content!

He shed the disguise and restored his original face.

With both essence cores absorbed, Yang Xiao felt the spiritual power within him surge again.

Driven by this power, he broke through once more from four liquid condensation apertures, opening two more in succession and reaching the liquid condensation mid stage.

Sensing his brimming apertures, Yang Xiao's lips curved into a faint smile.

He was another step closer to perfection in the liquid condensation realm.

"My foundation is already solid. I'm just lacking offensive techniques, and my body's not strong enough either..."

Yang Xiao murmured to himself.

Recalling how easily the Painted-Skin Demon had torn open his skin, he immediately felt that he still had many shortcomings.

If his body were stronger, powerful enough to rival a demon's, perhaps an attack of that level would feel like nothing more than an itch.

The Demon-Slaying Blade Technique was also beginning to fall short.

The demons he faced now were often in the liquid condensation realm or attacked in groups. The qi gathering realm Demon-Slaying Blade Technique was no longer adequate, so he needed to find higher-level martial arts and cultivation methods as well.

Next, he would continue accumulating merit, exchange it for stronger cultivation methods, and break through to higher realms.

He stood, ready to head out and fill his stomach. Perhaps he could browse the Cultivation Manual Archive too.

Just then—

The equipment slots suddenly began trembling violently.

Yang Xiao froze, then looked down at them.

All three equipment slots lit up simultaneously, radiating a faint golden glow he had never seen before.

A new notification appeared:

[Three unlocked equipment slots detected. New feature activated.]

[Fusion feature: Three traits of the same grade with identical or similar affinities can be fused into a trait one grade higher.]

[Requirement: All three must be placed in the equipment slots simultaneously.]

[Result: The fused trait's grade increases, and its effects are combined and enhanced.]

[Restriction: Traits with incompatible affinities cannot be fused. Fused traits cannot be separated again.]

Yang Xiao's pupils contracted slightly in surprise and delight.

Equipment fusion?