Under the Moonlight, One Man, One Blade, Back to All Beings!

"It's done?"

"How many acupoints did he open to achieve such power?"

Lu Xuening and Huang Chengyue followed Chen Fan to Cao De's residence. They had been waiting outside, acting as Chen Fan's protectors.

Hearing movement from inside the mansion, they immediately broke down the door and saw Chen Fan emerging from the ruins of Cao De's study.

"Did he go mad from cultivation?"

Huang Chengyue exclaimed, staring at Chen Fan as if he had seen a ghost.

At this moment, Chen Fan's hair was dry and yellow, his body emaciated, skin and bones showing, looking like he was on his last breath.

"Chen Fan, how did you end up like this?"

Lu Xuening asked.

"Cultivating the Blood Fiend Art requires Essence Blood of Ten Thousand Spirits. I couldn't find any high-quality essence blood at the moment, so I used my own essence blood as a medium to condense Bloodfiend True Qi and open Blood Fiend Divine Apertures. I succeeded, thankfully." Chen Fan smiled, his appearance becoming even more sinister and terrifying.

"I have top-grade healing elixirs here that can replenish qi and blood. Eat some quickly."

Lu Xuening took out a small jade bottle from her sleeve and handed it to Chen Fan.

Chen Fan opened the bottle, and a medicinal fragrance wafted out. Just smelling it made him feel more invigorated. He directly poured all the pills into his mouth. A stream of medicinal power spread within his body.

He used his thirty-six acupoints to absorb the world's vital energy, refining it into Bloodfiend True Qi. This qi circulated through his meridians and finally gathered in his dantian. Then, the Bloodfiend True Qi left his dantian, carrying the medicinal power, and traveled to his limbs and extremities. Chen Fan's physical body immediately became full and robust, and his Blood Essence recovered significantly.

"These are truly good elixirs. It would be great if I had a few more bottles."

Chen Fan said.

"There are no more, not a single one left!"

Lu Xuening quickly shook her head.

These were life-saving elixirs given to her by her master, their value immeasurable. And Chen Fan had just devoured them all as if he were a cow chewing peonies.

Honestly, she felt a pang of regret.

But thinking of the sacrifice Chen Fan had made, she felt that if these elixirs could help him even a little, they were worth it.

"Let's go see the situation in the county."

Chen Fan smiled, saying no more. He had now entered the Divine Aperture Realm, opening thirty-six acupoints and connecting with the world's vital energy to condense Bloodfiend True Qi. He could now temper his body with the world's vital energy anytime, anywhere, and the Blood Essence he had lost would soon be replenished.

However, time was of the essence, and Lu Xuening's elixirs had played a crucial role.

"Everyone in the county town has gathered near the county yamen. But at the current rate the black willow branches are spreading, they could cover the entire Ping An County before dawn. By then, everyone will become nourishment for the black willows, and no one will survive!"

Lu Xuening said with a grave expression.

"How much time is left until dawn?"

Chen Fan asked again.

"It's past the third watch. Dawn will break in two hours at most."

"From here to Black Mountain, even for a Divine Aperture Realm martial artist running at full speed, it would take at least an hour."

Lu Xuening replied.

"There's still time. It's not too late for anything!"

Chen Fan looked at the vast crowd near the county yamen. Their faces were filled with fear, and the children, half-asleep, looked lost and confused.

He decided to set off immediately for Black Mountain to deal with the strange tree demon there as soon as possible!

"Lord Chen Fan, can he do it?"

Everyone watched Chen Fan's retreating figure, their hearts filled with doubt.

They looked at Chen Fan, a lone figure with a blade under the moonlight, his back to them, walking directly towards the eerie sea of trees.

Swish, swish, swish!

Sensing Chen Fan's approach, the sea of trees accelerated its spread, and countless black willow branches shot towards Chen Fan!

Bang, bang, bang!

Before these black willow branches could touch Chen Fan's clothes, they were destroyed by the Bloodfiend True Qi emanating from his body, turning into dust!

"Releasing true qi externally and using it so skillfully... one might think he's been in the Divine Aperture Realm for years!"

"As expected of a peerless genius!"

Lu Xuening praised Chen Fan's methods.

If she knew that Chen Fan had spent eight hundred years to reach this point, a duration long enough to outlive two or three generations of Divine Aperture Realm martial artists, what would she think!

She probably wouldn't even dare to imagine!

"Heaven and Earth, One-Blade Slash!"

Chen Fan held the Meteorite Iron Blade, his Bloodfiend True Qi surging forth and attaching itself to the blade. With a single slash, terrifying Bloodfiend True Qi transformed into a heaven-shattering blade energy, directly cleaving through the sea of trees formed by the interwoven black willow branches!

He poured all his strength into a mad dash towards the city gates. Terrifying Bloodfiend True Qi surged out in all directions, and wherever it passed, countless black willow branches turned to dust!

"He's out!"

Lu Xuening watched as Chen Fan cleaved a gap in the sea of black willow branches with a single saber strike. Before the gap could close, he had already reached the top of the southern city gate of Ping An County. With a leap, he jumped out of the city.

Behind him, countless black willow branches shot towards him like arrows, but his protective true qi shattered them all into dust!

At this moment.

On the open ground outside the southern city gate, countless black willow branches intertwined, forming treants woven from black branches and leaves.

"Tree demon, wait for me to kill you in Black Mountain!"

Chen Fan said in a deep voice.

With that, he used the Meteorite Iron Blade to carve a path, engaging the countless treants in battle.

The area covered by the black willow branches was simply too vast. This was precisely why their power was greatly diminished. Under Chen Fan's assault, these treants shattered instantly!

Chen Fan carved a bloody path through thousands of treants, leaving the area covered by the black willow branches behind him.

Inside the county town.

Lu Xuening saw that the speed at which the black willow branches were spreading had significantly increased.

"Chen Fan must have successfully escaped Ping An County. The tree demon's actions are accelerating, indicating it's starting to panic."

We can only hope Chen Fan can reach Black Mountain and kill the true form of this black willow before the branches cover the entire Ping An County!

Lu Xuening said with a grave expression.

Chen Fan was truly racing against time. The lives of tens of thousands of Ping An County's citizens rested on his shoulders. If he failed, none of the county's inhabitants would survive.

He might also die at the hands of the black willow.

However, if he succeeded, he would have performed a feat of immense merit. With such an accomplishment, it would be unreasonable not to grant him a Brocade Guard Centurion position, and he might even be considered for a Brocade Guard Vice Chiliarch.

"Godfather, please guard me!"

"We can't place all our hopes on Chen Fan. I also need to strive to comprehend the path of Swordheart Clarity. If I can comprehend it, I can break through to the Divine Aperture Realm and open up all thirty-six acupoints in my body."

"By then, even if the black willow branches cover the entire county before Chen Fan reaches Black Mountain, I can lead everyone to resist for a while and buy Chen Fan some time!"

Lu Xuening glanced at Huang Chengyue beside her and spoke.

The immense pressure had not crushed her; instead, it had tempered her will and honed her character. She felt as if she was just a step away from breaking through to the Swordheart Clarity realm!

She hoped everything would happen in time!