Chapter 71

Translator: 549690339

The journey from the capital to Donghe County is long, including a desolate stretch of the imperial road that spans several dozen miles without any signs of settlement. Qi Country has set up a relay station along this route.

The relay station is adjacent to the Endless Mountain Range and is over a hundred miles from Yunshan County. Ever since Qi Country began its search for highly skilled individuals, many of the capital’s prominent officials and nobles pass through here to enter the Endless Mountains.

Therefore, they often choose to rest briefly at the relay station which, as a result, has increased its staff to cater to the wealthy officials and nobles.

Then one day, a figure flew out of the Endless Mountains.

He landed directly in the relay station.

“You are…”

A relay station official saw the sky-descending Xu Yan. His initial shock quickly turned into jubilant joy!

Is my opportunity finally here?!

Thud!

He immediately knelt down to prostrate himself.

“Esteemed one, 1 am Ma Xiao’er, and I beg for you to take me on as a disciple…”, he pleaded.

Xu Yan was taken aback. Are the people in the frontier so straightforward?

Seeing him for the first time and prostrating himself to be accepted as a disciple?

“Hehe…”

With a sneer, he said, “Liver-eater, you are not worthy to be my disciple!”

The official was taken aback, liver-eater?

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a pain pierced his chest. Looking down, a thin thread had punctured his heart, extracting his blood.

“Help….”

In sheer terror, he tried to call out for help, but he collapsed onto the ground, his body shrivelled up into a mummified corpse.

Xu Yan frowned, “So poor in vital blood essence, the land is desolate, and the Spiritual Mechanism of Heaven and Earth has vanished. Even the people here are lacking in vital blood essence.”

From his body spread thin threads, which instantly pierced the hearts of the other officials at the relay station.

Thud!

Dried-out corpses fell to the ground.

Not a single soul in the relay station was left alive.

“Sinew blood is impure, and with each use, needs purification. In this manner, the amount of blood required becomes astronomical. Even if we sacrifice millions of people in a blood ritual, we may not be able to break through the smallest boundary,” Xu Yan said, his brow furrowing slightly.

“As of now, I’ve no choice but to endure. If a million won’t suffice, then ten million…

“The frontier has no lack of people, and even if they were all sacrificed, what of it?”

Xu Yan’s eyes glowed bloody.

However, to carry out such a large-scale blood ritual and to purify it requires considerable time.

“First, sack a city to recuperate. Then find some suitable candidates to train as ‘Blood Disciples’ for carrying out the blood ritual and purifying vital blood.” “Within ten years, I will break through the realm of the Great Grandmaster!” Xu Yan looked toward the direction of the Endless Mountains, a cruel glint in his eyes.

“Within ten years, 1 will return to the Inner Domain!”

He left the relay station, ready to head towards a nearby city, to conduct a blood ritual and purify vital blood to recuperate.

Full of questions, Xu Yan was eager to find his master for answers. Leaving the capital, he used his movement technique to head straight to Donghe County.

His current strength allowed him to move faster than even the finest steed, so he did not choose to ride a horse. With his vital energy in circulation, he shaped himself like a gust of wind, heading straight for Yunshan County.

“If not a Corpse-Lao, what kind of creature did this?”

Xu Yan still puzzled over what could have sucked a body dry.

“I’m almost at Yunshan County.”

Ahead of him was a relay station, and beyond that, Yunshan County.

“Time for a rest.”

Xu Yan slowed his pace, intending to stop at the relay station to rest for a bit and ask the station officials if they had ever heard of a creature that sucked blood from people.

The relay station was beside the Endless Mountains. The station officials were certain to have quite the amount of information about the legends of the Endless Mountains.

He had rushed from the capital all the way here, consuming his vital energy in the process. Meeting his master in this state would not be appropriate. If his master detected his unsettled state, that would not bode well.

“You mustn’t panic when you encounter problems!”

So Xu Yan thought.

As he halted his movement technique, his expended vital energy quickly recovered. His jade bones seemed to glow brilliantly, showcasing the strength of his elemental physique.

By the time Xu Yan stepped into the relay station, his vitality had almost returned to its peak.

“Something’s not right!”

Xu Yan’s expression hardened!

The acute senses of a martial artist allowed him to detect the anomaly instantly. His vital energy began to circulate immediately, ready to activate its power, and he went on high alert.

He sensed a lurking danger nearby.

After cultivating martial arts and becoming a martial artist, this was the first time he had experienced such a feeling.

Xu Yan instantly realized—the relay station was harboring danger!

Moreover, this danger could actually pose a threat to him!

“What on earth is it?”

Xu Yan only felt his vital energy boiling, the eagerness for battle emerging from his heart. He was actually excited to face this unknown danger in battle.

He moved step by step into the relay station.

Suddenly!

His pupils contracted upon seeing a mummified corpse!

The body of a relay station official!

The shrivelled corpse bore an uncanny resemblance to the son of the Minister of War and his associates!

“Is it that creature?”

A shiver ran through Xu Yan’s heart, his keen senses on full alert. He gradually pinpointed the source of the danger, hiding behind a door inside the relay station.

“It’s not a creature, but seems like a person!”

In a split second, Xu Yan’s heart skipped a beat. Could this be another martial artist like himself?

A person from the world of martial arts?

Where did he come from?

Why did he kill the relay station officials?

And moreover… drain the officials of their blood!

What sort of martial artist is this?

Whoosh!

Suddenly, an almost invisible,