The night, once beautiful, now felt cold and alien to Ji Tianwei. He, with his physical and mental wounds, was enveloped by darkness and a deep, burning hatred.
In that forbidden valley, Ji Tianwei read, studied, and struggled to unlock the secrets of the book Su Changqing had left behind.
The book, ignored even by demonic cultivators, contained records of disgusting, brutal, and inhumane experiments carried out by various generations. That was why Su Changqing had abandoned it.
The contents of this book don't explain how to absorb unnatural qi, he thought, his voice weak and hoarse as he turned the page. But why is the title "A Method to Absorb Unnatural Qi"? This is very confusing.
As he neared the end of the book, he found a page that caught his eye. It described a forbidden ritual: to sacrifice one's soul and spirit, merging them into one and binding them to the physical body.
After performing this ritual, a person could no longer be called a natural cultivator or a demonic cultivator who absorbed qi from nature or other beings.
Su Changqing had intentionally left the book behind because he couldn't perform the intricate ritual, which came with a fatal consequence if it failed: death.
As Ji Tianwei read, his eyes glowed like a deep abyss of fire.
The book contained a detailed explanation of a forbidden ritual, and a mantra to perform it.
* First step: He must destroy his own dantian so that the merging of the spirit and soul would not be disturbed.
* Second step: He must sacrifice his cultivation realm, which was taken from natural qi or qi from other beings.
* Third step: He must recite this mantra:
"SPIRIT OF LIFE, PERSONAL SOUL, PHYSICAL VESSEL... NIRVANA MARCHES. LET DARKNESS DEVOUR SPIRIT AND SOUL. NOW, BECOME ONE LINGHUN QI."
"This is it," he laughed weakly, a savage smile on his face. "I also meet the requirements. It's time to test it."
Ji Tianwei tried to stand, his legs still trembling. The pain from his newly regenerated muscles felt as if they were being twisted, but he endured it.
He began to walk toward the spot where Su Changqing had meditated while absorbing his blood essence. After sitting cross-legged, he opened his eyes and smiled widely, revealing teeth that were chipped and missing from being pried out by Su Changqing.
He began to recite the mantra from the forbidden book. He had only uttered one phrase, "Spirit of Life," when he was instantly plunged into his subconscious. Countless memories swirled around him.
Ji Tianwei bit his lip until it bled, holding back tears. He didn't want to see those fragments of warmth devoured by nirvana, yet the resolve in his heart was far greater.
He screamed the words: "Spirit of Life, I am ready to be sacrificed! Nirvana, devour all my memories!" As soon as the words left his lips, a strange, indescribable darkness appeared, gnawing at his memories until nothing was left. He then woke from his subconscious.
Uarggh! Cough! Spatter!
After speaking the first phrase, he vomited a large amount of blood, and his vision began to blur. He clutched his weakening heart, a heavy breath escaping him.
"This is more painful than the torture, and it's only the first phrase. Damn it, I won't fall," he said, and even as blood flowed from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth, he did not give up. He focused on reciting the second phrase.
"Nirvana, devour my personal soul! I'm ready!" As he said this, his personal soul began to fade until all emotion vanished from his spirit.
He continued with the final mantra: "Nirvana, merge my Spirit and Soul into Linghun Qi!" After saying "Linghun Qi," the darkness in his eyes slowly enveloped him, and he fainted.
Above the Valley of Death, fierce winds swirled, trees creaked, lightning struck everywhere, and a small earthquake shook the valley, signaling the awakening of a terrifying being.
...
In another place, Su Changqing, who was fighting against one of the sect leaders, Zhao Xiu, felt the chilling aura from the east, where the Valley of Death was located.
Zhao Xiu also felt the aura. "What... what's happening in the east?" he muttered, shocked and frozen, his sword still at the ready against Su Changqing.
What's happening in my place? Did someone manage to perform that ritual? Su Changqing thought quickly, remembering the dying Ji Tianwei he had left behind. No... could that damn brat have done it? Impossible. I couldn't even do it, how could that little child? His eyes narrowed, but he quickly hid his concern. He had to provoke Zhao Xiu to catch him off guard.
"Zhao Xiu, why are you just standing there, sweating? What are you afraid of? What shocked you, hahaha?" Su Changqing lunged, slashing at the motionless Zhao Xiu.
"Hmph, you think I'd let my guard down because of your words?" Zhao Xiu parried the slash and managed to cut Su Changqing's hand.
The cut hit him, but he remained unfazed because the attack had no effect. "Since when did you have an Immortal Body?" Zhao Xiu asked, stepping back.
"Why are you asking 'since when'? Don't stall for time! Soul-Eater Ghost Technique!" Su Changqing shouted, attacking Zhao Xiu.
Zhao Xiu, seeing the attack, smiled and dodged it. He leaped onto his flying sword and retreated from the fight. "Just you wait, demon," he said.
Su Changqing shouted in frustration, "Coward! Damn it, if he runs, this will be very troublesome. What's happening in the Valley of Death? I have to go back as fast as I can!" He immediately mounted his flying sword and sped off.
...
Ji Tianwei, who had been unconscious, saw nothing, but a voice echoed in his subconscious. "Congratulations. This is only the second time a being has reached this place." The voice faded, and Ji Tianwei woke up.
His body felt a surging energy. A reddish black light enveloped him. He laughed, then walked toward the corpses in the iron cage.
"Hahaha, I, Ji Tianwei, have successfully regained my power! With this, I will have my revenge on you, Su Changqing!" Darkness flowed from his hands, enveloping the corpses.
The darkness sucked and gnawed at the corpses until nothing remained.
He was now at the first stage of Linghun Qi. He smiled. All the wounds on his body had vanished, his energy had returned, and his body felt refreshed after devouring the corpses.
This power is insane. I can devour anything to raise the stage of my new cultivation. My Immortal Body is also gone... and I feel incredibly hungry, he thought.
He walked out of the cave, wearing nothing but his tattered pants. Outside, he looked at the sky, a crazed smile on his face, waiting for Su Changqing's arrival.
After a long wait, Su Changqing arrived on his flying sword. "Little brat! It seems you performed the ritual," he shouted, looking down with a sinister gaze. "Do you think I can't just absorb your blood essence again and gain the power you have?"
Ji Tianwei, looking up from below, crossed his arms, smiled, and narrowed his eyes. "Take it? HAHAHA! Are you stupid?! Get down here and fight me if you want to see what I have now."
Su Changqing didn't know the true power of Linghun Qi because he had never performed or obtained it. The power couldn't be taken or absorbed from blood essence because its power came from nirvana itself.
Hearing the challenge from his flying sword, Su Changqing laughed, covering his face with his right hand. "Hahaha, a five-year-old brat challenging me? How ridiculous, how arrogant!"
He landed, looking at Ji Tianwei like his prey. However, Ji Tianwei, with his arms still crossed, walked closer and glared at Su Changqing like he was trash.
Su Changqing lunged with his sword, shouting, "Soul-Eater Slash Technique!" toward the arrogantly strolling Ji Tianwei.
Ji Tianwei deliberately took the blow to get Su Changqing close. That way, he could grab him and use the devouring power of his Linghun Qi.
Swass!
The slash hit Ji Tianwei's stomach, spilling some of his internal organs. Crruat! Splat! Yet, he smiled, grabbing Su Changqing's hand with his right hand, and said, "Life Devouring Technique!" Darkness appeared, enveloping Su Changqing's hand.
Su Changqing, who had initially felt a sense of victory after slashing him, was now trapped. Why does he look so normal? Why did his soul not react to my technique? He tried to break Ji Tianwei's grip and step back. He felt his hand withering, his sword fell, and he was shocked.
What power did he awaken? Why didn't the book mention a technique, only a ritual and a mantra? Is this the true power of that awakening? Thoughts raced through his mind.
"Haha, why are you running? Are you afraid of a little child, Su Changqing?" Ji Tianwei taunted him, even as the gashes on his body and the spilled organs slowly returned to their places.
Su Changqing was shocked by the sight. He thought Ji Tianwei's Immortal Body was still intact.
He shouted, "Don't get cocky, brat! I'm at the sixth stage of the Nascent Soul realm! Why would I be afraid of a snot-nosed kid?!" After saying that, his vision began to blur, and his body collapsed. He could only see Ji Tianwei walking closer with a smile.
Before he passed out, Su Changqing thought, Damn it, is this the effect of that brat's technique?
Ji Tianwei, walking closer, said, "It's time to play, Su Changqing... hahaha." He grabbed Su Changqing by the hair, dragging him into the cave with a crazy smile and eyes, hinting at the same horrifying fate that would befall Su Changqing.