Chapter 530 - 526: Comprehension

Chapter 530: Chapter 526: Comprehension

"De...monic... art..."

The man’s lips trembled several times as he tried to speak, but all that came out was a few faint, hissing sounds, like air leaking from a tire.

Two visible torrents of Essence Qi flowed along the masked elder’s arms and into his body.

The Essence Qi was a deep, bloody red, so dense it was almost tangible, and it shimmered with a warm yet eerie luster.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the masked elder slowly withdrew his hands.

The two desiccated corpses, no longer supported, slumped limply to the ground, as light as two bundles of dry firewood.

Their faces were unrecognizable, nothing but sallow, parchment-like skin stretched taut against their skulls.

Their hollow eye sockets stared blankly at the sky, mouths agape, as if they were still screaming silently even in death.

’I just need a few more First Grade Martial Artists...’

The masked elder retracted his hands, clasping them behind his back.

Beneath the Bronze Mask, his once-calm eyes now glinted with a sharp light, and his entire being emanated an indescribable aura, as deep as an abyss.

He could clearly feel that the threshold to the Grandmaster realm, which had blocked him for many years, had loosened a little more.

He only needed to devour a few more First Grade Martial Artists, or perhaps several dozen Upper Three Grades Martial Artists, and that threshold would be completely shattered.

When that time came, he would be a Grandmaster.

TSSST—

The masked elder produced a celadon bottle from his sleeve, uncorked it, and poured the liquid inside over the two dried corpses.

The liquid was a dark green. It boiled upon contact with the bodies, making a sizzling, corrosive sound.

The two corpses dissolved and collapsed at a visible rate, melting into two pools of dark yellow pus that seeped into the cracks between the gravel, leaving behind only a few scraps of torn cloth and a dulled Ghost Head Saber.

A figure emerged from the shadows at the edge of the valley. It was a woman, also wearing a Bronze Mask that revealed only her eyes.

She walked up to the elder and bowed respectfully. The voice that came from beneath her mask was low and hoarse.

"Great Elder, the man planted in Qingxi City to create fake secret manuals is dead."

The masked elder stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze still fixed on the two pools of pus slowly seeping into the ground. He asked,

"When did it happen?"

"A day ago,"

the woman said.

The masked elder fell silent for a moment. No emotion could be seen on his Bronze Mask, but a ripple seemed to flash through his calm eyes.

"Before he died, did he reveal any of our organization’s intelligence?"

"I don’t believe so,"

the woman said.

"He died by taking poison. It was very quick. I personally inspected his body; there were no signs of torture."

"It seems he realized he was outmatched and chose a decisive death. It doesn’t look like he was interrogated."

The masked elder slowly nodded.

"He didn’t know much, but it would have still been troublesome if he had revealed anything. Since he didn’t, it doesn’t matter."

He paused, then added,

"Take good care of his family. Double their compensation. If his children wish to practice martial arts, they can be accepted into the organization, bypassing the usual requirements."

Evidently, the forger had been willing to die because his family was being held under surveillance.

"Yes," the woman replied.

The masked elder turned around, his eyes landing on the woman’s face as he asked,

"Have you found out who did it?"

"No."

The woman shook her head slightly, her voice laced with a rare solemnity.

"I went to the scene myself. The culprit was extremely careful and left no traces that could be used for Tracking."

"The few authentic secret manuals, including the Grandmaster Level Breath Concealment Secret Technique, *Ghost Shadow*, are all missing."

The masked elder was silent for a moment before speaking slowly.

"If you can’t find anything, then let it go for now. This person doesn’t know who we are. They likely just stumbled upon the scene by chance, took the manuals, and left. They weren’t targeting our current plan."

He raised his right hand, looking down at his palm, which was as thin and withered as a dead branch.

"After I break through to the Grandmaster realm, it won’t be too late to find them and settle the score."

The woman bowed slightly.

"The Great Elder is wise."

The masked elder stood with his hands clasped behind him, his gaze fixed on the distant mountains as he spoke.

"The matter of the Grandmaster’s Tomb has already thrown Songquan County into utter chaos. Countless factions are fighting over treasures, and people are dying every day. But it’s not chaotic enough."

He turned to face the woman.

"Tell our people to fan the flames. Continue distributing the fake secret manuals we copied earlier."

"Yes."

The woman replied, then turned and vanished into the night like a wisp of smoke.

The masked elder gave one last look at the stains where the pus had completely seeped into the ground, then flickered and disappeared from the valley as well.

A gentle breeze swept through, rustling a few dead leaves that spiraled down among the rubble, as if no one had ever been there.

...

「Two days later, Liangshui City.」

The courtyard gate of Tingyu Pavilion in the Fang Mansion was pushed open gently. Fang Han stepped inside, his green robes lightly dusted, the Cloud Splitting Sword hanging at his waist.

When a Maid from Tingyu Pavilion saw Fang Han, she hurried forward and bowed in greeting.

"Welcome back, Young Master Han."

Fang Han nodded and walked straight toward the main house.

His mother, Lin Wan, was trimming a pot of orchids under the covered walkway. She looked up at the sound of footsteps, stunned for a moment before a delighted smile blossomed on her face.

"Han’er, why are you back again so soon?"

"I had to come back for something."

Fang Han walked over and sat down beside his mother.

His father, Fang Zheng, who had been balancing accounts in the study, also came out upon hearing the noise. A smile appeared on his stern face as he sat down beside him.

His little sister was in the study, being taught by the female tutor from before.

Fang Han exchanged a few words with his parents before taking two Cold Jade Boxes from his robes and placing them gently on the table.

"Father, Mother, I found some things on my trip that will be useful to you."

Curious, Lin Wan opened one of the Jade Boxes. A warm, unusual fragrance immediately filled the air.

Inside the box lay a peculiar flower. Its blue petals were in full bloom, and a swirl of pale golden mist spun slowly within its stamen.

Just by smelling the fragrance, she felt her spirits lift, and her body seemed to become a little lighter.

Fang Zheng also opened the other Jade Box, which contained an identical flower.

"This is...?"

He looked up at Fang Han.

"This is called a Spirit-Nurturing Flower,"

Fang Han explained.

"It is one of the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures that can help a person step into the Inner Qi Realm. Father and Mother, you are both getting older, so it would be very difficult for you to generate Inner Qi through normal cultivation."

"But this Spirit-Nurturing Flower can use its Medicinal Power to directly stimulate the first wisp of Inner Qi in the body, bypassing the shackles of age."

Fang Zheng and Lin Wan exchanged a look, and both saw the delight in each other’s eyes.

Ever since Fang Han had begun to distinguish himself in the Sect, they had considered the idea of Cultivation.

It wasn’t that they wanted to become incredibly powerful; they just wanted to live a few more years to watch their son climb higher and go farther.

But they had tried several times, only to fail. They were too old, their vitality and blood had waned, and they were simply unable to cultivate, so they had given up.

"This... this can really help us reach the Inner Qi Realm?"

Fang Zheng asked, his voice filled with pleasant surprise.

Fang Han nodded.

"Father, Mother, please take them now. I will stand guard for you."

Fang Zheng and Lin Wan didn’t hesitate.

They each took a Spirit-Nurturing Flower from their Jade Box and placed it in their mouth.

The petals melted instantly, transforming into a warm, cool liquid that slid down their throats and into their stomachs.

The change came swiftly. In just a moment, both Fang Zheng’s and Lin Wan’s bodies trembled as two faint but very real auras slowly rose from within them.

The auras were extremely faint, almost imperceptible, yet they signaled a fundamental transformation of their beings—the unique fluctuation of the Inner Qi Realm.

"We’re Inner Qi Realm Martial Artists just like that?"

Fang Zheng was the first to open his eyes. He looked down at his hands, feeling an unprecedented warmth in his Qihai Acupoint.

His lips moved several times, his face filled with amazement.

Lin Wan opened her eyes as well, her experience identical to her husband’s.

Her complexion, which had grown somewhat sallow with age, now glowed with a long-lost rosy tint.

Even the fine lines at the corners of her eyes seemed to have faded a little.

A genuine smile appeared on Fang Han’s face as he watched his parents’ transformation.

"Father, Mother, you are now Inner Qi Realm Martial Artists. You can begin to cultivate. Remember to set aside some time for your Cultivation every day."

Fang Zheng and Lin Wan looked at each other, both seeing an indescribable joy in the other’s eyes.

This joy came not from gaining great power, but from having more time to watch their son go even farther.

After letting his parents familiarize themselves with their new Ninth Grade Inner Qi Realm Cultivation, Fang Han returned to his room, closed the door, and took out the *Ghost Shadow* manual from his Storage Ring.

He opened it to the first page, his gaze falling on the neat, small script written on the title page: *Grandmaster Level Breath Concealment Secret Technique. When cultivated to Perfection, one can hide their aura until it is formless, making them difficult to detect even for a Great Grandmaster Powerhouse.*

’If I can master it to Perfection, even a Great Grandmaster will have trouble detecting me. It truly lives up to its name as a Grandmaster Level Breath Concealment Secret Technique!’

A slight smile touched Fang Han’s lips before he composed himself and began reading from the beginning.

The ancient and profound incantations flowed through his mind, and the complex pathways for Inner Qi circulation on the meridian diagrams unfolded one by one.

He read slowly, mulling over every incantation and carefully examining every diagram, cross-referencing the general principles, the main text, and the illustrations.

Sunlight filtered through the window lattice behind him, casting a faint golden glow on the pages. Unconsciously, the light shifted to the corner of the desk, then crept up the wall, gradually turning from golden yellow to orange-red.

By the time the setting sun had bathed the entire room in a warm golden hue, Fang Han had turned the final page.

He closed his eyes and mentally reviewed the entire *Ghost Shadow* manual from beginning to end.

The incantations, diagrams, and key points of Inner Qi circulation all appeared clearly in his mind, without the slightest bit of vagueness or obscurity.

His reborn Secret Technique Talent from consuming the Secret Technique Fruit, combined with a staggering one hundred and twenty-eight-fold Secret Technique Talent Amplification, made comprehending this Grandmaster Level Secret Technique as easy as a well-read scholar reading a simple article.

’It has much in common with the *Returning Ruins Hidden Essence Skill*.’

Fang Han opened his eyes, a flicker of satisfaction in their depths.

The *Returning Ruins Hidden Essence Skill* was a Top Grade Breath Concealment Secret Technique, while *Ghost Shadow* was a Grandmaster Level one. Although their Grades were worlds apart, the fundamental principles of the Breath Concealment Technique were the same.

Having already cultivated the *Returning Ruins Hidden Essence Skill* to Perfection, studying *Ghost Shadow* was like a martial master who had already mastered basic Fist and Foot Techniques moving on to learn a more advanced Fist Technique—the difficulty was drastically reduced.