Abundant Martial Arts Virtue

Digging with the Holy Shovel proved to be rapid.

A deep pit appeared before Qiong.

"Arian, I still don't understand why you're digging such a large pit,"

she asked cautiously.

Not far away was a steep slope within a fissure, filled with slumbering ghost creatures.

Wu Xiaode had already put away the shovel and lay himself down in the pit, saying:

"Just a moment."

He lay at the bottom of the pit, initiating the "Lie Flat" sequence.

One "him" continued to lie motionless, while the real him had already left his body and jumped to the edge of the pit.

"'Lie Flat' Level Two activated!"

"Description: The champion may choose to enter an unnoticeable state themselves or select another unit to do so."

"You have currently designated 'Qiong' to enter an unnoticeable state."

All the small text flashed and disappeared.

Qiong's figure instantly vanished from Wu Xiaode's sight.

"I was just thinking, my boxing actually needs to constantly comprehend in face-to-face combat to become stronger."

"And your strength isn't sufficient to withstand a monster's full assault."

"So, from now on, you'll shoot arrows while invisible, and I will handle the enemies on the frontline,"

Wu Xiaode explained slowly.

"Then you must be careful, don't attract too many ghost creatures at once," Qiong advised uneasily.

"No problem," Wu Xiaode said with a grin.

His gaze rested on the Book of the Dead, observing the description of the Tai Chu Fist Skill.

The last line clearly stated the instruction to enhance this boxing skill:

"Please continue to comprehend this boxing skill in combat; it will become more formidable."

— Mysterious life was getting stronger under the boost of sequences.

He must make more effort!

Wu Xiaode picked up a stone and hurled it down the slope.

A sound of the stone crashing against the rocky wall erupted.

The ghost creatures' wailing followed suit.

They had been awakened!

Qiong had already vanished into the darkness, distancing herself considerably.

Wu Xiaode stood still.

He regulated his breathing, closed his eyes, and calmly waited for the battle to arrive.

Saber Skill and swordsmanship were both handed down by his predecessors.

Though they were easy to wield, something seemed amiss.

— To put it seriously, it was that exuberant feeling in a brawl.

Right.

Fist fighting had the most vigor!

With every punch thrown, it was like blasting all emotions and anger out, making the enemy suffer the punishment in pain.

This was the combat he sought!

Unfortunately, his Death Skill "Soul Shock" had not improved for a long time.

The Tai Chu Fist Skill had not seen enough real combat even more so.

This couldn't go on.

One ghost soldier after another climbed up from the steep slope and instantly spotted Wu Xiaode.

Wu Xiaode slowly took a combat stance.

Inhale.

Exhale.

He entered a state of clear emptiness, devoid of sorrow or joy, quietly waiting for the storm of battle.

"Kill"

"Kill this human."

"Charge."

The ghost soldiers surged towards him.

Ten meters.

Five meters.

Two meters.

One meter!

Wu Xiaode suddenly opened his eyes and swung a punch forward.

The foremost ghost soldier raised its ghost claw high, ready to attack, but was struck in the face by the punch.

If time slowed down, one could see its face being squeezed and distorted by the fist, almost about to be "broken" apart.

An afterimage flashed.

Boom—

The ghost soldier was sent flying back, crashing into the rock wall, its form embedded within, struggling to free itself for a while.

An arrow flew in from the darkness, piercing through its skull.

Wu Xiaode stepped forward and swung his other fist, sweeping across half a circle like a landslide.

Crack—Crack—

Two ghost soldiers were consecutively sent flying.

Wu Xiaode sped up and charged into the group of ghost soldiers, his fists non-stop.

With all his attributes at +13, no enemy could withstand him.

Moreover, his Tai Chu Fist Skill had activated "Unmatched," leaving no enemy able to hold him.

— Fight if he wanted to, leave if he wanted to!

The ghost soldiers were knocked flying one by one, then peppered with arrows from the darkness, immediately draining their health bars.

Before long.

The ground was littered with corpses.

Wu Xiaode stood there, catching his breath, and shouted into the darkness:

"I'm going to lure some more ghost soldiers."

Qiong's voice responded:

"Okay, be careful, I'm almost leveling up again."

Wu Xiaode acknowledged with a grunt, about to move forward when he suddenly remembered something.

Wait a second.

"Qiong, come here."

He called out.

Shortly.

A warm, soft body gently pressed against Wu Xiaode's side.

"What's up?" Qiong whispered.

"How much Merit do you have altogether?" Wu Xiaode inquired.

"Currently at 7 points, just one more point and I can upgrade the skin," Qiong replied.

Wu Xiaode fell into thought.

He possessed the Holy Skill of Divine Enthronement.

Shen Feixue had Infinite Merit, so he had enthroned her as the Mother of Chaos.

Even so, she still needed to slowly await the germination of her Power; it was uncertain when it would form a fighting force.

With Qiong having only 8 points of Merit, what could he enthrone her as?

— Better to let her upgrade her skin first.

This way, at least, the strength had increased more noticeably.

So.

Who else can he seal?

The figure of a person quietly emerged in Wu Xiaode's mind.

That's right.

As the former master of the stars, who nurtured numerous worlds, taught all beings, and promoted the development of various civilizations.

Logically speaking, she has great Merit!

But...

She was bickering.

Wu Xiaode felt a moment of hesitation, then suddenly opened the Book of the Dead, flipping through the pages.

The more he flipped, the more he felt he needed to urgently grant Jiang Shanglan divine status, but the more he flipped, the more he sensed an inexplicable crisis looming over him.

With just a few pages left to completely finish the book and reach the last page—

Wu Xiaode suddenly felt a great terror arise around him. Realizing it in a flash, he immediately clutched the pages tight.

—The page was not turned to the last page.

Golden Light appeared on the page, curiously looking at him, saying:

"What's the situation?"

"Golden Light, thank you for always managing the entire Book of the Dead," Wu Xiaode said with a light cough.

"Get to the point," Golden Light said.

"Could you please secretly go to the last page to check the situation and then come back and tell me," Wu Xiaode said.

"Ah, I was wondering what it was. You wait, I'll go now," Golden Light chuckled.

It vanished directly from the page.

Wu Xiaode stood silently on the spot, waiting. Suddenly, he felt that the inexplicable crisis was gradually passing.

Shortly after.

Golden Light reappeared on the page.

Only to see it appearing with a swollen face and bruised nose, its forepaws wrapped with bandages, and its tail covered in plasters, it looked at Wu Xiaode with a complex expression, saying:

"Why didn't you go look yourself?"

"I'm afraid," Wu Xiaode said outright.

"You're more dog than me—the last page is causing destruction, I suggest you pick another time to visit."

"Much appreciated," Wu Xiaode said sincerely.

He directly closed the Book of the Dead.

Indeed, summoning Jiang Shanglan for a divine enthronement to jointly confront the Mysterious life and Sequence Beast was an important matter.

But keeping oneself safe and sound was even more important.

Wu Xiaode steadied himself and then spoke:

"Qiong, let's continue."

"Okay."

Qiong once again melted into the darkness.

Wu Xiaode picked up a stone and threw it forcefully into the depths of the fissure.

One breath.

Two breaths.

As expected, a scream came from the fissure.

Three Netherworld ghost soldiers quickly crawled out of the fissure.

They immediately spotted Wu Xiaode.

"Come on."

Wu Xiaode waved at them.

—The number was a bit low, but a mosquito is still meat no matter how small.

The three Netherworld ghost soldiers charged over, exchanging a few moves with Wu Xiaode, before being directly pinned down and beaten up.

Arrows kept flying nonstop.

In no time, the battle was over.

Qiong's excited voice came from the darkness:

"My skin has upgraded!"

Wu Xiaode looked towards the Book of the Dead, only to see it indeed displaying that Qiong's shadow followers' skin had upgraded to become a high-level Prison Flame Ranger, all attributes +2, and additional agility +0.5.

This upgrade... isn't this a bit slow?

Wu Xiaode then looked at the prompt rune about himself:

"Congratulations."

"You have completed the killing of the ghost creatures."

"You are now promoted to:"

"'Kunlun Mountain Immortal Peach Orchard Ning Shen Temple Water and Fire Child'."

"Effects:"

"Power +15;"

"Agility +15;"

"Spiritual power +10;"

"World Affinity +1;"

"Skin Special Privilege:"

"Li Kan Twin Dragons."

"Description: Summon the Heaven and Earth Laws, manifesting as water and fire twin dragons to fight for you."

"Note:"

"You have been promoted to the highest level within 'Child'."

"Continuing to kill Netherworld ghost soldiers will no longer aid your skin's upgrade."

"Please seek new pathways for skin upgrade."

No more experience from killing ghost soldiers?

Wu Xiaode felt a bit regretful but also excited.

Just one more level up—

and he would no longer be among the ranks of 'Child'!

Suddenly, a rustling electronic noise came from the distant darkness.

Wu Xiaode turned to look, only to hear Qiong's voice come through:

"Arian, there's news from Skinny Wolf."

"What news?" Wu Xiaode asked.

"Those guys have issued a threat... you better take a look at this."

Qiong walked over and handed Wu Xiaode the phone.

On the phone screen appeared a person.

This person stood still, yet he held in his hand a blade emitting a golden radiance.

"Those inside listen up, you are surrounded."

"If you don't come out now, this will be your fate!"

The person swung the over two-meter-long blade towards the distance.

Whoosh—

A streak of golden light flew out, instantly passing through the Void, splitting the distant ground and buildings in two.

Wu Xiaode had never seen such power before in the world after Pangu's awakening.

In the Void, several lines of icy crystalline letters appeared:

"Legendary weapon, bestowed by a Sequence Beast of the Holy Realm, with infinite power."

"Note."

"This weapon can slay anyone with one strike, leaving them empty of blood, without exception."