In the narrow alley, the woman's cries persist.
Yan Yuchen hovers nearby, his eyes coldly observing. The scene before him is like a burning flame silently igniting the icy determination within his Earthbound soul.
To refine the Earthbound soul into perfection, there's only one path: through battle.
"If I become a soul, evil shall not persist!"
On the side, Qingya watches with great interest, eyes wide open, a look of eager anticipation on its face.
However, when Yan Yuchen glares at it, Qingya immediately feigns a righteous appearance and points at the man who was venting his frustration on the woman, angrily exclaiming, "This scoundrel who humiliates women deserves to be cut into a thousand pieces, chop off his little sausage, turn it into a big sausage, and feed it to the dogs!"
Before long, the man finally finishes his outburst, breathing heavily. Suddenly, he becomes aware of his surroundings.
His face turns deathly pale as he looks at the woman beneath him, realizing the wicked deed he committed in a moment of heated rage. Trembling with fear, he grapples with his head, overwhelmed with regret. Thinking about the consequences of his actions and the shattered future awaiting his family, he breaks down in tears.
Yan Yuchen and Qingya remain vigilant, preventing him from suddenly resorting to violence to silence the woman. At this moment, his consciousness is conflicted and hesitant, unlike the previous state where he was uncontrollable and impulsive.
In the end, the man shivers as he puts on his clothes and hastily flees.
Seeing the villain depart, the woman on the ground is too frightened to even put on her clothes. She scrambles to her feet and rushes out of the alley, shouting for help, fearing the man might return.
Yan Yuchen, assured of her safety, leaves with Qingya.
As he floats up from the ground, he suddenly notices that his soul seems much lighter than before. It appears that the recent act of driving away the evil spirit has had a purifying effect on his subterranean soul.
The path of cultivation has finally begun.
"Master, how did your speed become so fast? It seems like you've improved a lot compared to before. I can barely keep up now," Qingya pants, trailing behind with an astonished expression.
Yan Yuchen gives it a disdainful glance, saying, "Stop flattering and lead the way up front."
Just out of the body, how fast can a soul be? Even if there's been some improvement, it surely can't compare to the souls that have been alive for thousands of years. Qingya is clearly pretending to be impressive, likely just to flatter Yan Yuchen.
"Hehe, Master's speed has indeed increased. I wasn't lying about that."
Qingya chuckles, gracefully floating to the front with an appearance of ease, no longer panting.
Yan Yuchen drifts through the dark night, witnessing the many buildings and earthly things below. The night breeze blows, the bright moon shines, and a newfound passion surges within him.
If I become a ghost, there will be no ghosts; if I become a human, all will be subjects!
"Master, come quickly! There's a devouring essence ghost here, causing harm to a young man."
Leading him to a building, Qingya descends and stops outside a bedroom window.
In the room, dimly lit, a boy around fifteen or sixteen years old isn't sleeping but rather facing the computer with an excited expression, engaging in self-indulgence.
The content on the computer screen is obscene and lewd.
The young man's face is flushed, eyes fixed on the screen, pupils emitting a strange light. His muscles are tense, breathing hurried, heart pounding, resembling a patient in the throes of a sudden ailment.
Beside him, a dark figure hovers, repulsive in appearance, a wicked smile on its face. Its lips move slightly, as if reciting an incantation.
"Master, a devouring essence ghost is also a type of desire ghost. These ghosts specialize in seducing people into indulging in obscenity, becoming infatuated with lust, distorting their thoughts, and then engaging in self-indulgence. This allows them to consume human essence and strengthen themselves."
"This kind of ghost poses significant harm to humans. Essence is vital for the human body, governing the bones and producing marrow. Insufficient essence results in underdeveloped bones, weak and brittle bones prone to fractures. It can also cause body asymmetry, facial or limb discrepancies."
"Inadequate essence can lead to brain atrophy, causing memory decline, lack of concentration, and, in severe cases, intellectual decline and idiocy."
"Youth aging prematurely, premature greying and hair loss, stunted growth, short stature, loose teeth, tinnitus, deafness, mental dullness, acne, forgetfulness, and inferiority complex are all related to insufficient essence."
"The harm caused by self-indulgence is truly boundless."
Qingya explains in a low voice, seeming to carry a hint of persuasion, fearing that his master might fall into this calamity as well.
Yan Yuchen glanced at Qingya and chuckled, "You're quite knowledgeable. These consequences have been known for a long time in the 5,000 years of Chinese culture. The teachings are in the books, but few bother to read them, let alone believe."
In his previous life, he had read many ancient texts from sages and visited numerous traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, so he was well aware of the true dangers of self-indulgence.
In the room, the young man slumped, his face flushed, mind blank, gaze vacant. A layer of lifelessness appeared on his face, and he sat like a soulless shell in the chair.
The devouring essence ghost, waiting eagerly on the side, was about to pounce. Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind, seizing its neck.
The devouring essence ghost was startled, turning to look, only to become furious. "Where did this little ghost come from, daring to ruin Grandpa's good time!"
Yan Yuchen's eyes flashed with a cold light. The power of the golden core easily transmitted from his distant body.
"You're not a ghost! You... you are..."
Only at this moment did the devouring essence ghost realize, in horror, that the one gripping its soul was not a typical ghost like itself but a cultivator who had left the body!
"Immortal, spare me..."
Trembling with fear, the devouring essence ghost began to beg for mercy.
Without giving it any chance, Yan Yuchen's hand gleamed, crushing its soul, completely annihilating it!
"Hmph! A tiny desire ghost dares to act recklessly in front of my master. It serves you right to be scattered and unable to reincarnate!"
Qingya snorted coldly, a look of disdain on his face. However, his legs couldn't help trembling silently.
This desire ghost, just like him, was alive and thriving. Yet, in the blink of an eye, it was pinched to death, the soul scattered and disappeared from the world. Qingya, in awe and fear, looked at Yan Yuchen.
Then, in a panic, he approached with a flattering expression, "Master is mighty and domineering. My admiration for you is boundless, like a surging river..."
"Enough of your nonsense. It's time to go."
"Yes, Master. But I have no sister, only a dear older sister. Speaking of her, Master, she is remarkable. My admiration for her is as boundless as..."
"Shut up! Do you want me to punch your crap out?"
"Yes, Master. But I don't have any crap. If Master wants to punch, I'm willing to die a thousand deaths without complaint. I'll even lift my buttocks for you to ravage without any resentment..."
"Get lost!"
"Understood."
In the night sky, a grotesque ghost with a ferocious green face and fangs began earnestly rolling in the void, holding its head....
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