Diverting the disaster south

The underground dark river roared and surged behind him amidst violent tremors, carrying collapsing rubble and thick bloody Qi. Nightmare, like a nimble black shadow, sped upstream in the icy cold water, leaving the aftermath of the explosion and the chaos far behind.

His Divine Sense acted like invisible tentacles, rapidly scouting the intricate waterways ahead, while keenly capturing every slight movement from the rock layers above.

As expected, the destruction of the Blood Pool was like kicking a hornet's nest!

Faintly, several powerful streams of Divine Sense swept down from above in anger and alarm, accompanied by the roar of fierce Spiritual Energy collisions! Clearly, Special Envoy Zhantai and Lin Langtian's group had been startled by the explosion and might even have come into conflict and suspicion because of it.

"Fight, the harder the better," Nightmare sneered internally, maintaining his speed without the slightest reduction.

He needed to leave this troublesome area as quickly as possible. The dark river was not a place to linger; once the powerful figures above calmed down, they would inevitably conduct a systematic search of all underground passages.

After traveling along the dark river for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, a fork appeared ahead. One path continued deeper underground, where the Cold Yin Qi was heavier; the other branched slightly upward, where the current was relatively calmer.

Nightmare paused briefly in thought, then chose the upward path. He needed to return to the surface quickly to confirm his location before deciding his next move.

The higher he went, the slower the current became, and the riverbed gradually widened. Occasionally, he could see some glowing aquatic moss and fish, and even some traces of artificial excavation, suggesting it might be an ancient aqueduct.

Finally, an exit sealed by a rusty iron fence appeared ahead. Beyond the fence, he could hear the sound of rushing water and feel fresh air.

Nightmare quietly approached, extending his Divine Sense through the gaps in the fence to scout outside.

Outside appeared to be a stream located between mountain ravines. The night was deep, and the moonlight was obscured by the dense tree canopy, leaving the surroundings dark and quiet. The fence was located beneath a steep rock face on one side of the stream, making it extremely hidden.

After confirming there was no ambush outside, Nightmare extended both hands, gripped the heavily rusted iron fence, and subtly released Demonic Essence.

Crack... Creak... With a series of soft, grating noises, the seemingly secure iron fence was silently pried open, creating a gap large enough for one person to pass through.

Nightmare slid out of the opening like a phantom, stepping onto the ground once more. He quickly restored the fence to its original state, erased the traces he left, and then hid behind a giant rock, carefully surveying his surroundings.

This was already the outer region of the Black Mountain Range, and the Miasma filling the air was much thinner. Judging by the position of the stars and the vague outline of Black Mountain City in the distance, he should currently be located on the southern foot of the mountain range.

Just then, Nightmare's powerful Divine Sense captured the sound of rushing air and faint arguing coming from the distance.

He immediately concealed all his Qi, becoming like dead wood and solid rock, merging into the shadows.

Not far away, low in the sky, two groups were confronting each other: Special Envoy Zhantai of the Sky Patrol Alliance and Lin Langtian's group from the Holy Sect! Both sides looked somewhat disheveled, clearly having expended considerable energy during the previous explosion and subsequent searches.

"Lin Langtian! What do you have to say for yourself?! That underground Blood Pool was clearly the work of your Holy Sect! How dare you use living Cultivators to refine Evil Medicinal Pills, disregarding the harmony of heaven! If you don't give the Sky Patrol Alliance an explanation today, don't even think about leaving the Black Mountain Region!" Special Envoy Zhantai's voice was stern and sharp, his longsword pointing from afar, Spiritual Energy surging.

Lin Langtian's face was terrifyingly gloomy. With the Blood Pool destroyed and years of effort wasted, plus the loss of many subordinates, the rage in his heart was about to explode. But he sneered in rebuttal: "Zhantai Ming! Stop slandering us! That Blood Pool was clearly the work of the fleeing lesser Demonic Cultivator! Perhaps your Sky Patrol Alliance staged this entire thing, deliberately framing my Holy Sect, hoping to interfere in the affairs of the Black Mountain Region! That Demonic Cultivator possesses strange methods, managing to escape from both of us—is he someone easily dealt with? I believe he destroyed the Seal and blew up the Blood Pool simply to create chaos and benefit as The Fisherman!"

Both sides held their ground, accusing each other. The atmosphere was tense, but they were both hesitant to act, holding back. They had both suffered significant losses and lacked conclusive evidence that the other party was responsible. Furthermore, they worried about the mysterious "lesser Demonic Cultivator" who stole the demon heart essence blood potentially lurking nearby.

Nightmare hid in the shadows, hearing their conversation clearly, his thoughts racing.

Dogs biting dogs—this was exactly what he wanted to see. But it wasn't enough; this fire had to burn hotter so they would be too preoccupied to notice him.

His gaze swept across the System space, landing on the random Medicinal Pill formula he had just acquired—the blood fiend bone tempering pill.

[blood fiend bone tempering pill (Earth Rank Low Grade): Refined primarily using Cultivator Essence Blood and Evil Qi, supplemented by various cold Yin Spiritual Plants. Consumption can greatly strengthen bone density and enhance Physical Body strength, but it will erode one's mind and incite bloodthirsty desires. (Attached: Simple Refinement Method and required common Auxiliary Materials)]

A strange light flashed in Nightmare's eyes. This Medicinal Pill was practically tailor-made "evidence of guilt" for the Holy Sect!

He immediately gathered several common, Low Grade Spiritual Plants nearby that possessed slightly cold Yin attributes. He also quickly hunted down a passing Rank 1 Yao Beast and took a small amount of its blood. Then, finding a hidden rock crevice, Demonic Flames flickered in his palm, and he began a rough refinement process right there, following the simple method in the formula.

In just a moment, several crude "Medicinal Pill" prototypes formed—they were ugly, shrouded in blood-red light, and emitted a pungent bloody stench and faint Evil Qi. Although their medicinal effect was likely less than one percent of the genuine article, the unique bloody Evil Qi was imitated perfectly.

Nightmare looked at the few crudely manufactured "blood fiend bone tempering pills" in his hand, a cold curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

He cautiously separated an extremely faint wisp of Divine Sense and wrapped it around one of the Medicinal Pills. Then, seizing the moment when Special Envoy Zhantai and Lin Langtian's argument was at its fiercest and their Divine Senses were clashing most chaotically, he flicked his finger!

The Medicinal Pill silently arced through the air like a grain of sand carried by the wind, landing precisely in a thicket not far behind an Early Golden Core Stage member of the Sky Patrol Alliance. To ensure it would be found, Nightmare even used a trace of undetectable Demonic Essence to subtly rustle the nearby grass.

Having done all this, Nightmare immediately fled, silently moving toward the southern reaches of the mountain range, leaving no traces behind.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before...

"Hmm? What is that?" The Sky Patrol Alliance Golden Core member sensed something, turned back vigilantly, and swept his Divine Sense over the thicket, immediately discovering the "Medicinal Pill" emitting bloody Evil Qi.

He grabbed it mid-air, drawing the Medicinal Pill into his hand. Upon closer inspection, his expression instantly changed drastically!

"Esteemed Special Envoy! Look at this!" He hurriedly handed the Medicinal Pill to Special Envoy Zhantai.

Special Envoy Zhantai took the Medicinal Pill. After only a brief inspection, his face turned instantly ashen! The dense bloody Evil Qi was of the same origin as the aura from the underground Blood Pool! Moreover, the Refinement Method of this Medicinal Pill clearly reeked of the Evil Path!

"Lin! Lang! Tian!" Special Envoy Zhantai suddenly looked up, murderous intent surging in his eyes, squeezing the three words out from between clenched teeth. "The evidence is conclusive! What further sophistry do you have?! How dare you refine such wicked and harmful Evil Pills!"

Lin Langtian was also stunned. He didn't recognize this Medicinal Pill at all, but the bloody Evil Qi couldn't be faked—and it had appeared right next to a member of the Sky Patrol Alliance? This was clearly a setup! But he had no way to explain himself!

"It wasn't me! This is a frame-up!" Lin Langtian cried out in shock and fury.

"A frame-up? Who could refine a Medicinal Pill sharing the same origin Qi as your Holy Sect's Blood Pool in such a short time just to frame you? Could it be my Sky Patrol Alliance?!" Special Envoy Zhantai didn't believe him at all. His longsword trembled. "All Law Enforcement Emissarys, heed my command! Form the array! Take down these Demonic Heretics! If they dare resist, kill them without mercy!"

"How dare you!" Lin Langtian was utterly enraged. His White Bone Fan snapped open, and Cold Evil Qi shot into the sky. "Do you really think my Holy Sect fears your Sky Patrol Alliance?!"

A great battle was imminent!

Meanwhile, Nightmare, the true culprit, was already several miles away, able to faintly sense the violent Spiritual Energy explosion fluctuations and roars coming from the distance behind him.

Diverting the disaster southward was a success.

Nightmare did not linger. He executed the Demonic Shadow Evasion Technique to its Peak, his figure seemingly merging into the night wind as he sped toward the southern border of the Black Mountain Region.

Black Mountain City had become the center of a vortex, and it was unsuitable to stay long. He needed to find a safe place to fully digest his gains from this trip and plan his next move.

In the System space, the residual energy of the demon heart essence blood, the divine ability comprehension card, the Physique Enhancement Opportunity, and the large amount of villain points and the blood fiend bone tempering pill formula he had just acquired were all the capital he needed to return to his Peak.

"Sky Patrol Alliance... Holy Sect..." Nightmare glanced back toward Black Mountain City, cold light flickering in his eyes. "This game has only just begun."

His figure completely vanished into the deep night, leaving behind the Black Mountain Range, which had been thoroughly ignited and plunged into conflict because of him.

And rumors about a mysterious "Demonic Cultivator" with heaven-defying methods would inevitably spread rapidly throughout the entire Black Mountain Region, and even further, carried by the escaped prisoners and those who witnessed everything tonight...