Dou Practitioner Five Stars, Red Lotus Tremors!

On the cliff behind the Xiao Clan, Lin Chen sat cross-legged, the Blood Scripture circulating slowly.

The thin energy between heaven and earth was drawn in by the supreme cultivation technique.

Like being pulled by an invisible vortex, it swept toward him frantically, pouring into his body.

Refined through his meridians, it transformed into pure, blood-red Dou Qi that flowed into the cyclone within his Dantian.

The speed was incredibly fast, far surpassing any Xuan-tier technique collected by the Xiao Clan.

It could not even be compared; it was faster than a Heaven-tier technique!

If an ordinary Dou Practitioner were to cultivate here, they would likely be ecstatic.

But Lin Chen's brows furrowed slightly:

"Too slow..."

He felt the growth rate within his Dantian, which was negligible compared to devouring.

Compared to the soaring cultivation gained from directly consuming the essence, blood, and soul of enemies, it was like the difference between clouds and mud.

Relying on this step-by-step cultivation, it would not take long to advance from a two-star Dou Practitioner to a three-star.

But having experienced the feeling of cultivation skyrocketing, who would be willing to cultivate at such a snail's pace?

For him, burdened with deep hatred and eager to quickly repair his supreme treasures and condense the Blood God Child, this was simply unacceptable!

"Plunder is the true essence of the Blood Scripture."

"It is also the fastest way to repair the Yuantu Abi Twin Swords!"

A flash of blood-red light flickered in Lin Chen's eyes as he made his decision.

The Jialie Clan... it was time for them to pay the first installment of interest for their crimes!

That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high.

The nights in Wutan City were never peaceful, especially in the outer city districts.

Gang conflicts and petty crimes occurred frequently.

But in recent days, an inexplicable fear had begun to spread among certain groups.

Patrol guards of the Jialie Clan were disappearing one after another!

At first, it was just one or two peripheral members failing to return home, dismissed as laziness or encounters with ordinary enemies.

But as the number of missing persons grew to five, then seven...

And all of them had vanished without a sound while on patrol or out alone late at night!

Neither hide nor hair of them could be found, dead or alive.

Within the Jialie Clan, they finally began to grow alert.

Lin Chen moved through the shadows of Wutan City like a reaper of the dark night.

He remained wrapped in that wide cloak, his face covered.

The stature of a five-year-old child became his best disguise; no one would ever suspect that the terrifying killer was merely a child.

His targets were clear: he specifically hunted Jialie Clan guards who were alone and at the Dou Practitioner stage.

These people were the bottom rung of the clan, numerous enough that the disappearance of a few would not immediately draw the clan's attention, yet they provided enough "nourishment" to accumulate.

His methods were simple, efficient, and cruel.

He used the Blood Scripture's keen perception of blood and Qi to lock onto his targets.

He utilized the extreme sharpness and speed of the Yuantu Abi Twin Swords to launch sneak attacks that far exceeded the reaction capabilities of his opponents!

Then, he used the devouring properties of the Blood Scripture to drain the deceased of every drop of their essence!

Finally, he used a faint trace of Red Lotus Karma Fire to thoroughly incinerate the remains, leaving no trace behind!

The entire process was as swift as a ghost and as cunning as an Owlman.

In just four days, thirteen Jialie Clan guards had completely evaporated from the world.

Their essence, blood, and souls became the fuel for Lin Chen's cultivation growth.

They also served as minor nourishment for the repair of the Yuantu Abi Twin Swords.

Through these repeated acts of slaughter and consumption, Lin Chen's understanding of the Blood Scripture and the two supreme treasures grew ever more profound.

He realized he had overlooked one point previously.

The Blood Scripture, while devouring life essence, would instinctively swallow and refine the opponent's soul as well.

It used this to nourish his own soul.

Meanwhile, the Yuantu Abi Twin Swords craved essence blood rich in life energy above all else!

Yet, they also had a demand for devouring souls!

Both were indiscriminate in what they consumed!

However, the reaction of the Twelfth-Grade Karmic Fire Red Lotus was completely different!

During the first few kills, the weak souls of those guards were directly split between the Blood Scripture and the twin swords.

The phantom of the Red Lotus remained completely motionless.

It wasn't until he killed a man who seemed to be a squad leader, possessing the cultivation of an eight-star Dou Practitioner.

A guy with heavy baleful aura and lecherous, violent eyes.

The Red Lotus phantom within his dantian actually sent out a trace of extremely faint desire for the first time!

When Lin Chen circulated his cultivation technique and stripped the man's soul away.

As he attempted to guide it toward the Red Lotus phantom, that wisp of crimson firelight swayed gently.

Like a cat that had caught the scent of fish.

In an instant, it enveloped and incinerated the soul, which was filled with filth, violence, and deep karmic sin!

There was no energy feedback, no enhancement of his origin.

But the process of incineration allowed Lin Chen to clearly perceive something.

The Red Lotus phantom conveyed a feeling of "comfort" and "satisfaction."

It was as if by cleansing the filth, it had become even more complete by a tiny fraction?

Although the change was minuscule, almost negligible, the direction was clear!

"Karmic Fire Red Lotus... burning away sins and severing karma... what it needs is to incinerate souls heavy with karmic sin?!"

Lin Chen suddenly realized:

"Or rather, it uses sin and karma as fuel?"

"Purifying them is, in itself, a form of repair and growth?"

Immediately following this, another discovery made his heart skip a beat!

Two days ago, he had accidentally caught a glimpse of Xiao Xun'er strolling in the garden from afar.

The moment his gaze touched that small figure, the Twelfth-Grade Karmic Fire Red Lotus phantom, which had been silent deep within his dantian, suddenly stirred.

It became restless in a way it never had before!

It transmitted a desire to devour that was thousands of times more intense than when it burned the villain's soul—a near-starving hunger!

It was as if it had encountered a peerless delicacy!

Although the throbbing was extremely intense, no one could perceive it except him.

But Lin Chen was absolutely certain he hadn't felt wrong!

He was incredibly sure that there was something on Xiao Xun'er that could significantly restore the Karmic Fire Red Lotus!

"What does she have on her? That could cause such a violent reaction from the Karmic Fire Red Lotus?"

Lin Chen's thoughts raced:

"The Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame! The Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, ranked fourth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking!"

Only a Heavenly Flame, which was also a source of fire and of comparable status, could cause the Karmic Fire Red Lotus to produce such a reaction!

Devouring a Heavenly Flame... could also repair and even strengthen the Karmic Fire Red Lotus?!

This discovery made his heart burn with heat!

Heavenly Flames were hard to find, but at least he now had a clear path for restoration.

He knew a bit of the plot, so it wouldn't be particularly difficult.

Moreover, according to the feedback, devouring a Heavenly Flame seemed far more "efficient" than searching for souls heavy with karmic sin!

Four days of hunting had yielded a bountiful harvest.

Lin Chen allocated the energy he had devoured:

Seventy percent was used to raise his own cultivation, and thirty percent was used to nourish the Yuantu Abi Twin Swords.

His cultivation soared as if riding a rocket!

Five-star Dou Practitioner!

In just four days, he had jumped three stars!

Such speed, if spoken aloud, would be enough to scare countless so-called geniuses to death!

Yet he could feel that for every star he advanced, the energy required increased geometrically.

For a foundation as incredibly solid as his, forged by the Blood Scripture, the energy from those ordinary Dou Practitioner guards had not seen diminishing returns.

However, the amount required for every minor rank was increasing by geometric multiples.

Naturally, his own combat power was also super strong.

He was nearly invincible among Dou Practitioners; a single punch or kick was more than even a peak nine-star Dou Practitioner could withstand.

He was even confident he could take down a Dou Master!

And that was without relying on any external force!

But in the past few days, the Jialie clan had clearly tightened their security, and patrol squads no longer traveled alone.

They had even dispatched Dou Masters to lead the patrols, and the number of clan disciples lingering outside at night had greatly decreased.

Hunting had become difficult, and the risks had surged.

Furthermore, the progress of condensing a Blood God Child was so slow it was despairing.

It required a massive amount of highly condensed essence blood energy and powerful soul strength as a catalyst.

The little he had accumulated so far was far from enough.

Need a bigger fish... or, change targets.

Lin Chen stood in the night, feeling the surging power of a five-star Dou Practitioner within him, his eyes cold and deep.

With his cultivation finished, there was no need to linger.

He returned to the Orphanage silently from the back mountain.

By the time he passed the exquisite courtyards of the clan area, it was deep in the night, with only the chirping of insects to be heard.

Suddenly, his ears twitched as he heard a faint sound coming from a refined courtyard nearby.

It was the residence assigned to Xiao Xun'er, specifically at the base of the wall.

A faint, rustling friction sound came from there.

Lin Chen's gaze sharpened; he suppressed his aura and merged into the shadows of the wall corner.

He saw a small figure clumsily and sneakily trying to climb the not-so-high courtyard wall.

Who else could it be but Xiao Yan?

Xiao Yan lay flat on the wall, feeling a bit nervous:

He didn't even know why he had to come at this hour, especially since he had already seen Xun'er during the day.

But he just felt uneasy, as if there was something he hadn't said clearly.

Or perhaps he just wanted to see where she lived once more.

He climbed with both hands and feet, struggling, while muttering to himself not to get caught.

Otherwise, it would be too embarrassing if word got out!

This kid, and he's not even a real child!

Not sleeping in the middle of the night, climbing a little girl's wall?

A strange thought flashed through Lin Chen's mind.

Inside the courtyard:

In the exquisite and warm bedroom, Xiao Xun'er was curled up under a silk quilt.

Her small body was trembling violently, cold sweat beading on her forehead.

Her delicate, doll-like face was pale, devoid of any color, and her teeth were clenched tight.

She seemed to be enduring immense pain.

The sub-flame of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame within her body was like a beast that had broken free from its shackles, rampaging wildly through her meridians.

Xiao Xun'er felt as if she had been thrown into a furnace; every inch of her skin and every bone was being scorched.

She bit her lip hard, refusing to let a groan escape her throat.

This pain had occurred many times, and she had to endure it.

She forced herself to circulate her Dou Qi to suppress it, but the power of the flame was too overbearing.

Every attempt to resist only resulted in a more violent backlash, and her consciousness began to blur amidst the intense agony.

Inside her, that wisp of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame sub-flame, which Gu Yuan had forcibly sealed and which she had not yet fully refined, was now restless and backfiring uncontrollably!

The terrifying high temperature darted wildly through her tiny meridians.

It was like countless red-hot steel needles piercing and burning her!

That pain far exceeded what an ordinary person could imagine; it was nearly enough to ignite her very soul!

She endured it with all her might, refusing to let a single moan escape her lips for fear of alerting others.

Just then, the solemn voice of Ling Ying resonated directly within her heart:

"Young Miss! There is movement outside the courtyard! It is that Xiao Yan... he is climbing the wall!"

Xiao Xun'er was currently being tormented to the brink of death by the backlash of the Heavenly Flame; how could she possibly spare any thought for Xiao Yan?

She struggled to focus her consciousness:

"Ling... Elder Ling... the fire... I cannot control it..."

Ling Ying's voice was instantly filled with anxiety and heartache:

"Hold on, Young Miss! This old servant will—"

Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly let out an "Eh?"

Almost at the same time, a soft "clack" sounded from outside the courtyard wall.

This was accompanied by a stifled cry of pain from Xiao Yan: "Ouch!"

Then came the rustling sound of footsteps running away.

"Young Miss, someone has intervened... they used a pebble to drive Xiao Yan back."

Ling Ying's voice carried a hint of shock and uncertainty.

"It... it is that Lin Chen! He just happened to be passing by."

Xiao Xun'er furrowed her brows in agony, her consciousness already beginning to blur.

Outside the courtyard, Lin Chen had casually flicked a pebble to strike Xiao Yan.

Watching the brat clutch his hand and scramble away in a sorry state, he shook his head and turned to leave.

He had no interest in Xiao Yan's antics; it was merely a casual action.

What mattered more right now was finding the next suitable "prey."

The guards of the Jialie Clan were difficult to target, so perhaps he could find a way to deal with peripheral figures from other factions.

He did not stop his pace, wanting only to return to his residence as quickly as possible to sort through the gains and plans of the night.

"Creak!"

Just then, the exquisite courtyard gate behind him was suddenly pulled open, revealing a narrow gap.

A petite, frail figure leaned against the doorframe, appearing to have used every ounce of her strength just to open the door.

It was Xiao Xun'er!

Her face was as pale as snow, her breathing rapid.

Her bangs were soaked with cold sweat, sticking to her smooth forehead.

Those eyes, usually as clear and calm as glazed glass, were now veiled in a mist of pain.

Her gaze was unfocused, making her appear incredibly fragile.

She seemed to want to see what had happened outside.

Or perhaps, it was the restlessness of the Heavenly Flame within her and some sort of inexplicable intuition.

It had caused her to open the door subconsciously.

Their eyes met.

Lin Chen's footsteps halted.

Looking at the porcelain doll before him who seemed as if she might shatter at any moment, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

This was the daughter of the Ancient Clan? Why was she in such a state?

Her aura was chaotic and weak, completely devoid of the composure and calm she had displayed during the day.

Was she injured?

Or was it...

However, the very instant his gaze made contact with Xiao Xun'er:

"Hum!!!"

Deep within his soul, the phantom of the Twelfth-Grade Karmic Fire Red Lotus, which had been burning quietly, suddenly reacted.

It was as if a fire had been thrown into boiling oil; it trembled violently and blazed with an unprecedented, frenzied intensity!

An incredibly strong, incredibly pure, and near-instinctual craving for consumption erupted from the Red Lotus phantom like a volcanic explosion, instantly sweeping through Lin Chen's entire body!

The target was aimed directly at the frail little girl within the gate!

More accurately, it was aimed at the strand of energy currently rioting within her, emitting a distinct aura:

The Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame!

This craving was so intense!

There was no time to worry about that anymore.

Only a single thought remained in his mind:

Opportunity knocks but once!

The chance to repair the Karma Fire Red Lotus was right before his eyes, and he could not let it slip away!

His body reacted even faster than his thoughts!

A black shadow flickered!

Lin Chen's speed reached its absolute limit in that instant.

He crossed the few meters between them in a flash, appearing directly before Xiao Xun'er as she leaned against the door!

Under Xiao Xun'er's bewildered, pained, and even slightly astonished gaze.

Lin Chen's hand shot out as fast as lightning.

With precision and irresistible force, he grabbed Xiao Xun'er's slender right wrist, which was hanging limply at her side!

His fingertips were ice-cold, yet they contained a burning desire that felt as if it could ignite everything!

The moment their skin touched:

"BOOM!!!"