Condensing the Blood Soul

On the Cloud Soaring Continent, the strong reigned supreme. Those who had not activated their bloodline and formed a Blood Soul could never become mighty experts capable of summoning wind and rain.

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

Drinking the blood of living people was not as repulsive as he had imagined. Unlike what he had imagined, a Vampire's blood-drinking was not so bloody and steeped in evil.

In that brief instant, when his Vampire fangs pierced Li Haoran's skin, Li Ye felt as if some substance brimming with vigorous vital essence within Li Haoran's body was drawn into his own.

The instant that substance entered Li Ye's body, an incomparably blissful sensation, so intense it made him want to moan, surged through him.

Fortunately, Li Ye held back and did not cry out. Yet that feeling was like the final moment of one of his old erotic dreams—utterly intoxicating.

Li Haoran's face was somewhat pale. His body had already been weakened by excessive wine and women, and now it was even more wretched. His complexion had turned sallow, his skin was dry, his eyes dull and lifeless, while his body twitched in spasms.

"So this is the vital blood within the human body?"

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

Perhaps because Li Haoran had already been hollowed out by wine and women, however, the effect of those warm currents was neither great nor abundant.

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

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

After that warm current entered his body, it was as though something within him had been stimulated and awakened. He could clearly feel his heartbeat suddenly accelerate severalfold, while some power awakened 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 omen of a Blood Soul appearing, something known throughout the Cloud Soaring Continent!

The moment one formed a Blood Soul, it was like a carp leaping over the dragon gate—one had stepped into another world from then on!

Thump! Thump! Thump!

His powerful heartbeat grew increasingly rapid, as though it were about to burst from his chest.

Li Ye's expression changed. Only then did he remember that, generally speaking, elders would stand by to protect and guide someone when they formed a Blood Soul. The period when a Blood Soul emerged was when the body was at its weakest. 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. That speed was enough to put an ordinary person's life in danger.

"So hot!"

The blood throughout his entire body was boiling, as though 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 and the power of their own Blood Soul to guide and suppress it, reducing both the pain and the danger of exploding to death.

Unfortunately, the only person beside Li Ye was the unconscious Li Haoran. No one could help him.

Fortunately, Li Ye's body was no longer what it had once been. Though Vampires were not famed 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 half-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 wet everywhere, 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 had truly succeeded. However, according to the memories in his mind, he should now have genuinely formed a Blood Soul in his chest.

"What a strange cultivation method, actually condensing the Blood Soul at 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 of heaven and earth, absorb it, cultivate, and strengthen themselves.

Bang!

He punched at the air, and a dull sonic boom exploded.

"My strength has increased by at least threefold! Right now, my strength can probably rival someone at the early stage of Spirit Martial Tier Three—perhaps even surpass them slightly!"

Even within the same realm, there were different levels. Spirit Martial Tier Three, for example, was divided into early and late stages. Li Ye had only just condensed his own Blood Soul, so by the standards of the Cloud Soaring Continent, he had truly entered the gates of martial cultivation and was at the early stage of Spirit Martial Rank One.

Yet he was confident that he could defeat someone at the early stage of Spirit Martial Tier Three and remain undefeated against someone at the late stage of Spirit Martial Tier Three!

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 as well.

"If it were nighttime, even against someone at Spirit Martial Tier Four, I might 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 seemed to differ by only one level, but the gap in strength was at least fivefold!

Throughout Wuzhou City, there were many at Spirit Martial Tier Three, but very few who could cultivate to Spirit Martial Tier Four. Anyone at Spirit Martial Tier Four could be considered an expert in all of Wuzhou City.

Of course, within the Three Great Families, quite a few could break through Spirit Martial Tier Three and reach Spirit Martial Tier Four before the age of sixteen. This was the natural advantage of descendants from lineages that inherited powerful ancestral bloodlines—who could blame them for having good ancestors?

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 families were at times even more terrifying than 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 heaven itself.

"Within the Li Family, only descendants who have condensed a Blood Soul may remain and live in the family. Li Haoran is among the worst of them, yet he still possesses late-stage Spirit Martial Tier Two cultivation. If I want that family to start taking me seriously, I need to show enough to make those old fellows astonished."

He knew clearly that early-stage Spirit Martial Rank One 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 family.

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 family tournament? Looks like this is an excellent opportunity."

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

Firstly, it tested the progress each junior had made over the past year. Secondly, it displayed the reserve strength of a family.

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

"My current strength is still not enough. It looks like I'll need to go all out over this next month!"

A parasite like Li Haoran was merely an exception. If Li Ye wanted the family to take him seriously again, he had to produce an astonishing performance. Early-stage Spirit Martial Rank One was absolutely not enough.

The Li Family was a great force entrenched in the vast Wuzhou City, having stood alongside the other two families and dominated this place for so many years. It was no ordinary family.

Within the entire family, aside from the former family head Li Kainian—Li Ye's missing father—there was a King Tier expert overseeing it!

He had heard that this was an ancestor at least five generations above Li Ye, the Li Family's pillar that steadied the seas.

In Wuzhou City, Spirit Martial Tier Four already counted as an expert, while Spirit Martial Tier Five and Spirit Martial Tier Six were even more remarkable figures! As for those who reached the seventh level of the Spirit Martial Realm, it could almost be said that they had scarcely any rivals!

King Tier? The entirety of Wuzhou City probably could not gather even enough of them to fill one hand! They were terrifying experts a whole realm above the Spirit Martial Rank! Even a Spirit Martial Tier Nine expert was nothing but an ant before a King Tier expert.

The Three Great Families each had such terrifying experts overseeing them. That was why they had dominated Wuzhou City for so many years.

Naturally, that was still far too distant for the current Li Ye.

"There's still one month. I must at least raise my realm to Spirit Martial Tier Three, otherwise I won't stand a chance."

He knew clearly that within the Three Great Families of Wuzhou City, people at Spirit Martial Tier One and Spirit Martial Tier Two were everywhere and not worth much notice. Spirit Martial Tier Three was barely passable; only those with strength at Spirit Martial Tier Four or above were truly regarded by the Three Great Families as pillars worth nurturing.

"Sadly, the family's annual tournament is always held during the day. What a waste!"

Li Ye felt somewhat depressed. A Vampire was at its strongest at night, when his power could double. If it was a full-moon night, he could even 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 condensing a Blood Soul, he had already been able to affect late-stage Spirit Martial Tier Two Li Haoran. Now that his Blood Soul had formed, this could be considered one of his powerful trump cards!

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 saved Li Ye some effort, and he guessed that perhaps it was because Li Haoran's vital blood had been drained by him.

No longer arrogant and overbearing, Li Haoran seemed to fear Li Ye greatly. Once he woke up, he quickly left the place.

At the same time, after Li Ye calmed the joy of condensing his Blood Soul, a very real problem presented itself before him.

He had no cultivation methods or Combat Techniques for battle whatsoever!

This was bound to prevent him from fully unleashing his strength in battle and affect his combat power.