Chapter 23: Ghost Child, Source Crystal

"What the hell are you playing at!"

Zhou Chen’s voice resonated like a booming bell, a roar reminiscent of a dragon or a tiger, shattering the silence of Dahe Village and waking countless villagers from their slumber.

His rage was not entirely feigned to attract Zhang Long, who was staying at Qin Jianghe’s house; he was genuinely furious. He had been perfectly content juggling his four balls, and for some brat to come knocking in the middle of the night to cause trouble and ruin his fun—wasn't that just asking for a beating?

Boom!

The door exploded into a shower of wood splinters, and Zhou Chen charged out, his hair standing on end with fury. A pitch-black, eerie child flew backward along with the debris, spinning three hundred and sixty degrees in the air before landing lightly on its feet. Its eyes were hollow, and its mouth was split wide, stretching all the way to its earlobes. It stared fixedly at Zhou Chen, grinning.

"Hee hee, big brother, are you here to play ball with me?"

"What the hell are you playing at!"

Zhou Chen’s short blade flashed from its sheath in an instant. With a roar, he unleashed his power; his blood surged, and every muscle and vessel in his body swelled. With a bang, the clothes on his upper body were shredded by the sheer force of his vital energy.

Zhou Chen lunged forward, swinging his blade toward the creature’s head. The two-foot blade unleashed a three-inch-long crimson blade aura.

Bang!

The aura and the blade struck the creature’s head with a terrifying roar, sounding like two small iron mountains colliding. The next moment, both figures were sent flying backward.

Zhou Chen landed and took nine steps back, leaving a deep footprint in the stone floor with every stride before he finally steadied himself, his palm numbed. He stared intently at the creature he had struck. A blood-red gash an inch deep had appeared on its forehead, oozing black blood in a grotesque and terrifying display.

Yet, Zhou Chen felt a slight sense of relief. Although the creature was strong, it was not overwhelmingly so. He could hold his own. However, he had no intention of unleashing his full strength to fight it to the death. He only needed to stall until Zhang Long arrived.

His roar had already awakened the ordinary villagers, let alone Zhang Long, who was at the third stage of Body Tempering—the Tendon Refining stage. Zhang Long had leaped from his bed, grabbed his blade, and dashed toward Zhou Chen’s house. He was fast, covering ten meters with every step. Since Qin Jianghe’s house was only about a kilometer away, he arrived in just a few breaths.

"Hee hee!"

"I want to play with the ball!"

The pitch-black creature stared at Zhou Chen, its mouth splitting wide as it emitted a series of eerie cackles, as if it intended to pluck off Zhou Chen’s head and use it as a ball the very next moment.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, the creature lunged at Zhou Chen again, moving with such extreme speed that it appeared as nothing more than a blur to the average eye.

Zhou Chen sensed that Zhang Long had reached the doorway. He feigned panic, barely raising his short blade to block the attack.

Boom!

A piercing sound of clashing metal rang out, and Zhou Chen was sent flying.

"Audacious monster, how dare you be so insolent!"

Zhang Long, wielding his blade with both hands, brought it down in a powerful overhead strike. Having completed the Muscle Refining stage and advanced to the third stage of Body Tempering, his strength exceeded ten thousand pounds. The three-foot blade, trailing a foot of crimson aura, was unstoppable. The creature, having just attacked Zhou Chen, was still reeling from the recoil. With its old momentum spent and new power not yet generated, it could only instinctively raise its hands to block the blow.

Boom!

This strike was even more powerful than Zhou Chen’s, as Zhou Chen had not unleashed his full potential. Moreover, Zhang Long had a higher cultivation level and a better weapon. Amidst the creature’s shrill, piercing scream, the blade severed its arms and continued downward, splitting its head in half!

"Ah, ah, ah! I will rip off your balls and crush them!"

Black mist surged wildly around the creature as it lunged at Zhang Long. Zhang Long was completely unfazed, dancing his blade in a dense, impenetrable web, trading blows with the creature with ease.

Zhou Chen climbed to his feet and watched the battle. Zhang Long had gained the absolute upper hand; it was only a matter of time before he slew the creature.

"This ghost-child is neither fully a ghost nor a standard entity. It has a physical form, yet it’s not a zombie. It must belong to the category of evil spirits..."

Since gaining Ji Fengxia, Zhou Chen had been frantically catching up on basic knowledge. He loved to learn, and with Ji Fengxia as his mentor, he spent almost every spare moment in the *Fengyue Treasure Mirror* exploring new knowledge with her.

Boom!

A moment later, the creature was slain by Zhang Long, turning into a pile of white powder. However, a crystalline stone, clear and sparkling, lay within the remains. Zhang Long’s eyes lit up with surprise upon seeing the stone; he quickly stooped to pick it up and tucked it into his robes, as if afraid someone might snatch his treasure.

"Fengxia, what is that crystal? What is it used for?" Zhou Chen inquired of Ji Fengxia within the mirror.

"Master, that is a Source Crystal. When ghosts and evil spirits die, they sometimes drop these. They are of great benefit to cultivators, as they can enhance one's cultivation—they are even more precious than Spirit Stones!"

"So that's it!" Zhou Chen realized, suddenly thinking of how Zhang Long had personally come to Dahe Village to investigate the case of the man-eating tiger. At the time, only seven people had gone missing, and the cause was uncertain. Zhou Chen had wondered why a County Lieutenant like Zhang Long would be so eager to serve the people. Given the typical nature of those officials, they usually sent a couple of constables to check things out; only if they encountered a major threat would they bother someone like Zhang Long. Now, seeing the Source Crystal, he understood completely.

At that time, Zhang Long had been at the peak of the second stage of Body Tempering and needed an opportunity to break through. After hearing about the situation in Dahe Village, he guessed there might be a supernatural entity involved and came to investigate; if he could obtain a Source Crystal, that would be ideal. Although he hadn't found a Source Crystal back then, he had killed an evil demon-tiger, which allowed him to break through all the same. It hadn't been a wasted trip.

"You’ve completed Skin Refining and stepped into the second stage of Body Tempering?" Zhang Long approached Zhou Chen, his tiger-like eyes scanning him up and down. He was filled with surprise as he looked at the perfectly defined, powerful, and masculine frame. The ghost-child had been quite strong; had he not occupied the upper hand with a surprise attack, it would have taken quite an effort to take it down, and he might even have been injured. Yet, Zhou Chen had traded blows with it and held his ground for several breaths without suffering a scratch. That was not something one could achieve just by refining vital energy; he must have successfully tempered his skin until it was as tough as ox leather, resistant to blades and swords.

"Your insight is sharp, my lord. I was lucky enough to complete Skin Refining and step into the second stage!" Zhou Chen replied modestly.

"Success is success; there is no such thing as luck!" Zhang Long’s gaze became intense. He knew that he had been at the peak of the second stage of Body Tempering himself until recently, and he was already over thirty. Zhou Chen was only eighteen; this talent far surpassed his own. It was even possible that he would reach the third stage—Zhang Long’s current level—by twenty. While he couldn't compare to the geniuses of the great clans or the elite sects, in this tiny village of Dahe, he was a true prodigy.

"You are very impressive. To face a ghost-child without fear... courage is the most important trait for a warrior of our generation. Our Great Qian needs talents like you!" Zhang Long did not hesitate to extend an olive branch. "With such talent, it is truly a waste to remain cooped up in this tiny Dahe Village hunting."

"Do you have any interest in serving the country? If you perform great deeds in the future, you could be promoted, receive titles, and bring honor to your family!"

Zhou Chen was not surprised by the recruitment; he had been waiting for this exact moment. He looked pleasantly surprised and offered a bow. "I am honored by your appreciation, my lord. I would be more than happy to serve the country!"

"Good, good, good!" Zhang Long was overjoyed. Although Zhou Chen’s talent surpassed his own, he felt no jealousy. He knew his own limits; without help from a powerful patron, he would only go so far. But if Zhou Chen could go far in the future, he could reap the benefits as well.