Execution of Plan

Jo Yuan stood on the hill overlooking Riverstone Town, a quiet, sleepy settlement nestled between the mountains. The air was still, the sky heavy with the overcast night. This was the place he had chosen. In one of his past lives, he had passed through this town only to sense a strange, dangerous aura lurking beneath its peaceful surface. He had avoided it then, but now, that same danger was what made it perfect for his plan. Riverstone's remoteness and the town's weak spiritual awareness meant no one would notice the formation until it was too late.

Jo Yuan's blood core pulsed faintly in his dantian, and an excited smile appeared on his face; finally, it was time to transform it into a spiritual root!

This time, he wouldn't fail. The Bloodsucking Formation would siphon the life force from the townspeople, not just killing them but turning their vitality into fuel for his core. Once it was transformed, he could finally step onto the path of cultivation.

He had spent weeks preparing, waiting for the right day—an auspicious night when the moon was hidden behind thick clouds. The darkness was crucial. It would mask his movements and the formation's energy signatures. His knowledge from previous lives had guided him to this night, when the heavens were aligned just so, making the transformation more likely to succeed.

The plan was set.

With swift precision, Jo Yuan moved through the outskirts of the town, laying the nodes of the formation at key points: under the old watchtower by the river, at the base of the town's central fountain, and the foot of the ancient tree near the market. He had memorized every detail of the formation, and his hands worked quickly, embedding the Ironwood bark and Phoenix grass into the ground at each node.

It took him less than an hour to complete. His experience, honed over countless lives, guided his every step. To the townspeople, he was nothing more than a passing shadow in the night. Few were awake at this hour, and those who were saw nothing more than a cloaked figure moving quietly through the streets.

However, not everyone was blind to his actions. As Jo Yuan finished placing the last node near the town's boundary, a pair of night watchmen saw him from a distance. Their suspicion was immediate, and they approached, torches in hand.

"Hey! What are you doing out here at this hour?" one of them called, his voice sharp with authority.

Jo Yuan didn't respond. He didn't have time for this. The formation was nearly ready, and any delay could ruin the efforts he had created.

The watchmen drew closer, their footsteps growing hurried as they saw him tampering with the ground. "Stop right there!" one of them shouted, his hand moving toward the sword at his waist.

Jo Yuan turned, his face calm, but his eyes cold. Without a word, he stepped forward and delivered a single punch. It was the Shattering Punch, a technique Elder Liu had taught him, and it was more than enough for normal people. The first watchman's chest caved in with a sickening crunch, his body collapsing to the ground instantly. The other one barely had time to react before Jo Yuan's fist struck him too. He dropped without a sound, his life snuffed out in a heartbeat.

The few who had been nearby, hidden in the shadows, gasped in horror. They had never seen martial arts like this before. A murmur spread through the onlookers, confusion and fear flashing in their eyes.

"That technique... It's the Shattering Punch!" one of them whispered. "Isn't that Elder Liu's technique? Could it be him?"

Jo Yuan felt a flicker of amusement at their misunderstanding, but he didn't correct them. Let them believe whatever they want. It made no difference now. With the witnesses silenced, Jo Yuan moved swiftly to complete the formation.

He took his place at the center of the town, where all the nodes converged. His hands formed a series of seals, and the ground beneath him began to hum with power. Slowly, the formation activated, the lines glowing faintly red as they spread across the town like a spider's web. The air grew heavy and thick with the gathering energy.

Within moments, the vitality of the people began to flow toward him. They had no idea what was happening, but their bodies grew weak, their strength leaving them as the formation drained them dry. Jo Yuan closed his eyes, feeling the surge of life force enters his dantian, swirling around the blood core.

He could feel it—the transformation had begun.