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After gulping down a large mouthful of wine, he suddenly grinned and said:
"To be born human, you must cultivate your body, save others, be like water, dwell in the depths of evil yet act with kindness... What a profound statement."
After muttering these words to himself, he took another swig of wine, then wiped his mouth with his sleeve, which was as tattered as a rag, and continued murmuring:
"Who would have thought that, after all these years, I would hear such words from an unnamed outer sect disciple? How laughable, how laughable!"
Having said this, he turned sideways, propped his head up with his hand, yawned, and then cast his gaze toward the direction of Green Bamboo Residence. His tone suddenly turned icy:
"To dwell in the depths of evil yet act with kindness—if that is your Dao heart, then show me the means to protect it. I, Jian Jiu, despise those who boast without substance!"
...
Nine days later, at dusk.
Sheep Deer Mountain, Purple Bamboo Forest.
"Bang!"
Xu Taiping executed the "Green Bull Charges the Mountain" technique, sending a demon wolf flying backward with a single strike.
However, two more demon wolves soon pounced on him from behind.
"My true qi is almost depleted. It seems I'll have to retreat."
Xu Taiping glanced reluctantly toward the depths of the bamboo forest.
Deep within the Purple Bamboo Forest, a rotting corpse wielding a large axe was relentlessly hacking at a boulder on the ground.
Beneath this boulder lay the spring that fed the water source of Green Bamboo Residence. If the boulder were shattered and the spring blocked, the water flow to Green Bamboo Residence would be cut off. Not only would the herbs in the medicinal garden wither, but the protective barrier around Green Bamboo Residence might also fail.
"Bang!"
The corpse struck the boulder again with its axe, sending ripples of spiritual energy and shards of rock flying.
This strike caused another crack to form in the rune-covered boulder.
"Little one, it's not too late to change your mind!"
The corpse turned its head, its ghastly grin directed at Xu Taiping.
Without a doubt, this corpse was the new vessel possessed by the malevolent ghost.
"The outcome is still uncertain!"
Xu Taiping retorted as he channeled his remaining true qi, unleashing the "Galloping Bull Charges the Formation" technique.
With a sound resembling the roar of a bull, several fist-shaped bursts of energy struck the two demon wolves, sending them flying and howling in pain.
"Swish!"
Seizing the opportunity created by the retreating wolves, Xu Taiping nimbly grabbed a bamboo stalk and used its elasticity to leap out of the wolves' encirclement.
"You can't even handle a few demon wolves, yet you think you can stop me from cutting off the water vein? Hide, keep hiding. In a few days, I'll see where you can hide!"
The malevolent ghost watched Xu Taiping flee, its stiff face twisting into a grotesque smile.
Since discovering the water vein's spring in the Purple Bamboo Forest, Xu Taiping had attempted to stop the ghost multiple times over the past nine days, but each time he had been forced to retreat in defeat. This only fueled the ghost's arrogance.
...
Back at Green Bamboo Residence.
"Splash..."
Xu Taiping poured a basin of cold water over himself, washing away the sweat and grime.
After drying off and changing into clean clothes, he entered his bedroom and sat down at a simple desk he had made.
"Fifth attempt to ambush the ghost failed. This time, I used about sixty percent of my strength, ten percent less than last time. The ghost didn't notice anything unusual. I've also identified the weaknesses of the three demon wolves: the one with the scar near its eye has an injured hind leg and can be killed from behind. The smallest one has an eye injury and reacts slower than the others..."
Xu Taiping meticulously recorded the insights gained from this ambush.
During these five attempts, especially the last two, he had opportunities to kill the demon wolves. However, to deceive the ghost and avoid injury before the final showdown, he had held back.
"After five consecutive attempts, the ghost should now believe that this is my full strength. Next, I need to focus on improving my cultivation, ideally breaking through to the Ice Formation stage of the Remnant Glow Technique."
Xu Taiping set down his brush and pondered for a moment before sitting on the edge of his bed.
Reaching the Ice Formation stage of the Remnant Glow Technique would not only enhance the protective power of the Remnant Glow Shield but also allow his true qi to condense water into ice.
"If I break through to the Ice Formation stage, I can seal the jars of wine I bought in ice. That way, the ghost won't notice them."
He glanced at the jars of strong liquor placed by his bedside.
Although the West Wind Pavilion turned a blind eye to the malevolent ghost, they still sent spirit birds to deliver goods whenever Xu Taiping requested them.
Unfortunately, the spirit birds delivering the goods this time were not Bai Hong, and they were all indifferent. Otherwise, Xu Taiping might have sought their help.
"Don't rely on others too much. Sister Linglong said that as an unnamed outer sect disciple, the only person I can rely on is myself."
Xu Taiping shook his head to refocus his mind.
He then tossed a soybean-sized spirit crystal into his mouth and began preparing to advance his Remnant Glow Technique to the Ice Formation stage.
...
Three more days passed in the blink of an eye.
During these days, Xu Taiping had been cultivating the Remnant Glow Technique almost without eating or drinking. He remained undisturbed even as the water supply to the garden was cut off, seemingly entering a state of selfless concentration.
"Little one, come out and face your death!"
At noon that day, the malevolent ghost, accompanied by the three demon wolves, arrived once more at the entrance of Green Bamboo Residence.
Despite being delayed by Xu Taiping's interference for several days, the ghost had finally succeeded in blocking the spring in the Purple Bamboo Forest of Sheep Deer Mountain.
"Bang!"
Seeing no response from inside, the ghost leaped down from the back of a demon wolf and struck the door of Green Bamboo Residence with a ghostly, sinister slash.
"Boom!"
Although the protective barrier around Green Bamboo Residence had not completely dissipated, its power had significantly weakened. It no longer posed a threat to the ghost as it had before.
"The barrier's power is indeed fading."
The ghost grinned malevolently.
"Little one, I'll guard this place tonight. When the barrier completely dissipates, it will be your time to die. I'll make sure you experience what it means to beg for death but find no relief!"
He stood at the entrance of Green Bamboo Residence, laughing maniacally.
At that very moment, Xu Taiping, who had been cultivating for several days straight, opened his eyes.
As he did, the grayish-white mist swirling around him suddenly condensed into ice, freezing a large portion of the bed beneath him.
"Condensing qi into ice—I've broken through to the Ice Formation stage!"
Xu Taiping looked at the ice crystals swirling around him, his eyes filled with excitement.
After breaking through to the Ice Formation stage of the Remnant Glow Technique, he was now qualified to attempt reaching the Gate-Opening Realm.
More importantly, with the power of the Remnant Glow Ice Shield, his chances of defeating the malevolent ghost had significantly increased.