Author note: Short chapter dedicated to gaining an attribute. I work sunday shift and will write another chapter then and release it either sunday or monday night.

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Each Midnight Devil Lilly had the ability to suppress a cultivators ki by a whole level regardless of their strength. A Fourth Layer cultivator would only have the ki strength of a Third Layer cultivator. Under the right conditions a Third Layer cultivator could use this poison and possibly fight evenly with a Fourth Layer cultivator.

This alone was reason enough for Xiaobo and Sun Jiao to go out of their way to harvest it, but Xiaobo had a different use in mind.

As the ki drained away from Sun Jiao leaving his dantian empty Xiaobo disappeared from Sun Jiao’s mind leaving him momentarily lost.

A part of Sun Jiao’s mind belonged to Xiaobo and from the very start he had taken over an area and sealed it off. From deep inside that area Xiaobo returned with an energy wrapped inside his Will. Very carefully he brought the energy along Sun Jiao’s meridian channels to the center of Sun Jiao’s now empty dantian.

Using his ki sense Sun Jiao was able to vaguely sense the energy. Most energy had a color for instance Sun Jiao’s ki was black and the gate captain’s was green. Spirit energy that was used for cultivation was a pure white color and could become any color of ki.

This energy however was different. It was clearly there, but had no color. If Sun Jiao focused he could vaguely make out a static like color. The color didn’t actually exist, it was as if Sun Jiao’s brain couldn’t comprehend the energy and tried to fill in the blanks.

When Xiaobo first encountered this energy he had already cultivated to a high level. He had briefly considered starting all over and even modified a cultivation method to utilize the energy, but gave up as it was impossible for him to handle the energy on his own while he consumed the Midnight Devil Lilly and waited for his ki to disappear.

The cultivation method could only be used by a Second Layer cultivator, but the amount of Will a Second Layer cultivator could use and control was limited. The cultivator’s Will would run out before they could complete the process causing it to end in failure.

Now however with Xiaobo’s Will he could control the energy for as long as needed and would only need to use Sun Jiao’s Will during the initial cultivation process that would adapt his body to the energy.

Xiaobo’s voice brought Sun Jiao out of his stupor.

Sun Jiao realized that’s exactly what it would do. He didn’t even need to hear the nervousness in Xiaobo’s voice. Sun Jiao realized Xiaobo must be trying to keep the danger from him so that he wouldn’t become agitated and make a mistake.

Sun Jiao raised his opinion of Xiaobo and thought it was pretty sweet of him.

Sun Jiao laughed and the inquisitive feeling he got through the mental connection and wrapped the strange energy with his will.

Seeing Sun Jiao begin Xiaobo let out a breath of relief. His biggest fear is that Sun Jiao would figure out the danger and like a timid mouse run from the challenge.

Xiaobo, realizing his half-assed lie got one over on Sun Jiao, lowered his opinion of Sun Jiao.

Sun Jiao began moving the energy along his meridian channels carefully taking his time. The trick was to balance speed with precision. Too fast and he would touch the channel walls and too slow would cause him to run out of Will before he could complete the process.

After the time it took for a stick of incense to burn sweat was already flooding out of Sun Jiao’s body. Unlike his ki the strange energy was volatile and difficult to control as if it was a wild dragon locked in a cage. He had completed half the process, but had used over two thirds his Will.

If not for Xiaobo having helped purify his Will power Sun Jiao would have already failed. If things continued as they were though then he would fail eventually. He had already mounted the dragon though and was too afraid to stop the ride. His only option was to speed things up.

Gritting his teeth Sun Jiao began to pick up the pace causing Xiaobo to panic in silence.

The Will wrapping the strange energy was shaped like a ball and flowed down the meridian channels with increasing speed. As it passed the channels the energy would bleed through and combine with the WIll coating the wall as though it were paint.

This mixture wasn’t harmful, in fact the walls greedily absorbed the combination and began to adapt to the exotic energy.

As the Will sped up Sun Jiao unconsciously began to change the shape into that of a bullet with the energy close to the back of the bullet. The point in the front allowed him to react quicker to the turns giving him more time to adjust before a fatal mistake occurred.

Xiaobo secretly praised this creative solution, but would never admit it to Sun Jiao.

The bullet made up of Will began to speed up even faster. Sun Jaio’s Will was pouring into the bullet like sand in an hourglass and like an hourglass he was running out of time.

Sun Jiao’s mind went blank as he entered into a state of comprehension. As the speed increased so did Sun Jiao’s control of his Will.

The bullet made twists and turns that caused even Xiaobo to question whether he could control it that well. When it came to strength Xiaobo was far ahead, but it seemed as though Sun Jiao had passed him when it came to precision.

As the last bit of Sun Jiao’s Will dried up the bullet finished a single pass and returned to the dantain waking Sun Jiao up from his state of enlightenment and throwing him into a panic. He had used up all his Will and now the energy would crash into his dantian without restraint.

Sun Jaio coughed up blood as he tried to stop the energy, but was unsuccessful and could only watch in horror. He was already envisioning the energy blasting into the wall and tearing a hole in his body.

With a snort Xiaobo calmly stopped the energy with his Will. Xiaobo had been dejected seeing Sun Jiao’s control, but now with a chance to show off how could he possibly let it go by?

Panting and out of breath Sun Jiao fell backwards and laid on the ground while listening to Xiaobo gloat.

After the time it takes to brew a cup of tea passed Xiaobo had still not finished, but Sun Jiao was rested enough to inspect his body while ignoring the braggart.

The first thing he checked was his meridian channels and was shocked at the difference in color. Before the walls had been solid black like his ki, but now they were grey color with specks that was constantly shifting from one color to the next. As the color changed the previous color was forgotten giving Sun Jiao a feeling that he could both tell what the color was, but that it was unrecognizable. Even his dantian had adjusted to match the meridians and meridian channels.

With a shake of his head he inspected the rest of his body and found that it hadn’t changed at all which was a relief. Xiaobo, sensing him finish his inspection, spoke up.

Sun Jiao, empty still of both ki and Will, agreed and without moving from the spot passed out.

The next day he work up and after a quick recheck of his body began to panic.

His dantain was still empty!

Side story though so there is that!

Jia Cho, the beetle king, was getting impatient. He had waited a long time and still it wasn't his turn. When would it be his turn he thought? Was it now? No! How about now? No!

Furious he began to release a pressure on the people in front of him. The line to sign up for the army was packed like rats mostly because they were rats!

Jia Cho had infiltrated the New Blood gang and was in the process of enlisting in their "army". Seeing it for the first time had caused Jia Cho to snort with disdain. How could these gang rats possibly have the same discipline a beetle army would.

Jia Cho thought back to his army. They had lined up perfectly not a micrometer out of place with their solid black beetle shells polished with a gleam. The striking force would cause even the pink ape giants to avoid them. Thinking of pink ape giants was not a pleasant thought. He still remembered the scent of the one that had insulted him.

The thought only served to increase the pressure he was putting on those in front of him. Some of the weaker ones began to collapse. Tress and her brother, Tony, were shocked at this pressure and if it wasn't for Tony protection Tress may have fainted as well.

The line of rats began to spread and eventually no one stood in front of Jia Cho.

As Jia Cho thought this he didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. Though it looked like no one was in front of him, there were many still standing in his path. His path for revenge.