Chapter 89

In the dead of night, a blood-red crescent moon hung in the sky, as if embedded in the air, just waiting for someone to jump up and touch it.

Chen Zong hid in a cave that was not completely sealed at the top. The cave, left behind from some unknown time, was relatively clean after a bit of tidying up. A bonfire burned brightly, the dry wood crackling and sparks flying.

The flames were vigorous and the light intense, illuminating the cave and bringing warmth to the cold night, which to some extent deterred the blood shadows, making them even more hesitant to approach.

Chen Zong began to practice the Boiling Blood Technique.

The first level of the Boiling Blood Technique was not difficult to master, similar to the Burning Blood Technique, and he quickly grasped it.

After several hours of intermittent practice, Chen Zong successfully cultivated the first level of the Boiling Blood Technique.

"Let's give it a try," he muttered to himself, immediately activating the Boiling Blood Technique.

The Burning Blood Technique involved intense friction and collision of blood and qi, leading to combustion, with a low utilization rate of one's blood and qi. The Boiling Blood Technique also involved collision, but not as intense, and was characterized by a high frequency, rapidly raising the temperature of the blood and qi, making it boil like water.

The utilization rate of blood and qi in the Boiling Blood Technique was more thorough than in the Burning Blood Technique.

As his blood and qi began to boil, Chen Zong felt his body temperature rise quickly, but not as high as with the Burning Blood Technique. A powerful force immediately filled his body, increasing his arm strength by five hundred pounds.

A melodious sword sound rang out, and a sword beam pierced through the fire, leaving a clear mark on the rock.

"The speed has indeed improved, by about ten percent," Chen Zong noted to himself.

The boiling blood and qi quickly consumed, and Chen Zong's expression changed slightly as he hurriedly stopped.

"What's going on? It's supposed to last ten seconds, but after just three seconds, half of my blood and qi are already consumed, and I can only sustain it for six seconds at most," Chen Zong was puzzled, thinking deeply.

Six seconds and ten seconds, a difference of four seconds, was quite significant.

Could it be that I made a mistake in my cultivation?

He took out the animal skin paper and read it carefully, comparing it to his own situation. Chen Zong finally concluded that the ten-second duration was likely for Eighth Layer Blood and Qi Realm warriors. For those below the Eighth Layer, the duration varied.

But this was just a guess, and the truth needed to be verified.

He quickly circulated the True Sword Heaven's Absolute Technique to restore his blood and qi.

The gap between the third and fourth levels of the True Sword Heaven's Absolute Technique was significant, and Chen Zong estimated it would take a few more months to break through to the fourth level.

With his blood and qi restored, Chen Zong practiced sword techniques under the firelight, without any specific form, freely changing his movements as he swung his sword.

He stopped practicing and rested until dawn, without encountering any blood shadows.

Blood shadows were not easily born, and on the entire Black Blood Battlefield, there were not many of them. As for blood fiends, there were even fewer.

After tidying up and eating some dry rations, Chen Zong set out again.

He had been in the Black Blood Battlefield for about five or six days, but had only obtained four Blood Sinking Jades, which he considered a meager harvest.

"You, bring your bag over here," said one of four warriors who approached him during a rest. They looked young, all wearing similar martial attire, suggesting they belonged to a certain faction. The one who spoke pointed at Chen Zong without any courtesy, while the other three either had cold or mocking expressions.

The blood and qi fluctuations emitted by the four warriors revealed that they were all Ninth Layer Blood and Qi Realm warriors.

Chen Zong grabbed his bag and threw it to the four warriors, then took the opportunity to stand up and quickly move away using the Wind Stepping technique.

"Stop!" the warrior who caught the bag shouted, "Or you'll die."

Chen Zong wasn't that foolish; his speed increased even more. On the Black Blood Battlefield, even acquaintances might stab each other in the back, let alone strangers, especially when their cultivation far exceeded his. Approaching them would be like sending a lamb to the wolves.

"Not bad, not bad, he's quite alert despite his low cultivation," one of the warriors commented.

"Fortunately, he ran fast, or I would have cut him down with one strike," another added.

Opening the bag, they found some dry rations, energy pills, beast blood pills, and red blood pills. Chen Zong had kept the Blood Sinking Jades in a hidden pocket inside his clothes for safety.

"I have twenty energy pills left, ten beast blood pills, and no more dry rations. I can only last for three or four more days," Chen Zong was troubled.

Fortunately, he hadn't put everything in the bag, or he would have lost everything and had to leave the Black Blood Battlefield immediately.

"I'll spend some more time searching. If it doesn't work out, I'll leave the Black Blood Battlefield and resupply in a town," he thought, choosing another direction to proceed.

The most common sight on the Black Blood Battlefield was the dark brown earth, followed by withered trees, broken rocks, and dilapidated houses.

As he walked, Chen Zong saw a palace in the distance, half of it collapsed, the other half still standing, though it looked very old but remained sturdy.

As he approached, intermittent sounds drifted to his ears.

"Someone is fighting..."

"Not just one person..."

On the Black Blood Battlefield, most warriors wouldn't attack without reason, either due to conflict, profit, or the desire to plunder. Unprovoked attacks would only waste their strength.

Chen Zong moved lightly and increased his speed, quickly approaching the dilapidated palace.

"Be careful."

"Quick, get out of the way."

"Kill it, and all the Blood Sinking Jades inside will be ours."

"Blood Sinking Jades!" Chen Zong's eyes lit up.

He moved forward, using the walls of the dilapidated palace to conceal himself. Through a crack, he saw four warriors fighting a monster.

Yes, a monster.

Its body seemed to be made of congealed blood and flesh, with a grotesque head that looked like a mix of a wolf's and a bear's, with sharp, jagged teeth.

Its body was strong, especially its arms, which were long and thick, with no fingers, only sharp claws. Each arm had three claws, each about twenty to thirty centimeters long and extremely sharp.

An overwhelmingly cold and fierce aura emanated from the monster, creating a mental pressure that could make those with weak wills feel chest tightness, nausea, dizziness, and ultimately be torn apart by the claws.

"Blood Fiend!" Chen Zong thought.

This creature was the evolved form of a blood shadow after absorbing sufficient blood and qi, with terrifying strength. The four warriors, all Ninth Layer Blood and Qi Realm, were experienced and well-coordinated, yet they could not kill it, only slowly wear it down. It was said that some even more powerful blood fiends could kill even Tendon Strengthening Realm warriors.

Chen Zong's gaze shifted from the four warriors and the blood fiend to other areas, and then it stopped.

In a corner of the palace, he saw some blood-red stones, very familiar—Blood Sinking Jades.

"One, two, three..."

"At least a dozen, each at least the size of a fist."

His heart raced, and his breathing quickened, feeling secretly excited.

Blood Sinking Jades were heavy; a single egg-sized piece weighed about three taels. A fist-sized Blood Sinking Jade would weigh about a pound, worth about 100,000 white jade coins.

Taking a deep breath, Chen Zong's gaze moved from the Blood Sinking Jades to the four warriors and the blood fiend. Clearly, these Blood Sinking Jades belonged to the blood fiend. The four Ninth Layer Blood and Qi Realm warriors had discovered them and wanted to take them, but the blood fiend, not willing to give them up, had also targeted the warriors' flesh and blood, leading to the inevitable battle.

If the blood fiend won, it would absorb the blood and qi of the four Ninth Layer Blood and Qi Realm warriors, becoming even more powerful, possibly threatening Tendon Strengthening Realm warriors. If the four warriors won, they would obtain the Blood Sinking Jades, worth at least a million, and it was said that the blood fiend's body would contain a blood essence, similar to the essence blood and inner dan of beasts, but with differences.

In terms of value, the blood essence surpassed the essence blood and inner dan of second-grade superior beasts because it contained more refined blood qi, making it easier to absorb.

"If it were anyone else, I might have to think about it, but since it's you four, I'll be the one to take advantage..." Chen Zong smiled to himself, slowly moving along the wall toward the Blood Sinking Jades, waiting for the right moment.

Ideally, the blood fiend and the four Ninth Layer Blood and Qi Realm warriors would fight to a stalemate.

The four warriors, two using swords, one using a spear, and one wearing iron arms, fought with a ferocious style, not dodging, but taking the hits from swords and spears, letting blood and flesh fly, and retaliating with their claws, which tore through the air, leaving red streaks and a pungent smell.

"Use martial techniques, kill it quickly."

"Three Withering Winds!"

Blood and qi burst forth, and three powerful strikes followed, each leaving deep wounds on the blood fiend.

"Continuous Rain!"

The spear moved, and the tip transformed into countless points, each sharp and powerful, all striking the blood fiend.

"One Strike to Cut Wood!"

The long sword was raised, and blood and qi burst forth, delivering a powerful strike, as if all his strength was concentrated in that one blow. Even a century-old tree would be cut in half, and the blood fiend's arm was severed, the sharp sound like a piercing arrow, making the warriors' heads spin.

"Continuous Mountain Breaking with Iron Arms!"

The iron arms collided, sparks flying, and the powerful force pushed them like two large hammers, striking the blood fiend's chest, causing it to retreat.

The blood fiend's claws retaliated, tearing through the chests of two warriors, one using a sword and one using a spear, leaving three deep claw marks, blood flowing, and their faces turning pale from the pain.

"It's said that the blood fiend's claws are special; once injured, the pain is more than twice as intense," Chen Zong observed through the crack in the wall.

"Kill!"

"Four Withering Winds!"

Under the intense pain, the warriors burst forth with even more powerful attacks, four strikes in quick succession, almost severing the blood fiend's body.

The blood fiend, even more ferocious, endured the four strikes, and with its remaining arm, it swung its claws. At the same time, it opened its mouth, and a dark red liquid shot out like an arrow, carrying a foul smell, causing the four warriors to change their expressions and retreat.

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