Blood mist churned around Old Freak Blood Fiend, while the spectral forms of wronged souls twisted and shrieked within it. A nauseating stench of blood spread through the air, making the surrounding cultivators frown and back away. The presence of a High-Grade Origin Emperor pressed down like a sky full of storm clouds, and even the air seemed to congeal.
"Xiao Yan, hand over the Purple Heart Lotus, or today will be the day you die!" Old Freak Blood Fiend laughed sinisterly and pointed a bony finger at Xiao Yan, his nails gleaming with an eerie purplish-black light.
Xiao Yan shielded Su Xiaoxiao behind him, his gaze cold as frost. "A remnant of the Blood Shadow Cult dares run wild here?"
"The Blood Shadow Cult?" A flicker of surprise crossed Old Freak Blood Fiend's eyes before he cackled. "So you know about the Blood Shadow Cult? That's right, I do have some ties to them. What a pity-a bunch of useless fools who couldn't even guard a spatial rift, leaving this old man to take action personally."
He licked his lips, a greedy look in his eyes. "Still, that fragment of the 'Darkness Core' they found is a fine treasure. Boy, you survived an encounter with the Blood Shadow Cult's leader, so you must have plenty of treasures on you, hmm? Hand them all over, and I might consider letting you become the main ingredient for a Blood Soul Pill. You should count it an honor!"
"You're courting death!"
Xiao Yan roared, and the Origin Qi and Heavenly Flames within him erupted at once. The Green Lotus Core Flame and Netherworld Core Flame intertwined into a two-colored wall of fire, instantly blocking the blood mist before him. The flames burned the mist with a sizzling sound, and the spectral forms of the wronged souls wailed in agony as they rapidly melted away.
"Heavenly Flames?!" Old Freak Blood Fiend's expression shifted slightly. "How interesting. I didn't expect you to possess Heavenly Flames as well. Perfect. Medicine refined with Heavenly Flames is even more effective!"
He formed seals with both hands, and the blood mist surged violently, condensing into an enormous blood spear. Its tip flashed with a venomous, icy gleam as it whistled through the air, thrusting straight at Xiao Yan's heart.
"Heavy Xuan Ruler!"
With a low shout, Xiao Yan summoned the Heavy Xuan Ruler into his hand, and flames instantly enveloped it. He advanced rather than retreating from the blood spear, sweeping the ruler across with enough force to burn mountains and boil seas. It slammed head-on into the spear!
Clang!
The deafening clash of metal rang out as flames and blood mist collided fiercely. The deadly poison on the spear burned in the flames, releasing acrid black smoke, but the spear's power was so overbearing that it forced the Heavy Xuan Ruler to bend slightly.
Xiao Yan felt a bone-chilling force travel up the ruler, as though it meant to corrode his marrow. He snorted coldly and circulated his Origin Qi to drive back the cold, then put his strength into both arms and shattered the blood spear!
Pfft!
As the blood spear broke apart, the recoil forced Old Freak Blood Fiend back three steps. Surprise flashed in his eyes. "Intermediate Origin Emperor? You were hiding your strength!"
He had thought Xiao Yan was only an Initial Origin Emperor, but the man had already reached the intermediate grade, and his combat strength far surpassed others at the same level!
"I have to kill you today!" Killing intent surged in Old Freak Blood Fiend's eyes, and he slammed both palms toward the ground.
"Blood Hell Descent!"
At his harsh shout, the ground split open, and countless streams of viscous blood poured from the cracks, quickly gathering into an enormous pool. Innumerable blood-colored tentacles stretched out of it, reaching for Xiao Yan and the surrounding cultivators as though they were alive.
"Not good! Retreat, quickly!" Lin Qingxue's expression changed drastically. She could sense the terrifying corrosive power and resentment contained in the blood pool, and hurriedly ordered the Hundred Herbs Hall disciples to fall back.
Mo Chen also summoned a pill furnace to protect the Pill Region cultivators beside him. It gave off a gentle light that blocked the blood-colored tentacles' attacks.
The weaker cultivators were not so fortunate. Several Initial Origin King cultivators were ensnared by the tentacles and dragged screaming into the blood pool. They were instantly corroded until not even their bones remained, and their screams cut off abruptly.
"What an overbearing evil art!" Xiao Yan's gaze grew grave. Old Freak Blood Fiend's methods were even more bizarre and cruel than those of the Blood Shadow Cult's leader.
Daring not to be careless, he quietly gripped the Origin Stabilizing Divine Stone. A pale golden light spread out, and the space around the blood pool grew slightly still. The blood-colored tentacles immediately slowed.
"Heavenly Flames: Lotus Fall!"
With a low shout, Xiao Yan condensed three-colored Heavenly Flames into an enormous flaming lotus above his head. Its petals bloomed layer upon layer, releasing destructive energy. He shoved the lotus forward, and it plunged into the blood pool like a meteor, trailing a long tail of fire.
Boom!
The flaming lotus exploded in the blood pool. Its searing flames instantly evaporated the blood and burned countless blood-colored tentacles to nothing. The pool shrank at a rate visible to the naked eye.
"Aaah! My blood hell!" Old Freak Blood Fiend let out a shrill scream. His mind was linked to the blood pool, and its destruction inflicted a severe backlash on him as well. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"Now!"
Xiao Yan seized the chance. Moving like lightning, he appeared before Old Freak Blood Fiend in an instant and smashed the Heavy Xuan Ruler, wreathed in three-colored flames, toward his head!
Old Freak Blood Fiend's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly summoned a blood-colored shield to block the blow.
Clang!
The Heavy Xuan Ruler struck the shield, and flames instantly swallowed it. Old Freak Blood Fiend felt a tremendous force strike him as the shield shattered. He was hurled backward, crashing heavily into the stone wall at the edge of the plaza and spitting out a great mouthful of black blood.
"Boy, you've thoroughly enraged me!" Madness flashed in Old Freak Blood Fiend's eyes. He tore open the front of his robes, revealing a chest covered in eerie runes.
"Darkness Sacrifice!"
At his roar, the runes on his chest lit up, and a dense mass of dark energy erupted from his body. Its presence was identical to that of the Blood Shadow Cult's leader earlier, only even purer!
Bolstered by the dark energy, his presence began to soar wildly, rapidly approaching that of a Peak Origin Emperor!
"Not good! He's burning his own life force in exchange for dark energy!" Lin Qingxue cried.
Xiao Yan's gaze sharpened. To kill him, Old Freak Blood Fiend was willing to use a method that would destroy them both!
"Die!"
Old Freak Blood Fiend became a black blur and appeared before Xiao Yan in an instant. His bony palm, thick with dark energy, clawed toward Xiao Yan's heart. He was several times faster than before, giving Xiao Yan no time to react!
At the critical moment, Xiao Yan held the Void Origin Stone Fragment before him while driving the Origin Stabilizing Divine Stone's power to its limit!
"Space: Confinement!"
Pale gold and pitch-black light intertwined, forming a warped spatial barrier. Old Freak Blood Fiend's hand passed through it, but his movements instantly slowed, as though he had plunged into a quagmire.
"Now!"
A fierce look flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes as he gathered all the Heavenly Flames energy in his body onto the Heavy Xuan Ruler. The ruler erupted with an unprecedented radiance.
"Heavenly Flames: Realm Breaking!"
This time, he not only infused the attack with spatial power but also perfectly fused the power of three Heavenly Flames. They formed a pillar of intertwined red, blue, and nether-colored light, which slammed into Old Freak Blood Fiend's chest with the force to tear everything apart!
"Pfft-!"
The pillar of light pierced Old Freak Blood Fiend's chest, instantly burning away all the dark energy and life force within him. His body paused in midair, his eyes filled with incredulous fear and unwillingness. At last, he turned into flecks of black ash and dispersed into the air.
Silence returned to the plaza, broken only by everyone's heavy breathing, while the smell of smoke lingered in the air.
Leaning on the Heavy Xuan Ruler, Xiao Yan gasped for breath, his face pale. That last strike had nearly exhausted the Origin Qi in his body. The Origin Stabilizing Divine Stone and Void Origin Stone Fragment had also grown dim, clearly depleted a great deal.
"Brother Xiao Yan, are you all right?" Su Xiaoxiao hurried over and supported him, her eyes full of worry.
"I'm fine." Xiao Yan shook his head and looked at Lin Qingxue and Mo Chen. "Thank you both for helping just now."
Had Lin Qingxue and Mo Chen not protected the surrounding cultivators, he would likely have had to divide his attention to deal with those blood-colored tentacles.
Lin Qingxue shook her head, admiration in her eyes. "It was your formidable strength, Mr. Xiao Yan. We merely did something insignificant."
Mo Chen cupped his fists as well. "Brother Xiao Yan, you slew Old Freak Blood Fiend single-handedly. I admire your strength and resolve. But..."
His tone changed, and his expression grew grave. "The dark energy Old Freak Blood Fiend used was extremely similar to the energy of the 'Domain of Darkness' described in the Pill Region's ancient records. It seems that although the Blood Shadow Cult has been destroyed, the Lord of Darkness's forces have already begun infiltrating the Great Thousand World."
Lin Qingxue nodded. "The ancient records of our Hundred Herbs Hall contain similar accounts. The Calamity of Darkness in ancient times was caused by this very kind of dark energy. Old Freak Blood Fiend's appearance now was probably no coincidence."
Xiao Yan's heart sank. The remnant soul he had forced out of the Blood Shadow Cult's token had also mentioned the Lord of Darkness. It seemed this so-called Lord of Darkness was the real threat.
"After the Ten Thousand Medicines Gathering ends, I intend to visit the Pill Region and report this matter to the Pill King," Mo Chen said. "Brother Xiao Yan, if you're interested, you can come with me."
Xiao Yan pondered for a moment, then nodded. "All right. I also want to learn more about the Lord of Darkness."
The Pill Region was the Great Thousand World's sacred land of pill refining. Its ancient records presumably contained more accounts of the Domain of Darkness and the Lord of Darkness.
Just then, a Hundred Herbs Hall disciple hurried over and said a few words to Lin Qingxue in a low voice.
Lin Qingxue's expression shifted slightly, and she said to Xiao Yan and Mo Chen, "Word has come from the core area. A stalk of ten-thousand-year soul-restoring grass has been found, but a powerful guardian beast occupies the surrounding area. The ten great factions are preparing to join forces and gather it."
"Ten-thousand-year soul-restoring grass?" Xiao Yan's heart stirred. This herb was one of the main ingredients for refining the Nine Revolutions Soul Return Pill. He had not expected it to really exist!
Mo Chen's eyes also lit up. "Ten-thousand-year soul-restoring grass is a heaven-defying spiritual herb. Obtaining it would be immensely beneficial to the study of pill refining."
"Let's go take a look," Xiao Yan decided at once.
Whether for the Nine Revolutions Soul Return Pill or to uncover the secrets of the core area, the ten-thousand-year soul-restoring grass was worth the trip.
Lin Qingxue nodded. "All right, I'll go with you."
Although Liu Chengfeng had not recovered from his injuries, he gritted his teeth when he heard about the ten-thousand-year soul-restoring grass. "I'm going too!"
The group hesitated no longer and set off toward the core area of Ten Thousand Medicines Valley.
The clouds and mist in the core area were thicker, and the spiritual Qi was purer, but a faint hint of danger lurked within.
Xiao Yan knew that something more terrifying than Old Freak Blood Fiend was probably hidden in the core area of Ten Thousand Medicines Valley. And that stalk of ten-thousand-year soul-restoring grass might only be the prelude to a greater storm.
The road ahead was still full of unknowns, but his footsteps had never ceased.