Li Mo's Road of No Return

Lin Mo's face instantly drained of color. He stared blankly at Lei Xiaotian, his lips moving a few times but unable to utter a sound.

"What? Scared?"

A cold, sharp smile curved Lei Xiaotian's lips. "If you're scared, it's not too late to back out now. I can give you some money, you can flee far away, change your name, and perhaps live out your days."

"No! I'm not scared!"

Lin Mo suddenly raised his head, his eyes blazing with a frenzied hatred. It was like a tangible flame. "As long as I can kill that bastard, avenge my father! Avenge the hundreds of brothers in Black Wind Stockade! No matter the price, I'm willing!"

His voice was hoarse with emotion, each word squeezed out from between his teeth.

Lei Xiaotian stared at him for a long moment before slowly nodding. "Good. With that resolve, you haven't disgraced your father."

He paused, then continued, "Since your mind is made up, I don't mind telling you the truth. With your current strength, seeking revenge is like a fool's dream. But we, the Blood Saber Sect, do have something that can let you undergo a complete transformation in a short time."

Lin Mo's breathing suddenly quickened, and a spark of hope rekindled in his eyes. "What is it? Uncle Lei! Please tell me!"

Lei Xiaotian walked to the main seat and sat down. He picked up the teacup on the table but didn't drink. He merely stroked the rim with his finger. "This item is called the Blood Fiend Pill."

"Blood Fiend Pill?" Lin Mo repeated, his eyes filled with longing.

"Indeed."

Lei Xiaotian put down the teacup, his voice deep and slow. "This Blood Fiend Pill is a secret inheritance of our Blood Saber Sect. For an ordinary martial artist who takes it, if they can withstand the life-or-death backlash of the medicinal effects, their power will surge overnight, their bones and muscles will be reshaped, and they will directly possess the strength of a top-tier martial artist."

"Top-tier?"

Lin Mo exclaimed in disbelief, his eyes bursting with incredulous joy.

His father, Lin Batian, had cultivated for most of his life to reach the top-tier. Yet, this Blood Fiend Pill could elevate someone to that level in an instant!

"Uncle Lei! This pill... do you have this pill?" Lin Mo's voice trembled with excitement.

Lei Xiaotian looked at his fervent expression, his own gaze becoming somewhat complex. "Of course, the pill exists. However, there has never been a free lunch in this world."

"The Blood Fiend Pill can grant you immense power, but naturally, you must pay a corresponding price."

Lin Mo asked eagerly, "What price? As long as I can get revenge, I'll do anything!"

"The first price," Lei Xiaotian extended a finger, "after consuming the Blood Fiend Pill, your path in martial arts will essentially end."

"For your entire life, your cultivation will stagnate at the top-tier realm, with no further progress. You will never be able to step into the Innate realm."

Upon hearing this, the ecstatic expression on Lin Mo's face faltered slightly.

The Innate realm was a state that all martial artists dreamed of.

But he quickly cast this hesitation aside. Lin Mo knew his own aptitude; reaching the top-tier in this lifetime would be the absolute limit.

As for the Innate realm, he had never dared to hope for it. If he could reach that level with this pill, it would save him decades of arduous cultivation.

"I don't care!" Lin Mo gritted his teeth. "As long as I can personally kill my enemy, I'm willing to die immediately, let alone just not reaching the Innate realm!"

Lei Xiaotian seemed to have expected this. He continued, "The second price, and the most crucial one. The Blood Fiend Pill's medicinal properties are fierce. Although it can forcibly stimulate a person's potential, it will also leave behind difficult-to-eradicate hidden dangers within your body."

"Every year, you must take a Life-Extending Pill personally refined by the Sect Master to suppress the backlash of the Blood Fiend Pill."

"Otherwise, once the medicinal effects backlash, your meridians will shatter, your flesh and bones will melt, and you will die in endless agony, turning into a pool of pus and blood."

Lin Mo felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. A chill shot up from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.

He needed to take an antidote every year? Wouldn't that mean his life and death would be completely in their hands from now on, and he would become a tool of the Blood Saber Sect?

He looked at Lei Xiaotian, his lips turning somewhat pale. "Uncle Lei... this... this..."

"Nephew, I'm telling you this not to scare you."

Lei Xiaotian's tone was calm. "The choice is yours. Whether you choose to live a life of humiliation or to drink poison to quench your thirst for a chance at revenge, weigh it yourself."

Silence fell upon the hall.

In Lin Mo's mind, scene after scene flashed by. His father's parting words, the laughter and joy of Black Wind Stockade, and that detestable culprit...

"Father... brothers..." Lin Mo closed his eyes in pain, clenching his fists so tightly that his fingernails dug into his palms, drawing blood.

On one side, a life of freedom but humiliation. On the other, a life of being controlled but gaining the power for revenge.

Hatred, like the most potent poison, rapidly eroded his reason.

He suddenly opened his eyes, which were now bloodshot, with no trace of clarity left.

"I choose!" Lin Mo's voice was as hoarse as a broken gong. "I choose the Blood Fiend Pill! Uncle Lei! Please grant me the pill!"

He knelt on the ground again. This time, his forehead struck the cold bluestone slab with a dull thud.

"As long as I can get revenge, from this day forward, I, Lin Mo, will be a dog of the Blood Saber Sect! Whoever the Sect Master tells me to bite, I will bite! Without question!"

Lei Xiaotian looked at Lin Mo, who was acting like a madman, a fleeting trace of pity in his eyes, but more so, indifference.

He slowly stood up. "Since you have made your choice, then come with me."

He turned and walked towards a hidden door behind the main hall. "The Blood Fiend Pill is no ordinary item, nor is it something I can bestow casually. To obtain this pill, you must meet someone."

Lin Mo leaped up from the ground and followed without hesitation.

At this moment, only one thought occupied his mind: revenge! For this thought, he was willing to pay anything!

Behind the hidden door lay a dark, downward-sloping stone staircase.

Lei Xiaotian led the way, with Li Mo following closely behind.

The stone steps wound and twisted, seemingly without end. The surroundings were pitch black, with only Night-Illuminating Pearls embedded at intervals along the walls, emitting a faint green glow, barely illuminating the path ahead.

A faint scent of blood mixed with a peculiar herbal aroma permeated the air, making one feel nauseous.

Li Mo suppressed his discomfort, his heart growing increasingly excited. He knew he was getting closer to the Blood Fiend Pill, the item that would grant him immense power.

After walking for an unknown duration, a glimmer of light finally appeared ahead.

It was a massive stone gate. Flanking the gate stood four guards, clad in blood-red tight-fitting uniforms, their auras fierce and imposing.

These guards had bulging temples and eyes as sharp as an eagle's, clearly masters of their craft.

Upon seeing Lei Xiaotian, all four guards bowed in unison. "Greetings, Hall Master Lei!"

Lei Xiaotian nodded, gesturing to Li Mo behind him. "This person is the son of an old friend, seeking the Blood Fiend Pill. I have already verified him, and he meets the conditions. Take him to Elder Yao."

One of the guards glanced at Li Mo, his gaze so cold and devoid of emotion that Li Mo couldn't help but shiver.

"Yes, Hall Master," the guard replied. He then addressed Li Mo, "Follow me."

Li Mo glanced at Lei Xiaotian, who gave him a slight nod.

Li Mo took a deep breath and followed the guard through the massive stone gate, which emanated an ominous aura.

He knew that from the moment he stepped through this door, his life would be irrevocably changed.