The Ash Demon, a change in the competition format

The following morning.

Dongfang Yueming pushed open the door and stepped out, just in time to meet Shi Qing was also preparing to go out.

"Good morning, Senior Shi." He greeted her with a smile, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over her, keenly noticing that Shi Qing's physique seemed to have recovered somewhat, appearing more balanced and harmonious, and the imposing presence brought about by the special technique was gradually fading.

Shi Qing responded with a smile, and the two exchanged a few simple pleasantries.

Not far away, Zhao Qingfeng, the mentor of the Great Yan Dynasty, stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the distant sky, a hint of regret barely concealed on his face. 'Alas, though the Crimson Flame Stele is profound, it ultimately does not align with my path; forcing it is futile. Once this matter is settled, perhaps I should visit the ruins of other middle-level dynasties; maybe I can gain something there...'

At this time, the other trainees also came out of the room one after another and gathered together.

Zhao Qingfeng composed himself, coughed twice to attract everyone's attention, and said, "Alright, since there's nothing else to do today, I'll tell you about the cultivation path after reaching the Tendon Transformation Realm Jin Realm." He glanced at everyone, pausing deliberately on Wang Xijing.

"After the Tendon Transformation Marrow Cleansing). This state is the beginning of a complete transformation, where one guides their Qi and blood with their spirit and will, penetrating deep into the bone marrow to cleanse impurities and purify the essence of life... This state is equally difficult to attain. If one can reach Perfection, it is divided into three levels: the first level Mortal Marrow Purification, the second level Spirit Marrow Emergence, and the third level Treasure Marrow Like Crystal..."

Hearing the explanation about the subsequent realms, especially the mention of the division into Perfection, everyone was excited and their eyes were filled with longing. Wang Xijing's eyes were even more burning; his main goal for this trip was to use the Earth Spirit Spring to break through to the Perfection of Marrow Cleansing!

Unable to contain his excitement, Wang Bufan asked first, "Senior Zhao, what happens after the Marrow Cleansing? Is it the Blood Replacement Realm?"

Dongfang Yueming also pricked up his ears, equally eager for information about these advanced realms.

Seeing this, Zhao Qingfeng felt that Wang Bufan was being a bit too ambitious, but it wouldn't hurt to explain, "That's right, after the Marrow Cleansing comes the Blood Replacement. In this realm, the changes in qi and blood far surpass those of the Marrow Cleansing. It requires condensing and sublimating the blood throughout the body until the qi and blood are as vigorous as mercury, surging like a dragon, containing immense power in every move... Its Perfection also has three levels: the first level Blood Like Mercury, the second level Blood Gives Rise to Rosy Clouds, and the third level Blood Transforms into Glazed Glass..."

The audience listened with rapt attention, their hearts filled with even deeper awe and longing for the future path of Martial Dao. Just as Wang Bufan was about to inquire about the later Qi Refining Realm, a series of urgent shouts suddenly came from outside:

"Oh no! The Ash Demon! The Ash Demon has appeared again!"

"The Ash Demon?" Dongfang Yueming frowned slightly. What was that? The name of some special Mortal Beast?

Wang Bufan was the first to react and volunteered to go and gather information. A moment later, he returned with a disdainful expression. "Tch, I thought he was some formidable character, but he's just a cowardly, murderous martial artist!"

Everyone asked curiously, "If it was just martial artists killing people, why are you so panicked?"

Wang Bufan explained, "After that guy killed someone, there was no body at the scene, only ashes, as if it had been completely burned. Last night's victim was a minor character in the Flesh Refining Realm. In my opinion, that ' Ash Demon ' is at most a Bone Forging Realm cultivator; he's just making a show of it!"

"I see." After hearing the explanation, most people immediately lost interest. In the martial arts world, killing and robbing, vendettas and feuds are common. As long as they are not threatened, they are too lazy to care.

Only Dongfang Yueming harbored deeper doubts: Ashes? Why go to the trouble of burning the corpse to ashes? Was it merely to conceal his identity or traces of martial arts? Or... was there some other unknown reason? The way this "Ash Demon" acted was utterly bizarre.

Time flies, and two more days have passed. As the Battle of the Python Gate draws near, the armies of various dynasties have arrived one after another in the city where the Earth Spirit Sect is located. The atmosphere in the city is becoming increasingly chaotic and turbulent.

As dawn broke and sunlight streamed down, the Great Xia Dynasty, the Great Yan Dynasty, the Snow Dynasty, and several other teams gathered together, preparing to officially head to the Earth Spirit Sect Sect's mountain gate.

The atmosphere in the group was somewhat subdued during the march.

On the way, Wang Bufan finally couldn't contain himself and began to whisper among himself, "These past few days, that ' Ash Demon ' has committed several more crimes! I heard that even several martial artists at the Bone Forging Realm have fallen victim to him, but the Earth Spirit Sect hasn't even caught a single clue. What a bunch of useless idiots!"

His tone was full of disdain, as if he believed that if he were to take action, he would definitely be able to find out the so-called "Ash Demon".

Upon hearing this, everyone reacted with varying expressions, clearly having heard many rumors about the "Ash Demon" in the past few days.

Meanwhile, in the core area of the Earth Spirit Sect, in an elegant courtyard.

A powerful Qi Refining Realm expert with an aura as deep as the sea walked steadily into the room. He was none other than the father of Li Xuan, the core disciple who had achieved the Blood Replacement Perfection.

"Xuan'er."

Li Xuan, who was sitting cross-legged, slowly opened his eyes, stood up, and bowed. "Father."

The Qi Refining expert nodded, his eyes filled with expectation and pressure. "Your grandfather has high hopes for you, hoping that you can surpass his achievements and one day truly reach the realm of a martial arts grandmaster!"

Li Xuan's expression was calm, but his tone was full of confidence. "Father, rest assured, I will certainly live up to your expectations."

Li Wei nodded with satisfaction, gave a few more instructions, and then turned and left.

After his father left, a hint of ambition, barely perceptible to others, flashed in Li Xuan's eyes. "Grandmaster? Heh, my goal will never stop there..."

After a moment's thought, he got up and went to another hall, which was the residence of the steward in charge of the specific matters of this Battle of the Python Gate —a powerful expert who had also reached the Qi Refining Realm.

"Deacon Wang," Li Xuan said, bowing slightly.

Deacon Wang saw that it was Li Xuan, his attitude was quite amiable. "Nephew Li, what brings you here?"

Li Xuan smiled slightly and got straight to the point, "Deacon Wang, I have a suggestion. The ' Ash Demon ' is currently rampant in the city, and people are filled with fear. How about postponing the Battle of the Python Gate and having the participants from each dynasty form teams to wipe out the Ash Demon?"

Deacon Wang was taken aback upon hearing this. "This... the Battle of the Python Gate is a set rule, how can it be changed so easily?"

Li Xuan continued calmly, "Sir, you are mistaken. Firstly, we can take this opportunity to completely eradicate the scourge of the Ash Demon and stabilize the people's hearts; secondly, these prodigies from various dynasties may become disciples of our Earth Spirit Sect in the future. If they cannot even deal with a mere Ash Demon, what potential do they have? Isn't this a perfect opportunity to test their combat abilities and character?"

Deacon Wang frowned slightly, lost in thought. Li Xuan's suggestion seemed to make some sense, but changing the competition rules was a major issue... But then he thought of Li Xuan's father, who was at the Qi Refining Realm, and his grandfather, who was already at the Internal Force Realm and held a prestigious position in the Earth Spirit Sect... Deacon Wang immediately had a plan in mind.

"Hmm... what my nephew says makes sense. We shall proceed as you suggest."

A triumphant smile flashed in Li Xuan's eyes as he added, "To be on the safe side and prevent them from doing things half-heartedly, I think it would be better to do this: have them pair up, and disrupt the existing dynasty teams, forcing students from different dynasties to form combinations."

After a moment's thought, Steward Deacon Wang: "This method is excellent."

Li Xuan's smile deepened, thinking to himself, "Teams from different dynasties are unfamiliar with each other, lack trust, and find it difficult to cooperate effectively. This not only increases the difficulty but also makes them wary of each other, hindering their ability to help one another."