The Patrol Disciple returned Li Zhiming to the First Level.
"I can walk on my own; no need to trouble yourself," Li Zhiming said, waving him off.
"All right, then. Take care of yourself, Senior Brother Li. Get plenty of rest these next few days and don't exert yourself. I’ll head back to report now."
The Patrol Disciple turned and left. Once he was gone, Li Zhiming quickened his pace and returned to his quarters.
"Playing injured like this means I’ll have to keep a low profile for at least half a month," he thought. "I can't let anyone see that my injuries are fake, or I’ll never be able to clear my name."
Li Zhiming knew he couldn't let anyone discover his secrets. Taking the risk to secure the corpse of that Rank Eight fox demon had been worth it, though. First, he had received a generous reward for collecting the remains. Second, he had been promoted directly to Patrol Disciple. Having that status would save him a great deal of trouble in the future. It was the first step in his rise to power.
[Qi and Blood reached threshold]
[True Qi value reached threshold]
[Realm: Early Rank Eight → Mid Rank Eight]
Li Zhiming had leveled up once again. Normally, it would take a year or more to progress from early to mid Rank Eight. Even with his wealth of cultivation experience, he would have needed at least two months without relying on external aids.
"This risk really paid off," he thought, brimming with excitement. He focused his mind, and his attribute panel appeared before his eyes.
[Host: Li Zhiming]
[Realm: Martial Arts Rank Eight — Mid]
[Age: Sixteen]
[Lifespan: 162]
[Charm: max]
[Luck: 94]
[Reinforcement Points: 10]
[Martial Arts: Floating Cloud Dance (Entry), Falling Blossom Palm (Entry), Burst Fist (Entry), Shadowless Steps (Entry)]
[Techniques: Azure Sun Art (Proficient)]
[Secret Arts: Taichu Heart Sutra — Fragment (Entry)]
[Spirit Weapon: Blue Bone Blade (Tang Dao — Low Rank)]
[Other: Heavenly Fox Blood Talisman (Refined from the blood of fox ancestors, can trigger mysterious power when activated by the essence blood of descendants; capable of breaking through arrays and restrictions)]
His lifespan had increased significantly. Beyond the rewards from corpse collection, his lifespan would continue to grow as his cultivation realm improved. His charm had already hit the cap, though Li Zhiming didn't care much about that attribute. His luck, however, was a key factor; sometimes, luck could change a person's entire life. He hoped his luck value of 94 would bring him a steady stream of good fortune.
"Only ten reinforcement points left... this stuff is so hard to come by," Li Zhiming sighed, feeling a bit distressed by his dwindling resources. Although he was in the Xuyuan Prison, corpses weren't just lying around everywhere. They were most common on the First and Second Levels, where the inmates were weaker and unable to resist the erosion of the seals and the Yin Demonic Dead Qi, making them more prone to sudden death. Deeper down, the prisoner count dwindled, replaced by powerful demon and spirit clans. Their own auras contributed to the Yin Demonic Dead Qi, and their greater strength meant they lived much longer, making corpses a rarity.
"The system isn't omnipotent. I have to work even harder," he muttered to himself. He focused his intent. "System, apply points!"
[Reinforcement Points -6]
[Burst Fist enhanced: Entry → Proficient]
[Reinforcement Points -4]
[Shadowless Steps enhanced: Entry → Proficient]
Li Zhiming closed his eyes, digesting the cultivation experience merging with his body. The improvement of techniques and martial arts fed back into his realm, and he could clearly feel the changes in his body. This was the sensation of becoming stronger. Thanks to the massive amount of Qi and blood gained from his recent corpse collection, he had managed to reach mid Rank Eight, and now, the improvement of these two martial arts had refined his realm even further. Though he hadn't broken through, he had taken a small step forward, bringing him closer to late Rank Eight.
Deep in the night, Li Zhiming blew out the oil lamp. After the intense battle, his mind was fatigued, and he needed rest to recover.
***
Two days later, in the eighth zone of the First Level of Xuyuan Prison.
A group had gathered in Jiang Yuan’s room, including Chen Chong and Wang Junfei. Wang Junfei slumped in a chair, his face sallow and thin, his eyes dull, and his lips pale—he looked like a man at death’s door. While the fox demon’s Heart-Bewitching Gu had unlocked his potential and pushed him to the mid Rank Nine realm, the cost had been his very life essence. His vitality continued to slip away, and healing pills proved completely useless. If this continued, Wang Junfei would be nothing but a dried husk within three days.
"Senior Brother Jiang, what should we do? If this goes on, my cousin won't last three days! What on earth happened to him?!" Wang Zi paced the room anxiously.
"I’ve had Elder Liu look at it; it’s the work of a fox demon. Even Elder Liu has no solution for the time being."
"Damn it!" Wang Zi clenched his fists, but the fox demon was already dead, leaving him no one to take his revenge on.
"Although the fox demon did it, this was all caused by Li Zhiming. If he hadn't kept opposing us, none of this would have happened," Jiang Yuan replied, shifting the blame directly onto Li Zhiming.
"Li Zhiming!" Wang Zi gritted his teeth, anger boiling over. "I’m going to make him answer for this!"
"C-come back," Wang Junfei called out weakly.
"Cousin!"
Wang Junfei simply shook his head, unable to say anything else. Wang Zi knew exactly what his cousin meant: he was telling him not to stir up trouble with Li Zhiming again. He lowered his head, his sense of reason overcoming his fury. Li Zhiming was a Patrol Disciple now; not even Jiang Yuan could easily touch him, let alone himself. Furthermore, Li Zhiming had been personally promoted by the guardian elder of the Second Level.
"Don't be impatient. Senior Sister Tian from the Inner Sect is coming today. She is knowledgeable and should have a way," Jiang Yuan said.
"That's right. Once Senior Sister Tian arrives, so what if Li Zhiming is a Patrol Disciple?" Chen Chong chimed in. "Senior Sister Tian is a direct disciple of the Hundred Flower Peak in the Inner Sect; handling him will be a piece of cake!"
Wang Zi didn't speak, but he sat down in silence.
Half an hour later, Tian Yaoyao arrived. She wore a blue gown that perfectly accentuated her curvaceous figure. She scanned the room, a look of distaste crossing her face. The environment of the Xuyuan Prison was truly wretched; if not for her desire for the inheritance Li Zhiming possessed, she would never have stepped foot here again.
"Greetings, Senior Sister Tian." Seeing her arrival, Jiang Yuan hurried to his feet, welcoming her with a sycophantic smile.
"Please, Senior Sister Tian, save my cousin," Wang Zi pleaded, dropping to one knee.
Tian Yaoyao frowned slightly. "What’s the situation? Jiang Yuan, explain."
"Of course." Jiang Yuan recounted the events of the past few days.
Tian Yaoyao’s expression grew increasingly grim. By the time he finished, her brow was deeply furrowed. She was incredibly suspicious. Li Zhiming had been promoted to Patrol Disciple for his merit in catching demons on the Second Level? And he had defeated Chen Chong, an early Rank Nine martial artist? How was that possible? She had personally watched as the Disciplinary Hall stripped Li Zhiming of his cultivation not long ago.
"No, it must be the inheritance from the ruins!" she realized. It was the only way he could have recovered his wounds and strength so quickly.
"Please, Senior Sister Tian, save my cousin," Wang Zi begged again.
"Quiet." Tian Yaoyao was already irritable, and Wang Zi’s whining only fueled her annoyance. She flicked her palm, sending a surge of True Qi that knocked Wang Zi flying.
"Cough, cough..." Wang Zi stood up, fuming but daring not to speak.
Tian Yaoyao approached Wang Junfei and placed her fingers on his wrist. "This is a Gu technique—the Heart-Bewitching Gu. It forces the user to unleash their full potential, but the Gu worm sustains itself by devouring the host's life essence. In short, it burns away the user's life. This is a technique used by demonic cultivators; they only use it as a last resort."
"Come out!" As she spoke, she channeled her True Qi, forcing the Gu worm out of Wang Junfei. With a sudden change in his expression, a pitch-black, ugly worm the size of a thumb was expelled from his nostril.
Wang Zi saw it, rushed over, and stomped the worm into a pulp, green fluid splattering everywhere. "Damn it! Damn worm!" He continued to grind it into nothingness as if possessed.
"The Gu is out, but there is no miraculous pill that can restore the life essence he has lost," Tian Yaoyao said. "However, don't worry; he has at least three to five years left to live."
"Thank you, Senior Sister Tian," Wang Zi bowed.
Tian Yaoyao turned to leave, and Jiang Yuan hurried to follow. "Are you heading back, Senior Sister?"
"I’m going to find Li Zhiming."
"Do you need any help?"
"Just stay here. A bunch of losers—you can't even handle a single Li Zhiming," she said coldly.
"Understood, understood." Jiang Yuan lowered his head and backed into his room.
*Damn it,* he thought, watching her walk away. *I’m only tolerating you because you’re a direct disciple of the Inner Sect. If you ever fall into my hands, I’ll make you scream for mercy!* He stared at her retreating back with a lewd gaze, fantasizing about the day he could conquer a woman like Tian Yaoyao and tame her as his own personal plaything.