I Can Devour Spirits

Chapter 161: Great Success in Five Tigers and Sheep Saber

Sun Huang’s figure was tall and sturdy. Duan Rong and Luo Fanglong supported one of Sun Huang’s arms each. Sun Huang walked unsteadily, and the smell of wine from his mouth occasionally sprayed onto Duan Rong’s cheek...

When they turned into the shadow of an alley, Duan Rong’s hand secretly reached for the handle of the Cow Tail Saber at Sun Huang’s waist, and while staggering, he silently chanted, "Read the Artifact Spirit!"

Artifact: Cow Tail Saber.

Artifact Spirit Tier: Tier Three.

Devouring Requirements: Host’s Spiritual Power Level 3 (Met).

Devouring Effect: Five Tigers and Sheep Saber Great Success.

In the dark alley, Duan Rong looked at the data floating in front of him and felt a stirring in his heart, thinking to himself, "Devour!"

Duan Rong and Luo Fanglong helped Sun Huang back home and placed him on the bed in the inner bedroom.

When Sun Huang’s wife saw him so drunk, she immediately started cursing, even scolding Duan Rong and the others.

"You damn thieves’ mother! Drunk like a dead pig again..."

"You bunch of little thieves aren’t any good either. You know he can’t drink, yet you keep forcing it on him every day..."

As she cursed, she fetched a blanket and covered Sun Huang with it.

Duan Rong and Luo Fanglong laughed awkwardly and left quickly.

After parting ways with Luo Fanglong at the alleyway near Sun Huang’s house, Duan Rong returned to Liu’s House of the Escort Agency.

Duan Rong entered the courtyard, locked the gate, then walked to the kitchen door, scooped half a ladle of cold water, poured it into his dry throat, and then washed his face with the cold water. He was about to unlock the main room door when he suddenly heard a crash inside, as if something had fallen to the floor...

"...Is someone there?"

Duan Rong’s expression suddenly became sharp, and his mind instantly activated, releasing his Divine Sense.

Although the room was pitch black, under the cover of his Divine Sense, nothing could hide from him.

Duan Rong immediately identified the source of the problem: in the corner of the inner room, the wooden basin he used for cultivating the Fetal Concealment Scripture was overturned, shifting left and right...

Duan Rong focused his attention slightly, and his Divine Sense penetrated the wooden basin.

It turned out to be a small hedgehog trapped under the basin. The little creature seemed startled, pressing against the basin, anxiously scurrying around. Under his Divine Sense, Duan Rong could clearly see the little hedgehog’s restless movements...

Duan Rong couldn’t help but smile. "How did this little guy get in there?"

He then noticed a gap where the door plank warped at the threshold, despite the lock. The house had been unoccupied for years, and the door plank had warped slightly.

Duan Rong opened the door and went inside. He walked into the inner room, took out a flint, and lit the candle.

In the corner, the overturned basin was still moving around. Duan Rong went over and lifted the basin.

Hedgehogs are nocturnal and shy of light. As soon as Duan Rong lifted the basin, the little hedgehog instantly curled up into a spiky ball.

Duan Rong picked it up by grabbing a few of the black and white mixed quills on its back. The tighter he held it, the more it curled up.

Duan Rong leaned in to look at its belly, only to see it covered in white fur, with its head and limbs all tucked in.

He placed the hedgehog outside in the yard, closed the door, climbed into bed under a blanket, and fell into a deep sleep...

Half an hour later, Duan Rong suddenly woke up, wrapped in the blanket, his eyes flashing as he jumped off the bed.

"A Tier Three Artifact Spirit, yet it took only half an hour to fully digest." In the darkness, Duan Rong’s eyes shone like stars.

If this trend continues, the time it takes to digest and absorb with this devouring ability will become increasingly shorter in the later stages.

An instantly graspable realm is within reach.

Duan Rong’s alcohol tolerance was quite good to begin with, and after half an hour’s rest, the slight inebriation had mostly dissipated. With the night as clear as water and the moonlight as silver, wasn’t this the perfect time to practice martial arts?

Besides, Duan Rong also wanted to test what was different about the Five Tigers and Sheep Saber Technique at its Great Success realm.

Holding the Cow Tail Saber, Duan Rong headed to the courtyard. He took a deep breath of the cool midnight air and began swinging the saber around.

Duan Rong completed three rounds before stopping, his eyes filled with amazement.

Of the six realms of Martial Arts, the Great Success realm is the largest leap and also one of the hardest to achieve.

Upon performing it, Duan Rong immediately felt numerous new sensations and realizations.

He finally understood why he couldn’t win against Ximen Kankan, no matter how hard he tried to study and practice.

Realms are like mountains—once you cross a peak, the view becomes entirely different.

What you once thought was insurmountable, from a higher vantage point, turns out to be just a small hill.

The moves you thought were ultimate were just the limitations of your current realm, narrow and shallow views.

When Duan Rong devoured the first three realms, he never had such profound insight, but this time, after devouring and digesting the Great Success realm, it was as if he saw an entirely new world.

In the six realms of Martial Arts, achieving Great Success is one transformation, achieving Perfection is another, while the other realms are just gradual progress!

Duan Rong’s soul trembled with a pleasure that pierced through his understanding!

His comprehension of saber techniques drastically changed in that instant!

Once Duan Rong calmed his excitement, he suddenly developed a profound fascination and obsession with the realms.

"The world is truly new! Every time you step across a realm, the world unfolding before you is entirely different."

"What lies at the end of this path?"

"What is the scenery atop the pinnacle?"

"If an ordinary man continuously ascends, realm by realm... at some point, when he turns back to gaze upon all living beings, in the eyes of the world, wouldn’t he be viewed as a god?"

Standing in the dark courtyard, Duan Rong raised his head to gaze at the bright moon. He suddenly understood a truth—that gods are merely humans!

Since crossing over, Duan Rong had never been so determined and passionate. The new insight filled him with curiosity and a rolling desire for the new worlds behind each realm.

"I must hurry with the selection for registered disciples of the Taiyi Sect."

Duan Rong’s eyes flickered as he decided to ask Ximen Kankan tomorrow, as Ximen Kankan, being of a noble family, would surely participate and know about next year’s selection.

Just then, a rustling sound came from the weeds under a willow tree behind the kitchen. Duan Rong frowned and enveloped the area with his Divine Sense.

He couldn’t help but chuckle as he saw the little hedgehog rooting around for earthworms in the dirt with its nose...

Duan Rong sheathed his Cow Tail Saber and began practicing the Complete Round Pile Skill in the water-like night air of the courtyard.

He stood practicing until deep into the night before climbing onto his bed, exhausted and aching, and fell into a deep sleep...

The next morning, Duan Rong got up, washed, had breakfast at a street vendor, and headed to Snow Hidden Residence to find Ximen Kankan.

These past few days, Ximen Yong had gone to the Prefecture City, leaving Ximen Kankan to his own devices, playing more wildly than ever.

When Duan Rong arrived at the gate of West Gate Mansion, he saw two carts parked at the entrance. Ximen Kankan stood on the steps at the entrance, directing a few servants in loading one of the carts.

Seeing Duan Rong approaching, Ximen Kankan’s eyes lit up as he jumped down the steps, standing next to a stone lion, smiling at Duan Rong as he approached.