I picked up skill fragments in the demon world

#139 - Mystery Factor

"It's time to go! The Northlands will inevitably descend into a storm of investigations. Dozens of nobles have had their gold and jewelry stolen clean. Whether it's the Prince of Pingbian's府 (residence) or the Bureau of Inspection, they will all conduct thorough searches. I'll have to be careful when I come to the county town again in the future," Zhang Chen said, watching the fox spirit finish moving the last of the silver. The next moment, he transformed into a vampire bat, flapped his wings, and disappeared into the night.

Zhang Chen didn't know that his actions would bring disaster to his teacher's family.

After all, Chen San's family suddenly became wealthy for no reason, and they spent money lavishly. It would be strange if they didn't attract attention.

In the dark night, the Taoist temple was silent. Zhang Chen, in his bat form, finally returned to the temple before sunset.

Little Bean was eating peanuts under the lamplight, looking down at the text marked with pinyin. He was so engrossed in reading that he didn't even notice Zhang Chen coming in.

"Why are you so engrossed in reading?" Zhang Chen asked curiously, coming to Little Bean's side and placing three paper packages on the table.

"Ah! How did you appear? You startled me." The book in Little Bean's hand almost fell to the ground. He quickly caught it and glared at Zhang Chen before playfully scolding him.

Zhang Chen patted the paper packages, and Little Bean's eyes lit up. He didn't bother to question Zhang Chen further, but opened the packages, revealing braised beef, dried fruit, melon seeds, peanuts, and other snacks.

Little Bean grabbed a piece of beef, put it in his mouth, and chewed it heartily. His eyes immediately lit up: "Delicious! So delicious! This taste is definitely not something that can be made in a Taoist temple."

Saying this, Little Bean looked at the dried fruit on the table, then turned to look at Zhang Chen, his face full of suspicion: "You little rascal, you didn't secretly run out of the Taoist temple, did you?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Zhang Chen patted the back of Little Bean's head: "Eat these things quietly, don't let anyone find out."

"Alright, I won't ask any more questions." Cheng Yu smiled sweetly, repackaged the dried fruit and peanuts, carefully stuffed them into his arms, puffing up his clothes, and then squatted on the stool, picking up the braised beef and starting to gnaw on it.

"I say, why have you been so mysterious lately? What are you up to, kid? It doesn't seem like you're doing anything good, huh?" Cheng Yu asked Zhang Chen while gnawing on the beef.

"If I were doing good things, where would you get dried fruit and beef to eat?" Zhang Chen said unhappily: "Too much nonsense. Can't delicious food shut your mouth?"

Little Bean rolled his eyes at his words. For the sake of the delicious food, he didn't say much, just buried his head and ate like crazy.

Zhang Chen lazily lay on the recliner, took out Chen Sanliang's manuscript, and was about to read when Little Bean suddenly knocked on the table: "Zhang Chen, you haven't practiced martial arts today."

"Senior Sister, I've switched to cultivating immortality. I won't practice martial arts anymore," Zhang Chen said lazily.

"Why don't you just become immortal directly!" Little Bean spat out angrily, then stood up and came to Zhang Chen's side, kicking Zhang Chen's thigh. The force reached the bone, causing Zhang Chen to grit his teeth in pain: "Senior Sister, I even brought you delicious food. Can you be a little gentler?"

"My strictness towards you proves my concern for you," Little Bean said righteously.

Hearing Little Bean's words, Zhang Chen couldn't persuade Little Bean, so he could only stand up, stretch his muscles, and practice the True Dragon Grand Stance.

Seeing this, Little Bean nodded in satisfaction. After finishing the beef, he walked towards the second floor: "You cultivate on your own, I'm going to read."

After Little Bean left, Zhang Chen directly gave up practicing martial arts and instead delved into the art of cultivating immortality.

Qi training cannot only rely on adding points. Actively cultivating is also possible.

Zhang Chen cultivated for half the night, and at this time, the Qi training progress bar also changed: 【7 Skills (Entry): Qi Training Third Heaven (150 / 4000)】

Experience points increased by fifty points.

Then, Zhang Chen visualized the Heavenly Square Earthly Round Diagram, and his soul once again entered the mysterious world, observing the incomplete talismans in the ruins, hoping to create the second talisman as soon as possible.

The first talisman was so magical. He felt that the second talisman would definitely not disappoint him either.

Moreover, having the experience of successfully drawing the talisman, Zhang Chen had a few more insights into deciphering the second talisman, and had a trace of clues.

The fox spirit was also summoned by Zhang Chen to the first heaven of the spiritual world. The fox spirit stood under the protection of the Azure Lotus with a curious face, looking at the mysterious world in front of her, her eyes revealing a bit of curiosity.

After looking for a moment and not noticing anything, the fox spirit approached Zhang Chen and joined him in studying the incomplete talismans on the ground.

After about half an hour, the fox spirit suddenly turned to look at Zhang Chen: "Have you noticed it?"

"Noticed what?" Zhang Chen looked at the surprised fox spirit.

"This world is filled with a mysterious factor that has the effect of repairing and strengthening the soul," Fox Immortal Nannan's eyes revealed a hint of excitement: "If you refine your spirit in this world, your cultivation will advance by leaps and bounds. It must be several times, or even dozens of times faster than practicing in the outside world."

"Really?" A look of astonishment appeared in Zhang Chen's eyes. He really didn't notice the change.

After all, Zhang Chen was not someone who mainly cultivated the soul. He cultivated the Qi Training Art, combining the soul with the mysterious golden light to transform it into magic power, so he was not as sensitive as the fox spirit.

"Yes! Definitely! Moreover, because this world has a mysterious factor, it can subtly cause the soul to transform. This is a great fortune!" Fox Immortal Nannan's voice was full of excitement: "If I can cultivate here for a year, I will definitely be able to break the shackles of seizing a body and step into the realm of the Yin God."

Zhang Chen glanced at Fox Immortal Nannan and sarcastically said: "Cultivate for a year? Keep dreaming!"

He could only stay in this mysterious world for two hours each day. If he stayed for too long, it would affect his cultivation.

"Zhang Chen, can you take me with you every time you come to the spiritual world in the future? The factors in this mysterious world are really important to me. Think about it, if my cultivation breaks through, won't I be able to steal more things for you in the future? I can even directly help you steal the supreme secret of the Yellow Heaven Dao." Fox Immortal Nannan looked at him with wide eyes, her eyes full of anticipation.

"You can still break through?" Zhang Chen looked at the fox spirit, a look of surprise on his face.

You must know that the fox spirit is now his skill. He hadn't heard that skills could upgrade themselves?

A look of contemplation appeared in Zhang Chen's eyes. A thought suddenly popped into his head: She is already a mature skill and knows how to cultivate herself.

"I am one with the Dragon Qi. If my power grows, the power of the Dragon Qi will also grow, which will also benefit you. This is only beneficial to you, and may even speed up your transformation into a dragon in the future, allowing you to take the lead in collecting the Great Luck of the True Dragon and transform into a supreme True Dragon," Fox Immortal Nannan pleaded with Zhang Chen.

Zhang Chen glanced at the fox spirit Nannan, not objecting. By now, the fox spirit had become a part of his essence, so it couldn't play any tricks.

The two cultivated in the spiritual world for two hours. After opening his eyes, Zhang Chen regained his magic power and used the treasure bottle to recover his weary spirit. Then, he collapsed on the bed and continued to sleep soundly.

Days passed. On the morning of the third day, while eating porridge, Xiaodouding mysteriously approached Zhang Chen with a bowl of porridge: "Have you heard? Something big happened at the foot of the mountain."

"What is it?" Zhang Chen asked curiously.

"The woman who caused trouble before is dead. The baby in her belly was cut out. It is said that she encountered a ferocious beast. Not only did the woman die, but her family also died in the mouth of the beast. Wei Yingwu built a mourning hall in the corner of the Taoist temple. It is said that he cried all afternoon yesterday. No matter how the elders of the sect tried to dissuade him, he refused to get up and insisted on guarding the spirit for the woman for seven days," Cheng Yu said in a low voice.

Zhang Chen was stunned, then saw Xiaodouding winking at him, and couldn't help but gasp inwardly: "How ruthless! This Wei Yingwu kills without blinking an eye, and even earns a good reputation, showing his daring and responsible character. Even the elders of the sect have begun to drastically improve their impression of him."

"That woman was innocent. I want to seek justice for her," Cheng Yu said, looking at Zhang Chen with earnest eyes.

Zhang Chen shook his head: "Absolutely not! That is a Chuanwu Elder, at least a Dan-embracing existence. How can you resist? Moreover, we have no kindness to that woman. We didn't get her pregnant. She just had bad eyes and chose the wrong person. She took a fancy to Wei Yingwu's good looks and wealth. What does it have to do with us?"

Zhang Chen quickly stopped Xiaodouding.

"I mean, this is an opportunity! In the name of upholding justice, we can break one of Wei Yingwu's legs. Then, if you compete with him for ranking, you'll have a much better chance!" Xiaodouding winked at Zhang Chen.

After hearing Cheng Yu's words, Zhang Chen couldn't help but shake his head: "Absolutely not! That Chuanwu Elder is not easy to mess with. Don't worry about me. If I make a move, I will naturally have the means to win."

"What means do you have!" Xiaodouding rolled her eyes. With her understanding of Zhang Chen, how could she not know his martial arts progress?

A month has passed, and he hasn't even mastered his arms yet. He's simply trash.

The two finished their porridge with heavy hearts, then went to clean the palace. When they passed a secluded path, a heart-wrenching cry suddenly came, stopping them in their tracks.

"Let's go, let's take a look! This voice is familiar. It must be Wei Yingwu putting on an act," Xiaodouding tugged at Zhang Chen's sleeve and followed the sound of crying. Before long, they rounded a garden and saw a thatched hut built in a secluded corner, with white cloth and banners hanging on it. Six coffins were placed in front of the hut, exposed to the scorching sun.

Wei Yingwu was kneeling in front of the coffins, crying his heart out, his voice full of grief.

"If I didn't know the plan in advance, I would really think Wei Yingwu is a sentimental and emotional person!" Zhang Chen muttered.

"Hypocritical!" Xiaodouding said angrily: "But this Wei Yingwu has such a vicious heart. He annihilated his father-in-law's family."

Zhang Chen looked at the coffins, and suddenly a golden light flashed in his eyes. Then, Zhang Chen's pupils shrank. On the coffin in the very center, a wisp of black energy flowed. Even though there was a scorching sun hanging in the sky, it still refused to dissipate, stubbornly gathering.

"That is?" Zhang Chen looked at the black energy, stunned: "What kind of aura is that? Full of coldness, malice, and resentment. That hatred gathers and swirls in the black energy."

"Mysterious? Wei Yingwu's wife is mysterious?" Zhang Chen was a little dazed, then slapped himself on the head: "This is not mysterious at all. It's clearly a wrongful death. The resentment refuses to dissipate, and it seems to be gaining momentum."

Zhang Chen felt that his cultivation seemed to have turned him into a fool.

"Can the mysterious form under this circumstance?" Zhang Chen's mind flickered with thoughts: "That's not quite right either. The black energy is precarious under the scorching sun. Although it stubbornly resists, it is like a flame facing the boundless sea, and it may be extinguished at any time."

"I don't know if that black energy can overcome the difficulties. If she overcomes the difficulties, will she evolve into a ghost? Directly become a force to be reckoned with?" Zhang Chen thought to himself, feeling a bit interested. Being able to witness the birth of the mysterious with his own eyes was also an opportunity for him to more clearly recognize the essence of the mysterious.

"Although that black energy gathers, it cannot take shape," Zhang Chen observed for a moment, did not interfere, and made a deduction in his heart.

"Let's go!" Zhang Chen took Cheng Yu's hand and walked away.

"What a scumbag!" Cheng Yu cursed angrily.

Zhang Chen was silent, all the way to the main hall to clean. After cleaning the main hall, the two went back to practice martial arts.

Only Zhang Chen found that Xiaodouding's martial arts practice today had a bit more of a murderous aura. Every move seemed to have the energy of wind and thunder flowing, as if she was engaged in a life-and-death struggle with someone. The wooden training dummy was blown to pieces.

At this time, Zhang Chen also followed Xiaodouding to practice martial arts. After the two practiced for an hour, Xiaodouding suddenly stopped, took a long breath, and sighed in her voice.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Chen looked at the sighing Xiaodouding.

"My thoughts are not clear!" Xiaodouding looked sad, carrying her hands on her back and walking upstairs. Even her favorite snacks were not eaten today.

Zhang Chen looked at Xiaodouding's back and couldn't help but shake his head: "She's still just a child after all!"

Then Zhang Chen sat cross-legged in front of the yellow sand and began to practice the talisman.

"I say, do you know what's going on when black energy lingers after a person dies and doesn't dissipate?" Zhang Chen summoned the fox spirit and asked.

The fox spirit was stunned: "That's resentment and obsession. If there is an obsession in their heart that has not been completed, then the resentment will not dissipate. However, this situation is extremely rare. After all, very few people can have such a strong resentment before death, and they also need a very unique fate to have a trace of opportunity."

"Can it form a strange phenomenon?" Zhang Chen asked.

"Without accident, no matter how strong the obsession is, it will dissipate after seven days. But if you get the luck, then everything is possible!" the fox spirit said.

Zhang Chen was stunned, so: 'What exactly is luck?'