A Reversal of Opinion

There was no pain, no swelling—only a faintly intoxicated, blissful sensation.

His Blood Qi was indeed growing stronger.

However, it was not entirely the strength of evolution. It felt more like replenishing the foundation that had been depleted in the past.

The tiny traces left behind from previous healing were also becoming apparent as this Blood Qi was absorbed.

So those fractures and injuries hadn't failed to heal. They simply lacked nourishment and couldn't reach a deeper level.

Now, absorbing these herbs is like adding fuel, going straight for the roots to repair them. This is shoring up my foundation.

Hmm, it's absorbing a little too quickly. My body's practically about to give off misty radiance. Too bad I can't control the absorption speed. I need to push farther in, or people will notice.

"Junior Brother Lin, be careful! Don't charge ahead so quickly. There's a wild beast beneath every herb there."

Seeing Junior Brother Lin rush forward as though he did not care for his life, Ouyang Nianci cried out anxiously.

"I cannot live under the same sky as wild beasts!" Lin Xiaotian shouted, while circulating his Blood Qi. Streams of force surged from his body and poured into his short blade.

That shout was a little embarrassingly edgy.

But he had no choice. He could not exactly reveal the real reason, could he? Even if the use of force came with some radiant glow, others would only take it for some special kind of force.

A, B, C, and D heard him, their mouths twitching as they nearly cursed the kid for being sick in the head.

Ouyang Nianci's lips trembled as well. She even began to wonder whether her favorable impression of him had been misplaced.

Yet Lin Xiaotian had already charged into the herb field amid loud laughter.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Wild beasts immediately darted out from beneath the herb field. It was as if someone had stabbed a hornet's nest—the entire field exploded into chaos.

Countless beasts flooded forth, blotting out the sky and covering the earth.

Lin Xiaotian also saw clearly what had emerged.

They were actually weasel-like creatures. They were small, but astonishingly fast, and then—with a clang, his blade struck one, sending a shower of golden sparks flying.

Lin Xiaotian's eyes widened.

No wonder they had said these beasts were so dangerous.

Not only were they fast, their defenses were formidable as well. An attack comparable to Blood Tempering had merely left this beast with a superficial wound; it had not even cut through its flesh.

To truly injure one of these little beasts, he would probably have to slash the same spot several times in a row.

"Junior Brother Lin, be careful. They move quickly and have strong defenses. Fortunately, their attacks are only comparable to ordinary Bone Tempering. Otherwise, this place would not be suitable for training at all."

The people behind him had already charged in to fight.

Bang! Bang!

In just a few breaths, those people had actually been struck by the beasts that sprang out and suffered injuries neither light nor severe.

Lin Xiaotian was somewhat dumbfounded.

They could get injured by this?

But he soon understood.

These beasts were too fast, and they attacked in encircling formations. A whole swarm rushed at them like a tide. Though their realms were lower than those Ouyang disciples'—

In actual combat, how could one simply compare realms? Otherwise, everything would be far too simple.

"Junior Brother Lin, fall back a little. Don't go any deeper. The more you stir up, the less we can handle."

"Fall back. We'll deal with them patch by patch."

How could Lin Xiaotian agree? Now that he was deeper in the herb field, his Blood Qi was absorbing even more vigorously. The bloody radiance around his body had become obvious. If he appeared outside like this, would he not expose himself?

Besides, after this special Blood Qi absorbed the medicinal aura of these herbs, while it had not enhanced his realm or Martial Dao talent, his senses had become sharper.

Of the beasts lunging at him, he had actually avoided the vital areas from most of them.

Though there were impacts, his body could endure them. Coupled with his powerful recovery, they had no effect on him at all.

Still, seeing the way these people looked at him, he deliberately took more beastly impacts so they would not spot anything amiss.

"Senior Sister, and all of you, A, B, C, and D, these tiny beasts actually dared to surround me and ram into me. I'll bite them down one mouthful at a time and see who looks more like a beast."

The moment he uttered those embarrassingly edgy words, he sprinted straight toward the depths of the herb field.

The members of the Ouyang Household were all stunned. They stared, dumbstruck, as the boy disappeared before their eyes, followed by one startled cry after another and frenzied sounds of battle.

"Miss, is that really still the kid we escorted all the way here?"

"Why does he feel like a madman?"

Ouyang Nianci clutched her forehead, feeling as though her eyes had gone blind. How had she taken a liking to such a thing before, treated him like a treasure, and even considered winning him over as her husband?

"Later, we'll wait on the outskirts. If we see that this kid is about to die, we'll rescue him."

One of them anxiously said:

"Miss, he's already like this, and you still want to save him?"

Ouyang Nianci's expression turned icy:

"It isn't saving him. After we bring him back, I'll interrogate him under severe torture and make him draw out the location."

"After that... heh heh. Break his arms and legs and throw him back into this herb field, so these beasts can have a good, full meal."

At once, the Ouyang disciples were invigorated.

"Yes, Miss!"

Lin Xiaotian rushed into the depths. The beasts beneath the herbs here were immediately enraged and pounced at him like rain.

He felt the pressure.

Though he had enraged a group earlier, he had not provoked those deeper within. Now they were everywhere around him, coming even more fiercely and dangerously.

Even an External Force cultivator might capsize here if alone. There are simply too many. If I couldn't constantly repair my body, I really would be ground to death here.

Even with the enhancement of Blood Qi and his sharper reactions, he simply could not evade so many.

If these beasts' attacks had been any stronger—strong enough to cripple him in one blow before he could recover—there truly would have been no good ending!

No, I need to become stronger. Though I can repair my body, that takes time. If the damage builds up over the long term, I may well die with bitter regrets.

"Rise!"

He shouted sharply and stopped suppressing himself. A powerful force belonging to Blood Tempering burst outward in every direction.

Boom!

The invisible shockwave actually halted the charging beasts for a moment. Then, as though provoked, they charged at him even more recklessly.

"Hmm! This Blood Qi's appetite limit has increased."

When absorbing the mist beneath the fissure, he had felt as though he could eat, yet could not fit any more down.

But now, as his Martial Dao cultivation rose, he felt that his upper limit for what he could consume had increased.

And... he could influence the absorption speed of his Blood Qi as well. Though he could not fully control it, he could affect it and make it slower.

"Hehe, even if I go back out, with the absorption slowed down, it probably won't be easy for anyone to notice that his Blood Qi is different."

Lin Xiaotian was in high spirits.

Mm, and there was Blood-Qi Resonance. He had not used it earlier because he feared the Ouyang Household would notice something suspicious.

Now things were perfect. His Martial Dao level had risen another tier, making this the ideal time to use it. Later, he could pretend he was outmatched and retreat.

It was simply perfect!

A smile rose at the corner of Lin Xiaotian's lips. He raised his short blade, his eyes shining with spirit, and gave a low cry:

"Blood-Qi Resonance!"

Buzz!

With one slash, the blade struck a beast, breaking its skin and lodging in its flesh. It only counted as a superficial injury.

For these beasts, it was not fatal.

However, the force transformed from his Blood Qi traveled along the blade and into the beast's body.

Boom! A mass of flesh and blood exploded deep inside the beast. In an instant, it lost all strength, went limp, and fell to the ground dead.

Lin Xiaotian laughed heartily in delight.

Just as Lin Xiaotian achieved Blood Tempering, the Ouyang Household members on the outskirts, who had been staring toward the depths, suddenly widened their eyes.

One Ouyang disciple said:

"Miss, look. That kid must be fighting for his life. He's caused such a huge commotion. It looks like bloody radiance is shooting into the sky. Could he have broken through at the last moment?"

"No! It should be a life-saving medicine the hall master gave him to stimulate his Blood Qi... He's probably overdrawing his Blood Qi to fight these beasts right now. Get ready. When he flees back, we'll receive him and restrain him."

"Understood, Miss!" they replied in unison.