Miss Lin's sharp demand seemed infused with spiritual energy. Blood-red light rippled, as though invisible sound waves were spreading through the surroundings.
Li Ling was startled. A surging torrent seemed to come rolling through the void, its immense power shaking the soul.
But he soon relaxed. The blood-red light looked frightening, yet seemed to possess no real power. It passed straight through his spirit body, not even amounting to a breeze against his face-an illusion at most.
What truly concerned him was that Miss Lin seemed able to sense his presence. That was quite unexpected.
According to the knowledge Li Ling had obtained from the Jade Scroll, the formal name for this sort of spirit body was a spirit soul, an intermediate yin body existing between the soul and the true spirit.
Here, "aggregates" referred to the five aggregates of form, sensation, perception, formation, and consciousness. With the two delusions of view and thought within the three realms still unsevered, confusion remained upon rebirth; hence the veil of the aggregates.
If the intermediate state in dreams was living intermediate yin, and a lingering remnant soul was dead intermediate yin, then the spirit body formed through soul projection lay between the two.
This state held the great mysteries between life and death. It possessed divine abilities and magical power, allowing transformations of yin and yang, yet feared sunlight and flames like yin spirits and ghosts. Unlike true yin spirits and ghosts, however, this was not because it carried yin baleful intent and suffered physical harm, but because of changes in consciousness and perception.
In plain language, this consciousness and perception involved the subconscious, and even the ultimate mystery of the mind influencing matter.
After soul projection, if the consciousness feared fire and light, then it truly would fear them. But once it realized that there was no need to fear them, that fear would vanish.
Fear and fearlessness could be as far apart as heaven and earth, yet they might also be separated by a single thought. This was the qualitative transformation involved in reaching the day wandering realm, far more profound than ghost cultivators refining yang energy.
The essence of the true spirit was the most important thing a sentient being possessed. A spark of spiritual light gave rise to the self and formed the core of the mind. Will, emotion, memory, and other functions, however, remained on the true spirit's surface. Together with the soul, these constituted the essence of the spiritual soul. Once cultivated to a certain level, it would become a nascent soul; when the nascent soul reached full maturity, it became a primordial spirit.
This spirit body capable of Soul Departure could be considered a vessel for the mind and will. Li Ling simply lacked cultivation at the nascent soul realm. Had he possessed it, his spirit body would immediately have become a nascent soul. By refining Gang Condensation and baleful intent and incorporating magical power, it would become a true dharma form.
Something of such a high order, concealed within the void, could never be detected by anyone whose cultivation had not reached a certain level. Yin spirits and ghosts were not remotely comparable.
Li Ling thought, Unless she's extraordinarily gifted like me, or some other exceptional individual with a bloodline ability inherited from a mighty expert!
"Miss Lin, what is it?"
Elder You briefly lost his composure, seemingly shaken by Miss Lin's voice, and asked in great surprise and uncertainty.
Miss Lin said, "Something was spying on us just now, but I've already destroyed it."
Elder You praised her. "Miss Lin, your Innate Dao Body truly makes you a favored daughter of heaven."
Miss Lin smiled demurely, looking almost as bashful as the girl next door.
She seems quite extraordinary. But so what? My own exceptional gift seems to have the edge.
Only then did Li Ling belatedly realize that, had he been a low-level remnant soul or yin spirit rather than possessing a spirit body of a higher order, he would have faced not an illusion, but a raging sea and towering waves.
"But why would there be a yin spirit here?" Elder You then asked another crucial question.
Miss Lin said, "I don't know. But to be safe, we should inspect the surroundings."
She then turned toward the courtyard entrance. "Someone, come here."
"What are your orders, miss?"
"Go and ask Senior Brother Pang to come out."
The Senior Brother Pang she referred to was the burly man whose cultivation was at least at mid-stage qi refining. He soon arrived upon receiving the message.
"Miss Lin, Elder You, what's the matter at this hour?"
Miss Lin recounted what had just happened. After listening, the burly man nodded. "All right. I'll personally take some men around to investigate."
Elder You said, "The Unusual Events Bureau's running dogs have been investigating closely lately. Be careful."
After finishing their discussion, the three went their separate ways.
Li Ling floated in the courtyard. After a moment's consideration, he flew after the woman.
He intended to strike first and eliminate her.
In truth, he should not have acted this way. Once he rustled the grass and startled the snake, many things would become much harder to control.
But the other party possessed a special ability, and that alone was an unpredictable factor.
Besides, he could afford to wait, but the local people could not. Neither could the residents along the river.
Every additional day these demonic cultivators remained could mean more ordinary people falling victim to them.
As these thoughts passed through Li Ling's mind, his killing intent rose again. Unexpectedly, Miss Lin suddenly turned her head. "Attack!"
As she spoke, blood-red light spread like a great net over Li Ling's position.
Elder You and Senior Brother Pang, who had left earlier, also rushed back, unleashing green radiance and crimson flames respectively toward the area shrouded in red light.
During their earlier conversation, they had secretly communicated through voice transmission and agreed on a plan to capture and kill their enemy together.
Li Ling was somewhat surprised. These demonic cultivators were certainly no simple opponents.
Yet he merely sneered at the red light descending over him. He was no yin spirit or ghost, as they assumed. Did they truly think a mere innate divine ability could catch him?
Li Ling ignored the red light and passed straight through it. At the same time, he gathered Gang Baleful Energy, concentrating all his strength into his palm to unleash the only means of attack he currently possessed. A strand of condensed sword qi took shape and shot toward Miss Lin like a laser.
Caught completely off guard, Miss Lin took the blow squarely. Bloody radiance burst from her body, and she staggered in alarm, nearly falling to the ground.
Elder You's Poison Baleful Intent and Senior Brother Pang's Fist Gang both missed. They felt only emptiness within the blood-red light, their attacks finding nothing to strike, and their faces filled with horror.
"We didn't catch it?"
Li Ling floated beside Miss Lin and examined her carefully. Only then did he discover that her Protective Gang Qi had blocked his attack. Like the shield-shaped projection the evil cultivator had formed against Zuo Zhongliang's Blade Gang last time, it was another application of giving form to Gang Baleful Energy.
My divine sense is still a little too weak. Against an opponent without any protection, it's more than enough to kill. But against armor or a protective technique, its killing power is clearly insufficient.
With a thought, Li Ling decisively floated out of the courtyard.
But he did not leave. Instead, he went to the storeroom where he had previously discovered the hidden weapons.
Before long, he had rummaged out several mechanical crossbows, over a hundred Thunderbolt Bombs, and items including packets of gunpowder and javelins.
He tried the crossbows and found that his strength was still insufficient to cock them. But that did not matter. The Thunderbolt Bombs, gunpowder packets, and javelins alone would be enough.
Come on, have a taste of these!
Li Ling moved the useful items outside, then rose high into the air with a firelighter and a full hundred Thunderbolt Bombs. Under cover of darkness, he returned to the courtyard.
"Miss Lin, are you all right?"
When Li Ling left, Elder You and the others had gathered around Miss Lin to protect her.
Several disciples had been alerted and arrived with a group of servants and guards. But with no knowledge of the enemy's whereabouts, they could only stand watch, unable to help at all.
"I'm fine. It's just that this enemy is rather strange. My divine ability was completely ineffective." A grave expression appeared on Miss Lin's face. She could not understand how Li Ling had evaded her technique and instantly counterattacked.
"Had I known, I would have filled the entire courtyard with poison gas," Elder You said quietly, with no small amount of regret.
"If he appears again, you can try it," Miss Lin told him through voice transmission.
Elder You paused briefly, then said, "True. Let's capture him first."
After they stood on guard for a while, Miss Lin's expression suddenly changed slightly. "He seems to be back."
No sooner had she spoken than the wind whistled overhead. Thunderbolt Bombs fell swiftly from the sky, and violent explosions erupted one after another.
In a sense, these Thunderbolt Bombs could already be considered unranked magical artifacts. They had gone to great lengths to stockpile them against attacks by the Unusual Events Bureau, only for the enemy to turn them against their owners.
Amid the thunderous blasts, several disciples were blown off their feet on the spot and fell screaming to the ground. Miss Lin and Elder You retreated into the hall, using the walls and furniture to shield themselves from the onrushing waves of heat.
The only one who dared face the assault head-on was the Burly Man, Senior Brother Pang. He stirred his qi, covering his entire body in Gang Baleful Energy like invisible armor that kept every impact and fragment at bay.
When some Thunderbolt Bombs approached him, his sharp eyes and quick hands even allowed him to slap them away in an instant.
Before long, the ground was a complete wreck. The demonic disciples who had survived howled and screamed as they scrambled and crawled toward the exits.
They would rather die than remain out in the open, standing there for the enemy to bombard.
But just then, a disciple who had barely stepped through the courtyard gate had his throat pierced by sword qi. A rasp like a broken bellows escaped his mouth, and he collapsed with a thud.
"He's over there!" someone cried in panic upon seeing it.
Clang! In the blink of an eye, that man's waist and abdomen were pierced as well, and he fell to the ground without offering any resistance.
Li Ling appeared and vanished like a ghost, swiftly killing every demonic disciple still standing like a merciless slaughtering machine.
He specifically targeted the demonic novices who looked easiest to deal with. They had only just cultivated a little vital energy and could not yet give form to Gang Baleful Energy. Naturally, they also lacked protective magical artifacts or means of saving their lives.
At the sight, the color drained from Miss Lin's lovely face.
Her sensory ability could detect Li Ling's presence, but she had no way to discern his exact position or movements. Faced with this situation, she was utterly helpless.
The others could not even sense Li Ling's presence. They felt enveloped by an immense terror and nearly lost the ability to think.
"Completely invisible and traceless... This isn't ordinary invisibility. Could we all have been deceived by an illusion, while he's actually hiding right beside us?" Elder You voiced his conjecture, his voice slightly hoarse.
Miss Lin shook her head. Her thoughts were in turmoil, and she could not judge.
"Come out, you skulking coward!" Senior Brother Pang began swinging his fists in agitation.
Invisible Gang Baleful Energy roared like wind and thunder. Under a barrage of punches trailing afterimages, the courtyard walls, rockery, and trees shook with impacts from thin air. Dust rose, and sand and stones scattered.
Elder You signaled Miss Lin with his eyes. With a slight movement of his palm, barely perceptible smoke and dust spread through the hall.
"Hhh... hhh..."
Strange sounds escaped the demonic cultivators' throats. Soon, their eyes widened as though they were suffocating. They clutched their chests, convulsed in agony, and died one after another.
The smoke was extremely vicious. Within just a few breaths, those three were the only people nearby still standing.
Ruthless bastards! Li Ling sneered inwardly.
This way, more of these demonic cultivators had died at their own people's hands than at his. Had he merely been a qi refining cultivator who knew invisibility or illusion techniques, he would probably have fallen victim by now as well.
But all of this was wasted effort!
Unless they understood the properties of a spirit body and targeted it with lightning, flames, or even the power of the sun, any physical attack or poison gas would be ineffective.
Suddenly, Li Ling smelled an indescribable stench. Slightly surprised, he looked at the many wispy strands drifting through the air.
Is this the poisonous smoke that demonic cultivator released?
It does seem somewhat unusual. But to my soul, it's merely an unpleasant smell, with no actual harm.
Just then, inspiration flashed through Li Ling's mind. As though blessed with sudden insight, he used his ability to gather the incense essence contained in those foul odors and forcefully kneaded it together.
This poison gas actually contains incense essence too, and I can manipulate it at will?
Fragrance and stench are two sides of the same thing. I should have thought of this sooner!
No wonder people said actual combat tempered a person. Without this encounter with the old man, Li Ling might still have reached this realization through his own reasoning and analysis. But with so many distractions, and so few opportunities to encounter poison gas with such a pronounced stench, who knew how many years that would have taken?
Silently, he gathered almost all the nearby poison gas's incense essence and sent it toward Elder You.
Elder You's body shuddered violently, as though he had choked.
As a practitioner of the Poison Cultivation Art, he possessed extremely strong resistance. Yet this sudden change still startled him. Before he could react, a strand of sword qi appeared from thin air and slashed through his throat.
"Elder You!"
Disbelief appeared on Miss Lin's face. She did not know what Elder You had experienced. She only knew that he had frozen for a moment, then suddenly died.
It was that elusive method of attack again. There was simply no guarding against it!
Coming to her senses, she finally turned and fled.
Li Ling hurried after her, but soon discovered that after passing through a corridor, she pulled a magical artifact from her travel bag. Light flickered around her, and with Gang-Baleful Wing Transformation, she fled dozens of yards away in a streak of blood-red light.
Her low-altitude flight speed far surpassed the standard of ordinary qi refining cultivators. Li Ling could only stop, shake his head, and sigh inwardly.
She can even use Gang-Baleful Wing Transformation. Give me a hundred horses and I still couldn't catch her.
Li Ling returned. As expected, the Burly Man, Senior Brother Pang, had seized the opportunity to flee.
Even without a magical artifact for Gang-Baleful Wing Transformation, his own speed alone was more than Li Ling could match.
Besides, someone like him had extremely powerful body-hardening skills. If Li Ling chased him until dawn and still failed to kill him, it would all have been wasted effort.
Li Ling simply ignored him and scoured the surroundings for spoils before the Unusual Events Bureau's people arrived.
Soon, Li Ling found a pleasant surprise in their travel bags.
I've struck it rich this time. There are ten whole portions of devil finger wood!
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