Version 2.0

[Law Technique auto-update complete. This was a minor update. Law Technique effects have been adjusted as follows.]

[Clear Breeze Technique: new effect added-transform into a clear breeze, with an innate concealment effect.]

Lines of ancient seal script resembling smoky clouds of ink appeared before his eyes. Qi Yun's expression jolted, and his right hand instinctively formed hand seals as the True Qi within him surged.

The next second.

Qi Yun felt his body abruptly lose all weight, floating as though he might ascend to immortality, utterly unbound.

His entire body was like an ice crystal cast into the sun. In an instant, it became a wisp of clear Qi, formless and immaterial, elusive and traceless.

It silently dispersed backward.

Hrr?

The black panther's savage expression froze as it watched Qi Yun disappear.

Its enormous head jerked upward, its orange-yellow eyes filled with pure bewilderment and incomprehension.

It twitched its sensitive nose, frantically sniffing the air, its massive paws anxiously clawing at the ground, yet it could no longer catch even the slightest trace of its prey's scent.

Its undeveloped intelligence simply could not comprehend this ghostlike disappearance.

At that moment, Qi Yun himself hovered quietly less than ten feet from the black panther.

His body consisted entirely of colorless, shapeless, shadowless, formless clear Qi, as though he had merged into the currents of air flowing through the valley itself.

Even with the black panther's extraordinarily keen sense of smell, it could not detect the slightest trace of this "clear breeze" at such close range.

"What a change. It really has turned heaven and earth upside down."

Looking at his body, composed entirely of clear Qi, Qi Yun was briefly astonished before his lips curved into a relieved smile at having survived disaster.

"I understand now. The original auto-update was too slow because there wasn't much 'data.'

And that precious herb I just found.

It should have been some kind of natural spiritual treasure.

The mysterious panel refined it, which was equivalent to adding a 'data package.'

Once the data arrived, the update naturally finished!"

Having figured out the mysteries of the auto-update, Qi Yun looked at the mysterious panel again.

[Law Techniques Mastered]

[Clear Breeze Technique: auto-updating (current progress: 1%)]

"Huh? It's still updating?"

Noticing the writing on the panel, a keen gleam flashed in Qi Yun's eyes.

He had thought the Clear Breeze Technique could no longer update after its first update.

He had never expected these updates to seemingly have no end!

If that's really the case, I only need to learn a few simple, easy-to-understand minor Law Techniques, then update and upgrade them.

The enormous amount of time and effort saved on studying Law Techniques.

Can all be used to hone my life cultivation.

In a single instant, Qi Yun clearly saw the terrifying potential and limitless possibilities this unique ability offered.

"But that's all for later. Right now, I still need to get through this trial successfully."

Suppressing his excitement, Qi Yun gathered his thoughts and gently rubbed between his brows, his gaze growing steady and intent.

Now I have version 2.0 of the [Clear Breeze Technique] at my disposal.

I can simply find somewhere to hide. Even if those demonic sect cultivators find me, I can escape with the [Clear Breeze Technique].

As long as I hold out for a day, I'll have passed this trial!

With his decision made, Qi Yun cast one last glance at the black panther, still pacing anxiously and sniffing in vain. His body of clear Qi silently changed direction and drifted deeper into the valley, toward its darker corners.

Meanwhile, in the other corners of this cold, gloomy valley.

The young cultivators, randomly teleported to various locations and still utterly dumbfounded, had only just come to their senses.

The black-robed cultivators wielding talisman-wrapped staves had already arrived to kill them.

A young cultivator stared at the black-robed figure who had abruptly appeared before him, holding a staff entwined with eerie purple-black talismans. His face filled with astonishment and disbelief, he instinctively raised a finger toward the other man, attempting to ask:

"Aren't you..."

Bam!

Before he could even finish a sentence, accompanied by a sinister gust that made the heart tremble, it smashed savagely into his unguarded crown with the speed of thunder leaving no time to cover one's ears!

Blood and flesh splattered, and his skull caved in.

With a muffled grunt, the young cultivator collapsed unconscious, his body twitching and convulsing.

The purple-black talismans wrapped around the [Soul-Snatching Staff] suddenly flared, and a cold, sinister power spread outward.

A blurred, distorted humanoid apparition, filled with terror and pain, was forcibly torn from the shattered body, letting out silent, piercing wails.

Yet the fleshly body that had lost its soul retained its "living" warmth and suppleness. Only its eyes were vacant, like carefully processed... material.

"Tsk. Our holy sect truly is unrivaled in benevolence and righteousness."

The black-robed cultivator who had struck looked at the "material" on the ground, his tone as indifferent as though he were appraising merchandise:

"We take only your skin, flesh, and blood, and even show you great mercy by leaving your souls a path to survival, allowing you to reincarnate.

You should engrave such immense kindness upon your hearts and repay it in your next lives."

As he voiced these utterly cold sentiments, he deftly unfastened a bulging leather pouch from his waist, its surface densely covered in dark-red, twisted talismanic script.

Forming hand seals and reciting an incantation, he opened the pouch.

Whoosh-

A black wind laden with the thick stench of blood surged from the pouch. Like a living tentacle, it precisely swept up the warm, "intact" piece of "human flesh material" on the ground and instantly dragged it inside.

Expressionless, the black-robed cultivator tied the pouch shut and hefted it, seemingly quite satisfied.

Then, without so much as glancing at the blood, brain matter, and bone fragments left on the ground, he strode off, silently and swiftly pursuing the next source of terrified presence.

Only a faint breeze mingled with bloodiness and cold lingered there. It circled briefly before vanishing completely into this cruel valley, like the soul that had dissipated.

Bam-

A dull impact!

A young figure, his head covered in blood and his body still poised in a forward rush, toppled stiffly to the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.

Shaking the sticky blood from the tip of his [Soul-Snatching Staff], the black-robed cultivator let out a long breath:

"You little brat, you were pretty fast. If I hadn't been prepared, you really would have gotten away."

As he spoke, he deftly unfastened the bulging [Blood Mountain Bag] covered in dark-red talismanic script from his waist. Muttering under his breath, he once again summoned that blood-scented black wind.

Whoosh-

The black wind obeyed as readily as his own limbs, precisely sweeping up the "human flesh material" on the ground, still warm and of excellent quality.

However, just as the human material was about to be sucked fully into the bag.

Plop!

A translucent precious herb, crystalline and flawless throughout, faintly emitting wisps of light.

Fell squarely beside the black-robed cultivator's feet.

"Hm?"

The black-robed cultivator raised an eyebrow, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes. Somewhat puzzled, he bent down and picked up the tender herb.

The instant he saw it clearly, his breathing abruptly stopped.

Immediately afterward, irrepressible ecstasy burst from the depths of his eyes, instantly dispelling all his fatigue.

"Holy crap, Wind-Hiding Grass!"

The black-robed cultivator carefully held it before his eyes for inspection, muttering to himself:

"This is a rare natural treasure herb. If I offer it to the Pill Tower, I can exchange it for at least three [Qi Spirit Pills]."

Delight nearly overflowed from his face. Looking at the Wind-Hiding Grass, he glanced again at the "human material" on the ground and shook his head with a click of his tongue:

"To find a treasure herb like this, you were certainly a person blessed with abundant fortune.

Unfortunately, treasures of heaven and earth belong to the virtuous.

You had fortune to spare, but insufficient virtue.

I'll reluctantly take care of this treasure herb for you."

Blissfully, he gently tucked the Wind-Hiding Grass into the innermost spot against his chest. The black-robed cultivator felt comfortable all over, and he even couldn't resist humming a wildly off-key little tune.

Yet, somewhat carried away by his triumph, the black-robed cultivator remained completely unaware that on a tree branch less than a dozen meters beside him.

A figure formed from a formless clear breeze was silently watching him.

Or rather... watching the Wind-Hiding Grass he had tucked into his robes.