Incense God Cult, Chaotic Blood Incense

The sun was setting in the west, casting a warm golden hue on the bluestone slabs of Panshi Fist Academy's inner courtyard.

Wang Yuan slowly lowered his fists, fine beads of sweat beading on his forehead. A warm vapor rose from his body, making him feel like a small furnace.

He carefully sensed the wisp of Rock-Solid Qi and Blood within him.

After a full day of arduous training, especially the nourishing Monster Beast Meat he had for lunch.

This wisp of Qi and Blood had clearly grown much stronger, surging and circulating through his meridians, becoming more solid and agile, bringing a sense of solid, abundant power.

"At this rate, perhaps in less than a month, I can attempt my first Blood Change..."

A satisfied smile spread across Wang Yuan's lips.

The steady improvement of his strength was the greatest source of security for him in this perilous world.

Just then, the sound of cheerful chatter approached from a distance.

Wang Yuan looked up and saw the three senior disciples who had tested his aptitude earlier walking towards him.

There was the young man surnamed Liu, whose complexion was slightly pale and whose eyes darted around restlessly. There was the beautiful woman surnamed Jiang, with a cool and aloof demeanor.

And then there was the burly senior brother surnamed Liu, who had once disdained disciples from common backgrounds.

"Junior Brother Wang, still training? You're truly diligent!"

The young man surnamed Liu spoke first, a smile plastered on his face as if they were old friends.

The senior brother surnamed Liu also forced a somewhat stiff smile and said in a booming voice:

"Junior Brother Wang, since you're new here, we, your senior brothers and sisters, should host a welcome gathering for you."

"Tonight, we've booked a private room at the 'Drunken Immortal Tower.' It's the best restaurant in the outer city. Let's go liven things up and help you get familiar with the prosperity of Gaoye City!"

The Senior Sister Jiang beside him nodded slightly, though she remained silent, a hint of goodwill in her eyes.

Drunken Immortal Tower?

Wang Yuan had heard of it. It was a top-tier money pit in the outer city, where a single meal could cost as much as an ordinary family's expenses for several months.

These three were clearly trying to pull him into their small circle, which was centered around wealthy disciples from the inner city.

For any ordinary youth, receiving such an invitation.

Especially an invitation from these inner-city disciples whom they usually had to look up to.

They would likely be overwhelmed with joy and accept without hesitation.

But Wang Yuan's mind was clear.

He knew the value of time, and evenings were his golden hours for digesting his daytime gains and consolidating his cultivation.

Going to a restaurant to exchange pleasantries and engage in insincere conversation would not only waste his time and energy but also bring no benefit to his cultivation.

Moreover, he had no prior relationship with these people and did not want to incur unnecessary favors or get entangled in pointless circle disputes.

Immediately, Wang Yuan put on a perfectly apologetic expression, cupped his hands towards the three, and said in a calm yet firm tone:

"Thank you for your kind invitation, Senior Brother Liu, Senior Brother Liu, and Senior Sister Jiang."

"However, as I am new to practicing martial arts today, I feel I still have many shortcomings. I need to quietly ponder and consolidate my Qi and Blood tonight, and I truly dare not be distracted."

"I appreciate the welcome banquet, but I hope my senior brothers and sisters can forgive me."

His words were neither humble nor arrogant, and his reasons were perfectly justifiable, leaving no room for criticism.

However, to the three of them, it felt like an invisible slap in the face!

Who were they?

They were disciples from influential families in the inner city. Normally, others would fawn over them; when had they ever proactively invited a poor boy from the outer city?

Now, they had lowered themselves to extend a warm invitation, and he... refused!

And with a perfunctory reason like "I need to train."

The smile on the young man surnamed Liu's face froze instantly, a flicker of astonishment and anger flashing in his eyes.

The forced smile on Senior Brother Liu's face completely vanished, his expression visibly darkening to a sullen green.

His chest rose and fell slightly; he was clearly furious.

He felt greatly disrespected.

Even the usually aloof Senior Sister Jiang's delicate eyebrows furrowed almost imperceptibly, her gaze towards Wang Yuan now carrying a hint of scrutiny and displeasure.

The atmosphere in the immediate vicinity became tense and awkward.

The young man surnamed Liu took a deep breath, managing to maintain some semblance of composure, and let out a dry chuckle:

"Heh... hehe, Junior Brother Wang is indeed... diligent."

"Since that's the case, we won't disturb you further."

His tone had become considerably colder.

Senior Brother Liu let out a cold snort, not even bothering to look at Wang Yuan again, and turned to leave.

The three arrived excitedly, but now they felt like they'd been doused with a bucket of cold water. Their faces turned from green to purple, and they left the inner courtyard dejectedly.

Wang Yuan watched their retreating backs, his expression calm and unruffled.

He didn't care about offending these people; they were on different paths and couldn't work together.

His goal was clear – to become stronger, to quickly gain the power to protect his family and settle old scores.

As for these pointless social interactions and circles, they would only distract him.

Twilight deepened, and the sky grew darker faster than usual.

Wang Yuan was engrossed in his training in the inner courtyard until Zheng Shan's voice reminded him that it was late.

After hastily bidding farewell to his master, his second senior sister, and the Senior Disciple Brother Shi Long, who was preparing to leave, Wang Yuan quickly exited the fist academy and hurried in the direction of Bluestone Alley.

The nights in the outer city always arrived with unusual haste, the daytime clamor rapidly fading.

It was replaced by a silence and unease hidden beneath the shadows.

The alley was deep and narrow, with only a few scattered lights peeking from some windows, most of it shrouded in hazy darkness.

Relying on the superior physique and night vision brought by his Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone, Wang Yuan moved swiftly along the familiar path.

He was thinking of his family and also of how he would continue to digest his gains from the day once he got back, his steps quickening involuntarily.

However, just as he passed by a more secluded and narrow dead-end alley he rarely took.

An extremely peculiar and thick fragrance, so strong it felt unresolvable, entered his nostrils without any warning!

This fragrance was not of flowers, nor of food.

It was a... indescribable, sweet, decaying, yet mixed with a strange medicinal scent.

In the foul and stuffy alley air, it seemed exceptionally abrupt and eerie.

What shocked Wang Yuan even more was that the Rock-Solid Qi and Blood within him.

Felt an uncontrollable tremor the instant it smelled the fragrance, as if drawn by something.

"Hmm?"

Wang Yuan stopped. His extraordinary senses, granted by Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone, instantly pinpointed the source of the fragrance.

It came from the deepest part of the alley, behind a half-open, dilapidated wooden door.

Curiosity and a sense of inexplicable vigilance arose simultaneously.

He held his breath, suppressing his aura to the lowest possible level, and silently crept closer to the wooden door.

Wang Yuan peered cautiously inside through the narrow gap in the door.

But the scene within made his pupils contract sharply!

Inside was a desolate small courtyard, overgrown with weeds. And right in the center of the courtyard lay a person.

No, to be precise, it was a corpse!

The corpse's face was ashen, its eyes wide open, its breath long gone.

But strangely, in the chest area of the corpse, a dark red incense stick, about half a foot long, was inserted.

The peculiar fragrance, so strong it made one dizzy, emanated from this slowly burning incense stick.

What made Wang Yuan's spine chill even further was that surrounding the corpse were two people dressed in extremely peculiar attire.

They were both wearing loose black cloaks, completely concealing their bodies, and their faces seemed to be covered by masks, their features hidden.

The two stood at different positions around the corpse, heads bowed, motionless, like two silent statues.

A dead body, a strong fragrance, figures in black cloaks... this eerie and bizarre scene made Wang Yuan's scalp tingle, a chill shooting from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

Just as his mind was shaken, and his breath, due to shock, showed a minuscule disturbance.

One of the two black-robed figures, facing Wang Yuan's direction, suddenly raised its head.

Beneath the hood's shadow, two cold, sharp gazes seemed to pierce through the door crack, shooting directly at him.

"Who?"