After gulping down a large mouthful of wine with a "glug glug" sound, he suddenly grinned and said:
"Being human, you cultivate yourself, you ferry others, you be like water, residing in the depths of evil yet doing good... Truly well said."
After saying this to himself, he took another swig of wine, then wiped the corner of his mouth with his rag-like sleeve and muttered:
"Who would have thought that after so many years, I would hear these words from an unnamed outer sect disciple. Truly laughable, laughable indeed!"
After saying this, he turned his body, propped his head up with his hand, and yawned. Then, he looked in the direction of Qingzhu Residence, his tone suddenly becoming extremely cold:
"Residing in the depths of evil yet doing good. If this is your Daoist heart, then show me your means of protecting the Dao. I, Jian Jiu, despise those who spout grandiose words!"
Nine days later, one evening.
Yanglusi Mountain, Purple Bamboo Grove.
Xu Taiping used the move "Blue Ox Collides with the Mountain," sending a demon wolf that had pounced at him flying backward.
However, soon after, two more demon wolves pounced at Xu Taiping from behind.
"True Qi is almost depleted; it seems I need to return."
Xu Taiping looked at the depths of the bamboo grove with some reluctance.
In the depths of the purple bamboo grove, a corpse ghost with a rotting body was wielding a large axe, forcefully chopping at a rock on the ground.
Beneath this rock was the spring that supplied water to Qingzhu Residence. If the rock covering the spring was split and blocked, the water vein leading to Qingzhu Residence would be cut off. At that time, not only would the spiritual herbs in the medicinal garden wither, but the protective barrier of Qingzhu Residence might also fail.
At this moment, the corpse ghost swung its axe heavily at the rock again, causing a wave of spiritual energy and countless fragments of rock to fly.
This blow caused another crack to appear in the rock, which was covered in runes.
"Little guy, it's not too late to repent!"
The corpse ghost, holding its axe, turned to look at Xu Taiping with a terrifying smile.
There was no doubt that this corpse ghost was the new body of the changgui.
"Who will win is still unknown!"
As Xu Taiping spoke, he gathered his True Qi and used the move "Charging Bull Formation."
With a sound like a bull's roar, the two demon wolves that pounced at him were sent flying by several sudden fist shadows, howling in pain.
Taking advantage of the moment when the demon wolves were forced back, Xu Taiping nimbly grabbed a purple bamboo, using its elasticity to leap and escape the demon wolves' encirclement.
"Can't even deal with a few demon wolves, and you still want to stop me from cutting off the water vein? Run, keep running. In a few more days, I'll see where you can run to!"
The changgui, looking in the direction Xu Taiping had fled, showed a stiff smile.
Since discovering that the water vein's spring was in the purple bamboo grove, Xu Taiping had already come here several times to stop the changgui over these nine days, but each time he had returned in defeat, making the changgui increasingly smug.
Back at Qingzhu Residence.
Xu Taiping took a basin of cold water from the water jar and poured it over himself, washing away all the sweat and dirt.
After doing this, he quickly dried himself, changed into clean clothes, and entered his bedroom, sitting down at a simple table he had made.
"Fifth failed ambush on the changgui. This time, I used about 60% of my strength, 10% less than last time. The changgui did not notice any abnormalities. The weaknesses of the three demon wolves have been identified: the one with a scar on its eye has an injured hind leg and can be killed from behind. The smallest one has an injured eye and reacts slower than the other two..."
Xu Taiping wrote down the insights gained from this ambush with a pen.
In these five ambushes, especially the last two, he actually had the chance to kill the three demon wolves, but to confuse the changgui and avoid being injured before the final confrontation, he deliberately held back.
"Having probed five times in a row, the changgui should now believe that is my full strength. Next, I just need to focus on improving my power, ideally advancing the Residual Glow Technique to the Ice Formation stage."
Xu Taiping put down his pen, pondered for a moment, and then sat down on the bed.
After advancing the Residual Glow Technique to the Ice Formation stage, not only would the protective power of the Residual Glow Body Guarding Qi greatly increase, but the Residual Glow True Qi could also condense water into ice.
"If I break through to the Ice Formation stage, I can seal the jars of wine I bought in ice, and the changgui definitely won't notice."
He glanced at the jars of strong liquor placed on the bedside table.
Although the people of Xifeng Pavilion turned a blind eye to the changgui, they still sent items Xu Taiping wanted to buy via spirit birds.
Unfortunately, the spirit birds that delivered the goods this time were not Baihong and were all very cold, so Xu Taiping couldn't ask them for help.
"Don't always rely on others. Didn't Linglong Sister say that in this mountain, unnamed outer sect disciples can only rely on themselves?"
Xu Taiping shook his head to steady his mind.
Then, he directly threw a yellow bean spirit crystal into his mouth and began preparing to advance his Residual Glow True Qi to the Ice Formation stage.
Three more days passed in the blink of an eye.
These few days, Xu Taiping had almost been practicing the Residual Glow Technique without eating or drinking, even when the water source in the garden was cut off, he remained undisturbed, seemingly entering a state of self-forgetfulness.
"Little guy, come out and face your death!"
One afternoon, the changgui, accompanied by three demon wolves, came to the entrance of Qingzhu Residence again.
Although Xu Taiping's interference had delayed things for a few days, the changgui ultimately managed to completely block the spring in the purple bamboo grove of Yanglusi Mountain today.
Seeing no response from inside the house, the changgui leaped off the demon wolf and swung its ghostly blade at the gate of Qingzhu Residence.
Although the barrier around Qingzhu Residence had not completely dissipated, its power had greatly diminished and no longer posed a threat to the changgui as it once did.
"The barrier's power is indeed weakening."
The changgui's face showed a sinister smile.
"Little guy, I will guard here tonight. When the barrier completely dissipates, it will be your end. I will make you experience the torment of being unable to live or die!"
He stood at the entrance of Qingzhu Residence and laughed out loud.
At this moment, Xu Taiping, who had been practicing for several days in his bedroom, opened his eyes.
The moment he opened his eyes, the grayish-white mist that had been swirling around him suddenly condensed into ice, even freezing a large part of the bed beneath him.
"Condensing Qi into ice, I have broken through to the Ice Formation stage!"
Xu Taiping looked at the ice crystals swirling around him, his eyes filled with excitement.
After breaking through to the Ice Formation stage of the Residual Glow Technique, he would be eligible to attempt the Gate Opening stage.
More importantly, with this Residual Glow Ice Body Guarding True Qi, his chances of defeating the changgui would undoubtedly increase.