Longevity by Grinding Skills

Before Mo Shisan could finish speaking, he was slapped into the muck with a sword scabbard. Qi Huan, his face grim, shook open the Criminal Law Records. "The list of stolen items reported by the Mechanical Hall includes seventeen Thousand Machine Gears, which perfectly matches the debris left in the ruins."

"You, Qi! Don’t you dare try to pin this on the Mechanical Hall! Back then, this Thousand Mechanism Disc was handled by the Foreign Affairs Hall..."

At that, Mo Shisan abruptly fell silent. His gaze shifted to the damaged Thousand Mechanism Disc held by a Night Patrol Disciple from the Hidden Blade Pavilion, and a flicker of hesitation appeared in his eyes.

Finally, without another word, he turned and left.

This was becoming a headache for Qi Huan as well. The matter was too tangled, and with their status, it was impossible to pursue the investigation any further.

"Looks like the Celestial Craft Cave is too big. There are bad apples in every organization."

Xu Yunfan’s voice rang out unhurriedly. Qi Huan’s head snapped up to look at him. He had half a mind to haul Xu Yunfan back for questioning; once inside the Criminal Law Hall, he had no doubt he could make him talk and get the whole story.

But the other man had made it clear that if Qi Huan made a move, he would hold nothing back.

Once Xu Yunfan swung that Thunderfire Qilin Hammer of his to its full potential, the intermingling Thunder Fire would unleash astonishing power. The destruction already wrought on the scene made Qi Huan’s heart lurch.

To say nothing of how the Weapon Casting Hall would react if he actually dragged Xu Yunfan away. He was afraid Zhan Yan himself would show up, Heavy Hammer in hand, to take him back. And if that happened...

...it would no longer be an issue between him and Xu Yunfan. It would be the Hidden Blade Pavilion and the Weapon Casting Hall tearing away all pretenses and declaring open war.

He could not bear that responsibility.

Qi Huan’s eyes narrowed. "Junior Brother Xu, you’re now a suspect. At a time like this, you’d best not wander about. If someone were to... ’apprehend’ you, things could get unpleasant."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yunfan let out a soft laugh.

"What a clumsy attempt to provoke me."

With that, he hefted the Heavy Hammer onto his shoulder, turned, and slowly walked away.

A vein throbbed on Qi Huan’s forehead. He took a long, deep breath, finally managing to calm himself. He turned his head to look at the Fine Steel Sword Box, which now bore the cracks from Xu Yunfan’s grip.

His fingers, gripping his longsword, tapped lightly against the blade, producing a crisp, metallic ring like jade beads falling onto a jade disc.

However, just as he was about to leave, he saw Xu Yunfan charge back, head down, with the Heavy Hammer on his shoulder. Xu Yunfan proceeded to hoist the man-sized, half-shattered Ming Venerable Stone Statue from the ruins and carry it away.

By the time Qi Huan processed what was happening, Xu Yunfan had already rounded the street corner with great strides and vanished from sight.

"XU YUNFAN!!"

Qi Huan could no longer maintain his composure, letting out a furious roar.

-----------------

’An ominous aura lingers around you.’

Xu Yunfan’s knuckles tightened slightly as he stepped into his courtyard. The man-sized Ming Venerable Statue crashed to the ground, its bronze base striking the flagstones with a dull THUD.

He immediately sat on the ground in the Five-Heart Heaven-Facing Form, his hands forming the Linn Character Seal. He silently recited the Supreme Kindness Heart Spell. Before long, his stray thoughts were cleared and his emotions settled. Within his Sea of Consciousness, his Self God emerged from the mists to suppress, purify, and capture the surging gray fog.

’The ominous aura surging toward you is being assimilated by the Linn Character Technique and converted into a highly beneficial spiritual supplement.’

’...’

Notifications for increased Skill Level popped up one after another, nearly flooding his vision in an instant.

The moment the gray fog, which reeked of rot and soil, touched the Seal Technique, it was like ice falling into a Melting Furnace. It transformed into a gentle, warm current that seeped into his brain.

Xu Yunfan could clearly perceive each thread of converted Spiritual Power as it flowed through his Sea of Consciousness, weaving through it like a silver needle in embroidery.

’The ominous aura has dissipated.’

As the final notification appeared in his vision, Xu Yunfan opened his eyes, his face breaking into a delighted smile.

He looked over and saw that the Ming Venerable Statue, which had already been missing most of its head, was now shattered to pieces, its spiritual presence completely gone.

In that short time, his Skill Level had risen by twenty points—nearly equal to three months of arduous practice.

When the bronze base of the statue had slammed into the flagstones, Xu Yunfan had smelled rust mixed with the scent of aged pine resin—a stark contrast to the crude earthenware effigies he had destroyed back in Wuzhou.

When those other so-called Ming Venerable Statues shattered, they only released puffs of sulfurous black smoke, nothing that compared to the bone-deep chill that had just climbed his spine.

The members of the Celestial Pivot Start Sect spoke of these Wild Evil Gods with utter disdain, clearly holding them in contempt.

But if they were truly so pathetic, how could they have built up the massive Incense and Candle Sect, openly incited a war across all of Wuzhou, and turned an entire province into a scorched wasteland?

"Junior Brother Xu, are you alright?"

Fu Jin’s voice carried from a distance. Xu Yunfan’s expression flickered, and he turned his head just in time to see Fu Jin vaulting over the wall.

Fu Jin’s black, open-chested robes whipped in the air as he landed, the force of his arrival inadvertently shattering three of the wall’s bricks. He, too, was carrying a pair of hammers: the Eight-Petaled Double Gua Hammer.

Xu Yunfan’s gaze flickered.

He saw that Fu Jin’s temples were still flecked with wet blood, and the roiling Blood Qi around him had yet to subside, radiating heat like a furnace.

When Fu Jin saw the shattered Ming Venerable Statue at Xu Yunfan’s feet, he shuddered violently. He strode forward and kicked the remains of the statue, reducing it to dust.

"Senior Brother, what’s wrong?"

Xu Yunfan watched in bewilderment as Fu Jin reacted as if he were facing a mortal enemy.

"Junior Brother, why would you bring this thing back here?"

Only after confirming that nothing was amiss did Fu Jin finally let out a breath of relief and turn to question him.

When he learned that Xu Yunfan had destroyed over twenty similar Ming Venerable Statues back in Wuzhou, Fu Jin’s twitching eyebrows finally relaxed.

"Junior Brother, these things are seriously bad news. You should stay as far away from them as possible. For us Martial Artists, talk of gods and ghosts may seem like mere trickery, but it’s still best to keep a respectful distance."

"Senior Brother, the statues I destroyed in Wuzhou were very different from this one I got from the Incense and Candle Sect. This one had a sinister, cold aura, so I wanted to study it."

"Hm?!"

Fu Jin’s eyes suddenly went wide. He hastily tossed his twin hammers aside and began frantically patting Xu Yunfan down from head to toe.

"Are you alright?"

"Of course I’m fine. Couldn’t be better."

Only then did Fu Jin relax, but he repeatedly warned Xu Yunfan never to go near these things of Evil Nature on his own again. "If you find one, the best thing to do is flare your Blood Qi and smash it to bits with your hammer."

Xu Yunfan agreed, then pressed on with a question. "Back when I was in Qingzhou, at the Thousand Buddha Temple, I saw an Eight-armed Three-headed Power Awakening Bodhisattva Statue. Something similar happened then—the statue cracked open on its own, and a huge cloud of Black Qi poured out, turning an old monk into something like a Demon Fiend."

"At the time, people were calling it a Wild Evil God. What’s the story behind them?"

Fu Jin frowned and thought for a moment before answering, "These Wild Evil Gods are a great scourge upon the world. The Celestial Craft Cave has ancient texts about them. They say these are beings who were once immensely powerful experts, unwilling to accept death. They found ways to inhabit new vessels and sustain themselves on the faith of worshippers."

"The fervent spiritual devotion of their followers is the perfect nourishment for them."

At this, Fu Jin sneered.

"These Wild Evil Gods are all waiting for the Heaven and Earth Secret Power to re-emerge, for the Primordial Spirit to rise once more, so they can reclaim their former glory. They will stop at nothing to achieve this goal—inciting their followers, manufacturing wars... all of it leaves the common people displaced and their bones littering the fields."