Chapter 108: Chapter 108: Soul Transfer Great Method
"You would dare to kill a disciple of the Justice Sect in front of me?"
Lu Erfeng stared at Shi Xiaole, greatly astonished and struggling to recover.
The Four Outstanding Youths of the Cloud Triangle were no ordinary warriors.
By the age of seventeen, he had already broken through to the first level of the Qi Absorption phase, surpassing the standards of first-class prodigies. Among all the young people under the age of twenty-five in the Cloud Triangle, he could be considered top-notch.
Until now, Lu Erfeng never believed that many could contend with him at the same level.
The idea of being repelled easily in the first move had never crossed his mind.
"He who kills shall be killed."
Through the copper mask, Shi Xiaole’s slightly hoarse voice echoed. He turned to leave.
"Thinking of leaving? Get past me first."
Most geniuses have high spirits and pride, and Lu Erfeng was no exception. He stubbornly believed that he must have been caught off guard to have been in a disadvantageous position.
The long knife rose, the energy surged, and Lu Erfeng soared into the air. His body merged with the knife into a single line, descending upon Shi Xiaole.
Clang!
As their swords collided, both men retreated simultaneously. It looked like they on equal footing.
But Lu Erfeng’s eyes grew even redder.
He had used his top-notch knife technique, yet the opponent seemed to be just using basic sword moves, likely to not reveal his identity.
"Qiankun Detached Saber!"
With a loud roar, Lu Erfeng swing his arm at an incredibly high speed, the long saber in his hand seemed detaching from the air, combined with his flying skill, it unleashed a barrage of blade lights.
These blade lights were like rolling silk or splendid brocade, incessant and pervasive, they swooped towards Shi Xiaole, blocking all his paths of escape.
Shi Xiaole’s expression underneath the mask did not change. His left hand was hidden behind his back, making constant gestures, while his right hand gently thrusted his sword forward.
Boom...
His chaotic blade lights shattered instantly, yet Shi Xiaole’s sword did not stop. At the last second, it drew across Lu Erfeng’s wrist, knocking off his saber.
"Continue your foolishness, and die."
Leaving these words behind, Shi Xiaole vanished with a leap.
Lu Erfeng stood there dumbfounded, his face crimson with both shock and shame.
He had been humiliated like this for the first time at the same strength. Facing that masked man, he had not been able to mount any resistance at all.
Equally surprised was Zhu Xiuling, who stood in the shadows.
Due to getting dressed and made-up, Zhu Xiuling did not go to the front yard, so she saw the unfortunate incident.
The only difference was that from the indomitable demeanor of the masked man and his sword technique, Zhu Xiuling faintly guessed his identity.
This speculation made her heart surge with tumultuous waves.
Thump Thump Thump.
In just about ten moments, a group of the Zhu family’s guards rushed into the courtyard. They had been patrolling nearby and had heard the commotion.
"Young Master Lu, what happened?"
The lead guard looked at Li Zhichong on the ground and asked.
Lu Erfeng was just about to speak when a voice cut in: "Earlier, a Devil Path master arrived and killed Brother Li."
From amidst the wisps of fragrance, the dazzlingly beautiful Zhu Xiuling dressed in white, stepped forward.
"What, a Devil Path master? May I ask Miss, how powerful was he?"
The leader of the guard had a solemn look on his face.
"He was on the peak of the ninth level of Qi Absorption."
Zhu Xiuling said.
Lu Erfeng’s body shook, and his gaze towards Zhu Xiuling was filled with gratitude.
Could it be that... Senior Sister Zhu is intentionally exaggerating the enemy’s strength in order to preserve my reputation? She must be. Seems like she also...
Lu Erfeng, who was downcast a moment ago, now blushed in excitement and his back grew straighter.
"Let’s keep this matter quiet for now, as it is grandfather’s birthday feast today. I don’t want anyone ruining his mood."
Zhu Xiuling gave the orders to the guards. Only then did they move Li Zhichong’s body to properly handle the arrangements.
To Zhu Xiuling, Li Zhichong was simply one of the many disciples of the Justice Sect and his recent performance on the ship had disgusted her.
Although she didn’t know why Shi Xiaole wanted to kill Li Zhichong, she covered for him today which might be of some use in the future.
Even if it turned to be of no use, Zhu Xiuling wouldn’t lose anything.
"Senior Sister Zhu, I..."
Lu Erfeng hesitated.
"Brother Lu, as long as you work hard, I believe you will be able to avenge today’s humiliation."
Zhu Xiuling said softly.
Lu Erfeng nodded heavily. Even just for this woman he admired, he would find that masked man to redeem today’s humiliation.
After a great deal of twisting and turning, Shi Xiaole returned to the inn. Immediately, he burned the purple robe and the black clothes he had been wearing to ashes, and the sword he had used was discarded along the way.
Then, he changed into his green robe, re-equipped his swords, and left the inn.
Half a 2-hour period later, Shi Xiaole once again entered the ’Know Everything’ of Dark Alley, not to buy intelligence, but to inquire about those words "He Bugui" carved into the bones under Mingliu Villa.
...
The news of Li Zhichong’s death did not become widely known. Above all, under the testimony of Zhu Xiuling and Lu Erfeng, all those who knew about it intended the Devil Path master with nine layers of Qi Absorption.
Under such a premise, even with the Justice Sect and Li’s family sending a large number of people for investigation, the case ended without any resolution.
Of all this, Shi Xiaole knew nothing.
At this moment, he sat under a Weeping Crabapple tree atop a mountain peak, comprehending the martial arts techniques he had drawn this month.
The morning mist carried a hint of moisture, and amid the haze, the figure in the green shirt under the red crabapple tree seemed somewhat illusory.
At some point, Shi Xiaole’s eyes opened, flickering with a mysterious glow that was addicting to look at, as if it was absorbing the soul.
After a long while, the mysterious light disappeared.
"Soul Transfer Great Method, finally reached the Transformation Phase completion, I wonder what the effect will be."
Shi Xiaole was quite lucky a few days ago; he actually drew the Soul Transfer Great Method from the Nine Yin Scripture this month.
The Soul Transfer Great Method was a type of Captivating Heart Skill, similar to the hypnotism of his previous life. In this world, it was a very rare Pupil Skill.
In the system’s rating, the grade of the Soul Transfer Great Method was not high; it was only a third-class top-grade. However, thinking about it, it made sense.
According to the description of the Soul Transfer Great Method in the Martial World, the strength of this technique depended entirely on the sensing power of the mind.
In a duel, if the practitioner’s martial arts were superior, there was no need to use this technique. If one’s martial arts were inferior, they wouldn’t dare to use it rashly for fear of it backfiring.
So, in the eyes of many, the effect of the Soul Transfer Great Method seemed somewhat superfluous.
However, when all these were applied to Shi Xiaole, things were quite different.
Perhaps due to the fusion of souls, Shi Xiaole’s mind was much stronger than ordinary people. As a result, the Soul Transfer Great Method he cultivated had effects far beyond its original capability.
What’s most astonishing was that in merely ten days, he managed to cultivate the Soul Transfer Great Method to completion.
You must know, among the martial artists, it’s extremely rare for one to cultivate Pupil Skills. Even a genius in Pupil Skills would need several months at least to cultivate a top-grade third-class Pupil Skill to completion.
Li Zhichong of the past took a full six months to cultivate the Spirit Locking Great Method to completion.
Unfortunately, when compared to Shi Xiaole’s pace, this speed didn’t seem worth mentioning.
"Young Master, good morning."
Not far away, a burly big man came over, a smile on his face.
Shi Xiaole also smiled at him.
The big man was a member of a nearby bandit village. Before Shi Xiaole settled here in search of solitude to practice his Soul Transfer Great Method, the big man would come here every day to practice martial arts.
The big man was straightforward. Seeing that Shi Xiaole was alone, he would share half of his hunted game with him every time.
After a few times, feeling embarrassed, Shi Xiaole saw his clumsy fist techniques and gave him some guidance. In time, the two of them became good friends.
"Young Master, the Hundred Flowers Fist Technique you taught me is amazing. Now, I can fight ten people at once. As long as I keep going, I can definitely protect the people in our village from being oppressed."
With a grateful smile, the big man began his daily monotonous practice facing the rising sun. There was no resentment on his face, only anticipation for the future.
After watching for a while, Shi Xiaole chuckled and closed his eyes, resuming his cultivation of the Soul Transfer Great Technique.
In the blink of an eye, five days passed.
On this day, an invisible fluctuation spread from Shi Xiaole, startling the big man who was practicing his boxing technique. When he turned his head and looked into the former’s eyes, his head felt dizzy for a moment.
"This Young Master, he really is mysterious."
The big man couldn’t help but mutter. In his eyes, Shi Xiaole was definitely a famous young hero in the Martial World, judging by his demeanor alone.
"At last, the Soul Transfer Great Method is complete."
Looking at the birds in the Crabapple tree, Shi Xiaole was eager to test the power of Soul Transfer Great Method. With a thought, a strange glow lit up in his eyes.
Chirp, Chirp.
The bird suddenly flapped its wings, but clearly lacked the strength, and fell from the tree.
Through repeated testing, Shi Xiaole drew a conclusion.
When the distance between the two parties was within one zhang (3.58 meters), the bird had no resistance. More than one zhang away, the resistance became noticeably stronger. And if it was over three zhang, it had almost no effect on the bird.
"People have stronger mental will and are more immune to the Soul Transfer Great Method. However, even so, it can still be a trump card."
The use of Pupil Skills lies in catching the opponent off guard.
Shi Xiaole believed that, with the sudden use of his mind’s power, his opponent would be taken by surprise, unless their mental will was truly strong to a certain degree.
Having finished cultivating Soul Transfer Great Method, Shi Xiaole prepared to set off on his journey.
Knowing that he was leaving, the big man felt very reluctant, and repeatedly invited him to be a guest in his village in appreciation for his teachings, but was politely declined by Shi Xiaole.
With no other option, the big man had to leave regretfully.
In the blackness of night, the mountains appeared desolate under the moonlight.
"Young Master..."
While walking on the mountain path, Shi Xiaole suddenly heard an extremely weak voice. Looking towards it, he saw the big man in a pile of grass in the distance.
Only at this moment, he was covered in blood with his burly body convulsing.
