Making His Move to Inspect

Not long after, Lin Fan gently closed the booklet.

His eyes flickered as he murmured, "This Wu Hai is no simple man."

The booklet not only recorded Wu Hai's daily experiences after arriving at the Blood Demon Sect, but also marked various important locations centered around the Hidden Scripture Pavilion, covering Blackwood Cliff and even the entire Blood Demon Sect.

Based on this information, Lin Fan could completely confirm that Wu Hai was a spy sent by another sect.

"No wonder he cultivated the Blood Swallowing Demonic Art. It must have been a cultivation method bestowed by his original sect."

"This cultivation method can't be kept any longer. Otherwise, it could very likely bring unnecessary trouble."

After pondering briefly, Lin Fan took out the Blood Swallowing Demonic Art manual and set it alight with the candle flame, reducing it to ashes.

He had just killed Wu Hai today. There was no guarantee that someone wouldn't discover the corpse, so it was always better to be cautious.

This was the Blood Demon Sect, after all. The slightest mistake could cost him his life.

Staying alive was more important than anything.

"According to what Wu Hai mentioned in his diary, the evil creatures appearing on Blackwood Cliff at night are very likely a type of bloodthirsty demonic insect known as Blood Worms."

"Only after reaching the Spirit Gathering Realm Fifth Grade will one have the basic qualifications to contend with such a thing."

Lin Fan thought to himself.

Only now did he finally figure out what exactly had been rampaging outside at night.

The more unknown something was, the more frightening it became.

Once the truth was known, fear could no longer continue to spread.

Lin Fan felt a strong urge to open the door and verify it, but he knew very well that even if everything written in Wu Hai's diary was true, with his current cultivation, he still could not contend with the Bloodthirsty Demonic Insects.

Moreover, what if there were other demonic creatures besides the Blood Worms? Wouldn't Lin Fan be completely screwed then?

"No matter what, this Spirit Gathering Realm Fifth Grade..."

Lin Fan narrowed his eyes slightly, and his thoughts stirred.

Would you like to consume sixty years of lifespan to pre-emptively advance the Basic Demonic Art to mastery?

As expected, a line of glowing text appeared before Lin Fan.

Lin Fan lowered his voice. "I agree to the pre-emptive advancement."

The next second, updated insights into the Basic Demonic Art surged into his mind once again.

Unlike last time, these insights were more extensive and far more complex.

At that moment, the figure of a youth appeared in Lin Fan's mind once more. He no longer practiced punches, but stretched his legs before beginning to practice leg techniques in an extremely unique stance.

Raising his leg, kicking, front thrusts, side thrusts...

The youth's leg techniques went from fast to slow. The seemingly ordinary movements erupted with astonishing power.

"From fists to legs, from top to bottom!"

Lin Fan suddenly understood.

Without hesitation, he immediately began practicing the leg techniques according to the images in his mind.

Lin Fan's movements were somewhat clumsy, but fortunately, he had his previous foundation in fist techniques, so he picked them up very quickly.

His kicks grew faster and faster, until they finally stirred up waves of forceful wind.

At that moment, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy around him was once again drawn by some force, surging from every corner toward the room where Lin Fan was.

The Internal Force gathered within Lin Fan's dantian grew denser and denser. From the size of four or five hemp ropes, it surged again until it was as thick as six or seven hemp ropes.

After exhaling a breath of turbid air, Lin Fan felt warmth in both legs, and his entire body brimmed with strength.

He summoned the panel and immediately checked his latest changes.

Name: Lin Fan

Lifespan: 353

Talent: Pre-emptive Dao Fruit

Realm: Spirit Gathering Realm Fifth Grade

Cultivation Methods: Basic Demonic Art (Perfected), Blood Gathering Art (Beginner)

"I've finally reached the Spirit Gathering Realm Fifth Grade."

"With this level of cultivation, becoming a Formal Disciple is guaranteed."

Lin Fan nodded inwardly.

All his previous efforts had been aimed at reaching this realm.

Yet when he truly achieved it, he found himself less delighted than he had imagined.

The main reason was that Lin Fan knew he still could not reveal too much of his cultivation too quickly. Otherwise, what awaited him would not be promotion to a Formal Disciple, but perhaps the cruel Soul Searching Technique or even being cut apart for research.

At this thought, Lin Fan immediately used the Blood Gathering Art, suppressing his aura and concealing it at the Second Grade of the Spirit Gathering Realm.

"They're here again!"

"The change in the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy is even more astonishing than last time."

Lin Fan had broken through in comfort, but in the room not far away, the delicate girl called "Qiao'er" had once again been jolted awake in the middle of the night.

Her constitution was extremely special, allowing her to keenly sense the minute flows and changes of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy within a hundred meters.

"Could the Blood Demon Sect have discovered us? Are they deliberately making a commotion to lure us out?"

The delicate girl's brows knitted tightly.

Feeling a trace of unease, she shook Feng Ling awake.

"Senior Sister..."

Feng Ling had been sleeping soundly. Suddenly shaken awake, she did not recover her senses for a while.

"Junior Sister, the demonic sect may have discovered us."

The delicate girl's pretty face was solemn.

Feng Ling froze, instantly becoming fully awake. She hurriedly asked, "Senior Sister, what should we do?"

The next day, Lin Fan had just arrived at the Hidden Scripture Pavilion with Zhou Wanqing when he discovered that the atmosphere had become somewhat strange.

All the menial disciples had been stopped by a Formal Disciple wearing a strange mask.

He wore a dark robe, with a Crying-Laughing Face Pattern embroidered on his chest.

He was precisely the Formal Disciple who had conducted the monthly test for the menial disciples of the Hidden Scripture Pavilion last time.

More than a hundred menial disciples had been stopped outside the Hidden Scripture Pavilion, yet not one of them dared to ask questions. Everyone looked at one another, uncertain of what had happened.

Zhou Wanqing felt somewhat uneasy and instinctively shrank behind Lin Fan.

"Could the matter of me killing someone have alarmed the Formal Disciples?"

Lin Fan was shocked and suspicious as he thought to himself.

"No. If they were after me, they should have arrested me directly instead of stopping everyone outside the Hidden Scripture Pavilion."

Lin Fan quickly calmed down.

He raised his eyes and swept them over the crowd. He noticed that Wang Biao and the other veteran menial disciples had flickering gazes. Even Feng Ling and the delicate girl who shared her room were exchanging glances, as though every single person concealed a deeply buried secret.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, the Formal Disciple did not waste words. Instead, he said coldly, "By order of those above, the next monthly test will be conducted ahead of schedule."

The moment he finished speaking, an uproar arose from the crowd.

Even Lin Fan was astonished. Under normal circumstances, the next monthly test would not take place for another half a month.

"Does anyone have an objection?"

The black-robed disciple's tone sank, and the temperature around them instantly turned cold.

In the blink of an eye, the place fell utterly silent.

"You. Begin."

The black-robed disciple casually pointed at the nearest menial disciple.

The youth had a sallow, emaciated face, but he had already stayed at the Hidden Scripture Pavilion for several months and could be considered a veteran menial disciple.

"Me?"

He was terrified, but still stepped forward.

"Senior Brother, where is the Spirit Testing Stone?"

He asked cautiously, but did not see any sign that the black-robed disciple was taking out a Spirit Testing Stone.

"For this monthly test, I will personally conduct the inspection."

The black-robed disciple gave a sinister smile.

"Ah?"

The youth was startled, but quickly returned to normal.

Without giving him a chance to refuse, the black-robed disciple grabbed his arm and carefully examined the condition inside his body.

"Hmph. So you're a spy from the Thousand Hands Sect as well!"

The next second, the black-robed disciple suddenly shouted, and the youth's arm exploded with a boom. One thin black tentacle after another surged from the wound before quickly withering.

The youth fell to his knees. Under the black-robed disciple's one-handed suppression, his clothes burst apart, and countless bloody cracks split across the surface of his skin.

The sight left all the menial disciples utterly shocked.

"So he's using the excuse of an early monthly test to search for spies who infiltrated the demonic sect."

Lin Fan suddenly understood.

He became even calmer. Since he could conceal his aura, even if a Formal Disciple personally took action, it would likely be difficult for them to detect his true circumstances.

As long as he did not reveal his true cultivation, the Formal Disciples of the demonic sect should not make things difficult for him.

A shrill scream interrupted Lin Fan's thoughts. The youth suddenly rolled his eyes back and foamed at the mouth on the ground.

"No accomplices?"

The black-robed disciple withdrew the finger pressed against the youth's brow, his brows knitting slightly.

He had just used the Soul Searching Secret Technique, yet had found no trace of any other spies. Could this one be a lone wolf?

"So that's the Soul Searching Technique?"

Lin Fan's heart tightened.

As expected of the demonic path's style. If there was the slightest disagreement, they would search one's soul. Moreover, the person whose soul was searched seemed to become an idiot on the spot.

"Next!"

The black-robed disciple raised his head and said coldly.

Even through the mask on his face, one could still sense how icy his expression was. The way he looked at the menial disciples was even more like he was looking at a flock of bleating lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

The second menial disciple stepped forward, followed by the third and fourth...

Today, this Formal Disciple was not here to inspect the menial disciples' cultivation, but to find the spies from other sects lurking inside the Hidden Scripture Pavilion.

"After absorbing so much, you've only barely reached the Spirit Gathering Realm Third Grade. Mediocre."

After inspecting Wang Biao, the black-robed Formal Disciple spoke indifferently.

Wang Biao gave an awkward smile and hurriedly retreated into the crowd.

Besides Wang Biao, several other veteran menial disciples had also reached the Spirit Gathering Realm Third Grade ahead of schedule.

But Lin Fan knew clearly that the reason they had improved so quickly recently was that these veteran menial disciples had been frantically draining their Dual Cultivation partners.

The Dual Cultivation woman Wang Biao had only recently found, for instance, had been drained by him until her face was pale and her body emaciated in less than half a month.

At that moment, Lin Fan noticed Feng Ling stepping forward for her inspection.

Ever since Feng Ling had chosen the delicate girl as her roommate, both of them had looked healthy and well-colored. There was no question of one draining the other, which was clearly abnormal.

The black-robed Formal Disciple had evidently noticed this situation as well.