The path of advancement for Realm Force  

Nighttime.

Liao Xiao Pao had finished burying all the corpses and returned to their camp, currently seated in front of their campfire.

Gu Qing Shan tossed a potato that he had just finished baking to him.

"What's this?"

Liao Xiao Pao cautiously asked.

"It's called a potato------- don't worry, it's not meat" Gu Qing Shan replied.

Liao Xiao Pao began to eat, feeling assured.

Laura couldn't help but comment: "Hey I'm telling you, all you need to do is not commit any murder, there's no need for you to be so careful even while eating"

Liao Xiao Pao replied with a solemn tone and attitude: "Since I've made a promise to Tear, I'll definitely be able to keep it------- starting from my meals themselves"

Laura and Gu Qing Shan exchanged glances, then shut their mouths in a coordinated manner.

"A man in a one-sided love is quite scary"

Laura sent her voice.

Gu Qing Shan was thinking about a different matter: "Liao Xiao Pao is human, while Tear is a saintly spirit, can they actually be together?"

Laura's expression became flushed and replied: "Who knows, this is my first time in the Dusty World as well"

Gu Qing Shan helplessly shrugged.

It wasn't only Laura that was clueless, he also didn't know.

Alright, let's just ask about some important matter first.

Gu Qing Shan cleared his throat and asked: "Brother Ironman, do you know how to defend yourself using Realm Force?"

Liao Xiao Pao was still chewing the baked potato when he answered in an unclear voice: "Busing bealm borce buu befend-------"

He sat still, but a metal shield suddenly appeared from the void of space and submerged inside his body from the sky.

Liao Xiao Pao swallowed the potato and explained: "There's a different means of defense for every distinct Realm Force. Mine is to directly reinforce it upon myself, while that guy earlier had a bunch of entities from a Phase Realm defending him. Only you would know for sure what kind of measure you'd be able to use through trial and error"

Seeing Gu Qing Shan's disappointed expression, he added: "Of course, the first stage of Realm Force should still be unable to help you with defense. You first need to use it a lot more and explore it to the very limit, from which you'd be able to comprehend the second stage of Realm Force and naturally understand how to use Realm Force to defend yourself"

Gu Qing Shan replied: "In other words, I need to at least reach the second stage of Realm Force before I can even consider defense?"

"Exactly" Liao Xiao Pao replied.

Gu Qing Shan fell into thought.

To explore and exert Realm Force to its very limit------

My Realm Force is [Realm Spirit Descent], its origin is from the Twin Rivers of Life and Death, a unique type of Realm Force.

It most likely isn't simple to exert this kind of Realm Force to its limit.

Even during my time in the Gloomy City world, I only managed to perform 2333 attacks to summon the Blood Sea Realm Spirit: Guillotine before that old man died.

I still have no idea what kind of Realm Spirit would appear after the Guillotine.

In that case…

To exert [Realm Spirit Descent] to its very limit, I would have to find an opponent who can seriously take a hit?

While Gu Qing Shan was thinking, a slugging female voice sounded in his ears:

『 He isn't correct 』

Ah?

Isn't this the voice of the Master of the Blood Sea Valhalla?

"Have you awoken?" Gu Qing Shan immediately asked.

The Master of Valhalla yawned, then tiredly replied: 『 I haven't------ I just snapped out of my sleep for a bit, I'll be returning to slumber soon enough 』

『 Listen, Gu Qing Shan, the reason why they could exert the power of their spirits to their limit was that their spirits were incomplete, but you are completely different from them 』

『 -------Your Spirit Art originated from the Twin Rivers of Life and Death, the complete Saint Realm Halo, even if you manage to reach 10,000 attacks, the number of spirits you can summon would still in actuality be infinite 』

Gu Qing Shan was stunned.

It is------ that------- powerful?

He hurriedly asked: "Then how should I cultivate this type of Realm Force for it to become even more powerful?"

The Master of Valhalla scoffed and replied: 『 I've already told you before, our world system is closely related to Phase Realms, and so… 』

Gu Qing Shan focused on listening to her, but her voice got cut off here.

A few moments later.

Still nothing.

------so, what?

"Esteemed lady, just now you were saying------" Gu Qing Shan tried asking.

Still no response.

"Please, can you tell me how I would be able to use Realm Force to manifest a type of defense?" Gu Qing Shan asked again.

No response.

"…" Gu Qing Shan.

He silently took out the Condemnation Codex and opened it to the page with the Card.

The woman continued to keep her eyes closed, seemingly still asleep.

Gu Qing Shan was puzzled.

-------if it wasn't her who spoke just now, who was it?

Without any options, he could only ask: "War God UI… was it her who talked to me just now?"

[Indeed, she was talking in her sleep just now] the War God UI replied.

Gu Qing Shan was speechless.

He looked closely at the woman on the Card------

------Are you serious?

Even while sleep talking, you still managed to teach me?

Gu Qing Shan sighed helplessly and closed the Condemnation Codex, carefully putting it away.

At the time, the Master of Valhalla had said that she is not to be disturbed during her sleep.

------then it's best that I don't disturb her.

After all, the very first lesson that Shifu taught me all those years ago was that I can't offend beautiful women with considerable strength.

Shifu…

Hah, Shifu's soul fragment is still trapped within the Samsara, she can't run even if she wanted to.

I need to try even harder, taking this chance to grow stronger, then come up with a way to save Shifu.

Gu Qing Shan was plagued by his worries but still returned to the words that the Master of Valhalla said just now.

If her sleep talking wasn't just nonsense-------

Then [Realm Spirit Descent] doesn't have a limit, it would be capable of summoning infinite spirits to fight with me.

In that case, Liao Xiao Pao's method is completely useless to me.

But the Master of Valhalla had given me a hint, saying that 'our world system is closely related to Phase Realms'

Perhaps the point of breakthrough lies with Phase Realms?

For some reason, Gu Qing Shan suddenly recalled the Phase Realm that suddenly appeared during his battle with the old man.

At the time, a total of 35 fallen heroic spirits had connected their fates to mine, sharing any damage that I would receive.

-----how could that be a coincidence?

With that in mind, Gu Qing Shan turned to Liao Xiao Pao and said: "Ironman, I don't know if I did the right thing by introducing Tear to you"

Liao Xiao Pao opened his eyes wide in disbelief: "The right thing? How could it have been anything but the right thing? I, Liao Xiao Pao, will forever remember what happened today. I will never forget that it was your help that allowed me to personally meet a spirit of the Dusty World!"

"In that case, do you think that I've done the bare minimum to show you my sincerity?" Gu Qing Shan asked.

Liao Xiao Pao replied: "No! Not 'barely enough'! You've really shown your sincerity more than enough! Brother Gu, if you have something you need me to do later on, even if this Liao Xiao Pao has to go to hell and back, I would not refuse!"

He patted his chest, loudly making metallic clanks.

Gu Qing Shan nodded.

Perfect-------

He stood up and drew his sword, telling Liao Xiao Pao: "Then there's something that I happen to need your help with"

"What is it?"

"Let me slash you a few times"

"-----Huh?"

"…You didn't mishear, I want you to help me confirm something…"

"You aren't trying to kill me, right?"

"Of course not!"

"Then why do you want to slash me?"

"I'm thinking of summoning my spirit to ask them about the method to advance"

"…An interesting idea"

A few moments later.

Liao Xiao Pao stood still and started circulating his Realm Force.

The illusion of a metal shield descended from the sky and entered his body.

"Are you ready?" Gu Qing Shan asked.

"I'm ready, please be gentle!" Liao Xiao Pao took a deep breath and braced himself.

Laura was a bit speechless as she watched this.

------you still haven't even begun, how come you're already breathing so heavily?

"Don't worry, I'll be very gentle-------"

Three flashes abruptly appeared from his sword.

Clang clang clang!

Three consecutive slashes!

Instantly, the illusion of a bloody giant appeared from Gu Qing Shan's body.

「 Someone with a death wish! 」

The giant grinned and caught Liao Xiao Pao.

Liao Xiao Pao loudly called out: "We're allies------"

Gu Qing Shan also hurriedly said: "Wait-------"

Before he even finished his words, the bloody giant had already started thrashing Liao Xiao Pao all over the ground.

"Don't kill him!" Gu Qing Shan called out.

The giant stopped and asked in a strange tone: 「 Aren't you fighting? 」

Gu Qing Shan said: "I actually summoned you because I wanted to talk"

Looking at the beat-up Liao Xiao Pao, the giant gently placed him on the ground and complained: 「 Why didn't you say it earlier? 」

"Hah, I couldn't speak fast enough, how much longer can you remain here?" Gu Qing Shan asked.

「 Not very long, I've already attacked, so I'll disappear soon enough 」the giant replied.

After thinking briefly, the giant said: 「 Even if you summon the other spirits after me, they would still attack first-------- how about this, don't hit him for a while and do something else, then summon me again 」

"Got it" Gu Qing Shan replied.

The bloody giant nodded and vanished from the void of space.

Gu Qing Shan hurriedly got closer and helped Liao Xiao Pao stand up: "Are you ok?"

Liao Xiao Pao wiped away his nosebleed, speaking with a slightly fearful tone: "That giant was so powerful, it's a good thing that I made sure to defend my vitals"

Seeing that he was fine, Gu Qing Shan sighed in relief: "I've already talked to him, so when we summon him again later, he won't attack you"

"Hm"

Liao Xiao Pao had also seen their conversation just now, so he nodded while feeling assured.

At this point, Laura silently sent her voice: "Gu Qing Shan, I need to remind you about something, many giants are prone to be forgetful"

"It'll be a very short time, he can't be that forgetful" Gu Qing Shan was a bit unsure.

Laura replied: "Let's hope not…"

A few minutes later.

Three cold gleams appeared and lightly slashed Liao Xiao Pao.

In an instant, the bloody giant appeared around Gu Qing Shan's body again.

「 Pitiful fool, I'm gonna beat you out of this world! 」

The giant grinned.

He caught Liao Xiao Pao and sent him flying with a single strike-------

"Don't kill him! He's an ally!" Gu Qing Shan loudly called out.

The giant immediately recalled what just happened and hurriedly flew up into the sky, striking Liao Xiao Pao back down.

Boom!

Liao Xiao Pao crashed into the ground and formed a large crater.

Gu Qing Shan hurriedly ran into the crater.

Only to see that Liao Xiao Pao's face was completely swollen, spitting out a bunch of rocks in his mouth while pointing at the giant:

"Didn't you… say you… wouldn't attack me?"

The giant scratched his head and apologized in a loud voice:

「 Sorry about that, I forgot 」

Laura facepalmed while watching from the side.

The giant turned to Gu Qing Shan and helplessly told him: 「 After attacking, I will have to return, so we're going to have to do this again 」

Gu Qing Shan turned to Liao Xiao Pao, then at the giant.

"Please don't hit him again this time" Gu Qing Shan sincerely said.

The giant looked at Gu Qing Shan, then at Liao Xiao Pao, trying to remember their appearance.

「 Got it 」the giant affirmed them.

-----this matter was decided here.

"Wait a moment!" Liao Xiao Pao suddenly called out.

The giant and Gu Qing Shan both turned to him at the same time.

Liao Xiao Pao looked at the giant then at Gu Qing Shan and asked with difficulty: "You guys… are you sure you aren't… just cooperating to beat me up?"

"「 Of course not! 」"

Gu Qing Shan and the giant both replied.