Chapter 69: Blood Refining and Soul Refining Lamp

What caught Ding Hao's attention was a clay oil lamp.

The oil lamp was extremely bizarre, emitting a strong, bloody smell when held. One could see that the bottom of the oil reservoir was engraved with blood-red runes. These runes were mutated characters from the Nine Provinces world. After careful examination, Ding Hao recognized a few: "refine," "kill," and "blood."

"This is definitely not a righteous object; it exudes a sinister aura," Ding Hao thought to himself.

Just as he was about to put the oil lamp down, he noticed a groove on the base.

"What is this..." Ding Hao lifted it up and saw a circular groove at the bottom of the oil lamp, which seemed to fit a spirit stone perfectly.

"This is also a mundane treasure!" Ding Hao was surprised again.

An item that could be infused with spiritual energy was considered a mundane treasure. However, the oil lamp was so crude and bizarre that Ding Hao had not noticed this feature at first.

"What kind of mundane treasure is this?" Ding Hao, curious, took out a spirit stone and inserted it into the groove at the bottom of the oil lamp.

After the spirit stone was placed, a layer of dark red, blood-like liquid seeped out from the oil reservoir, emitting a strong, bloody smell and a sinister aura. At the same time, the wick lit up, and a flame the size of a soybean began to flicker.

Da Huang was also startled and came over to observe.

Suddenly, a voice of agony came from the flame, "Mao Changhai! I have already taught you the method of blood refining and root changing! Whether it succeeds or not is none of my concern!"

"Mao Changhai! Release me quickly!"

"Pain! The pain of soul refining far exceeds the pain of the flesh! Pain!"

The cries were heart-wrenching, and Ding Hao was startled. Upon closer inspection, he realized there was a human face in the small flame!

"Are you human or ghost?" Ding Hao, seeing this for the first time, felt a bit frightened.

The face in the flame only then noticed that the person lighting the lamp was not Mao Changhai. He hurriedly said, "Sir, my name is Song Que, and I am from Jun County, Yunzhou. That evil man, Mao Changhai, lusted after my sister's beauty and wanted to force her into marriage. My family refused, so Mao Changhai killed me and refined my soul to threaten my family!"

"Is that so." Ding Hao frowned and said, "Mao Changhai is indeed a vicious person."

The man quickly asked, "Mao Changhai is a notorious villain in Yunzhou! Sir, how did you come to possess this oil lamp..."

Ding Hao replied, "Mao Changhai has already been killed by me."

"Heaven's will! Truly a joy to the heart! Sir, you have truly rid the world of evil! I have finally waited for this day!" The man was overjoyed and then continued, "Sir, you seem like a kind person. Could you please go to the Song family in Jun County, Yunzhou, and return me to my family? Since I was killed by Mao Changhai, I have longed to return home. My father, wife, and children, I have no chance to see them in this life. If my soul can return to the heavens and enter the cycle of rebirth, I would be content just to see them once."

After saying this, the man burst into tears. Da Huang, the grass dog, was kind-hearted and could not help but shed tears at the man's plight.

Ding Hao sat in front of the lamp, his face calm, and did not speak.

The man in the flame quickly added, "Sir, I see you are young and handsome. If you return me to the Song family in Jun County, my family will surely offer you various treasures. The Song family is well-known in the area. I can speak on your behalf, and perhaps my sister will take a liking to you. My sister is one of the most beautiful and talented in Jun County, and she listens to me. This might work. What do you think, Sir?"

However, after listening, Ding Hao picked up the oil lamp and examined it, as if looking for something.

The man could not help but ask, "Sir, what are you looking for? Please say something."

Ding Hao replied, "I'm looking for a way to make the flame bigger."

"Why?" the man asked.

Ding Hao said, "To burn you, a liar with sinister intentions."

The man in the flame was shocked and asked, "Sir, Sir, what do you mean?"

Ding Hao coldly snorted, "You first gained my sympathy and then tried to lure me with treasures and beauty. Do you really think I am young and naive? If I return you, I will likely face a knife, not your sister! The world is full of treacherous people, and I have learned this well! You think you can deceive me? Dream on!"

As Ding Hao spoke, he found a small clay spoon among Mao Changhai's items. The spoon was like an ear pick and was likely a part of the oil lamp. After some thought, Ding Hao used the spoon to scoop the thick, bloody liquid from the oil reservoir and pour it onto the flame.

The thick blood, when burned, ignited like gasoline, causing a loud explosion. A pungent, bloody smell filled the air, and the face in the flame screamed in anger, "Beast! You are as evil as Mao Changhai! Villain, you deserve to die!"

Ding Hao was unmoved and scooped another spoonful of blood.

The man could no longer bear it and shouted, "Sir, listen to me! I will tell the truth!"

Ding Hao stopped and asked, "What is your name? Where do you live?"

"Song Que, I live in Jun County, Yunzhou..."

Before he could finish, Ding Hao was about to pour more blood, and the man quickly shouted, "Brother, I am telling the truth!"

Ding Hao asked, "What cultivation method does your family practice?"

The man hesitated, and Ding Hao, without hesitation, poured another spoonful. Amidst the man's screams, he finally said, "The Song family practices the Blood Dao cultivation method!"

"Indeed." Ding Hao nodded.

The Blood Dao was one of the demonic and evil paths, involving killing to refine blood and capturing souls to refine spirits. However, the Blood Dao was a very secretive and evil path, not easily detectable, even in the presence of divine will.

Ding Hao continued, "This oil lamp should also belong to your Song family. If I am not mistaken, after Mao Changhai killed you, he took this oil lamp, and you wanted to trick me into returning it to your family! Of course, your family, being practitioners of the Blood Dao, would surely kill me to prevent me from exposing you!"

Da Huang was furious after hearing this. He had initially believed the man but did not expect such a sinister plot. If it were not for Ding Hao, and the oil lamp were returned by a kind or greedy person, they would surely meet their end!

Song Que quickly said, "No, no, the Song family is still literate and cultured, and my sister is really good."

Ding Hao was about to pour more blood, and the man fell silent.

"From now on, I will ask a question, and you will answer one. If you answer well, I might let your soul enter the cycle of rebirth. As for returning the oil lamp, forget about it."

Ding Hao coldly snorted and asked, "What is the name of this oil lamp?"

"Blood Refining and Soul Refining Lamp."

"What are its functions?"

Song Que said, "Blood refining and soul refining. If you have an enemy, you can find their blood and flesh and place it in this lamp to refine! After refining, it becomes a foul substance. At this point, you can invite your enemy and light the lamp. The foul substance, sensing the enemy's aura, will act like a parasite, entering their body, hindering their spiritual energy, and reducing their cultivation. You can then launch a surprise attack and kill them!"

Ding Hao was shocked and thought, "This evil object is indeed sinister! Its power is astonishing and unexpected!"

Song Que continued, "This is just the effect of blood refining. The effect of soul refining, as you have seen, is me. The enemy's soul is captured in the lamp and used as the wick. Burning the soul for eighty-one days will completely destroy it, preventing it from entering the cycle of rebirth."

"Using a person's soul as the wick, burning the soul to light the lamp, and using blood to fuel it!" Ding Hao's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he nodded, "The cultivation of the Blood Dao is indeed extremely evil and cruel!"

Song Que, now exposed by Ding Hao, pleaded, "Sir, I have already endured forty-nine days of torture here. I have no other thoughts now. Please let me enter the cycle of rebirth. I will thank you in the underworld. If I reach eighty-one days, I will truly be in a miserable state."

Ding Hao coldly said, "What's the point of entering the cycle of rebirth? In the next life, you will not be you!"

Song Que bitterly said, "Sir, please spare me, spare me!"

Ding Hao said, "Be honest and serve me well. I will release you after eighty days. Now, tell me, what does 'blood refining and root changing' mean?"

When the oil lamp was first lit, Ding Hao clearly heard him mention 'blood refining and root changing.'

Song Que did not dare to hide and honestly said, "This is a secret technique of the Blood Dao Song family, which can forcibly change a person's immortal root before they enter the Qi Refinement stage! However, the success rate is very low. Mao Changhai captured me for this technique."

"Forcefully changing the immortal root?" Ding Hao was shocked, never expecting such a powerful method.

Song Que said, "Mao Changhai has a fourth-grade immortal root, which is very poor. Therefore, despite reaching the peak of the Innate stage, he could not enter the Qi Refinement stage. He wanted to obtain this secret technique and captured a first-grade genius, killing him and extracting his heart to refine the blood and attempt to change his immortal root, but it failed..."

After listening, Ding Hao coldly said, "It seems you lied before!"

"No," Song Que was startled.

Ding Hao said, "You said Mao Changhai killed you to obtain the 'Blood Refining and Root Changing' technique. But from my perspective, you helped Mao Changhai with the blood refining and root changing. After failing, Mao Changhai, in a fit of anger, killed you and refined your soul. Is that right?"

Song Que was speechless and then laughed nervously, "Sir, it has been too long, and I don't remember clearly."

"Is that so? Let me help you remember." Ding Hao coldly smiled and poured another spoonful of blood.

"Ah! No! Sir, I promise not to lie again!"

While Ding Hao was interrogating Song Que in the Star Absorbing Stone, in the dark forest, three black-clothed figures stood not far from the Star Absorbing Stone.

Kneeling on the ground, covered in blood, was Mao Changhai.

Ding Hao had spared him, but his subordinates had severely tortured him.

The elder among the black-clothed figures, Elder Miao, coldly asked, "Mao Changhai, was it Ding Hao who injured you and took your score?"

Mao Changhai, his mouth full of blood, said with hatred, "Senior, it was indeed Ding Hao! I hate him! I will kill him!"

Elder Miao sneered, "With you being a cripple?"

Mao Changhai fell silent.

Elder Miao asked again, "Where did Ding Hao escape to? What is his current cultivation level, and does he have any secret techniques or strange abilities?"

Mao Changhai said, "Ding Hao just left a short while ago. He left with a young man from Wuzhou named Shang Hai. They are close. His cultivation level appears to be seventh rank, but I feel it might be eighth rank or even higher. Strange abilities... yes, he has a cold ice treasure that can instantly freeze a person, making them unable to resist."

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