Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Villains Usually Die Talking Too Much
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Blood Corpse True Person had a total of five disciples, all of whom were Qi Refining Cultivators. Jie Shi and Song Qing were disciples that Blood Corpse True Person took on just two years ago, ranked fourth and last among the five disciples, respectively, and were also the ones with the lowest cultivation levels.
However, it wasn't hard to guess that those assigned to do the grueling work of transporting corpses, how high could their status be?
According to Jie Shi, after Blood Corpse True Person left for a few days, their eldest senior brother, who had already reached the eighth layer of Qi Refinement, also departed, and he was currently not in the Corpse Refining Cave.
Alright, it didn't matter that the boss was out, the elite monster had slipped away too.
Lu Qingshan's eyebrows twitched in satisfaction.
That is to say, at this moment, there were only four Qi Refining Cultivators left in the Corpse Refining Cave, and the two most worthless lackeys had already been taken down by him.
The remaining two Qi Refining Cultivators, one was at the sixth layer of Qi Refinement, and the other at the fourth layer, all of them being Dharma Cultivators.
...
"Do you know what villains usually die of?" Jie Shi, who had been cooperating very well in answering Lu Qingshan's questions, suddenly spoke. His voice carried a venomous intention, "Villains usually die because they talk too much!"
A jade pendant hanging under the garments around Jie Shi's waist suddenly emitted a brownish-yellow light. The light instantly spread over Jie Shi's entire body, and on the skin exposed by Jie Shi, there was a thin layer of light gray-yellow mud.
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[Stone Skin Technique]
Level: First Grade Earth System Spell
Mana consumption: 5 Spiritual Power Value/minute
Description: Covers the skin with a layer of rock, enhancing defensive power, common mortal weapons will not be able to penetrate your stone skin.
Spell effect: defensive power +1
Remark: Solid as a rock!
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A very practical defensive spell.
The short blade that Lu Qingshan had confiscated from Song Qing was not a Magic Artifact used by cultivators but a very ordinary mortal weapon, which could not break through Jie Shi's skin after he launched the Stone Skin Technique.
"Do you know why I have been so cooperative in answering your questions, telling you everything about Corpse Refining Cave?" Jie Shi looked at Lu Qingshan with a sneer of pride, "You wouldn't really think I am begging for my life out of fear of death, right? I'm not stupid. After you've found out what you want to know, how could you possibly let me go? My behavior was just to buy time, waiting for the Earth Spirit Pendant to recharge.
If it weren't for using up the Stone Skin Technique of my Earth Spirit Pendant during the magical combat with my senior brother two days ago, do you think you could threaten me?"
I must say, for a mortal, it's quite remarkable that you've managed to push me this far, but unfortunately, you're too greedy. You didn't immediately kill me the first chance you got, and how could you possibly imagine the means of a cultivator?"
Lu Qingshan appeared to smile but didn't as he looked at the triumphantly smirking Jie Shi, remaining silent.
Seeing that Lu Qingshan did not respond, Jie Shi's eyelid twitched, sensing that something might be amiss.
A cold gleam flashed, mixed with a hint of golden light, as the short blade that Lu Qingshan had kept pressed close to Jie Shi's neck swiftly slashed across his throat.
A huge gash appeared on Jie Shi's neck, and blood gushed forth.
A cut to the throat!
Clutching his bloody neck, Jie Shi stared at the Spirit Talisman that had appeared in Lu Qingshan's left hand and was gradually turning to ash from use. His face showed an expression of disbelief as he fell straight back, landing on the ground like a lump of mud, silent and still.
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[Sharp Blade Talisman](First Grade): Engraved with the First Grade Spell, Sharp Blade Technique.
[Sharp Blade Technique]
Level: First Grade Metal System Spell
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Spellcasting consumption: 5 Spiritual Power Value/minute
Description: Temporarily enchants a weapon, greatly enhancing its sharpness.
Magic Effect: Weapon Sharpness +1
Note: As solid as a rock?
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"You launched a fatal attack and dealt 11 points of damage to Jie Shi (lv3)!"
"Target deceased, you have killed Jie Shi (lv3) and gained 30 experience points!"
...
Looking at Jie Shi's body on the floor, Lu Qingshan nodded and said to himself, "Indeed, villains tend to die because they talk too much."
The Sharp Blade Talisman came from Song Qing's storage bag. The moment he became a cultivator, Lu Qingshan quickly inventoried Song Qing's storage bag that he had carried in his embrace. True to his reputation as a talisman master, Song Qing's storage bag was filled to the brim with over a dozen talismans.
The instant Jie Shi activated the Stone Skin Technique, Lu Qingshan stealthily took out a Sharp Blade Talisman from the captured Song Qing's storage bag and swiftly applied the Sharp Blade Technique to his own short blade.
Jie Shi, full of smug satisfaction, clearly did not notice this detail, and in his heart, he always considered Lu Qingshan to be nothing more than a mortal. He would not have imagined that Lu Qingshan could open Song Qing's storage bag.
Groping over Jie Shi's body (looting), Lu Qingshan quickly found a cream-colored jade pendant at his waist.
[Earth Spirit Pendant]
Level: Low Grade Mortal Artifact
Magic Artifact Effect: Automatically absorbs the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth to recharge; every three days, it can actively cast a spell without consumption: Stone Skin Technique. (Time remaining for recharging: 72 hours)
Note: It might just save your life in a critical moment, or not.
In "Nine Heavens," the ranking of magic artifacts was set up like Cultivation Techniques, divided into Mortal, Spirit, Heaven, and Taoist levels. Unlike Cultivation Techniques, each level of a magic artifact is further divided into four ranks: Low Grade, Middle Grade, High Grade, and Supreme Quality.
The Earth Spirit Pendant was only the lowest rank of magic artifacts, but at least it was a magic artifact. Lu Qingshan was satisfied as he hung the Earth Spirit Pendant around his waist; then, he quickly inventoried the rest of his gains in haste.
The belongings of two Lower Grade cultivators were not particularly wealthy. Lu Qingshan carefully counted the contents of both storage bags.
Two spell jade slips for Qi Refinement, one jade slip for a compilation of First Grade magic talismans, and two jade slips for First Grade Five Elements Magic.
These jade slips were all very basic and not of much use to Lu Qingshan.
In addition, there were twenty First Grade Spirit Stones, two bottles of Fasting Pills, each containing twelve pills. Lastly, there were several First Grade Spirit Talismans of various kinds. To break free from his current predicament, the Spirit Talismans were undoubtedly very useful.
Spirit Stones are the currency of cultivators, stones filled with Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth with multiple uses.
For instance, one could absorb the Spiritual Energy from a Spirit Stone to cultivate faster, or consume it to set up Formations; during combat, to cast high-level spells, replenishing one's Spiritual Power by absorbing the Spiritual Energy from within Spirit Stones if greatly diminished, greatly enhancing the endurance in battle, among other various roles not discussed here.
Spirit Stones are divided into nine grades based on the amount of Spiritual Power they contain and their purity, corresponding perfectly with the nine ranks of a cultivator's progression. Each high-grade Spirit Stone can be exchanged for ten of a lower grade.
Actually, the nine-grade system is quite common in "Nine Heavens," as is the case with the levels of cultivators' spells, ranks of secondary occupations, or the grading of talismans and pills—all employing a nine-grade division.
Fasting Pills are First Grade pills, specifically refined for Qi Refining Cultivators who are not yet capable of fasting, with the effect of sustaining a person for one month without food per pill. A bottle of twelve was enough to last a year.
Unfortunately, no Sword Techniques were found, but that was not surprising. It would have been strange to discover Sword Techniques in the storage bags of two Lower Grade Dharma Cultivators.
Next, he had to deal with the remaining two Qi Refining Cultivators in the Corpse Refining Cave, and then leave this place.
Lu Qingshan stroked his chin, pondering this.
He had to act quickly; if he delayed and happened to run into the real Blood Corpse returning, he would truly be left crying without tears.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone