In the mountain forest.
Jiang Ning rose to his feet.
His long hair spilled loose and whipped wildly.
"The toll on my body is even greater now!" he murmured, feeling hunger everywhere within him.
The hunger in his belly burned like fire against his heart, making his stomach faintly cramp.
Perhaps I'll need outside help for the third blood replacement, he thought.
The second blood replacement, which had created new blood, had clearly placed a greater burden on his body.
His body was telling him it was ravenous beyond reason.
Yet his gaze remained calm, without a ripple.
If he had come this far and still could not fully control his body, he really would be worthless.
Hunger could not break his mind.
He took another moment to sense the changes throughout his body.
Then he raised a hand and spread his fingers. A golden gleam flashed, and a blood-red crystal appeared in his palm.
Crimsonflame Blood Crystal was a special ore formed when the blood of a powerful fallen life seeped deep into the earth and entered a mineral vein.
Unlike Blood Jade, this ore could be absorbed by the human body.
Some speculated that the difference lay in the kind of life-form it came from, or perhaps in its level of life.
But one thing was beyond doubt.
Martial artists could absorb Crimsonflame Blood Crystal, and it brought them tremendous benefits.
It could increase the power of their qi and blood, strengthen their flesh, and bolster their foundations.
For Jiang Ning, it was precisely the potent nourishment he needed most.
He tossed the egg-sized Crimsonflame Blood Crystal into his mouth.
Crunch—
As his teeth came together, the crystal shattered between them.
Then—
Crack—
Crack—
A series of crisp snaps sounded from his mouth. He chewed the crystal into