There were several hundred Blood Slaves imprisoned in the dungeon. Only a handful were Dou Lings; the rest were mostly Dou Masters and Dou Zhes.
Xiao Li struck again, killing those who had only a breath left. Afterward, only a little over a hundred people remained in the dungeon.
A savage smile curled Xiao Li's lips as he surveyed the prisoners.
"You're lucky. You don't have to die."
Before they could show their relief, Xiao Li continued, "Don't think about running away once you're free. I could wipe out the Blood Sect because I have backing beyond anything you can imagine. If anyone tries to escape, I guarantee he won't make it out of the Black-Corner Region alive!"
A flash of lightning passed through the dungeon, shattering every chain binding the prisoners. They were free again, yet not one dared to flee. All stayed where they were, trembling in silence.
Xiao Li wasn't greedy. The people in this dungeon were enough to form the foundation of his new sect. Recruiting prisoners from other dungeons would make them difficult to manage. Too many riffraff would undermine the new faction's foundations.
"The Blood Sect has been destroyed. I'm establishing the Thunder Sect here, and I'll be its sect master. You can recover here for now. Go gather everyone's information, then give me a report. You'll be in charge of managing things for the time being."
Xiao Li pointed to the strongest person there, a five-star Da Dou Shi.
The man hurriedly nodded. He'd had his blood drained for half a day, and even at full strength he wouldn't have been able to defeat Xiao Li. Of course he wouldn't dare disobey him.
After receiving the information, Xiao Li walked out of the dungeon. The Thunder Sect was a seed he'd planted for the future; the Blood-Shatter Heaven-Striking Thunder hidden in the Blood Sect's ruins was the real reason for his visit.
Elder Qian was waiting outside the dungeon. When he saw Xiao Li emerge, he smiled. "I thought you weren't interested in building a faction."
"The mood was right, and it was a chance to recruit people. Of course I couldn't pass it up." Xiao Li smiled faintly.
"Here, take this. It's part of the Blood Sect's collection. Bai Lie and I took most of it." Elder Qian tossed him a Storage Ring.
Xiao Li nodded. The two elders had done the most work; things would've turned out the same whether he was there or not. It was already good of them to give him anything, so he had no complaints.
"Let's go see that Strange Lightning."
Elder Qian swept Xiao Li up and flew away, leaving behind a dungeon full of people staring in stunned silence.
"So the man had a Dou Zong backing him."
"That doesn't sound so bad. Having a Dou Zong protect us is much safer than being on our own."
"True, but our sect master does seem a little bloodthirsty..."
"We'd better keep our heads down."
Elder Bai had already been waiting in the Blood Sect's main hall. Dozens of people in ragged clothes stood beside him, most of them young and wearing Jia Nan Academy uniforms. Most looked dazed, while the few who seemed lucid were still crying.
Elder Bai looked displeased. "We've been away for a long time. People in the Black-Corner Region really do look down on our academy."
Elder Qian snorted. "It's about time we taught them a lesson."
Elder Bai glanced back at the students. "Most of them came from the Outer Academy. They've been imprisoned for years, and their class graduated long ago. Given their current mental state, bringing them back to the academy doesn't seem appropriate..."
Xiao Li looked at the students. They all came from Jia Nan Academy, so their strength, talent, and character were guaranteed. They would make excellent core members for his new sect.
"Elder Bai, leave these people to me. They can join the sect I'm establishing." Xiao Li immediately stepped forward and cupped his hands.
Elder Bai raised an eyebrow, surprised, but chose not to ask about it just yet. Instead, he looked toward the only Dou Ling in the group.
"Deacon Li, are you willing to join? Anyone who isn't can leave on their own."
Deacon Li smiled bitterly. He was probably the most lucid among them. "I have nowhere else to go. These two seniors saved me. If you don't mind having me, young friend, I'd be willing to join. Greetings, Sect Master."
Deacon Li cupped his hands in a salute. Xiao Li smiled. "No need for that. Deacon Li, please take the brothers who want to join and help manage the people at the front of the mountain. They've just joined my Thunder Sect too."
Deacon Li led the others away. Xiao Li looked toward the main seat in the Blood Sect's hall. He could sense something beneath it that drew him in.
With one strike, he smashed the throne to pieces. A pitch-black opening was revealed, with a staircase stretching down so far he couldn't see the end. Strands of crimson lightning flickered within, their energy fluctuations remarkably similar to those of a Dou Zhe.
And that was only a single strand. He couldn't imagine how terrifying the source itself would be.
Elder Qian gave Elder Bai a look. Understanding, Elder Bai sat cross-legged by the entrance to guard the outside for them.
Elder Qian raised a Dou Qi barrier and led Xiao Li down.
As the two descended, crimson lightning crackled against the barrier. Elder Qian remained calm; this level of power was nothing to him.
Looking at the blazing red light ahead, Elder Qian's expression turned grave. "Careful. The source of the Blood-Shatter Heaven-Striking Thunder should be just ahead. Its power has already reached the Dou Zong level. You need to be extremely careful."
As Xiao Li took the final step, a world of blood-red light and churning lightning came into view.
Crimson bolts ripped through the sky from time to time, accompanied by deafening rumbles. It was as if the most vicious thing between heaven and earth had been awakened by an intruder.
Feeling the oppressive force of this world, Xiao Li found himself strangely at ease. The bloodlust filling the place seemed to be fighting to burrow into his body.
"I think I know why the dean didn't take this Strange Lightning." Elder Qian's voice was low.
Xiao Li looked at him, a question in his eyes.
Elder Qian continued, "First, this lightning is a poor match for the dean. It's far too vicious and suits only those born to kill. Second, it's too weak to be of much use to him—it's only at the Dou Zong level."
Xiao Li nodded to show he understood. Strange Lightning was probably like Heavenly Flames: a person could only absorb one, or they would clash inside the body. The only exceptions were someone like Xiao Yan, who had the Flame Mantra, or someone like Xiao Xuan, who could use his immense strength to suppress them and absorb several.
Mang Tianchi was only a Half-Saint, so he belonged to neither category. Giving up greater possibilities for a Blood-Shatter Heaven-Striking Thunder that offered him little benefit clearly made no sense.
But while it was of little use to Mang Tianchi, it was a treasure beyond all treasures to Xiao Li.
As he looked toward the Blood-Shatter Heaven-Striking Thunder, a blood-red phantom shaped like a soul appeared. Countless intricate bolts of lightning formed its body, densely packed together.
Elder Qian moved in front of Xiao Li to shield him. "Careful. This Strange Lightning is powerful. Its resentment is so deep that it's even developed a little intelligence. Even I might not succeed in absorbing it. Besides, it's a terrible match for me, so it would take twice the effort for half the result. For some mad killer, it might be easier to—" He paused. "Well..."
Elder Qian noticed the bloodlust across the ground surging toward Xiao Li. Even the Blood-Shatter Heaven-Striking Thunder showed a hint of unmistakable, humanlike delight. His face twitched.
"I almost forgot. When it comes to bloodlust, who could surpass you, kid?"
A smile appeared on Xiao Li's face. "You want to follow me?"