Under the Moonlight, One Man, One Blade, Back to the World!

"You've mastered it?"

"How many acupoints has he opened to possess such power?"

Lu Xuenning and Huang Chengyue followed Chen Fan to Cao De's residence. They had stayed outside the entire time, acting as guardians for Chen Fan.

Hearing movement from within the manor, they immediately broke down the door. They walked in just in time to see Chen Fan emerging from the ruins of Cao De's study.

"Did he go mad from cultivation?"

Huang Chengyue stared at Chen Fan as if he had seen a ghost and exclaimed.

At this moment, Chen Fan's hair was dry and yellow, his body gaunt and skeletal, looking like he was on his last legs.

"Chen Fan, how did you end up like this?" Lu Xuenning asked.

"Cultivating the Blood Sha Skill requires the essence blood of ten thousand spirits. I couldn't find any high-quality essence blood on hand, so I used my own as a medium to refine Blood Sha Qi and open the Blood Sha Divine Acupoints. I have succeeded, thankfully."

Chen Fan smiled, his expression becoming even more sinister and terrifying.

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

Lu Xuenning 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 much more invigorated. He directly poured all the pills into his mouth. The medicinal power spread throughout his body.

He used the thirty-six acupoints all over his body to absorb the world's spiritual energy, refining it into Blood Sha Qi. This Blood Sha Qi circulated through his meridians and finally gathered in his dantian. Then, the Blood Sha Qi, carrying the medicinal power, flowed to his limbs and bones. Chen Fan's physical body immediately became full of vitality, and his qi and blood recovered significantly.

"These are truly good medicines. It would be great if I had a few more bottles." Chen Fan said.

"There are none left, not a single one!" Lu Xuenning quickly shook her head.

These were life-saving pills her master had given her, priceless. And Chen Fan had just devoured them all as if he were a glutton.

To be honest, she felt a pang of regret.

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

"Let's go and check the situation in the county."

Chen Fan smiled, not saying much. He had now entered the Spirit Aperture Realm, opening thirty-six acupoints, connecting with the world's spiritual energy, and refining Blood Sha Qi. He could use the world's spiritual energy to temper his body anytime, anywhere, and his lost qi and blood would soon recover.

However, time was of the essence. Lu Xuenning's pills had played a crucial role.

"Everyone in the county 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 Willow Tree, and no one will survive!" Lu Xuenning said with a grave expression.

"How much time is left until dawn?" Chen Fan asked again.

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

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

"There's still time, it's not too late!" Chen Fan looked at the vast crowd near the County Yamen. They all wore terrified expressions, and the children were sleepy and clueless.

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 back, a question mark forming in their hearts.

They looked at Chen Fan, who, under the moonlight, stood alone with his saber, his back to the world, walking directly towards the eerie sea of trees.

Swish swish swish!

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

Bang bang bang!

These black willow branches were destroyed by the Blood Sha Qi emanating from Chen Fan before they could even touch his clothes, turning into dust!

"Releasing true qi externally, and with such proficiency. If I didn't know better, I'd think he'd been in the Spirit Aperture Realm for years!"

"As expected of a peerless genius!"

Lu Xuenning 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 Spirit Aperture Realm martial artists, how would she react!

She probably wouldn't even dare to imagine it!

"Heaven and Earth, One Saber Slash!"

Chen Fan held his Meteorite Iron Blade, his Blood Sha Qi surging within him and attaching itself to the blade. With a single slash, terrifying Blood Sha Qi transformed into a world-shattering saber 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, a terrifying Blood Sha Qi surging in all directions. Where it touched, countless black willow branches turned to dust!

"He's out!"

Lu Xuenning watched as Chen Fan cleaved a gap in the forest of interwoven black willow branches with a single saber strike. Before the gap could close, he had already reached the parapet of Ping'an County's south gate. With a leap, he jumped towards the outside of the city.

Behind him, innumerable black willow branches shot towards him like arrows, but they all disintegrated into dust with a tremor of his protective true qi!

At this moment.

On the open ground outside the county's south gate, countless black willow branches intertwined, forming treants woven from black leaves and branches.

"Tree Demon, wait for me in Black Mountain. I'll kill you there!"

Chen Fan said in a deep voice.

With that, his Meteorite Iron Blade blazed a path, and he directly engaged the myriad treants in battle.

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

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

Inside the county city.

Lu Xuenning saw that the coverage speed of the black willow branches had actually accelerated considerably.

"Chen Fan must have successfully escaped Ping'an County. The Tree Demon is speeding up its actions, which means it's starting to panic."

"We can only hope Chen Fan reaches Black Mountain and slays the main body of the Black Willow Tree before the black willow branches cover the entirety of Ping'an County!"

Lu Xuenning 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 solely on his shoulders. If he failed, the entire population of Ping'an County would perish without exception.

He might also die at the hands of the Black Willow Tree.

However, if he succeeded, he would have performed a feat of immense merit. With such an accomplishment, it would be inexcusable not to be granted the rank of Jinyiwei Centurion, and he might even be considered for Jinyiwei Vice-Centurion.

"Godfather, please protect me!"

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

"At that time, even if the black willow branches cover the entire county before Chen Fan reaches Black Mountain, I can still lead everyone to resist them and buy Chen Fan some time!"

Lu Xuenning looked at Huang Chengyue beside her and spoke.

Under immense pressure, she had not been crushed but instead had her will tempered and her disposition refined. She felt that she was now only a single step away from breaking through to the Sword Heart Enlightenment Realm!

Hopefully, everything would come in time!