"His life force ebbed away too quickly. Even forcibly sustaining it with spiritual power was useless. He died before you arrived."
Yang Lingqing shook her head. "I tried a brief interrogation, but he was already at death's door. He could not speak, and his mind had fallen into chaos. I was unable to learn anything useful. I ask Ancestor Yu and Town Chief Gao to examine him and determine what evil art this man used."
On the way here, Gao Hui had already heard Zhao Qi explain the full course of events and had formed an initial guess.
Now, having seen Zhou Qing with his own eyes and examined him with Elder Yu using spell techniques, he became even more certain.
"It should be Blood Feather Hall's Blood Drinking Method," Elder Yu said gravely.
Gao Hui nodded, his expression equally solemn. "Correct. This method has certain aptitude requirements. It also requires long-term consumption of various exotic flowers, poisonous herbs, and the fresh blood of living people. It generally takes three years to cultivate; after three years, the ritual body can be formed."
"Then spiritual power is forcibly poured into it from outside. At the cost of the ritual body's entire lifespan, it can gain cultivation and combat strength comparable to Late Qi Gathering in an extremely short time."
After hearing this, Zhao Qi said to Yang Lingqing, "I looked through this child's records. His family did indeed move to South Bank from elsewhere over three years ago."
Over three years ago was precisely when the Twenty-Four Secret Treasure Lands incident occurred. After the sect's first clash with the Dynasty, it suffered grievous losses.
Judging from the Zhou Qing matter now, aside from its direct retaliation that day, the sect had also been working hidden contingencies, seeking to dismantle the Dynasty's