Chapter 454: Mere Jiangshi! Vast Life Essence! Celestial Phenomenon! Martial Saint of the Mortal World!?

Inside a mountain cave, a tattered

jiangshi

roared furiously at Li Yanchu and Cuihua. It was the most ordinary kind of corpse which had just begun to generate its evil aura. It was terrifyingly strong, with nails poisoned by corpse toxins.

It was the kind of poison you see in the old Uncle Nine[1] movies, where just a scratch could drain someone’s color and turn them into a

jiangshi

. With evolution, it could become an iron

jiangshi

, copper

jiangshi

, silver

jiangshi

, or even a flying

jiangshi

. Those were truly terrifying evil beings.

This one, however, was the most basic type of malevolent spirit. Li Yanchu and Cuihua exchanged glances.

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

“Could we really be this unlucky?” he muttered in disbelief. They randomly chose a mountain cave and immediately ran into a

jiangshi...

“Don’t you claim to possess divine insight, like Diting[2] who sits beside Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva[3]? Then why didn’t you notice there was a

jiangshi

here?” Li Yanchu asked.

“Hmph!” Cuihua retorted, displeased. “You also have the Spirit Eyes and Qi Sight, why didn’t you notice it either?”

She was as proud and stubborn as ever; even if she was enjoying being petted, she would never admit it out loud.

Li Yanchu sighed inwardly, thinking,

Why did I even bring this cat along? Am I out of my mind? If only I had brought Lady Yun...

She’s so obedient... though, she’s a little timid...

“Lady Yun’s nothing special! How dare you regret bringing me along!” Cuihua shot him a glare. “As an almighty mountain god, I wasn’t even willing to come in the first place!”

Li Yanchu froze, his eyes widening in surprise.

Amazing... is this Buddhist telepathy?!

Cuihua lifted her chin, tilting it at a forty-to-fifty-five-degree angle toward the sky. “My divine skill is far stronger than telepathy.”

Speechless, Li Yanchu asked in astonishment, “When did you get this ability? Why have you never mentioned it before?”

Cuihua smiled coldly. “Do you think you’re the only one who cultivates?”

She would never tell Li Yanchu that she had actually learned it while he was... petting her; it was too strange. However, her current control over the ability was unstable; she couldn’t fully manipulate it at will.

Li Yanchu warily glanced at her, and the faint divine light of his Clearheart Jade Pendant flickered, then he immediately activated the Sun Veil. Silently in his mind, he thought,

Cuihua is a big idiot!

“How dare you insult me!” Cuihua shouted angrily.

Li Yanchu furrowed his brows, surprised.

This is incredible!

Even the Clearheart Jade Pendant and Sun Veil couldn’t block her! He’d have to be careful around her in the future.

Clearing his throat, he said, “I was just testing the limits of your divine skill. Let’s go into the cave. I can’t be bothered to change locations.”

Cuihua huffed, but gracefully followed him inside. In truth, she hadn’t sensed any of Li Yanchu’s thoughts.

Her divine skill wasn’t completely reliable, and Li Yanchu had actually stabilized his mind, so much so that he didn’t even need to use the Clearheart Jade Pendant or Sun Veil to block her mind-reading.

Cuihua had deduced it entirely from his mischievous glances, and her little ruse had surprisingly worked. Since meeting Li Yanchu, she had always been at a disadvantage, intellectually and physically outmatched. Now, using her sharp mind, she had finally gained a small victory. The tiny triumph brought her joy, though her face still held that cool, aloof expression.

“

Roar

!” The

jiangshi

growled and lunged at Li Yanchu while its hands shot out, glinting with metallic sheen and exuding a foul stench.

Boom!

Li Yanchu struck with one palm.

Divine Astral Hands!

With that, a massive hand imprint hit the

jiangshi

directly, and the scorching Six Yang Force instantly reduced it to ashes! At this level, the

jiangshi

posed no threat to him whatsoever.

He surveyed the cave; the stench of decay was faint. This

jiangshi

had likely wandered here by chance rather than it being its lair. With a thought, Li Yanchu drew an ancient alchemy furnace from his Universe Pouch, which emanated a heavy sense of time and history.

Meanwhile, Cuihua had already moved to the cave entrance to guard him, ensuring that no careless little demons or malevolent spirits would disturb Li Yanchu.

The alchemy furnace rubbed affectionately against Li Yanchu, almost like a pet. It felt nothing like an ancient artifact, but more like a cherished kitten or puppy. Li Yanchu had never encountered such a sentient magical artifact before.

He was about to lift the furnace lid, when suddenly a thought resounded in his mind,

Bring me the pill.

The lid gently opened, and a soft force lifted a Blood-Qi Pill brimming with life essence slowly into the air. A dense crimson light shot up instantly, looking extraordinary and divine, while thick clouds of medicinal energy swirled above the pill.

So there really is a celestial phenomenon,

Li Yanchu murmured to himself.

If he were to take it out in Qingyun Temple or at Taiping Inn, it would surely have drawn a crowd of curious onlookers. He silently praised his own wisdom for choosing such a quiet, deserted spot deep in the mountains.

Reaching out, he grasped the Blood-Qi Pill in his palm as a surge of life essence swirled intensely within the pill. Cautiously, he first used his Clearheart Jade Pendant to enhance his Spirit Eyes and observe it, then took out a Plague-Dispelling Talisman to double-check for issues. Only after confirming everything was safe did he finally relax.

In fact, this dense life essence was extremely pure; there was virtually no risk. The pill, refined from a giant python hundreds of zhang long, should be a tremendous tonic for a martial cultivator like Li Yanchu. However, he remained uncertain whether taking in such a concentrated infusion of life essence, qi and blood would overload his body.

Still, Li Yanchu drew a deep breath.

Here goes!

A fierce tiger sees no ditches, while a coward sees obstacles everywhere[4]. He had already survived a Gold Core, what was a single Blood-Qi Pill to him?

Thus, he swallowed the pill. In an instant, a torrent of life essence surged through his body.

Boom!

It was as if some hidden shackles within him had been shattered. The intense flow of blood and blood and qi moved at incredible speed, and Li Yanchu’s face flushed with health. His skin, muscles, bones, internal organs, and blood all advanced at a terrifying rate. By now, his physique was already stronger than many mighty beasts with hardened bones. And now, his blood and qi blazed like a blazing sun!

His foundation was already profound, fortified with Bodhi Pill from Jinguang Temple, as well as countless rare treasures and miraculous pills. Consuming the Blood-Qi Pill posed no strain whatsoever, as his body had long been virtually indestructible.

The pill’s potent blood and qi now surged unceasingly, propelling his body to a terrifying new level of strength. At this time, a dense crimson light spread across the entire mountain range, so much so that even cultivators far in Wei City noticed it.

“What overwhelming blood and qi! There must be some ancient exotic creature here!”

“That red glow, is that the Blood-Qi Pill?! That young Daoist is consuming it!”

“I wonder if the mortal world will see the rise of a Martial Saint, it’s truly exciting to anticipate.”

“With the young Daoist’s mastery of techniques, he’s far beyond a Martial Saint. He should be called a Martial Dao Immortal!”

“Forget it. Since it’s that guy taking the pill, we shouldn’t go and crowd the scene!”

1. Uncle Nine is the central character in the 1985 film Mr. Vampire, portrayed by actor Lam Ching-ying. His appearance of wearing a Daoist robe and wielding a peach-wood sword has become an iconic symbol of the jiangshi-film genre. Drawing on Mount Mao Daoist arts and blending the early Republican-era setting with master-disciple dynamics, the character helped establish a new style of jiangshi cinema that merges horror and comedy. ☜

2. Diting is a divine mythical creature and the steed of bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha in Chinese Buddhism. One interpretation of its single horn was that it could receive information across the universe. It could also be used to attack and defend. Its hound ears were like a universal radio, transmitting the ability to distinguish good from bad to all believers. Here is a reference

image

. ☜

3. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is a revered figure in Mahayana Buddhism known for the vow to not attain Buddhahood until all hells are empty and all beings are liberated. Also called Di Zang Wang Pusa in Chinese and Jizō Bosatsu in Japanese, Ksitigarbha is considered the guardian of children and patron of the deceased, carrying a staff to force open the gates of hell and a wish-fulfilling jewel to light the darkness. Here is a reference

image

. ☜

4. The saying “猛虎眼前无沟壑，怂逼面前全是坎” is a humorous and slightly crude expression that contrasts courage with timidity. It literally means that “a fierce tiger sees no ditches, while a coward sees obstacles everywhere.” The “tiger” here represents a bold, confident person who faces challenges head-on; to them, difficulties barely register as hindrances. In contrast, the “coward” symbolizes someone easily intimidated, for whom even minor issues feel like major hurdles. The phrase highlights how attitude shapes perception: bravery makes problems seem smaller, while fear magnifies them. It’s often used in a lighthearted or teasing way to poke fun at someone who is being overly timid or making excuses. ☜