CHAPTER 99: 99: MINOR FIVE ELEMENTS WATER PATROL ESCAPING TECHNIQUE

Having chosen the needed Dao-Entering Realm Dharma Gates, Uncle Wu sent someone to fetch two pieces of translucent jade, within which faint golden characters seemed to swim.

These pieces of jade contained the two Dharma Gates.

"Here are one hundred dao money, Mr. Bai. Please use them for now. Once the consignment of Talisman Scripts ends, I will send someone to deliver the earnings to your doorstep."

Passing over a finely-made purse woven with golden threads to Qi Xiu, Uncle Wu spoke with a beaming smile.

"Uncle Wu is too kind."

Opening the purse, Qi Xiu took out a piece of dao money to examine closely.

This dao money looked very much like the copper coins of the secular world.

It was black with a golden hue and octagonal in shape.

The surface was intricately engraved with a dragon and a phoenix. Running one’s fingers over it, one could feel the embossed characters spelling out "Great Xuan."

And within this dao money, there seemed to be a trace of a very secretive and Divine Marvel.

It was similar to the watermark on a banknote of a previous era. Impossible to replicate.

"This is for you."

With a flick of his thumb, Qi Xiu sent the piece of dao money, worth tens of thousands of taels of gold, directly into Yan Er’s arms. She trembled with shock, clutching the dao money in delight.

That single piece of dao money was equal to half a year of her achievements.

"You ungrateful wench, haven’t you thanked Mr. Bai yet?" Seeing Yan Er preoccupied with her surprise, Uncle Wu’s brows furrowed slightly as he chided her softly.

Hurriedly tucking the dao money into her bosom, Yan Er curtsied.

"Thank you for your generous gift, Mr. Bai. If there is anything you need this servant to do, Yan Er will certainly not refuse."

Her eyes brimming with charm, an allure as if she wanted to melt Qi Xiu into her being.

"Then we have an agreement," he said, pinching her delicate, fair cheek with a chuckle before leaving Shen’s Myriad Goods Pavilion with Uncle Wu personally seeing him out.

「Da Fu Restaurant.」

Above Room Tian Number Nine.

Two pieces of crystalline jade lay quietly on the table. Qi Xiu picked one up and held it in his palm.

The golden characters contained within the jade seemed to come to life, leaping out of their confinement.

The golden characters danced out of the jade.

Suddenly, the room became much more humid.

In the blink of an eye, a thin layer of mist had formed on the tabletop.

Without needing to look, it was clear that this piece of jade contained the "Minor Five Elements Water Patrol Escaping Five Elements Escape Skill."

Initiate Realm Dharma Gates are all based on Divine Marvels. Ordinary text cannot transfer the imprints, and only by sealing their meanings with Cang Fa Fei Cui can the complete Dharma Gates be recorded.

After visiting Shen’s Myriad Goods Pavilion, Qi Xiu’s knowledge had significantly expanded.

As the golden characters left the Cang Fa Fei Cui, they suddenly rose and transformed into countless tiny bubbles that flocked into Qi Xiu’s nostrils.

The next instant, a female voice unexpectedly resonated in Qi Xiu’s mind.

The voice was flat and indifferent, like a piece of ice touching your ear, with every word making one involuntarily want to sneeze from the biting chill.

After the voice appeared, it slowly started to chant the critical points of the "Minor Five Elements Water Patrol Escaping Five Elements Escape Skill."

With each phrase it chanted, a memory would seemingly appear out of nowhere in Qi Xiu’s mind.

When the cold, icy female voice faded away, the entire content of the "Minor Five Elements Water Patrol Escaping Five Elements Escape Skill" had materialized in Qi Xiu’s memory.

It included the method of cultivation, precautions, taboos, and some relatively superficial experiences.

These memories were indelibly etched in his mind as if they had been carved in, hard to forget even if he wanted to.

Quietly contemplating the strange Escape Skill from the Demon Sect, it wasn’t long before Qi Xiu opened his eyes and clicked his tongue lightly.

As expected of a Demon Sect Escape Skill, the numerous materials, rituals, and locations required for cultivation can only be described as a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, wreaking disasters everywhere. No wonder the Scripture Storage Hall at Shen’s Myriad Goods Pavilion only detailed the effects of successfully cultivating this Escape Skill. They probably feared that if the conditions of cultivation were spelled out, no one would choose it. After all, this Escape Skill is indeed a bit too sinister.

Recalling the content of the "Minor Five Elements Water Patrol Escaping Five Elements Escape Skill," Qi Xiu’s eyes flickered as he pondered quietly.

It was certainly impossible to cultivate according to the explicit instructions in the "Minor Five Elements Water Patrol Escaping Five Elements Escape Skill." He wasn’t a murderously insane killer, nor did he want to become a target pursued by those on the Righteous Path. According to the critical points of the Escape Skill, without those essential materials, rituals, and locations, the "Minor Five Elements Water Patrol Escaping Five Elements Escape Skill" can still be practiced, but the effect would be extremely slow. It’s like this Escape Skill cultivation is a car. Having materials, rituals, and a location is like fueling the car; step on the accelerator, and it moves. But with nothing in hand, I’d have to push the car myself.

With this thought, an idea suddenly sprouted in Qi Xiu’s mind.

I have nothing to my name, alone in this world. Ever since I started cultivating, I’ve been overly compliant and cautious. Now that I’ve acquired this Divine Marvel Escape Skill, I might as well be bold. After entering the Dao, transcending the mundane world, those mere mortals are insignificant. It’s very likely Disciples of famous sects and wealthy families have long been secretly committing murder to refine their Dharma Gates for an extra advantage. If others can do it, why can’t I, Qi Xiu...

His eyes gradually reddened, and Qi Xiu’s expression darkened. A faint smoky miasma began to waft from his body.

No! Just as the blood was about to fill Qi Xiu’s eyes, he suddenly awoke with a start. This Dharma Gate harbors demonic thoughts!

Realizing something was amiss, Qi Xiu’s expression darkened, his hands came together in the air, and in the sanctuary of his heart, the Mixed Primordial Bead suddenly shone brightly, bursting with vibrant colors!

The next moment.

The Mo Jiao coiled within the sea of consciousness suddenly opened its emerald eyes, and the purple tiger within the Purple Mansion of the dantian abruptly lifted its head!

ROAR!

ROAR!

The dragon roared and the tiger howled, shaking heaven and earth!

The blood strands dissipated, Qi Xiu’s gaze returned to clarity, and the faint black aura that emanated from his body vanished.

He broke free from a state infested with malicious thoughts, on the verge of deviating into the demonic, drenched in cold sweat and his face showing lingering fears.

Gazing at the Cang Fa Fei Cui on the table, his expression was solemn.

As expected of the Demon Sect’s Dharma Gates, every word and phrase hides demonic thoughts and malevolence, tempting the cultivator’s inner wickedness, desiring to corrupt them into demons.

Qi Xiu’s gaze grew tranquil as he didn’t anticipate such peril within the Initiate Realm Dharma Gate.

Merely being in contact with this Dharma Gate could give rise to such malice. If one indeed practiced according to the brutal methods described within, it was feared that in one day they would abandon their humanity and devolve into a demon.

It seems that after Shen’s Myriad Goods Pavilion obtained the "Minor Five Elements Water Patrol Escaping Five Elements Escape Skill," due to various restrictions, it became a bottom-of-the-box inferior product, likely chosen by no one. The potential dangers of the impregnated demonic thoughts thus remained concealed.

Fortunately, I have the Mo Jiao to suppress my sea of consciousness, and the Purple Tiger to guard my life. Otherwise, even if I noticed the demonic thoughts entering my heart, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have the strength to break free.

Exhaling a turbid breath, Qi Xiu wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, shaking his head and chuckling at himself.

This is the fatal weakness of a Loose Cultivator. Without the guidance and protection of a sect’s elders, one can say that there are twisted paths everywhere underfoot. Due to a lack of systematic learning leading to a scarcity of knowledge, it is also impossible to accurately judge some hidden dangers.

It seems I’ll have to take some time to visit Shen’s Myriad Goods Pavilion to purchase some knowledge records; otherwise, I’m bound to encounter such setbacks in the future, he thought.

After some contemplation, Qi Xiu erected two fingers of his right hand, placing them in the palm of his left hand, and started to operate the Divine Marvel of the Mo Jiao.

The Mo Jiao, which had been listlessly coiled in the sea of consciousness, suddenly became spirited.

It roamed and soared around, with hidden lights in its emerald pupils.

In the next instant, a bubble emerged, glinting with a dark blue sheen and faintly showing a ferocious illusion moving within it, patrolled out by the Mo Jiao.

With a wide mouth full of sharp teeth, the Mo Jiao swiftly swallowed the bubble!

Jiao Cang!

One of the effects of the Divine Marvel of the Mo Jiao.

Once this Divine Marvel is invoked, the Mo Jiao will autonomously manage the practice of a Dharma Gate, similar to the auto-play in games from a past life.

The Mo Jiao feeds on the Yin obscurities and impurities of the world.

The hidden demonic thoughts of the "Minor Five Elements Water Patrol Escaping Five Elements Escape Skill" also couldn’t affect it.

After swallowing the bubble, the Mo Jiao quickly coiled up again.

Its emerald eyes half-open, shrouded in a mist of black fog, faintly transforming into a series of written spell symbols.

On the proficiency panel, the words "Minor Five Elements Water Patrol Escaping Five Elements Escape Skill" slowly surfaced. The proficiency numbers behind it also began to jump slowly.

This signified that the Jiao’s shadow started to take effect.

At the same time, within the central hall of Qi Xiu’s heart, the floating Mixed Primordial Bead slowly separated strands of Hunyuan True Essence.

Inside the sea of consciousness, the Mo Jiao suddenly uttered human speech, reciting spells, and the black fog around it reflected even more Dharma Seal symbols.

Under such operation, a strand of the Divine Marvel was drawn from the unknown.

This Divine Marvel was a hundred times finer than a strand of hair. Almost invisible to the naked eye.

As the Divine Marvel entered the body, it merged with the True Gang separated from the Mixed Primordial Bead, turning into a stream of blue-black indigo, like flowing water yet also dispersing into mist, becoming an Escape Light.

This was the Escape Light cultivated from the "Minor Five Elements Water Patrol Escaping Five Elements Escape Skill."

Gazing at the grain-sized Escape Light within the heart hall, Qi Xiu smiled wryly to himself.

Such a small amount of Escape Light would probably be exhausted just as it began to lift off the ground.

Without following the requirements of the "Minor Five Elements Water Patrol Escaping Five Elements Escape Skill" and only practicing plainly, this was the result. There were no mountains of corpses and seas of blood, the ghastly materials, ceremonies, and locations. The Divine Marvel summoned by operating the Dharma Gate was pitifully scarce. The resultant Escape Light was almost non-existent, essentially unfit for utilization.

To use this method to block critical points, it’s nearly impossible to cultivate this Escape Skill purely through arduous practice. Others cannot do it. But I can.

With calm eyes, Qi Xiu continued to watch the progress of his internal cultivation.

After a few moments, a strand of Divine Marvel emerged from the depths of his body. It leisurely drifted towards the extremely fine and faint Divine Marvel of the Escape Skill that had been summoned.

The two Divine Marvels collided.

It was as if a large meat bun had been forcefully stuffed, causing the slender and frail Divine Marvel of the Escape Skill to suddenly swell.

Streams of proficiency Divine Marvel continually flew out. This allowed the Divine Marvel of the Escape Skill to swell and enlarge continuously, and the Escape Light forged with True Gang also increased.

As more and more Escape Light accumulated, it gradually condensed into a small blue-black, deep stream, flowing gurglingly around the Mixed Primordial Bead.

Estimating that there was a substantial amount of Escape Light stored, Qi Xiu gestured a spell, and the Escape Light emerged, his figure abruptly transforming into a hazy mist of water.

The mist was indistinct, almost invisible.

Curiously steering the Escape Light, he fluttered and shifted around the room.

With a thought, Qi Xiu abruptly charged straight toward the wall in front of him.

WHOOSH—

The mist wavered slightly, and like a non-entity, the Escape Light passed directly through the wall, arriving outside the room.

At that moment, outside the door, a waiter carrying dishes was walking by.

Surprised at the faint mist flashing before him, the waiter inexplicably shook his head and said, "Where did this mist come from in the room?"