### **Chapter 73: Meager Gains**
Dealing with spectral entities like malevolent spirits and vengeful ghosts was never easy. If his [Soul-Devouring Evil Armor Art] placed in the slot was perfected, he might have been able to put up a fight.
Unfortunately, it was still far from complete.
He hadn't learned any specifically targeted countermeasures, and this was a ghost transformed from a third-level Foundation Establishment soul. While its realm had fallen by a step, it still remained within the Foundation Establishment range.
In an instant, Wang Yu finished his analysis.
"Can't charge in recklessly. If I can lure it back to Profound Bone Mountain, Si Tu Hong might have a way to deal with it."
Although malevolent spirits were powerful, they had their weaknesses. The inheritance of the Five Yin Peak was particularly effective against such entities.
And so, Wang Yu turned and ran.
The vengeful ghost that was Steward Xu floated in pursuit, its body rolling with black smoke. Its speed was significantly slower under the direct sunlight.
Ghosts lacked intelligence, acting only on instinct.
The sunlight cast by the great sun was one of the most Yang-positive forces between heaven and earth, extremely effective at suppressing such Yin souls and evil entities.
First-grade specters found it difficult to even emerge during the day.
During the luring process, Wang Yu's eyes transformed into [Lunar Nether Pupils], with two crescent moon marks appearing in his pupils as he entered the "Moon Viewing" state.
Suddenly turning back, he realized the vengeful ghost didn't just have one source of "Yin" aura, but two.
The second one was undoubtedly Liu Jinxian's. However, that "Yin" aura had a peculiar, mosquito-like form and was currently rampaging wildly inside the ghost's body.
It was being digested at a visible rate, on the verge of being extinguished.
"Shit!"
Liu Jinxian couldn't die. Out of the five hundred-plus people on this Profound Bone Mountain mission, only the four of them remained. If she died, her father, the Jade Serpent True Person, would definitely investigate and assign blame.
He, Si Tu Hong, and Gu Zhengshun would all be in serious trouble!
If she lived, she would also draw the attention of most Reverse Spirit Blood Sect disciples, given her powerful background.
While pondering, Wang Yu used a fingernail to make a cut on his wrist. With a light squeeze, some viscous blood, tinged reddish-black and looking somewhat stale, seeped out.
This was a product of the [Corpse Demon Secret Art] transformation.
———Heavenly Yin Blood!
It allowed Wang Yu's fleshly body to possess spectral traits. Correspondingly, the 「Corpse Demon Bone」 allowed his body to possess zombie traits.
This secret art was exceptionally high-level. If he had any method on his person to deal with a Foundation Establishment vengeful ghost, it was this blood, and the "Yin Blood Pill" constantly gestating within his body!
Temporarily suppressing the death energy shouldn't be a major problem.
After all, he could only condense one Yin Blood Pill within his body, which had always been used to suppress the death energy. Fortunately, the placement slot helped him continuously condense it; otherwise, the consequences would be hard to say.
He slowed his pace slightly.
The moment both parties rushed into the woods, Wang Yu suddenly turned back, flicking a drop of blood from his fingertip. The dense Yin spirit energy on it immediately attracted the vengeful ghost.
Wang Yu's toes touched a tree trunk, using the force to perform a backflip, actually charging back towards the ghost. His right hand lightly patted his chest, and a "Yin Blood Pill," passing through skin and flesh, transformed into a stream of energy that surged into his head.
His eyes turned bloody, and the two canine teeth on his upper jaw rapidly elongated.
The traits of the Corpse Demon Bone were pushed to their extreme. Besides possessing a powerful physical body, zombies also had the ability to devour resentful energy and could feed on Yin souls.
Stimulated by the secret art, fragments of insight into the [Soul-Devouring Evil Armor Art] surfaced in Wang Yu's mind. He bit down on the ghost's form and sucked violently.
It felt like sucking a mouthful of jelly.
It was also like a range hood, drawing the black mist emitted by the ghost and part of its soul body into his own body.
The seed of the Evil Armor Art, located three inches below his navel, began to sprout.
The Black Baleful Armor Patterns spread over his body at an extreme speed. In the blink of an eye, a set of black, ferocious-looking armor appeared on Wang Yu's body. This was the power of a Strange Art!
Once comprehended, it could be mastered rapidly, with great power. One only needed to bear the future side effects to quickly gain combat strength.
One mouthful wasn't enough. After being covered by the Black Baleful Armor, Wang Yu could physically touch the ghost. As the ghost swallowed the Heavenly Yin Blood, he took another fierce suck.
This time, the vengeful ghost formed from Steward Xu's soul became somewhat faint and flickering, its realm falling from the initial Foundation Establishment level to the Qi Refining stage.
Wang Yu delivered a straight kick, sending it flying out of the woods to face the full暴晒 of the great sun. Without the protection of the black mist and with its realm dropped, its soul body evaporated at a visible rate.
In less than three breaths, Liu Jinxian fell out from within it.
Apart from her pale complexion, her vitality and aura were relatively stable. It was just the Blood Mosquito Gu standing on her forehead that looked sickly, as if it were hovering between life and death.
After waiting a few more breaths, the vengeful ghost was completely worn away by the sunlight.
Wang Yu breathed an inward sigh of relief. He hadn't expected this thing to be so easy to deal with. In truth, all his powers were quite effective against ghosts; he just hadn't considered it before.
After all, no one typically used their fists to beat up specters and vengeful ghosts...
"Made a bit of a fuss over nothing."
He glanced at Liu Jinxian, who was lying stiffly on the ground, but didn't bother with her. Instead, he quickly returned to the initial battlefield, found Steward Xu's corpse again, and pocketed the storage pouch.
He then placed the corpse into a specially marked storage pouch before finally relaxing.
Having gained something meant he didn't lose out.
Moreover.
**[Placement Slot 4: Soul-Devouring Evil Armor Art]**
`Soul-Devouring Evil Armor Art (61/100): Thirty-six cycles per day. Estimated completion in two years.`
Just two sucks from a Foundation Establishment vengeful ghost had actually saved him three years of time. It would reach perfection in just two years,刚好 coinciding with the end of his Profound Bone Mountain mission.
"So this is a Strange Art... truly miraculous."
However, while this round saved time, he would now need to face the risk of Yin soul backlash in the future. It was hard to say whether it was a loss or a gain.
Pulling open his robes,
he discovered a ghostly skull pattern the size of a fingernail had appeared about three inches below his navel. Staring at it, he could feel a deep sense of malice.
"A loss!"
Frowning, Wang Yu headed back, hoisted Liu Jinxian over his shoulder, and began the return journey to Profound Bone Mountain.
Since the threat from Steward Xu was eliminated, there was no need for him to take refuge in Maple Province Prefectural City. It was better to go back. Once he returned to the sect, he could also look into Demonic Path secret arts that enhanced one's aptitude.
He glanced at the high-grade storage pouch tied at Liu Jinxian's waist, feeling somewhat tempted. After careful consideration, he chose not to touch it.
As for Steward Xu's storage pouch, it had given Wang Yu a beautiful dream, but there was nothing valuable inside. Several second-grade low-grade magical instruments were either destroyed or damaged, severely depreciated.
There were only five spirit stones, which was truly shocking.
The space inside this high-grade storage pouch was about the size of a basketball court, and many of the bottles and jars inside were empty.
The only thing that comforted him was the collection of pill formulas.
They almost covered all the first-grade varieties available for exchange within the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect, and there were also three second-grade formulas. An alchemist didn't necessarily need to master all formulas,
but reading more could lead to drawing inferences and even creating original formulas.
Coincidentally, he also found inside a mysterious silk manuscript inscribed with blood runes, identical to the one Xu Jiaojiao had. After a cursory look,
he utilized the feedback from the placement slot to acquire the information within.
This was also a Demonic Path Strange Art.
Called the [Ghost Transformation Malignant Curse], it was originally a Strange Art used on others to mass-produce Yin souls and evil spirits. Who would have thought he'd use it on himself, gambling on mutual destruction?
It was truly a tragic end.
**(End of Chapter)**