7: The struggle for the Dew-Gathering Grass, traces of evil cultivators

Black Wind Valley at dusk was already shrouded in night. Only sparse starlight pierced through the dense tree canopy, casting fragmented shadows on the ground. The poisonous miasma grew thicker at night, with faint green mist mixed with a subtle, fishy smell, making one's heart tighten. Lu Chen and the other three had finished gathering the condensing dew grass required for their mission and were preparing to return, but they stopped at an open grassy field in the valley—the condensing dew grass here grew exceptionally lush, with thick leaves and glistening dew drops, clearly the most Spirit Qi-rich growing area in the valley. There were at least twenty more High Grade condensing dew grass plants.

"I didn't expect there to be so much High Grade condensing dew grass here!" Wang Hao's eyes flashed with greed as he quickly stepped forward to pick them. "If we gather more, we might even get an extra reward from the Elder!"

Zhao Kai also hurried to follow. After the previous poisoning crisis, he no longer held any hostility towards Lu Chen; instead, he proactively called out, "Senior Brother Lu, Junior Sister Lin, come quickly and help! The sooner we finish picking, the sooner we can leave!"

Lin Xiaoya was about to step forward, but Lu Chen pulled her back. He activated his Poison Resistance Art, making his spiritual perception exceptionally keen within the poisonous miasma. He faintly detected two sinister, cold presences lurking deep within the grassy field, carrying a strong scent of blood, clearly not benevolent. "Be careful, there's an ambush!" Lu Chen whispered, shielding Lin Xiaoya behind him. The spiritual power of his Hard Strength Introduction quietly circulated within his body, and a faint golden light emerged on his skin.

Wang Hao and Zhao Kai froze for a moment, the greed on their faces instantly receding as they vigilantly looked towards the depths of the grassy field. Just then, two black figures darted out from the thick mist, moving like ghosts, instantly rushing close. These two were clad in black robes, their faces covered by black masks, revealing only pairs of red-glowing eyes. From their waists hung a pitch-black token engraved with a ferocious skull and blood shadow pattern—they were Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivators!

"This is the territory of our Blood Shadow Sect. All the condensing dew grass belongs to us. Those who know what's good for them, scram!" The Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivator on the left spoke coldly, his voice hoarse and grating. A dark red ball of spiritual power, imbued with a thick bloody scent, condensed in his hand. It was the Blood Shadow Palm, the signature Cultivation Technique of the Blood Shadow Sect.

"Blood Shadow Sect?" Wang Hao's expression changed, clearly having heard of these Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivators. "You are clearly Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivators, yet you dare to occupy the Spiritual Plants of Black Wind Valley!"

"You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!" The Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivator on the right snorted impatiently. He struck with both palms, and two dark red palm winds whistled as they slammed towards Wang Hao and Zhao Kai. Wherever the palm winds passed, the poisonous miasma was stained dark red, clearly containing potent venom.

Wang Hao and Zhao Kai dared not be negligent and quickly circulated their spiritual power to resist. However, both Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivators were at Qi Refining Level Three, far exceeding them. With two muffled thuds, they were sent flying by the palm winds, spitting blood, and crashing heavily to the ground, the condensing dew grass in their hands scattered everywhere.

"Pathetic!" The Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivator on the left sneered, his gaze shifting to Lu Chen and Lin Xiaoya, a hint of greed flashing in his eyes. "This little girl has good Aptitude; she'll be perfect for refining medicine!"

"How dare you!" Lu Chen roared, leaping to block in front of Lin Xiaoya. His Qi Refining Second Layer spiritual power erupted without reservation, his Hard Strength Introduction circulated to its maximum, and the golden light on his body surged as he charged towards the Blood Shadow Palm of the Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivator.

"Overestimating yourself!" The Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivator sneered at the sight, increasing the power of his Blood Shadow Palm. The dark red palm wind, carrying a tearing whistle, slammed fiercely towards Lu Chen's chest. He was confident that an Outer Sect Disciple at Qi Refining Second Layer could never withstand his full-power strike.

"Bang!" With a loud crash, the Blood Shadow Palm solidly struck Lu Chen's chest. The dark red spiritual power, like a parasite, tried to bore into his body and corrode his Meridians, but it was firmly blocked by the golden light on his skin. Lu Chen felt a tremendous force, his Qi and blood churning, and he stumbled back several steps before stabilizing himself. His chest felt numb, but he was not injured.

"What?" Both Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivators widened their eyes simultaneously, their faces filled with disbelief. The Blood Shadow Palm was not only powerful but also contained extremely corrosive blood poison. Even Cultivators of the same level found it hard to withstand head-on, yet this Qi Refining Second Layer kid was completely unharmed?

Lin Xiaoya quickly stepped forward to support Lu Chen, her eyes full of worry: "Senior Brother Lu, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Lu Chen shook his head, wiping a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth, secretly astonished by the power of the Blood Shadow Palm. If not for the formidable Physical Body forged by the Hard Strength Introduction, coupled with the Poison Resistance Art to resist the blood poison, he would have probably been severely injured and collapsed.

The Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivator on the left had a grim expression. He condensed another Blood Shadow Palm, its power even greater than before. "Kid, what Cultivation Technique have you Cultivated? Today, I will capture you and bring you back to the Sect for interrogation!"

Lu Chen dared not be careless. He employed the basic footwork he had learned from the Scripture Pavilion, moving nimbly to dodge while looking for an Opportunity to counterattack. He knew his cultivation was inferior to the opponent's, so he could only rely on his Physical Body strength and Cultivation Technique advantage to contend. During the fierce battle, Lu Chen deliberately feigned a weakness, letting the Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivator's palm wind brush past his shoulder. At the same time, he suddenly charged forward, punching towards the Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivator's waist.

The Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivator didn't expect Lu Chen to be so fierce. He hastily dodged sideways but was grazed on the waist by Lu Chen's fist wind. With a soft 'crack,' the skull and blood shadow token at the Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivator's waist fell off and landed in the decaying leaves of the grassy field. And at the moment the token fell, Lu Chen accidentally misstepped, his body colliding with the Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivator, and both fell to the ground.

In the chaos, Lu Chen's hand accidentally pressed into the pile of decaying leaves, touching a tattered booklet—it was the incomplete Blood Shadow Breaking Method. The Cultivation Technique instantly integrated into his mind, and he immediately understood the core flaw of the Blood Shadow Art: this Cultivation Technique was sinister and bloodthirsty. Although its power was domineering, it feared extreme Yang spiritual power. Once struck by extreme Yang power, the blood poison within the body would backfire.

"Retreat!" The Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivator on the left noticed Lu Chen's strangeness and remembered the Restriction set up by the Sect deep within Black Wind Valley. Not daring to linger, he decisively called for his companion to retreat. Their figures flashed, and they vanished into the thick poisonous miasma, leaving only a chilling threat: "Kid, the Blood Shadow Sect won't let you go!"

It wasn't until the Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivators had completely disappeared that Lu Chen finally relaxed, slumping to the ground. Lin Xiaoya quickly took out a healing pill and handed it to him, while also helping up the injured Wang Hao and Zhao Kai. "Senior Brother Lu, you're amazing! You actually managed to repel a Qi Refining Level Three Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivator!" Lin Xiaoya's eyes were filled with admiration. The intense battle just now had left her with lingering fear, but it also gave her a deeper understanding of Lu Chen's strength.

Wang Hao and Zhao Kai's faces were full of shame. The two of them combined were no match for the Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivator even for a single exchange, and instead had to rely on Lu Chen's protection. "Senior Brother Lu, thank you for saving our lives." Zhao Kai sincerely thanked him. "We were ignorant before; please don't hold it against us, Senior Brother."

Lu Chen smiled faintly: "Among fellow Disciples, there's no need for such formality. Let's first examine that token and this incomplete Breaking Method." He picked up the skull and blood shadow token from the ground. It felt cold to the touch, and the blood shadow pattern on it seemed to subtly flow, emitting an evil aura. The incomplete Blood Shadow Breaking Method only had three pages. Besides detailing the flaws of the Blood Shadow Art, it also mentioned that the Blood Shadow Sect was secretly active in Black Wind Valley, seemingly searching for some treasure.

"These Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivators are too overbearing; they actually occupy the Spiritual Plants of Black Wind Valley." Lin Xiaoya looked at the token, her delicate brows slightly furrowed. "I heard that the Cultivation Technique they Cultivate requires devouring the essence and blood of Cultivators, which is extremely cruel."

Wang Hao's expression was solemn: "I didn't expect there to be traces of the Blood Shadow Sect in Black Wind Valley. This must be reported to the Elder."

Lu Chen nodded, putting away the token and the Blood Shadow Breaking Method. "This matter is indeed strange. The Blood Shadow Sect has always been active in the border regions, so why would they appear in Black Wind Valley? And they seem particularly interested in the condensing dew grass here, which might be related to a secret deep within the valley." He recalled the faint light he saw last night, his curiosity growing.

The four of them gathered the scattered condensing dew grass and, not daring to linger, quickly walked towards the valley entrance. The poisonous miasma grew thicker at night. Fortunately, Lu Chen had the Poison Resistance Art protecting him, allowing him to barely discern the direction; otherwise, they might have found it difficult to escape. Along the way, Wang Hao and Zhao Kai became increasingly respectful towards Lu Chen, proactively offering to share half of the extra High Grade condensing dew grass they had picked with him, but Lu Chen politely declined.

"This condensing dew grass was gathered by everyone together, so it should be divided equally," Lu Chen said. "And being able to repel the Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivators this time was also a stroke of luck, thanks to this Blood Shadow Breaking Method." He did not hide the existence of the Cultivation Technique but concealed the details of how he accidentally obtained it.

Lin Xiaoya looked at Lu Chen's calm expression, her admiration growing. She could feel that Lu Chen was not only powerful but also had a steady and magnanimous Heart-Nature, far beyond what ordinary Outer Sect Disciples could compare to.

By the time they exited Black Wind Valley, dawn was breaking. The east was tinged with a grayish-white, and morning mist swirled, enveloping the stone tablet at the valley entrance in a hazy veil. Lu Chen held the skull and blood shadow token in his hand, his fingertips clearly feeling the cold aura emanating from it. The method of using extreme Yang spiritual power to counter the Blood Shadow Art, as recorded in the Blood Shadow Breaking Method, brought him a flash of insight—perhaps the faint light deep within Black Wind Valley was some treasure containing extreme Yang power, which was why the Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivators had come.

He looked back at the depths of Black Wind Valley. The poisonous miasma gradually dissipated in the morning light, revealing the vague outlines of mountains. He mused: the appearance of the Blood Shadow Sect was no coincidence. The secrets of Black Wind Valley were becoming increasingly intriguing. Perhaps during the upcoming inner Sect trial, he would be able to investigate further. And this incomplete Blood Shadow Breaking Method and the skull token might become the key to uncovering these secrets.

Upon returning to the Outer Sect, the four immediately went to the Elder Hall to report the matter. Elder Li Ping's expression instantly turned solemn upon hearing that Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivators had appeared in Black Wind Valley, and he inquired about the incident in detail. When he learned that Lu Chen, with his Qi Refining Second Layer cultivation, had repelled a Qi Refining Level Three Blood Shadow Sect Evil Cultivator and even obtained the incomplete Blood Shadow Breaking Method and the token, Li Ping's eyes flashed with surprise and admiration, and he regarded Lu Chen with even greater importance.

"This matter is of great importance; I will immediately report it to the Sect's higher-ups," Elder Li Ping said gravely. "Lu Chen, your performance this time was outstanding. Not only did you complete the mission, but you also exposed the Blood Shadow Sect's conspiracy. Your merit is considerable."

Lu Chen's heart swelled with joy, knowing his Opportunity had come. He could feel that as his strength increased and his Opportunities grew, his status in Tianling Academy was quietly changing, and all of this was inseparable from the Cultivation Techniques he had unexpectedly acquired. He gripped the Blood Shadow Breaking Method in his hand, secretly resolving: he must quickly improve his strength, uncover the Blood Shadow Sect's conspiracy, explore the secrets of Black Wind Valley, and walk even further on this path of immortal cultivation.