strokinit 010 The Glutton
010 The Glutton
"Add 10 points to reach the Martial Arts realm, the entry level of the Skin Refining realm!"
"I'll put all 30 points I have into progressing with 'The Dragon-Slaying Spear in the Wrath of the Sea'."
As the Yin energy was injected, Ning Kui immediately felt his skin being enveloped by a scalding stream of air, as if he were in a blacksmith's furnace.
Tiny black carbon particles kept squeezing out of his pores, forming black pillars that twisted like the serpents of a pharaoh.
These are all waste products from his body.
The whole process is like refining steel; it's a continuous tempering process that is destined to be arduous and painful.
"Aaaaaah!!!"
Ning Kui's veins bulged all over his body, his eyes were ferocious and determined, and he let out suppressed growls under intense pain.
Even in such agony, he restrained himself and tried his best not to attract the attention of others.
Hang in there! Get stronger!
As dawn broke, the pervasive burning sensation gradually subsided.
Ning Kui was panting heavily, and with the slightest movement, his thick, filthy armor crumbled and fell to the ground.
New and powerful skin is exposed to the air.
In the golden light of dawn, he noticed that beneath his tight, fine skin, patches of texture resembling dragon scales were faintly visible.
Ultimately, it lacked a bit of power and could not completely solidify.
In the Skin Refining Realm, with the aid of a good body refining technique, one can often refine a unique and powerful skin, greatly increasing defensive capabilities.
Ning Kui focused his mind on examining the stone tablet.
[Martial Arts Realm: Skin Refining Realm (Entry Level), Progress (11/100)]
[Technique: "Raging Sea Dragon-Suppressing Halberd" (Beginner), Progress (80/100)]
"What a pity, the progress of the cultivation technique is still a little short of a breakthrough."
As Ning Kui slowly adjusted his breathing, he thought with regret that he was only two more Skin Refining martial artists or one more Flesh Refining martial artist away from breaking through his cultivation technique.
"Wait a minute, weren't we supposed to be going to the West Market to catch ghosts with Li Qijue today?!"
Ning Kui straightened up with a somersault, and all his fatigue vanished instantly.
A drowned ghost provides a full 100 Yin energy points, so how could the ghosts of the West Market be any worse?
Isn't this more worthwhile than killing someone?
Besides, he is not a bloodthirsty person. If others do not offend him, he will not carry the Dragon Scale Halberd to farm Yin Qi points.
"Go to work! Get stronger!"
With that in mind, Ning Kui quickly washed off the grime on his body, then carried the Dragon Scale Halberd straight to the Zhenni Division.
The ghosts of the West Market are still wreaking havoc, Li Qijue, how can you sleep soundly?!
"Bang bang bang!"
Soon, a series of deadly knocks sounded in the Zhennisi government office.
With dark circles under his eyes and a murderous look on his face, Li Qijue opened the door for Ning Kui.
Heaven have mercy, he had only slept for less than an hour!
"Wait at the entrance, we'll depart after one incense stick's time!"
After saying that, the gates of the government office slammed shut, clearly showing their utter disdain for Ning Kui.
However, not long after, a crimson pill was thrown out of the courtyard and landed precisely in Ning Kui's hand.
"It seems you've entered the Skin Refining Realm. Take this Qi and Blood Pill to replenish your Qi and blood; don't die later!"
Li Qijue's cold and indistinct voice rang out in the courtyard, probably from brushing his teeth in a bad mood.
"Tsk, no wonder they're a big spender, they're really rich."
Ning Kui entered the first stage of skin refining last night. Not only did his skin become as tough as cowhide, but his qi and blood also increased several times over.
A full-force punch can weigh a thousand pounds.
This is the strength that Li Dalang possessed only after reaching the minor stage of the Skin Refining Realm. The reason for this is naturally that Ning Kui's cultivation method is more advanced.
He swallowed the blood-nourishing pills, which looked like candy beans, and the martial arts realm column on the stone tablet began to slowly change.
[12/100]
[13/100]
……
Yugu County is surrounded by mountains on the east and west sides, and borders Kunze Lake to the north. Only the south side is relatively flat, connecting to the prefectural city.
In other words, apart from the southern city where the government offices were located, the rest were all remote and obscure areas.
West City is located at the foot of a mine called Fangya Mountain, where a red ore rich in fire elemental properties is produced.
Named "Red Scale Fire Iron", it is entirely red and covered with fine snake-scale-like patterns.
It was controlled by the Zhu family, who were in charge of the firewood market, weapons shops, and butcher shops.
In the West Market, the county magistrate's word doesn't count; Master Zhu is the uncrowned king.
"Sir, do you mean that a young mistress of the Zhu family is possessed by an evil spirit and they want us to exorcise it?"
Ning Kui stood before the ornately decorated and imposing Zhu mansion, asking with a puzzled look.
Among the five or six most powerful people in the entire Yugu County, one of them is surnamed Zhu.
Faced with an evil spirit that the other side couldn't handle, Ning Kui couldn't help but mentally point at himself and ask, "Me?"
"Enough with the nonsense. Since the Zhu family has reported it to the authorities, we have to follow suit."
Li Qijue frowned and said in a cold voice.
Ning Kui curled his lip. It seemed that not only the government of the South City did not welcome the Zhenni Division, but the Zhu family of the West Market also had to make a statement.
This is a challenge to Li Qijue. Zhu Family Grand Stage, come and try if you dare.
There might be a fierce and ruthless monster inside.
After knocking for a long time, a lame, one-eyed old servant finally came out to greet them, his murky, dead fish eyes rolling back.
"Please forgive us, gentlemen. The mansion has been soiled. The master and the rest of his family have moved to a summer retreat. We apologize for any inconvenience caused."
As he spoke, he bowed and led the way, his left leg dragging behind him as he walked, his shoulders shrugging, yet his speed was incredibly swift.
The Zhu Mansion covers an area of over 100 acres and has dozens of houses. It encloses the most scenic tributary of Kunze Lake as the core of its inner garden.
Artificial mountains and mythical beasts, rare flowers and precious plants—the list goes on and on.
After walking for a full quarter of an hour, the lame old servant stopped in front of a small courtyard with the words "Suiyulou" written on it: "My lords, this is the young mistress's residence. It is inconvenient for this old servant to go in. Please make yourselves at home."
A gust of cold wind swept by, causing the various yellow paper talismans pasted on the courtyard gate to flutter wildly, their vermilion incantations as vivid as blood.
The bell, made of pure copper, emitted a rapid, piercing sound, like the howl of someone on the verge of death.
The hurried shouts of maids could be faintly heard from the courtyard: "Hurry! Quickly bring the next dish!"
"So slow! Do you all want to die?!"
"Ah! Young mistress! It's me! It's Chunhong! Ahhh!"
"Never mind Chunhong, she's incredibly slow at serving food, keep serving, bring out the meat dishes!"
Outside the courtyard gate, the lame old servant's smile remained unchanged, as if he had long been accustomed to everything that happened inside.
Ning Kui's expression was solemn. He wasn't arrogant enough to rush in alone to save people.
Li Qi will not move, he will not move!
"Let's go, let's meet this starving ghost."
The moment Li Qijue pushed open the courtyard gate, an extremely strong stench mixed with the smell of blood assaulted the nostrils.
The room was covered with traces of spilled porcelain bowls and food.
During the sweltering heat of the dog days of summer, the fermentation process produces a nauseatingly sour and foul odor.
The closer you get to the attic in the center of the courtyard, the stronger the smell of blood becomes.
The attic was swarming with flies, making it look as if the entire building had been painted a wriggling black.
The maids who were bustling about in the courtyard stopped immediately when they saw someone burst in, staring intently at the two of them.
The whole world fell into a deathly silence for a moment, with only the buzzing of flies and the ear-piercing scraping sound of dishes clattering inside the small building, like fingernails scraping against glass.
"The ghost hunters are coming! Sisters, run!"
The head maid screamed and threw the oil-splashed braised pork hock she was holding onto the ground.
The crashing sound of the porcelain bowl shattering was like a signal; the remaining dozen or so maids screamed, dropped the food in their hands, and surged out of the courtyard like a tide.
"Ha, to maintain the peak condition of a starving ghost, they're willing to sacrifice human lives?"
Ning Kui felt a chill run down his spine; these powerful families truly knew no bounds when it came to achieving their goals.
If they don't come, these maids can only cook food day and night to feed the evil spirits in the building; if they are even slightly slow, they will lose their lives.
"Seriously, damn it!"
The maids rushed away in a panic, and Li Qijue and Ning Kui did not stop them.
They were just pitiful people.
Once everyone was gone, the chewing sounds inside the small building became even clearer.
"Boom, boom!"
"I'm so hungry! Where's my food?! Where's my food?!"
"Huh? There are two more pieces of fresh meat! Haha! Hahahaha!"
The next second, a foul-smelling black shadow smashed through the window with a "bang," and a hideous face with torn flesh and a gaping black mouth quickly magnified in Ning Kui's eyes!