Blood Spirit Pill

"What about you?"

Li Hongye shouted herself hoarse, her eyes full of panic.

Gu Chang'an glanced back at her, but his tone was utterly calm and resolute:

"I'll lead them farther in and make them fight each other."

Before his voice had even faded, he spun around. With one stomp, his whole body shot forward like a swimming dragon in the mountains, heading straight for the depths of Black Wind Ridge!

Li Hongye stood frozen in place. Watching his back charge fearlessly into the depths of the black forest, her heart tightened. She had just opened her mouth to stop him, but it was already too late.

The next moment—

Gu Chang'an gritted his teeth and opened the system. He chose to expend his lifespan, raising Flowing Wind Steps to perfection and Mountain Shattering Saber Technique to mastery.

In an instant, his lifespan quietly drained away.

His aura broke through in an instant, rising considerably.

[Name: Gu Chang'an]

[Lifespan: 22 years, 3 months]

[Identity: Constable (Minor Official)]

[Realm: Ninth Grade]

[Physique: 400 (+4/day)]

[Techniques: Mountain Shattering Saber Technique (Yellow Grade Middle Rank, Mastery/+), Green Lotus Poison Scripture (Yellow Grade, Initiation/+), Iron Cutting Saber Technique (Yellow Grade Low Rank, Mastery), Complete Iron Cloth Shirt (Yellow Grade High Rank, Mastery/+), Flowing Wind Steps (Yellow Grade Low Rank, Perfection), Mountain Shattering Fist (Yellow Grade Low Rank, Initiation/+), Archery (Mortal Grade, Initiation/+)]

His physique had risen to 400.

Although that was still inferior to Liang Hu, the gap was no longer large.

However, Liang Hu in his Mad Demon state attacked far too fiercely and felt no pain.

Moreover, the more severely he was injured, the further his strength and speed would increase. Gu Chang'an had no intention of entangling with him head-on.

He then circulated Flowing Wind Steps with all his might. His movements were as elusive as a ghost, flitting like the wind and swift as thunder. They even stirred up layer upon layer of afterimages in the forest!

"Hey! You two beasts, look over here—!"

He shouted, his voice booming like thunder.

Liang Hu and Duan Lie, both driven mad, abruptly turned their heads. Their blood-red eyes locked onto him, and in the next instant, they charged over like frenzied tigers!

"Come on! Come chase me!"

Gu Chang'an turned and ran, his speed astonishingly fast, like a raging gale sweeping into the depths of the black forest.

Behind him, two furious Mad Demon beasts charged after him with thunderous roars. Their great axes and wolf-toothed clubs split trees and crushed rocks, like two blood waves born of collapsing mountains and splitting earth, following close behind!

Outside the forest, Li Hongye clenched her teeth and forcibly suppressed the unease in her heart before turning and darting to Jiang Yuan's side.

Jiang Yuan was bleeding from the mouth. His face was deathly pale, and faint groans of pain escaped as his chest heaved.

"Jiang Yuan, endure it."

Li Hongye immediately channeled her strength to stabilize his injuries, while looking toward Pei Xuan, who was still standing blankly nearby.

"You've seen the danger of Blood Pills now, haven't you?" she demanded coldly, her gaze icy. "Are you still going to throw your life away for that evil Daoist?"

Pei Xuan's face was as gloomy as water.

He looked toward the forest shrouded in Blood Mist, listened to Liang Hu and Duan Lie's frenzied roars, and watched Gu Chang'an lure away the two Mad Demons alone...

After a long while, he exhaled a long breath of stale air and shouted at the remaining disciples of the Firewood Gang:

"Everyone, follow me! We're going down the mountain!"

His voice was no longer a command, but a call to awaken them. He turned away, refusing to look at the deep forest again, and pain and resolve flashed through his eyes.

At that moment, Liu Wei, Zhou Yue, and the other surviving constables also reached Li Hongye's side. Their faces were pale, their bodies spattered with blood, and their expressions uncertain.

"Chief Li, this..." Liu Wei asked hesitantly.

Li Hongye's eyes were like blades as she stared toward the direction in which the figures had vanished into the forest. Her voice was low but firm:

"Our mission is complete. Take Chief Jiang down the mountain."

Their mission had been to hold Liang Hu and the others back, allowing Wang Hao and the others to reach the depths of Black Wind Ridge and strike straight at the heart of the enemy.

Now Pei Xuan had fled, while Liang Hu and Duan Lie had become Mad Demons.

Their mission was complete.

She then slowly handed Jiang Yuan over to Liu Wei.

Liu Wei was still baffled when he took Jiang Yuan.

"Chief Li, you... what about you?"

Li Hongye did not answer.

She only took a deep look toward the murderous forest, and a determined light ignited in her eyes.

The next moment, her figure flashed, and she dashed into the dense forest like she was chasing wind and pursuing shadows, disappearing into the vast, heavy fog.

At the same time, deep within Black Wind Ridge.

Wang Hao and Old Zhou Zhou Bo led the elite forces of the Martial Guard Division in a forceful assault. After breaking through layer upon layer of obstacles, they suddenly stormed up to the entrance of the Firewood Gang's secret cavern!

Outside, Shen Qingyan, Lin Tai, and the others were battling the Firewood Gang's higher-ups.

Meanwhile, Wang Hao and Zhou Bo had entered the Firewood Gang's secret cavern.

Inside the cavern, a dim red glow lingered, while the air was thick with alchemical fumes and the bloody-sweet stench of burning flesh mingled with medicinal herbs.

At the center of the high platform, a three-legged bronze cauldron roiled violently, scarlet flames surging into the sky.

Within the furnace, a Blood Spirit Pill could faintly be seen. Its entire body was crimson, pulsing like a human heart as it writhed ceaselessly within the flames.

Daoist Chai wore a gloomy black robe. His robes moved without wind, his sleeves billowed, and his aura surged turbulently.

Around him, the young Daoist attendants were panicking. Nearly all the guards had been slain, with only a few gravely wounded men stubbornly holding on. The secret cavern was splattered with blood, clearly having just endured a fierce battle as well.

Wang Hao stepped into the alchemy hall and shouted furiously, his voice ringing like clashing metal:

"Daoist Chai, you refined blood using living people, defied Heaven, and betrayed the Dao! The evidence of your crimes is conclusive. Don't even think of arguing!"

"Today, not a single member of your Firewood Gang will leave Black Wind Ridge alive!"

His voice boomed like thunder, waves of force rolling through the air and echoing throughout the cavern.

Daoist Chai's face darkened, his eyes filled with towering hatred. He stared at the Blood Spirit Pill in the bronze furnace, and a low growl rumbled from deep in his throat:

"Useless. You're all utterly useless... You couldn't even buy me a little time."

He looked toward the furnace. Bathed in its fiery glow, his face was crazed and sinister.

—Only one incense stick more!

Only one incense stick more, and the Blood Spirit Pill would be fully refined!

When that happened, he could use the pill to break through his shackles and surge straight into the Seventh Grade!

By then, Wang Hao and those lackeys would be no threat at all!

What a pity. In the end, there was no time.

Still, this half-finished Blood Spirit Pill would be enough.

Killing intent boiled in his eyes as he suddenly roared:

"Damn it! You forced me into this!!!"

"Even a half-finished Blood Spirit Pill will be enough to butcher you and offer your corpses to Heaven!"

With that, he disregarded the blistering flames in the furnace. His eyes turned blood-red as he thrust his hand into the fire and forcibly pulled out the Blood Spirit Pill, which had yet to fully solidify!

"Ahahahahaha!!!"

He threw back his head and laughed wildly. The flames scorched his entire arm black, yet he seemed not to notice, his laughter as unhinged as a vengeful ghost's.

The moment the Blood Spirit Pill left the furnace, it gave off a faint "thump, thump" sound, as though it were a living creature.

An extremely violent and chaotic Spirit Energy abruptly radiated from his palm. It was power run amok.

The incomplete Blood Spirit Pill contained a brutal, unbalanced medicinal nature. Once absorbed, it would not only be difficult to control, but would instead contaminate the mind!

However, this Blood Spirit Pill differed from those Blood Pills. It would not drive a person completely mad.

Of course, even without becoming a Mad Demon, one would still be standing at the edge of madness...

Wang Hao's gaze turned cold, and he shouted angrily:

"Daoist Chai! You're digging your own grave!"

Old Zhou said coldly, "Commander, stop wasting words on him."

He took one step forward, his entire body transforming into a raging gale as he lunged straight at Daoist Chai.

"Too late!!"

Daoist Chai roared. Spreading all five fingers, he forcibly swallowed the Blood Spirit Pill, which had yet to take shape, into his stomach!

"None of you will leave Black Wind Ridge alive!!!"

Boom!!!

His entire aura surged explosively. His black robe billowed, and blood energy soared into the heavens.

The pill's power violently collided with his own cultivation, causing his skin to split and his veins to bulge. His entire body cracked open like rock, while crimson spiritual light leaked from the fissures!

Wang Hao's face turned livid. He snorted coldly, gripping his heavy saber as wind and thunder exploded:

"Since you're determined to remain deluded, I'll be the one to send you to hell!"