Blade - Unbound

Chapter 200: Divine Killing Qi

The foxes wailed in mourning beneath the moonlight, and soon, the beasts joined them. The sight was truly awe-inspiring.

Li Yan and the others watched from the side, remaining silent for a long time.

At last, the unusual funeral reached its conclusion. With a cry from the old fox, sinister winds swept through the surroundings. Ghostly flames drifted back and forth, while mist spread across the valley, making even the moonlight seem hazy.

The surrounding beasts scattered as though they had been granted a reprieve. They did not yet possess much spirituality, and had only come under the Ghost Fox's intimidation. Now that the matter was over, they naturally fled the area as quickly as possible.

When the mist dispersed, the fox immortal's corpse had vanished without a trace. Li Yan and the others knew the foxes had to have hidden the remains somewhere to prevent anyone from damaging them. After all, the fox immortal's hide was undoubtedly great material.

At the same time, the foxes of every size also scattered in all directions.

Sha Lifei scratched his head, looking somewhat disappointed. "That... That's it?"

However, the moment he finished speaking, the Ghost Fox appeared again. It stood atop the raised platform and looked at them before leaping down and heading southeast. Every few steps, however, it stopped and looked back.

Li Yan's interest was piqued. "It wants us to follow. Let's go!"

He led the others after it. Just as Wang Daoxuan had said, they traveled southeast. After climbing over a steep slope, they indeed discovered something unusual halfway up the mountain.

There was a small earthen mound surrounded by towering trees. Thick roots protruded from the ground, while several collapsed stone figures and stone horses lay nearby, weathered and indistinct beneath a covering of moss. At the center of the mound was a pitch-black cave entrance.

"There really is a tomb!" Wang Daoxuan gasped quietly, "This is an excellent geomantic site. Foxes like to dwell inside tombs. Someone must have been buried here, after which the fox immortal took the place as its cave dwelling. Why did it bring us here?"

Sha Lifei’s eyes lit up. "Could there be gold and silver treasures inside that it wants to give us?"

As he spoke, the old Ghost Fox had already reached the cave entrance. It kept looking back while speaking the spirit language in a series of clucking and clicking sounds.

After listening, Lu San's eyes became somewhat dazed. Even so, he gritted his teeth and followed it into the cave.

Curious, Li Yan and the others followed close behind. The fox immortal's cave was truly spacious. The foxes had probably dug through the grave, while growing tree roots had further damaged it, exposing the entire tomb passage. Heavy bricks and stones lined both sides of the entrance.

When the group entered, they found that it was indeed a burial chamber. The interior was quite clean, but everything inside had already been removed. It was completely empty, with nothing left that could reveal any information about the ancient tomb. Only a large coffin stood at the center of the chamber.

The coffin was extremely old. Even though it had been made from fine golden-thread redwood and decorated with magnificent lacquerwork, it had still begun to decay. A large hole had been broken through the lid, and a faint whimpering came from within.

One sniff was enough for Li Yan to understand what was happening. He smiled and said, "Brother Lu, your opportunity has arrived. Why aren't you going forward?"

Lu San scratched his head, walked over, and carefully lifted a small white fox from the hole in the coffin.

The young fox was not very large and was still unsteady on its feet, but it possessed remarkable spirituality. It lay in his arms without the slightest fear, instead opening a pair of bright black eyes and whimpering as it looked at the old fox beside them.

The old Ghost Fox spoke several sentences in the spirit language. "Cluck, cluck, click-click..."

It gave the young fox one last reluctant look before leaping out of the cave and disappearing into the dense forest.

"Congratulations, Brother Lu." Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and smiled. "This is the child of the fox immortal. Its spirituality is extraordinary. Raise it well, and it will surely become a great help to you in the future."

Holding the little fox in his arms, Lu San once again revealed his pure, innocent smile. "I quite like this little creature."

Then he looked outside the cave, his expression turning grave. "The old Ghost Fox also shared some news. Someone in the distant forests has been capturing large numbers of demonic creatures and spirits, while an even more ominous aura is spreading. They are afraid and intend to head north, most likely moving into the Qinling Mountain Range. The journey is long, so they cannot take care of this little one. Something serious must have happened in these mountains..."

***

The sound of birdsong and the sunlight outside the window slowly woke Li Yan. He stretched, dressed himself, and walked to the window.

The days of continuous rain had finally ended. The sky had cleared, revealing blue heavens and white clouds beneath brilliant sunlight, filling the entire ancient town with vitality.

The trio had only returned to the inn shortly before dawn. Exhausted, Li Yan had slept until nearly noon. He casually picked up the teapot on the table, and poured himself several teacups of water. Only after he was satisfied did he take out the Summoning Writ and examined it, his brows furrowing.

Suppressing the Demon King had indeed earned him a reward. He could sense seven distinct auras now circling within the Summoning Writ. Six were icy cold. They were his astral decrees. Each one could summon a battalion of five hundred Yin Soldiers, meaning all six together could call forth three thousand troops.

These Yin Soldiers were regular forces of the Underworld, far beyond anything Ferocious Spirit Soldiers could compare to. According to the Ghost Laws, they were comparable to the registered spirit soldiers of Daoist lineages and possessed tremendous combat power.

Moreover, they were only the most ordinary troops. Powerful living yin emissaries in the past had even been able to summon Yin Generals! The terrifying presence from the previous night was probably a Yin General. Even with his divine ability, Li Yan had been unable to detect its aura.

Other than the six strands, there was one with an astonishing aura. Although it was a form of yin killing qi, it was a higher-order power. According to the Underworld, it was known as divine killing qi. Had it not been stored inside the Summoning Writ, even Li Yan's divine ability would not have been able to perceive it.

This was the reward for the previous night's mission!

Li Yan carefully sensed it, and discovered the power it emitted gave him an extremely mysterious feeling. Although it was yin killing qi, it carried no chill whatsoever. Instead, it produced a refreshing and pleasant sensation. Since it had been granted as a reward by the Underworld, the strand of qi was definitely extraordinary.

Li Yan was faced with two choices. The first was to fuse it into a spiritual artifact, such as the Divine Tiger Token. With this aura, its power would undoubtedly increase. The second was to fuse it into the Great Luo Dharma Body.

His Great Luo Dharma Body had already been repaired. Whether it improved the quality of it or ignited his extinguished Soul Flame, either result would be welcome. However, if the fortune contained within this strand of energy only served to repair the statue, then it would have no effect and the valuable strand of qi would be wasted.

It was just like when he had absorbed a great deal of fortune from the Mountain God at the mass grave. Once the statue had been fully repaired, absorbing more had accomplished nothing.

After thinking for a while, Li Yan decided to let the Great Luo Dharma Body absorb it. After all, the statue was the foundation of everything he possessed. Even if he wasted one opportunity, he needed to understand what effect the Underworld's reward would have on it.

With that thought, he gripped the Summoning Writ and sank his consciousness into his dantian. As the Great Luo Dharma Body began to circulate, an aura of bone-piercing cold flowed out from the Summoning Writ and was absorbed into it.

Within his dantian, the Great Luo Dharma Body was rapidly covered in white frost.

It worked!

A trace of delight appeared in Li Yan's eyes.

This strand of divine killing qi truly is extraordinary!

He could sense that part of it contained fortune capable of repairing the statue, but the greater portion surged entirely toward the Soul-Hooking Chain.

It actually had two effects!

That made sense. This power came from the Underworld, and could strengthen spiritual artifacts. From a certain point of view, was the Soul-Hooking Chain also not a type of spiritual artifact? It was an Underworld divine ability that also acted like one.

Clatter! Clatter!

The Soul-Hooking Chain suddenly lengthened dramatically, growing another three zhang until it reached the full length of twelve zhang.

At that length, it was already comparable to an ordinary spear. The Soul-Hooking Chain's true killing power finally began to reveal itself. Now, in close combat alone, even a Jin Transformation Realm master would no longer be his match!

That was the second type of energy capable of strengthening the Soul-Hooking Chain. The first had been the strange token he obtained from Yuan Ba. Li Yan vaguely sensed that the nature of their energies was different, yet there might be some connection between them.

In an excellent mood, he rose and left the room, intending to call the others for a meal while discussing their departure from Shangjin City.

Clatter! Clatter!

Li Yan had barely knocked on Sha Lifei's door when he saw the older man wearing an unnatural expression. There was also the lingering smell of gunpowder residue on the table.

"Uncle Sha, this really isn't the place for that." Li Yan said helplessly, "Once we settle down, we'll find somewhere secluded. Then it won't matter how much noise you make."

"Heheheh..." Sha Lifei was thick-skinned and naturally did not care. His eyes darted around, and he immediately changed the subject, lowering his voice as he said, "Brother Yan, I thought it over again and again last night. The one who killed the fox immortal was most likely that brat Bai Ruoxu.

"That fellow has a new-style weapon in his hands, and he's after Coal Essence. He might even know the formula..."

Li Yan's expression turned grave as he shook his head slightly. "There's no rush! This matter is definitely not that simple. Let's stay out of it for now, and allow the Military Surveillance Department to test these muddy waters first. If we become too deeply involved, we'll only make ourselves targets."

Sha Lifei immediately understood. "That makes sense."

He said no more about the matter. Li then knocked on Lu San's door, only to find that the young man had already awakened. He had somehow obtained some raw meat and goat's milk, and was playing with the little white fox.

Li Yan smiled slightly and tried to approach. Unfortunately, the little creature was extremely afraid of him. It immediately burrowed into Lu San's arms, leaving only its eyes exposed as it stared at him.

Li Yan laughed helplessly, and did not force the issue. After reminding Lu San to pack his belongings, he left the room.

The moment he stepped into the corridor, he saw Wang Daoxuan. The Daoist was neatly dressed in his robes, holding a fly whisk and carrying a bundle on his back, clearly preparing to go out.

"Daoist Wang, where are you going?"

"To visit Old Liu."

Li Yan immediately understood. Old Liu was the coroner who had examined the corpse the previous day. Seeing that corpse poison and yin energy had invaded the man's body, Wang Daoxuan had felt pity for him. Before leaving, he had told Old Liu that he would later perform a ritual on his behalf and teach him a few secret methods.

Naturally, it would all be free of charge. Li Yan did not find it meddlesome. After all, Wang Daoxuan was kindhearted by nature. Back then, he had likewise refused to take a single coin when answering Li Yan's questions and clearing up his doubts.

A thought occurred to Li Yan. "Let's go. I'll come along and have a look."

He immediately followed Wang Daoxuan out. Shangjin City was not large. After leaving the inn, the two walked only a short distance before turning into an alley. They asked several people for directions before finally finding Old Liu's residence.

The profession of coroner was considered a lowly trade, and everyone regarded it with some apprehension. Moreover, Old Liu was not a true member of the mystic path, so he naturally lived in poverty. His home stood at the deepest end of the alley, close to the city wall. Not only was the house dilapidated, but the drainage was also poor.

Wang Daoxuan shook his head repeatedly and pointed toward the city wall. "Corpse poison and yin killing qi have already invaded his body, yet he still lives in such a damp, shadowy place. Fortunately, he encountered us. Otherwise, after his death, Old Liu would inevitably have turned into a zombie."

Li Yan looked up and saw that the towering city wall completely overshadowed Old Liu's home. Apart from high noon, the place probably received no sunlight for most of the day.

Knock, knock, knock!

After they knocked, Old Liu took a long time to shuffle over and open the door. His face was deathly pale and unsightly, while cold sweat covered his forehead. When he saw the two of them, a look of shock appeared in his eyes.

He had assumed Wang Daoxuan had merely spoken casually. He had never expected the Daoist to truly come and treat him, leaving him momentarily at a loss.

"Daoist, please, please come in." He limped aside, his face covered in cold sweat, and gave a bitter smile. "This old man's rheumatic pains have worsened again, so I was slow to answer the door. Please forgive me, Daoist."

Wang Daoxuan's eyes were filled with sympathy. He shook his head and said, "It is no trouble. Don't busy yourself for now. Once this poor Daoist performs a ritual to expel the yin killing qi from your body, you should feel somewhat better."

With that, he immediately began setting up the ritual altar. There was a wooden table in the small courtyard. Though old and broken, it was sufficient for arranging an altar. With Li Yan's help, everything was soon ready.

Old Liu had spent his life around corpses. Although he had initially been somewhat frightened, he quickly calmed down and stood respectfully to one side, waiting.

At that moment, the midday sunlight happened to shine down. The previously dark and damp courtyard was instantly filled with life.

Wang Daoxuan looked up at the sky and shook his head. "It was the sunlight at noon each day that saved you. Had we arrived any later, even this poor Daoist would have been powerless."

He then had Old Liu spread a straw mat on the ground and lie down with his head facing north and his feet facing south. He lit incense and candles, stepped in the formation of the Big Dipper, and sprayed consecrated water from his mouth.

After skillfully activating the altar, Wang Daoxuan took several Evil-Repelling and Blessing-Invoking Coins from his robes and placed them one by one on Old Liu's forehead, limbs, chest, and abdomen.

When he was done, he placed the Coin Sword on the ritual table, picked up the Eight Trigrams Mirror beside it, formed the Sun Lord Hand Seal, and chanted, "Profound qi reveals the might of Heavenly Lord Chen; bind all calamity, Amritakundali. I respectfully invite the Solar Sovereign Yuyi of the Sun Palace to descend and spread divine radiance. By decree!"

The moment his voice fell, Li Yan smelled scorching yang astral qi gathering. Perhaps it was only his imagination, but the small courtyard seemed to grow even brighter.

Wang Daoxuan was already adjusting the Eight Trigrams Mirror, reflecting sunlight across the Coin Sword from its hilt all the way to its tip.

He had invoked a disaster-averting art of the western mystic lineage!

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Li Yan's mouth. According to Wang Daoxuan, his lineage specialized in averting calamities and praying for blessings on behalf of others. It possessed very few arts intended for combat. Even its offensive techniques were mostly used against demonic creatures, yin ghosts, and similar entities.

Previously, Wang Daoxuan's cultivation had been insufficient, and his ritual items lacked in spiritual efficacy, making some arts impossible for him to perform.

Now, however, he could no longer be compared to his former self. After consecrating the Coin Sword with the Sun Lord Hand Seal, Wang Daoxuan immediately took it in hand, stepped in the formation of the Big Dipper, circled the altar, and touched each of the copper coins on Old Liu's body with the sword.

In an instant, foul-smelling corpse poison and yin killing qi began seeping from the square holes in the Evil-Repelling and Blessing-Invoking Coins. The stench immediately filled the courtyard.

Li Yan hurriedly covered his nose and mouth. As for Old Liu, he felt the coins on his body become unbearably hot. The pain made him bare his teeth, but he did not dare move. Before long, however, a warm sensation began flowing throughout his body. The pain that had tormented him for so long rapidly subsided.

Once the ritual ended, Old Liu immediately felt much more comfortable. He sprang to his feet and dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "Many thanks for the Immortal Master's mercy."

"Oh, what are you doing?" Wang Daoxuan hurriedly helped him up and smiled. "By expelling the evil qi and averting your calamity, I also managed to strengthen my skills. Neither of us owes the other anything."

Old Liu naturally understood those to be merely comforting words and continued thanking him profusely.

Thus Wang Daoxuan immediately changed the subject and said with a smile, "Performing this ritual for you cannot eliminate the root of the problem. It would be best if you stopped working in this profession. You should also find a way to move elsewhere as soon as possible."

Old Liu's face turned bitter. "This old man followed his master and worked as a coroner from childhood. Everyone avoids this profession, and I can barely earn enough to survive. I have neither wife nor children. If I stop doing this work, I fear I won't even be able to afford to feed myself."

Wang Daoxuan pondered for a moment before speaking again. "In that case, I will help arrange a few things for you, alter the fengshui of your residence, and teach you some medicinal wine formulas and protective methods. In the future, if you encounter any strange corpses, you must be exceedingly careful."

The old coroner thanked him repeatedly once more. "Many thanks, Daoist!"

Li Yan directly took out an ingot of silver from his robes. "Buying medicinal wine and the items needed to alter the fengshui will probably not be cheap. Please accept this, old sir."

The old coroner hurriedly refused." This... How can I possibly accept it?"

Li Yan directly stuffed the silver into his robes. "We are all fellow members of the jianghu. Lending a hand is nothing worth mentioning. Besides, there are a few matters I would like to ask a senior such as yourself about."

The old coroner paused, then hurriedly nodded. "Please ask."

Li Yan took out the golden phoenix ornament from his robes and said solemnly, "You can also be considered a member of the mystic path. Have you ever seen this object before?"