Blood, Cultivation, and Mysteries

The next day, Fang Chen went to exchange for demon blood again, but at a different place.

Time passed quickly, and ten days went by.

.

.

In a cave abode which is filled with swirling blood mist, as if something ominous was brewing within.

Suddenly, the blood mist rapidly shrank and was completely absorbed by a figure sitting cross-legged.

He bore a red stripe tattoo on his left hand. His masculine features and voluminous hair made him extraordinarily beautiful and handsome.

As he opened his eyes, he immediately rushed to the cave entrance to see something, but alas, there was nothing to find. His facial structure changed from calm to anger as if a ghost possessed him to do so.

Filled with fury, he uttered "CRIMSON INSCRIPTION" through gritted teeth before sitting on his crimson sword, adorned with enigmatic silver inscriptions. And then, he took flight, soaring into the air towards the outer sect.

"Good morning, Senior Brother Zhang!" the disciples at the Outer Sect Management Counter greeted him with trembling fear.

Before them stood Zhang Jiao, a notorious candidate to become a Direct Discipline of the Blood God Sect. His very name sent shivers down the spines of those who dared to cross his path. His reputation was as dark as the Blood God Sect itself, a force to be feared. In one of the matches, he single-handedly destroyed three of his enemies in the Duel Arena, who were also Blood Sect candidates to become Direct Disciplines. They had to spend months to recover in rejuvenation hall , even after being Blood Sect disciples.

He is known for his merciless and ruthless nature. People says, In a sect mission he single-handedly destroyed a newly found Righteous sect, and reduced it to ash.

Draped in a forbidding black robe that set him apart from the other outer disciples, with hands as masculine as the mountains themselves, in his wrist bore the mark of his fearsome, blazing red sword that seemed to thirst for battle. He came forward with an aura of untamed power and sheer dominance, capturing the attention of the entire Outer Sect Discipline Committee.

"Tell me the whereabouts of the Outer Sect Discipline Mei Mei?" Zhang Jiou asked, his voice resonating with an ominous intensity that sent shivers down their spines. Immediately, upon hearing his question, the faces of the Discipline Committee turned ashen, their composure shaken.

With trembling courage, a disciple stammered out a reply, "I... I am sorry, Senior Brother, but a disciple named Mei Mei was tragically found dead in her cave abode. The Discipline Committee has confirmed that she committed suicide. The Discipline Committee..... think that she committed suicide." his voice faltering under the weight of fear of Zhang Jiao's imposing presence.

Upon hearing the devastating news, Zhang Jiao stood there, his imposing figure resembling a colossal, unyielding statue, radiating an aura of power that could move mountains. His handsome face twisted with a tumultuous storm of emotions, and the red glow in his eyes intensified, turning into fiery orbs of wrath that seemed to pierce through the souls of those who dared to meet his gaze.

"Do Senior Brother Zhang need something?!" One of the disciples, trembling with fear, managed to gather the courage to speak, his hands quivering uncontrollably. But before he could finish his question, Zhang Jiao's response was swift and brutal – a thunderous slap that struck with the force of a raging hurricane, sending shockwaves through the air. The trembling disciple was left stunned, blood gushing from his nose and ears.

"You spineless mud sewer!" Zhang Jiao's voice boomed, his wrath reverberating through the air like thunder. "As the esteemed Discipline Committee of the Outer Sect, how could such a heinous crime as murder or suicide have occurred under your watch?!"

".....I want an answer within one day, or your existence will be wiped out cleanly!" Zhang Jiao whispered into the Discipline Committee member's ear.

With those words, he turned and left, his presence leaving an indelible mark of fear on those who witnessed his fury.

"Men die for wealth, birds perish for food. Once I demanded one more bowl of Blood Essence from her, she couldn't fulfill my Blood Essence criteria, yet she dared to sell it on the accursed Black market when her Cultivation was merely at the 5th level of Qi Condensation. It was as if she had a death wish! Such audacity invited the cruel hand of fate, and death embraced her as the consequence of her greed. But alas, she was also plotted against by Zhou Wenting. If only she had sold her own blood to me, she wouldn't have faced such dire consequences. At most, she would have suffered a minor cultivation loss, or perhaps become a Blood Slave for three years after the next year."

"Birds die for food, men die for wealth, and the innocent die for survival," Zhang Jiao chuckled darkly.

The thing about asking and questioning was nothing but a devious ploy. It served to establish fear and dominance over his enemies, a mere excuse to gather every drop of blood essence and demon blood in her possession, as they were rightfully his.

"Sch! What a waste of blood essence!" Zhang Jiao whispered, disappointment dripping from his voice like venom.

"I could have used her as my personal Blood Slave, even without any sect interference. Huhh... I could have exploited her properly for a year. With her blood essence, I could have cultivated to the Foundation realm within a year. But alas, the plots of fate are vast and cunning. Even after my perfect ploy, she unknowingly fell victim of my enemies vicious scheme and met her untimely demise."

"Now I had to seek out another sacrificial lamb to fulfill my insatiable Blood Essence needs, Again that Old "demonic Blood cultivation" at least for period of Time."

"In this vast world, the legendary Twelve Treasures of Heaven and Earth are said to be hidden among the stars, scattered in the far reaches of the universe. They are the keys to unlocking untold power and potential. Only those who can decipher their elusive whereabouts can ascend to greater heights of cultivation and might," Zhang Jiao whispered with awe in his voice.

"Does this legend truly speak of cultivation, or is it merely a tale woven among mortals and immortals?" Zhang Jiao whispered, his voice laced with a sense of wonder, as he strolled along the streets of the Outer Discipline area. With each step, the ground trembled, leaving behind afterimages of his presence, before he vanished from sight in a blink of an eye. In the vast expanse of the sky, a faint red dot marked his departure.

He is Zhang Jiao, an Inner Sect Discipline, known for his ability to take on two levels higher than his cultivation. A true legend among the Inner Disciples.

Meanwhile, in Fang Chen's Cave:

"I have finally reached the 4th level of Qi cultivation, a few days earlier than expected," Fang Chen smiled.

Breaking through to the fourth level of Qi cultivation meant that his lost power had already been recovered. Within the allotted time, if he were to break through one more cultivation realm, he wouldn't have to worry about becoming a blood slave for three years.

Without any sense of urgency, Fang Chen felt relaxed. After seeing the modified Blood Nerve Technique, he could reassure himself about his next breakthrough.

For the past 10 days, Fang Chen had diligently exchanged for demon blood and cultivated every day, but he would only exchange at most twice at the same place, and he always chose a distant location.

In the upcoming days, he planned to maintain a very low profile and only exchange for demon blood occasionally.

"There's still a little over half a month until the Blood sect assessment so I'll focus on completing the sect mission and dedicate myself to cultivation in night"

"There's still a little over half a month until Blood sect assessment of cultivation,

By maintaining a discrete approach, he hoped to avoid raising any suspicion. Currently at the middle stage of the 4th level of Qi Condensation, Fang Chen believed he needed just ten more days to achieve a breakthrough to the 5th level of Qi Condensation.

After making up his mind, Fang Chen did not delay and immediately headed to the Internal Affairs Hall.

This hall's specialty is to provide cultivators with Demonic Blood and sect missions. An elder would supervise the entire hall, including the Inner Sect's Internal Affairs Hall.

Although there were many people in the hall, most of them were there to collect demon blood, and there were few who came to receive missions.

This hall specialized in providing cultivators with Demonic Blood and offering sect missions. Within the hall, four disciples distributed the sect's Demonic Blood, while one disciple managed the sect missions for other disciples. These positions were often obtained through luck or backhanded bribes, which left Fang Chen with no aspiration to seek such an effortless and profitable role.

However, the idea of obtaining this job left him astonished, as it would undoubtedly propel him to the 5th level of Qi Condensation within four days. But such a feat would require using backdoor connections. Simply by taking one cup of blood at the end of the day, he could yield at least two bowl of Demonic Blood in a week. Even selling it alone would provide him with enough Blood Essence to break through to the upper level. Lost in these thoughts, he found himself already standing in front of the Internal Affairs Hall.

Since the Demonic Bloods Giveaway line and Sects Mission Line were distinct and separated, Fang Chen didn't have to wait long for his turn, much to his delight.

Within a matter of minutes, he came in front of the sect mission counter.