Copper Bones, Iron Skin, an Eighth-Rank Martial Artist

Late at night.

A tavern.

"Han Peng is dead?"

Li Rui frowned slightly.

Wu Tu had suddenly sought him out earlier, looking dejected and asking him to drink. After pouring out his grievances over a meal, he had unexpectedly revealed this news.

Wu Tu tipped back a cup of wine, his gaze slightly unfocused.

"Old Li, truly, luck has been against me. That damned Ghost Underworld Sect—I've fallen flat on my face because of them twice."

"Oh, right. I think one of the dead was called Han Peng. Didn't he used to stay at Heaven One Hall as well?"

Only after questioning him at length did Li Rui understand the whole story.

Just as he had expected.

The three from Huaqing Sect had come to Clear River precisely to deal with the Ghost Underworld Sect.

The time he had run into Jiang Yan must have been when they came to the Heaven and Earth Alliance to persuade Branch Leader Dao Xiong to lend them aid.

"That damn Ghost Underworld Sect actually feeds demons. They've lost every shred of human decency. If I hadn't been ambushed by a demon beast, I would never have been wounded."

The more Wu Tu thought about it, the more stifled he felt.

His previous injuries had not even fully healed, and now he had suffered fresh ones.

To secure the Heaven and Earth Alliance's help, Huaqing Sect had promised quite a few rare spirit pills refined by its alchemists.

He had taken this job to trade for pills to heal his injuries, so he could return to peak condition for the Great Examination. Yet now, not only were his old wounds unhealed, he had added new ones. Forget entering the branch headquarters—he might even lose his gambling house and be reassigned somewhere with even less profit to skim.

Demon Feeding

Li Rui narrowed his eyes slightly.

The fleeting glimpse from that night surfaced in his mind.

That Ghost Demon had been the result of Demon Feeding.

"Demon Feeding originated from the ancient Witch Clan. Using the power of medicinal herbs and stones, supplemented by taming methods, it allows demon beasts to be used by man."

He recalled a book he had read before, which explained the methods of Demon Feeding.

This method had long since been classified as an evil art by the Imperial Court of the Yu Kingdom.

The process of feeding demons was fraught with danger. The slightest carelessness could lead to the demon beast turning on its master. Moreover, because of this experience, they came to hate humans and would then vent that hatred upon ordinary civilians, often causing tragedies where entire villages were wiped out.

That was why the Imperial Court had listed it as an evil art.

The Ghost Underworld Sect practiced evil arts.

That seemed perfectly reasonable.

Wu Tu went on, "Luckily, it was only a Silver Tail Flying Snake. If we had run into a Ghost Demon, you wouldn't be seeing your old brother today."

A chill ran through him afterward.

Not every demon fed by the Ghost Underworld Sect could ultimately become a Ghost Demon.

Ghost Demons were only an extremely small portion. Most demon beasts, after being fed, merely became obedient. Ghost Demons were akin to mutated breeds.

Wu Tu let out a dejected sigh.

"Looks like it'll be hard to keep this '18' plaque this time."

Li Rui naturally understood Wu Tu's state of mind.

Both of them had come from the mud, unlike those born into wealth and privilege. They had to fight for everything. If Wu Tu could not advance further this time, Zhang Yang would inevitably distance himself from him. Earning his trust again would become several times harder.

Li Rui pondered for a moment.

Then he took an exquisite little box from his robes, set it on the table, and slowly pushed it toward Wu Tu.

Wu Tu was somewhat stunned.

"Old Brother, what is this?"

"Take this Nurture Bone Pill first. You can repay me later."

This was not the pill Eagle Six had given him. He had bought it from the Medicine Hall with the five hundred taels of silver he had gotten from searching corpses that night.

He had originally planned to take it himself.

But now, he would give it to Wu Tu first.

Wu Tu blinked, unable to believe it. After a long while, he finally drew a deep breath. "Thank you, Old Brother Li. I will surely repay this kindness."

Few remembered icing on the cake, but a helping hand in the snow could be remembered for a lifetime.

A single Nurture Bone Pill cost a full five hundred taels of silver.

Even if he scraped together every bit of profit he could, it would take him at least a year to save that much. This favor was no ordinary weight.

Li Rui waved a hand. "We're family. What's there to thank me for? If you truly want to thank me, squeeze out a couple tears. This old man has lived so long, yet I've never seen the boss of the Dark Eight Gates cry."

Wu Tu split into a wide grin.

"I'll never cry. If anyone's crying, it'll be someone else!"

He clenched the Nurture Bone Pill, his spirits soaring.

With this pill, not only could he heal the injuries all over his body, he might even advance another step.

Li Rui said, "Brother Wu, this old brother will wish you a good ranking in the assessment in advance."

Wu Tu's lips curled upward. "Perfect. Let them see who the true champion of the Dark Eight Gates is."

At an abandoned temple outside Qinghe City.

Han Qin, Zhu Yue, and Jiang Yan frowned as they looked at the demon beast's corpse lying on the ground.

"This Silver Tail Flying Snake was truly fierce."

Zhu Yue still felt lingering fear.

Among the three of them, he alone had yet to enter the eighth rank. Naturally, facing an eighth-tier demon beast had been difficult for him.

Han Qin glanced at Jiang Yan.

The strength Jiang Yan had displayed in the battle just now had alarmed even him. She had only just broken through, yet she was already this formidable. He did not dare imagine what she might achieve in the future.

And Jiang Yan was far too young.

Han Qin gave a bitter smile.

"People truly cannot be compared."

He gathered his scattered thoughts. "The Ghost Underworld Sect is feeding demons, and the scale seems far from small. This matter has already exceeded what we can handle."

Zhu Yue nodded and looked toward Jiang Yan.

"Junior Sister Jiang, we should return to the sect and find help."

Yet Jiang Yan shook her head. "The Ghost Underworld Sect is hidden too deeply. More people will only alert the enemy. We are not trying to take on the Ghost Underworld Sect. We only need to find the den where they gather, and my father will naturally make his move."

"All right."

Only upon hearing Jiang Linxian's name did Zhu Yue feel somewhat at ease.

Otherwise, he would have been a thousand times unwilling to face the demonic fiends of the Ghost Underworld Sect alone.

Han Qin had a headache. "Both the Heaven and Earth Alliance and the Blood Tiger Gang suffered losses this time. Several people died. I fear they will not be very enthusiastic about continuing the search."

Jiang Yan frowned slightly as well.

They had gone through great trouble to get the Heaven and Earth Alliance and the Blood Tiger Gang to act this time.

Who would have thought they would stumble so quickly?

The progress of the search would certainly be affected afterward.

Zhu Yue pondered for a moment. "As far as I know, the Heaven and Earth Alliance's assessment will be held in half a month. Why don't we go watch then and select two spots on the spot for those who can participate in the sect-entry competition? This should help raise morale."

Han Qin's eyes lit up.

"Junior Brother Zhu, that's a good idea."

It would cost almost nothing, yet they could bring over two fairly high-level experts from the Heaven and Earth Alliance to work for them wholeheartedly. Beyond that, it could also bolster the confidence of those ordinary disciples.

It was killing two birds with one stone.

Jiang Yan also found it agreeable and nodded.

"Then we'll do that."

"Choose a place of utmost height and purity; draw in the purest and most harmonious qi. What enters through the nose rushes into the Dantian; what enters through the mouth rushes into the intestines and belly. Three, five, or seven all suffice."

Inside the room.

Li Rui sat cross-legged and practiced according to the improved breathing method.

"Exhale~"

"Inhale~"

His breaths were long and drawn out. A single exhalation and inhalation took a full half incense stick of time, and his chest barely rose or fell.

Li Rui closed his eyes and gathered his spirit.

Just as his breaths shifted, and the turbid qi in his chest was fully expelled, his heart stirred as though he sensed something.

He abruptly opened his eyes.

"I did it!"