12: Encountering evil cultivators, enduring their spells

The entrance to Black Stone City's underground market was hidden at the end of a dead-end alley, overflowing with rotting garbage and sewage.

A nondescript, heavy wooden door, covered in worn-out iron sheets, was half-open. Dim, flickering oil lamp light seeped out, mixed with the stench of cheap tobacco, sweat, blood, and an indescribable, decaying evil Qi, gushing forth as if substantial.

Lin Jingyu's burly figure appeared at the alley's mouth, blocking the narrow light like an iron tower. The profound aura of dark golden luster and Dragon-Elephant Power interwoven beneath his skin instantly silenced several brokers and vagrants who were lurking in the shadows, their eyes darting nervously. They shrank back into the deeper darkness, terrified, like chickens with their necks wrung.

He ignored these small fries, his sharp, hawk-like gaze piercing through the gloom, locking onto the half-open iron-sheet door. The faint whispers, quarrels, and a suppressed, eerie energy fluctuation emanating from within the door clearly registered in his senses, which had become even more acute after his Breakthrough to the Meridian Opening Realm.

This was it.

He took a step, and with each fall of his foot, the murky stagnant water on the ground trembled slightly. Just as he was about to step into the market entrance, two ghostly auras in the shadows behind him suddenly accelerated, one from the left and one from the right, rushing towards his back and waist with fierce gusts of wind! The finger winds pierced the air, carrying a sinister penetrating power—it was precisely the insidious technique of locking joints and dislocating bones, favored by the Wang family's guards!

"Hmph, seeking death!" Lin Jingyu didn't even turn his head.

Buzz—!

A layer of dark golden aura, solid as substance, instantly enveloped his entire body! Vajra Shield, perfected!

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Two dull thuds, like blunt objects striking tough old cowhide, resounded!

The two Wang family guards' sharp finger-claws, imbued with the True Qi of a Meridian Opening Realm First Layer, struck Lin Jingyu squarely on his back and waist!

A mighty, irresistible counter-shock force, like a surging undercurrent, rushed up through their fingers and arms!

"Ah!" "Urgh!"

Two shrill screams rang out simultaneously... their finger bones instantly felt excruciating pain, as if about to shatter! Even more terrifying was the counter-shock force, which numbed their arms, churned their Qi and blood, and sent them staggering backward uncontrollably!

"Bang! Bang!"

The two crashed heavily against the slippery, greasy walls on either side of the alley, splashing large amounts of filth. Blood oozed from their noses and mouths, their eyes filled with extreme horror and disbelief! They were in the Meridian Opening Realm! A full-force sneak attack, yet they couldn't even break the other party's skin? Instead, they were injured by the rebound?!

Lin Jingyu slowly turned around, his cold gaze sweeping over the two men slumped against the wall like mud, as if looking at two annoying ants. The majestic power brought by the Dragon Elephant Suppressing Prison Technique surged within him, giving him an impulse to crush these two 'pieces of trash' with a casual flick of his hand.

"Get back and tell Wang Fu," his voice was low, with a cold, hard quality like metal grinding, "if you send anyone else to follow me, next time, it'll be bones that shatter."

The two guards felt as if they had been granted a great pardon. Enduring the severe pain and fear, they scrambled and crawled away from the dead-end alley, which was filled with the aura of death.

Having dealt with the minor trouble, Lin Jingyu no longer lingered and stepped into the market's wooden door.

Inside, the scene suddenly changed.

A narrow, sloping tunnel led downwards. Dim oil lamps were stuck into the walls on both sides, their flames flickering, stretching the distorted shadows of passersby. The air was thick and suffocating, a mixture of various smells, but the most dominant was a faint, decaying evil Qi, like that of an ancient tomb.

All sorts of figures moved through the tunnel and the more spacious underground area below. There were lone travelers wrapped in black robes with sinister auras; mercenaries with scarred faces and fierce eyes; and vendors in tattered clothes with numb expressions, hawking 'goods' of unknown origin. On their stalls were beast bones stained with dried blood, strangely colored Ores, bone talismans emitting an ominous aura, and even a few tattered Cultivation Technique manuals with eerie covers... a dazzling array, yet full of hidden dangers.

Lin Jingyu's goal was clear—to find information on large groups of demons outside the city, or highly rewarded evil cultivators! evolution points, he needed vast amounts of evolution points!

His appearance immediately drew the attention of some. His mountain-like physique, the sense of power that made the ground subtly tremble with each step, and the fierce aura of Demonic Wolf blood and Vajra Dragon-Elephant that still clung to him, made some ill-intentioned gazes instantly retract.

He walked to a stall with a tattered banner that read 'Bai Xiao'. The stall owner was a scrawny old man with cloudy eyes and chicken-claw-like fingers, currently fiddling with a piece of dark bone.

"Outside the city, large groups of demons, or valuable evil cultivators, information," Lin Jingyu spoke concisely, his voice not loud, but with an undeniable penetrative power.

The scrawny old man looked up, his cloudy eyes sweeping over Lin Jingyu. Especially when he felt that heart-palpitating aura, his pupils slightly constricted. He extended three withered fingers and said hoarsely, "Three... Low Grade Blood Essence Stones, or something equivalent."

Blood Essence Stones? Low Grade Ores containing faint Qi and blood energy, considered one of the hard currencies in this evil spirit world. Lin Jingyu didn't have any, but he had something else.

He casually pulled out a sharp wolf fang from his bosom, stained with dark red blood and gleaming with a dark luster—the fang of a Demonic Wolf leader—and tossed it onto the stall. "Is this enough?"

The old man picked up the wolf fang, examined it carefully under the oil lamp, then tapped it with his withered finger, sensing the lingering fierce Demonic Qi within. A glint of shrewdness flashed in his cloudy eyes: "The tooth of a Black Wind Demonic Wolf leader?... Good quality. Enough for one piece of information." He put away the wolf fang, lowered his voice, and pointed to a dark corner deeper in the market, "See that cave entrance with the 'Ghost Lamp' hanging there? There's an old fellow called 'Old Poison' inside. The other day, he got drunk and boasted that he found a new nest about thirty li west of the city, near the 'Mass Grave'. It's not inhabited by ordinary demonic creatures, but rather... a horde of Corpse Puppets, mutated and corrupted by something. There are many of them, and the leader's aura is very sinister, like a... Corpse Manipulating Evil Cultivator! That place is filled with evil Qi, no one dares to touch it."

Evil Cultivator! Corpse Manipulator! Mass Grave! A cold light flashed in Lin Jingyu's eyes.

[Ding! Side quest triggered: Annihilate the Corrupted Corpse Puppet Horde and the Evil Cultivator (Estimated evolution points: 200+)!]

The cold System prompt was like heavenly music!

This was it!

Lin Jingyu wasted no more words. He turned and strode quickly towards the cave entrance that the old man had pointed to, which was adorned with a sickly green lantern and exuded a strong, decaying aura. He needed to confirm the exact location.

Just as he approached the 'Ghost Lamp' cave entrance, a sudden change occurred!

In the shadows of the cave entrance, a figure that had been huddled in the corner, wrapped in a tattered black robe, suddenly raised its head! Under the hood, a pale, swollen face covered in dark green pustules was revealed, and a pair of eyes flickered with malevolent and greedy ghostly light, fixed intently on Lin Jingyu! More precisely, they were fixed on the mighty, furnace-like Qi and blood emanating from Lin Jingyu!

"Good... such vigorous Qi and blood! Hehehe... My master needs a prime blood meal for refining corpses!" A hoarse voice, like sandpaper rubbing, rang out, filled with nauseating excitement!

Before the words even finished, the black-robed Evil Cultivator's withered, claw-like hands suddenly shot up, his ten fingers wildly dancing as if in a spasm!

"Corrupt Bone Poison Wind! Go!"

Whoosh—!

A dark green, foul-smelling, and pungently sweet poisonous wind appeared out of thin air, carrying the mournful wails of ghosts. It instantly swept through the narrow tunnel, heading straight for Lin Jingyu's face! The sinister corrosive power contained within the wind instantly extinguished the oil lamps on the tunnel walls, and the stone walls emitted 'hissing' corrosive sounds!

"Evil Cultivator!" Lin Jingyu's eyes sharpened, and he did not dodge!

His thoughts were pushed to the extreme!

Buzz—!!!

The dark golden aura suddenly became incredibly brilliant and solid, as if his body was plated with a flowing liquid Vajra! Beneath his skin, Dragon-Elephant Power roared and surged, his Qi and blood like mercury, rapidly circulating through his opened Meridians, forming powerful resistance!

"Hiss, hiss, hiss—!!!"

The dark green poisonous wind slammed hard into the Vajra Shield!

Piercing corrosive sounds rang out densely, like countless tiny poisonous insects frantically gnawing! The dark golden aura fluctuated violently, its light flickering erratically! A sinister, slimy, and highly corrosive evil power frantically tried to penetrate the defense, eroding Lin Jingyu's flesh, blood, and bones!

Lin Jingyu only felt immense pressure on his Vajra Shield, his Qi and blood slightly trembled, and a nauseatingly sweet stench rushed into his nose and mouth. But, that was all!

The Vajra Shield circulated, its dark golden light ceaselessly regenerating, firmly resisting most of the corrosive poison! The immense Qi and blood brought by the Dragon Elephant Suppressing Prison Technique surged within his body, rapidly dissolving the weak evil poison that had managed to intrude!

"What?! Withstanding my Corrupt Bone Poison Wind head-on?!" The excitement on the Evil Cultivator's face instantly froze, replaced by extreme horror! His poisonous wind was enough to tear the skin and rot the bones of Meridian Opening Realm Second or Third Layer experts! Yet this person... was completely unharmed?! Only his Qi and blood trembled slightly?!

"Is that all you've got?" Lin Jingyu's voice pierced through the poisonous wind, cold and biting, with a hint of mockery. His burly figure stood unmoving in the dark green poisonous wind, like a stabilizing divine needle! Dark golden light circulated, continuously burning and purifying the invading poisonous power!

"You... seek death! Nether Ghost Fire!" The Evil Cultivator was both shocked and enraged, his eyes flaring with fierce light. He suddenly bit the tip of his tongue, spitting a mouthful of black blood onto the bizarre hand seals he formed!

Whoosh—!

Three ghost fires, each the size of a human head, pale with a hint of eerie green, emanating bone-chilling cold and a Soul-burning sensation, appeared out of thin air. With shrill screams, they tore through the poisonous wind in a 'pin' formation, slamming towards Lin Jingyu's chest! Wherever they passed, the air seemed to freeze and ignite!

This time, Lin Jingyu finally moved!

Not to dodge, but to—step forward, charging!

Facing the three Nether Ghost Fires, which were capable of freezing and incinerating the Souls of Meridian Opening Realm Martial Artists, he charged forward like a savage Dragon-Elephant!

"Break for me—!"

His right fist, covered in a dark golden aura and imbued with Dragon-Elephant Giant Strength, unleashed a straightforward punch! In front of his fist, the air was compressed to the extreme, emitting a dull boom!

"Boom—!!!!"

His fist slammed heavily into the foremost ghost fire!

Dazzling white and green light exploded! Violent yin cold and Soul-burning power raged wildly!

However, to everyone's horrified gazes, the Nether Ghost Fire, which was enough to make Souls tremble, was actually blasted apart by that dark golden-covered fist!

Like shattering a fragile glass lantern!

Pale flames mixed with eerie green streaks of light scattered, hitting the Vajra Shield's aura and emitting 'sizzling' burning sounds, but unable to penetrate any deeper!

Lin Jingyu's momentum did not decrease. After shattering the first ghost fire, his massive fist, with unparalleled power and speed, instantly pierced through the second and third ghost fires!

"Bang! Bang!"

Two more dull explosions! The remaining two ghost fires burst and dissipated like bubbles! The yin cold and Soul-burning power was forcibly suppressed and dispelled by the dark golden aura circulating around his body and the surging Dragon-Elephant Qi and blood within him!

The tunnel fell silent! Only the scattered pale sparks remaining after the ghost fires exploded, and Lin Jingyu's figure, like a demon god, charging through the ghost fires completely unscathed, remained!

The horror on the Evil Cultivator's face completely transformed into boundless terror! His strongest Spell had actually been forcefully shattered by the opponent's most barbaric and unreasonable Physical Body strength?!

"No... impossible! You..." He shrieked, his hands wildly dancing, still trying to cast some evil Spell.

But, it was too late!

How terrifying was Lin Jingyu's speed, bolstered by Dragon-Elephant Power? In just a few steps, he had already crossed the distance between them! His large hand, covered in a dark golden aura, descended like Mount Tai, with a piercing shriek that tore through the air, ignoring the opponent's hastily erected, paper-thin black protective evil light, and savagely grabbed down!

"Crack! Splat!"

The protective evil light shattered like paper! The large hand precisely grasped the Evil Cultivator's fragile neck!

"Urgh..." The Evil Cultivator's eyes bulged, a gurgling sound escaping his throat, his eyes filled with endless fear and despair.

"Master... won't... let go..." He struggled, squeezing out a few words through gritted teeth. At the same time, his other hand, hidden in his sleeve, suddenly crushed a blood-colored bone talisman!

Buzz!

A faint blood light instantly enveloped him, seemingly attempting to teleport him away!

"Hmph!" Lin Jingyu's eyes flashed with fierce killing intent, and the five fingers grasping the neck suddenly exerted force!

"Crack!"

The sickening sound of neck bones shattering clearly echoed!

The light in the Evil Cultivator's eyes instantly dimmed, and the hand that had crushed the bone talisman fell limply. The faint blood light enveloping him flickered, seemingly losing its target's support, and with a soft pop, dissipated into the air. Only an extremely subtle, blood-colored mark, carrying a malicious curse aura, like a maggot clinging to bone, silently wrapped around Lin Jingyu's wrist, instantly vanishing.

[Ding! Killed a Meridian Opening Realm Third Layer Evil Cultivator! evolution points +180!]

[Ding! Infected with 'Blood Soul Life-Chasing Curse', has been marked (weak curse, can be sensed by the caster)!]

The cold System prompt echoed in his mind.

Lin Jingyu didn't even look at the limp corpse in his hand, casually flinging it away like trash. He lowered his head, looking at his wrist, where a faint bloodline seemed to flash and disappear beneath his skin, bringing with it a chilling discomfort.

"Blood Soul Life-Chasing Curse? Master?" he muttered, his eyes showing no fear, but instead burning with even more intense killing intent and... greed!

Marked? Perfect!

It saved him the trouble of searching!

He bent down and unhesitatingly rummaged through the Evil Cultivator's corpse. Soon, he found a small, dark leather pouch emitting a sinister aura, and several dark red stones containing mixed Qi and blood energy—Blood Essence Stones.

[Ding! Obtained Evil Cultivator Storage Pouch (Low Grade) *1, Low Grade Blood Essence Stones *5!]

[System detected special energy (Blood Essence Stones), can be converted into evolution points! Convert?]

"Convert!" Lin Jingyu did not hesitate.

[Conversion successful! Obtained evolution points +50!]

[Current evolution points: 230!]

Looking at the numbers flickering on the panel, Lin Jingyu's lips curved into a cold arc. He looked up, his gaze seemingly piercing through the thick rock layers of the market, towards the Mass Grave thirty li west of the city.

Corpse Puppet horde? Corpse Manipulating Evil Cultivator? And that so-called 'Master'?

All evolution points!

His burly figure straightened in the dim tunnel, like a waking Vicious Beast. The faint curse mark on his wrist, at this moment, seemed not a threat, but an... invitation to more slaughter and power.

"Mass Grave..." He muttered, taking large strides towards the market exit. Wherever he passed, the crowd scattered in terror as if avoiding a plague, leaving a straight and empty path.