Chapter 83 - 82: Blood God Sect
Under the moonlight, the man who had ambushed Chen Yuan finally revealed his appearance.
He wore scarlet robes and was surprisingly young, looking to be in his twenties. His features were androgynously beautiful, with a blood-red dot between his brows that made it difficult to tell if he was male or female.
"To openly attempt to assassinate a Guardian Envoy in the Garrison Mansion... you have some nerve!"
Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes, staring at the man. "Did the Sun Family send you?" he asked coolly. "Hiring an expert of your caliber must have cost them a fortune, right?"
During the day, Chen Yuan had been waiting to see which of the remaining three families would be wise enough to submit.
But it seemed they were still unwise, choosing to resort to assassination instead.
"Members of the Royal Family, heirs of Noble Families, even Daoists and those bald monks—is there anyone I haven’t killed? What makes your Zhenwu Hall so special?"
The man drew a blood-red Long Sword from his sleeve. The blade was translucent, and it looked as if fresh blood was flowing within it.
He licked his lips as he looked at Chen Yuan. "I can feel it. The Qi Blood in your body is so vibrant, so rich... and it has a unique aroma. Your Qi Blood must taste exquisite!"
The moment he finished speaking, he transformed into a blood-red shadow, appearing before Chen Yuan in the blink of an eye.
The Blood Sword struck like a venomous serpent, its cold, sharp point aimed straight for Chen Yuan’s throat.
Demonic Qi surged around Chen Yuan as his Demon Saber descended. The saber and sword clashed, but an eerie Blood Qi suddenly erupted from the point of impact. In that instant, an immense suction force emanated from the Blood Sword.
The Demonic Qi was instantly devoured by the boundless Blood Qi, and even the Qi Blood within Chen Yuan’s body began to stir restlessly.
Now, Chen Yuan finally understood what Yu Dong must have felt.
It wasn’t a simple external suction; his opponent was using an incredibly bizarre power to agitate the Qi Blood within his body, trying to force it to erupt uncontrollably from his pores!
His opponent’s true strength was only at the Sea Realm Middle Stage, but with this bizarre Cultivation Technique, even a Martial Artist at the Peak of Sea Realm would likely fall to him.
Chen Yuan formed a Seal Technique with his hands, and a dazzling Buddha Light erupted from his body.
Chen Yuan pushed the Sutra of the Pure Glazed Vajra to its absolute limit, using the Power of Buddha Light to suppress his physical body and resist the bizarre force.
Furthermore, because Chen Yuan cultivated the Inner Vision God Observation Method, his control over his own body was exceptionally strong, allowing him to easily suppress the agitated Qi Blood.
This move would have been devastating against other Martial Artists, but it only had a minor effect on Chen Yuan.
"Eh? You’ve cultivated a Buddhist Cultivation Technique? Why do so many people know the techniques of those bald monks?"
The man frowned, looking slightly irritated.
Buddhist Cultivation Techniques countered his power, and he hated fighting those bald monks more than anything.
After suppressing the force, Chen Yuan suddenly thought of something. He stared at his opponent. "Are you a remnant of the Blood God Sect?"
Hundreds of years ago, the Blood God Sect was one of the Jianghu Major Sects, but they were never listed on the Jianghu Wind and Cloud Rankings.
It wasn’t because they lacked strength or a Divine Soldier, but because the Blood God Sect provoked widespread outrage and was swiftly annihilated by the Court in alliance with the major powers of the Jianghu.
The Blood God Sect was not part of the Demon Dao, but its Cultivation Technique was even more bizarre than those of the Demon Dao sects.
The core of the Blood God Sect’s Cultivation Technique, the Blood Spirit Scripture, was to manipulate one’s own Qi Blood, refining the Qi and Blood Power to its absolute limit. It even had miraculous effects like extending one’s lifespan and preserving one’s youthful appearance.
’In my opinion,’ Chen Yuan thought, ’the Blood God Sect’s Blood Spirit Scripture is actually somewhat similar to the Inner Vision God Observation Method. Both are about developing the body’s potential to the extreme.’
’The only difference is that the Inner Vision God Observation Method is holistic and somewhat general.’
’The Blood Spirit Scripture, on the other hand, focuses solely on Qi Blood, making it more refined in terms of power and practicality.’
Originally, the Blood God Sect’s reputation had been decent. But one day, a certain generation’s Sect Leader had a sudden, twisted idea. He modified the Blood Spirit Scripture, changing it from a technique that cultivated one’s own Qi Blood to one that plundered the Qi Blood of others.
From then on, the Blood God Sect fell completely into the path of Evil Demons, wreaking havoc across the Jianghu, killing and plundering Qi Blood wherever they went.
Furthermore, this method allowed for incredibly fast cultivation. Once a disciple reached the Meridian Passage Realm, they could continuously plunder Qi Blood, and their Cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds.
Although this explosive growth in Cultivation led to an unstable foundation and a high risk of cultivation deviation later on, such concerns paled in comparison to the astonishing speed.
Even the top Major Sects, feeding their disciples Elixirs from Medicine King Valley like candy, could not hope to match such a rapid increase in power.
After modifying its Cultivation Technique, the Blood God Sect’s power ballooned, and its disciples spread like a virus.
Even some disciples from other Major Sects couldn’t resist the temptation of such explosive growth in their Cultivation and joined the Blood God Sect.
Moreover, the modified Blood Spirit Scripture was easy to conceal. As long as they didn’t use their Qi and Blood Power, it was impossible to identify them as a disciple of the Blood God Sect.
Thus, many disciples of the Jianghu Major Sects secretly joined the Blood God Sect, acting as moles and causing immense damage to their original Sects.
The Blood God Sect’s rampant actions finally provoked widespread outrage.
The Jianghu and the Court, the Great Xia Nineteen Provinces, and even forces from the Grassland and Overseas united to exterminate the Blood God Sect. They killed nearly every one of the sect’s demonic practitioners. Even if a few remnants survived, they dared not show their faces.
For hundreds of years since, the Blood God Sect seemed to have vanished completely from the Jianghu.
When Jiang Kaitai performed his blood sacrifice back then, some people in Lianshan City had claimed that the fiends of the Blood God Sect were making a comeback.
’In the original story, remnants of the Blood God Sect did indeed make a comeback, but it wasn’t in Ning Province. It was in You Province and several other provinces.’
’It seems the Blood God Sect must have been lying dormant in Ning Province all along, recovering their strength. They just happened to make their first public appearance in You Province.’
"I’m surprised someone still recognizes our Holy Sect after so many years. Fine. At least you won’t die an ignorant fool. Remember that your killer was Gu Hongyuan of the Blood God Sect!"
Gu Hongyuan’s eyes flashed crimson as Blood Qi billowed from his body. He let out a maniacal laugh and charged at Chen Yuan.
Chen Yuan frowned slightly.
He sensed that this Gu Hongyuan wasn’t right in the head—that he was somewhat deranged.
He couldn’t tell if this was the man’s natural disposition or a side effect of practicing the Blood God Sect’s Cultivation Technique.
The original Blood Spirit Scripture was a Secret Technique for developing the power of one’s Qi Blood, but the modified version was perverse. Cultivating it made one more susceptible to cultivation deviation.
However, judging by Gu Hongyuan’s strength, the Blood God Sect must have adopted a new strategy for their comeback.
Previously, the Blood God Sect had numerous disciples, but most were a ragtag bunch. Their Cultivation was bloated, their foundations unstable, and their combat prowess was weak.
This Gu Hongyuan, however, possessed a profound Inner Strength foundation, and his combat prowess had few peers at his level.
As the endless Blood Qi assailed him, Demonic Qi surged from Chen Yuan, transforming into a sky full of Sword Auras that rained down.
But while Chen Yuan’s Sword Auras tore through the Blood Qi, they failed to disperse it completely.
Gu Hongyuan formed a Seal Technique, and the surging Blood Qi suddenly solidified. It transformed into countless fine, blood-red threads, each one incredibly sharp, weaving together into a great crimson net that descended upon Chen Yuan.
Silk Blood Net!
This was the same move Gu Hongyuan had used to ambush Chen Yuan inside the Garrison Mansion.
The blood threads were piercingly sharp, rivaling Sword Qi in their overbearing power.
Chen Yuan pointed a single finger, and the True Qi around him instantly converged, surging like a vast ocean.
The Finger Strength descended, as if the heavens themselves were crashing down upon the mortal world!
Profound Celestial Finger!
The Profound Celestial Finger instantly tore a large hole in the Silk Blood Net. Unleashing the power of the Fish Dragon Transformation, Chen Yuan leaped out of the net in a flash.
The ground beneath, however, was diced into neat squares by the net as easily as if it were tofu.
"Such explosive power!"
A grave expression appeared in Gu Hongyuan’s eyes.
He might be deranged, but he wasn’t a fool.
The man before him was only in the Qi Casting Realm, but his explosive power surpassed that of most Martial Artists in the Sea of Reincarnation Realm.
Moreover, he also practiced a Buddhist Cultivation Technique that could suppress his own body, rendering the Blood Spirit Scripture’s ability to agitate Qi Blood useless against him.
"Is this all your Blood God Sect has to offer?"
Chen Yuan took a deep breath. In the next instant, the Killing Intent Origin descended, and boundless Blood Fiend entered his body!
Gu Hongyuan’s eyes widened, a look of horror and intense craving filling them.
’That’s the power!’
’That was the power that had such a unique aroma earlier, the one he desperately wanted to devour.’
Now, with the full eruption of the Blood Fiend Qi, that craving grew even more intense!
Gu Hongyuan shrieked and formed a Seal Technique. Strands of blood emerged all over his body.
These were not condensed threads, but Qi Blood forcibly extracted from his own flesh and blood!
No wonder his robes were blood-red. Perhaps they weren’t originally red at all, but had been dyed that color by his own blood.
The countless strands of blood merged, forming a dazzling, ten-foot-long Blood Sword that whistled with a cold, sinister air as it slashed straight at Chen Yuan!
Blood Secret Technique: Thousand-Silk Blood Sword!
The Blood Fiend Qi around Chen Yuan coalesced. A killing tribulation descended, forming a gigantic hand seal in mid-air.
As the palm descended, the Blood Fiend howled, and the Killing Tribulation Power sought to annihilate all existence!
Blood Killing Heaven-Seizing Hand!
Under the tyrannical might of the Killing Tribulation Power, the Thousand-Silk Blood Sword dissolved inch by inch before shattering with a BANG, dissipating into a mist of blood.
Gu Hongyuan coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face deathly pale as he stared at Chen Yuan in disbelief.
The Thousand-Silk Blood Sword had been formed from his own cultivated Qi Blood. Now that it had been shattered by a single palm strike, his losses were immense.
Gu Hongyuan formed another Seal Technique. Frantically burning his remaining Qi Blood, he transformed into a blood-red shadow and fled.
Earlier in the Garrison Mansion, he had chosen to flee for fear that the commotion would attract an increasing number of White Tiger Guards, trapping him in a siege.
Now, he was fleeing because he was truly terrified.
Chen Yuan’s Blood Killing Heaven-Seizing Hand had obliterated eighty percent of his Qi Blood.
That supremely tyrannical Blood Fiend Power countered the Blood Spirit Scripture, making even his own Qi Blood tremble in fear!
But now, a series of explosive cracks from compressed True Qi echoed from behind him.
Sensing the distance between them closing, Gu Hongyuan shrieked, fused the last of his Qi Blood into the Blood Jade Long Sword in his hand, and wheeled around to thrust it at Chen Yuan.
Chen Yuan’s saber descended. The monstrous Blood Fiend and Demonic Qi intertwined and fused, transforming into an endless abyss.
Beneath the Blood Demon Devouring the Sun, the Blood Jade Long Sword cracked and the Blood Qi was annihilated.
Without the support of his Qi Blood, Gu Hongyuan’s body was incredibly fragile. It was nearly torn in half before falling to the ground like a broken rag doll.