Chapter Nineteen: The Celestial Ultimate "Secret of the Character of Movement"

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“Seal and collect a centennial Chang ghost. Reward: three years of cultivation.”

“Three years of cultivation: The strength a host would normally gain from practicing their own technique for three years—variable, not fixed.”

...

“Seal and collect a one-year Chang ghost. Reward: ten days of cultivation.”

“Ten days of cultivation: The strength a host would normally gain from practicing their own technique for ten days—variable, not fixed.”

...

“Seal and collect a one-year Chang ghost. Reward: ten days of cultivation.”

“Ten days of cultivation: The strength a host would normally gain from practicing their own technique for ten days—variable, not fixed.”

...

By this point, Lin Yi was increasingly certain: most of these Chang ghosts were centennial spirits, each able to grant three years’ worth of cultivation power. However, a few only provided ten days’ worth, which Lin Yi guessed meant these ghosts had only recently formed—likely the recently deceased, missing tourists.

One Chang ghost, two Chang ghosts—in no time, Lin Yi eradicated seven or eight. Thanks to the rewards from the “God-Slaying Sutra,” his cultivation energy increased by fifteen years and thirty days.

Exhilarating—truly exhilarating!

Countless streams of power, transformed by the “God-Slaying Sutra” into radiant, multicolored light, poured into the crown of Lin Yi’s head, spreading throughout his entire body.

After the resounding “crack, crack” of transformation, the “Great Cavern True Scripture,” which had once flowed like a trickling brook, was now a mighty river, surging unstoppably within him, resonating like the tolling of a great bell, its momentum boundless!

The unceasing rush of this internal torrent thrilled Lin Yi. His flesh and bones underwent yet another profound change.

Three dantians—three energy cores—had even begun to take shape!

By the time he had destroyed thirty-one Chang ghosts, the “God-Slaying Sutra” had bestowed upon him an increase of twenty-seven years and two hundred and twenty days of cultivation energy.

Twenty-seven years’ worth of strength! This was no trivial matter.

Previously, after consuming a Body Tempering Pill, Lin Yi’s physical realm had advanced by a small stage, granting him several years’ worth of cultivation energy. Now, with the recent gains added, his overall strength had grown by at least thirty years.

Moreover, this newly attained power was all refined by the “Great Cavern True Scripture.” By Lin Yi’s estimation, it was equivalent to what others would achieve after sixty years of cultivation.

He reckoned that now, with a single punch, he could annihilate even an A-class demon or ghost.

He was, by any measure, a first-rate expert.

Previously, An Miaoyi had clearly informed Lin Yi that a master-level cultivator would develop something called a “domain”—in short, a field of power.

Lin Yi had yet to reach this threshold; he knew he was not yet the mightiest among masters. But passing the test would now be a simple matter.

The final blow, Lin Yi reserved for the Chang ghost known as Lin Changsheng.

This Lin Changsheng was exactly as Li Zhancheng had described: missing half a head, a single incomplete eyeball—a shadowy specter.

Once these Chang ghosts were destroyed, the tiger ghost was left utterly dumbfounded.

Now, its crimson eyes shone with nothing but confusion, incomprehension, shock, and terror.

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After letting out several howling cries, the tiger ghost unexpectedly charged at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi had assumed this beast would try to escape. Instead, it chose to attack.

A smile flickered at the corner of Lin Yi’s mouth.

As his cultivation surged like a raging river, Lin Yi felt the flow of energy condensing into countless minuscule particles, purifying his body until it was utterly spotless, leaving him with a sensation of immaculate clarity.

Lin Yi could sense his own transformation.

With three dantians working in unison, the energy flooding his body seemed to form layers of these particles, some almost ready to detach from his physical form.

Not yet fully separated—but soon, he thought. Once this happened, he would understand what “domain” meant and become a true master!

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

Brilliant, scorching white light radiated from Lin Yi’s body.

When he had thrown his punches earlier, he’d noticed that this white light, even before making contact, would incinerate a Chang ghost to ashes.

Confident, Lin Yi waited as the tiger ghost charged, then aimed a punch straight at its head, intending to burn it to nothing in a single blow.

But he was mistaken.

Mid-leap, the tiger ghost screeched to a halt in midair, spun around, and lashed out with its tail.

As the tail whipped through the air, Lin Yi noticed it abruptly severed in mid-swing.

And the tiger ghost spun and fled!

A maneuver as sly as it was swift.

There was no way Lin Yi would let it escape.

Wasting no time, he dashed after the fleeing tiger ghost. The difference in speed was instantly apparent—Lin Yi was faster, much faster!

In the blink of an eye, he’d caught up.

The severed tail twisted through the air, suddenly morphing into the head of a small tiger, which looked almost endearing.

But as Lin Yi passed by the little tiger’s head, it transformed abruptly—fierce energy surging forth, its head swelling, bristling with jagged fangs glinting with a sinister black light, foul stench pouring from its maw.

The tiger’s tail possessed the power of illusion!

The now-enormous head snapped toward Lin Yi, attempting to bite down.

Meanwhile, the main body of the tiger ghost, seeing this, relaxed—for a heartbeat.

But then, glancing back, it was struck with terror: Lin Yi had already smashed the tiger’s head with a single punch.

The tiger ghost had never dreamed that its fail-proof technique would fail here.

That head, though capable of independent existence, was fundamentally a part of the tiger ghost. As it was destroyed, the beast spat out gouts of crimson mist, the color of fresh blood.

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“My fate is sealed,” thought the tiger ghost.

But fear overwhelmed it—its only desire now was to escape!

It longed to live, not to vanish completely, even in spirit.

Yet how could Lin Yi possibly spare it so easily?

His speed now far surpassed the tiger ghost’s. In a flash, he caught up, striking at its waist.

Blinding white light flared, so intense it could not be faced.

As Lin Yi approached, the tiger ghost felt the overwhelming heat radiating from him—pure, scorching energy, more powerful than anything it had ever encountered, corroding its very form.

Once, the tiger had become a ghost only because it had devoured too many humans and attained a measure of cultivation. Yet even so, it could only linger here, on the shadowy side of Twin Dragon Mountain, near this cave soaked in yin energy—thanks only to the arrival of the red mist, which altered the world with its sinister force.

Otherwise, it would never have survived.

Now, however, its very skin felt as if it were being boiled off. The cursed power sustaining its form was failing.

Slowly, as Lin Yi’s fist struck its waist, a wet sound rang out, and the tiger ghost felt its entire body shatter, fragmenting into pieces—until its consciousness faded away entirely.

Lin Yi had not expected to slay the tiger ghost with a single blow.

“You… you’ll regret this… Those… those great fiends… will avenge me… Your human race—all of you—will die, devoured in the end…”

As the monstrous tiger faded into multicolored light, it suddenly uttered these words—claiming great fiends would take vengeance on its behalf!

Lin Yi’s expression remained calm.

He frowned, glancing first at the vanishing, translucent form of the tiger ghost, then at his own glowing fist.

“Saitama from ‘One Punch Man’ grew strong, but lost his hair—luckily I haven’t gone bald, and I’m growing stronger by the day. The ‘Great Cavern True Scripture’ is truly extraordinary; its power radiates with pure, blazing yang energy, instantly incinerating any evil aura it touches. But my fighting style is all speed and power—there are no special moves in the ‘Great Cavern True Scripture.’ ‘God-Slaying Sutra,’ oh ‘God-Slaying Sutra,’ now that the tiger ghost is dead, can you grant me some rewards in that regard?”

Pages flipped rapidly in the “God-Slaying Sutra,” as if in answer.

Soon, on one page, the previously gray and lifeless image of a tiger burst into brilliant color, coming alive.

“Seal and collect the three-hundred-and-thirty-three-year Tiger Ghost. Reward: Heaven-rank superior speed technique, ‘Secret of Movement.’ Reward: Profound-rank superior artifact, Tiger Ghost Head Blade.”

“Heaven-rank superior speed technique, ‘Secret of Movement’: This technique is the highest level of movement skill. Mastery enables one to traverse the world; at the highest level, one can cross space and time, walking in realms unknown to others! It far surpasses all other speed techniques of its rank. ‘Move, move, and move again; always swift, always ahead—the Secret of Movement carries me across the world!’”

“Profound-rank superior artifact, Tiger Ghost Head Blade: Contains the essence of the Tiger Ghost. When wielded, there is a high probability of manifesting a tiger ghost’s head, capable of biting and devouring enemies.”

...

Lin Yi was momentarily stunned, then overwhelmed with joy!

Just when he needed it most, the perfect reward arrived. For slaying the two-hundred-and-thirty-three-year-old Tiger Ghost, he’d received the Heaven-rank superior speed technique “Secret of Movement” and a Profound-rank superior artifact—the Tiger Ghost Head Blade!

At last, he no longer had to fight barehanded!