Heaven Falls Black Blood, Lord Willow's Origin!

"Huh?"

"How could this be?"

Chen Fan stared blankly at the prompt on his status panel.

Lord Willow's remaining lifespan was zero. Doesn't that mean it was already dead?

Furthermore, the status panel only indicated the Willow Tree Demon, but not its realm. Doesn't that mean it was just a recently demonized Demonic Creature, without any cultivation realm?

Did he just fight for nothing?

"Could it be because of this?"

Chen Fan walked up to the black droplet-shaped crystal and picked it up. Suddenly, his body stiffened, and his mind felt like it was electrocuted. An image appeared out of thin air.

High in the Nine Heavens.

A terrifying Demon Vine blotted out the sun. It sometimes transformed into a Nine-Headed Demonic Dragon, sometimes into an Ink Jade Qilin, and other times into a killing machine covered in weapons.

Several invincible figures whose might shook heaven and earth appeared beside it, wanting to slay it. The Demon Vine fought against them all, growing stronger as it fought. The aftermath of their battle shattered the void and broke the firmament!

Just then, the Demon Vine was wounded, and Black Blood spilled out. One drop of Black Blood, carrying rolling heavenly thunder, descended from the sky and landed on an ordinary willow tree on Black Mountain!

From then on, the willow tree slowly turned black, gained sentience, and possessed all sorts of incredible abilities. Soon, it unified Black Mountain and was hailed as Lord Willow by a host of Demonic Creatures!

This was the origin of Lord Willow!

A single drop of Black Blood had created such a terrifying Lord Willow. How powerful must the owner of that drop of blood, that sky-reaching Demon Vine, be?

And those several imposing figures who had surrounded and attacked the Demon Vine possessed boundless and terrifying might. Although their true forms were unseen, just through this fragment of memory carried by the drop of Black Blood, Chen Fan felt a shiver run down his spine!

What were their realms? Were they Earthly Immortals, or the legendary Divine Saints of the Nine Heavens?

"Actually, when the heavenly thunder fell, the ordinary willow tree on Black Mountain had already turned to dust. The reason it could still exist, and even command the winds and rain on Black Mountain, was entirely because of this drop of Black Blood!"

Chen Fan looked at the Black Blood, which had solidified into a black droplet-shaped crystal in his hand, and said in a deep voice.

He had initially thought this black crystal was Lord Willow's Demon Core. But the strength Lord Willow displayed was at most in the Spirit Aperture Realm.

Where would a Demonic Creature in the Spirit Aperture Realm get a Demon Core? At most, it would have an Energy Sac, similar to a Human Race Martial Artist's dantian, to store its energy.

To nurture a Demon Core, one had to be a top-tier Demonic Creature, cultivating to an extremely high level. Even a Demonic Creature at the peak of the Spirit Aperture Realm probably couldn't condense a Demon Core, at most a virtual core, like a large meatball. It would take a long, long time of cultivation to form a Golden Core.

Moreover, this was a black crystal. If any Demonic Creature could temper its Demon Core to this extent, it could probably kill the current Chen Fan with just a glance!

Ping'an County Town.

Lu Xuenning's face grew paler, a trace of blood at the corner of her lips.

This was the backlash from forcefully using her sword energy to kill enemies.

But these Black Willow Branches were still spreading relentlessly, even faster now.

She could only exhaust herself again and again, shattering these Black Willow Branches.

Now, as these Black Willow Branches spread once more, Huang Chengyue and the others also wielded their weapons, hacking at the Black Willow Branches. However, they could only temporarily slow their advance, unable to repel them like Lu Xuenning could!

These Black Willow Branches seemed to understand military tactics, advancing step by step, like a monstrous flood, continuously devouring the entire Ping'an County.

"Did Chen Fan fail?"

Lu Xuenning stood on the roof of the Government Office, using her Longsword as a crutch to support herself. She knew she was everyone's pillar of strength now; she absolutely could not fall.

But she was so tired, so sleepy, so exhausted, she just wanted to have a good, long sleep!

She blinked, took a deep breath, and mustered a sliver of spirit, intending to overdraw herself once more to repel these Black Willow Branches that had already spread to her feet.

But in an instant, these Black Willow Branches turned into a pile of black powder, scattering throughout Ping'an County. This sudden change made her think she was hallucinating.

She blinked hard, and found the sea of black willow branches before her collapsing with a roar, turning into a cloud of ashes!

It was real!

"He succeeded!"

"Chen Fan succeeded!"

Lu Xuenning murmured to herself. After speaking, she toppled onto the roof and then rolled off, falling to the ground, completely unconscious.

Three days later.

Lu Xuenning had been unconscious for a full three days before she finally woke up.

Fortunately, she was already a Martial Artist at the Spirit Aperture Realm. She could go three days without food or water and be fine. If an ordinary person had been unconscious for these three days and nights, the whole village would have been preparing for a funeral feast.

Under the governance of Magistrate Ye, Ping'an County had begun to return to peace. The evidence against Cao De, the county magistrate, and others had been sent via carrier pigeon to Longyuan Prefecture.

This time, without Lord Willow's obstruction, it should arrive at Longyuan Prefecture quickly. Then, the Longyuan Prefecture Government Office and the Jinyiwei Commander's Office should both send people.

Although Lu Xuenning's exhausted body had not fully recovered after waking up, her mood was exceptionally good. Ping'an County had weathered the crisis, Chen Fan had returned safely from Black Mountain, and she herself had comprehended Sword Heart Illuminates, stepped into the Spirit Aperture Realm, and opened her Thirty-Six Acupoints. Compared to her senior brothers and sisters, she could be considered to have caught up.

That night.

On the roof of the Government Office.

Chen Fan and Lu Xuenning each held a jar of wine, with some snacks placed beside them.

"Can you tell me your true identity now?"

Chen Fan took a sip of wine and looked at Lu Xuenning as he spoke.

"It seems you've suspected my identity for a long time."

"Then let's formally introduce ourselves today. I am Lu Xuenning, a member of the Jinyiwei Dark Guard. My master is Zuo Qianqiu, the Commander of the Longyuan Prefecture Jinyiwei Commander's Office."

Lu Xuenning cupped her fists and said.

"Jinyiwei Dark Guard?"

"Then you were airdropped from Longyuan Prefecture to Ping'an County this time for the Ten Year Inspection assessment?"

Chen Fan asked with great interest.

The Jinyiwei Dark Guard were a very special group of people. They had their own unique promotion methods, divided into ordinary Dark Guard members, Bronze Medal Patrol Envoys, Silver Medal Patrol Envoys, Gold Medal Patrol Envoys, and Dark Guard Leaders.

These individuals were the sharp swords within the Jinyiwei. Internally, they were responsible for inspecting and assessing the Jinyiwei, purging the organization from within. Externally, they searched for traces of demonic creatures, mapped their territories, and guided the Jinyiwei in their demon-slaying missions.

Furthermore, the Dark Guard Leader and the Jinyiwei Leader held the same rank, both being third-rank officials, directly reporting to the current Emperor!

"I actually have a dual identity. I am Zuo Qianqiu's disciple, a Zongqi Officer of Longyuan Prefecture, and also a Dark Guard member. My purpose in coming to Ping'an County this time was to conduct a thorough investigation."

"Longyuan Prefecture had already learned that someone in Ping'an County might be colluding with demonic creatures and harming the populace. Therefore, they specifically sent me here, airdropped as a ninth-rank Black-Robed Head Catcher from Longyuan Prefecture, to investigate this matter."

"This is considered a mission for my graduation, and also a test of whether I can be promoted to Jinyiwei Baihu."

"If I can complete the mission outstandingly, I will successfully graduate and be promoted to Jinyiwei Baihu."

"However, I didn't expect Ping'an County to be so deeply corrupt. The Jinyiwei Baihu, Cao De, colluded with demonic creatures, cultivated demonic arts, and had already reached the Spirit Aperture Realm."

The officials of the entire County Yamen were controlled by the Black Mountain Demonic Creatures. On the surface, there were three great demons in the Spirit Aperture Realm on Black Mountain, but behind them lurked an even more terrifying existence that had almost devoured all the citizens of Ping'an County for nourishment!

"Fortunately, you were here. Otherwise, let alone completing the mission, I probably wouldn't have even kept my life!"

Lu Xuenning said with great emotion, revealing her background and the mission she was undertaking in Ping'an County.