Chapter 50: Spirit Materials Acquired, Blood Fiend Cult

A few days later.

On the training ground of Firecloud Valley's branch, several young disciples bowed, their eyes full of admiration.

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Lin!"

The young man at their head was about twenty and had reached the Second Level of the Spirit Martial Realm. After Lin Chen's pointers, he had managed to execute the third form of a sword technique that had troubled him for half a year, bringing it close to mastery.

Lin Chen nodded slightly. "The Blazing Fire Sword Technique builds power through momentum. Your shoulders are too tense when you strike, which hampers the flow of your True Essence. Remember: let it spread like wildfire. Follow its momentum."

"I'll remember that!"

The young man flushed with excitement. His name was Liu Feng, and he was one of the branch's most promising young disciples. A few pointers from Lin Chen had done more for him than months of hard training.

After the others left, Lin Chen walked toward the stone pavilion beside the grounds.

Tea and refreshments had already been prepared. Liu Tong and Liu Chun were sitting across from each other, chatting. Both rose when Lin Chen approached.

"Our disciples are fortunate that you're willing to guide them, Fellow Daoist Lin." Liu Chun smiled as he invited Lin Chen to sit.

"There's still more than a month until the contest over the Fire Vein. I simply felt like it."

Lin Chen smiled and took a sip of tea.

At his current level of Sword Dao, he could grasp the essentials of a low-level sword technique just by watching someone perform it for a while, even if he had never practiced it himself. Guiding a Spirit Martial Realm disciple like Liu Feng came easily to him.

"Speaking of which, has there been any news from the main branch lately?" Lin Chen asked, setting down his cup.

Liu Chun's expression turned serious, and he lowered his voice. "According to our sources, Liu Yan really has broken through to the fourth level of the Profound Martial Realm."

Lin Chen nodded. He was not surprised.

Rumors rarely arose from nothing. Whether he believed them or not, it was best to treat them as true for the time being.

He was only curious what Liu Yan's face would look like when he discovered his opponent was at the fifth level of the Profound Martial Realm.

Liu Tong cupped his fists. "Fellow Daoist Lin, I'm afraid we'll have to rely on you when the time comes."

"No trouble."

Lin Chen shook his head.

If he were still at the fourth level of the Profound Martial Realm, there might at least have been a theoretical chance of defeat. Now, Liu Yan had no chance at all.

As the three chatted, a sudden commotion rose in the distance.

Several branch disciples were hurrying over, escorting a travel-worn middle-aged man.

He wore the standard blue robe of the Four Seas Merchant Guild, with silver-thread cloud patterns embroidered on the chest. He was an attendant of the guild.

Steward Li sent someone. Lin Chen's gaze sharpened slightly.

The attendant bowed respectfully when he saw Lin Chen. "Lord Lin, Steward Li instructed me to bring you two things."

With that, he took a storage pouch and a jade slip from his robe and presented them with both hands.

Lin Chen accepted them and swept his spiritual sense through the pouch first.

Inside were more than ten kinds of spirit materials, including Heavenly Origin Grass, Spirit-Fusing Flower, and Frost Marrow Iron. They were neatly sorted and all of excellent quality—exactly the materials he had asked the Four Seas Merchant Guild to gather.

"Steward Li works quickly."

Lin Chen nodded in satisfaction.

The attendant added, "Steward Li said the guild had to draw on two trade routes to gather enough Violet-Patterned Copper Essence, so its price was twenty percent higher than estimated."

"That's fine." Lin Chen did not mind. It was only a few Spirit Stones; what mattered was increasing his strength.

Now that I have the materials, I can upgrade my Life-Bound Divine Artifact to tier-three fine quality. As for the Three Revolutions Profound Origin Art, I can use Attribute Allocation on it as soon as I have enough experience points.

His thoughts raced as he turned his attention to the jade slip. The attendant continued respectfully.

"Lord Lin, this jade slip contains some information. Steward Li asked me to deliver it as well."

"Sorry for the trouble."

Lin Chen nodded and pressed the slip to his forehead. As his spiritual sense entered it, a flood of information poured into his mind.

At first, it held reports on trade routes and rumors of rare treasures from various regions. Then several messages marked with a distinct spiritual imprint caught his attention. They carried an unmistakably grim air.

"On the border of Cloud Province, north of Cangwu Mountain, three villages with more than a thousand residents have been slaughtered within the past few months. The dead were deathly pale, with almost all their blood drained. Traces of black fiendish energy remained at the scenes..."

"The All-Knowing Tower has issued a warning about the bloodshed, urging all martial artists and travelers to exercise caution when visiting the northwestern border region."

"The four major powers have reached an agreement. With the Azure Cloud Sect taking the lead and Lu Yuan of the Sword Sect in command, a team of elite martial artists will soon head to Cloud Province's northern border. They have vowed to root out the remnants of the Blood Fiend Cult..."

The reports poured into Lin Chen's mind, bringing with them a sense of bloodshed and impending violence.

He frowned.

The Blood Fiend Cult... He had read that name in ancient texts.

He had not expected it to resurface after centuries of silence, much less begin by wiping out entire villages.

The blood of everyone in those villages had been drained. What a brutal method. Though the martial world was ruled by the strong, slaughtering ordinary people on this scale crossed a line!

No wonder the four major powers were joining forces.

Lin Chen looked into the distance. He could almost see a vast storm gathering at the edge of Cloud Province.

This world has never been peaceful. Even if things are relatively calm where I live, somewhere far away, people are always suffering and blood is being spilled.

Lin Chen sighed inwardly.

Liu Tong and Liu Chun noticed the change in his expression and realized the news in the jade slip was serious.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, has something happened?"

Liu Chun asked cautiously.

It was no secret, and Firecloud Valley would soon hear the news anyway. Lin Chen handed him the slip and briefly explained the Blood Fiend Cult's return and the four powers' joint effort to eliminate it.

Liu Tong and Liu Chun scanned the slip with their spiritual senses. Their faces immediately darkened.

"The Blood Fiend Cult... Those fiends!"

Liu Tong's voice was low, with a trace of fear. "Their techniques are vicious. They devour the blood essence of living beings to strengthen themselves. Wherever they pass, they often leave nothing alive!"

"Eight hundred years have passed, and now they've appeared again. The northwest of Cloud Province may be in turmoil for some time."

Lin Chen took back the jade slip, his thoughts racing.

A conflict on that scale would draw in far too many people. With his current cultivation, he could not afford to step into the heart of it.

Fortunately, it's still far from me. I must not get involved!

With that thought, Lin Chen turned to the attendant and smiled. "Please thank Steward Li for informing me."

He then handed the attendant a pouch of Spirit Stones as a reward.

The attendant accepted it, his delight plain on his face. After thanking Lin Chen repeatedly, he took his leave.

Only the three of them remained in the pavilion.

But the news had changed the mood. Their easy conversation had given way to a heavy silence.

Lin Chen had regained his composure. He picked up the cup of Red Rock Tea, now only slightly warm, and took another sip.

Its warm fragrance spread across his tongue, as though dispelling the chill the news had left behind.

Whatever storms rage beyond these walls, I need to make myself strong enough to weather them.