Condensing the Blood Soul

On the Cloud Soaring Continent, the strong were revered. Those who had not awakened their bloodline and formed a Blood Soul could never become powerful figures capable of summoning wind and rain.

Although becoming a Vampire had given Li Ye many special abilities, he knew very well that if he could not form his own Blood Soul, he would never be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the martial cultivators of this world.

Drinking the blood of a living person was not as repulsive as he had imagined. Unlike what he had expected, a Vampire's feeding was not so bloody and brimming with evil.

In that brief instant, when his vampire fangs pierced Li Haoran's skin, something brimming with vigorous essence and vitality seemed to be drawn from Li Haoran's body and into his own.

The moment that substance entered Li Ye's body, an extreme pleasure rose within him, so blissful that it made him want to moan.

Fortunately, Li Ye held back and did not cry out. Yet that sensation was like the final moment of an erotic dream he had once had—utterly intoxicating.

Li Haoran's face was somewhat pale. His body had already been weakened by excessive drinking and debauchery, and now it was even more unbearable to behold. His complexion had turned sallow, his skin was dry, his eyes were dull, and his body twitched uncontrollably.

"Is this the essence blood within the human body?"

Feeling that warm current flow into him, Li Ye knew that his first feeding had been completed. At the same time, that thread of warmth spread directly through his five viscera, six bowels, limbs, and bones, nourishing every part of him.

Perhaps because Li Haoran's body had long since been hollowed out by wine and lust, however, the warm current was neither plentiful nor particularly effective.

Yet Li Ye's face revealed a trace of wild joy!

"This is... a Blood Soul?!"

After that mass of warmth entered his body, it seemed as though something within him had been stimulated and awakened. He could clearly feel his heartbeat suddenly accelerate severalfold, while a certain power awoke from within.

His blood was boiling!

Possessing the memories of this body's former owner, Li Ye immediately knew that his guess and attempt had succeeded! This phenomenon was precisely the most widely known sign on the Cloud Soaring Continent that a Blood Soul was about to emerge!

The moment one formed a Blood Soul, it was like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate, stepping into an entirely different world from then on!

Thump! Thump! Thump!

His violent heartbeat grew faster and faster, as though it were about to burst out of his chest.

Li Ye's expression changed. Only then did he remember that, generally speaking, elders would stand guard and guide someone when they formed a Blood Soul. The period when a Blood Soul emerged was when the human body was at its most vulnerable. If the guidance went wrong, one could easily explode and die on the spot!

At that moment, Li Ye felt that his heartbeat had already exceeded three hundred beats per minute. At such a rate, an ordinary person's life would be in danger.

"So hot!"

From head to toe, his blood was boiling, as if it were burning.

At a time like this, if an elder who was already a martial cultivator were present, they could use the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, along with the power of their own Blood Soul, to guide and suppress it, easing the pain and reducing the danger of exploding to death.

Unfortunately, the only one beside Li Ye was the unconscious Li Haoran. There was no one to help him.

Fortunately, his body was no longer what it had once been. Though Vampires were not known for physical strength, they were still far more robust than ordinary people.

Who knew how much time passed? When Li Ye felt himself slipping into a semi-conscious state, that painful ordeal finally came to an end.

After resting for a while, he climbed up from the ground and saw that the floor was soaked. It was all from the cold sweat that had poured from his body earlier.

"So this is a Blood Soul?"

Feeling the scorching heat in his chest, Li Ye did not know whether he could be considered successful. But according to the memories in his mind, he should have truly formed a Blood Soul in his chest.

"What a strange method of cultivation, condensing the Blood Soul in the heart."

Shaking his head, he could now sense the omnipresent spiritual energy between heaven and earth slowly flowing into his body and gradually nourishing him.

Only those who formed a Blood Soul in their chest and became martial cultivators could sense the spiritual energy between heaven and earth, absorb it, cultivate, and strengthen themselves.

Bang!

He threw a punch into the air, and a dull sonic boom exploded.

"My strength has increased by at least three times! Right now, I can probably rival someone at the early stage of the third level of the Spirit Martial Rank, perhaps even surpass them by a little!"

Even within the same realm, there were differences in strength. Just as Spirit Martial Tier Three was divided into early and late stages. Li Ye had only just condensed his own Blood Soul, and by the standards of the Cloud Soaring Continent, he had truly stepped through the gates of martial cultivation, reaching the early stage of the first level of the Spirit Martial Rank.

Yet he was confident that he could defeat someone at the early stage of the third level of the Spirit Martial Rank, and remain undefeated against someone at the late stage of the third level!

After all, now that his Blood Soul had condensed, not only had his strength increased, but his speed, reactions, and every other aspect had improved considerably as well.

"If it were nighttime, then even if I encountered someone at the fourth level of the Spirit Martial Rank, perhaps I would still have the strength to fight!"

Vampires could double their strength at night!

However, every three levels of the Spirit Martial Rank brought a qualitative transformation. Spirit Martial Tier Three and Spirit Martial Tier Four might appear to differ by only one level, but the gap in strength was at least fivefold!

Throughout Wuzhou City, there were many people at the third level of the Spirit Martial Rank, but very few could cultivate to the fourth level. Anyone at the fourth level of the Spirit Martial Rank could be considered an expert in all of Wuzhou City.

Of course, within the three great families, quite a few people could break through the third level of the Spirit Martial Rank and reach the fourth before turning sixteen. This was the innate advantage of descendants from families that inherited the powerful bloodlines of their ancestors. Who could blame them for having such good forebears?

The power of a Blood Soul came from the bloodline within one's body. The stronger the bloodline, the faster one cultivated and the higher one's starting point.

It could be said that on the entire Cloud Soaring Continent, some powerful Lineages were, at times, even more terrifying than the supreme imperial authority!

Condensing a Blood Soul was merely the first step onto the path of martial cultivation. What followed was a road of cultivation that defied the heavens.

"Among the Li Family, those permitted to remain and live in the Lineage are all descendants who have condensed Blood Souls. Li Haoran is among the worst of them, yet he still has the cultivation of the late second level of the Spirit Martial Rank. If I want that Lineage to begin taking me seriously, I must at least put on a performance astonishing enough to shock those old geezers."

He understood clearly that the early stage of the first level of the Spirit Martial Rank was not merely insufficient to draw attention in the Li Family—it was not even enough to qualify him to remain and live in the Lineage.

If Li Haoran had not had a grandfather who was the Third Elder, then with his cultivation speed, he would have been driven out long ago!

"It seems that in another month, it will be the annual Lineage competition? Looks like this is a very good opportunity."

Every year, the families large and small in Wuzhou City, especially colossal behemoths like the Three Great Families, held a grand event where the younger generation competed against one another.

On one hand, it was to assess the progress made by the younger generation over the past year. On the other, it was a means of displaying a family's reserve strength.

Naturally, if someone was found to have made no progress, or insufficient progress, they would likely be driven out and abandoned to fend for themselves outside.

"My strength still isn't enough. It seems I'll have to go all out this month!"

A parasite like Li Haoran was merely an exception. If Li Ye wanted the Lineage to take him seriously again, he had to show something astounding. And merely being at the early stage of the first level of the Spirit Martial Rank was absolutely impossible.

The Li Family was a massive power entrenched in the vast Wuzhou City, having stood shoulder to shoulder with the other two families and dominated this place for so many years. It was no ordinary family.

Within the entire Lineage, aside from the former family head Li Kainian—Li Ye's so-called father—who had disappeared elsewhere, there was a King Tier expert holding the fort!

It was said that he was an ancestor at least five generations above Li Ye, the stabilizing pillar of the Li Family.

In Wuzhou City, the fourth level of the Spirit Martial Rank already counted as an expert, while the fifth and sixth levels were even more remarkable! As for those who reached the seventh level, it could almost be said that they had few rivals!

King Tier? The whole of Wuzhou City probably could not even gather enough of them to fill one hand! They were terrifying experts a full realm above the Spirit Martial Rank! Even experts at the ninth level of the Spirit Martial Rank were mere ants before King Tier experts.

Each of the Three Great Families had such terrifying experts guarding them, which was why they had dominated Wuzhou City for so many years.

Of course, that was still far too distant from the current Li Ye.

"There's still one month. I must at least raise my realm to the third level of the Spirit Martial Rank, otherwise I have no chance at all."

He knew very well that within the Three Great Families of Wuzhou City, people at the first and second levels of the Spirit Martial Rank were everywhere and nothing special. Spirit Martial Tier Three was only barely passable. Only those at Spirit Martial Tier Four and above were truly regarded by the Three Great Families as their backbone, worthy of cultivation.

"What a pity that the annual Lineage competition is always held during the day. What a waste!"

Li Ye felt somewhat depressed. A Vampire's strongest state was at night, when his strength could double. If he encountered a full moon night, he could unleash ten times his power!

"I can only familiarize myself with the Blood-Eyed Illusion first."

Glancing at Li Haoran, who lay on the ground twitching and foaming at the mouth, Li Ye gained some confidence. Before he had condensed a Blood Soul, he had already been able to affect Li Haoran, who was at the late second level of the Spirit Martial Rank. Now that his Blood Soul had formed, this was a powerful trump card in his hand!

When Li Haoran woke up, he naturally had no idea what had happened. Yet subconsciously, he seemed somewhat afraid of Li Ye. Seeing his reaction spared Li Ye a great deal of effort. He guessed that it might be because Li Ye had fed on his essence blood.

Without any arrogance or domineering behavior, as though he were deeply afraid of Li Ye, Li Haoran quickly left after waking up.

At the same time, once Li Ye had calmed the joy brought by condensing his Blood Soul, a pressing real problem was placed before him.

He had no cultivation method or Combat Technique whatsoever!

This would inevitably prevent him from truly bringing out his strength in battle, affecting his combat power.