Update! [Stealing and Devouring Gu]

It was a fragment, only half the size of a palm, with a dark, iron-black hue.

The edges are jagged, as if it had been broken off from a whole token.

The surface was covered with incredibly fine, twisted, and bizarre magical runes.

It subtly forms a mysterious and indescribable pattern.

Looking at the half of the iron plaque, Qi Yun raised an eyebrow and scoffed, "Incredible."

The profound meaning contained within this half of the iron plaque.

The response was surprisingly from a Law Technique he rarely used these days—[Profound Communion and Life Seizure]!

This Law Technique was secretly bestowed upon him by the mysterious Foundation Establishment demon "True Person Ling" when he was still in the Outer Mansion and was being deliberately targeted by the Black Mountain True Person, in order to break the deadlock.

When his cultivation was still shallow and his methods were limited, [Profound Communion and Life Seizure] and [Skull Incantation] did indeed complement each other well, helping him overcome several crises.

However, as his cultivation improved, he mastered more and more Law Technique, and their power grew stronger and stronger.

[Profound Communion and Life Seizure] is considered too special and unorthodox because of the unique and unorthodox Daoist meaning it contains.

Since its last version update, it has been unable to find a suitable spiritual object to drive its further transformation.

Its automatic update process is also extremely slow, and its power is gradually failing to keep up with demand.

Qi Yun gradually shelved it and rarely used it.

Unexpectedly, in this Ghost-Crying Market in the Yellow Springs Netherworld, I have stumbled upon a spiritual being that resonates so perfectly with the Daoist intent of [Profound Communion and Life Seizure]!

"Indeed, fortuitous opportunity is everywhere."

Having discovered it, Qi Yun didn't hesitate at all, grabbing the iron plate and refining it in an instant!

Metaphor!

The Law Technique Panel glowed, and the notification arrived as expected:

[Automatic Law Technique updates complete. This is a minor version update; Law Technique effects have been adjusted as follows.]

[Profound Communion and Life Seizure 3.0: Replace Life Stealing Item].

"Replace the life-capturing object?" Qi Yun's heart stirred. He immediately formed several ancient hand Method Formula in front of his chest, slightly different from the ones he used before, and began to chant obscure incantations in a low voice.

As the Method Formula and spell were completed, Qi Yun keenly sensed that a wisp of his own essence had established a connection with some mysterious entity that existed in the the Unseen, somewhere between reality and illusion.

The next instant, the shadow beneath his feet rippled very slightly, like the surface of water to which a pebble has been thrown.

A faint black aura, barely perceptible to the naked eye or even ordinary Divine Sense, silently slipped into the distorted shadow.

It then vanished completely, leaving no trace whatsoever.

At the same time, a clear stream of information flooded into Qi Yun's mind.

This instantly made him understand what the new "life-stealing object" that had been summoned was, and what its mysteries were.

[Stealing and Devouring Gu]!

A mystical entity that can reside within the shadows of living beings!

It has no direct offensive or defensive capabilities, but its characteristics are simply incredible.

It can continuously and extremely discreetly "steal" and absorb all ownerless, wandering essence from its surroundings!

It devours almost everything, including the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, the essence of the sun and moon, the Sha Qi of the earth's veins, and even the residual Law Power after a battle and the dissipated life essence of the dead!

Then, it will purify and transform these chaotic energies within its body, turning them into the purest and most easily absorbed cultivation level.

It will then retain half of the converted energy for its own growth.

The other half, in turn, gives back to the host body it resides in without reservation.

What does this mean?

This means that from now on, Qi Yun will have to rely on his own internal True Qi cultivation method.

There will be an additional layer of "automatic cultivation," which is constantly in a state of extremely slow but real "automatic cultivation."

Especially in places rich in Spiritual Qi, or in areas that have just experienced a great battle and whose energy is disordered.

This effect of "stealing" and giving back will be even more pronounced.

"It's actually the Life-Seizing Technique, which aids in cultivation!" Qi Yun's eyes flashed with astonishment.

This [Stealing and Devouring Gu] is just in time.

While it may not be of much help in direct combat, its auxiliary role in cultivation is of immeasurable value in the long run.

Especially when combined with his [Essence Devouring] supernatural ability.

One actively plunders living beings, while the other passively absorbs resources from the environment.

His cultivation speed will surely reach a new level!

Suppressing his excitement, Qi Yun carefully savored the sensations.

The [Stealing and Devouring Gu] in the shadow beneath their feet had already begun to work silently.

A faint yet pure trace of cultivation, like a gentle Purple Mansion, continuously flowed into his Dantian, nourishing his True Essence.

"Not bad, not bad at all." Qi Yun nodded in satisfaction.

They stole all the treasures from the Ten Rakshasas Temple.

Qi Yun darted out of the temple gate in a flash.

He knew perfectly well that there were as many as seventeen hidden treasure locations marked throughout the entire Ghost-Crying Market.

If I had acted even slightly slower, those truly valuable items would probably have already been looted clean by my ravenous fellow disciples.

But as soon as he stepped out of the dilapidated threshold of the Ten Rakshasas Temple, a sudden, inexplicable feeling of unease arose in his heart.

Almost simultaneously, the Great Void Jade Tally at his waist vibrated violently, and a rapid message instantly flooded his mind:

[Urgent! The Yellow Springs Netherworld is prepared! Large numbers of reinforcements have arrived from the northeast and southwest. Prepare to engage them immediately.]

This is a warning sent by a fellow disciple in the team, who excels at stealth and long-range reconnaissance, using a secret technique!

Qi Yun's expression shifted slightly as he looked up.

Outside the Ghost-Crying Market, an endless, pale white fog had risen into the sky.

The thick, viscous fog not only obscured vision but also carried a strange power that eroded Divine Sense and isolated perception, closing in from all directions.

Like a giant curtain of death, it was about to completely envelop the entire Ghost-Crying Market!

Other Holy Sect cultivators who were hunting down the remaining enemies and looting spoils in the ruins of the market also received the message at the same time.

Yuan Zong, who had smashed the head of a Yellow Springs Netherworld to pieces with a single palm strike, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

His sallow face was furrowed, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, sweeping over the rapidly closing, pale fog. He made a decisive move, his voice like the crack of ice, echoing across the battlefield:

The enemy is prepared; we must not linger in battle!

Everyone, break out separately!

We'll each have to survive, and then we'll meet again!

Upon receiving the order, the Holy Sect cultivators, who had been scattered in various places killing and plundering, immediately displayed extremely high levels of professionalism and decisiveness.

The Holy Sect Sect's code of conduct dictates that things should stop at the right time!

Without coveting the spoils they hadn't even warmed, the Holy Sect True Cultivators either transformed into Flowing Light, disappeared underground, or concealed themselves, like a flock of startled birds, instantly shooting off in different directions.

They were trying to tear a hole before the encirclement was complete!

Qi Yun was no exception.

He chose a spot in the southeast where the crowd was relatively sparse but the fog seemed a little thinner, and shot out like lightning.

However, the reinforcements from the Yellow Springs Netherworld arrived faster than expected.

He had barely rushed out a hundred feet when the mist ahead surged, and dozens of figures dressed in the attire of the Yellow Springs Netherworld, exuding a chilling aura, appeared, forming a battle formation. Various kinds of Yin lightning, ghost fire, and soul-binding ropes rained down on him like a storm!

The leader was a cultivator at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer Peak, wielding a soul-summoning bell. The sound of it wailing and howling disturbed the mind. "You dare stop me with so few people?"

Qi Yun curled his lip, facing the obstruction without holding back, directly using the most forceful means!

With a thought, the nine white skeletons that had been surrounding him emitted a cacophony of cackling laughter.

The will-o'-the-wisps in his eyes surged to their peak in an instant, carrying a resolute will, like nine ghastly green shooting stars, crashing headlong into the densest part of the crowd ahead!

[Skull Incantation - White Bone Corpse Explosion]

Burst!

Rumble rumble rumble-!!!

A series of deafening explosions rang out!

Nine dark green mushroom clouds of poisonous fire shot into the sky, and the rampaging Corpse Poison Yin Fire, along with the violent shockwaves, instantly blasted the formation in front of them into chaos.

Limbs and torsos mixed with charred, corroded flesh were scattered everywhere, blasting open a bloody breach in the tight encirclement!

[Wood Phase Command Method - Void-Trapping Awl]

The moment the gap appeared, Qi Yun didn't stop, pointing his fingers in quick succession.

Dozens of evil-dispelling peach wood cones shot out like a storm, accurately killing those enemies who had survived the explosion and were trying to reorganize their defenses.

At the same time, the jet-black iron sand, like flowing armor, protected him completely, blocking and shattering several insidious Law Technique and cold arrows that came from the side.

With movements as swift as the wind, Qi Yun summoned the white bone skeleton to absorb blood essence while rushing along the blood path he had cleared with Corpse Explosion. When he encountered scattered obstacles, he raised his hand and violently suppressed them with a [Dragon-Binding Gāthā] strike. The white bone skeleton continuously extracted the blood essence of the dead to nourish itself.

The [Stealing and Devouring Gu] in the shadow beneath his feet greedily absorbed the chaotic Spiritual Qi, death energy, and Sha Qi dissipating from the battlefield, purifying them and continuously injecting them into Qi Yun's body.

After such a fierce battle, ordinary cultivators would have long since exhausted their True Qi and become weak.

But Qi Yun showed no signs of fatigue; on the contrary, his aura grew increasingly powerful and ferocious with each kill and devouring.

Within the Dantian and Purple Mansion, the nitrogen and argon True Essence, representing the process of "Condensing Qi into Essence," is growing and solidifying at a speed visible to the naked eye!

The more we fight, the stronger we become; we sustain ourselves through war!

Just as Qi Yun used the [Void-Trapping Awl] to nail the last Yellow Springs Netherworld cultivator blocking his way to the ground.

Just as they were preparing to make a final push to break out of the area.

The thick fog to the side and behind seemed to be sliced open by a sharp blade.

A blurry figure crashed through the fog at an astonishing speed.

During the sprint, his body rapidly contracted and condensed, transforming into an extremely thin black line that almost blended into the surrounding environment. His speed was so great that he silently headed straight for Qi Yun!

Murderous intent loomed over me, a chilling coldness seeped into my bones!

Qi Yun didn't even have time to turn around completely; he only had time to activate his mind, and the protective Abyss Sunken Abyss Iron Sand instantly condensed and thickened behind him!

The next instant!

Ding ding ding ding ding one-!!!

Like a sudden storm lashing down on banana leaves, countless sharp, fine, yet extremely refined black blade lights struck the iron sand shield like a tempest.

The blade rubbed and collided violently with the iron filings.

It erupted with a continuous, extremely piercing sound of metal clashing against metal.

Countless dazzling sparks bloomed in the pale mist.

The blade was not only fast, but also contained a strange "disorder" power that could disrupt True Qi, distort perception, and cause the defender's judgment to deviate slightly.

Even with its formidable defense, the Sunken Abyss Iron Sand was still formidable.

Under this sudden, concentrated, and frenzied attack, it was also cleaved into a frenzy, with sand flying everywhere, shaking violently, and showing signs of being breached!

"Snort!"

Qi Yun snorted coldly, using the momentum to leap forward several feet, and at the same time, he suddenly turned around, his gaze extremely cold.

They locked onto the figure that had missed its target and was about to merge back into the mist.

As soon as the Method Formula was activated, iron sand erupted all over his body.

Like a black wave, it transformed into dozens of enormous sand-iron hands, grabbing at the blurry black figure from all directions, intending to trap and crush the attacker!

But the shadowy Movement Method were incredibly strange.

In the nick of time, his body twisted and flickered as if boneless, narrowly slipping through the gaps in the iron sand palm.

At the same time, several more cunning blades slashed towards Qi Yun's legs and neck with his other hand!

Several swift exchanges revealed a familiar quality in Qi Yun regarding his opponent's ferocious, unpredictable, and focused swordsmanship.

A sudden inspiration struck him, and he combined this with the secret texts he had previously read to make a guess.

The name of a sect emerged.

"Disordered swordsmanship, ghostly movements [Disorder Killing]?"

You are a cultivator from the Seven Kills Sect!

Qi Yun narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke in a cold voice.

The Seven Kills Sect a sect whose style of operation is very similar to that of an assassin organization.

The disciples specialize in physical training and lethal swordsmanship, rarely relying on external magical Law Artifact, and pursuing the ultimate close-quarters combat skills.

They possess many unpredictable and deadly secret techniques.

Unexpectedly, in an attempt to reverse its decline, the Yellow Springs Netherworld actually hired this group of killers who only care about money and not people.

Upon hearing this, the dark figure paused slightly, and the faint black aura surrounding it dissipated somewhat.

He revealed a pale, ordinary, and unremarkable young face, except for his eyes, which were as cold as a venomous snake.

He neither admitted nor denied it, but the murderous intent in his eyes intensified.

"Qi Refining Sixth Layer, so troublesome—the price is too low." The hoarse voice sounded like sandpaper rubbing together.

The next instant, the Seven Kills Sect cultivator sprang up again!

This time he was faster, and his blade flashed even more swiftly.

He seemed to transform into a pitch-black storm, spinning and slicing wildly around Qi Yun.

The flashes of blades were no longer confined to a single point, but attacked from all sorts of unbelievable angles.

Sometimes it pierces straight for the forehead, sometimes it slashes towards the groin, sometimes it strikes at the ankle; the moves are ruthless and cunning, targeting the body's vulnerable points and blind spots!

The "disordered" power became increasingly apparent. Qi Yun felt that the flow of his True Qi was being slightly disturbed, and it became difficult to lock onto targets with his Divine Sense. Although the defense of the Sunken Abyss Iron Sand remained sturdy.

However, it appeared somewhat clumsy under the opponent's high-speed, high-frequency, and precise attacks.

The sand grains were constantly being split and thrown around, resulting in severe energy consumption.

"This chaotic force is constantly accumulating—"

Qi Yun's eyes sharpened; he realized he had to break the opponent's rhythm.

He maintained his iron sand defense with his left hand, while his right hand suddenly Hand Seals!

[Wood Phase Command Method - Dragon-Binding Gāthā!]

Boom boom boom boom!

The powerful wooden beams fell straight down towards the Seven Kills Sect cultivators.

However, the assassin simply twisted his body and easily avoided the terrifying piece of wood, his movements almost unaffected.

"Void-Trapping Awl!"

With a series of Qi Yun, the peach wood awl shot out with a whooshing sound.

The assassin moved swiftly, his blade flashing with precision, shattering most of the Void-Trapping Awl in mid-air.

A few shards grazed past him, but were deflected by his True Qi, leaving only shallow marks.

"Southern Brightness Devil Fire!"

Dark red demonic flames surged forth, their scorching heat sweeping across the surroundings.

The assassin, however, seemed to have anticipated this and retreated hastily.

At the same time, the sword light danced, forming a curtain of light that kept most of the demonic fire at bay.

Even the slightest contamination was quickly dispersed and extinguished by its Secret Method.

This Seven Kills Sect assassin is not only extremely powerful in attack and has unpredictable Movement Method, but also has exceptionally rich experience in dealing with various Law Technique, clearly a veteran.

Unable to break through after a prolonged siege, Qi Yun frowned.

He also noticed that although his opponent's Movement Method and swordsmanship were amazing, he seemed to rely heavily on close combat.

In that case...

"You like close proximity, huh? Then don't leave!"

With a cold snort, Qi Yun stopped trying to counter with Law Technique and instead focused all his energy on activating the Sunken Abyss Iron Sand!

[Iron Sand Method - Iron Prison Hell]

Boom!

The countless iron filings no longer dispersed for defense, but instead spread and converged wildly in all directions like a black tide, forming a huge, ever-shrinking cage.

He enveloped himself and the assassin within it.

The inner walls of the cage sealed off all avenues for escape.

This means abandoning most of the defense and engaging in the most dangerous close-quarters combat with the opponent in this confined space!

A strange light finally flashed in the assassin's eyes; he clearly hadn't expected Qi Yun to use such a near-mutually destructive fighting style.

The blade flashed, frantically slashing at the inner walls of the cage.

Sparks flew everywhere, but it was difficult to break through for a while.

A fierce glint flashed in the eyes of the Seven Kills Sect cultivator, and he charged directly at Qi Yun. Once the caster died, the Law Technique naturally dissipated.

With a short, piercing shriek, his figure and the short sword in his hand almost merged into one, transforming into a deathly black light condensed to its extreme.

They rushed straight towards Qi Yun in the center of the cage.

The blade was aimed directly at Qi Yun's brow.

Faced with this earth-shattering, almost suicidal attack, Qi Yun showed no panic whatsoever.

Instead, he revealed a faint smile of triumph.

"Are you an idiot?" he chuckled, his tone gentle. "You think I'd be trapped by my own Law Technique?"

Before the words were even finished, and before the Seven Kills Sect assassin could react...

Qi Yun's figure appeared just before the blade struck his body.

Suddenly transforming from reality to illusion, it twisted and dissipated like a bubble, turning into a wisp of formless, intangible, and ethereal pure air.

They then passed through a hole, no bigger than a grain of rice, deliberately left beforehand at the back of the cage.

In a flash, he escaped the iron prison hell he had built himself.

He used himself as bait to catch a foolish fish.

Qi Yun's true form instantly reformed outside the cage, his gaze indifferent as he looked back at the iron prison hell from which came bursts of frenzied hacking.

He slowly raised his right hand, his five fingers spread, aiming at the cage in the distance.

Then, clench your fist tightly!

[Iron Sand Method - Millstone Hell]

Boom!

The massive iron cage, as if gripped by an invisible giant hand, suddenly emitted a sickening metallic, twisting sound.

Countless iron sands, with unprecedented density and force, were frantically squeezed, rubbed, and ground inward!

"Oh my god--!!"

Inside the cage, the Seven Kills Sect assassin only had time to let out a brief but extremely shrill scream.

It was then completely swallowed up by the endless, heavy iron sand!