31: Chapter 31 Devoted to Cultivation

Deep within the Li family estate.

Li Zhenchuan sat cross-legged in the secret chamber of his courtyard.

This secret chamber was something he had excavated in secret; its entrance was hidden in a wall cavity behind an ordinary landscape painting in his study, protected by simple sound-insulating and Qi-concealing Formations.

He used rudimentary methods he had learned from the runic inscriptions on the stone pillars in the mine.

The secret chamber was dimly lit, with only a single oil lamp burning; the lamp oil was dark red, emitting a faint, fishy, sweet scent.

On the floor was carved a twisted, eerie Formation that looked as if it were entwined with countless blood vessels. In the center of the Formation, Li Zhenchuan was shirtless, with dark red patterns faintly moving beneath his skin like living creatures.

His face was much younger than it had been a few months ago; his wrinkles had smoothed out, his white hair had turned gray, and his complexion even exuded an unhealthy flush.

But in his eyes, the whites were covered with fine bloodshot lines, and deep within his pupils, a scarlet, eerie light flickered in and out of existence.

He slowly ceased his Cultivation, opened his eyes, and let out a long breath.

The breath he exhaled actually carried a faint mist of blood and a cold, metallic, rusty smell.

"The 'Devouring Origin Demonic Bone Chapter'... truly is overbearing and peerless."

Li Zhenchuan looked down at his hands; his skin was tight and powerful, and with a light clench, the air even produced a slight cracking sound.

He could clearly feel the power surging within his body—a force completely different from the Li family's 'Spirit Ape Fist', one filled with aggression and predation.

His Martial Artist cultivation, having broken through to the Xiantian Realm as naturally as water flowing, had surged all the way to Xiantian Major Achievement!

And his Demonic Path Body Refining had officially stepped into the first level of 'Bone Refining', his bones harder than iron, with a faint tendency to transform into a jade-like substance.

The price for this was those dozen or so fresh human lives, as well as the 'Blood Food' that had to be continuously supplied every month.

At the very beginning, he only hunted lone refugees and wild beasts outside the town.

But soon, the 'Essence Qi' contained in the blood of wild beasts and refugees could no longer satisfy the Demonic Technique's ever-growing cravings.

Especially when he broke through the first level of Body Refining, the intense desire to devour transmitted by the Cultivation Technique almost caused his sanity to collapse.

Ultimately, he set his sights on the townspeople...

Those Martial Artists with vigorous blood and Qi—their blood was the best 'sustenance'.

Every time he struck, he was extremely careful.

He used the 'Blood Transformation Escape' recorded in the Demonic Technique to erase his tracks and used illusion arts to interfere with any potential witnesses.

He knew this was playing with fire; once exposed, he would be doomed beyond redemption.

But every time he devoured a portion of essence blood, the pleasure brought by the increase in power and the tangible feeling of his Meridians repairing and his youth returning made him sink deeper and deeper, unable to extricate himself.

"Soon... it will be soon..."

Li Zhenchuan licked his somewhat cracked lips, the scarlet light in his eyes flaring brightly.

"Once I bring the first level of the 'Devouring Origin Demonic Bone Chapter', 'Blood Refining', to complete Perfection and stabilize the first level of Body Refining, the Peak of the Xiantian Realm will also be within reach.

By then..."

His gaze pierced through the walls of the secret chamber, as if seeing that courtyard on the east side of the Li estate, where the fluctuations of Spiritual Qi were becoming increasingly obvious.

Li Changsheng's place of seclusion.

Jealousy and desire gnawed at his heart like venomous snakes.

Li Changsheng, that piece of trash who once suffered from Qi Deviation, by what right did he Cultivate so quickly?

By what right did he gain the favor of the Immortal Sect?

By what right could he Cultivate in peace, while he had to live like a rat in a sewer, relying on devouring the essence blood of his own kind to increase his power?

"Immortal fate... the Jade Slip from the Qinglan Sword Sect..."

"And the secrets on you... they should all be mine!"

Li Zhenchuan's face was twisted as he growled.

"Li Zhenshan, you have been biased your entire life!"

"Now, I will take everything back!"

"The Li family, Qinghe Town, all will crawl at my feet!"

He needed more, higher-quality blood food to complete his final Breakthrough.

And the next target...

He already had a candidate in mind.

Meanwhile, in the quiet room where Li Changsheng was in seclusion, it was a completely different scene.

The room was filled with misty Spiritual Qi; although thin, it was several times denser than outside.

This was thanks to a small Qi-gathering technique he had brought from a low-magic cultivation world.

At this moment, he was not sitting cross-legged, but was slowly performing a set of fist techniques in the room.

At first glance, this fist technique appeared to be the framework of the 'Spirit Ape Fist'.

But upon closer inspection, every movement drew upon the meager Spiritual Qi in the air.

It resonated with two completely different, yet faintly echoing powers within his body.

One was the condensed and vigorous Martial Dao True Qi, flowing through his broad and tough Meridians, endless and unceasing, having firmly stepped into the Grandmaster Realm.

The other was a slender, yet more agile and profound pale cyan airflow—Spiritual Power.

Following the path of the 'Small Heavenly Cycle Qi Induction Mantra', he constructed another, more subtle and complex circulation system within his body, and now, having successfully completed the first major cycle, he had officially stepped into 'Qi Refining Level 1'.

[Cultivation Breakthrough: Martial Dao increased by a major Realm, Spiritual Qi cultivation entry improved. Rewarded with 10 points of Mental Energy, remaining Mental Energy is 15 points.]

"Martial Dao Body Refining Cultivates True Qi, Spiritual Power Cultivates the spirit and seizes fortune."

Li Changsheng ceased his fist technique and stood still, feeling the two forces within his body running parallel without conflict, even faintly showing signs of complementing each other.

Possessing the Dao of Longevity, he seemed to have excellent compatibility and adaptability to both types of energy.

"The Physical Body and True Qi of the Grandmaster Realm are enough to crush almost all Martial Artists.

And the Spiritual Power of Qi Refining Level 1, although small in quantity, is high in quality, having miraculous effects in perception, manipulation, and casting specific Spells.

More importantly..."

With a slight movement of his mind, a wisp of pale cyan Spiritual Power condensed at his fingertip, and he gently tapped a blue brick on the floor.

Without a sound, a round hole the size of a grain of rice and an inch deep appeared on the surface of the blue brick, its edges as smooth as a mirror.

This was the effect of pure Spiritual Power penetration, possessing more destructive and penetrating power than True Qi.

Using Spiritual Power to execute Martial Skills was, in some aspects, more powerful than using True Qi.

"Spiritual Power cultivation has a broad future.

But the Spiritual Qi in this world is thin; to improve quickly, one must either find a place with relatively dense Spiritual Qi, or..."

He looked at the Jade Slip of the Qinglan Sword Sect in his arms.

"Enter a true Immortal Cultivation Sect."

Just as he was deep in thought, Li Hu's intentionally lowered voice came from outside the door.

"Brother Changsheng, the Family Head and the Grand Elder invite you to the Council Hall to discuss important matters."

Li Changsheng raised an eyebrow slightly.

"For Uncle and the Grand Elder to summon me at the same time, it must be no small matter."

He straightened his clothes and pushed the door open to step out.

The atmosphere in the Council Hall was heavy.

Li Zhenshan's face was livid, Grand Elder Li Qingsong's brows were locked in a frown, and several clan elders responsible for security and intelligence were seated below.

"Three more have gone missing."

Li Zhenshan threw a report on the table.

"It's three instructors from the North Town Martial Arts Hall, all of them skilled experts at the fifth or sixth level of the Acquired Realm.

They went to visit friends in a neighboring town together last night, and this morning they were found unconscious on the road back to town, their essence blood completely drained, looking like dried corpses!"

"The method is exactly the same as before."

A clan elder responsible for criminal matters said with a trembling voice.

"It looks like they were drained of all their essence blood by some kind of evil technique.

This is definitely not the work of ordinary wild beasts or bandits!"

The Grand Elder spoke slowly.

"I personally went to examine the corpses.

The wounds are hidden, and the lingering aura... is cold and filthy, carrying an extremely strong devouring characteristic.

This reminds me of..."

He and Li Zhenshan exchanged a glance, both seeing the heaviness in the other's eyes.

"Blood Fiend Sect?"

Li Zhenshan spat out the three words in a low voice.

"It may not be the main branch of the Blood Fiend Sect.

The Grand Elder shook his head.

"But it is undoubtedly a Demonic Path Cultivation Technique.

Moreover, the practitioner is right here in our Qinghe Town, perhaps... even right under our noses."

At this moment, Li Changsheng walked in.

Everyone's eyes immediately focused on him.

"Changsheng, you've come just in time."

Li Zhenshan quickly explained the situation.

"You have already entered the path of Spiritual Power cultivation; can you see any clues?"