Blood Sha Skill (Uninitiated)

"Huh?"

"What is this?"

Chen Fan saw that Cao De's chest was torn open by his attack, revealing a corner of beast hide beneath his tattered clothes. He took the beast hide from Cao De's body.

It was a beast hide scroll, yellowed with age and exuding an aura of time. Unfolding it, Chen Fan found it covered in densely packed small characters.

However, the scroll was incomplete, with a small section destroyed.

At this moment, Chen Fan's status panel popped up:

[Discovered Spirit Aperture Realm technique Blood Sha Skill, successfully recorded!]
[Blood Sha Skill (Uninitiated)]

"This is the Blood Sha Skill Cao De was cultivating?"

"Why would he carry something so important on him?"

Chen Fan muttered to himself, puzzled.

"He carried it because this Blood Sha Skill is crucial, allowing him to study and comprehend it at any time."

"Moreover, for powerful martial artists, there's no safer place for precious items than on their person!"

"This Blood Sha Skill from the Blood Sha Sect does have its merits. Cultivating it to the extreme can open thirty-six acupoints throughout the body. However, the side effects of this technique are far too severe."

"The Jinyiwei Commander's Office in Longyuan Prefecture has Spirit Aperture Realm techniques in its armory that are no weaker than this Blood Sha Skill, and those techniques have virtually no side effects."

"With your talent, cultivating those orthodox techniques would be the wisest choice. Don't let this readily available Spirit Aperture Realm technique blind you," Lu Xuenning advised.

Chen Fan was a promising talent, but his background was too humble, and his vision too shallow. If he couldn't resist the temptation and rashly cultivated this Blood Sha Skill, it would be disastrous.

This was because the Jinyiwei would absolutely not permit the emergence of a Blood Devil!

While the Blood Sha Sect had a bad reputation in the past, the imperial court could tolerate them. After all, although their disciples were like rabid dogs, they were truly ruthless when it came to killing demons and devils.

The imperial court allowed them to exist because they could slay demons and devils.

But later, the Blood Sha Sect produced a disciple of unparalleled talent. In just ten years, he cultivated the Blood Sha Skill to the peak of perfection, opening thirty-six acupoints throughout his body.

Later, he further developed the Blood Sha Skill to a higher level, evolving it into Blood Sha Magic.

He relied on Blood Sha Magic to dominate the land, but his mind was gradually eroded by the blood sha, turning him into a demon-possessed individual who called himself the Blood Devil.

The Blood Devil, relying on his extraordinary strength, slaughtered innocent people indiscriminately. Soon, the name of the Blood Devil resounded throughout Longyuan Prefecture. Later, he single-handedly massacred an entire city, sacrificing hundreds of thousands of lives to aid his demonic cultivation.

Such actions were even more demonic than demons and devils themselves!

His various deeds finally enraged the imperial court. The Grand Commander of the Jinyiwei stationed in Yun Prefecture personally intervened and killed him, ordering the Jinyiwei to exterminate the Blood Sha Sect.

Afterward, the Jinyiwei classified the Blood Sha Skill as a demonic technique and completely destroyed its means of dissemination.

However, despite claims of completely destroying its dissemination, fragments of the Blood Sha Skill still circulated among some factions.

It was just that no one would admit to possessing fragments of the Blood Sha Skill.

Although the Blood Sha Skill in Cao De's possession was partially destroyed, the core cultivation method was complete and recorded the accompanying martial skill, Blood Sha Palm.

It was unknown where Cao De had obtained it.

"Don't worry, I'm not that foolish!"

Chen Fan said with a calm smile upon hearing this.

"The demons and devils in Ping'an County have been thoroughly purged."

"Your tactic of luring the snake out of its hole also exposed Cao De, leading to his demise."

"Now, our rear is finally secure."

Lu Xuenning breathed a sigh of relief. It was thanks to Chen Fan that she didn't know how she would have dealt with the mess in Ping'an County otherwise.

"Don't let your guard down. At least one-third of the demons and devils from Black Mountain died in Ping'an County. This will surely attract the attention of the demons on Black Mountain soon."

"If the three great demons on Black Mountain attack Ping'an County together, it will be dangerous."

Chen Fan had never encountered the renowned three great demons of Black Mountain. If they were merely at the peak of the Spirit Concealment Realm, even with their extraordinary origins far surpassing demons of the same level, Chen Fan would not fear them. After all, he had forced a Spirit Aperture Realm martial artist like Cao De to commit suicide, let alone three mere demons.

However, if any of them had reached the Spirit Aperture Realm, Chen Fan couldn't guarantee the outcome. The gap between the Spirit Aperture Realm and the Spirit Concealment Realm was quite significant.

The main reason Cao De was no match for him was his incredibly strong physique, which rendered Cao De's proud Blood Sha Palm completely ineffective.

If Cao De had broken through to the Spirit Aperture Realm normally and used standard true qi, it wouldn't have been so easy for Chen Fan to kill him.

The breakthrough for the demon race was more difficult than for humans, but each breakthrough represented a qualitative transformation. Coupled with the demons' naturally superior physique, this difference was vividly displayed between the Spirit Concealment Realm and the Spirit Aperture Realm.

Therefore, if any of the three great demons of Black Mountain broke through to the Spirit Aperture Realm, their strength might far surpass that of Cao De.

"I have already requested aid from Longyuan Prefecture. Tomorrow morning, I will write another letter and send it via carrier pigeon to Longyuan Prefecture. It takes at most three days for a carrier pigeon to fly from Ping'an County to Longyuan Prefecture."

"The reinforcements sent by Longyuan Prefecture should arrive even faster. As long as we can hold on for three to five days, the reinforcements should be here."

Lu Xuenning stated with great certainty.

"As far as I know, Cao De had requested aid from the Jinyiwei Commander's Office in Longyuan Prefecture several times, and they never sent anyone. Why are you so sure your plea for help will bring reinforcements?"

Chen Fan looked at Lu Xuenning with some confusion and said.

His newly appointed Zongqi Officer held an eighth-rank position, while Cao De, a Centurion, was seventh-rank. Lu Xuenning, a mere ninth-rank Black-Robed Head Catcher, was of the same rank as a Jinyiwei Xiaoqi Officer.

Yet, Lu Xuenning dared to collect evidence of Cao De colluding with Demons and Devils, and could directly liaise with the Jinyiwei Commander's Office through the Longyuan Prefecture Government Office.

Cao De, the Baihu Master, had personally visited Longyuan Prefecture multiple times seeking aid without success. However, Lu Xuenning, a ninth-rank Black-Robed Head Catcher, believed she could secure reinforcements with just a carrier pigeon.

Why?

Chen Fan scrutinized Lu Xuenning again. He felt this ninth-rank Black-Robed Head Catcher, who had been parachuted in from Longyuan Prefecture, was truly not simple, not simple at all!

"I..."

"I once apprenticed in Longyuan Prefecture. My master is an expert in the Spirit Aperture Realm, and my senior brothers and sisters all hold important positions in various departments of Longyuan Prefecture."

"Therefore, although my official rank is not high, everyone is willing to give me face. Even if others don't, how could my senior brothers and sisters and master bear to watch me die in this small Ping'an County city."

"That's why I'm certain Longyuan Prefecture will send people, and the person sent will definitely be a Spirit Aperture Realm martial artist."

Hearing this, Lu Xuenning was momentarily speechless, then her eyes darted around, and she quickly came up with a very reasonable explanation.

"So that's how it is."

"I didn't expect your sect's background to be so powerful."

Chen Fan nodded. Lu Xuenning's explanation was indeed plausible.

But it was also not entirely plausible.

Since Lu Xuenning's sect had such a powerful background, with her senior brothers and sisters holding important positions in various departments of the Prefecture City, why did she descend from Longyuan Prefecture to become a mere ninth-rank Black-Robed Head Catcher in Ping'an County?

Was it truly just because she was from Ping'an County?

Or was she actually here with other motives?