At first, no one paid any mind to the calamity.
Just the disappearance of a songstress, a dancer, a poetry session, the interruption of a banquet—until the calamity concerned each and every person.
"Is it just my imagination?"
"It feels like there are fewer people. The seamstress is gone. Xiao Rui just heard a few words from Miss Feng and also hurried backstage. Why has everyone left?"
"Only a few Qing Guanren are left."
"You’ve got to be kidding me."
The once bustling and lively Danfeng Building had, at some unknown point, started to grow quiet, causing many to frown.
Even the courtesan on stage, Qingfeng, showed a look of surprise.
Meanwhile, some of the wealthy gentlemen and scholars who practiced Martial Arts keenly sensed... an unusual sound now permeated the entire Danfeng Building.
But when these people focused and listened intently, they only heard a rustling sound, making it impossible to trace the source.
What was happening?
......
「Danfeng Building, Secret Sound Pavilion.」
Wang Ping sat lazily on the brocade couch. Clothes were scattered on the floor—his, and others’—tangled amidst the sensuous scene of bodies that nearly covered the ground.
Though the "enemies" came one after another, he remained invincible.
Outside the door, Miss Feng’s brow was tightly furrowed.
"He’s still not taken down?"
The maid beside her looked nervous upon hearing this, but couldn’t help but lick her lips. "They’ve all gone in, and not a single one has come out. They’ve all been taken down."
"He’s even more impressive than Master Liu back in the day."
Miss Feng swallowed. "Did he just start practicing the Iron Bull Skill? Even reaching Great Perfection would only get you to this level, and he might be even stronger!"
You have to understand, even someone who had perfected the Iron Bull Skill was still human. Yet the master of this private room was like a surging river, flowing endlessly without a single break. Such prowess was completely beyond Miss Feng’s comprehension.
But the problem was, this couldn’t go on.
Just then, a maid ran in from outside, her face panicked. "Mrs. Feng, some of the guests outside have noticed something’s wrong and are starting to make a fuss."
"Find a way to calm them down. If that doesn’t work, you go."
"Ah? Me?" The maid pointed at herself, bewildered.
"......."
After a moment of silence, Miss Feng shook her head. Then she looked at the maid beside her, whose cheeks were already flushed, and said irritably, "Hurry and go inform Master Liu."
"At this rate, he’ll probably go on until tomorrow."
"Today’s business is ruined."
The maid beside her heard this and suggested, "How about this, Mrs. Feng? You could use your powers of persuasion and try to convince the young master to take a short break?"
"You don’t understand."
Miss Feng shook her head. "We’re past that point... You wait here. I’ll go myself!"
After all, she was the seasoned veteran of the Danfeng Building; her skills were far superior to those of the younger girls.
With that, Miss Feng took a deep breath and resolutely pushed open the door to the private room.
......
「Danfeng Building, first-floor hall.」
Xie Shi, having changed his attire and disguised himself as an ordinary merchant, frowned and scanned his surroundings, no longer paying attention to the courtesan Qingfeng on the stage.
’Where did everyone go?’
The increasingly deserted atmosphere almost made him think the County Magistrate’s Office had cast an inescapable net to capture him, but a closer look revealed that wasn’t the case.
It seemed more like an unexpected incident.
He had also noticed the faint sounds from within the Danfeng Building, but he was currently severely injured, and his hearing was not what it used to be, making it difficult to discern the source.
Just then, a commotion erupted from the crowd.
"What? Impossible!"
Finally, it seemed someone had managed to get information from the maids and servants bustling about the Danfeng Building. However, as the news spread, it drew countless gasps of astonishment.
"Are you saying some kind of beast has shown up in the building?"
"You’ve got to be kidding!"
Unexpectedly, once the news spread and was confirmed, only a minority of the crowd was angry. The attitude of the majority was, surprisingly, curiosity.
Four hours! And at this rate, was he planning to speedrun the Danfeng Building in a single day? This was definitely no ordinary person; he must have practiced Martial Arts.
What kind of Martial Arts was it, exactly? Can I learn it?
Intense curiosity fueled the growing unrest in the crowd. However, Xie Shi, who was mixed in with the crowd and now understood the cause of it all, wore a dark expression, barely keeping his composure.
"Damn it..."
He had no interest in the beast who had practically swept through the Danfeng Building. What he cared about was that because of this mess, the Danfeng Building had clearly stopped doing business altogether.
Even the courtesan Qingfeng had quietly slipped backstage.
How was he supposed to sketch a beautiful woman for his disguise now?
With his own life on the line, Xie Shi’s resentment for the mysterious powerhouse practically soared to the heavens, yet he didn’t dare show even a hint of it.
.......
Meanwhile, Wang Ping was having a great time.
On the bed, Wang Ping pushed aside those who were completely exhausted, then sat cross-legged, forming a hand seal and holding his hands level in front of his chest.
INHALE! EXHALE!
In that instant, Wang Ping felt a faint, almost imperceptible wisp of energy flow in through his mouth and nose, then permeate his entire body, spreading to his limbs and bones.
This sensation was completely different from normal breathing. This strand of energy seemed to possess some unimaginable, miraculous quality. Wherever it passed, his skin, flesh, tendons, and bones underwent a world-altering transformation. The sound of his blood flow grew louder and louder, until the strand of energy finally merged with the very marrow of his bones.
’This feeling... could this be Spiritual Qi?’
The next second, a bizarre transformation occurred.
Looking closely, one could see Wang Ping’s face split down the middle, centered on his brow, eyes, and the tip of his nose, revealing two different appearances on a single face.
The left side was masculine and imposing, with sharp brows and bright eyes.
The right side was gentle and tender, with rosy lips and beautiful eyes.
Furthermore, strange fleshy lumps bulged from his chest, back, and underarms, resembling the developing limbs of an infant—an incredibly bizarre and grotesque sight.
Even though he had mentally prepared himself, Wang Ping still felt his skin crawl. But he quickly calmed his chaotic thoughts.
’Thank goodness for the Iron Bull Skill...’
Relying on the state of relaxation that came after training, Wang Ping didn’t panic. Instead, he swiftly stabilized his mind and focused on manipulating that miraculous strand of energy within him.
’This is the final step of the Desire Realm Innate Method, manifesting a physical Anomaly. This physical mutation is proof of evolution and a qualitative change.’
’However, this step is also extremely risky. After all, not all evolution is good. I must control this process with my own will.’
Otherwise, if the evolution went astray, the consequences would be unimaginable.
For example, he was currently in a superposition of a Desire Realm Celestial Maiden and a Desire Realm Celestial Being. If he went astray, he could even change from male to female.
And that would be one of the better outcomes.
Worse would be becoming androgynous, or his physical body simply collapsing.
Thinking of this, Wang Ping calmed his mind even further, strictly following the instructions of the Desire Realm Innate Method to gradually adjust his mutating body.
’Unfortunately, my copy of the Celestial Book of the Heavens of Desire and Transformation is incomplete.’
’Otherwise, if I were cultivating the complete Cultivation Technique and then evolved my body, not only would I be unaffected by this physical mutation, I could even control it.’
’But I don’t need to be afraid. The cooldown for Outer Heaven Demon is over. Even if I fail, I can just start over. I have enough room for error.’
Time passed, bit by bit.
Finally, Wang Ping opened his eyes. His expression was placid, showing neither joy nor sorrow. His once-split features had rejoined, and the extra limbs swiftly returned to normal.
"Hard work pays off... I did it!"
Almost simultaneously, the miraculous strand of energy he had inhaled seemed to have exhausted its Profound Mystery, transforming into a puff of turbid air that he exhaled.
The body of a Desire Realm Celestial Being, achieved!
In that moment, Wang Ping felt as if his entire body was soaking in a hot spring, steamed by his own Qi and Blood. It was incredibly comfortable, and the world before his eyes changed dramatically.
The sensation was exceptionally profound. Though his physical eyes couldn’t see it, his consciousness could clearly "see" the inside of his body—every blood vessel, every muscle, even his internal organs. He could perceive their functions, mapping out the immensely complex network within him.
’Is this... Spiritual Sense?’
Understanding dawned on Wang Ping. This was the consciousness of a Cultivator, freed from the shackles of the flesh. Now, through his transformation via the Secret Technique, he too possessed such a miraculous ability!
The next second, Wang Ping shifted his perspective.
His Spiritual Sense switched from introspection to observation. As he looked out, it was as if he could see the color of the wind, hear the sounds of the flowers and grass, and smell the scent of emotions.
"SHING!"
The long saber left its sheath. The stuffy air in the room, hot from the hours-long battle, was swept away, replaced by a biting cold wind that gusted in all directions.
Yama’s Three Demonic Sabers!
Instantly, the incredibly intense Sword Intent of Greed reappeared in his mind, yet it was completely unable to shake Wang Ping’s Spiritual Sense and was easily suppressed by him.
First Saber, Entry Level!
Next, the intent of greed retreated, replaced by an irrepressible anger. The Sword Intent of Wrath emerged, searing his mind like a blazing furnace.
But it was still useless!
A Cultivator’s Spiritual Sense was a dimensionally-superior attack against a Martial Artist. True gold fears no fire; Wang Ping’s mind was completely unaffected by the flames of anger.
Second Saber, Minor Accomplishment!
Immediately, the anger faded, replaced by ignorance and delusion, a darkening of the mind, a benighted state—the obstacle of foolishness. It shrouded his mind like a shadow.
But at that very moment, Wang Ping abruptly looked up.
"Break!"
His shout was like a sudden clap of thunder. A flash of saber light instantly cleaved through all delusion. The Qi and Blood in his body steamed his sweat, which rose from him like water vapor!
Third Saber, Major Accomplishment!
The next second, all Anomalies subsided and the steam from his sweat dissipated. Wang Ping slowly stepped down from the bed, casually gripping the long saber in his hand.
"VMMMM—!"
Instantly, the saber’s body trembled violently. In response, the major tendons all over his body bulged and coiled tightly, emitting a clear cry like a dragon’s roar.
Tendons like a dragon!
At this moment, Wang Ping could clearly feel the power surging through his limbs and bones, like a powder keg ready to explode at any second.
’Have I... perfected the Sword Technique?’
Wang Ping was in disbelief.
The boiling Qi and Blood, the taut tendons, the surging power—the combination of these sensations brought him a pleasure far greater than any other he had ever experienced.
’The difficulty of Yama’s Three Demonic Sabers isn’t in the moves, but in the Sword Intent. It was supposed to be much harder than ordinary Martial Arts, but my Spiritual Sense had a miraculous effect. The Sword Intent can no longer shake my mind, so practicing it was a breeze, and I easily pushed it to the Perfection Realm!’
He was completely captivated by this fundamental transformation of his very being!
"How strong am I now?"
Wang Ping slowly opened and closed his palm, wondering, ’The four levels of Dragon Tendons are Hui Dragon, Jiao Dragon, Qiu Dragon, and True Dragon. Which level am I at now?’
Can I shatter a rockery with a single strike, like Shouchong did before?
I really want to find someone and try striking them!
As he thought of this, Wang Ping suddenly felt something and looked up, towards the space outside his room.
"...Hm?"
Just now, his Spiritual Sense had picked up on an extremely intense emotion, filled with anger and frustration, and its spearhead was pointed directly at him.
Who is it?
’I’ve thrown the Danfeng Building into such chaos, so it’s normal for someone to be angry with me. But anger this strong, and with resentment mixed in... that’s not right.’
Thinking this, Wang Ping immediately activated his Spiritual Sense, following the emotion all the way to the main hall of the Danfeng Building, finally locking onto a single person.
’Well, well, he’s even in disguise?’
A scan with his Spiritual Sense immediately revealed the person’s strangeness. Their skin, flesh, tendons, and bones were tangled and misaligned—clearly not their original appearance, but a disguise.
However, when his Spiritual Sense saw through to the person’s true face, his expression froze.
"Xie Shi... Senior Brother Xie?"
BOOM!
That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high as a torrential rain began to fall.