[Name: Chen Xin]
[Talent: A Man among Men]
[Realm: Inner Realm]
[Evaluation: Minor Achievement]
[Martial Arts: Divine Illumination Skill, Breathing and Nourishing Qi Technique, Meteor Meteor Body Technique, Hundred Victory Saber Technique]
"A character panel?!" Chen Xin was slightly surprised. As a veteran player, he was all too familiar with this. This concise interface was precisely the defining feature of the game.
The Poetry and Wine World did not have traditional level divisions. Instead, it calculated an overall evaluation based on numerous factors: the player’s Inner Power level, Inner Strength cultivation, the number and Grade of Martial Arts mastered, the degree of Martial Arts proficiency, wielded Divine Soldiers, and more. This overall evaluation summarized a player’s comprehensive strength.
The Inner Realm encompassed six overall evaluations: Vulnerable, Novice, Beginner, Capable, Minor Achievement, and Integration. The original owner’s strength must have also been at Minor Achievement. No wonder he had won consecutively in the Government Office’s martial arts tournament.
After studying it for a while, Chen Xin murmured softly and dismissed the character panel. Just like in the game, it was a purely informational board to check one’s status; there was no such thing as allocating stat points. He couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. It seemed he could only rely on his own top-tier Enlightenment and Talent to practice martial arts. However, since he could view his own panel, he could also view those of others. Knowing an opponent’s martial arts and comprehensive strength evaluation in advance meant he no longer had to fear an unexpected upset.
Pushing aside his distracting thoughts, Chen Xin began to practice the Hundred Victory Saber Technique and the Meteor Meteor Body Technique in the cramped Mountain God Temple. In his predecessor’s memories, he considered himself quite proficient in these two Cultivation Skills. But once the top-tier Enlightenment-possessing Chen Xin tried his hand at them, he realized how naive the original owner had been.
Proficient? He was barely scratching the surface!
Constrained by his mediocre Enlightenment, the original owner only thought he had thoroughly understood the two Martial Arts. He had treated the few difficult intricacies as insignificant little clouds, unaware that it was precisely these "little clouds" that hindered him from reaching the next level.
Chen Xin swung his Long Blade. Countless profound insights and understandings of the Hundred Victory Saber Technique blossomed out of thin air in his mind, and all previous bottlenecks unraveled with ease. Through the variations of the Eight Sword Techniques, he performed a full routine of the Hundred Victory Saber Technique. The very moment Chen Xin finished, he had already reached the Perfection Realm!
Next was the Meteor Meteor Body Technique. With wind gathering beneath his feet, his Inner Strength sequentially stimulated the numerous major acupoints in his legs. Like a streaking meteor, he darted rapidly through the cramped space of the Mountain God Temple, treading across the corners and high beams without making a single sound. Beside the idol, where Chen Xin had leaned when he was severely injured, he silently vanished and reappeared. He had already completed one cycle of the Meteor Meteor Body Technique.
"As expected of an Upper Seventh Grade Lightweight Skill. It’s significantly more profound than a Middle Eighth Grade Saber Skill," he noted. "If one cycle isn’t enough to reach Perfection, then it’ll take at least... two!"
The rain came and went abruptly.
The sky cleared.
Not far outside the Mountain God Temple.
A gaunt silhouette halted by a puddle. His sudden stop sent ripples echoing across the rainwater as a pair of crimson eyes stared dead ahead at the dilapidated shrine. Evidently, this was Chen Xin’s target: the wicked villain of the Blood Hound Sect, Guu Ao.
Bloodshot eyes during Qi Circulation were the greatest hallmark of Guu Ao cultivating the Blood Hound Sect’s Evil Skill, the Blood Food Technique. This skill was incredibly eerie and unorthodox. Whenever one encountered a bottleneck, they only needed to drink blood to easily break through and massively boost their power. However, it also filled the cultivator’s heart with murderous intent, stripping away all love, compassion, and righteousness. Ultimately, they would lose their humanity and descend into becoming a Demon! Even within the Blood Hound Sect, it was a Demon Skill that very few practiced. Moreover, every practitioner would eventually succumb to their insatiable bloodlust, wreaking havoc and exposing themselves, only to be slain by the Orthodox World or the Government Office before their power reached Great Success.
Chen Xin had taken the assignment to kill Guu Ao from the Government Office. After spending over half a month, he finally caught up with his target in Quyang. Unfortunately, he had fallen one step short and was counter-killed by Guu Ao instead.
"Is he inside?" Guu Ao muttered, pinching a brown cloth pouch. Inside was the Mother Gu of the Mother and Child Soul Chasing Gu. Through the Gu Control Spell, he could manipulate this Mother Gu that had fed on his blood and use it to track the location of the Child Gu.
HISS!
The Mother Gu’s intelligence was extremely low; it could only respond on instinct. He was right ahead! Although the Mother and Child Soul Chasing Gu couldn’t pinpoint an exact location and could only vaguely indicate a small area, this was more than enough for Guu Ao to discover where that damned Divine Robe Guard was hiding. He marveled at the fact that the guard had managed to run so far despite being hit by the Corrosive Poison Sand and sustaining so many gashes from his Yin Evil Twenty-Seven Claws.
Unless this Divine Robe Guard possessed a Healing Holy Medicine like the Shaolin Great Rejuvenation Pill, he would be knocking on death’s door even if he were still breathing!
"Slurp..." The mere thought of the man’s rich blood made Guu Ao lick his lips greedily, the desire in his heart burning ever brighter. He thought, "As long as I suck this Divine Robe Guard dry, my Blood Food Technique will reach the next level, turning the ethereal into reality and reversing the acquired into the innate, allowing me to step into the Outer Realm!"
After killing Chen Xin, he could pass through the Puyin Pass, cross the Taihang Mountain Range, and reach the Great Desert beyond the borders. With the strength of the Outer Realm, the world would be his oyster! Because of this dual temptation of drinking blood and breaking through to the next Realm, Guu Ao acted completely out of character. Instead of his usual habit of fleeing thousands of miles at the first sign of exposure, he went as far as planting the Mother and Child Soul Chasing Gu to hunt down that Divine Robe Guard.
At this thought, Guu Ao could no longer hold back. Transforming into a ghostly silhouette, he silently approached the Mountain God Temple. The Ghost Shadow Step Technique made its user appear ethereal and illusory, blurring the line between real and fake. It excelled in silently approaching enemies and close-quarters combat, but fell short in long-distance pursuits.
Nearing the ruined temple, Guu Ao channeled his Inner Strength and struck out with his palm! Bolstered by majestic Inner Strength, the erratic strike instantly blew a massive hole into the side wall of the Mountain God Temple.
CRASH!
The collapsing stone bricks kicked up a cloud of dust that obscured the entire interior of the temple. Without even looking to see what was happening inside, Guu Ao tossed a handful of Corrosive Poison Sand into the breach. Made from the powdered remains of Bone-Eroding Insects, this sand was exceedingly foul and impure. Though its toxicity was relatively weak, it could obstruct Qi Circulation within the meridians. Just a single grain touching the skin would disrupt one’s Circulation, rendering them unable to unleash even eighty percent of their martial arts prowess.
"Ugh!"
A muffled groan echoed from within. It seemed the Divine Robe Guard inside had been hit by the Corrosive Poison Sand! Guu Ao’s expression remained unchanged, showing no sign of triumph over a successful sneak attack. Instead, he rapidly retreated, distancing himself dozens of meters away. This would both guard against any dying counterattacks from the Divine Robe Guard and prevent falling into a trap if the man was faking it to lure him inside.
WHOOSH!
A stone brick shot out of the temple, covering the distance of dozens of meters in the blink of an eye, flying straight for Guu Ao’s face and obscuring his vision.
"Heh!" Guu Ao sneered coldly. Curving his left hand into a claw, he reached forward. His fingers, tough as cast iron and copper, clamped down hard on the brick. With a sudden burst of force, he crushed it into powder.
As the brick blocking his view vanished, Guu Ao’s eyes instantly widened like saucers. A man and a blade were rapidly enlarging in his vision. A figure had followed closely right behind the flying brick—it was none other than the Divine Robe Guard from the Mountain God Temple!
Guu Ao cried out internally, "Why is his Body Skill even faster than last time?!"
Chen Xin held the Long Blade in his right hand, locking his aura onto Guu Ao’s left arm, which had just expended its strength but hadn’t yet retracted. Man and blade merged into one, streaking forward like a flash of lightning. It was the fifth stance of the Hundred Victory Saber Technique, Cloud-Pushing Wind!
A flash of blade light passed by, and Guu Ao’s left arm was severed clean at the elbow, flying into the air! The cross-section of the severed limb was incredibly smooth, while not a single drop of blood stained the blade of Chen Xin’s Long Blade. The entire exchange happened too fast. Guu Ao could only sacrifice a pawn to save the king, executing the Ghost Shadow Step Technique to retreat frantically. If he hadn’t used his left arm to block that strike, it wouldn’t have been a severed hand flying through the air, but his very own head! Only then did blood begin to spray wildly from the severed elbow, but Guu Ao clamped down on it a second later with his Inner Strength.
"You, you..." Guu Ao was both shocked and enraged, but boundless terror quickly followed. This speed, this Saber Skill! He definitely wasn’t at this level during their last fight! How was this possible? Not only was he uninjured, but his Saber Skill and Body Skill were even stronger than before.
Seeing Guu Ao sputtering incoherently, Chen Xin let out a scoff and asked, "I found Treasures of Heaven and Earth in the temple, or I met a master who passed on his power to me. Which one do you believe?"
Guu Ao believed neither, yet he couldn’t explain how this was happening. He had clearly seen Chen Xin flee with severe injuries. Why was this man full of vigor again after just the time it took an incense stick to burn?
"How about I tell you the truth?" Chen Xin said, holding the Long Blade upside down by his side. "I’m actually a genius. I cultivated a Supreme Divine Skill that healed my injuries and drastically boosted my strength." He spoke and laughed casually, but his aura was firmly locked onto Guu Ao, murderous intent hidden deep in his eyes.
An illusory panel appeared before his eyes.
[Name: Guu Ao]
[Realm: Inner Realm]
[Evaluation: Integration]
[Martial Arts: Blood Food Technique, Yin Evil Twenty-Seven Claws, Ghost Shadow Step Technique, Corrosive Poison Sand, Throat Arrow Skill]
Integration? It was actually one evaluation grade higher than his own. Chen Xin continued reading down, his gaze landing on the Throat Arrow Skill. He hadn’t expected the other party to have such a trick hidden up his sleeve.
Guu Ao’s Heart Spirit pounded wildly. Having lost an arm the moment they engaged, how could he possibly be a match for this Divine Robe Guard now? Furthermore, the Ghost Shadow Step Technique wasn’t suited for escaping; he simply couldn’t outrun his opponent’s meteor-like speed. In his panic, Guu Ao remembered that he had previously planted the Child Gu on his opponent. He immediately used the Gu Control Spell to communicate with the Mother Insect, confirming that the Subordinate Insects were still on the other party.
His Heart Spirit temporarily settled, and a plan quickly formed in his mind. As long as he triggered these venomous bugs to backlash during the fight and paired it with a sneak attack using the Throat Arrow Skill, he could definitely turn defeat into victory.
"Yin Ghosts Wailing at the Tomb!" Guu Ao yelled, splitting into three one-armed ghostly shadows. His remaining right hand whipped up a foul, baleful wind, aiming straight for Chen Xin’s throat.
Yin Evil Twenty-Seven Claws, an Upper Seventh Grade Martial Arts! It was originally created by a Demon from the Meng Clan. It was insidious and ruthless, heavily despised by the Martial World. This person hailed from the Blood Hound Sect and used this skill to wreak havoc across Jiang and Huai, before eventually being killed by the Heroic Beggar and perishing in Xuyi. Now that Guu Ao executed this move, paired with the illusions of the Ghost Shadow Step Technique, he looked just like an evil spirit demanding a life. Anyone with even a slightly unstable Heart Spirit would undoubtedly be paralyzed by fear.
However, Chen Xin remained calm and composed. He swung his Long Blade in wide, sweeping arcs. The Hundred-Forged Steel Saber struck with heavy Sword Momentum, its countless sword shadows smashing down like steel hammers.
The third stance of the Hundred Victory Saber Technique, Falling Celestial Flower!
The two phantom bodies were instantly slashed apart, but it didn’t matter; this was merely Guu Ao’s feint. Seizing the opportunity, Master Guu Ao retreated, his remaining right hand gripping the brown cloth pouch. He squeezed slightly, crushing the Mother Gu inside to death. The Soul Chasing Gu shared a connection between mother and child. Once one lost its life, the other would instantly explode no matter how far apart they were, turning into a puddle of toxic sludge that would thoroughly corrode the host’s flesh and blood.
SPLAT!
That was the sound of the Subordinate Insects exploding!
Wild joy plastered Guu Ao’s face. Seeing Chen Xin’s arm pause slightly, he suspected nothing. Gathering Inner Strength in his mouth, he spat forward, ready to fire the poison arrow hidden beneath his tongue. This was the Throat Arrow Skill, Guu Ao’s trump card. Relying on this move, he had repeatedly slain Knights from the Orthodox World who came to vanquish demons and exterminate evil.
But before the arrow on his tongue could be fired, a resounding voice echoed out.
"What disgusts me most is this exact skill," Chen Xin said nonchalantly, showing absolutely no signs of being harmed by the venomous bugs.
The Long Blade in his hand abruptly changed its Sword Technique. Countless sword shadows converged into one, transitioning from the frantic flurry of the Falling Celestial Flower into a single, straight thrust piercing forward like a dragon.
The eighth stance of the Hundred Victory Saber Technique, Qi Pierces the Rainbow!
A cascading rainbow of light flashed as the wind howled!
Executing the Meteor Meteor Body Technique, Chen Xin drove the Long Blade viciously right into Guu Ao’s mouth, much to the man’s absolute disbelief. Following the momentum, Chen Xin twisted his wrist, spinning the blade and scrambling the inside of Guu Ao’s mouth into bloody mush.
"Ah!!!" Guu Ao screamed agonizingly, but the sound was entirely choked off in his throat.
Immediately following, Chen Xin clenched his left fist and punched Guu Ao right in the Dantian, causing his Divine Illumination Internal Power to erupt!
Surging Inner Strength rushed in, expanding outward from the Dantian. CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK. Endless popping sounds rang out as Guu Ao’s ribs, arm bones, and leg bones shattered inch by inch.
The Divine Illumination Internal Power could kill an enemy or save a person in a single thought. It could resurrect the dead, regenerate flesh on bone, and heal fatal wounds, but it could equally dissolve human flesh and bone, proving exceptionally lethal!
In an instant, having lost the structural support of his skeleton, Guu Ao’s entire body slowly shriveled into a lump of meat, bringing his life to an end...
With a swipe of his blade, Chen Xin severed the head. This was the Guan Yao to prove the completion of his assignment, claim his reward, and earn a promotion.