Chapter 186 - 162: Blood Sacrifice Technique

Chapter 186: Chapter 162: Blood Sacrifice Technique

"Haaah..."

Tan Hu let out a slow breath, collected his thoughts, and said, "Only two locations are usable: Huifeng Valley and Mire Marsh."

"The first is Huifeng Valley. Due to its terrain, it has accumulated hundreds of years of yin energy. Beneath it lies a metal and stone mineral vein. After a blood sacrifice, it’s highly likely to produce a unique form of spiritual energy suitable for a metal-attribute Spirit Vein with both blood and soul characteristics."

"The second is Mire Marsh. It was once an ancient battlefield, so the yin energy accumulated underground is even denser than in Huifeng Valley. And because it was an ancient battlefield, its yin energy also contains a potent martial miasma, making it absolutely perfect for a blood sacrifice."

Tan Hu frowned. "It’s just that Mire Marsh is located near the Mist Marsh..."

Hearing this, Lan Cai Shen thought for a moment before waving his hand and saying, "Then start at both locations simultaneously. You will be stationed at Mire Marsh for the time being. If anything unexpected happens, send a message to me."

"Understood." Tan Hu agreed without hesitation, nodding his head.

At that moment, a glint appeared in Lan Cai Shen’s eyes as he suddenly said, "A few days ago, someone brought me a Blood Sacrifice Technique. According to it, if a close blood relative is used as the sacrificial vessel, the resulting unique spiritual energy will have an exceptionally high degree of compatibility..."

How could Tan Hu not understand his meaning? He nodded and said, "That is indeed true. Some in the sect use this method to refine unique spiritual energy, increasing its compatibility and affinity with oneself." But then he shook his head. "Junior Brother Li is a sentimental person. This method would be inappropriate."

"When he finds out we turned his sister into a cultivation resource for him, I’m afraid he will turn against us."

"A pity..."

Information about Li Changsheng flashed through Lan Cai Shen’s mind. After a few moments of hesitation, he sighed and finally abandoned the idea.

’If Li Changsheng weren’t so close to his family, the unique spiritual energy refined by this Blood Sacrifice Technique would have perfectly met his advancement needs. Then I could return to Ring Mountain Spiritual Land and wouldn’t have to deal with all these constraints from the various factions within the sect.’

Recently, the fighting between the Beast Soul and Blood Fusion lineages had become so intense that it had forced him to refuse all visitors.

"Sigh..."

After seeing Tan Hu off, Lan Cai Shen sighed softly. He took out a jade slip, whispered a few words into it, then placed the dark red skull he was holding into a jade box and put it away.

He lay down on a soft couch and closed his eyes, circulating his Spiritual Power.

After leaving, Tan Hu took several dozen outer-sect disciples aboard a Flying Ship and departed from the sect, arriving in the territory of Nanfeng Country.

The country was full of great rivers and lakes, making travel arduous. The imperial court’s control over the regions was weak, so in Nanfeng Country, it was common for a City Lord to maintain their own army and govern autonomously.

High above a region near the Mist Marsh, a place perennially shrouded in a thin layer of gray mist.

A Glowing White Jade Ship flew over slowly and came to a halt.

Tan Hu stood at the ship’s bow, his eyes glowing with spiritual light as he scanned the ground below.

「A moment later.」

The Flying Ship landed in the center of the region.

Cultivators in the robes of the Cyan Yang Sect’s outer sect disembarked in an orderly fashion, each heading off in a different direction.

Tan Hu put away the jade ship. A surge of Spiritual Power flooded into his feet, and he stomped down hard.

BOOM! A vast and mighty wave of Spiritual Power rushed into the earth, blasting open a great pit more than ten meters deep.

Scattered white bones were embedded in the walls of the pit. The closer they were to the bottom, the whiter and newer the bones appeared. Conversely, the closer they were to the surface, the more yellowed and decayed they were.

Wisps of pale gray gas, mixed with faint scarlet threads, flowed out from the bottom of the pit.

Tan Hu closed his eyes to sense it for a moment, then opened them and nodded in satisfaction.

’The yin energy and martial miasma at the bottom of the pit are even denser than I expected. Using this as the foundation, I can definitely cultivate a supreme-grade unique spiritual energy.’

Tan Hu paced a few steps around the bottom of the pit before suddenly stopping. He took out a brass pillar, as thick as a person’s embrace and covered in runes.

"Hah!"

Tan Hu channeled all his Spiritual Power into the brass pillar. When all the runes upon it lit up one by one, he slammed it into the ground with a sudden palm strike.

BOOM...

The instant the brass pillar entered the earth, the yin energy floating above Mire Marsh suddenly sank into the ground, making the dark, cold mud even more chilling.

In other locations around Mire Marsh, the Cyan Yang Sect Cultivators sensed the change. They expertly took out arm-thick brass pillars, channeled their Spiritual Power to activate the runes, and slammed them into the mud.

Tan Hu covered the spot with soil again, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings as he looked with satisfaction at this rich, fertile land.

He then sent a telepathic message to the other disciples.

’Now we have the Spirit Root and the fertile soil. All that’s missing are the offerings needed for it to grow.’

The Cyan Yang Sect Cultivators bowed in acknowledgment, then strode away, rushing toward the surrounding cities.

Tan Hu formed a hand seal for a Technique. A whirlwind arose, and his figure vanished.

「Meanwhile, in the imperial capital of the neighboring Qingyuan Country.」

Every prince, princess, and imperial grandchild with the qualifications and ambition to vie for the throne received a message from the Cyan Yang Sect Cultivators who sponsored them.

A great figure from the Cyan Yang Sect, seeing their long and inconclusive struggle, had chosen a place for them to decide the victor.

The location was called "Huifeng Valley," situated in the central region of Qingyuan Country.

They could gather their soldiers and enter the valley, but the use of immortal techniques within its confines was forbidden. Everything else was permitted. The one who emerged alive would be the next emperor of Qingyuan Country.

As soon as this news broke, the many princes who commanded large armies laughed heartily, while the princesses and imperial grandchildren backed by civil servants hastily assembled their household guards.

「A few days later.」

「The edge of the Mist Marsh.」

From one major city after another, troops of soldiers suddenly poured out. Soldiers from some cities wore leather armor and carried sabers, exuding a fierce air. Soldiers from other cities were clad in coarse linen shirts, their hands clutching a motley assortment of weapons—rocks, wooden clubs—their expressions tense and desperate.

And these were just two examples. There were dozens of other contingents, each with different equipment and weapons.

After leaving their cities, they all headed straight for Mire Marsh.

The prize they were fighting for was ten spots as outer-sect disciples of the Cyan Yang Sect.

Of course, these positions were not for common soldiers and citizens like them to enjoy.

Their rewards were land, Silver Coins, beautiful wives...

Tens of thousands of miles away, Li Changsheng had no idea that Lan Cai Shen had resorted to a blood sacrifice just to create the unique spiritual energy he needed for his Vein Condensation.

At this moment, he was standing by his High-grade Spirit Field, looking at a cocoon woven from countless fine rootlets within it.

[Advancing...]

Li Changsheng rubbed the bridge of his nose, a headache coming on.

Just three days ago, Xiaohai had returned.

He saw that Xiaohai’s cultivation was on the verge of a breakthrough, so he had stopped letting it hunt for Blood Food in the mountains.

What he hadn’t expected, however, was that its symbiotic partner, the Senluo Flower Demon, would start causing trouble.

Just a moment ago, he had been watering the Spirit Plant with life spiritual energy, and as usual, the Senluo Flower Demon had intercepted a portion of it.

This time was no exception.

Habit can be a dangerous thing. While Li Changsheng was watering with the life spiritual energy, his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of cultivating the Spirit Plant and the issue of Xiaohua’s Magic amplification.

He didn’t notice that the Senluo Flower Demon had intercepted all of the life spiritual energy this time and converted it into its own cultivation base.

It was only when the life spiritual energy was completely drained that he snapped out of it, only to find that Xiaohai had been wrapped into a cocoon by the Senluo Flower Demon’s root filaments and was now in the process of advancing.

Once Xiaohai advanced to the high-grade, there was a risk of it losing control. Combined with the already uncontrollable Senluo Flower Demon, the situation became even more dangerous.

Li Changsheng frowned. After a moment’s hesitation, his gaze hardened, and he focused his thoughts.

In his small courtyard.

CLANG CLANG CLANG...

A crisp, jingling sound followed.

RUMBLE... A muffled boom echoed as the ground suddenly began to tremble. A grim demonic aura spread out.

Startled, Xiaohua and her family scampered to the side of the wooden hut, whimpering.

BOOM! BOOM! Cracks spread across the ground. The next instant, with a tremendous roar, dust plumed into the air as three massive black shadows erupted from the earth, twisting and writhing within the billowing dust cloud.