Chapter 3: Nine Nether Spirit Master Technique

Mo Qianqian didn’t explain. He simply said, "Just stall for time. I’ll take responsibility for Shi Ming."

"Fine." Shi Muyao had no energy left to argue. She let out a long sigh and said, "The Shi Family’s first thought will be to link this matter to the Chen Family. With any luck, as long as we’re careful, Shi Yunhai might not even find out."

Mo Qianqian nodded, deciding not to dwell on the issue. Instead, he looked at Shi Muyao’s body and changed the subject. "How did your body become paralyzed?"

"Two years ago, I was attacked by men in black and crippled." Shi Muyao’s expression grew complicated at the mention of it. Back in the day, she had also been a genius of the Shi Family, closely tailing Shi Yunhai, perhaps even more of a prodigy than him. Unfortunately, a single accident had destroyed everything she had. Now, the Ling Family had plundered the Shi Family’s belongings and even arranged for a cripple to marry into the household. And the person this cripple was marrying was her. She was the most worthless person in the Shi Family. Being paralyzed was bad enough, but she was also going to become the biggest joke in the entire Shi Family and all of Qingcheng.

Looking at Mo Qianqian, Shi Muyao sighed with a cryptic tone. "I have to say, a paralyzed cripple matched with a ruined invalid—we’re quite a perfect pair."

"From your tone, it sounds like you think I’m the one who isn’t worthy?" Mo Qianqian asked.

"It’s not about being unworthy. If we’re talking about a match, I’m the one unworthy of you. Even a ruined cultivator is better off than a paralyzed cripple," Shi Muyao said. "It’s just that getting married so suddenly... even though my body is crippled, my mind hasn’t been able to adjust to it. Moreover, the Ling Family’s tyrannical plundering, forcing an invalid to marry into the Shi Family as a live-in son-in-law, is inherently a massive humiliation for the Shi Family. And the burden of this humiliation has fallen on my head."

Mo Qianqian was momentarily speechless. Had his marriage into the Shi Family really made him the greatest disgrace in the entire region? Was marrying him a massive humiliation? If measured by his current crippled state, it truly was a huge disgrace to both the Shi Family and Shi Muyao. Of course, to him, it was also an absolute humiliation. He had been sent directly from Central Earth’s Ling Family to marry into the South Wilderness Shi Family as a live-in son-in-law.

"We are only husband and wife in name. Whether we truly consider this a marriage or not is something we can discuss later," Mo Qianqian said. "However, I will compensate you for your loss of reputation. I, Mo Qianqian, will absolutely never be your disgrace!"

"You?" Shi Muyao started to say something but then shook her head and sighed heavily. "Forget it, it doesn’t matter. Let’s just get past Shi Ming’s hurdle first."

Mo Qianqian didn’t press the issue. He glanced at Shi Muyao’s lower half and said, "Actually, it’s not entirely impossible to cure your paralysis. I’ve heard there is a Fifth-Grade Elixir that can allow someone to—"

Before Mo Qianqian could finish, Shi Muyao interrupted. "You said it yourself—a Fifth-Grade Elixir. Do you think our Shi Family has the means to purchase a Fifth-Grade Elixir?

"Even if we sold off the entire Shi Family, we probably couldn’t afford one.

"Besides, there’s no way the Shi Family would buy a Fifth-Grade Elixir for a cripple like me."

"True." Mo Qianqian realized there was actually another way. That was to find a specific type of person—a Spirit Master! However, finding one was even harder than buying that Fifth-Grade Elixir. In the end, he kept his mouth shut.

BUZZ!

At this moment, the Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin in his mind began to vibrate once more. An eerie voice suddenly echoed from within the Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin: "Nine Nether Spirit Master Technique!"

Another unfathomably mysterious legacy flooded into Mo Qianqian’s mind, leaving him thoroughly shocked. This was an entirely different legacy. It cultivated neither Spirit Veins nor the physical body. Instead, it cultivated the Spirit. It was the Cultivation Technique of a noble and terrifying profession—a Spirit Master!

SWISH!

As he received this legacy, Mo Qianqian’s body was already operating in accordance with it. As if something had been activated, he felt completely invigorated, sensing an almost bursting sensation of Spiritual Power.

The next moment, a figure identical to Mo Qianqian abruptly appeared beside him. Over six feet tall, around sixteen years old, masculine and handsome. However, the body was transparent, and its face was as pale as a corpse’s. This was none other than a Spirit Body! A Spirit Body condensed by a Spirit Master!

It was akin to condensing a clone, but it wasn’t a true clone because Mo Qianqian didn’t share the Spirit Body’s vision. However, he could control this Spirit Body using his Spiritual Power! Unless they were a Spirit Master with formidable Spiritual Power, no one could see this Spirit Body. In other words, Shi Muyao, who was right next to him, couldn’t see it.

When facing enemies, a Spirit Master could easily command their Spirit Body to launch a sneak attack, catching their foes completely off guard. This was the true terror of a Spirit Master! To randomly twist someone’s neck, land a punch, or jerk their limbs during a crucial moment in combat—causing even a slight misstep—would be absolutely fatal.

Furthermore, a Spirit Body condensed by a Spirit Master possessed the ability to bestow "spirituality." For instance, bestowing spirituality upon a ready-made elixir could upgrade its quality. Imagine upgrading a First-Grade inferior elixir directly into a First-Grade Superior Elixir. The profit margins from continuously reselling them would be astronomical! Beyond elixirs, the Spirit Body could also bestow spirituality upon weapons, upgrading them as well. It could even bestow spirituality upon a human body, allowing physical injuries to heal rapidly. Just like Shi Muyao’s paralyzed body. By bestowing spirituality upon it, she could quickly recover...

In short, a Spirit Master stood above all other professions! They possessed heaven-defying abilities! In the entire Great Xia Dynasty, there were scarcely any Spirit Masters. Every single Spirit Master was highly venerated and enshrined by the royal family and major aristocratic households. Once someone became a Spirit Master, they would instantly soar into the sky and become dragons among men!

"I’ve become a Spirit Master?" Mo Qianqian was completely dumbfounded.

The Spirit Master Realm was different from the Spirit Cultivator and Body Cultivation Realm. For a Spirit Cultivator, there was the Spirit Vein Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Tongyou Realm... with each realm divided into nine layers. For a Body Cultivator, there was the First Realm, Second Realm, Third Realm... also with each realm consisting of nine layers.

But a Spirit Master was different. Spirit Masters only had grades—First-Grade, Second-Grade, Third-Grade—without the one to nine layers. The moment one entered a grade, they were at its peak. In other words, a First-Grade Spirit Master had the combat strength and power equivalent to the Spirit Vein Realm Ninth Layer, or a Body Cultivator’s First Realm Ninth Layer.

And now, he had directly become a First-Grade Spirit Master! This also meant that his cultivation had instantly surpassed Shi Yunhai, who was at the Spirit Vein Realm Sixth Layer. Even if Shi Yunhai returned right now, Mo Qianqian would be able to handle him!

"Um, who is the strongest person in the Shi Family, and what is their cultivation level?" Mo Qianqian suddenly asked Shi Muyao.

"Naturally, it’s my grandfather, Patriarch Shi, at the Spiritual Mysterious Realm First Layer. Why?" Shi Muyao didn’t understand why Mo Qianqian was suddenly asking this question.

"No, it’s nothing." Mo Qianqian felt reassured. Patriarch Shi was only at the Spiritual Mysterious Realm First Layer. That was just a single tier higher than his Spirit Master Realm. With a Spirit Master’s special abilities, he was fully capable of putting up a fight. With a sneak attack, he could even win effortlessly. In other words, within the Shi Family, he was invincible! Why the hell would he worry about Shi Yunhai then! He could just bulldoze his way through the Shi Family.

"Not only am I a Body Cultivator, but I am also a Spirit Master. Ling Qingxue, Ling Family—you all just wait! It won’t be long before I flatten your entire Ling Family!" A dense, murderous intent rose in Mo Qianqian’s heart.

However, he quickly calmed down. With a single mental command, the Spirit Body instantly vanished as if it had never been there. Shaking off his daze, he looked back at Shi Muyao’s paralyzed body and said, "Actually, I was lucky enough to acquire a medical prescription and technique that can cure your paralysis."

Yes, he absolutely could not reveal his identity as a Spirit Master. Otherwise, the entire region would be shaken. The news would quickly reach the Ling Family, and they would immediately dispatch their strongest forces to hunt him down. If he wanted to help Shi Muyao recover her body, he needed an excuse.

"You?" Shi Muyao cast a suspicious glance at Mo Qianqian and shook her head. "Forget it."

"Believe me, I can definitely do it!" Mo Qianqian thought for a moment before adding, "Oh, right. I just need six hundred taels of silver."