Divine Level Witch Doctor

In the end, the fight never broke out.

The two men in black couldn’t see their enemy and were forced into a defensive posture. The Ghost Spirit, despite its uncanny nature, was afraid of the Talismans stuck to their foreheads and didn’t dare to attack.

An awkward stalemate ensued.

After a brief standoff, the Ghost Spirit silently withdrew. Unaware that the Ghost Spirit was gone, the two men in black held their back-to-back defensive stance. Nearly half an hour passed before the continued silence made them realize something was wrong.

The man in black who had been possessed by the Ghost Spirit whispered, ”Old Pan, it’s been quiet for a long time. Do you think that Ghost Spirit has run off?”

Old Pan said in a low voice, ”Very likely!”

”Then what do we do now?” his companion asked.

Old Pan narrowed his eyes, considering for a moment before speaking. ”The treasure from the ruined temple was, in all likelihood, taken by the Ghost Spirit’s Master. Let’s get out of here first and then find a way to track down who this person is. Stealing our treasure is one thing, but daring to ambush us? We absolutely cannot let them off the hook!”

Recalling his earlier possession by the Ghost Spirit, the companion felt a shiver run down his spine. He nodded vigorously, agreeing with Old Pan’s plan.

Unsure if the Ghost Spirit had truly departed, the two men didn’t dare lower their guard. They shuffled slowly toward the village entrance, maintaining their back-to-back formation.

Their attention was entirely focused on defending against the Ghost Spirit, so they failed to notice a White Cat crouching on the roof of a nearby clay-tiled house, watching them under the bright moonlight.

The two men in black had used a Secret Technique to cow all the livestock in the village, but this White Cat seemed completely unaffected.

Watching the men in black depart, the White Cat yawned, a look of disdain on its face. It then leaped from the roof and slipped through an open window into the house.

Zhao Yuan was standing just behind the window. With a soft leap, the White Cat landed on his shoulder.

Stroking the White Cat, Zhao Yuan said softly, ”I really owe you for the warning today, you little rascal.”

He then narrowed his eyes, gazing in the direction the men had disappeared. ”Those two were likely after the Top Grade Thunderstruck Wood from the ruined temple,” he murmured. ”Looks like they’re Cultivators, too. I just wonder what school they belong to.”

Although they were Cultivators, Zhao Yuan didn’t go out to greet them. He couldn’t get a read on the two of them.

’What if they were up to no good? Rushing out would just be asking for trouble. Actually, the fact that those two men in black suspect the Ghost Spirit’s Master took the Top Grade Thunderstruck Wood is a good thing for me.’

After murmuring to himself for a moment, Zhao Yuan recalled the men’s earlier conversation.

’Ghost Spirit? A type of Ghost?’

Zhao Yuan found himself more interested in the Ghost Spirit than in the two Cultivators.

For one, he’d grown up hearing plenty of Ghost stories but had never actually seen a Ghost. For another, Ghosts were said to be ethereal and formless, uncanny and unpredictable—incredibly difficult to deal with.

Zhao Yuan couldn’t help but wonder, ’If I run into something like a Ghost Spirit in the future, how would I even deal with it?’

’If I can’t see a Ghost Spirit, I’d be forced into a defensive position just like those two. I really need to speed up my Cultivation. As soon as I reach the Qi Listening Realm, I’ll be able to sense Qi and pinpoint a Ghost Spirit’s location. Of course, it would be even better if I could craft a few offensive Magical Artifacts.’

The thought of offensive Magical Artifacts reminded Zhao Yuan of the Top Grade Thunderstruck Wood that had attracted both the men in black and the Ghost Spirit.

’I’ve got the perfect material. Now I just have to wait for the Information Leaf to give me a method for crafting offensive Magical Artifacts.’

Zhao Yuan remained by the window for a long time. Only after he was certain that both the men in black and the Ghost Spirit were gone did he finally close it and head back to bed.

The White Cat yawned, curled into a fluffy ball beside his pillow, and soon fell fast asleep, letting out soft little snores.

Zhao Yuan didn’t sleep, nor did he continue to read and study. Instead, he stared at the White Cat, pondering, ’What is the deal with this White Cat? It can’t only sense danger ahead of time, but it can also find all sorts of Qi-containing treasures. It can even perceive Cultivators and Ghost Spirits. Normal cats might have some spiritual sensitivity, but nothing this outrageous!’

He mulled it over but came up with no answers, so Zhao Yuan could only push the question to the back of his mind for now.

’I’m not going to worry about it. Ever since Xiaobai came into my life, only good things have happened.’

Closing his eyes, Zhao Yuan called upon the medical knowledge from the Information Leaf and resumed his studies.

「At a hotel in the county seat.」

The window in Ying Ji’s room suddenly rattled and swung open on its own. A cold gust of wind blew in, darting quickly into the Spiritual Tablet.

Ying Ji was just about to speak when she heard a CRACK. A fissure had appeared on the Spiritual Tablet.

”What’s wrong?” Ying Ji’s expression changed dramatically. She scrambled out of bed and rushed to the Spiritual Tablet, asking with deep concern, ”You’re injured?”

Her brow furrowed as she listened to the Ghost Spirit’s reply, her expression shifting constantly.

”A Cultivator appeared in that little mountain village? So they were after the treasure, too? They actually used a Talisman soaked in Black Dog Blood to wound you? Unforgivable!” Ying Ji gritted her teeth in fury. ”For the next few days, stay inside the Spiritual Tablet and don’t come out. Once we’re back home, I’ll perform a proper nourishing ritual to help you recover quickly! Tomorrow? Of course I’m still going up the mountain. I need to see with my own eyes whether those two have already taken the treasure…”

「The next day.」

Zhao Yuan was up at the crack of dawn. He tiptoed into the courtyard, swallowed a Bone Marrow Refining Pill, and began his Cultivation of the Creation Technique.

The process of Bone Marrow Refining was far more agonizing than Strengthening Tendons and Bones or Washing Marrow and Cutting Veins. Even for Zhao Yuan, long accustomed to tempering himself through pain, each Cultivation session left him drenched in sweat. But the unparalleled feeling of relief and lightness that followed was something he thoroughly enjoyed, to the point of addiction.

By the time he finished a full cycle of the Creation Technique, his parents and sister were also awake.

”Brother, what are you doing?” Zhao Ling had been watching from under the eaves, and she only spoke up after he was finished. ”It doesn’t look like the calisthenics they do on the radio.”

”It’s a set of exercises to build up your health and strength,” Zhao Yuan replied. ”I’ll teach you later.”

He thought to himself, ’When I come home for winter break, I’ll teach Mom, Dad, and my sister the Four Saints Technique. Even if it doesn’t set them on the path of Cultivation, it will at least improve their health and add years to their lives.’

After a cold shower and breakfast, the old village chief arrived with a group of villagers. ”Brother Yuan, you awake? It’s time to head to that mountain you’re leasing and start clearing the land.”

Zhao Yuan’s family joined the old village chief’s group, and they all headed for the undeveloped mountain.

But when they arrived, what they found left everyone completely stunned.