Chapter 307: Faceless Ghost Mountain

Chapter 307: The Ghost Emperor Without a Face

“Well, since the fourth brother is still young, letting him crash into the wall a few times isn’t a bad thing.”

“The essence of the Ghost Emperor cannot be so easily copied—this fourth brother… his ambition is too vast.” Qī Shì surveyed Xu Qing with a glance, then turned to leave with his hands in his pockets.

At this moment, Xu Qing had already forgotten everything outside his cultivation, forgotten the passage of time. All that occupied his mind was to transplant this Ghost Emperor completely into his own mind sea.

Because his master had said that only then could he practice the Ghostly Mysterious Stealing Art.

This technique, Xu Qing found very suitable for himself. He wished to practice it the moment he broke through to the Golden Core, so he felt… he must do it well.

If he merely copied the outline, Xu Qing feared it would not be enough. Thus, he delved deeper and deeper, immersing himself in perceiving every detail of the Ghost Emperor’s form.

Xu Qing did not understand what “rhythm” meant—he thought simply of completing the image as vividly as possible in his heart, as similar as possible to the Ghost Emperor Mountain.

Just like copying an original painting, he sought to render it fully in his mind.

After the outline took shape, he began to enrich its details and colors, but the difficulty far exceeded his expectations.

It was like asking someone with no painting foundation to first sketch an outline—they might manage that, but when filling in details, errors often followed.

Now, Xu Qing’s detail work had an error—this mistake occurred during the filling of the form. Though he had copied as closely as possible, the resulting figure still carried an uncanny aura.

So, instinctively, Xu Qing erased it and started anew.

This scene unfolded within Xu Qing’s mind sea, born from his contemplation. To outsiders, it was hard to discern, but Qī Shì’s cultivation level allowed him to sense something of the matter.

It was precisely this clue that made Qī Shì halt his steps and turn back to stare intently at Xu Qing.

“What’s happening?”

“Just now, I felt a hint of rhythm stirring!” Qī Shì examined closely, his expression puzzled.

“The rhythm has faded? Yet the outline shape that he just copied… how could it have vanished?”

“What is the fourth brother doing?”

Qī Shì grew curious, observing for half a while. After Xu Qing fell into silence, he left with a sigh, spending the day idly wandering. Though Ding Xue beside him brought some joy, his heart remained fixated on Xu Qing’s state.

Returning at dusk, Qī Shì rushed to check on Xu Qing.

What he saw made him speechless.

“The outline has reappeared! So quickly?”

“And that hint of rhythm… it’s… gone again!”

Qī Shì stared at Xu Qing, intending to snap him awake for questioning, but restrained himself.

Thus, time passed day by day. The second month arrived.

By the second month, Qī Shì’s patience had been worn thin by Xu Qing’s transformations. He could sense daily that Xu Qing had successfully copied the form, only for it to dissipate again.

In the end, he discerned the pattern.

“I only asked you to copy an outline, yet you… you don’t need to push so hard.”

“Why are you showing off your understanding?” Qī Shì sighed, though his eyes held increasing admiration for Xu Qing’s talent. His perception of his four disciples’ insights had grown more comprehensive.

“This child… his aptitude is best suited for the Tao of the Too Sì Celestial, and since the Too Sì Celestial’s heritage stems from this Ghost Emperor, perhaps to some extent, this child is most fit to walk the path of the Ghost Emperor.”

“Perhaps that’s why he was able to sense it so remarkably.”

As Qī Shì pondered, Xu Qing reached a critical moment. He used his mind sea as a canvas and his insight as a brush, painting the Ghost Emperor anew, erasing and repainting again.

Gradually, the Ghost Emperor in his mind sea became increasingly vivid, and as Xu Qing adjusted and re-copied the details repeatedly, they grew richer. Except… the Ghost Emperor’s body lacked a face.

The face was the part Xu Qing was never satisfied with. Even the form he had drawn, he wasn’t fully content with.

Yet if others knew of this, they would be amazed—because achieving this at the Foundation Establishment level was rare.

The requirement for insight was immense.

But Xu Qing felt he had not even reached one percent of perfection. Though the Ghost Emperor in his mind sea seemed vivid, he clearly knew it was merely an empty shell.

At best, it was a very exquisite hollow.

Compared to true perfection, Xu Qing judged he had only accomplished a fraction of a fraction.

He wanted to try harder, but his spirit could no longer bear it. The mind sea, stretched by the Ghost Emperor’s presence, could no longer hold his spirit.

On the sixty-seventh day, Xu Qing opened his eyes, his gaze brimming with the profound essence of the Ghost Emperor, radiating an edge sharper than before.

Yet Xu Qing let out a gentle sigh.

Later, he noticed his surroundings—seated quietly was Qī Shì, appearing as indifferent as ever.

“Master, I can no longer pursue understanding.”

“Don’t be discouraged. Though you cannot match Master’s speed in completing the copy, I know you’ve tried your best.”

Qī Shì’s words were light, his expression suggesting Xu Qing was acceptable. Yet inwardly, he was stirred by a storm. In Xu Qing, he sensed a thread of genuine Ghost Emperor essence.

Though slight, its revelation would drive the Too Sì Celestial Court to frenzy.

“Master, my understanding is limited… I’ve reached my limit.”

Xu Qing bowed his head, knowing he could not compare to his master. In his heart, his master’s strength seemed like a deep, unfathomable abyss—forever beyond his sight.

He only regretted that after sixty-odd days of contemplation, he could no longer continue.

The Ghost Emperor in his mind, though exuding thick black aura and releasing shocking waves, still felt immeasurably distant from his ideal of perfection.

He could only present the outline as fully as possible.

Qī Shì watched Xu Qing, sighing inwardly. The moment Xu Qing awoke was not only marked by a thread of true essence but also by a marked change in his aura compared to before, tinged with a hint of ghostly energy.

This ghostly energy was not death, but a mysterious and incomparable feeling. To Qī Shì’s cultivation level, it meant little, but he clearly understood its profound significance for cultivators below his level.

It even exerted an implicit intimidation, causing even a glance to trigger a thunderclap in the mind.

This was not only sensed by Qī Shì but was even more intense in Xiao Ying. Qī Shì, being present, dared not show anything, but his fear spread through his body with Xu Qing’s awakening.

He subtly felt that in this moment, Xu Qing seemed… to have consumed his power.

Thus, Qī Shì’s composure flickered, but he quickly regained it, smiling faintly.

“Recognizing one’s limitations is the first step to growth. Fourth Brother, though your insight isn’t as good as mine, among my people, you’re not bad.”

“Master, may I ask if my current state allows me to practice the Ghostly Mysterious Stealing Art?” Xu Qing nervously looked up at Qī Shì.

Qī Shì gazed at Xu Qing’s anxious expression and suddenly felt tired, so he stood and spoke lightly.

“Just manage it.”

Hearing this, Xu Qing sighed in relief, though inwardly he pondered how to incorporate the Ghost Emperor into his daily cultivation, striving day and night to one day fully transplant it into his mind.

With this thought, Xu Qing rose and was about to exit the dwelling when Ding Xue entered with tea cakes, her eyes brightening at seeing Xu Qing awake.

“Xu Qing-gōnggōu, you’ve finally awakened!” she exclaimed, hastening forward to hand him the tea cakes.

Xu Qing accepted the cakes, feeling hunger stir in his stomach. Though his cultivation allowed him to forgo common food, he still enjoyed eating.

Because eating brought him a sense of satisfaction—a primal instinct ingrained in him since childhood in the peasant village, where he had lived on grass and berries.

He ate one piece, then another.

Ding Xue’s eyes overflowed with joy, her mood radiant. She then pulled out a bottle of fermented fruit wine infused with medicinal herbs, placing it thoughtfully before Xu Qing.

Xu Qing glanced at Ding Xue, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"Thank you."

These two words set Ding Xue’s entire form aglow with excitement. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the sound of Qiu Ye’s muffled hum drifted from the doorway.

"Since we cannot fathom it, we must depart."

Ding Xue pouted slightly, her dissatisfaction evident, yet she dared not voice further complaints. Xu Qing heard the words and followed suit, stepping through the door with Ding Xue.

By now, the sky had darkened to a molten amber, the lingering sunset spilling across the courtyard and illuminating Qiu Ye, who stood with folded hands. The fading light rendered his discontent palpable.

Ding Xue blinked rapidly, hurrying forward to present another box of pastries, her voice coaxing, "Please, let’s not be angry..." Qiu Ye’s stern features softened, his satisfaction visible.

This expression struck Xu Qing as eerily familiar; in recollection, he thought of the old man at Plateau Road Guesthouse…

Then came the image of the tiny white snake coiled within the guesthouse’s shadows.

As Xu Qing’s thoughts wandered, Qiu Ye savored his pastry, then withdrew a jade-green token from his sleeve, extending it to Xu Qing.

"Deliver this token to the young lad in the neighboring courtyard—he’ll be returning from school soon."

"Since this is our first outing in so long, I’ll cast my net along the way, hoping to intercept the imperial courier in Huangzhou and find Little Wu."

"Wait for me beyond the town." Qiu Ye concluded, summoning Ding Xue, who left the place with reluctance.

The sun dipped lower, its orange glow streaking the earth like a dying ember. Xu Qing’s vision swam; he sank onto the low wall beside the path, lifting his gaze to the crimson horizon.

This spot, bordered by neighbors’ dwellings and the thoroughfare leading back, became his silent vigil.

Soon, footsteps echoed from the distance—a boy clutching a satchel, his uniform pristine, skipping home with practiced grace. He bowed politely to passersby, his face a canvas of joy and contentment.

Yet as he neared the courtyard’s threshold, his stride faltered.

"Big brother..." he hesitated, his smile tugging at the edges, masking a tremor of fear.

Yet in Xu Qing’s perception, that fear was genuine—but beneath it surged an unspoken, ferocious energy, barely contained.