[Black Ghoul Skill: Blood Corpse Escape (Beginner 0/100) +]

[Blood Corpse Escape · Awakening Corpse Arts]

[There are many paths in the cultivation of corpse arts—some focus on offense, some on defense, while escape techniques prioritize survival. When perfected, three-tenths of the corpse energy can be harnessed for an explosive use of Blood Corpse Escape, allowing travel up to a thousand miles in an instant. If a corpse energy imprint is left behind, one can escape directly to that location. After escaping, no traces of corpse energy or aura will be left along the way. For every additional person taken along, corpse energy consumption increases by ten percent, except for corpse nurturers. (Current escape distance: two miles.)]

"So the Blood Transformation Body can actually awaken corpse arts?"

Wen Jiu muttered in amazement.

He carefully studied Blood Corpse Escape. The more he read, the more shocked he became—and the more he liked it.

With Three Rivers Ghost Concealment and now Blood Corpse Escape, there was no need to say anything else. In terms of retreat and survival, no one in the same realm could compare.

Wen Jiu recalled an old saying: before learning how to fight, one must first learn how to take a hit. The idea was simple—if you couldn't withstand attacks, you weren't qualified to engage in battle. Cultivation was the same; at the very least, one had to stay alive to keep cultivating.

If you couldn't even survive, everything else was meaningless.

"Once the Black Ghoul advances to the upper realm, combined with the triple-layered Blood Transformation Body, Three Rivers Ghost Concealment, and Blood Corpse Escape..."

Wen Jiu froze for a moment.

He didn't even dare to imagine.

How powerful would the Black Ghoul become?

"But two miles isn't enough. At this range, any Qi Refinement cultivator at the third level who can ride a flying sword could catch up in no time." Without hesitation, Wen Jiu immediately upgraded Blood Corpse Escape to the first level.

At times like this, the benefits of accumulating corpse energy became evident.

The upgrade cost one hundred corpse energy, yet he still had 221 remaining.

[Corpse Energy Balance: 221]

[Black Ghoul Skill: Blood Corpse Escape (First Level 0/500) +]

He checked the skill description again—his escape distance had increased from two miles to five miles.

Closing the panel, Wen Jiu was pleased but also pragmatic.

The Black Ghoul was indeed powerful, but he himself was still weak.

What if the Black Ghoul was restrained?

Trapped?

What if someone tried to take him down first to gain control over the ghoul?

With these concerns in mind, Wen Jiu opened the Yinzhou Corpse Nurturing Manual.

After days of studying, he had memorized all its contents. Besides the Yinzhou Corpse Nurturing Technique and corpse-nurturing methods, he had also discovered a wealth of corpse-related arts and unconventional spells—vast and complex.

Even with the daily settlement panel to aid him, time was limited. He simply didn't have the capacity to master everything at once.

After careful deliberation, Wen Jiu chose the Yin Talisman Arts.

What were the Yin Talisman Arts?

In simple terms, they were talisman techniques—but different from normal talismans.

Regular talisman masters created things like Ghost-Repelling Talismans and Fire Talismans, which were classified as Yang Talismans, used by proper Qi Refinement cultivators. The Yin Talisman Arts, however, could only be drawn by practitioners of unorthodox paths—those who cultivated Yin-based methods.

And Wen Jiu met that requirement.

Of course, he didn't choose this technique just because he qualified. It aligned perfectly with his approach—accumulation.

Once again, it was about accumulating power.

Just like Corpse Eyes, which stored Yin energy to be unleashed at critical moments, the Yin Talisman Arts stored Yin talismans. If he lacked spirit stones, he could sell them; if he had enough resources, he could stockpile them.

They could serve as his foundation!

However, Yin Talismans weren't unlimited in use. Even if he had a thousand of them, it wasn't possible to throw them all at once.

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Activating a Yin Talisman, much like activating a Yang Talisman, required spiritual and magical energy. Otherwise, how could the descendants of major cultivation clans even compete with one another?

Still, using a talisman required far less magical energy than casting a spell of the same power—probably less than one-tenth of the cost.

"I have enough life-saving techniques already, so I'll use the Yin Talisman Arts for offense!" Wen Jiu immediately flipped open the Yin Talisman Record.

From low-grade, to entry-level, to top-tier first-grade Yin Talismans—there were over a hundred different types, all with detailed instructions on how to draw them.

"If I hadn't joined the Night Patrol Division, who knows when I'd have gotten my hands on this?" Wen Jiu sighed in admiration.

After careful consideration, he selected a Yin Talisman from the record—one described in great detail and boasting the highest destructive power.

It all starts with the practice of Yin Talisman techniques. But drawing those symbols might not give him the best reputation. Oh well. Reputation be damned. As long as it doesn't interfere with his cultivation plans, that's all that matters. It's not like many of his fellow disciples care for a corpse-raiser like him anyway.

The next morning, Wen Jiu sought out Wang Nian.

Since he needed spirit stones to buy talisman-drawing tools and didn't have a single one to his name, he had no choice but to borrow from Wang Nian.

Wang Nian was a bit surprised when he heard that Wen Jiu wanted to borrow spirit stones. "Old Brother Wen, what's with the sudden need for spirit stones?"

For Wen Jiu, he was more than willing. However much he needed, Wang Nian would lend it. But he was curious.

Wen Jiu didn't hide anything—after all, Wang Nian was his creditor. "I'm planning to start practicing Yin Talisman techniques."

"I see." Wang Nian wasn't shocked at all, as if he had already expected it. "Among all the corpse-raising methods in Yinzou, the most famous is the Yin Talisman technique. Choosing it makes sense, and once you master it, you can even earn spirit stones as a talisman master."

"No wonder the Yinzou Corpse-Raising Manual that Steward Mu gave me has the largest section dedicated to Yin Talisman techniques." Wen Jiu suddenly understood.

Wang Nian added, "I'll go with you. It's your first time buying talisman tools in the market—you're bound to run into people trying to rip you off."

With that, Wang Nian turned around and gave the gravekeepers half a day off.

This made the gravekeepers hold Wen Jiu in high regard—not just out of respect for his status as before, but genuine admiration.

Before long, Wang Nian led Wen Jiu to the trading market.

They found a small talisman shop and bought a set of talisman-drawing tools from an old talisman master inside. The original price was five low-grade spirit stones, but Wang Nian haggled it down to four. A pack of talisman paper that originally held thirty sheets per spirit stone was bargained up to thirty-five sheets. The old talisman master was so furious he was practically spitting fire, cursing Wang Nian as they left—

"No wonder you still haven't entered the Talisman Dao, you little bastard!"

Wang Nian didn't take it to heart. He just grinned shamelessly—clearly, he and the old man had known each other for years.

After returning, Wang Nian even helped Wen Jiu move into the courtyard next to his own. Turns out, he had bought it.

As a gift to celebrate Wen Jiu joining the Night Patrol Division.

It didn't cost much—just a few hundred taels—so Wen Jiu gladly accepted without hesitation.

Still, he understood.

His debt to Wang Nian was only growing.

But it was fine. He would be able to repay it in the future.

At the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), Wen Jiu returned from his night patrol.

He took out a non-ranked beast blood talisman brush and non-ranked beast blood, then laid out ordinary talisman paper.

As his Yin techniques gradually infused into the talisman brush, he began to draw, stroke by stroke—creating what was called a Soul-Seizing Talisman.

This talisman ranked among the top three deadliest in the Yin Talisman Manual, with the highest direct offensive power.

At its peak, it could reach top-tier First Rank.

It could kill a peak Qi Refining third-layer cultivator outright.

Even a fourth-layer Qi Refining cultivator would have to retreat three steps.

Because the Soul-Seizing Talisman did exactly what its name implied—seized the enemy's soul. One talisman could rip out and shatter the opponent's spirit. It was an extremely ruthless Yin talisman.

No spell technique could block it unless it specifically countered Yin techniques. No magical artifact could defend against it unless it restrained Yin techniques. Anyone weaker hit by it would die instantly.

This was exactly why Wen Jiu's already questionable reputation would only get worse.

But there was no denying it—

Its power was insane.

And Wen Jiu really wanted it.

To his surprise, he had assumed drawing Yin talismans would be difficult.

But it was going much more smoothly than expected.

Stroke by stroke—

Everything just flowed effortlessly.

The old talisman master and Wang Nian had both mentioned that beginners struggle to maintain their spiritual energy while drawing talisman patterns, let alone control the details. But Wen Jiu didn't feel that struggle at all. As his Yin techniques merged with the beast blood and landed on the talisman paper, everything felt… natural.

"Could it be that I was born for the dark arts…?" Wen Jiu chuckled wryly.

A genius, perhaps—

But a dark path genius.

"I suppose it has something to do with the Yin techniques in my dantian as well." Wen Jiu analyzed carefully and came to a conclusion.

Because, as the old talisman master had said, and as the Yin Talisman Manual also recorded—

Yin techniques typically resist merging with talisman patterns.

But for him, it wasn't just merging.

His Yin energy devoured the talisman patterns.

If they didn't want to merge?

Too bad. They had to.

At that thought, Wen Jiu let out a small laugh.

The next morning—

Wang Nian knocked on Wen Jiu's door bright and early, holding a set of notes—his personal insights from years of talisman practice.

"Old Brother Wen, this is my experience from the past two years, including the mistakes I made. If you go through it, I'm sure it'll help you—" Wang Nian stopped mid-sentence.

Because when the door opened, he saw—

On the table inside, more than a dozen successfully drawn Yin talismans.

They weren't even ranked.

But they were real talismans.

"I…" Wang Nian looked down at the notes he had spent the entire night compiling.

Suddenly, he didn't know what to do.

It seemed like this kid didn't need them at all.

Fuck.

How the hell was Wen Jiu's dark path talent this ridiculous?

Two years—Wang Nian had spent two years without breaking through.

This kid?

One night.

Just one night, and he had stepped into the path!

"Brother Wang." Wen Jiu walked up to greet him, reaching out to take the notes, but Wang Nian pulled them back.

With a helpless sigh, Wang Nian said, "My notes probably aren't enough for you anymore… Listen to me—go hang around Steward Mu Canglong. Show off a little. Try to get your hands on their talisman insights."

"Hm?"

Wen Jiu was puzzled.

Wang Nian didn't explain directly, as if he couldn't. "Just trust me on this. If I tell you to show off, then do it… Some things are taboo—if I say too much, I'll get myself into trouble."