Chapter 49 - 48: Ghostly Roar

Chapter 49: Chapter 48: Ghostly Roar

Xu Guang’s expression revealed shock. Was this underground river connected to the ancient well in the city? Just as he planned to catch a few more River Woes, a cold current, even more freezing than before, suddenly surged from the underground river like a volcanic eruption. In an instant, all the River Woes scattered in a panic.

Sensing something was wrong, Xu Guang exerted all his strength and immediately swam toward the surface. In the murky water, he saw a giant black beast, well over twenty meters long, swimming out of the underground river.

This was Xu Guang’s first time seeing the giant beast’s true appearance. The well opening before had been too small, severely limiting his perspective, leading him to believe it was just a crocodile or something similar. But now, it was clearly a creature with a long, slender, and perfectly rounded body, with several claws underneath. It reminded Xu Guang of a legendary Alien Species.

The Ghostly Roar!

The giant beast left the underground river like a lord patrolling its territory. Its head swayed back and forth as it sniffed at something, and then it suddenly lunged forward. Its speed was so fast that it even caused the Wei River to churn.

"Hurry, pull me up!" Xu Guang shouted at the people on the riverbank the moment his head broke the surface.

Seeing his grim expression, the three didn’t dare to delay and quickly pulled him upward. Xu Guang’s body left the water. He kicked off the cliff wall for leverage while gripping the rope, breathing a slow sigh of relief. The giant beast in the water gave him a feeling similar to the Jade Elephant ridden by Jade Elephant Seat Master Qian Cheng. In fact, because it was in its aquatic element, it felt even more powerful than the Jade Elephant.

The next moment, a surge of coldness erupted beneath his feet. The giant beast leaped out of the water, its terrifying, massive maw snapping at Xu Guang.

SWISH!

At the critical moment, the three men above exerted a sudden burst of strength, yanking Xu Guang’s body up by a large margin. The Alien Species that resembled a Ghostly Roar floated its head above the surface, its cold, slit-like pupils staring dead at Xu Guang.

A moment later, Xu Guang reached the shore. His chest heaved violently. Being stared down by such a terrifying giant beast brought an unimaginable amount of psychological pressure.

"Er... Erlang, what... was that?" Wang Ming’s voice trembled, filled with intense lingering fear. It had been far too dangerous just now.

Xu Guang shook his head. "I’m not sure. But when I was young, Wang Ming, you took me to the Wang Family to read miscellaneous books. I saw a somewhat similar giant beast mentioned in one of them, called a Ghostly Roar."

"Ghostly Roar?" Xu Sanduo asked in confusion.

Wang Ming used to love reading. At least before Xu Guang convinced him to join the Government Office, he had even considered taking the imperial examinations. When Xu Guang mentioned it, he immediately realized what it was. Not giving Xu Guang the chance to show off, he spoke at length. "The Ghostly Roar is an Overlord Level Alien Species in the water. An adult can rival a Refining Viscera Martial Artist, and in the water, it slaughters them as easily as killing dogs. This beast possesses Abnormal Power that can trigger cold tides in the waters it inhabits. Its body carries a cold poison. Once this poison enters a person’s body, their lifespan will drastically decrease, and their Essence Blood will be continuously drained. It practically cripples a person. Even Refining Viscera experts can’t completely resolve the issue of this cold poison."

Hearing this, Xu Sanduo and Zhao Yong couldn’t help but shrink back. Such a creature was already comparable to a Divine Beast from mythology.

Xu Guang’s expression was grim. "Ghostly Roars love water and cold environments. I just didn’t expect one to be hiding right where the River Woes appear."

"We can’t come here anymore. The River Woe’s heart blood is good, but this is far too dangerous," Xu Sanduo sighed.

Zhao Yong nodded in agreement. It had been too perilous just now. Especially with steep cliffs on both sides, there was almost nowhere to climb ashore. If dragged down by the Ghostly Roar in the water, death would be almost certain.

Xu Guang glanced at the two. Saying they wouldn’t come back was a lie. If the River Woe could truly broaden their meridians, they would definitely fight over the chance to return. However, this trip out of the city had been a close call but ultimately safe. They had caught a total of five River Woes, which could be considered achieving Perfection. The group was quite satisfied.

Once the River Woes left the water, they barely moved. The group found some straw mats to cover them, then drove their mule-drawn cart back toward the city. After returning, they each took one River Woe and parted ways.

Wang Ming stayed with Xu Guang. Thanks to Wang Ming’s Token, they entered the Outer City without being searched by the City Guard. But to enter the Inner City, Wang Ming’s token wouldn’t be as effective. Fortunately, both Xu Guang and Wang Ming had courtyards in the Outer City. The two returned to the courtyard in Ping’an Square and began processing the River Woes.

Xu Guang had killed fish, pigs, and people. Naturally, killing a River Woe was no problem for him. The creature was already dead, but when he cut its body open, the blood around its heart remained boiling hot. Even in the freezing weather, it didn’t cool down, much like a volcano that would never freeze.

"Erlang, do we really just drink this stuff directly?"

Xu Guang nodded. "Pretty much. The River Woe relies on the scorching heat of its heart blood to broaden meridians. The hotter the blood, the better."

Hearing this, Wang Ming gritted his teeth, picked up a large bowl, and downed it in one gulp. In comparison, Xu Guang appeared much more composed. He even felt that if he had a wine glass, he could have been far more elegant.

"Wang Ming, let’s sleep here tonight. We’ll head into the Inner City first thing tomorrow morning."

Wang Ming’s consciousness was already hazy. The effects of the River of Sorrow Blood were too intense. Dazed, he was helped into the room by Xu Guang.

Xu Guang’s reaction wasn’t as severe, but he still felt a bit dizzy. Before falling asleep, he opened the Searcher, intending to continue modifying his Secret Manual. For some reason, as if guided by ghosts and gods, he inexplicably chose to translate the Rubbing that Song Yue had shoved to him earlier, before sinking into a heavy slumber.

The next morning, when he woke from his dreams, it was snowing again.

Qing State was located in the northeast of Great Qian, where winters were inherently long and snowfall was frequent. Xu Guang looked at the vast expanse of white, his eyes entirely unflappable. As he practiced the Bone Forging Chapter of the Return Mountain Fist in the courtyard, he confirmed that his meridians had indeed been broadened. His daily Cultivation progress was much faster than before, bringing a hint of joy to his face. The Searcher hadn’t deceived him.

After waking up, Wang Ming left in a hurry without even eating. His benefits at the Government Office were better than Xu Guang’s, but he lacked Xu Guang’s freedom. During their previous meal, they had discussed joining the Mercenaries together, but Xu Guang hadn’t made any decisions for him. He merely told him to go back and discuss it with Xu Chun.

As if a message had flashed through his mind, Xu Guang opened the Searcher panel.

[Current search results are as follows:]

[1. This Rubbing is a secret recipe for refining the Bright God Pill, requiring...]

[Note: The current search displays one result.]

The translation speed was much faster than modifying a Secret Manual. The piece of paper with incomprehensible text obtained from Song Yue had been translated in just one night.

Xu Guang’s eyes showed a hint of surprise. The Bright God Pill?

Although he had heard of Elixir Pills, he only knew that they were incredibly precious. In Great Qian, they were more strictly controlled items than Weapons and armor. At least in Qing State, one of the Great States firmly controlled by Great Qian, he had never heard of them being widely available. Of course, it was also due to his narrow sources of information. He figured that in the black markets run by desperadoes, such Elixir Pills should exist.

In the city, aside from the City Guard’s Mansion, which was qualified to receive an annual quota from the Court and the State Capital, he had no idea if any other families possessed Elixir Pills. His experience was limited; he had only heard of the Bone Forging Pill, the Nourishing Body Pill, and the like. This Bright God Pill was a first for him.

However, the effects of the Bright God Pill completely invigorated him. It was a precious Elixir Pill specifically designed to accelerate the Cultivation of Martial Techniques. Upon consumption, it could temporarily enhance a person’s Comprehension, allowing their proficiency in Martial Techniques to skyrocket in a short amount of time!

It could be called a divine pill for Bone Forging Realm Cultivation. Of course, the production cost was also astronomically high. Just a glance at the required materials made Xu Guang’s blood pressure spike. What was more, its Alchemy method required the Earth Core Flame—meaning a volcano crater—and surprisingly required Filthy Fire Control!

He couldn’t help but want to curse. Damn it, he had gotten excited for nothing.

This Elixir Pill was highly precious. It was impossible for him to show it to anyone else, let alone seek out an Expert in Refining Viscera Martial Arts for cooperation. Helpless, Xu Guang opened the Searcher and continued searching for his third Cultivation Technique. Having lost his hopes for Alchemy, he could only focus on his own Cultivation.

Over the following days, Feiyun City became incredibly quiet, as if free of all troubles. Yet, an eerie atmosphere filled the city. This was especially true when Xu Guang occasionally entered the Outer City; the people he saw always looked somewhat numb, as if they were accustomed to life and death. It was a very bizarre feeling.

Xu Guang didn’t pay it too much mind. Instead, he plunged back into his arduous Cultivation. No matter what, strength was the key. He didn’t lack resources right now, so as long as he could lay low, he would try his best not to go out.

During this period, he visited the Immortal Institute a few times. Master Zhao and Cheng Shan had reached a conclusion regarding Pang Hong’s death. It was highly likely that a three-eyed Abnormal Person had killed him. When he visited, Han Juan was also there, but Zhao Fu had refused to let her in, prompting her to kneel in front of the Immortal Institute’s gates.

Somehow, perhaps because Susu’s words of persuasion had worked on him, Zhao Fu unexpectedly agreed to let Han Juan rejoin the sect and stated he would continue providing her with the Secret Medicine needed for her Cultivation. Standing in the distance, Xu Guang silently shook his head. He didn’t know about Zhao Fu’s past experiences, but he figured that someone who could migrate from another state and establish a foothold in Feiyun City was definitely not an indecisive person. Perhaps it was because he was getting older, or maybe spending so much time with Han Juan had awakened a sense of compassion in him. But in Xu Guang’s view, sparing Han Juan’s life was already a great act of mercy, let alone accepting her back into the sect. He couldn’t understand it, but he wasn’t going to comment on Zhao Fu’s decision.

Before he left, Xu Sanduo and Zhao Yong stopped him and explained their intentions. Surprisingly, they wanted to follow his lead and join the Mercenaries as well. Zhao Yong was in high spirits. According to him, Zhao Fu had paid a price to retrieve his contract of servitude from the Liu Family.

Xu Guang told them to think it over carefully.

Standing to the side and watching this unfold, Susu’s eyes held a touch of surprise. She wondered how it seemed like the kid, Xu Guang, had inexplicably become the leader of the three of them. She wanted to pry into Xu Guang’s secrets, but he didn’t give her the chance, leaving promptly.

Night fell, as heavy as still water.

Outside Feiyun City, there were actually several fortress-like satellite cities. As one of the three major families in Feiyun City, the Han Family naturally occupied one of them, practically using it as their main base to cultivate their forces.

"The Eldest Miss has returned! The Eldest Miss has returned!" someone shouting loudly rushed into the satellite city holding a torch.

A moment later, countless torches, accompanied by the clatter of hooves, entered the satellite city. A graceful woman dressed in white rode a horse, surrounded by a retinue as she entered the city.

From a tree in the distance, Xu Guang quietly watched this scene, his eyes entirely unflappable. Han Qing was indeed not that easy to kill. In just that brief moment, he had spotted three people whose Combat Power he couldn’t see. That meant they were all Experts in Refining Viscera Martial Arts!

He dispelled the thoughts in his mind, turned around, and left. He would let her live a few more days. It wouldn’t be long now...

Xu Guang walked away quickly into the night.

In the blink of an eye, over half a year passed.

Xu Guang stood in the courtyard with a placid expression. Ji Xiaolu, holding a towel, approached to help wipe the sweat from his body. He merely waved his hand slightly, gesturing for her to step back.

Although he stood rooted to the spot without making a single move, Ji Xiaolu felt that Xu Guang’s entire aura had changed. It was as if countless blossoms of blood were erupting from him, as if a primordial giant beast was standing right in front of her.

WHOOSH!

HISS!

Xu Guang exhaled a long breath. The Bone Forging Chapter of his third Cultivation Technique had reached Perfection!