[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h":3,"chapter-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-3":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Devouring Evil, Exterminating Demons Across All Heavens",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2266948,4426,"Chapter 3: A Touch of Fist Skills","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-3",3,"\u003Cp>It is said that all spirits and demons share a common destination, known as the Spirit Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, the landscape is bizarre and utterly unlike the real world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the two realms are clearly distinct, in some sense, they may overlap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any living being in the real world—human, animal, or creature—that dies but retains even a single lingering soul may seep downward into the Spirit Realm and become a ghost or demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The living cannot enter the Spirit Realm, and creatures from the Spirit Realm find the real world deeply uncomfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet sometimes, the aura of the Spirit Realm leaks out into the real world, causing anomalies within a certain area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is the “Leak Zone!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boundary of a Leak Zone is shrouded in strange mist; anyone who walks into the mist soon walks back out again, unable to escape, and no one from outside can enter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such events are extremely rare and random, with no necessary connection to the number or strength of the ghosts present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But within this zone, any ghostly entity thrives like a fish in water, gaining greater capacity for tangible harm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to environmental differences, many precise and useful tools from the outside world become unusable here, making it hostile to ordinary people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu’s phone, just now, vibrated for no reason—it’s likely already broken and shut down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flurry of thoughts flashed through Chu Tianshu’s mind like fleeting reflections.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t even blinked, still fixed on what lay ahead; though his arm tensed for an instant, he restrained himself, not rushing to thrust the needle forward, but instead jabbed three needles into his chest down to his right abdomen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pain made his eyelid twitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black mist was rising along the stele; striking it hastily would be like hitting a stone—utterly futile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet just as he finished inserting the three needles into himself, the black mist reached the top of the stele and detached from its surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu clenched his teeth, raised both hands—and the black mist suddenly swerved sideways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A silver needle swept past above the stele, missing its mark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black mist slammed into the ground beside the stele, producing a heavy thud like a weight falling, contracting and expanding as the outermost wisps of smoke rippled outward, revealing a human figure within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue scalp, thin braid, face as pale as whitewash, eyes entirely black, cheeks sunken to bone, clad in a soaked gray linen robe—just looking at him made one feel ill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rumors were true: this kind of minor ghost, only capable of possessing bodies, could now manifest a tangible form within the Leak Zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Again with you stinking Daoists, meddling in what’s none of your business.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the ghost scholar spoke, a foul odor of cheap ink wafted from his mouth, and the drool dripping from his lips was black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s been so long… so long… I used to urge children to study, but they were all useless—fail their exams and die. Then a stinking Daoist came… pretended to pity me, ground down the inscription on the stele that scolded me, performed rites for me—and now, after all these years, I’m trapped in this tiny patch of land…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He seemed furious, clutching his chest as he screamed, yet his voice still carried that sticky, cold, throat-clogged quality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu’s eyes, however, fixed on his belly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, a needle was stuck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just now, when Chu Tianshu raised both arms, he had thrown two silver needles—one missed, the other, anticipated, had struck true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the effect was clearly insufficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spirit-mediums who can open their meridians for over five hours daily have generally cultivated an intangible, formless mental force, capable of enhancing objects—also called object manipulation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In films and stories, this mental force, or psychokinesis, seems to depend mainly on an object’s weight for difficulty, and its destructive power on the object’s hardness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a spirit-medium’s mental force is different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Depending on their school, some spirit-mediums excel at manipulating talismans—adding power to a soft, flimsy yellow paper strip can let it slice clean through an eight-immortal table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But ask them to manipulate a thin blade—even if it weighs the same and is far harder than the paper—and they might not be able to lift it at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some specialize in mid-flight trajectory shifts, agile and winding; others focus solely on enhancing penetration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu’s training in the *Ghost Gate Medical Annotations* excels at enhancing needles, strengthening piercing power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his current level, with full mental force applied, he can drive a feather-light silver needle, from over five meters away, through a hard camphor wood board an inch thick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If aimed at a person, as long as it misses bone, it can pierce clean through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this single needle, fired at the ghost scholar less than three meters away, sank in only half an inch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The benefits the Leak Zone gives a little ghost like you are truly substantial.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu’s lips moved, “Not just strength—your mind’s improved too. You’re speaking far more smoothly than when you possessed people before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghost scholar fell silent for a moment, then snarled: “My mind isn’t broken! You stinking Daoists all say different things—you don’t understand me at all!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lunged forward violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu stepped sideways instantly, evading the lunge with ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghost scholar lunged three meters; Chu Tianshu only needed to sidestep the length of an arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The motion was utterly unequal—even if Chu Tianshu were slower, he still appeared to complete the action before the ghost scholar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a matador facing a charging bull, as long as one is bold and precise, evasion is effortless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he sidestepped, Chu Tianshu spun and flung a needle—it struck the ghost scholar behind the ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the distance was shorter, this needle sank slightly deeper than before—but still less than an inch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet behind the ear is bone, which should be far harder than the belly—the needle should have penetrated less, not more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seems that even with a tangible form, ghosts are structurally unlike humans, and likely have no vital points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghost scholar grew angrier, turning to lunge again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His lunge was terrifying—each one sent him flying five or six meters, his braid straightening in midair for an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over there lay a pile of factory debris: seven or eight heavy iron crates with broken handles stacked together, each as large as a wardrobe drawer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few mops and brooms leaned against them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghost scholar’s lunge sent the iron crates flying; the ones on top were crushed and deformed, splinters from broken mop handles spraying everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One bamboo broom, flung into the air, he seized and bit down on fiercely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bamboo stalks, bound tightly with steel wire into a bundle as thick as a child’s arm, were tough—but his bite cracked them like a crisp sesame cake, leaving a large gap, spewing ink and fragments from his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by the gap, his ink clearly had strong corrosive properties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This destructive power was on a completely different level from when he possessed Old Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His second lunge was even faster than the first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Chu Tianshu had still evaded it, because the “Ghost Gate Reverse Stimulus” needles he’d inserted into himself had taken effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When a person passes through the Ghost Gate, the body remains outside while the soul is pulled inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ghost Gate Reverse Stimulus” does not detach the soul—it binds it tighter to the flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the aid of needle techniques, the spirit-medium’s mental force catalyzes the body’s latent potential, greatly boosting Chu Tianshu’s physical strength beyond that of an ordinary youth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He again felt his heart pounding like a drum—not the frantic, chaotic thudding of nightmares, but a hot, full, vibrating sensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His limbs’ muscles felt like tightly stretched hemp ropes, trembling, aching, swollen, twisted—only by fully extending and swinging them could he feel relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t run!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghost scholar lunged again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu’s pupils contracted—he didn’t run this time. He spread his arms, parted his legs, and dropped low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the ghost scholar lunged close, Chu Tianshu slid his right forearm beneath his crotch, then lifted him up like a long pole, his arms forming a fulcrum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught off guard, the ghost scholar’s forward momentum combined with the upward lift sent him flying over Chu Tianshu’s head, tumbling midair, crashing headfirst into the ground, rolling repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the “Golden Peach Crossing the Bridge” from Tongbei Quan!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first manual says: use the arms as a bridge, the waist and legs as pillars—even a solid gold peach as heavy as a dou can be lifted and sent flying over the bridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu’s condition—if his sinews and bones were supple and his qi and blood strong—was said to counteract the body’s damage from nightmares. His grandfather once arranged for him to join a family boxing school, where he learned *Qi Family Old Tongbei*; the schoolmaster was truly skilled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the opening state of spirit-mediums and martial artists is utterly opposite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu trained for over a year and learned only empty forms; over the years, practicing at home, he could only use it as a fitness routine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only under the effect of the Ghost Gate Reverse Stimulus needles, when his strength surged, could he wield even a fraction of the true techniques from the manual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After “Golden Peach Crossing the Bridge,” follow with “Spirit Monkey Pouncing on Deer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu sprang up from his crouch, chasing the ghost scholar; after two strides, he stomped hard on the ground and leapt forward at full speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Spirit Monkey Pouncing on Deer” differs from ordinary attacks: it doesn’t strike with the hands first—it uses hands and feet together, feet slightly faster, then the whole body presses down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Chu Tianshu leapt, he landed squarely on the ghost scholar’s back in a crouch, hands and feet striking simultaneously, steady as a rock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!! The ghost scholar’s entire body sank slightly into the earth, a muffled howl escaping his mouth, limbs thrashing wildly with great force—but unable to rise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he were human, Chu Tianshu’s crouch would now be pressing his front foot on the ghost scholar’s thoracic vertebrae and his back foot on the lumbar vertebrae.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he wasn’t human, after several previous tests and maneuvers, Chu Tianshu had confirmed: this ghost, made tangible by the Leak Zone, gained immense destructive power—but also new limitations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His bodily joints had limited mobility, no longer as slippery as when incorporeal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why Chu Tianshu dared close in, temporarily restraining his movements, then slid a hand into his pocket, drew a needle, and slammed it into the ghost scholar’s nape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Between his knuckles, he held a thick needle; after driving most of it in, he pressed his thumb swiftly, forcing the tail in, then pulled his hand back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A muffled explosion echoed from the ghost scholar’s neck, as if a firecracker had detonated inside; his skin swelled on both sides, and he let out a screech like metal scraping glass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small black-red hole appeared on his pale, bluish nape, still smoking faintly green.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu’s coat had two large pockets, each sewn with a leather needle pouch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside were both ordinary silver needles and glass needles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In ancient times, glass was called “medicine liuli” or “medicine jade”—an object used on talismans to signal disturbances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because glass is easily affected by yin energy, in many supernatural events, ordinary people cannot see the impurities—but they see windows trembling or cracking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Likewise, lightbulbs shattering and lights going out—all due to this same cause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu’s glass needles were specially made; though called needles, they were as thick as steel nails, made of hard material, hollow and filled with Zhu Sha, hence also known as Zhu Sha Glass Needles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These needles rarely broke under normal conditions, but when inserted into a ghostly entity and stirred by yin energy, they would explode like firecrackers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhu Sha inside would scatter, causing secondary injury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These needles were expensive, and Chu Tianshu carried only a few—nine in total. During earlier probes, he couldn’t identify the target’s vital points, and the thrown needles had penetrated too shallowly, so he dared not unleash them fully, fearing to alarm the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, with close-range suppression, he moved his hands in rapid succession, driving the entire length of each Zhu Sha Glass Needle deep into the enemy’s body before triggering their explosion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even without striking vital points, damage would still be inflicted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghost scholar’s occiput, nape, and back erupted repeatedly as the Zhu Sha Glass Needles detonated inside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The piercing, brain-splitting scream rapidly faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghost scholar’s body grew faint and translucent, then collapsed into a pale black mist of stinking wind that swept across the ground and slithered beneath the stone tablet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt as though the ghost scholar’s physical form was merely a suit of armor infused with spirit-realm energy, yet still required his own will to animate; once the armor was destroyed, the ghost not only reverted to its original power level but also suffered severe trauma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu’s foot slipped into empty space, and his body plunged downward—but since he had been crouching, not kneeling, his soles landed on shards of glass without serious harm, and he immediately straightened to his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face was flushed and hot; in this icy environment, the white vapor he exhaled was visible to the naked eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, this is your domain—why are you hiding again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard that when a soul falls into the spirit realm and transforms into a ghost, it develops intense hatred and hunger toward the living, while other traits fade, retaining only the most profound aspect of its former self. Is your most profound trait bullying the weak and cowering before the strong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu sighed. “If I became a ghost, I’d tell myself: never be a coward like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A spirit-medium’s mental force stems from the mind and spirit; though it occasionally aids bodily coordination, violently interfering with other bodily functions to catalyze latent potential always carries side effects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghost gate’s reverse-triggered needles could not last longer than ten minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that filthy thing, after suffering heavy damage, had retreated beneath the stone tablet—hard to deal with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After saying a few words, Chu Tianshu realized the thing beneath the tablet no longer reacted to provocation; his eyes hardened, and he began to run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leapt into the air, back arched toward the sky, and kicked both feet simultaneously against the stone tablet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Monkey Kicks Branch, Spins and Lands!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a single kick—even if against a flexible branch that swayed wildly—the body must use the recoil to regain balance, pivoting along the spine as its axis, turning slightly midair to land perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Chu Tianshu’s training was still insufficient; with this kick, the stone tablet lurched violently backward, and when his body rebounded and landed, he lost his footing, stumbling several steps, toes aching, ankles numb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No more legwork—use his hands instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu didn’t pause; he lunged forward, arms extended straight, elbows slightly bent outward, as if forming a circle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was pushing the stone tablet with his hands, but the posture radiated the intent to ram his chest directly into it—the circular arms merely served as a buffer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thrust and slammed, stepped back slightly to absorb force, then thrust again—three or four consecutive pushes before catching his breath, repeating the motion over and over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though thick, this ancient stone tablet had been erected in the late Qing Dynasty, lacking any reinforced concrete foundation; after decades of exposure, it was heavily weathered and covered in moss, clearly shoddily made.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Chu Tianshu’s relentless, forceful pushes, its already small base began to lift from the soil like the roots of an old tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After fewer than thirty pushes, the stone tablet, base included, toppled backward, revealing the dark brown, damp earth beneath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice rose from underground—sharp even through the soil, and tinged with bluster masking fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aren’t you a Daoist priest? Why are you acting so vile? Why not draw talismans or chant incantations? Why not liberate me? What exactly do you want?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu glanced around, picked up a dented metal box, and bent it into the shape of a pointed basket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shut up—I’m here to liberate you. I’m digging up your old… home!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu dug furiously downward, flinging dirt left and right—truly vile in manner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For years before finding the effective medicine, he had spent every night in dreams running wildly, screaming, jumping into water, fleeing, being bitten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Can you expect someone raised like this to have a good temper?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his grandfather always told him: a short temper would easily cost him dearly in human society.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he wouldn’t listen, his grandfather urged him again and again, even said: venting anger on loved ones or strangers is like throwing a punch and hitting the wrong target—how can that bring satisfaction?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu finally understood. As he grew older, he learned to restrain himself—at least to pretend well enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for those who did nothing worthy of being called human, restraint seemed unnecessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For him, this was a vital outlet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, with the medicine’s efficacy declining these past two years and his psychological pressure mounting, he feared he’d become a monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Digging up graves—you’re no son of a proper man, no son of a proper man!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From underground came sharp curses—the optimization of ghostly thought in the Outlier Zone still held; even their insults were coherent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A Daoist is still a scholar—how dare you, vile thief, have not a shred of scholarly dignity? Your fists and feet are like mountain bandits—you’ll surely be condemned by the authorities, beheaded and displayed, flayed alive, left to rot for three days…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu treated it as background music—the more they cursed, the harder he dug.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, he had dug a pit nearly a meter deep—but digging on flat ground was easy at first, hard later; going deeper would be far more difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d need to widen the hole significantly, shaping the sides into a slope, to continue downward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this broken tool and the little time left, it probably wasn’t enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3039,"2026-06-19T20:45:51.976Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a47fce8448275d4b11b70826c529f5f6078225af344d10829571eaaacfed4b49","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-4","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-2",155,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdevouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-cover.jpg"]