[9] Cultivating in Adversity: The Path of Blood and Perseverance…

Chapter 9:- Cultivating in Adversity: The Path of Blood and Perseverance…

Exactly two months had passed since Arkan joined the Blood Demon Sect. Arkan had successfully broken through the first limit of the first stage. At this moment, Arkan was mesmerized by the beauty of his body's performance. He possessed complete control over his muscles and skin, manipulating them as desired. At present, he delighted in using his muscles as an ocean, with a paper boat that he made riding the waves. Arkan felt immense satisfaction with this initial step towards reaching the peak of his cultivation.

"What are you laughing at? The period of being a newbie is already over. You better hand over all the human blood you have accumulated thus far," a burly man with a muscular physique taunted Arkan. He threw a powerful punch, causing Arkan, unable to withstand the strength of a Rank 2, Stage 1 cultivator, to collapse in pain, clutching his stomach.

"You should be grateful that I restrained my strength. Now, tell me, how much human blood have you gathered until now?" the burly man asked, his foot pressing against Arkan's skull, crushing it beneath the weight. Despite the agony, Arkan remained silent. He knew this moment would come and had already prepared himself. He refused to surrender to anyone, knowing they couldn't kill him openly. As long as he refrained from speaking too much, he would eventually become an outcast. Then, people would target him for being an outcast rather than for his human blood.

That's why Arkan had avoided unnecessary conversations in the room, only speaking when absolutely necessary. Seeing Arkan's lack of response, the burly man spat on his face and shouted, "From now on, he is our target. Bully him until he breaks or relinquishes all of his human blood." With those words, the burly man departed, leaving Arkan at the mercy of the other eight children in the room. A sadistic smile appeared on each of their faces.

"Aagh, damn, it hurts," Arkan thought as he allowed his body to rest on the bed. He knew that from now on, he would be subjected to constant bullying until he reached Rank 2, Stage 1 on his own. And Arkan had no intention of resting until he achieved that goal. The sect's rules were clear: anything was permitted against those who had been in the sect for more than two months, except killing them.

Even if they were to snatch all of his human blood, the sect wouldn't care. In fact, such actions were encouraged. The only reason killing fellow sect members was forbidden was that live humans who practiced the Blood Demon Technique could be used to create cultivation pills for higher stages.

Arkan had currently accumulated 25 liters of blood through completing missions. Tomorrow, he planned to obtain an additional 5 liters. Interestingly, after reaching Rank 1, Stage 1, he discovered that he could consume 5 liters of blood instead of the previous 2 liters. As a result, Arkan began taking missions that required weeks to complete but offered greater rewards.

The following day, Arkan entered the mission hall. "Sir, I would like to undertake this mission," he said to the disciple in charge. The disciple nodded, recording Arkan's sect token number and the mission details. "The mission has been recorded. You have one week to extract 1,000 liters of human blood from the slaves. In return, you will receive 20 liters of blood as a reward. Remember, do not attempt to deceive us, or you will pay with your life. The faster you complete the mission, the better."

Arkan nodded and hurried toward the slave hall. He was well aware of how these slaves were captured. The mere thought of his village being attacked and his parents being enslaved caused his entire body to tremble. Arriving at the slave hall, Arkan's eyes fell upon the tens of thousands of slaves—men, women, children, the young, and the old—no one had been spared.

Approaching a human slave, Arkan made sure to only extract 1 liter of blood from each individual, taking more only if the slave appeared healthy. Though he had embarked on a path that bordered on barbarity, he still maintained certain principles. "Please, spare my father today. He is already old and sick. You can take more blood from me," a teenager slightly older than Arkan pleaded, tears streaming down his face.

Arkan nodded and drew 3 liters of blood from the young man. Another concern troubled him—the risk of blood-borne diseases. Since the human body harbored numerous bacteria and viruses, he wondered if consuming their blood would make him sick. However, since he hadn't experienced any illness thus far, he dismissed the thought.

"Alright, that makes 1,000 liters of blood. Give this token to the disciple in charge of distributing rewards, and they will handle it for you," the elder overseeing the blood bank stated, tossing a token to Arkan. Gratefully, Arkan caught the token and rushed toward the Resources Hall. "Here, please mark my mission as completed," he requested, handing the token to the disciple in charge.

The disciple, with a smile, nodded and entered the token number. "Would you like to add this amount to your blood bank or withdraw it?" the disciple inquired. Arkan nodded and replied, "Give me five liters of human blood and add the remaining 15 liters to my blood bank." The disciple nodded in acknowledgment and handed Arkan a bottle containing 5 liters of human blood. Arkan smiled appreciatively and left.

The blood bank where Arkan stored his blood was established by a core disciple. Utilizing the blood bank required a weekly cost of 1 liter of human blood. It was created for weaker individuals like Arkan, who lacked the power to protect their own blood. Although one could choose not to use the blood bank, it was then up to them to find a suitable storage location for such a large quantity of blood. Naturally, nobody desired to leave their blood exposed and vulnerable.

Arkan found a quiet place and began his cultivation. He was confident that at his usual pace, he would be able to break through Rank 2, Stage 1 in approximately three more months.

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