Transformation!

Chu Yuan's final sentence even carried a hint of a threat.

A third-realm martial artist, trapped in a cage and liable to be crushed at any moment, was instead threatening a Supernatural Realm martial artist who held his life in his hands... it felt ridiculous no matter how one looked at it!

Yan Xuan felt a surge of instinctive anger, but he suppressed the flames in an instant.

Because he realized... Chu Yuan didn't seem to be wrong.

It was only a matter of time before Chu Yuan surpassed him, and that time might not even be very long.

Perhaps a year? Two years?

Setting aside the fact that recruiting such a martial arts genius for the organization was a great merit that would yield many rewards, the prospect of Chu Yuan's future achievements alone made him feel tempted.

It wasn't that Yan Xuan had a servile nature or was desperate to find himself a master.

Rather... Chu Yuan was his recruit, and by nature, they would belong to the same faction in the future!

Within the Day of Vengeance sect, people were not working in perfect harmony, nor were they doing it just for the sake of causing trouble for the Great Qin.

Wherever there are sentient beings, there is never a lack of strife.

Unless your personal combat power can suppress all dissent, companions are indispensable.

If even an official body like the Great Qin cannot be an exception, how could a rebel organization hidden in the shadows, already suffering from a scarcity of resources, be any different?

Thinking of this, Yan Xuan's tone softened, and he even spoke with a trace of appreciation: "The arrogance unique to a genius... you're not bad!"

Chu Yuan watched him quietly.

"The fruits of the Blood Sacrifice Array are not for us to enjoy, but... I do have a share. Although it isn't much, it will be more than enough for you!"

Yan Xuan said this knowing that a share capable of affecting a fifth-realm martial artist would be more than enough to make Chu Yuan burst.

"What do I need to do?"

"Come here to me."

Chu Yuan seemed to drop all his defenses and stepped forward.

Qi Da watched him with cold eyes; he was now completely disappointed in Chu Yuan.

A traitor who could so easily betray his own race... the higher the talent of such a person, the greater the harm!

And in this, he bore some responsibility.

Chu Yuan seemed completely unguarded, allowing Yan Xuan to place a hand on his shoulder.

Immediately, streaks of Blood Veins seemed to come alive, spreading from Yan Xuan's body and appearing to embed themselves into his skin.

At the same time, pure blood essence surged into him.

This blood essence had been extracted from the bodies of the teachers and students at First High School; in other words, absorbing this essence was equivalent to eating people!

Chu Yuan... felt no psychological burden whatsoever and began to refine it with all his might!

His complexion turned somewhat ruddy, and under the operation of the Evergreen Foundation Establishment Method, faint, crisp sounds began to resonate within his body.

It was his physical form being strengthened once again!

Chu Yuan couldn't help but sigh; the path of immortal cultivation was truly too comprehensive, as refining this blood essence caused him no burden at all.

But that was to be expected. In the web novels he read in his past life, "cultivator" was merely a general term.

Among them were evil cultivators, demonic cultivators, body cultivators, ghost cultivators... and a whole mess of other schools.

For those like demonic cultivators, sacrificing mortals was just a routine operation; if they didn't sacrifice tens of thousands of people on any given day, they would be too embarrassed to greet their peers.

Chu Yuan believed that the Blood-Sucking Array and even the Blood Sacrifice Array created by Yan Xuan and his ilk couldn't even compare to the methods of true cultivators.

So... he was a cultivator, and if his diet was a bit eclectic, was there a problem?

There was no problem at all.

However, compared to this blood essence, the information from the system in his mind was something he valued even more.

[Martial arts array detected: Blood-Sucking Array;
Convertible to: Blood Refining Demon Array;
Conversions remaining today: 1.]

Chu Yuan certainly wouldn't convert it now. His complexion gradually returned to normal as he spoke:

"Not enough."

"Of course it isn't enough," Yan Xuan said dismissively. "I was just letting you get a taste of it; the main portion is still to come."

"Waiting for the Blood Sacrifice Array?"

"That's right. What, can't wait?" Yan Xuan smiled and pointed at Qi Da. "Or would you like to find a way to slaughter this old dog, and I'll feed you all several thousand people from First High School?"

Chu Yuan did not respond, only asking: "How much longer?"

Yan Xuan looked at the other five pillars of light in the sky. "Originally, with the interference of the Martial Suppression Bureau, it would have taken longer, but now... about half an hour."

Chu Yuan lowered his eyes: "Half an hour..."

Yan Xuan chuckled: "If you're bored, think about who you've been at odds with; you can take your revenge now. Or... is there a girl you've had your eye on? No one will stop you from doing whatever you want now..."

Chu Yuan said calmly: "I am not that low-class."

"Tch, boring..."

"On my way here, I encountered some anomalies. Are they part of our organization too?"

"Not exactly... we just have some cooperation." Yan Xuan looked surprised: "They didn't attack you?"

"I ran fast."

"..." That was a reasonable explanation; after all, the anomalies in the city were at most equivalent to the Fourth Realm of Martial Arts, and most of them weren't very bright. As for the Fifth Realm anomalies... they were outside the city, blocking the Martial Suppression Bureau and the military alongside the sect's experts.

Chu Yuan kept asking questions, and Yan Xuan answered most of them. After all, even if he didn't say it now, he would have to go over it eventually. Only when it came to truly sensitive secrets or matters of personal privacy did Yan Xuan refuse to answer.

"After we go to the Outer-Heaven Battlefield, can we come back?"

"Of course you can..." Yan Xuan looked up again, his tone turning solemn: "Get ready!"

Chu Yuan also looked up, seeing that the six pillars of light in the sky had almost connected. Their center was precisely the heart of Chenyang City. Under his gaze, the final gap was bridged!

A tiny, blood-colored sphere of light emerged at the center point, then rapidly expanded! In just a few breaths, it had grown to the size of a basketball court! It then unfolded, and a blood-red curtain of light descended from the sky like a glass bowl, shrouding the entire Chenyang City within it.

Seeing this, Chu Yuan knew the Blood Sacrifice Array... was complete.

The world was veiled in a layer of blood-red light, and an unsettling aura permeated everywhere—bloody, panicked, and desperate. It felt as if a gluttonous beast had opened its maw toward him.

Yan Xuan placed his hand on Chu Yuan's shoulder again, preparing to fulfill his promise. A massive, tsunami-like surge of blood essence poured frantically into Chu Yuan's body! The total volume of this blood essence was enough to propel Chu Yuan to the Foundation Establishment Realm in a short time!

But this was not the time to refine it... there wasn't even time to absorb more of the blood essence. Chu Yuan knew this clearly.

An aura filled with killing intent erupted from not far away: "Yan Xuan! Chu Yuan!"

Qi Da's figure shot over. His mission was complete; he had held on until the very last moment. Now, it was time to settle some personal grudges.

"Heh, don't panic... he can't do anything." Yan Xuan felt Chu Yuan's hand press against his own and, thinking he was afraid, offered comfort.

However, when he turned his head, he was met with Chu Yuan's cold, indifferent gaze: "Convert!"