Chapter 9: Waiting for the Dark Ghost
Upon entering the center hall, Xia Wenhui and the Master of the Twin Swords stood on the left side of the hall. As everyone entered, Xia Wenhui took a step forward, smiling ingratiatingly at Meng Yuqiong and said, "Sister Yuqiong, let's wait here until midnight. The area behind is untouched for a long time, filled with snakes, insects, and rodents."
Though Meng Yuqiong and Xu Jinyi were both familiar with the martial world, they couldn't help but slightly pale at the mention of snakes, insects, and rodents. The two girls turned to Xu Tianqi, their eyes and expressions indicating their reluctance to go further. Especially Xu Jinyi, who almost blurted it out, but still wanted to respect Fifth Brother and let him decide.
Xu Tianqi, softened by the pleading eyes of the beauties, immediately said, "Most encounters with ghosts happened in the center hall before. We should wait here. Come, Sister Yuqiong, let's go sit over there."
Seeing this, Xia Wenhui stepped forward and said, "Sister Yuqiong, that area is the cleanest place I have been observing for a long time, and I even cleaned all the chairs." He proudly waved a piece of cloth as if it was his own.
Shi Xuan actually admired this guy a bit, for the lengths he went to pursue a woman, he was really good at being humble, truly embodying the essence of the word "small" in the phrase "Pan Lu Deng Xiao Xian." The difference between an expert using palm wind to sweep away dust regardless of their own image, and tearing off their own clothes to clean a chair lies in the effort put into it.
Even though Meng Yuqiong didn't respond out of consideration for Xu Tianqi's face, the tension in her expression relaxed a bit from earlier when she heard about snakes, bugs, and ants.
Xu Tianqi glared fiercely at Xia Wenhui, but didn't take any further action. It seemed like he lacked experience in this area, no wonder he was ranked among the top twenty young experts in the martial arts world but couldn't stand up to Xia Wenhui, who clearly lacked strength.
Luckily, Xu Tianqi had a caring little sister, Xu Jinyi, who pulled him towards where the two elders, Xia Wenhui and the others, were located but further back in the corridor. She gestured for Xu Tianqi to directly wipe a chair with his sleeve, then turned to Meng Yuqiong and waved, "Yuqiong sister, come over here, it's very clean."
Meng Yuqiong smiled at Xia Wenhui and thanked him, then gestured towards Xu Jinyi and walked over. Xia Wenhui's face grew even paler as he followed behind.
As there were only about four or five chairs left in the whole hall, Shi Xuan saw Xu Tianqi being busy with his attentions, while others were treating him like air. He took out a dust removal talisman from his hidden pocket, held it in his hand, quickly walked a few steps to the chair near Meng Yuqiong, not too far away. He concealed his hand in his sleeve, directly stimulated the talisman with soul power, and pretended to use palm force to sweep the ground. Various debris and dust on the ground flew out towards the corridor direction, instantly revealing a large clean area.
Shi Xuan sat down cross-legged without a care. Other people only shifted their attention when they saw debris and dust flying. Except for Xu Tianqi who knew Shi Xuan's background, everyone else was quite surprised. Considering Shi Xuan's age, he was at most a novice in martial arts, but the effect he just displayed was almost comparable to a master who had accumulated inner energy for many years.
Xu Jinyi widened her eyes, took a while to react, and then said, "Senior Brother Shi, you lied to me just now, I was feeling proud in front of you, you're so mean!"
Shi Xuan laughed and said, "I'm not lying to you. My martial arts skills are really no match for Senior Brother Xu."
Xu Jinyi suddenly realized and said, "Oh, so you're also close to breaking through the first meridian of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. It's nothing, Senior Brother Shi. My Fifth Brother has more experience in fighting from traveling in the martial world. I was feeling quite proud just now."
Practicing cultivation is not well-known except to a few people. So not only did Xu Jinyi not think about it, but from Meng Yuqiong, Mu Jin, Xia Wenhui, and two elders' expressions, they all accepted Xu Jinyi's words. But everyone's attention towards Shi Xuan increased noticeably.
Shi Xuan thought there was a misunderstanding, so he said, "Sister Jinyi, I wasn't as skilled as you at your age."
Xu Jinyi listened and playfully responded, "Hehe, I'll give you credit for being honest."
As Shi Xuan cleared a large area, Xu Tianqi and Mu Jin also sat down cross-legged. Xu Tianqi remained within half a step of Meng Yuqiong and Xu Jinyi's chairs. He then whispered to Shi Xuan, "By the way, the Twin Sword Killers was rumored a few years ago to have unblocked five of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians in the Gan Long Area. These years have passed, so his cultivation has probably reached a higher level. Even if he's not a top expert, he's not far off."
To unblock the Eight Extraordinary Meridians in the martial world and achieve the after-Heaven Small Body Circle is considered top-notch. While unblocking the other eighteen small meridians is the after-Heaven Great Body Circle, known as top experts. Breaking through these two barriers makes a huge difference in strength compared to the previous realm. As for the master experts in the Microcosm Realm, it's a significant breakthrough, with an even greater gap. (In the martial world, only the eighteen small meridians are known, and they are only found in the true lineages of famous sects. Normal manuals only have a few, making it impossible to become a top expert. On the other hand, the "True Returning Book" mentions thirty-six meridians, showing the preciousness of the "Treasure Record.")
"Well, don't worry. As long as they haven't achieved the after-Heaven Great Body Circle, it's not a problem. By the way, how is Xia Wenhui's martial arts?" For Shi Xuan, as long as it's not a master expert like those in the Microcosm Realm who can sense deeply and act covertly, even if they are top experts, they will end up at a disadvantage. Moreover, there are many talismans left by the high-level expert Old Taoist Xu, so even if a master expert were to come, there's no need to fear.
Xu Tianqi chuckled and said, "That guy may have thick skin, but he doesn't have much talent in martial arts. His father is the current head of the Xia family, a top expert. He has used numerous precious medicinal herbs from a young age, but it wasn't until he turned twenty-five this year that he broke through into the Qi Strengthening Period."
Xia Wenhui is a bold guy. He saw everyone here sitting down, so he just told two elders, moved a chair, and all three of them came over.
"Sister Yuqiong, I think the view here is nice. Do you mind if I come over and sit with you?" Xia Wenhui smiled at Meng Yuqiong.
Xu Tianqi stood up suddenly, saying, "Xia Wenhui, don't act like an ointment. If you chose that side, go there and wait."
"Tsk, Xu Tianqi, this place is not bought by you. Why can't I come over?" Xia Wenhui said, with the fierce-looking Jian Cong stepping forward, then silently stepping back, crushing a stone brick with just one step.
Xu Tianqi took a deep breath, wanting to speak, but Meng Yuqiong stood up and said first, "Everyone, we have things to do later. For now, let's calm down and gather our energy."
Seeing Meng Yuqiong trying to diffuse the situation, everyone agreed and sat down to relax. However, when Xia Wenhui sat down, Dao Feng swiftly struck, creating stronger wind than Shi Xuan had, clearing away more dust.
Shi Xuan thought to himself as he watched, "Even if the wind blows hard, it won't clean everything."
Shi Xuan couldn't think too much at that moment. He closed his eyes to meditate and regain his energy, then used a mental technique to control his thoughts, keeping his mind clear.
In this state, Shi Xuan noticed his senses sharpening. He could sense Xia Wenhui looking over with malicious intentions at times, while at other times hesitating. Xia Wenhui seemed confident in his own strength on this side, wanting to cause trouble here but also worrying about other factors.
This sharp feeling was very new, and Xia Wenhui's condition made Shi Xuan see how different factors can influence a person's decisions.
These influences affect a person's decisions, and even if a decision is made, it may not truly reflect their own wishes. People also experience influences from various experiences and thoughts formed since birth. These influences affect everything they do. This is why it is said that recognizing one's true nature is essential. If one can break free from external influences and see their true nature, they may achieve their Original Soul. Therefore, the path of self-improvement is long and challenging.
The Twin Sword Killers behind Xia Wenhui were meditating, giving Shi Xuan an opportunity to use a talisman to help clear their minds and get rid of negative energy. The Catastrophe Relief Spelltalisman used by Shi Xuan was only a basic talisman, mainly used for calming the mind and removing negative energy, which was perfect for the Twin Sword Killers. Normally, their negative energy had merged with their souls and could only be completely removed through a specific ritual. For now, Shi Xuan could temporarily suppress it. The Catastrophe Relief Spell was beneficial, causing the Twin Sword Killers to feel more alert and energetic during their meditation, believing it to be the result of their own progress.
It was getting close to midnight. The main gate of the hall was already destroyed, and the cold wind blew loudly through the corridors, sending a chill down everyone's spine despite their martial arts skills.
All was quiet except for the sound of the wind rustling through the hallways. Suddenly, the cold breeze turned eerie and chilling. Xu Jinyi and Mu Jin shivered, their teeth chattering.
Out of nowhere, a white figure lunged at the two women in the middle. Xu Jinyi screamed, while Xu Tianqi and the Twin Sword Killers on either side attacked the figure. Xia Wenhui, on the other hand, was scared pale and kept backing away.
