8: Mass graves! Is this some kind of tyrannical act?

One night passed in Cultivation.

When the first light of dawn broke, illuminating the room through the window.

Shen Tianxing slowly exhaled a breath of turbid Qi, and opened his eyes. He glanced at the soul slaying platform in his mind.

At this moment, on the soul slaying platform, the information regarding himself had undergone some changes.

Sixth-grade Low-tier "Hundred Battles Heart Method" Third Level, upgradable (37 / 1600)

"My Cultivation Technique has made progress!"

A hint of joy appeared on Shen Tianxing's face.

He had originally thought that only by using experience points could he improve his proficiency in various martial arts and Cultivation Techniques. Now it seemed that this was not the case; daily Cultivation could still improve his proficiency.

"At this rate, I can reach the Fourth Level in about fifty-odd days."

Shen Tianxing was already very satisfied with this speed.

After all, it was a Sixth-grade Cultivation Technique, even if it was a Sixth-grade Low-tier one. Breaking through one level in two months was not slow.

Moreover, as his proficiency increased, the experience points required for upgrades, even if relying on experience points, would be significantly less.

This saved a large sum of money!

Shen Tianxing got down from his bed, washed up briefly, and prepared to go out.

Today was his day off, a day to rest.

However, even on his day off, Shen Tianxing did not plan to just sleep in at home.

Now was a crucial time to improve his strength; every moment, he wanted to enhance his Cultivation.

Last night's research was not without gains.

Knowing that Cultivation could rapidly improve his strength, Shen Tianxing immediately thought of the Seven Absolutes Yin Fiend Art.

This mysterious Cultivation Technique, said to be capable of absorbing Spiritual Qi, Ghostly Qi, Devilish Qi, Evil Qi, Yin Qi... from the world, was one of the ways he could rapidly improve his Cultivation now!

The Purgatory Division was originally a good place, where countless years of Yin Sha Death Qi had accumulated.

Unfortunately, it was not a place he could just go to, and with his current ability, he couldn't Cultivate there without being discovered by everyone.

Therefore, Shen Tianxing thought of a place.

Eight hundred li west of the Imperial City, there was a gloomy, ghostly realm, with bones piled like mountains.

That place was the best spot for discarding corpses in the wilderness, and among the common folk of the Imperial City, it was known as the Mass Grave.

This Mass Grave had a history of many years.

Initially, it was where lonely elderly and orphaned children were buried because they couldn't enter ancestral graves after death and had no one to arrange their burials. But as the bodies of Cultivators who died daily in conflicts, battles, and riots in the Imperial City were also thrown there, it gradually formed into the Mass Grave.

To this day, the area of this Mass Grave already covered several mountain ranges. The Evil Qi and Death Qi were so dense that even in broad daylight, people dared not approach it.

But this place, which ordinary people feared to go to, was the most suitable place for Shen Tianxing to Cultivate... Dressed in a long green robe, black hair tied in a topknot, Shen Tianxing, with his tall and straight figure, pushed open his courtyard gate and slowly walked out.

"Hmm?"

As soon as he stepped out of the courtyard gate, Shen Tianxing keenly noticed that many gazes had appeared around him at some point.

These gazes all came from the surrounding neighbors.

"Uncle Sun, Aunt Wan, Grandpa Bai, are you all up?"

Shen Tianxing smiled and greeted them warmly.

These neighbors were all old acquaintances; he had received much care from them during the years he lived here.

"Tianxing, you... you're back!" Grandpa Bai greeted with an embarrassed smile.

The middle-aged man surnamed Sun and the middle-aged woman surnamed Wan also showed a somewhat awkward smile, their hands constantly wiping on their coarse linen clothes.

They seemed very restrained, and even... a little afraid of Shen Tianxing.

Shen Tianxing saw it all, clear as a mirror in his heart.

These old neighbors had shown some fear when facing his Master Shen Nian in the past, unwilling to interact with him too much.

Now, it was Shen Tianxing's turn.

He knew in his heart that they were not afraid of him as a person, but of his profession.

Executioner!

Executioners carried heavy Killing Intent, and few lived long. It was said they were haunted by vengeful spirits and suffered retribution.

For ordinary people, what they feared most were these ghostly things.

Shen Tianxing had long been mentally prepared, but when it happened to him, it was somewhat uncomfortable.

These neighbors used to treat him quite well.

"Grandpa Bai, you all chat. I still have something to do outside."

Shen Tianxing did not linger. He greeted them and left.

If he stayed there, everyone would be afraid, so it was better to be direct and avoid them.

If there was an opportunity, he would repay their past kindness.

For now, improving his strength was the most important thing... The Mass Grave was over eight hundred li away.

If it were in the past, Shen Tianxing would have to go by horse.

But now, his Cultivation had entered the Mortal Transformation Realm Fourth Level. His Cultivation had greatly improved, and his bones and blood had long undergone a complete metamorphosis.

A mere eight hundred li would take at most an hour to reach.

Three hundred li outside the Imperial City were towering mountains and steep ridges. Looking out, endless mountain ranges sprawled across the land.

Shen Tianxing's figure was like a wisp of smoke, light as a swallow, soaring through the mountains and forests.

An hour later, he could already vaguely see a towering black Qi, swirling within a valley.

The pervasive black Qi almost covered the mountains within a hundred li radius, surrounded by mist and clouds. The air was filled with a faint, chilling Evil Qi.

"I'm here!"

This place was devoid of birds and beasts, surrounded by mountains and rarely visited by humans, making it the most suitable place for him to Cultivate.

Shen Tianxing quickly headed towards the Mass Grave.

The valley was vast, with an entrance a hundred zhang wide on both sides. No one knew how large or how deep it was inside.

Whoosh!

A cold Yin wind blew from the valley, and the dense black mist resembled furious flood Dragons and evil Dragons. As it surged, a thick, ferocious Evil Qi assaulted his face.

At the entrance, the Yin wind howled, mixed with the eerie sounds of ghosts wailing and gods crying, sending chills down one's spine!

If an ordinary person came here, let alone entering the valley, they would be scared sick just at the entrance.

Suffering from the erosion of this Yin Sha Death Qi, their life essence would be damaged, and it would not be uncommon for them to die.

"No wonder no one has come here for years. In such a cold and gloomy place, wouldn't Ghostly Entities be born?"

Shen Tianxing was not surprised at all.

Ghostly Entities themselves are divided into those formed innately and those formed through Acquired Cultivation. A place that has accumulated hundreds of years of fierce, cold Death Qi is most likely to give birth to Ghostly Entities.

Arriving at the entrance, more and more white bone remains appeared around him.

These white bone remains had not been discarded here for too long, only a few decades. There were also some uncorroded swords, clothes, and other items nearby.

Boom—

As his foot stepped into the valley, the True Qi within Shen Tianxing's body suddenly surged. The Seven Absolutes Yin Fiend Art actually began to operate on its own with the surging True Qi within his body!

The Evil Qi, Yin Qi, Death Qi... and some residual vital Qi condensed at the entrance, began to be absorbed into his body through his skin pores.

Thread by thread, wisp by wisp, they gathered from all directions at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Is it that overbearing?"

Shen Tianxing himself hadn't expected the Seven Absolutes Yin Fiend Art to operate on its own, as if a starved ghost had encountered delicious food and was frantically devouring it.

At this moment, Shen Tianxing knew that he had come to the right place.

This place was simply tailor-made for him, an excellent place for Cultivation!