Immortal of the Nine Realms

“He’s the culprit.”

Fang Chen glared at Zhou Yizeng from the sky. He was dressed the same as Chen Da remembered him during the day of the Heavensword Mountain Villa’s massacre, and he had an aura similar to that of Xu Hui and the others.

Chances were that he was the ‘Senior Bei’ Xu Hui mentioned.

“He has recovered from his injuries! Let’s not waste any time and take him down now!”

“Yes!”

The seven cultivators from the South Heaven Sect brought out their artifacts and unleashed their means, enveloping the valley with different-colored lights.

A battle involving cultivators was flashy, if not anything else. It was a sight that would have astounded ordinary mortals and martial artists.

“A bunch of jokes!” Zhou Yizeng sneered.

The sword behind him whizzed forth with a flash of light and overpowered the means of the South Heaven Sect’s cultivators through sheer force. It continued charging with unstoppable momentum till it pierced through the chests of the South Heaven Sect’s cultivators.

Blood splattered everywhere.

It took only one move for the South Heaven Sect’s cultivators to collapse to the ground with pale faces. They had to quickly channel their spirit ki to heal their injuries. Just like that, they had lost their ability to fight.

“I can see your First Senior is a wary person. He’s worried that I might have laid a trap for him, so he didn’t personally give chase,” Zhou Yizeng snorted.

The South Heaven Sect’s cultivators glared at Zhou Yizeng with pale faces.

“This works for me. The blood essence of cultivators are more potent than that of martial artists’. Once I absorb your blood essence, I can make a full recovery and even push for a breakthrough to ninth stage Ki Refinement. What a huge gift you’re offering me!” Zhou Yizeng laughed.

“Blood essence? You’re cultivating a demonic art?!”

The South Heaven Sect’s cultivators were horrified.

“Now that I think about it, you had a few other cultivators with you, but they are now nowhere to be seen. You must have sucked their blood essence to recuperate from the severe injuries our First Senior inflicted on you!” the seventh stage Ki Refinement cultivator exclaimed.

He’s more vicious than I thought—he doesn’t hesitate to kill his people! We’re most likely going to die here today!

“Our South Heaven Sect won’t tolerate a practitioner of the demonic arts! Our First Senior won’t spare you!”

“Just you wait! Someone will avenge us if we die!”

“South Heaven Sect? Disciples from a lowly sect from a grade-6 state dares to speak such arrogant words. I’ll be honest with you. I go by another name, Li Bei. I’m a disciple of the Blood Spirit Cult,” Zhou Yizeng sneered.

His beautiful face paired with his twisted smile made him look exceptionally eerie.

Blood Spirit Cult?!

The South Heaven Sect’s disciples were startled. They had heard about the Blood Spirit Cult, and they knew that its waters run deep, but they were an elusive group that rarely appeared in public.

However, any incident involving them would always result in severe casualties among mortals. More often than not, they would only be discovered after they finished forging their Blood Spirit Divine Pills.

“Y-you are a disciple of the Blood Spirit Cult?! Then this grade-9 state… is your pill cauldron?!” The seventh stage Ki Refinement cultivator gasped in horror.

“I’m surprised you have heard of the term ‘pill cauldron’. It looks like you know quite a bit about our Blood Spirit Cult. Do you still think that your measly South Heaven Sect has the strength to deal with me?” Zhou Yizeng sneered.

The South Heaven Sect’s cultivators fell in despair.

The seventh stage Ki Refinement cultivator spoke up with a subdued voice, “Neither our First Senior nor the rest of us knew about your true identity. We wouldn’t have made an enemy out of you if we knew that you were a Blood Spirit Cultist. Please have mercy on us. We’ll report this matter to our sect. The South Heaven Sect won’t cause you any trouble from this day onward.”

“What a joke.” Zhou Yizeng looked at the seven cultivators teasingly. “Do you think I’d let you live after revealing that I’m a Blood Spirit Cultist? Obediently offer your blood essence and let me drink my fill!”

Zhou Yizeng let out a resounding roar, as he unleashed a stream of red light that enveloped the bodies of the other cultivators. The red light devoured the cultivators’ blood essence and infused it into his body, causing his aura to grow at a visible rate.

The faces of the South Heaven Sect’s cultivators warped in pain. Having their blood essence devoured caused them to slowly lose their spirit ki, and their cultivation plummeted as a result.

“Hahaha! Cultivators’ blood essence is indeed much purer. I just need six hours to suck you dry, and I’ll be able to push for a breakthrough to rank nine Ki Refinement. The day I become a deacon of the Blood Spirit Cult will be the day I destroy your South Heaven Sect!” Zhou Yizeng laughed maniacally.

Four hours passed in a flash.

The South Heaven Sect’s cultivators had grown incredibly weak. Their bodies were as thin as twigs, and they had hardly any spirit ki left in them. Their eyes were dull and devoid of light.

In contrast, Zhou Yizeng’s aura had returned to its previous peak. He had fully recovered from his injuries, and he was making use of the blood essence to manifest his ninth immortal vein. By channeling his Blood Spirit Art, he converted the absorbed blood essence into a massive stream of spirit ki that converged into the shape of his ninth immortal vein.

“Zhou Yizeng, Li Bei, you’ll die a horrible death!”

“Not even the Blood Spirit Cult is invincible in this world! Those major sects are always on a lookout for your movements. As soon as they catch wind of your whereabouts, they’ll dispatch their men to purge you people!”

“We’ll be waiting for you below!”

Knowing they were doomed, the South Heaven Sect’s cultivators stopped begging for mercy and instead cursed Zhou Yizeng.

“Waiting for me below? I’m afraid that I’ll have to disappoint you. I’m planning to advance to Foundation Establishment, manifest my Golden Core, and nurture my Nascent Soul. I’ll become a powerful cultivator and live for a very long time. Your wait is going to be in vain.”

The edges of Zhou Yizeng’s lips crept upward.

Just then, his eyebrows shot up. He turned his gaze toward the entrance of a valley, where a person could be seen making his way toward them.

“Someone’s here?!”

The South Heaven Sect’s cultivators trembled. They anxiously turned their heads over, only to be disappointed by what they saw. It wasn’t their First Senior but a blind man fumbling over with a walking cane in hand.

“This is not a place you should be. Get lost, and I’ll spare your life,” Zhou Yizeng sneered.

“You said that Great Xia is your pill cauldron?” Fang Chen asked with closed eyes as he slowly approached Zhou Yizeng a step at a time.

“Hm?” Zhou Yizeng was taken aback. “How long have you been listening to our conversation?”

“You said that our Great Xia’s civilians are medicine scums?” Fang Chen asked as he continued walking toward Zhou Yizeng.

“Brother, you should leave while you can. He doesn’t have the spare attention now to deal with you because he’s busy trying to manifest his ninth immortal vein. If possible, find a chance to send a message to our South Heaven Sect. Tell our people we died in the hands of Blood Spirit Cultist Li Bei, who has taken on the alias of Zhou Yizeng!” the seventh stage Ki Refinement cultivator gathered the last bit of his strength to yell at Fang Chen.

“Hah! I know who you are. You’re Great Xia’s War God Fang. I heard you regained your Ki Manifestation martial cultivation. I presume you’re here over the Heavensword Mountain Villa’s massacre?” Zhou Yizeng suddenly burst into laughter.

Not only did he recognize Fang Chen, but he also figured out why he was here, though he thought that Fang Chen had only stumbled upon him out of pure coincidence.