Daoist Master, I'm really not an evil cultivator.

Chapter 48 A Bizarre Taboo

Xu Changqing placed the three leather bags in front of him.

The skin of the toad is thick and oily, with a dark yellow sheen. Underneath the skin, countless tiny bumps can be faintly seen, undulating slightly as if it were still alive.

The Poisonous Woman's skin was as thin as a cicada's wing, its surface shimmering with iridescent colors, as if countless phantoms of Gu worms were silently moving within it.

The most peculiar thing about the Buddha of Bliss is its skin, which is plump, white, and delicate, warm to the touch, with an ambiguous pinkish glow flowing beneath its skin.

He took out the Thousand Transformations Divine Banner, its dark golden surface slowly unfurling under the solitary lamp, its patterns shimmering like flowing water. He formed hand seals and chanted the refining incantation from the *Thousand Transformations Skin Demon Scripture*. Killing Qi surged from his dantian, transforming into strands of crimson-gold threads that coiled around the three skin pouches.

"Refine!"

With a low shout, the three skins began to wriggle and contract, the phantom of a toad crouched, the seven emotions worms hissed, and the decadent chants intertwined.

Xu Changqing made a hand seal, and three orbs of light slowly floated toward the Thousand Transformations Banner. The banner surface rippled like water, swallowing the skin one by one.

The color of the banner began to change, with dark yellow, multicolored, and pink patterns flowing across it, intertwined yet clearly distinct.

The banner expanded, growing from its original length of about a foot to more than three feet, with faint magical energy emanating from within.

Xu Changqing gripped the flagpole, a thought flickering in his mind.

With a flick of his banner, his aura shifted abruptly, transforming him into a plump, bloated figure clad in a dark yellow Taoist robe, resembling the Altar Toad. With another movement, he transformed into the alluring figure of the Poisonous Lady, enveloped in swirling colorful smoke. Then, he became the chubby-faced, smiling Buddha of Joy.

"Good!" A glint flashed in Xu Changqing's eyes.

After absorbing three physical bodies, the Thousand Transformations Banner greatly increased its power, and its transformations became even more lifelike. Unless a cultivator at the third realm or above carefully examines it with their divine sense, it would be extremely difficult to discern its true nature.

He stared at the Thousand Transformations Banner for a moment, then suddenly an idea struck him.

"The banner unfolds like an umbrella, ever-changing... Why not forge it into an umbrella?"

Without hesitation, Xu Changqing took out several spiritual materials that he had plundered from the three people.

He sat down cross-legged, laid the Thousand Transformations Banner flat in front of him, and began to refine it anew.

Using the killing energy as fire and the divine sense as a hammer, the ancient ebony branches were first refined into umbrella ribs, a total of twenty-eight, which corresponded to the number of the twenty-eight constellations.

Then, using the Hundred-Refined Spider Silk Brocade as the base material for the umbrella surface, the banner surface of the Thousand-Change Divine Banner is refined into it.

The entire process lasted for three full hours. As the last ray of light entered the umbrella, a peculiar umbrella floated in front of him.

The umbrella ribs are jet black and glossy, with subtle star-like patterns. The umbrella surface is dark gold, with dark yellow, multicolored, and pink patterns that seem to move erratically as if alive. The handle is mainly made of ironwood, wrapped in a layer of snakeskin, and feels warm to the touch.

Xu Changqing gripped the umbrella handle and opened the canopy.

In an instant, his aura completely disappeared, as if he had merged with his surroundings.

With a slight turn of the umbrella, his figure swiftly switched between the three forms of the altar toad, the poisonous lady, and the joyful Buddha, without any hesitation, as the three-colored patterns flowed.

He closed the umbrella with satisfaction.

It was late at night when Xu Changqing sat down cross-legged and began to cultivate the "Pure Yang Sword Dao Immortal Scripture".

He focused his mind on his dantian, where the crimson-gold killing sword seed in the center of his dantian slowly rotated, absorbing and releasing pure killing energy. Following the instructions in the scriptures, he used his mind as a guide to refine strands of magical power, eliminating impurities and retaining the essence, and slowly infused them into the sword seed.

The sword's light gradually intensified, and its crimson-gold radiance shone through the dantian, faintly reflecting onto the surface of the body.

Just then, midnight arrived.

"Snap... snap... snap..."

A faint yet clear sound of sharpening a sword rang out unexpectedly in the quiet room.

The sound seemed to be right next to my ear, yet also seemed to come from a very distant place, carrying an eerie rhythm, unhurried, one beat after another.

Xu Changqing's mind sharpened, and he immediately remembered that this was the forbidden price for practicing the "Pure Yang Sword Immortal Scripture".

"At midnight, a ghost sharpens a sword. When practicing this sword manual, every night at midnight, the sound of a sword being sharpened will surely rise in one's ears. The practitioner must not answer, must not follow the sound, and must not cover one's ears."

He composed himself, forcibly suppressing the urge to find the source of the sound, and continued to focus on his cultivation.

But the sound of sharpening the sword was like a leech, constantly drilling into my brain.

At first, it was just the ordinary sound of metal rubbing together, but gradually, the sound began to be mixed with faint sobs and whimpers, as if countless wronged souls were wailing on the sword stone.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Xu Changqing's forehead. He gritted his teeth and focused his mind on the sword seed in his dantian, remaining unmoved.

Time passes little by little.

The sound of sharpening the sword grew louder and more piercing until, in the end, the entire quiet room seemed to have become a giant sword-sharpening arena, filled with that teeth-grinding sound from all directions.

Xu Changqing's body was surrounded by a flickering crimson-gold light, which was a sign of his intense mental fluctuations.

Just when he was about to give up, midnight passed.

The sound of sharpening the sword abruptly stopped.

The quiet room fell silent again, save for Xu Changqing's heavy breathing.

He slowly opened his eyes, a flash of crimson-gold light appearing briefly in them, his face somewhat pale.

"What a bizarre taboo..." he murmured, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

The sound of sharpening the sword just now, if not for his unwavering will and the killing sword seed guarding his mind, would likely have caused him to lose his composure long ago. If this continues night after night, it will be an immense test of a cultivator's character.

Xu Changqing took a few moments to calm his mind before continuing his cultivation.

Silent all night.

The next morning, as dawn broke.

Xu Changqing walked out of the quiet room. The courtyard had been cleaned up by Awei and Aling. All the traces of the battle on the bluestone slabs had been wiped away, leaving only a few newly repaired bricks and stones that were slightly darker in color.

Su'e, Awei, Aling, and Chen Ergou were already waiting in the courtyard.

Upon seeing him emerge, the four of them bowed in unison, saying, "Master." Su'e called him "Master," while the others followed suit, addressing him as "Abbot."

Xu Changqing glanced at the four people and nodded slightly.

After a night of cultivation, Su'e's aura became noticeably more solid, and the divine light in her eyes was restrained, indicating that she had begun to sense the circulation of qi and blood.

Although Awei and Aling were progressing a little slower, they had rosy complexions and were full of energy.

Chen Ergou's appearance was the most noticeable; his originally sallow face regained color, and his eyes became much clearer.

"Are there any obstacles in your cultivation?" Xu Changqing asked.

Su'e stepped forward and respectfully said, "Master, I have been practicing the Seven Killings Nourishing Method and can now feel my Qi and blood flowing through my body like a stream. However, when I reach the Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian, I often feel a sense of stagnation."

Xu Changqing pondered for a moment and said, "The Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian governs the ascending, descending, entering, and exiting of Qi. Since you are new to this method, it is normal that your Qi and blood are not yet strong and their circulation is not smooth. Continue to practice, and once your Qi and blood are abundant, they will naturally flow smoothly."

He then looked at Awei and Aling: "And you?"

Awei was a little embarrassed: "Master, I... I have memorized the incantation, but when I practice, I always feel that my breath can't keep up with my movements."

Ah Ling added in a low voice, "My sister forgets to breathe as soon as she starts moving..."

Xu Changqing chuckled: "Beginners are all like this. From today onwards, focus on your breathing techniques. Once your breathing and mind are in harmony, then coordinate with the movements. Proceed step by step, and don't be impatient."

Finally, he looked at Chen Ergou.

Chen Ergou quickly bowed: "Immortal Master, I... I'm slow-witted and can't remember many things, but I will definitely try my best!"

Xu Changqing nodded and took out several jade bottles from his storage artifact.

"These are Nourishing Essence Pills and Boosting Qi Powder. Although they are ordinary pills, they can nourish your Qi and blood and invigorate your spirit. Take one pill before your daily practice to help you get started faster. But remember, pills are only an aid; the key lies in your own diligent practice."

The four accepted the pills and thanked him repeatedly.

Xu Changqing then gave some more pointers on the details of cultivation before letting the four of them disperse.