Chapter 223: The Spirit Warden of the Graveyard

\[You have advanced to Sequence 2: Graveyard Custodian\]

\[You have obtained the skill: Spirit Warden\]

\[Sequence advancement conditions are as follows:\]

\[Clean the graveyard daily, remove weeds, plant flowers and trees; keep watch at night, preventing grave robbers and wild beasts from disturbing the resting spirits (0%)\]

Chen Xiyi looked at the notification indicating his change from a Sequence One Corpse Collector to a Sequence Two Graveyard Custodian, sighing with relief inside. He had finally leveled up. Regarding the Spirit Warden skill, however, Chen Xiyi found himself a bit conflicted, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Based on the feedback information he received, advancing from Sequence One: Corpse Collector to Sequence Two: Graveyard Custodian actually offered two potential skills. The one he got, Spirit Warden, allowed him to summon spectral guardians upon activation. These undead wardens could block both physical and magical attacks, shield against corruption, even restore his health to some extent, and counter-attack enemies who got too close.

Basically, it was a skill that provided both offense and defense. The drawback was that these spirits were currently unconscious entities, making things a bit awkward. But that was fine; Chen Xiyi planned to integrate the skill into his System later. It functioned mostly like a passive ability.

The warding spirits also had Health Points. Chen Xiyi currently had only one spirit guarding him, but he expected that number would increase as he leveled up.

Besides Spirit Warden, there was another option: Vengeful Spirit Curse. That skill created a malicious spirit, similar in form to the warding spirit but functionally different. Its main purpose was to attack enemies with curses, inflict nightmares, devour souls, and the like. Essentially, it was an offensive spirit companion.

The key difference was that the warding spirit couldn’t leave the custodian’s vicinity, while the vengeful spirit could move independently. Although the vengeful spirit seemed much freer, this freedom came at a cost. The curse-imbued spirit constantly sought to consume the very custodian who summoned it, as a form of backlash.

This divergence stemmed directly from the method of advancement. Handling the corpses of those who died unnaturally violent deaths offered two paths. The more orthodox way involved simply collecting the body whenever someone died normally, leading to the acquisition of Spirit Warden as the Sequence Two skill.

However, if the custodian caused the person’s death and then collected the body, this twisted path resulted in Vengeful Spirit Curse. While powerful, this skill entailed severe drawbacks. Crucially, both the guardian spirits and the vengeful spirits could grow stronger and level up. For the Graveyard Custodian, managing these spirits was their sole supernatural ability.

Consider this: someone using the wicked path to quickly advance to Sequence Two might acquire a vengeful spirit. As the custodian attempted further ascension, the vengeful spirit would steadily become more potent. Eventually, if the custodian couldn’t maintain control, the spirit would turn on them and consume them. Chen Xiyi wasn’t personally afraid, but this was just Sequence Two. If he progressed to Sequence Three, he might gain another vengeful spirit. Navigating multiple hostile spirits then would be a serious problem.

In contrast, the warding spirits obtained via the orthodox path were fundamentally focused on protection. While their actions were limited (confined to defense/counterattack near the custodian), they would never turn against their summoner. Increasing their number and power only enhanced their protective capabilities. Chen Xiyi felt a chill thinking about the alternative. Vengeful Spirit Curse was undeniably effective, especially when combined with Death Notice – it could perform exceptionally well. But that came with dangerous side effects.

He much preferred a side-effect-free skill like Spirit Warden, even if it just acted as a versatile protective shield. “The progression conditions for Graveyard Custodian are quite demanding,” he mused. “It’s a percentage progress bar, not just tracking time or specific clear markers.” This schema suggested the state or quantity related to the graveyard itself determined the speed of advancement. After all, a Graveyard Custodian guards a graveyard, not just a single grave. Guarding just one might technically count, but the progress would undoubtedly be slow.

“Besides, this likely ties directly to the future skill gained at Sequence Three,” Chen Xiyi considered. “So this task demands serious attention.” He pondered the implications: if he managed a huge graveyard filled exclusively with cursed corpses he himself had collected (the ‘dirty things’), succeeding might yield a safe, orthodox skill like Spirit Warden when he advanced to Sequence Three. “Worth striving for perfection,” he decided. “But this means my current base, Yanzhou, won’t provide enough resources. I need to expand my influence.”

Gathering enough cursed entities to fill an entire graveyard couldn’t be achieved in just Yanzhou. He needed at least three or five states worth. “At least Death Notice also upgraded,” he noted. “The range is now 100 meters – somewhat more respectable now. I could practically pose as a fortune teller warning folks of impending doom. Its active effect is stronger too: it guarantees death for Sequence One individuals and ordinary people. Against Sequence Two targets, the effect becomes variable. Against anything higher, it’s basically useless.”

Chen Xiyi wasn’t entirely clear what defined “Sequence One,” but from his observations, Sequence One beings shared the same physical capabilities as ordinary people; their only ‘advantage’ was a slightly tougher constitution, making them harder to kill. Sequence Two brought noticeable improvements to strength and durability, without hitting human limits, but a significant increase in Spirituality and an even sturdier resistance to death. He reminded himself this assessment applied to the History Sequence; he knew little about others.

The History Sequence, uniquely, didn’t focus on enhancing one’s Body, Soul, or Spirituality internally. Instead, it leaned heavily towards external forces: Death itself, ghosts, and the undead. “Like a Necromancer?” he questioned silently. “But why would a supposed ‘Necromancer’ line culminate in something termed ‘History’? Looking at Sequence One: Corpse Collector and Sequence Two: Graveyard Custodian, plus the associated lore poems, this lineage screams ‘Death Sequence.’ Why label it History?”

Even the skills were death-focused: Death Notice, Spirit Warden… nothing felt remotely historical. A true History Sequence should involve documentation, chronicling, scholarship. It should have classes like Historian or Archaeologist. Even Grave Robber would fit better than Corpse Collector or Graveyard Custodian, professions utterly disconnected from the study of history. Not that Chen Xiyi dwelled on it. Confusion was fine; it wasn’t worth obsessing over this specific module.

Next, he tested the Spirit Warden skill. The results were decent. It couldn’t match his Primordial Soul Martial Dao, of course, but this was just a level one skill; it had room to grow. He also experimented with combining Death Notice and Spirit Warden – a promising synergy. He found that when a Spirit Warden counterattacked an enemy already marked by Death Notice, it inflicted additional soul damage and further stacked layers of Death Notice upon the target.

So, the tactic was: apply an initial layer of Death Notice. Then, the Spirit Warden’s counterattacks during combat would repeatedly pile on more layers. Keep fighting, and a target initially marked by Level Two Death Notice could eventually suffer under Level Three, Four, or higher, potentially triggering instantaneous death.

“Combine Vengeful Spirit Curse with Death Notice for potent long-range assault. Combine Spirit Warden with Death Notice for enhanced melee capability.” He acknowledged the trade-off: “Sadly, Spirit Warden is fundamentally defensive.” Its combined firepower with Death Notice couldn’t rival Vengeful Spirit Curse plus Death Notice, especially since the warding spirit was confined to within one meter of Chen Xiyi.

“Moreover,” he reflected, “using Vengeful Spirit Curse with Death Notice is essentially drinking poison to quench your thirst.” If someone bearing Death Notice is nearby when the custodian unleashes the Vengeful Spirit Curse, the spirit would prioritize hunting that marked person down, devour their soul to become stronger, and during the soul-digestion phase, it refrained from attacking its summoner. However, once empowered, the vengeful spirit would become even more vicious, and the inevitable backlash would be fiercer. Essentially self-destructive – the spirit gains strength while setting the stage for its master’s demise. Once the spirit believed it surpassed the custodian in strength and sought to consume them, Death Notice would fail against it. Escape would then be impossible.

“While Spirit Warden seems less exciting,” Chen Xiyi reasoned, “it’s vastly preferable to an ungrateful spawn like the vengeful spirit.” He rarely engaged in melee combat, so the Spirit Warden/Death Notice combo wasn’t immediately useful. “Still, having an extra bodyguard can’t hurt. It might come in handy unexpectedly. Besides, having another skill, especially a passive one, is beneficial.” “And now, back to work,” Chen Xiyi sighed heavily. He couldn’t shake the feeling that despite growing immensely stronger, he was perpetually stretched too thin. Shouldn’t being more powerful mean leisurely days filled with romance and poetry? Instead, every waking moment seemed consumed by being surrounded by Clones, endlessly researching this project or that tool.

“Thankfully, my hair is a player-body feature,” he grumbled gratefully. “Otherwise, I’d be destined for premature baldness – transformed into a brilliant, gleaming-domed, overweight nerd.” He didn’t overly care about his looks, but he had zero desire to sport a receding hairline or bald spot. No amount of handsomeness could salvage that look, and his face was merely average.

…

“Cooperation? What exactly do you propose?” Ling Hu asked, a spark of interest in his eyes as he regarded the middle-aged man in the immaculate suit seated across from him. The man, Situ Ce, hailed from the Hidden World Situ Family of Bizhou. To Ling Hu, he appeared to be an influential mid-level figure within the family, but gave off the distinct vibe of a shrewd, smiling predator.

“Situ Family will help you achieve your objectives in exchange for your technology,” Situ Ce explained smoothly, taking a deliberate sip of his drink. “Understand, any aid provided must remain off the books. Should anything… significant occur, the Situ Family will officially disavow any connection. We maintain plausible deniability. If it’s minor, however, we might be persuaded to overlook certain high-level personnel.”

The meaning was crystal clear: hand over the tech as ‘payment,’ and we won’t actively target you – essentially protection money. This arrangement held only until major trouble erupted; then, the Situ Family would be the first to stamp them out.

Ling Hu just smiled. “How about an alternative arrangement? Your Situ Family swears fealty to my boss. In return, not only do you receive your precious technology, you gain access to all future advancements. No complications.” Situ Ce’s offer demanded all the benefits with none of the responsibilities or risks. It was pure extortion. Ling Hu saw no need for pleasantries.

A dangerous glint flashed in Situ Ce’s eyes. “An interloper cannot dominate the local ruler,” he hissed, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Worse, your organization is barely an earthworm, while my Situ Family is a dragon. Sever one of your own hands as apology. Do it now. Agree to this, and negotiations remain open. Refuse, and consider every member of your group marked. None shall leave Bizhou breathing.”

Ling Hu was about to reply when a strange stillness froze him mid-breath. It seemed he was intently listening to something inaudible. A few seconds passed, then Ling Hu spoke, low and firm. “Understood, boss. Bizhou resolved. Tomorrow?” A pause. “Understood. Tonight.” Another pause. “Yes, boss. Done.”

Situ Ce frowned, utterly confused. Ling Hu wore no earpiece. How was he communicating? Before the Situ envoy could process this, Ling Hu turned his gaze back, a predatory, twisted semblance of a smile cracking his face.

“You had your chance,” Ling Hu said, his voice cold. “Begging at my boss’s feet might have yielded comfort. Now? Too late.”

In a single, fluid motion blurring the eye, Ling Hu lunged. His hand shot out like a striking snake, fingers clamping around Situ Ce’s windpipe with lethal force. “Terminate them all,” he commanded, his voice a low growl coinciding with a sickening crack from Situ Ce’s neck. “The Situ Family has one choice tonight: kneel, or lie in their graves permanently. The boss has shifted timelines.” He let the lifeless body crumple to the floor. As he did, shadows detached themselves from the corners of the room – other members of his organization moved with frightening, silent speed. The cold efficiency that followed was absolute. Within moments, the room was silent. Everyone associated with Situ Ce was eliminated.

Plan? Strategy? For someone like Ling Hu, commanding an endless supply of clones loyal only to Chen Xiyi – powerful Longevity Martial Artists forged through Player Shenanigans – those things were merely decorative. Raw, overwhelming force solved anything the obstacle required.