Chapter 76 Wei Xuan

The Thunder Pearl within Ling Chi’s body spun ever faster, seeming as if it might break free at any moment, incessantly absorbing the yin energy spilling from the Headless General’s body. The ground beneath them had been battered into a deep depression, growing ever deeper as the battle raged on.

Above, dark clouds blotted out the moon, denying the Headless General the moonlight he needed to heal himself, while the spiritual energy of heaven and earth poured ceaselessly into Ling Chi’s sea of thunder. As the balance tipped, the Headless General’s movements gradually slowed.

By now, neither combatant bothered with defense. They attacked with reckless abandon, each striving to outlast the other. The longer Ling Chi fought, the more ferocious he became, his saber transforming into a storm of unstoppable blows, unleashing boundless power without reservation.

The Headless General failed to evade more and more of the saber’s flashes; his entire form became like a leaking vessel, releasing his yin energy, all of which was devoured by Ling Chi’s Thunder Pearl. The prison around them condensed to a radius of twenty feet, the thunder slurry nearly enveloping it completely, invading its form with relentless explosions.

Finally, when the General’s halberd clattered to the ground and Ling Chi’s blade nearly split the upper half of his body, his endurance failed.

Ling Chi leaped up, his saber blazing brilliantly. With the tip pointed downward, he plunged it from the neck straight into the abdomen. The Headless General convulsed violently. Ling Chi locked his legs and unleashed the last surge of his strength, driving the blade in to the hilt.

A shrill cry pierced the air. Ling Chi had barely registered it when the Headless General collapsed, and before him appeared a translucent, ghostly green figure, cackling eerily.

With a sudden lunge, it dove into Ling Chi’s body. Startled, Ling Chi realized he had been invaded by an unknown entity.

“Not good—it’s trying to seize my body.” Ling Chi recalled the Headless General’s bizarre behavior—letting himself be flooded by thunder without resisting—he was using Ling Chi’s thunder to expel the ghostly green spirit and end its dominion, even at the cost of his own destruction.

The green spirit burst into Ling Chi, laughing madly. It had grown tired of the Headless General’s lingering resistance, and now prepared to claim a new host.

It rushed toward Ling Chi’s qi sea—only to find itself confronted by a vast ocean of thunder and a crimson mountain at the center. The sea of thunder suddenly roared, and a Thunder Pearl materialized before it. The laughter died.

The Thunder Pearl, with overwhelming dominance, consumed the green spirit mercilessly. The weight in Ling Chi’s heart vanished—moments ago, he had been shrouded in inexplicable dread.

His gaze fell upon the Headless General’s corpse, and unexpectedly, he felt a hint of admiration. Even without a head, the General had continued to resist; such indomitable will moved him deeply.

But dangers must be dealt with. Ling Chi raised his saber and prodded the General’s body with the tip—no reaction. He pointed a finger, sending a bolt of thunder crashing down—still nothing.

Strange—neither the Thunder Pearl nor the corpse responded. Ling Chi sat down heavily, perplexed by this uncanny situation.

***

Whatever your condition, dead or alive, I’ll consider you dead.

The thunder faded, the dark clouds dispersed.

At last, the onlookers could see the heart of the battlefield clearly. The center had become a massive pit, water trickling up from the depths, and hundreds of feet around were scorched black by thunder’s wrath.

The visiting martial artists stared in shock to discover that the master of thunder was a boy barely in his teens—whose family’s prodigy was this, so fierce and mighty?

Zhao Qing and Xiao Zhan arrived in succession.

“Master, Senior Brother,” Ling Chi greeted, cradling his blade.

Zhao Qing stood tall, exuding a calm majesty that rivaled the mountains; Xiao Zhan wore a look of pride.

All eyes fell upon Ling Chi—some with envy, some with jealousy, some with awe.

Such a disciple—if they had one, they’d laugh themselves awake from dreams.

“Sixth, are your wounds all right?” Zhao Qing frowned, examining the scars crisscrossing Ling Chi’s body.

Some minor wounds had begun to heal, while the larger ones remained open.

“I’m fine, Master, just surface wounds.” Ling Chi replied with a spirited smile.

He glanced at the Headless General’s corpse, feeling helpless. If he were alone, he would have burned it with his extreme yang power, but surrounded as he was, he chose not to reveal this ability, planning to wait until everyone left.

“Master Zhao, congratulations! The Seven Star Martial Hall is sure to dominate the Northwest soon,” said a familiar martial artist from the county, coming to congratulate Zhao Qing.

“Constable Zhao, having such a disciple, others can only envy,” remarked another, a less familiar outsider.

Congratulations poured in for Zhao Qing and Ling Chi, some even asking if Ling Chi was betrothed, inviting him to exchange martial arts, or to join them in revelry.

Ling Chi declined each invitation. Locals knew him as a martial fanatic and took no offense at his refusals. Outsiders, realizing this, nodded knowingly—no wonder he was so accomplished at such a young age; they resolved to befriend him.

Even Xiao Zhan received several invitations to drink.

Once the crowd dispersed, Ling Chi finally breathed a sigh of relief—more exhausting than fighting.

He looked around, extended his spiritual sense—no one remained nearby.

***

Ling Chi touched the General’s corpse with extreme yang power. Instantly, a raging fire erupted, reducing it to ashes. Even to the end, the Thunder Pearl gave no feedback of thunder energy; Ling Chi was baffled—had the Thunder Pearl gone dormant?

Returning to the rear courtyard of the Peace Enforcement Office, Yang Shu fussed over him, wiping tears as she applied medicine.

He scratched his head. “Mistress, why are you crying? I’m perfectly fine.”

Yang Shu seized his face, “You all risk your lives outside while I worry at home. You’re not allowed to take such risks anymore.”

She knew, deep down, that from the day he became a martial artist, his fate was either to kill or be killed, yet she could not quell her anxiety.

Ling Chi could only smile and nod.

Letting her carefully dress his wounds, he reassured her, “Just superficial injuries. I’ll be fine by tomorrow. Don’t worry. Since I’ve chosen this path, a few wounds are inevitable. I’ll be more careful in the future.”

After sending Yang Shu away, Ling Chi sat in meditation, quietly observing his Thunder Pearl.

The silver-white pearl floated above the sea of thunder. The electric glow that once enveloped it had faded, leaving it with a simple, ancient appearance. Even when Ling Chi tried to wrap it in thunder slurry, it remained unresponsive.

He wondered how much thunder energy the pearl might return after consuming the green spirit and the Headless General—he was quietly hopeful.

After a night of meditation, even the deepest saber wounds had grown a layer of flesh. Tiny electric charges darted through his torn muscle fibers, helping the wounds close, the tingling sensation oddly addictive.

Unnoticed, the sky had grown bright.

“Sixth, Magistrate Cui and some city merchants have sent a lot of medicinal herbs. You should make an appearance and say a few words. Master is there too, and there’s a young lady who specifically asked to see you,” Zhao Lei suddenly informed Ling Chi.

Ling Chi was puzzled—he didn’t know any young women, though he was acquainted with several young female ghosts.

He didn’t want to attend such social events, but having received gifts and with Zhao Qing present, he couldn’t refuse.

He followed Zhao Lei to the reception room. Zhao Qing sat at the head, with five or six richly dressed men below, and a young woman in a green embroidered skirt with delicate features.

Ling Chi sensed she was at least at the second rank of qi sea cultivation and heightened his vigilance.

Putting on a businesslike smile, he exchanged greetings.

“Sixth Young Master, you’ve grown more handsome these few years. Last night’s battle, slaying that headless fiend and protecting our county’s people—I, on behalf of the magistrate’s office, thank you,” said Magistrate Cui Zhongsheng with a formal salute. Looking at Ling Chi, he thought of his own wayward son—perhaps it was time for another child.