Chapter 25: Qi and Blood Like Wolf Smoke

Wei Yan, truly embodying his standing as second on Maple Forest City's Dao Xun List, surged forth, charging headlong into the depths of Xiaolin Town. He crashed through the throng of wandering souls, breaking them with a single blow, scattering all who dared obstruct his path.

A layer of chilling light enveloped his form, the outward manifestation of gold-elemental energy brought to its extreme convergence. His steps remained unbroken, as if nothing in this world could halt his advance. His long saber shrieked with every slash, a sound that seemed to rend even the very air.

The others followed in his wake, their task merely to prevent the wraiths on either flank from converging, thus drastically reducing the peril. Jiang Wang and Zhao Rucheng, one to the left and the other to the right, subtly and intentionally guarded Ling He and Du Yehuhu in their center. Ling He remained unperturbed, but Du Yehuhu's face flushed red, though he understood this was no moment for impulsive action and could only press forward.

Time passed, though its duration was difficult to gauge amidst the slowly coalescing thick fog. Direction became indiscernible, and even the flow of time seemed to blur. The wandering souls encountered thus far were not formidable, falling within the purview of Ninth-Grade transcendent monks. However, these Eighth and Ninth-Grade monks lacked sufficient Dao Yuan within their Tongtian Palaces. They could not endure prolonged battles, and it was feared that soon, their Dao techniques would be rendered unusable, risking damage to their Dao vortex and injury to their foundational strength.

It was at this juncture that Wei Yan halted. By their approximate location, they were nearing the heart of Xiaolin Town. Jiang Wang recalled a market area there, a bustling hub on market days when villagers from nearby settlements would converge.

Wei Yan's pause wasn't due to unwillingness to proceed, but rather because a wall of fog blocked their path, bringing even his blade to a standstill. Unlike the pervasive thick fog, this wall possessed a palpable substance and immense resilience. The sharpness of Wei Yan's blade should have cleaved through even a copper wall or iron barrier, yet this wall of fog remained unyielding. No matter how many attacks struck it, they vanished like a stone sinking into the sea.

Wei Yan felt an intense unease. He keenly sensed that something was amiss behind this wall of fog. It wasn't a mere display of malevolent power; it could potentially imperil their very lives. Yet, with his long saber pointed forward, he was at an impasse!

"Does anyone possess a means to break this? By all means, attempt it!" Wei Yan's voice was deep and urgent. "The situation is critical, and there is no time for delay. All responsibility falls upon me."

Immediately, a disciple stepped forward to the fog wall and, without a word, began to undo his belt.

"Hey, what are you doing?" someone next to him grabbed him.

"Do not impede me!" the individual declared, his voice resolute. "This place is teeming with ghosts, and the yin energy is heavy. The urine of a pure male virgin can repel evil spirits and suppress wraiths, and I have yet to lose my primordial yang. This task should be mine!"

This person was Huang Azhan, an inner disciple selected during the previous intake. He was a drinking companion of Du Yehuhu, good-natured but perhaps lacking in sharp wit.

Wei Yan frowned. After Huang Azhan had relieved himself, the fog wall remained undisturbed. Only the pungent odor of urine served as a reminder of the recent event.

"That's not right. Was the quantity insufficient?" Huang Azhan paused for a moment before turning to appeal to the others, "Are there any other pure male virgins? Step forward! Of course, Zhao Rucheng need not bother; your yin energy is too heavy. Du Yehuhu, come on! Do not hold back. With your appearance, you are destined to remain a virgin until old age, so your yang energy must be abundant!"

With a single sentence, he managed to mock two people. Had the situation not been so urgent, Du Yehuhu would have undoubtedly delivered a punch to his skull.

Zhao Rucheng bared his teeth, "Azhan, consider this: if a virgin boy's urine is insufficient, do we require virgin boy's blood?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Azhan touched his chin and nodded, as if genuinely contemplating the feasibility of the suggestion.

Wang Changxiang, who had been somewhat weakened after employing the Blasting Wind Tornado, spoke, "When the tornado dispersed the fog earlier, I observed that the wandering souls in Xiaolin Town had formed a simple Nine Palaces formation. I wasn't certain at the time, but now that we are blocked in this central palace position, I am confident in my assessment."

"How do we break it?" Wei Yan was direct.

"The array master did not invest much effort, and with such a multitude of ghosts, it is difficult to command them with precision. Thus, the method to break it is also straightforward," Wang Changxiang offered a wry smile. "Break the array eyes of the other eight palaces, and the central palace will fall without resistance."

Wei Yan immediately declared, "Wang Changxiang will remain here to observe the situation, and four others will stay to follow his instructions and support the various routes at any time. I will personally head to the Kan Palace. The remainder will be divided into seven groups, each breaking one palace. Finally, we will reconvene here before the central palace."

The grand division of the heavens dictates that the sun emerges and the yin retreats. The sun rises at the Zi position, and the yin rises at the Wu position, hence the Taiyi commences from the Kan Palace within the Nine Palaces. The Kan Palace is situated due north, and its Five Elements belong to Water, which is not the easiest palace for Wei Yan to subdue, but his strength was formidable, negating the need for such considerations.

"What I must remind you of is," Wang Changxiang added, "The ghosts we have been clearing along the way are ordinary, but there will undoubtedly be resentful ghosts or fierce ghosts at the array eyes. Everyone must act within their capabilities."

Zhao Lang followed Wei Yan's lead and was the first to step forward and take a task: "In that case, I will go to the Kun Palace."

Li Jianqiu was even more decisive and resolute, having already drawn his sword and headed west, "The Zhen Palace is mine. The rest, you may distribute amongst yourselves."

The strong take the lead and bear the responsibility; this is the very essence of cultivators.

Jiang Wang, Ling He, and the others exchanged glances. "The four of us brothers will be responsible for the Xun Palace," Jiang Wang stated. His words were not boastful. Their combat strength had been evident throughout their journey. Though he had not yet laid his foundation, with the assistance of the Purple Qi Comes from the East Sword Technique, his strength subtly surpassed that of a typical Ninth-Grade monk. Furthermore, the Xun Palace's Five Elements belonged to Wood. Using Gold to subdue Wood was an opportune choice. The remaining Zhen Palace, which also belonged to the Wood element, had already been taken by Li Jianqiu. Venturing to other palaces would make their efforts, and Zhao Rucheng's, even more challenging.

From another perspective, if such a situation had erupted in Xiaolin Town, the impact would certainly be significant. Their efforts on this expedition would all be recorded. Ling He, Du Yehuhu, and Zhao Rucheng were all at a critical juncture, accumulating Dao Xun to exchange for the Opening Vein Pill. If they could resolve one palace this time, it would undoubtedly propel them forward significantly.

Everyone's choices strictly adhered to the order of the Nine Palaces. The Nine Palaces are, two and four as shoulders, six and eight as feet, left three and right seven, wearing nine and stepping on one. From one to nine, they are Kan, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Central, Qian, Dui, Gen, Li. Along the way, fighting while advancing, Jiang Wang and Zhao Rucheng's transcendent sword skills had long earned everyone's recognition, so no one offered further comment. The remaining twenty Dao Institute disciples, conveniently, formed five groups of four, each selecting one of the remaining four palaces.

It must be acknowledged that Wang Changxiang's Blasting Wind Tornado had contributed greatly earlier, allowing everyone to re-establish their bearings within the dense fog, a crucial prerequisite for breaking the entire ghost array.

The Xun Palace was located to the southeast. Jiang Wang advanced with his sword drawn through the thick fog. When he vaguely discerned the tavern ahead, a sense of reassurance settled within him. The sole tavern in Xiaolin Town lay to the southeast; they had not lost their way.

"Be careful," Ling He suddenly cautioned. "I sense something extremely dangerous ahead."

Ling He's intuition had always been remarkably accurate, and the others dared not take it lightly.

Jiang Wang nodded, "That must be the resentful ghost Senior Brother Wang mentioned, and it also represents the array eye of the Xun Palace. Rucheng, how many forms of the Purple Qi Comes from the East Sword Technique have you mastered?"

"All are proficient," Zhao Rucheng replied.

Jiang Wang had no further comments on this individual's talent and immediately instructed, "I will make the first move shortly, and you will follow up. Unleash your strongest attack from the very first moment and ensure you eliminate the target as quickly as possible. Big Brother and Second Brother, watch our surroundings and do not let other wandering souls rush over. If necessary, do not hesitate to burst out blood energy."

Before laying their foundation, if they hadn't mastered transcendent methods like the Purple Qi Comes from the East Sword Technique, the only way to inflict damage upon ghosts was by erupting blood energy. However, blood energy was the very foundation of a person, and erupting it placed a significant strain on the body. Thus, Ling He and Du Yehuhu had been very restrained along the way.

But they did not hesitate for a moment at Jiang Wang's instructions. It was the tacit understanding forged in countless battles fought side-by-side.

Although their visibility was limited in the fog, the brothers quickly marked out the target range and dispersed to surround it. At this moment, a piercing scream suddenly erupted, as if right beside their ears. In front of Jiang Wang, a sword light suddenly blazed!

*Clang!*

Purple Qi Comes from the East Sword Technique, the first form of the killing method!

A scarlet claw was caught precisely by the longsword, and the resentful ghost of the Xun Palace appeared before everyone's eyes.

The wandering souls encountered along the path were, in fact, not significantly different from humans before their demise. They were merely vaguely formed and pale in color. This resentful ghost, however, was entirely distinct; it already resembled another creature altogether. It possessed a blue face, fangs, and towered nearly twelve feet tall, robust and imposing. Muscles bulged upon its body, and its claws were scarlet, one of the tips still dripping with blood.

Jiang Wang had known for some time that within the thick fog, the resentful ghost's perception would undoubtedly be sharper than their own. Thus, he had been prepared, his sword momentum poised. This allowed him to resist the resentful ghost's attack at the very first instant. Yet, he had still underestimated the power of this resentful ghost. In the brief window created by the Blasting Wind Tornado, how many wandering souls had they seen? Yet, only eight fierce ghosts had emerged to garrison the Nine Palaces. Whether through human cultivation or natural killing, the resentful ghosts born in this environment were undeniably extraordinary.

Although Jiang Wang had blocked the initial assault, he was still grazed by another claw tip, which tore a strip of flesh from his left arm. The blood dripping from the resentful ghost's claw tip originated from his wound. Fortunately, the wound was not severe.

Simultaneously with Jiang Wang's defensive and counter-attack, Zhao Rucheng's sword also moved! The first form of the Purple Qi Comes from the East Sword Technique's killing method prioritized speed, enabling attacks like thunder and defenses like lightning. The Son of Heaven moves with the fury of thunder, and in an instant, it shocks the world!

Before the resentful ghost could savor the torn flesh, Zhao Rucheng's sword had pierced into its abdomen. Zhao Rucheng, along with his sword, remained impaled upon the resentful ghost due to the size disparity, resembling a monkey clinging to a person.

The resentful ghost howled in agony and suddenly lowered its head.

Not good!

Zhao Rucheng's heart seized. He kicked against the resentful ghost's claw and executed a mid-air backflip, abandoning his sword and escaping. The resentful ghost was about to give chase when Jiang Wang's figure flashed past its front like a peal of thunder.

The second form of the Purple Qi Comes from the East Sword Technique's killing method, its focus is on precision.

Jiang Wang was already far away, yet the sword light had only just sliced across the resentful ghost's eyeballs. In that instant, black-green liquid exploded like pulp, and the resentful ghost emitted a piercing shriek. This creature, previously in a state of muddled consciousness, glared fiercely at Jiang Wang with its remaining right eye, filled with absolute hatred.

It did not bother to cover its eyes, allowing the black-green liquid to flow freely. Zhao Rucheng's still-trembling sword remained embedded in its body, yet it strode towards Jiang Wang!

Ling He, who was warding off wandering souls outside the main struggle, flung his sword towards Zhao Rucheng amidst his busy efforts, "Catch!"

Zhao Rucheng leaped, catching Ling He's sword in mid-air. The entire person shot towards the resentful ghost's back like a meteor pursuing the moon. This sword penetrated its back neck, and the sword tip emerged from the resentful ghost's chin, resting against its chest!

The resentful ghost roared and clawed backwards. Due to the angle, this claw would undoubtedly be slower than before. So Zhao Rucheng braced his feet against its back, intending to use the force to withdraw his sword and retreat. But to his surprise, the sword blade was firmly clamped by the resentful ghost's muscles, preventing him from pulling it out for a moment, causing a slight delay.

It was this brief hesitation. The resentful ghost's massive claws slammed into his body, sending Zhao Rucheng flying back four or five meters, where he fell into the thick fog, his fate uncertain!

One must remember that at this moment, countless wandering souls still roamed within the thick fog!

At this time, Jiang Wang was on the opposite side, Ling He was still grappling with the wandering souls after throwing his sword, and only Du Yehuhu, who was also guarding the outer perimeter of the battle, was closest. He could no longer restrain himself. His purpose was to eliminate evil and purify the world, not to be sheltered while accumulating Dao Xun, potentially even becoming a burden!

A roar, like thunder shaking the heavens, erupted. Du Yehuhu exploded his blood energy with all his might. His blood energy, like a tangible substance, surged into the sky, resembling a beacon smoke in that instant!

Blood Qi Beacon Smoke!

Only warriors whose blood energy had reached a certain level of intensity could trigger the Blood Qi Beacon Smoke. Even Jiang Wang could not achieve this. And Du Yehuhu's full-force eruption at this moment proved that he was no less capable than others. He was enveloped in the substantial force of blood energy, clad in a blood-colored battle robe, and with a speed several times faster than his usual pace, he reached Zhao Rucheng's side in just a few strides!