Evil Spirits Are Immortal.
But it is not absolute.
So, Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but wonder whether the reason why the evil spirits could not be killed was because the strength of the warriors and sorcerers was still not strong enough to truly eliminate the evil spirits.
If the strength was sufficient, the so-called legend of immortality could be completely shattered.
"So—what level of power is needed to truly kill an evil spirit!?"
Gu Qingfeng pondered, and in a moment of impulse, he loosened the iron chains around the golden coffin.
Without the restraint of the iron chains, the golden coffin shook violently. The coffin lid buzzed, and cracks began to appear on its tightly sealed surface. A strange, cold breath seeped out.
In Gu Qingfeng's sight, a dim shadow, like a tide, began to pour out of the coffin.
"Buzz——"
The evil-slaying sword behind him trembled. Gu Qingfeng's eyes turned cold as the long sword behind him unsheathed. He swiftly chopped the shadow with the power of his blood and energy. The shadow was immediately shattered into fragments, and the remaining portion retreated back into the golden coffin as though in pain.
Gu Qingfeng leaped onto the coffin and pressed the lid down with all his strength, preventing the shadow ghost from escaping.
At the same time, he turned his gaze to the thumb-sized remnants of the shadow ghost lying on the ground, exuding an eerie and cold aura. To his dismay, the remains seemed to be slowly growing stronger, showing no signs of disappearing.
Seeing this, Gu Qingfeng lifted the remains with the tip of his knife. As soon as the remains touched his palm, a terrifyingly cold force swept over him, trying to freeze his very blood.
Unfazed, Gu Qingfeng gathered all the power in his body, his blood and energy flaring up like a blazing sun.
"Laugh—"
The collision of energies produced a sound like water splashing into hot oil. The cold, sinister force was incredibly powerful; no matter how strong Gu Qingfeng's blood and energy were, they could not fully dispel it.
As time passed, Gu Qingfeng's energy and blood were almost exhausted, and his face grew pale.
However, through careful observation, he noticed that the shadow ghost's remnants were about one percent weaker than before.
"That's enough!"
He lowered the coffin lid, opened a small gap, and tossed the shadow ghost's remains back inside before quickly sealing the coffin with iron chains again. Only then did Gu Qingfeng feel a sense of relief.
His face was still pale from the strain, though it regained some color as his strength returned.
Finally, a smile crept across his face.
"As I suspected... the rumors about evil spirits being unkillable are false. The reason they seem immortal is that the warriors have not been strong enough to truly destroy them!"
The so-called "level" referred not to the difference in strength, but to the difference in the essence of life. Clearly, evil spirits possessed a higher form of life.
Gu Qingfeng had consumed almost half of his energy and blood and had only managed to exhaust about one percent of the shadow ghost's remains. To fully exhaust the rest, he would need more strength than a tenfold increase.
However, this was only a thumb-sized remnant of a shadow ghost.
Trying to destroy a fully formed shadow ghost would be impossible, even with a hundredfold or thousandfold increase in power.
"Even a master warrior can't be much stronger than someone who has refined their internal organs. So, the idea that evil spirits never die isn't just idle talk!"
"The martial arts of this world seem to cap at the Grandmaster level, but whether a higher realm exists is still up for debate."
"It's possible that the first sorcerers to refine evil into their bodies were trying to find a way to destroy the evil spirits. Unfortunately, as history evolved, the role of sorcerers has changed."
"The power of evil corrupts. Today, sorcerers are not much different from the evil spirits themselves."
"At most, the evil spirits kill more people, and the sorcerers kill fewer—"
Gu Qingfeng shook his head slightly.
This world was already decaying.
Evil spirits and sorcerers alike were driving society into decline, causing order and morality to crumble.
Evil never truly dies. To suppress it, one must either seal it or allow it into their body, creating a vicious cycle.
Gu Qingfeng lacked the power to change the world, but if he ever found a way to eradicate evil, he would seize the chance.
"The martial arts of this world may revere Grandmasters, but I have an attribute panel, and the Grandmaster is not necessarily the limit."
"As long as I keep accumulating improvement points, my strength will continue to grow until I can surpass the levels of ordinary life."
"One day, I might truly be able to eliminate the evil spirits."
Gu Qingfeng had a plan now. With his current strength, eliminating the evil spirits was impossible.
So, he needed to keep growing stronger.
If refining his internal organs wouldn't be enough, he would aim to become a master.
If being a master didn't suffice, he would surpass that level.
One day, he would be powerful enough to destroy the evil spirits.
——
Leaving the Demon Prison, Gu Qingfeng's life returned to normal.
It took several days of consuming tonics to restore the blood and energy he had spent dealing with the shadow ghost's remains.
After this experience, Gu Qingfeng decided to abandon the idea of killing the shadow ghost entirely.
Considering how formidable evil spirits were, even with his cultivation in internal organ refinement, it would take more than a thousand years to eradicate one completely.
And shadow ghosts weren't even the most powerful among evil spirits.
Even if he spent all his time trying to eliminate just one shadow ghost, it would be a pointless exercise.
Thus, Gu Qingfeng realized that nothing was more important than improving his own strength.
"Whoosh!"
The energy of the sun filled his body, and he felt his blood boiling. His yang energy had increased significantly, and without realizing it, he had broken through to the second level of Qingyang Jue.
...
Qing Yang Jue (Second level entry, Pure Yang Qi and Blood Level 1)
...
"Pure Yang Qi and Blood!"
Gu Qingfeng glanced at his attribute panel. When the Qingyang Jue broke through to the second level, his qi and blood underwent subtle changes, becoming stronger and more vibrant.
Gu Qingfeng understood—this was the legendary "Pure Yang Qi and Blood."
Just then, he sensed something outside Gujiazhuang and narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Someone is coming!"