I Can Devour Spirits

For those who have reached the Realm of Dongming, their cultivation is no longer within the scope of martial arts.

The power that masters of the Dongming Realm comprehend is the Power of Laws.

Just like that person in the Judgement and Rectification Department’s dungeon, cloaked in black, who interrogated him; he should be a master of the Dongming Realm.

Duan Rong still clearly remembers the feeling of powerlessness and terror. The moment that person raised his hand, his entire body was immobilized.

Duan Rong felt at that time that the space around him was frozen by some bizarre power.

And the only part unaffected was his divine soul. He could still think at that time.

Clearly, it was a kind of power he could not understand—the Power of Laws.

However, the Power of Laws is still far too distant for the current Duan Rong.

What he is thinking about now is, if he could devour a Tier Twelve artifact spirit, he would reach the first level of the supreme skill.

If that were to happen, he could begin to glimpse the profound meaning of the supreme skill.

The difference between supreme skills and ordinary martial arts like Mahayana, Middle Vehicle, and Small Vehicle is that cultivating supreme skills requires comprehending the mental realm, such as Sword Intent and Sword Intent, etc.

Actually, the key to advancing from the Qi Vortex Realm to the Dark Grotto Heaven Realm lies in whether the martial artist can initially comprehend the Power of Laws from the deepest insights of the Sword Intent and Sword Intent, thus advancing to the Dark Grotto Heaven Realm.

In essence, these supreme skill mental realms, like Sword Intent and Sword Intent, are the paths to the Dark Grotto Heaven Realm.

In other words, the deepest realm of mental insight is the Gate of Law!

However, those who can open this gate are as rare as morning stars.

If Duan Rong devours a Tier Twelve artifact spirit, upon digesting and absorbing it, wouldn’t he also be able to comprehend the initial realm of insight?

Insight is not about inner strength, but rather on the divine soul level. Once he devours and digests it, he can immediately gain it.

Duan Rong was filled with excitement, but his face remained expressionless as he bent down to pick up a dusty, broken blade ring-headed saber at his feet.

The ring-headed saber is also quite a popular type of weapon in this world, with its hilt adorned with a distinctive circular ring.

Duan Rong held the circular ring with his hand, tightened his grip on the hilt, and thought: ”Read the artifact spirit!”

In the dim cave, a set of data immediately floated before his eyes.

Artifact: Ring-Headed Saber

Artifact Spirit Tier: Six

Devouring Requirements: Host’s Spiritual Power Level Six (met)

Devouring Effect: Feather Robe Blade, Third Layer

Examining the data panel in front of him, Duan Rong thought: ”A sixth-tier artifact spirit. True Qi Realm martial arts.”

Even though Duan Rong really wanted to devour a Tier Twelve artifact spirit to initially experience the supreme skill mental realms of Sword Intent or Sword Intent, he hadn’t lost his mind; at his current stage of cultivation, True Qi Realm martial arts were what he needed the most.

”Devour!”

As the data panel in front of him broke up and vanished, Duan Rong tossed the ring-headed saber in his hand with a clang behind him.

These were previously abandoned weapons, and once Duan Rong had devoured the artifact spirit, they became mere junk.

Duan Rong bent down to pick up another discarded weapon...

After finishing work, Ximen Kankan washed his face and used a blackened towel to wipe the sweat off his neck, chest, and back, then changed his clothes and headed to the cave where the discarded weapons were piled to find Duan Rong.

Ximen Kankan adapted quickly—it took just over two months, and he had already fully adjusted to life here.

He walked into the cave and immediately saw a bright flame near the entrance.

Ximen Kankan went over and saw Duan Rong standing before a mountain-like pile of discarded weapons, continuously grabbing them one by one into his hand. Duan Rong would just slightly grab the weapon and then toss it behind him.

Where he stood, a pile of discarded weapons was already stacked half as tall as a man.

Ximen Kankan’s face showed shock, and his eyes glistened with a light of bewilderment.

”What...what’s going on?”

Last time, he found it odd. But this time, his doubts were even deeper, and he even thought Duan Rong seemed a bit mad.

No, not just a bit. He felt Duan Rong was indeed insane.

Ximen Kankan walked slowly not far from Duan Rong and shouted, ”What are you doing?”

Duan Rong turned his head and glanced at him, saying, ”You’re done with work! Give me a moment, I think I’ll be done soon.”

Seeing that Duan Rong’s speech was still normal, Ximen Kankan’s heart was slightly relieved.

He walked over to Duan Rong’s side, leaned on his shoulder, and patted his head.

”What are you doing?!”

Duan Rong shook off his hand and threw a broken copper mace into the pile of weapons behind him with a clatter.

The copper mace knocked off three or four Broken Blade Swords from the top of the pile.

Ximen Kankan asked suspiciously, ”I wonder if you’re burnt-out to the point of confusion? Can you tell me what exactly you’re doing? Are you relocating these useless weapons?”

”No,” Duan Rong said, ”I call this ’bringing rein(olds) forcement (relocate old weapons).’”

Duan Rong chuckled at what he thought was a pretty lame pun.

Ximen Kankan kept a straight face, obviously not reacting to the cold joke.

Duan Rong ignored him and continued picking up discarded weapons from in front of him.

Ximen Kankan stood by and watched for a while longer, noticing that Duan Rong’s gaze was bright and focused.

After a while, Ximen Kankan approached and grabbed Duan Rong’s wrist.

Duan Rong turned his head and looked at Ximen Kankan.

Ximen Kankan said, ”I don’t mean to disturb you. I’m just a bit confused. Can you tell me what exactly you’re doing?”

Duan Rong looked at Ximen Kankan’s serious expression, blinked, and said, ”Kankan, do you know that everything has a spirit?”

Ximen Kankan seemed a bit bewildered but nodded affirmatively, ”I know. That’s what those spirit mediums say.”

Duan Rong smiled and said, ”These weapons, you know, they all have spirits. What I’m doing is spirit communication. Understand?”

As Duan Rong spoke, he tossed the weapon in his hand behind him and pulled another from the pile of discarded weapons.

”Spirit communication?”

Ximen Kankan mulled over Duan Rong’s nonsense, rolling his eyes, and said, ”You mean you’re talking to these discarded weapons?”

Duan Rong laughed and said, ”You could say that.”

He devoured the Artifact Spirit, and after digesting and absorbing it, it merged into his Divine Soul, which was equivalent to the Artifact Spirit telling him all its experiences throughout the years.

Duan Rong thought Ximen Kankan’s way of putting it was a pretty good description too.

Just then, a line of glaring red flickering text suddenly appeared on the data panel before Duan Rong’s eyes.

”Devouring failed. Consciousness Space related area is full.”

Duan Rong dropped the long sword in his hand and let out a long breath, realizing that today’s task was already complete.

”But after devouring so much...” Duan Rong glanced back at the pile of small weapons behind him, which was almost as tall as he was. ”Forget about a Tier Twelve Artifact Spirit. I couldn’t even devour a Tier Seven Artifact Spirit. The highest-tier Artifact Spirit devoured from this batch of weapons was only Tier Six, at True Qi Realm Third Level.”

Duan Rong decided to stop for the day, take a good rest, digest the Artifact Spirits devoured into his Divine Soul Space, and then come back for the second batch.

Duan Rong patted Ximen Kankan on the shoulder and asked, ”Where do you live?”

Even though Duan Rong had already achieved the Eleventh Layer of the Fetal Concealment Scripture, after devouring so many weapon spirits, his head still felt a bit swollen.

”Why, are you planning to stay the night?” Ximen Kankan asked with a peculiar look.

Duan Rong laughed and said, ”Don’t worry. I estimate one night won’t be enough. You better get your butt clean and ready.”

Ximen Kankan adjusted his pants and said, ”You’re actually thinking about my butt?! You dirty old man!”

”Damn! Who kicked me from behind last time when I wasn’t paying attention?”

”When was this last time? I don’t remember anything about it.”

”Don’t play dumb with me!?”

The two joked and laughed as they walked out of the cave.

Seeing that Duan Rong was speaking normally, Ximen Kankan decided to push aside the strange happenings in the cave. After all, back in Xianggu County, Duan Rong often had strange occurrences—it was fine as long as he wasn’t genuinely afflicted.

The two arrived at the simple cave dwelling where Ximen Kankan lived.

Ximen Kankan said, ”Let’s go to the woods and hunt some game for dinner.”

Duan Rong waved it off and said, ”You go ahead. I’m going to sleep.”

With that, Duan Rong actually walked to the depths of the cave, lay down on a stone bed, covered his head with a blanket, and fell into a deep sleep.

Seeing Duan Rong play dead right after coming back, Ximen Kankan cursed, ”You’re just going to freeload! You lazy freeloader! Alright, I’ll let it slide this time.”

Ximen Kankan had to go to the forest alone, hunt some game, and roast it at the cave entrance.