65: If I let you be the examiner, why would you kneel down?
Blood Fiend Sect territory, Blood Skull City.
This was the most chaotic and bloody city within a thousand miles, serving as the Blood Fiend Sect's outpost for recruiting cannon fodder and Guest Elders.
Dried heads hung all along the city walls, and what flowed in the moat was not water, but dark red blood. The air was thick with a suffocating Evil Qi; if an ordinary Cultivator's mind was not steadfast, they would suffer Qi Deviation within fifteen minutes of entering the city.
"Have you heard? Because the True Disciple Li Tianxing was killed, the Old Ancestor is furious. Now the Sect urgently needs fresh blood and is recruiting 'Guest Elders' with high pay."
"High pay? You need to be alive to spend it! I heard the assessment involves soaking in the 'Ten Thousand Gu Blood Pool.' Is that even a job for humans?"
In the central square of the city, hundreds of Loose Cultivators emitting wicked Auras had gathered. Most had ferocious faces and fierce gazes, clearly desperate criminals with hands stained in blood.
At this moment, a young man wearing a black robe and carrying a massive black saber on his back walked through the crowd.
His expression was cold, and a hideous scar (transformed by the myriad treasures pearl) ran across the bridge of his nose. He radiated a frigid Aura that warned others not to approach.
Lin Que. Or perhaps he should be called "Demonic Blade" now.
"Assessment for Guest Elders at the Initial Stage of Spirit Sea Realm, line up over here."
A pale Blood Fiend Sect Deacon in blood-red robes lazily pointed toward a massive stone platform on the east side of the square.
On the stone platform sat a giant bronze cauldron ten zhang wide.
Thick green poisonous blood boiled inside the cauldron, with countless thumb-sized blood-sucking venomous Gu tumbling and screeching within. Even from a distance, the stench made one's scalp tingle.
"The rules are simple."
The Deacon sneered, "Jump in. If you stay alive and conscious for the duration of one incense stick, you can become our Sect's Guest Elder."
"Begin!"
At the command, several Demonic Cultivators confident in their cultivation gritted their teeth and jumped in.
"Ah!!"
As soon as they hit the water, blood-curdling screams echoed through the sky.
The poisonous blood instantly corroded their protective spiritual light, and countless venomous Gu, like sharks smelling blood, frantically burrowed into their skin and orifices!
In just three breaths.
Those few Cultivators turned into white bones and sank to the bottom of the cauldron.
Hiss—
The spectating Demonic Cultivators gasped, and the originally eager crowd immediately retreated by more than half.
Was this an assessment? This was clearly suicide!
"A bunch of trash."
On the high platform, the examiner was a Blood Fiend Sect Elder at the Late Stage Spirit Sea Realm named Yin Shi. He looked at the cowering crowd below, his eyes full of contempt.
"If you can't even handle this pain, how are you worthy of joining my Blood Fiend Sect? Is there anyone else who dares to try?"
Dead silence filled the area.
Just as Elder Yin Shi was about to declare this batch as complete garbage...
"I'll do it."
A cold voice rang out.
The crowd automatically parted to make a path.
Lin Que walked out with his Mo Dao on his back, his expression indifferent. He didn't even look at the terrifying poisonous cauldron, as if it were just a basin of foot-washing water.
"Oh?"
Elder Yin Shi narrowed his eyes and sized up Lin Que.
"Initial Stage of Spirit Sea Realm? Your physique looks decent. State your name."
"Demonic Blade."
Lin Que was brief.
"What arrogant words." Yin Shi sneered and performed a hand seal. The poisonous blood in the cauldron boiled even more violently, and the number of venomous Gu instantly doubled.
"Since you call yourself Demonic Blade, let me see if your bones are as hard as your blade. Get in!"
Lin Que walked to the edge of the cauldron without any defensive measures, not even activating his protective spiritual light.
Splash!
He jumped straight in.
"Seeking death!" The surrounding Demonic Cultivators shook their heads. Jumping into the Ten Thousand Gu Blood Pool without defense? He must think he's reincarnating too slowly!
However.
In the next second, everyone's eyes nearly popped out of their heads.
There was no scream as expected.
Lin Que stood in the boiling poisonous blood, the level reaching his chest. The poisonous blood, capable of corroding metal, splashed against his skin which shimmered with a faint golden luster. It made a "sizzle" sound and then... slid right off.
Not even a red mark was left behind!
Arhat Golden Body, immune to all poisons!
"That's it?"
Lin Que stood in the cauldron and looked up at Elder Yin Shi on the platform. Not only was he not in pain, he even reached out to scoop up a handful of poisonous blood and rubbed his arm.
"The water temperature is a bit low. Elder, can you add some more fire?"
The crowd erupted in an uproar.
"This... what kind of monster is he?!"
"That's the Ten Thousand Gu Blood Pool! He's actually using it to take a bath?!"
Elder Yin Shi's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot. This was not just a provocation; this was a public slap to his face!
"Good! Good brat! You want fire, do you? I'll grant your wish!"
Yin Shi laughed out of extreme anger and slapped his Storage Pouch, summoning a black Soul Banner.
"Ten Thousand Gu Heart-Devouring, Blood Fire Body-Burning! Refine him for me!!"
Whoosh—!
Under the bronze cauldron, raging demonic flames suddenly ignited. The temperature inside the cauldron soared instantly, and the poisonous blood turned into scalding poisonous sludge!
Even more terrifyingly, the venomous Gu went mad under the stimulation of the demonic fire, opening their sharp mouthparts to frantically tear at Lin Que's body.
[Detected high-intensity physical biting + potent heat toxin!]
[Defense Check: Arhat Golden Body (Ignores physical damage).]
[Toxin Check: Invading Meridians...]
Lin Que stood in the scalding poisonous sludge, feeling warm all over and so comfortable he wanted to hum.
The venomous Gu bit him as if they were biting ten-thousand-year-old profound iron, their teeth shattering all over the place with "crack-crunch" sounds.
As for the invading fire toxin... Lin Que looked up at Elder Yin Shi, who was controlling the Formation with a malicious grin.
"Elder, you've set this fire a bit too high."
A strange arc curled at the corner of Lin Que's mouth.
[Target Locked: Elder Yin Shi (Malice Value 100%).]
[Drawback Transfer activated! Multiplier: Poison Fire Backlash!]
Buzz!
On the high platform.
Elder Yin Shi, who was waiting to see Lin Que turn into a puddle of pus, suddenly shuddered.
"Huh? What's going on? So hot..."
He felt the originally cold spiritual power in his body suddenly become incredibly hot! It was as if... he had jumped into the poisonous fire cauldron himself!
"Ah!!"
Yin Shi suddenly screamed and frantically tore at his clothes.
His skin rapidly turned red and festered, with terrifying poisonous blisters popping up!
"It itches! So itchy! The pain is killing me!!"
He rolled frantically on the platform, his hands clawing bloody gashes into his body. The bone-deep burning sensation and the agony of ten thousand Gu devouring his heart caused even this Late Stage Spirit Sea Realm expert to break down.
"Elder?!"
The surrounding Blood Fiend Sect Disciples were terrified.
This... what was happening?
Clearly, it was "Demonic Blade" being boiled in the pot, so why was their own Elder screaming?
Inside the cauldron.
Lin Que closed his eyes, looking quite pleased.
As the side effects of the poison fire and toxins were transferred, what remained was the purest blood energy.
Under the nourishment of this massive energy, the Arhat Golden Body within him shone even more brilliantly, with golden light even faintly radiating from his body, turning the dark green poisonous blood golden.
*Inhale—*
Lin Que opened his mouth and took a deep breath.
The poisonous blood that originally filled the cauldron dropped by a visible amount!
It had all been refined and absorbed by him!
"Not enough, it's still not enough."
Lin Que suddenly opened his eyes, golden light erupting from them.
Propping a hand on the rim, he looked like a golden-bodied Asura climbing out of Hell as he leapt out of the giant cauldron.
Boom!
That incredibly hard bronze cauldron exploded directly under his kick!
Shards flew everywhere.
Lin Que, bare-chested (his clothes having burned away long ago), revealed a perfect physique like a Heavenly God descending to earth as he walked toward the high platform step by step.
With every step he took, his Aura rose another level.
Until he stood before Elder Yin Shi, who was still rolling on the ground.
Lin Que looked down at him, his voice booming like thunder:
"Elder, does my physical body meet your standards?"
Yin Shi, now dying from the backlash, looked up in terror at the young man radiating a suffocating pressure.
Where was this a Loose Cultivator?
This was clearly a primordial Vicious Beast in human skin!
"It... it does..."
Yin Shi's voice trembled as he instinctively shrank back:
"You... you passed..."
"Not only passed, but from today on, you are the Blood Fiend Sect's... Chief Guest Elder!"
At those words, Lin Que grinned, revealing a row of forest-white teeth.
He casually pulled a blood-red robe from his Storage Pouch and draped it over himself, concealing the terrifying golden light and returning to his role as a cold bladesman.
"Then I thank the Elder for the promotion."
Lin Que patted Yin Shi's mangled shoulder, passing over a stream of pure Spiritual Qi (briefly easing the backlash) so the man wouldn't die of pain on the spot.
After all, this was his "recommender" for infiltrating the upper echelons; he had to keep him around for a while.
"Let's go. Take me to see..."
Lin Que looked up at the tallest blood-red peak deep within the Blood Fiend Sect:
"...the Sect Master."
On the square, hundreds of Demonic Cultivators watched his retreating back in silence, their eyes filled with fanatical worship.
This was the Demonic Path!
The strong are revered!
Abuse the examiner like a dog, and you're the new boss!