Your Spell Version is Too Low!

It was a fragment, barely the size of a palm and the dull color of black iron.

Its edges were jagged and uneven, as if it had broken off from a complete token.

Its surface was covered in extremely dense, twisted, and bizarre Magic Patterns.

They faintly formed an indescribably profound pattern.

Gazing at this half of an Iron Token, Qi Yun raised an eyebrow and tutted softly, "Well, this is unexpected..."

The Daoist Intent contained within this half of an Iron Token...

...actually resonated with a Magic he rarely used anymore—[Master of Profound Mysteries]!

This Magic was secretly bestowed upon him by the mysterious Foundation Establishment Great Demon, "Ling Master," to overcome a difficult situation back when he was still in the Outer Mansion and being deliberately targeted by Black Mountain Master.

When his Cultivation was still shallow and his methods were few, [Master of Profound Mysteries] complemented [Skull Curse] quite well, helping him survive several crises.

But as his Cultivation advanced and he mastered more and more powerful Magic techniques,

[Master of Profound Mysteries], on the other hand, because its Daoist Intent was too peculiar and esoteric,

had never found a suitable Celestial and Earthly Spiritual Object to push its evolution forward since its last version update.

Its own automatic update progress was also extremely slow, and its power gradually failed to keep up with his needs.

So, Qi Yun had gradually shelved it, rarely using it.

He never expected that today, in the Ghost Wail Collection of the Yellow Springs Netherworld, he would unexpectedly encounter a Spiritual Object whose Daoist Intent was so perfectly compatible with [Master of Profound Mysteries]!

’Indeed, fortuitous encounters are everywhere...’

Having made the discovery, Qi Yun didn’t hesitate for a moment. He snatched the Iron Token and instantly began its Refinement!

BUZZ!

Light swirled across his Magic Technique Panel, and a notification popped up right on cue:

[Magic automatic update complete. This is a minor version update. The Magic’s effects are adjusted as follows:].

[Master of Profound Mysteries 3.0: Replace Life-taking Object].

’Replace the Life-taking Object?’ A thought flashed through Qi Yun’s mind. He immediately formed several ancient, slightly different Spells in front of his chest with one hand, his voice low as he chanted an obscure Spell.

As the Spell was completed, Qi Yun keenly sensed that a wisp of his Essence Qi had connected with a bizarre existence that dwelled in the unseen, somewhere between illusion and reality.

The next instant, his shadow rippled ever so slightly, like the surface of water after a pebble is dropped in.

A faint wisp of black gas, nearly impossible to detect with the naked eye or even an ordinary Divine Sense, silently burrowed into the distorted shadow.

Then it vanished completely, leaving no trace. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

At the same time, a clear stream of information flowed into Qi Yun’s mind.

It instantly made him understand what this newly summoned "Life-taking Object" was, and what miraculous abilities it possessed.

[Stealing and Swallowing Gu]!

A miraculous entity that could live inside the shadows of living beings!

It had no direct offensive or defensive capabilities, but its special characteristic was nothing short of heaven-defying.

It could continuously and covertly "steal" and absorb all manner of unowned, free-floating energies from its surroundings!

Whether it was nature’s spiritual energy, the essence of the sun and moon, the Evil Qi from an Earth Vein, or even the residual Magical Power after a Magical Combat or the dispersing Life Essence Qi of the dead...

...it devoured almost anything!

Afterward, it would purify and convert these chaotic energies inside its body, turning them into the purest, most easily absorbable form of Cultivation.

It would then keep half of the converted energy for its own growth.

The other half, it would feed back to its host without reservation.

What did this mean?

It meant that from now on, in addition to his own True Qi Heart Method...

...Qi Yun would constantly be in an extremely slow, but very real, state of "Automatic Cultivation."

This would be especially true in places rich with Spiritual Qi, or in areas where the energies were chaotic after a major battle.

The "stealing" and feedback effect would be even more pronounced in such places.

’A Life-taking Object that assists with cultivation...’ A brilliant light flashed in Qi Yun’s eyes.

’This [Stealing and Swallowing Gu] is a fantastic find.’

It might not be helpful in a direct fight, but its long-term value for assisting cultivation was immeasurable.

Especially when paired with his [Devouring Essence] miraculous ability.

One actively plundered living beings, while the other passively absorbed from the environment.

His Cultivation speed would surely rise to another level!

Suppressing his excitement, Qi Yun focused his senses.

The [Stealing and Swallowing Gu] in the shadow at his feet had already begun its silent work.

Faint but pure streams of Cultivation were flowing like a trickling brook, continuously pouring into his Dantian Purple Mansion and nourishing his True Essence.

"Not bad, not bad at all," Qi Yun nodded in satisfaction.

He swept up all the treasures inside the Ten Luo Temple.

With a flicker of his body, Qi Yun shot out of the temple gate.

He knew very well that there were a total of seventeen marked secret treasure locations throughout the entire Ghost Wail Collection.

If he were even a little slow, the truly good stuff would have already been snatched up by his fellow disciples, who were as rapacious as wolves and tigers.

But just as his foot crossed the ruined threshold of the Ten Luo Temple, a sudden, inexplicable feeling of dread washed over him.

At almost the same instant, the Taixu Jade Order at his waist vibrated violently, and an urgent message flooded his mind:

[Urgent! The Yellow Springs Netherworld was prepared! Large reinforcements have appeared to the northeast and southwest. Prepare to engage the enemy immediately.]

This was a warning sent via a Secret Technique from the team member who specialized in stealth and long-range reconnaissance!

Qi Yun’s expression flickered, and he lifted his head to look.

He saw that sometime, between Heaven and Earth on the outskirts of the Ghost Wail Collection, a boundless, ghastly white fog had risen.

The fog was thick and viscous, not only obscuring vision but also carrying a strange power that eroded one’s Divine Sense and cut off all perception. It was closing in from all directions.