42: Half-Formed Shadow Spirit Manifestation

The palace had collapsed into ruins, flames still burning unextinguished, the ground steaming with residual heat. Thick, choking smoke filled the air, leaving almost no visibility.

Covering his nose, Yi Fan thought for a moment before approaching the annex where the Divine Image of Judge Lu had once stood. Though the building had caved in, he could vaguely make out the large statue—presumably Judge Lu’s divine form—surrounded by licking flames.

“Something’s wrong,” Yi Fan mused. “Judge Lu’s spirit has already dissipated. By all rights, his divine image should have self-destructed as well. Why is it still standing here, completely unharmed?”

Turning away, he took a few steps before stopping abruptly, lost in thought. Lifting his head, he called over a dozen soldiers from outside to clear away the debris around the statue.

Half an hour later, the area around the statue had been cleared, but the statue itself could not be budged. It was as if it weighed tens of thousands of pounds, astonishing everyone present.

Yi Fan had the soldiers leave. He approached the statue and patted it. It was neither metal nor wood, cold to the touch, and when struck, rang as hard as iron or stone.

“Ghostbane, come here,” Yi Fan called.

He beckoned the ghost over and pointed at the statue. “Try moving this. Hurry.”

Ghostbane walked over, patted the statue, pushed it, but it didn’t move an inch. Looking aggrieved, it let out a few odd cries toward Yi Fan.

“All right, you can stop,” said Yi Fan. He hadn’t intended for Ghostbane to actually move the statue; rather, he trusted its keen sense for danger. Since the ghost showed no reaction, it meant there was nothing to fear.

Suddenly, his system prompted him. Opening the interface, his expression turned strange. Seeing that no one was around, he placed his hand lightly on the statue. Instantly, the statue trembled and then, like a bubble bursting, turned into a cloud of dust.

“Refined: One semi-yin divine body refined.”

Stepping back, Yi Fan pressed down his excitement. He did not know where Judge Lu had acquired this statue, which possessed the wondrous abilities of concealing a divine body and gathering the power of incense and prayer. It was by means of this statue that Judge Lu had received the worship of countless followers, gained a measure of divine authority, and dared call himself the Underworld Judge.

Glancing at his system’s energy units, he found more than four hundred points—a considerable gain.

Unfortunately, with Judge Lu’s spirit gone, much of the divine body within the statue had also dissipated, leaving behind only pure divine energy.

Collecting himself, Yi Fan felt no further regret. After all, Judge Lu could be considered half a yin god, his strength vastly surpassing Yi Fan’s. If his true body hadn't been restricted and his avatar not destroyed, the outcome of their battle would have been uncertain.

Seeing that no one was paying attention and the soldiers were busy collecting corpses, Yi Fan opened his system.

“Daoist Immortal System”
“Host: Yi Fan”
“Divine Abilities: Minor Exorcism Talisman (Level 1) (Upgrade?) Palm Thunder (Level 1) (Upgrade?) Nine Leaps (Proficient) (Upgrade?) Swordsmanship (Expert) (Upgrade?) Muscle-forging Technique (Proficient) (Upgrade?)”
“Realm: Pure Heart Sutra (Level 2) (Three Aperture Enlightenment) (Upgrade?)”
“Refined Energy: 456”
…

After a moment’s thought, he decided to prioritize enhancing his strength—the true foundation. His whole body trembled as a surge of immense energy appeared within him. One by one, his acupoints were opened, soon forming a complete circulation.

It was as if he had cultivated arduously for more than a decade; his spiritual power soared dramatically. Checking his realm, he saw it had reached “Three Aperture Enlightenment”—and could still be upgraded. Without hesitation, he chose to upgrade again.

In an instant, it felt as though his entire body was torn apart by the overwhelming energy and then reassembled, over and over, to the point where he nearly lost himself in pain.

When it finally ended, a current of pure spiritual energy descended upon him, enveloping his entire body. It felt as though countless ants were crawling over his skin.

Outside, the soldiers stared in shock. Just now, a sudden gust of wind had blown through, and Yi Fan’s body had begun to emit a faint spiritual light—strikingly visible in the darkness.

After a long while, the light faded. Opening his eyes, Yi Fan sensed the soldiers’ gazes. He looked up, saw their startled expressions, and realized some unusual phenomenon must have occurred, frightening them.

He made no effort to explain, simply gestured for them to continue collecting bodies and cleaning up.

Yi Fan opened his system and saw that his realm was now “Dao Foundation, First Level.” Delighted, he realized he had advanced an entire major realm—the equivalent of more than ten years’ cultivation for others.

Regrettably, his energy units were nearly depleted; further upgrades were impossible.

Suddenly, he remembered the lump of black charcoal he had picked up earlier that night from the ashes of Judge Lu’s avatar. He took it from his bag and, sure enough, the system indicated it could be refined.

Without bothering to identify the object, he chose to refine it. The black charcoal crumbled like sand through his fingers, carried away by the wind. The system’s energy units increased by nearly two hundred.

Checking his realm, he found he could not upgrade further, so he prioritized upgrading “Palm Thunder.” In the recent battle, “Palm Thunder” had proven invaluable, effective not only against demons but also formidable in power.

Moments later, Yi Fan opened his eyes, raised his hand, and a sizable bolt of lightning crashed down from thin air, blasting a half-meter-wide hole in the ground. The nearby soldiers jumped in fright, nearly running away.

“The power really has increased,” Yi Fan exclaimed in delight. With this thunderbolt, even an uninjured Judge Lu would not dare take it head-on. Unfortunately, it consumed too much spiritual power; he could only muster a few dozen strikes before exhausting himself.

Seeing he still had remaining energy units, he upgraded “Minor Exorcism Talisman.” In an instant, it was as if he had practiced talismanic arts for decades—countless insights arose, doubts resolved.

He checked the system: “Minor Exorcism Talisman” was now Level 2. If he had talisman paper at hand, he would have tested its effects immediately.

Composing himself, he saw his energy nearly spent and decided not to linger. He instructed the soldiers to gather the corpses and store them temporarily at the charity graveyard outside the city, then left with Ghostbane.

Upon returning to his separate residence, he found soldiers on guard at the gate. Nodding in acknowledgment, he entered the courtyard to see Zhuge Liuyun reclining on the steps, a wine jar in hand.

“Well, did you find any treasure?” Zhuge Liuyun asked with a sly grin, and when Yi Fan hesitated, burst into laughter.

Yi Fan replied sheepishly, “So Brother Zhuge already knew. I’ve made a fool of myself.”

“Did you think those itinerant cultivators were fools? If the treasure were still there, do you think they’d have left so easily?” Zhuge Liuyun shook his head, tossing the wine jar to Yi Fan. “That creature didn’t have the power to tear open the barrier between the worlds of yin and yang. Only with the power of a treasure could such a rift be made.”

“Since the boundary between the worlds had been breached, the treasure must have fallen into the underworld. With our level of strength, we can’t descend to the underworld. Even knowing there’s a treasure, it’s beyond our reach. That’s why they didn’t bother to check.”

Yi Fan rubbed his nose and rolled his eyes. If you already knew, why didn’t you tell me? Not wanting to argue, he raised the wine jar and took a drink.