Chapter Fifty-Seven: Shadows Without Form

Nighttime, at the Qi family residence.

The main gate was firmly shut.

Several oil lamps illuminated the house inside and out, casting a bright and crystal-clear light.

Sitting cross-legged on his bed in the inner chamber, Qi Xiu carefully leafed through the green leather-bound book in his hands, page by page.

The text on the pages was minuscule, with hundreds of characters on each one. An ordinary person would likely feel their eyes ache and their head throb at a single glance.

Yet Qi Xiu was utterly engrossed, his gaze moving ceaselessly up and down as he softly murmured the key points and mysteries aloud.

“Ha, spending three thousand taels of silver on this was truly worth it.”

Having read the entire book, Qi Xiu closed it with a long, satisfied breath.

This book, “Phantom Shift and Shadow Change,” was a new lightness skill he had acquired only yesterday for three thousand taels of pure white silver from the Ghost Market’s Treasure Ship.

Compared to “Swallow Soaring,” the content of this technique was many times more extensive. Beyond the fundamentals of power circulation, body movement, and footwork, it delved into the mysteries of the Five Elements and intricate methods of internal energy manipulation.

Even with his mastery of several martial arts, his Crimson Sand Palm already a top-tier technique, Qi Xiu found himself at a loss upon first reading “Phantom Shift and Shadow Change.” Only after careful contemplation did he gradually begin to understand its essence.

“With just ten percent more proficiency in Swallow Soaring, I’ll break into the third realm. At that time, I can merge the two lightness skills into one. I wonder, though, if there’s a limit to such martial integration.”

With his sleeves gathered, Qi Xiu’s eyes flickered as he pondered in silence.

Based on his previous experience merging Black Sand Palm and Crimson Heart Palm, the fusion of martial arts was not simply a matter of transferring proficiency from one technique to another. Rather, it was about combining the strengths of both to form an entirely new art.

Thus, when Crimson Heart Palm absorbed the essence of Black Sand Palm, it was elevated from a first-rate to a top-tier technique.

Following this logic, the constant integration and evolution of martial arts might one day break through all limits—transforming from mere martial skills to true arts!

“If I didn’t already possess a true art, this might be a path worth pursuing.”

From a secret compartment by the bed, Qi Xiu took out five scrolls and laid them before him.

These five scrolls were meticulous copies he had made of the five true arts he had studied.

“Old Yuan once said that true arts must not be cultivated concurrently—especially those with conflicting attributes. Practicing two such arts at once causes the energies to collide, leading to self-destruction. Only by reaching the pinnacle of one true art, when true intent and energy spring become one—the Seed of the Way—can another true art be safely practiced. Even so, those who cultivate multiple true arts are exceedingly rare. For no matter how many true arts one possesses, they can never break through the true energy of a Daoist cultivator. That is a fundamental difference in the nature of power. Sheer quantity will never suffice.”

As he toyed with one of the true art scrolls, Qi Xiu’s expression showed a hint of regret.

This “Immortal Ape Plum Blossom True Art” was also a lightness-type true art, yet it did not harmonize with Swallow Soaring and thus could not be integrated. Lacking the ‘fuel’ of existing martial proficiency, beginning to train a true art from scratch would demand tremendous time and effort—a poor bargain.

“Enough. Rice must be eaten one bite at a time, the road walked one step after another. To look too far ahead and lose sight of the present is a state of mind sure to lead to ruin.”

Tidying up the true art scrolls and tossing them back into the hidden compartment, Qi Xiu rose, walked to his desk, rolled up his sleeves, and began to practice calligraphy.

Calligraphy was the very heart of his entire power system. Even though his proficiency now increased only by the smallest increments, he dared not slacken. For a single day’s delay would snowball into endless stagnation—how else could he hope to reach the fourth realm?

Moreover, Qi Xiu had a faint premonition: the fourth realm would be a watershed for the supernatural wonders of calligraphy. Beyond that threshold, a fundamental transformation awaited. Only upon reaching it would he know the nature of that change.

...

Midnight arrived.

A pale moon hung high; the stars sparkled brilliantly.

Beyond Baohe County, a figure darted through the emerald sea of dense forest like a rushing gale.

He was tall and straight, dressed in a black long robe, his wide sleeves billowing in the night wind as he ran, rustling with every movement.

He leapt from gorge to gorge, each motion as fluid and precise as flowing clouds and running water.

Suddenly, the figure vanished.

In the next instant, he shifted laterally over a dozen meters, appearing atop a tree branch.

Swish, swish, swish—

He flitted through the mountain woods like a ghost, at times even halting abruptly in midair.

He seemed almost otherworldly; his movements and actions defied human understanding.

Tap—

Stopping atop a thick branch, Qi Xiu raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his chin, a hint of delight in his eyes.

This superior lightness skill was truly extraordinary.

After several days spent raising Swallow Soaring to the third realm, Qi Xiu had eagerly merged it with “Phantom Shift and Shadow Change.” With the third-realm Swallow Soaring as fuel, “Phantom Shift and Shadow Change,” much like Crimson Sand Palm before, broke through to the second realm at once, fusing with Swallow Soaring to create a new lightness technique:

“Eerie Shadow Formless.”

This art was rooted in the uncanny—its speed was exceptional, its steps and movements endlessly variable: darting left or right, advancing or retreating, its body method unpredictable and elusive. When paired with internal energy, one could truly become like a phantom, shifting and flickering, impossible to pin down.

And because it incorporated Swallow Soaring, Eerie Shadow Formless also granted brief moments of hovering in midair—making it several times more powerful than the original Phantom Shift and Shadow Change.

“If I’d had this lightness skill that day, I could have jumped up and slapped that fox demon twice before making my escape.”

Breathing out a cloud of warm air, Qi Xiu emptied his mind.

Though lightness skills could not grant the crushing force of Crimson Sand Palm, they gave him ample freedom of choice.

If he could win, he would fight; if not, he would flee. What could anyone do to him?

Satisfied with his new skill, Qi Xiu glanced up at the sky. The bright moon hung high, the sea of stars glittered, and a gentle breeze brought a cool, pleasant air.

“Looks like tomorrow will be another fine day.”

With a sigh of contentment, Qi Xiu turned to head home.

A few trembling branches caught by the wind revealed a faint glimmer.

“Hm?”

His gaze sharpened, catching the fleeting glint. Scratching his head, Qi Xiu flickered and vanished.

A few lateral shifts brought him to the source of the shimmer.

Qi Xiu’s pupils contracted sharply.

A severed hand!

Here in this wild, deserted mountain, where not a soul could be seen for a hundred miles, a severed hand had inexplicably appeared.

And that earlier glimmer—came from a jet-black jade ring on the thumb of the hand.

“This ring...”

The ever-changing mask he wore seemed to stir restlessly. Qi Xiu’s eyes narrowed as he swiftly drew out a “Suppressing Talisman.”

Sss—

As soon as it neared the black jade ring, the talisman reacted.

Golden light flared, instantly tearing through the suffocating darkness around him.

Eyes alight with intrigue, Qi Xiu crushed the talisman and muttered to himself:

“A magical artifact?”

What luck—who goes out for a night run and stumbles across a magical artifact?

He scanned the area warily.

The silent forest was empty and still—apart from the distant cries of unknown birds and the rustling of leaves in the breeze.

“I am a man of principle. Returning lost property is a basic virtue.”

Bending down, he slipped the jade ring from the severed hand and tucked it into his robe, sighing softly:

“In this desolate wilderness, how could one ever hope to recover a lost item? Best I hold onto it for now—may the owner come looking for me soon.”

With one last cautious glance around, Qi Xiu swiftly swept away all traces of his footprints, then unleashed his lightness skill at full power.

In a single breath, he vanished into the deep of night.

...