Chapter 142: 142 Ghost Carriage
In the cave, Shi Xiaole sat cross-legged, in front of him were thirteen small stones that looked very ordinary.
"Any realm must be broken through in one fell swoop, otherwise, the second attempt will only be more difficult than the previous one."
Discarding distracting thoughts, Shi Xiaole didn’t use his free draw this month and spent two days adjusting his state to its peak.
Then, he picked up the first Mystic Crystal Stone and began to slowly absorb the spiritual energy from it.
Boom!
His internal power was already at its limit. The moment any more spiritual energy was added, it immediately boiled within his body, almost automatically triggering the next breakthrough, which led Shi Xiaole to quickly suppress it through exercise.
The so-called accumulating before releasing. Only by completely absorbing all the Mystic Crystal Stones, and breaking the barrier in one fell swoop, could he maximize the success rate of the breakthrough.
The second one.
The third one.
...
A cold frosty night, under the sparse moonlight and stars.
A carriage pulled by three horses was running silently in the wilderness.
The carriage was three times larger than the normal size and was covered in black, even the bells that hung on the eaves were black. The sound of the bells was not crisp, but instead, it contained a creepy eeriness that made people shiver.
The scariest part was that the carriage was dragging nine copper coffins arranged in three rows behind it.
A strong smell of pine spread with the carriage, permeating a ghostly and terrifying atmosphere in all directions.
"Look, what is that?"
"It seems like..."
Not far away, two travelers of the Martial World who were traveling at night saw this scene.
One of them pondered and then seemed to think of something. His whole body shivered as if electrocuted, his scalp numbed, and his face turned pale. He seized his companion’s hand and wanted to run.
"Long and winding is the Martial World’s path, who truly understands another’s heart. Since the two of you are fated to be here, why leave?"
A voice that was neither righteous nor evil, neither male nor female, whispered into their ears.
Crack.
A Black Hand extended from the dark and instantly snapped the throats of the two travelers.
However, if there were a third person present, they would discover that the two travelers had actually choked each other.
"Brought peace to two more fated souls, how wonderful!"
The Ghost Carriage silently disappeared into the distance, leaving behind only a faint sigh.
Over the next few days, news of travelers in the Martial World dying in the wilderness of the Floating River Area was repeatedly reported.
Those who died all had a look of terror on their faces, their pupils constricted as if they had seen the most terrifying thing in the world before their death.
Some renowned masters refused to believe and vowed to find the murderer. Not long after, their bodies were also found in the wilderness.
What really pushed the matter to the boiling point, however, was the annihilation of the Tianyuan Sect.
As a quasi-first-rate force in the Floating River Area, Tianyuan Sect was filled with masters. The Sect Master was a master at the ninth tier of Qi Absorption. Among the elders and Protectors, there were also many masters of high-stage Qi Absorption.
To annihilate the Tianyuan Sect in one night, silent and without leaving a single survivor. Even if several top forces joined hands, they might not be able to do it.
But somehow, it happened.
"I once saw a black carriage pulling nine copper coffins flying across the sky, scattering petals everywhere, and then everyone died."
Someone said with a trembling voice.
When others went to verify, the person saying it had already disappeared, their fate unknown.
"Could it be... the legendary Ghost Carriage?"
Who knows who exclaimed such a sentence, sparking a tremor in the Floating River Area.
These four words were like a curse. Anyone who heard them was terrified, their very souls quaking. As a result, the usually bold and willful travelers were so frightened that they dared not go out at night.
It was not until two days later when people saw several top-level forces team up and kill a Devil Path master who pretended to ride the Ghost Carriage, that everyone in the Martial World breathed a sigh of relief.
"I said, that carriage, that person disappeared long ago. How could it reappear in the world?"
"It was annihilated six hundred years ago. These damn Devil Path monsters must be trying to confuse the world, so they can exploit the situation."
"Ha ha ha, as long as it’s not that carriage, everything else can be discussed. With the righteous masters making a move, why should we worry?"
In the inns, restaurants, streets and alleys, voices of discussions by people from the Martial World can be heard. However, most of them were quite relaxed, with a sense of relief after a false alarm.
...
Mountain Hui, the largest mountain in the Floating River Area.
The top of the mountain was shrouded in clouds and fog, with a stone table and four stone chairs set up.
Four people sat facing each other.
If there were martial arts practitioners here, they would be greatly surprised. Because these four people were the heads of the four top-level forces in the Floating River Area.
"Something about this whole thing feels strange."
One of the men frowned and spoke.
"What’s so strange about it? We were the ones who killed the guy, there can be no mistake about that."
Another person immediately retorted, leaving the first man speechless.
"The incident from the past has had too great an impact on our future generations, it’s never wrong to be cautious. However, that person was killed by the Martial Emperor himself. There’s no need for doubt."
The sole woman smiled and spoke.
"Let’s not discuss this matter in public anymore, so as not to cause panic. But behind the scenes, let’s continue to send people to investigate for a while longer."
Finally, the man with the strongest aura made the decision.
To be honest, the matter of the Ghost Carriage had already far exceeded their abilities. Fortunately, the matter had already spread. They believed that for some people with intentions, it would attract their attention.
...
Within an unnamed cave, a breath fluctuated between strong and weak.
"Just a bit more."
Shi Xiaole gritted his teeth, completely drenched in sweat.
He originally thought this breakthrough would be smooth, hadn’t expected an accident midway. He nearly slipped into madness, nearly wasted all his previous efforts.
Fortunately, the Purple Light Divine Skill was powerful, had it been any ordinary third-rate Internal Power, the pulse would have been severed.
"My progression in cultivation is too rapid; my body is failing to keep up."
A gifted individual generally requires at least 4-5 years to transit from the Third tier of Hidden Qi to the First tier of Qi Absorption, allowing ample time for their physique to adapt. On the contrary, Shi Xiaole managed to make this transit within a year.
A flash of determination spurred Shi Xiaole to marshal his Purple Light internal power for a full-force surge.
Boom!
An unseen barrier was penetrated. Shi Xiaole’s internal power abruptly expanded, rapidly circulating within his body with the force of a landslide, causing dull aches in his meridians.
This was the sign of reaching the physical limit.
After a long while, Shi Xiaole opened his eyes, ablaze with radiant light.
"It seems, the early stage of Second-Tier Qi Absorption is my current limit. If I want to continue making breakthroughs, strengthening my body is the top priority."
Clenching his fist, Shi Xiaole’s frustration quickly dissipated.
At this very moment, Shi Xiaole finally advanced to the Second-Tier Qi Absorption. He felt an endless surge of power coursing through his body and couldn’t help punching out lightly.
Thud!
The force of Shi Xiaole’s punch sent pebbles scattering in all directions.
Originally, Shi Xiaole’s internal power was nearly on par with an early Fifth-Tier Qi Absorption expert. But now, he was shoulder to shoulder with a peak Fifth-Tier expert.
Moreover, when combined with the Purple Light Divine Skill, the intensity of his internal power was not inferior to an early Sixth-Tier expert.
Shi Xiaole was confident, given another chance to fight with the likes of the Barefoot Old Man, he wouldn’t even need to use the Blood Battle Ten Forms. He could defeat the opponent with just a few strokes.
Stretching his arms, Shi Xiaole stood up from the ground. Only then did he realize, his blue robe seemed shorter.
Actually, the blue robe hadn’t become shorter, but Shi Xiaole had grown taller.
Although his body is only sixteen years old, it corresponds to a height of 1.75 meters in his previous life. He had a tall and slender figure, which was perfect.
Thinking that he had been eating wild fruits to stave off hunger these past days, he felt his stomach rumbling. He wished he could immediately head to the city to binge, and get himself some new clothes while he was at it.
Will City, one of the three major cities in the Floating River Area.
In an expansive tavern, a youthful man in a brand-new blue robe, as gentle as jade, held a wine goblet while listening to the conversations of nearby patrons.
Ghost Carriage?
Shi Xiaole raised his thick eyebrows.
In the Martial World, it’s doubtful there was anyone who didn’t know these four characters.
Because six hundred years ago, in that glorious age filled with experts, those four characters still enkindled fear in many, causing their spirits to tremble.
They represented a dark, evil, and bloody history.
No one knew where the Ghost Carriage had come from, and even less knew who was inside. All they knew was, when it appeared, bloodshed and carnage were to follow.
In the era when the Ghost Carriage roamed freely, the Devil Path ran rampant while the Righteous Path languished. The Martial World was on the brink of despair.
Fortunately, a martial emperor was born, who swept through like a powerhouse, eliminating all evils. He eventually led the Righteous Path to defeat the Devil Path, and even managed to kill the owner of the Ghost Carriage after ten days and nights of fierce battle.
That man was the Martial Emperor.
Shi Xiaole couldn’t believe that while he had been in seclusion, news of the re-emergence of the Ghost Carriage would break out in the Martial World.
"A Devil Path expert impersonating?"
Upon hearing this. Shi Xiaole experienced a strange feeling but couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.
Shaking his head, he decided not to dwell on it.
No matter the truth of the matter, someone else was always present for such situations, so there was no need for him to bother.
He used last month’s free draw opportunity and acquired a third-rate mid-rank Sky Mountain Sword technique. Shi Xiaole got up and headed to the outskirts of the city, towards Will Mountain.
Will Mountain, standing 777 meters tall and 200 meters wide, with only a ten-meter difference between the foot and peak of the mountain. From afar, it looked like a gigantic cylinder covered in vegetation.
One could walk to the peak of the mountain and thereby reach the headquarters of Will Sect, via man-made stone steps from the foot of the mountain.
"Halt, who goes there!"
The two Will Sect experts guarding the entrance saw someone approaching and immediately shouted.
"Sirs, this is my visiting card. I would like to meet Sect Master Shangguan."
The youth in the blue robe, with jet-black hair and jade-like face, stood casual but radiated an extraordinary charm.
"Unless you are the sect master of a major sect, a martial arts senior, or have an urgent matter, you cannot meet the Sect Master immediately unless you pass our test," said the thin-faced man on the left after eyeing Shi Xiaole.
"Test?"
Shi Xiaole was taken aback.
"If everyone who wished to see the Sect Master could see him, then the Sect Master wouldn’t be able to do anything else," said the other expert.
Shi Xiaole nodded, "When will Sect Master Shangguan be free?"
He would prefer not to undergo any test if possible.
"The Sect Master is always busy. You can leave your visiting card here and come back in a month," the thin-faced man coldly replied.
