Chapter 420

Xu Qing returned, and the first thing he did was open his sound-transmission jade slip to inform the Immortal Zixuan.

This was a requirement Zixuan had set for him and Chen Erniu on the way to the Capital.

After all, being in a foreign land, risks could descend at any moment, and the true mission of Zixuan sitting in the branch sect was to add a layer of protection for the Sword Holders of the Eight Sect Alliance.

Once the transmission ended, Xu Qing returned to his Sword Pavilion. He did not step inside immediately but checked the surroundings, confirming that the arrangements he had made before leaving showed no signs of having been disturbed, only then did he walk in.

This was his habit, an instinct already carved into his bones.

Inside the Sword Pavilion, Xu Qing took a deep breath, recalling the entire process of this mission, analyzing if there was anything he had done improperly, until night fell outside and he finished his review.

It was just that the figure of the young boy, lying on the verge of death within the Absolute Kill Array, remained very deep in his memory.

"His father must be that true Dark Agent..." Xu Qing murmured.

He did not know if that mysterious Dark Agent had treated the boy as a discarded pawn, becoming one of the smoke screens to cover his own tracks.

Or perhaps, were there more existences like the boy?

Or perhaps, the Dark Agent chose to become a target himself, to cover the intelligence that truly needed to be passed back, hiding it on someone else.

Everything was unknown.

Xu Qing was silent for a long while, then shook his head, subsequently thinking of the Eight-Palace Black-Clad Guard he had killed.

"With my current combat power, I can kill an Eight-Palace cultivator if I spare no cost, but if it were Nine-Palace... that would be difficult." Xu Qing pondered. He knew that Eight-Palace combat power was basically the limit for the vast majority of Four-Fire aptitude cultivators.

Of course, there might be even more monstrous existences within, who, although they hadn't opened the 121st Dharma Aperture, had mastered two Imperial-grade techniques or possessed a Life Lamp.

This type of person might possess Nine-Palace combat power.

"Besides that, those cultivators who have reached the limit of the Tiangong will likely also attempt to break through, stepping from Golden Core into Nascent Soul." Xu Qing's eyes revealed contemplation.

Nascent Soul is not so easy to break through to, so many who have reached the extreme of Golden Core are in a state of 'Infant Transformation.' The process is somewhat mysterious, so the outside world mostly calls this type of cultivator 'Half-Step Nascent Soul' or 'False Infant.'

Xu Qing also had a judgment on the combat power of this kind of False Infant through this mission.

"Surpassing Eight-Palace and Nine-Palace, infinitely approaching ten Heavenly Palaces!"

"I am still too weak; I must accelerate my cultivation. Additionally, I must go to the Transformation Demon Sect as soon as possible to learn the Transformation Demon Art." Xu Qing felt that if his analysis was correct, the Transformation Demon Art could, to a certain extent, manifest the Ghost Emperor in his sea of consciousness.

"I wonder how much it can boost me once the Ghost Emperor is manifested." Expectation rose in Xu Qing's heart.

"I hope everything goes smoothly; if so, perhaps I can add one more... Ghost Emperor Palace to my future Heavenly Palaces!"

"My limit is ten Heavenly Palaces, and I have completed five now. As for the remaining five... the Jiangong can count as one. If this Ghost Emperor Palace is possible, then I am only three choices away."

Xu Qing thought for a moment.

"Right, there is also the Natal Cang Dragon."

Xu Qing took a deep breath, ending his analysis and contemplation.

"Then the most urgent matter before me now is military merit. I previously requested half a month of leave, and there are seven days left; there is no point in going back early."

Desire appeared in Xu Qing's eyes; learning the Transformation Demon Art requires military merit, and going to Mount Zhaoxia requires military merit.

Everything is inseparable from military merit.

"The military merit for this mission should be quite a lot, but it's still not enough..." Xu Qing took out his command sword and began searching for missions within it, quickly finding a capture mission in the Capital.

He checked his own injuries and then walked out of the Sword Pavilion to earn military merit.

Time passed day by day just like that.

Regarding the aftermath of their mission, Xu Qing had not heard anyone mention it.

He did not know who the true Dark Agent was, nor did he know if the other party had been successfully retrieved.

Everything, with the end of the mission, came to a close.

Seven days later, Xu Qing, immersed in earning military merit, received a reminder from the Criminal Prison Department; his leave had ended.

Thus, he had no choice but to stop his daytime military merit earning activities and went to the Criminal Prison Department to report for duty that morning.

Walking on the steps of the Criminal Prison Department, Xu Qing felt the familiar chill and greeted the few Ding-District jailers he encountered, his mind still pondering the matter of military merit.

Until he reached the cell door of Ding-Ding Yisaner, he pushed the cell door open and walked in.

Having not come for half a month, the prisoners here were no different from before.

The Cloud Beast was still eating tentacles, the human woman was still coaxing the scarecrow in her arms to sleep, the Danqing Clan elder was calling out 'good morning' with kindness in his eyes, and the millstone was also turning. Only at the head, the eyelids flipped open, and it sighed.

"You just quieted down for half a month, why are you back again."

Xu Qing, as usual, checked the prisoners one by one with an expressionless face, then returned to the place where he always meditated. Just as he sat down, he suddenly frowned and looked around.

Today, he did not see the little boy.

This situation was a bit abnormal; in his memory, every time he arrived, the little boy was the first to appear.

"Where is Qiyun?" Xu Qing raised his head and looked toward the cell where the Danqing Clan ancestor was located.

The Danqing Clan elder bowed upon hearing this and spoke in a low voice.

"Qiyun... seems to have run into some trouble; I haven't seen him for several days."

Xu Qing frowned, his perception spreading out within the cell, and he stood up to search from every cell.

Finally, in a corner, his footsteps paused, and he saw the little boy lying there on the verge of death.

The little boy's body was very dirty, covered in some grime, his little face was also filthy, and while his body was blurry, it also exuded an unprecedented weakness.

Its state was very bad; it seemed to be in great pain, its body trembling continuously from the pain.

Noticing Xu Qing walking over, it raised its head with difficulty, its expression extremely withered, eyes barely able to open. Yet, it still managed to show Xu Qing a smile, struggling to stand up to follow and continue its protection.

But it could no longer do so; in the end, it could only look at Xu Qing helplessly, opening its mouth as if wanting to say something, but unable to speak.

Compared to its usual liveliness, at this moment, the little boy instinctively evoked strong pity.

Xu Qing was moved; he squatted down and carefully observed the little boy.

He gradually saw that what was causing the other party's pain was a wisp of black Qi wandering within its body.

This black Qi was affecting the little boy and also changing it.

The Shadow and the Jin Gang Sect ancestor also manifested at this moment; the former curiously examined the little boy, while the latter's expression revealed a touch of gravity.

"Master, according to the storybooks I've read, I can roughly guess its situation."

The Jin Gang Sect ancestor spoke in a low voice.

Xu Qing looked over.

"It has been contaminated; it must have run off somewhere it shouldn't have and encountered some unclean things."

The little boy nodded weakly upon hearing this.

Seeing that his guess was correct, the Jin Gang Sect ancestor knew it was time for him to shine, so his expression became solemn, and he bowed to Xu Qing.

"Master, according to my experience, all unclean evil spirits can be overcome by thunder. If Master permits, this little one can try to use my own Heavenly Tribulation Thunder to purify the contamination from its body."

Xu Qing pondered; he did not understand Qiyun, nor did he know how to help the little boy alleviate it, but he thought of the Palace Master.

"Does the Palace Master know of your existence?" Xu Qing asked softly.

The little boy nodded.

"Does he know your current state?" Xu Qing asked.

The little boy weakly raised its hand and gestured; Xu Qing frowned, unable to understand.

The Shadow suddenly spoke.

"It seems... to say the Palace Master kno... alleviated it before... let it... rest soon... better."

The Shadow clearly had similar experience in this regard, so it vaguely understood some of it.

The little boy nodded gently, its body becoming even more powerless, and its eyes slowly closing.

Xu Qing pondered, looking at the little boy who looked so uncomfortable, and he permitted the Jin Gang Sect ancestor to try.

Upon hearing this, the Jin Gang Sect ancestor immediately raised his hand, and red lightning instantly appeared in his palm, carefully approaching the little boy and releasing a wisp of Heavenly Tribulation Thunder.

As the thunder merged, the little boy's whole body shook, and the black Qi within its body indeed decreased by a wisp.

Seeing that it was effective, the Jin Gang Sect ancestor increased the thunder, and soon the black Qi within the little boy's body continuously decreased, and its sense of weakness also slowly dissipated, beginning to recover.

It was just that this method could not get to the root; there was still a wisp of black silk within the little boy's body that could not be dispelled and was still exuding more.

But it could at least alleviate its pain, so soon the little boy stood up happily, circling around Xu Qing with a happy smile on its face.

Yet, looking at the wisp of black Qi within the little boy, Xu Qing felt that this matter was not that simple.

But since the Palace Master had already noticed, this matter was not something he could handle.

In fact, it was indeed so; when Xu Qing came to Ding-Ding Yisaner again the next day, the little boy had completely recovered, the black Qi within its body had completely dissipated, and it had become as happy as usual.

Everything returned to normal, and Xu Qing also began his daily routine of reporting for duty during the day and earning military merit at night.

It was just that although military merit was continuously accumulating, it was still quite a distance from what Xu Qing needed, until this night, just as he was about to go out to earn military merit, he received a sound transmission from Kong Xianglong.

"Xu Qing, are you in the Sword Pavilion? If you are, I'll come find you; the military merit for the last mission has come down."

Xu Qing's spirits lifted.

Soon, he saw Kong Xianglong flying over from the Sword Holding Palace at the entrance of the Sword Pavilion.

Seeing Xu Qing, Kong Xianglong laughed and threw a storage bag directly to Xu Qing.

"There are two items inside; one is the military merit certificate. I have already helped you record and verify it. You only need to merge it into your own spirit sword to increase the corresponding military merit."

"The other is a gift I promised to give you. Also, I've been pondering your fighting style during this time. I think if you were to absorb foreign substances into your Bizarre Ghost Hand, its power would be even greater. And since the Bizarre Ghost itself is an alien race, doing so would require you to balance the foreign substances in your body. This is a suggestion of mine; you can try it when you have time."

"I won't say more; I have something to attend to at the Criminal Prison Department. Sigh, the Palace Master summoned me, I have to go." Kong Xianglong sighed, cupped his fists at Xu Qing, and left in a hurry without waiting for Xu Qing to say anything.

Looking at Kong Xianglong's back, Xu Qing felt grateful and cupped his fists in a bow.

After returning to the Sword Pavilion, he opened the storage bag. There were indeed two items inside; besides the military merit certificate jade slip, there was also a blue ice cube.

This ice was formed by a spell, and inside it was sealed a heart!

That heart was translucent, hard to notice if not observed carefully, and it was not a dead object, carrying a wisp of vitality.

Xu Qing's eyes narrowed; he recognized this as the heart of the Bizarre Ghost race.

Xu Qing was no stranger to the Bizarre Ghost race; he had once captured one alive years ago, which was eventually refined by him.

In fact, it was precisely this matter that gave the Seventh Master the inspiration for the Bizarre Ghost Dao-Seizing Art.

And this refinement also gave Xu Qing's body the foundation to practice the Bizarre Ghost Dao-Seizing Art.

Subsequently, through the finger of Huang Yikun of the Profound Ghost Sect, the Seventh Master had the possibility of realizing the inspiration, and coupled with the Bizarre Ghost heart in the body of Sima Ru of the Alien-Hunting Gate, as well as countless similar Dao-seizing methods from various sects, this Bizarre Ghost Dao-Seizing Art was finally formed.

So theoretically, the heart of the Bizarre Ghost race can strengthen the Bizarre Ghost Dao-Seizing Art.

It's just that the number of Bizarre Ghosts is too small, and with Xu Qing's current cultivation, a Foundation Establishment Bizarre Ghost is of little significance; he needs a Golden Core Bizarre Ghost heart.

This heart sealed in the blue ice came from a Golden Core Bizarre Ghost.

Xu Qing raised his head and looked in the direction of the Criminal Prison Department where Kong Xianglong had gone.

This gift was very heavy to him.

After a long while, Xu Qing withdrew his gaze, looking at the ice, decisiveness appearing in his eyes. The Bizarre Ghost Dao-Seizing Art circulated rapidly within his body, and his arm quickly turned translucent.

Without any hesitation, Xu Qing raised his translucent right hand and reached into the ice.

It penetrated instantly, grabbing toward the Bizarre Ghost heart inside!

The moment it touched, Xu Qing's body shook.

The Bizarre Ghost heart sealed in the blue ice emitted intense struggle; vaguely, it seemed as if a roar echoed in Xu Qing's mind, exuding madness. But as the ghostly light in Xu Qing's eyes flickered and his right hand grabbed the heart fiercely, this repulsive force was forcibly suppressed by him.

The Bizarre Ghost heart dissipated visibly to the naked eye, until it completely disappeared a moment later, merged by Xu Qing into his own technique.

The next moment, a large number of fragmented memories appeared in Xu Qing's mind, roaring like a storm in his consciousness.

These were the residual memories from the owner of the Bizarre Ghost heart.

Within them, it contained crazy emotions, as if unwilling to be swallowed, wanting to shatter Xu Qing's sea of consciousness. But as Xu Qing let out a cold snort, the Ghost Emperor within his sea of consciousness emitted intense light.

The next instant, these memory fragments were crushed like dry weeds and rotten wood. After they vanished into smoke, Xu Qing's Bizarre Ghost Dao-Seizing Art operated on its own.

Gradually, it was not just his right hand that became translucent; his left hand... also began to change at this moment.

Until half an hour later, Xu Qing took a deep breath and raised both hands.

Both of his arms had become completely translucent.

In this way, he would be more flexible when deploying this Bizarre Ghost Dao-Seizing Art against enemies in the future, and the speed of absorption would also be faster.

Looking at his hands, satisfaction appeared on Xu Qing's face, thinking of the matter of condensing foreign substances that Kong Xianglong had mentioned.

"Poison should also work." Xu Qing murmured.

"No, that's not right; that would be equivalent to clearly telling the enemy that I am skilled in the poison path, and my poison is more effective when scattered... Of course, it can be done occasionally as a distraction, making people focus on my hands, thereby ignoring the poison permeating the surroundings."

Just as Xu Qing was about to change his line of thought, his sound-transmission jade slip suddenly vibrated. The first thing that came through was a long sigh.

Then, the Captain's voice, carrying a sense of resentment, echoed after this sigh.

"Little Ah Qing, you've changed your heart."

Xu Qing was stunned.

"You can abandon those female cultivators, but I am your Senior Brother; you cannot do this."

"We agreed on brotherly love, we are walking this life together, but in the end, I am the one who carried everything alone..."

The Captain's resentment seemed to be able to penetrate the jade slip, permeating Xu Qing's Sword Pavilion, lingering for a long time.

"Senior Brother..."

Xu Qing hesitated for a moment. Just as he was about to transmit, the Captain's second long sigh echoed.

"If I weren't in the Merit Department, seeing that your military merit suddenly increased by a large amount, Little Ah Qing, I wouldn't even know..."

"It's okay, Little Junior Brother, Senior Brother blesses you; I hope you and Kong Xianglong live happily ever after..."

Xu Qing felt that Senior Brother was talking more and more nonsense, and generally speaking, Senior Brother in this state must be asking for something, so he spoke calmly.

"Senior Brother, are you short of spirit stones?"

"Little Ah Qing, in your eyes, is Senior Brother that kind of person!" The Captain snorted coldly inside the jade slip.

"Okay, Senior Brother, since you're not short, then forget it." Xu Qing was unmoved and spoke calmly.

"Cough... no, no, no, actually, I'm not short of that many." The Captain coughed dryly inside the jade slip; he was indeed short of spirit stones.