IsteppedinfrontoftheViridCorpse.Itnoticedmetoo,butbeforeitcouldreact,IunleashedthefirstmoveoftheSorSparrowBattleTeique—itsheadinstantlyseparatedfromitsbody.Tooeasy.

ShouldIsaythisspeciesissimplytooweak,orthattheSorSparrowTeiqueisjusttoopowerful?

Afterward,IwenttotakecareoftheremainingPaleCorpses.Onehourter,Ihadelimiotalof221PaleCorpses,plustheearlierViridCorpse.Lookingaround,partoftheforesthadbeenburnedduringbattle—butthankfully,Iputthefireoutintime.AnylongerandImight’vebeenbrandedanarsonist.

Bathetrainingchamber,Meng’ergreetedmewithpraisethemomeurned.

"Impressiveasalways,youngmaster!Butifyouiokeepfightingzombiesandghost-typebeings—embodimentsofreseandmalice—IsuggestyoubegintraininginBuddhistarts."

“VajraFist,DharmaBde,MudraofThunderousAwakening—chooseone.”

Shecasuallypulledoutthreecultivationmanualsfromthinair.

Thefirsttwowereeasytouand.“What’stheMudraofThunderousAwakening?”Iasked.

“It’saBuddhist‘divineseal’art,”sheexpined.“Youstrikeenemiesusingsymbolicmudras.Andbytheway,onceyouaccumuteenoughtributionPoints,youlearnevenmoreadvaeiques.”

InoddedandchosetheVajraFist.

Meng’erlookedatmestrangely,likeshecouldn’tuandwhyIwouldpickthatone.

“What’swrong?”Iasked.Sheshookherhead.

“Nothing.Irespectyourchoice,”shereplied,handihemanual.

ThereasonIchoseVajraFistwassimple—Ipreferusingmybarehands.So,on-basedteiquesliketheDharmaBdeorMudraweren’tmystyle.

Ipouredqiintothemanual.Siivationteiquesaresealedfrommortals,theylybeunlockedthroughqiorotheruhodsofcultivators.Upoingmyqi,theteiqueimmediatelytransmitteditselfintomymind.

VajraFist—justasthenameimplied,afistteique.Theterm“Vajra”signifiedhardnessandiructibility.Itwasafierce,force-basedart,idealforcultivatorsbelowtheSoulstage.AfoundationalBuddhistteiquewithiivationworld.

Iperformedthefullsetofmovements.Eachstirredupfierds—theairitselftrembleduheforce.

Meng’er’seyeswidened.

“Incredible,youngmaster!Youreallydohaveagiftformartiarts!”

Icouldn’thelpbutsmile.Althoughitwasthankstotheialentgrantedbymymaster,itstillmademegenuinelyhappy.

Mehenasked,“Doyouwishtobeeritcultivator?”

“Ameritcultivator?Youmean...thePowerofMeritbeusedinbattoo?”

“Ofcourse.Meritpowerhasendlessuses—itbeoffensive,defensive,andevenhelpyouovereinributions.”

Hearingthatgotmeexcited.TheHeartDemonTribution—justthreesimplewords,yetthey’vebroughtruintotlesscultivators.Ifmeritcouldhelpoverethat,howcouldIresist?

“Teachme!Please!”

ShesmiledfaintlyaeagmehoowerofMerit.Withmyenhanitude,Ilearquickly.

Themethodwassimple:thePowerofMerit,likeqi,residesiian.Bycirgqianddrawingupoatthesametime,itbeusedforvariouseffects.Itestedbothoffenseanddefeworkedbeautifully