Drawing Out a Paranormal

"I seem to have learned a few more things..."

Through True Understanding, Di Yi sensed vast rune power within those ten spheres of light. It lay hidden in the deepest reaches of each cave heaven, as though connecting to something in the void.

He had a feeling that these were ten supremely powerful Precious Techniques, none inferior to the Primordial Vermilion Bird Precious Technique.

Yet when he tried to pursue True Understanding further, he encountered some kind of barrier. Like viewing flowers through mist, he could glimpse only the surface, not grasp the fundamental truth of their origins.

"Their source... does it come from me?" Di Yi had a vague suspicion. These ten Precious Techniques came from his "dead" Sea of Potential, and were undoubtedly part of his former knowledge and experience.

One could say that those ten spheres of light, those ten true spirits, had all evolved from him. Their origins lay within him.

In other words, his Sea of Potential was "dead," so their source was naturally "dead" as well. Trying to gain True Understanding of the origins of something "dead" was almost certainly futile.

After all, they came from him. The object of his True Understanding was on the same scale as his Sea of Potential, and he no longer possessed that former magnitude.

"What exactly happened to me..." Di Yi pondered.

His body remained afflicted and never recovered, while his Sea of Potential was exhausted and deathly still. This meant that during the time he had lost, he had suffered grievous injuries whose effects lingered even now.

What did that mean?

It meant that during that lost time, he might have met with disaster. All his former means had proved useless, unable to withstand it.

"Perhaps these ten Precious Techniques, these ten true spirits, can offer me some insight." Di Yi felt certain that these ten Precious Techniques had a source. Ten true spirits could not have been created out of thin air without a reason.

If he discovered where these ten Precious Techniques came from, or encountered the living beings corresponding to those ten true spirits, perhaps he could learn something of his past through them.

"Roar..."

While Di Yi pondered, the ten cave heavens did not fall still, leaving the Golden Hou deeply uneasy.

After the ten spheres of light took their places within the ten cave heavens, strand after strand of Order Divine Chains flowed from the void, washing forth wisps of auspicious radiance, peaceful and sacred.

Yet amid that peace and sanctity lurked endless blood mist. Darkness spread, as though some enormous beings were struggling within it.

Fortunately, the anomaly did not last long. As the ten cave heavens revolved around Di Yi, boundless nascent energy descended from the void and poured through them.

At the same time, wisps of immortal qi released an undying aura and spread into his Sea of Potential.

For a time, mist shrouded the area, making it look profoundly mysterious. Like an eternally enduring divine statue, Di Yi received the nourishment of the ten cave heavens, continually producing supremely powerful vital essence.

"Just like with Blood Moving, entering a new threshold has eased my injuries..." Di Yi felt the relief in his body. Although the improvement was still barely noticeable, its effectiveness in alleviating the symptoms had increased greatly.

At least he had now established a beneficial cycle. Everything was moving in a good direction.

Rumble!

At last, the ten cave heavens fully formed and merged with Di Yi, erupting with brilliant light and stirring ripples that swept across the area.

Fortunately, the fluctuations were not particularly violent. Everything was as quiet and natural as water flowing into a completed channel. Apart from the naturally sensitive birds and beasts, those from the Genius Camp who were deep in their dreams noticed nothing.

"According to the Bone Scripture, after opening four cave heavens in the Cave Heaven Realm, one can begin preparing to break through to the next realm. But I have ten now. What should I do?" Di Yi rose, and the ten cave heavens withdrew. All the fluctuations receded like the tide.

As far as he knew, under normal circumstances, opening four cave heavens was enough to proceed smoothly with cultivation toward the next threshold.

Of course, some people were not satisfied with that. The so-called geniuses, for instance, could open a fifth or sixth cave heaven,

and become even stronger upon breaking through. But whether it was five, six, seven, or eight, there were precedents to follow, along with systematically compiled experience on how to make the breakthrough.

From the ninth onward, however, it was the stuff of rumors, much less ten.

There were no actual examples to follow in such a situation, so there was no way to compile guidance or experience for the breakthrough.

Using the normal method would simply waste the additional cave heavens. But if he did not use the normal method, Di Yi had no idea where to begin.

"Forget it. The boat will straighten itself when it reaches the bridge." In the end, Di Yi stopped dwelling on the question and let it go.

He was different from the people of this world to begin with, so naturally his cultivation would differ as well. There was no need to force himself to follow this world's cultivation path exactly.

After all, he had entered the Blood Moving Realm through experience, and the ten cave heavens had arisen naturally. Heaven knew what other unusual phenomena might emerge when he reached the Spirit Transformation Realm.

In his view, what truly deserved his attention was his Sea of Potential and healing himself. He could let everything else take its natural course.

As long as he rebuilt his Sea of Potential, regained his former magnitude, and recovered fully, the power lying dormant within and around him might well rival the pinnacle of the cultivation path.

"Rrr..."

Seeing the terrifying fluctuations vanish and the ten cave heavens disappear, the Golden Hou immediately ran to Di Yi's side and rubbed against him, as though asking whether everything was all right.

"What could happen to me? Come on, let's head back." Di Yi stroked the Golden Hou's fur and retraced his steps under cover of night.

Yet just as he reached the outside of his house, a commotion suddenly broke out in the Genius Camp. Someone was running flat out, shouting over and over that there was a ghost.

In the still of the night, such shouting naturally disturbed many people.

"Who is it? Are you going to let anyone rest?"

"Who's howling like a ghost? Seeing a ghost in the Heaven Mending Pavilion? I think you're the ghost!"

Many people were displeased. Cultivating all day was exhausting enough, and now someone would not even let them rest properly at night. They had to have words with him.

As for what that person was shouting, they chose to ignore it. This was the Heaven Mending Pavilion, after all. If someone really saw a ghost here, that would truly be a ghost of a thing to happen.

"You'd better believe me! That ghost is right behind me, on that house! Surely you can see him!"

"What ghost? Seeing a ghost in the Heaven Mending Pavilion would be the real miracle. I think you're still half asleep." A pretty girl glared at him. Di Yi had seen her before; she was the Blazing Sun Marquis's Daughter.

"It's true! A strong wind blew through the mountain woods just now. Didn't you hear it? As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw a ghost staring at me!"

"Keep spouting your ghost stories. There's nobody on that house!" The Blazing Sun Marquis's Daughter was thoroughly annoyed. Planting her hands on her slender waist, she said, "Besides, even if there really is a ghost, there are so many of us, all cultivators brimming with yang energy. Would a ghost dare act up?"

"Damn it, I didn't say that! Don't look at me!"

The person running flat out faced the house, doing his utmost to disassociate himself from her words. Then he secretly signaled to the Blazing Sun Marquis's Daughter not to talk nonsense. The ghost was already looking at her.

"I refuse to believe it. I'm filled with the righteous energy of the blazing sun. Never mind a ghost, even if-A ghost!!!" The Blazing Sun Marquis's Daughter screamed, her hair standing on end as Blazing Sun Runes instantly surged around her.

Originally, there had been nothing in the direction she was looking, on top of that house.

But now, when the fleeing person said the ghost was looking at her, she suddenly saw a... ghost appear out of thin air.

He was an old man who exuded an intensely sinister chill. His eyes were empty, a sword was stuck in his head, and black blood ran down his forehead, covering his entire face.

"Stay away!" The Blazing Sun Marquis's Daughter was terrified. The ghost actually floated toward her, ignoring her Blazing Sun Runes.

At that moment, she no longer cared about maintaining her composure. A ghost that could wander through the Heaven Mending Pavilion was certainly no ordinary ghost. She immediately copied the first person he had targeted and ran flat out.

The Genius Camp's grounds were neither particularly large nor particularly small. At first, not many people had been awakened.

Now, however, things were different. The courtyard, which had merely been noisy before, suddenly became incredibly "lively."

"There really is... a ghost!" The crowd was horrified.

As the Blazing Sun Marquis's Daughter fled, she naturally had to push through the crowd. Though they could see nothing behind her, they felt a rush of cold air and the physical sensation of a body knocking them aside.

Now everyone believed it. A ghost had truly appeared in the courtyard, and he was utterly uncanny. Panic seized them all, and they bolted, desperate to get away from the Genius Camp.

Before long, chaos erupted around the rocky hills. Lights came on in every house, and after learning what had happened, their occupants also... bolted.

They did not run blindly, however, but fled with a destination in mind: the nearby Spirit Mountain.

An elder of the Heaven Mending Pavilion lived on that Spirit Mountain, so they felt certain they would be safe there.

"Elder, save me!" The Blazing Sun Marquis's Daughter arrived first. The ghost pursued her relentlessly, showing no sign of being shaken off. She shouted from the foot of the Spirit Mountain, her strong voice trembling slightly as she cried for help.

"What is it?" At that midnight hour, Elder Zhuo Yun, who lived on the Spirit Mountain, was meditating. Hearing the commotion below, he was somewhat displeased.

"Elder, there's a ghost!" the Blazing Sun Marquis's Daughter replied, screaming as she raced up the Spirit Mountain, hoping the elder would come to her rescue.

"What!?" Upon hearing the Blazing Sun Marquis's Daughter's words, Elder Zhuo Yun's expression changed immediately. Even his lips trembled.

"Elder, save me! I can't shake this ghost off!" The Blazing Sun Marquis's Daughter was deathly pale. The ghost now actually had an expression on his face, and his smile chilled her from head to toe.

"Don't come over here! Hold on a little longer!" Elder Zhuo Yun flew down the mountain, passing the Blazing Sun Marquis's Daughter. He grabbed the hand of a child running behind her and asked what the ghost looked like.

"He's an old man with an ancient sword piercing his skull, black blood running down him, and disheveled hair..." The first person the ghost had targeted suppressed his fear and answered.

"What? It really is... the Paranormal that has existed since ancient times. But the interval of several hundred years isn't over yet. Why has he come out!?" Elder Zhuo Yun seemed to know the ghost's origins, and barely stopped himself from fleeing in panic.

"Elder, you know about him?" Hearing this, the children felt reassured. Since the elder knew about the ghost, he clearly had a way to deal with him.

"I don't know a damn thing! Hurry and get out of here. No, stay away from that girl. Don't go near her. I'm going to fetch the Senior Elder!" Elder Zhuo Yun vanished in an instant, actually abandoning everyone and leaving outright.

At this sight, the children's scalps tingled, and every one of them was terribly nervous.

Could an elder of the Heaven Mending Pavilion really be this irresponsible?

He had actually run away on his own!

"Oh, girl, if you really can't hold on, go to the Genius Camp and seek help in that standalone house!" Fortunately, just as the Blazing Sun Marquis's Daughter was sinking into despair, Elder Zhuo Yun's instructions drifted back on the wind.

"That man... will asking him for help do any good?" It was not as though the Blazing Sun Marquis's Daughter had never seen that man, but he generally kept apart from the Genius Camp's members, and she knew very little about him.

Now was not the time to think about that, however. Since Elder Zhuo Yun had said so, he must have had a reason.

The next moment, she broke into a wild sprint. That was now the only straw she could clutch to save herself.

"Uh, should we... run or stay?"

An uproar broke out around the rocky mountain. Even Elder Zhuo Yun had fled to fetch the Senior Elder, which meant the situation had become terrifyingly serious.

Everyone was frightened, but fortunately, the Elder Paranormal had only targeted the Blazing Sun Marquis's Daughter. Although they sympathized with her, they had no power to help.

"Why don't we... go take a look?"

Some of them gathered their courage. The Elder Paranormal had shown no aggression and was only chasing someone. Besides, he already had a target. As long as they did not speak carelessly, they presumably would not catch his attention.

Moreover, Elder Zhuo Yun had already gone to fetch someone. With his speed, he would bring the Senior Elder back before long, so they should not need to worry about their safety.

"Let's go. Whatever else, Lie Wan'er is still our fellow disciple. Besides, there might be a turn for the better."

Many of them summoned their courage and encouraged themselves, deciding to treat this as a trial to temper their hearts. After all, anything could happen on the cultivation path. If they backed down today, how could they ever speak of being invincible?

Was the Blazing Sun Marquis's Daughter, Lie Wan'er, not facing the Elder Paranormal head-on?

"What happened here? What is a ghost?" In the Genius Camp, Di Yi looked at the empty courtyard, unable to understand what had happened.

Those people had suddenly started shouting, then fled in panic, as though they had seen something terrifying. Even from far away, he could sense the chill radiating from deep within their bones.

"Rrr..." The Golden Hou was equally puzzled, unable to understand what activity those little people were engaging in.

They had shouted and gathered together, only to scream and run wildly away.

Were they performing some special ceremony?

"Save me!" The Blazing Sun Marquis's Daughter, Lie Wan'er, ran back to the Genius Camp. From far away, she spotted Di Yi standing in the open space before his house with a puzzled expression, and rushed toward him, her tear-streaked face like pear blossoms drenched in rain.

"Save you?" Di Yi did not immediately grasp what she meant.

After all, this was the Heaven Mending Pavilion. Who would dare commit murder here, and who could sneak in to kill someone?

But when he saw the person following behind the Blazing Sun Marquis's Daughter, he understood. That person certainly did not look like anyone good.

After all, what good person had a rust-covered ancient sword stuck in his head and pitch-black fingernails half a foot long?