Chapter 161: Fifth-Tier Spirit Vein

The Blood God Sect was located at the westernmost edge of Shu Prefecture, perched atop Blood God Peak, a towering three-thousand-meter mountain overlooking the Blood Sea. The peak's name was straightforward: Blood God Peak.

Legend had it that the sect's founder sat atop Blood God Peak, gazing into the Blood Sea and comprehending the mysteries of the Blood God. When the Heavenly Tribulation descended, he attained the Nascent Soul realm.

To commemorate this event, he established the sect on the shores of the Blood Sea, dedicating his life to suppressing the demonic creatures lurking within its depths.

However, the founder had passed away over seven thousand years ago, and in all that time, the Blood God Sect had not produced another Nascent Soul cultivator.

Over the millennia, an Immortal City, Blood Sea City, had grown at the foot of Blood God Peak, its existence entirely dependent on the sect. This city served as a hub for cultivators and operated independently of the Great Qian Immortal Kingdom's governance.

As the Immortal Boat transformed from a streak of light into a stationary vessel hovering above Blood God Peak, Han Yi glanced down and his brow twitched.

Below lay a scene of utter devastation.

Both Blood God Peak and Blood Sea City were ravaged beyond recognition, nearly completely destroyed.

Amidst the rubble, demonic creatures roamed freely, relentlessly deepening the destruction.

Looking ahead, Blood Sea City lay less than five kilometers away, bordering a vast ocean that stretched like a colossal dragon coiled upon the land, its winding currents disappearing into the horizon.

The Blood Sea.

Within its crimson depths, blood-red waters surged and churned relentlessly, rising and falling in violent waves.

The horizon revealed only the outermost reaches of this sea of blood. Demonic creatures occasionally crawled out of the turbulent waters, scrambling ashore and darting into the surrounding forests, racing toward the ruined Immortal City. Han Yi's eyelids twitched involuntarily.

"Fellow cultivators," Zhuge Wuyou declared, "the Blood God Sect has fallen, leaving the Blood Sea's defenses unmanned. Demonic creatures are rampant. We must first eradicate them completely before rebuilding the Immortal City and establishing a branch sect of the Profound Pill Sect."

"This undertaking holds profound significance. I urge you all to give it your utmost effort."

Devoid of intelligence, the demonic creatures acted solely on instinct, driven by slaughter and destruction. By proceeding methodically, they could be completely annihilated.

Fifteen cultivators divided into two groups. One group of nine entered the Immortal City to purge the demonic creatures, while the other group of six, accompanied by a hundred Late-Stage Qi Refining Inner Sect Disciples, moved to the Blood Sea's edge to slaughter any creatures emerging from the blood-soaked depths.

As for the two Golden Core Stage cultivators, Huo Ming remained in the Immortal City to oversee operations, while Zhuge Wuyou led the expedition to the Blood Sea's edge.

From the Immortal Boat hovering above Immortal Peak, ten cultivators, including Han Yi, soared into the sky and descended into the Immortal City.

The Immortal Boat transformed into a streak of light, reaching the edge of the Blood Sea, ten miles away, in less than ten breaths. It landed, leaving six Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators and a group of Late-Stage Qi Refining disciples to guard the shoreline and annihilate any demonic creatures that crawled ashore.

Han Yi landed in the Immortal City via his Sword Flight. As soon as his feet touched the ground, a blood-red shadow lunged toward him—a Blood Sea Demonic Creature.

Steadying himself, Han Yi observed the creature up close for the first time and was horrified to realize these beings were neither human, demon, nor beast. They were grotesquely malformed entities, unlike anything he had ever seen.

Looking into the distance, he saw more demonic creatures surging toward them, drawn by the scent of cultivators.

Each creature was unique in its horror. Some resembled humans with seven arms and three heads, while others looked like Demon Beasts with gaping wounds in their bodies, blood constantly oozing from their bellies. Still others resembled trees with eyes and skulls grafted onto their branches, as if haphazardly pieced together.

These demonic creatures shared a common trait: their blood-colored bodies, gradually assimilated by the Blood Sea after prolonged immersion.

Aberrations, Han Yi thought, finding the perfect word to describe them.

Devoid of intelligence, these creatures knew only slaughter and destruction.

Han Yi shifted his gaze to the demonic creature charging toward him. Its speed was moderate, comparable to a cultivator at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining. With a flick of his finger, a streak of Spirit Light flashed forth.

Boom!

The Spirit Light detonated against the creature's body, obliterating its upper torso.

Yet even without its upper body, the lower half of the demonic creature crashed to the ground, writhing relentlessly with unnerving vitality.

Han Yi flicked his finger again, blasting the remaining torso into pieces.

Then, with a thought, he snapped his fingers and clapped his palm forward. Spirit Flowers forged from condensed spirit flames blossomed in the air.

Spirit Flame Art.

These exquisite Spirit Flowers drifted downward, landing on the swarm of demonic creatures rushing toward him. Instantly engulfed in flames, the creatures were reduced to ash in mere moments.

On the Proficiency Panel before him, the progress bar for the Spirit Flame Art surged from a novice 2/100 to 25/100 in an instant.

This rapid advancement was primarily due to Han Yi's current cultivation realm. Now at the Foundation Establishment Stage, he could comprehend the profound depths of the Spirit Flame Art in a short time, even without the Proficiency Panel. However, with the Panel, Han Yi could clearly see the terrifying speed at which his skill proficiency was increasing.

A thrill coursed through Han Yi. The abundance of demonic creatures here provided constant training partners, unlike his previous solitary practice. Whether training with or without opponents, the efficiency of proficiency gains remained the same.

He quietly resolved to spend the next decade near the Blood Sea, pushing each of his skills to the next level. Since I'm already here, I might as well make the most of it, he thought. Using the Blood Sea environment to grind proficiency seemed like a viable strategy.

Whoosh!

A blur materialized as a demonic creature over three meters tall flickered into existence and lunged at Han Yi. Spirit flames scattered, failing to touch the creature due to its blistering speed, rivaling that of a Peak Qi Refining Stage cultivator.

A streak of cyan-black energy flashed through the air, piercing the demonic creature's body. Then, with a frenzied storm of shua shua shua, Sword Qi swirled wildly, tearing it to shreds. Finally, spirit flames drifted down, incinerating its foul, bloody remains into ash.

The Green Ripple Sword flew back and hovered above Han Yi's head.

He surveyed his surroundings, confirming that all the demonic creatures that had charged him moments before were now slain.

With a flicker of motion, he activated the Light Body Technique. Afterimages trailed him as his true form reappeared hundreds of meters away, shifting and changing position with near-instantaneous speed, as if teleporting.

Reaching his new location, he unleashed another wave of spirit flames across the battlefield.

In such chaotic swarm combat, the Spirit Flame Art proved far more effective than the Spirit Void Finger.

Blood Sea Immortal City was relatively small, roughly the size of Mengshan City, which Han Yi had previously visited. Unlike mortal settlements, its population consisted entirely of cultivators. Even the lowest-ranking residents possessed at least Early-Stage Qi Refining cultivation.

An hour later, Han Yi returned to their initial landing point, his clothes spotless despite the countless demonic creatures he had slain.

One by one, the other Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators finished clearing their assigned areas and returned.

Then, they mounted their magical instruments and soared towards Blood God Peak. The Immortal Peak was devoid of demonic creatures, but the once-magnificent Blood God Sect palaces—architectural marvels of jade and gold—now lay in ruins. Clearly, the departing cultivators had destroyed everything they could before abandoning the place, leaving no cultivation resources behind.

Zhuge Wuyou, having anticipated this, showed no concern. Instead, he used a magic artifact to clear a patch of land near the cliff's edge. From his Cosmic Pouch, he retrieved a palm-sized architectural model. With a gentle toss, the model expanded in the wind until it landed squarely on the cleared ground.

"This will serve as our temporary base," he declared.

Zhuge Wuyou addressed the assembled cultivators before vanishing into the depths of the Blood God Sect. Moments later, he returned, a rare smile gracing his face.

"Excellent," he declared. "Just as I suspected, the Blood God Sect cultivators fled in haste, and without their Golden Core experts, the Fifth-Tier Spirit Vein on Blood God Peak has miraculously survived."

"This Spirit Vein will not only sustain our cultivation needs but also pave the way for numerous future endeavors."

His words ignited fervent joy among the Foundation Establishment cultivators present, Han Yi among them.

A Fifth-Tier Spirit Vein, equivalent to the one on Profound Pill Peak, was the very foundation of a sect. With this Spirit Vein, the branch sect was destined for far greater heights.

Next, Zhuge Wuyou levitated in the void and began deploying a Third-Tier Formation Art—the Lesser Four Sages Formation—the second most powerful formation in the Profound Pill Sect's arsenal, rumored to be modeled after the true Fifth-Tier Four Sages Formation.

Meanwhile, Han Yi and the others once again descended Blood God Peak on their flying instruments, venturing into the forested mountains behind it to hunt down the demonic creatures that had escaped from the Blood Sea.

Most of the demonic creatures had fled into the Immortal City, while a smaller number had scattered into the surrounding mountains. Though fewer in number, these stragglers still needed to be eliminated.

As Han Yi ventured into the wilderness, his senses sharpened to their utmost.

Given the situation, all Blood God Sect cultivators should have already withdrawn, leaving the mountains free of any immediate threats.

However...

There was no guarantee that some loyal sect members might not be lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to ambush Profound Pill Sect disciples—or even resort to suicidal attacks.

Faced with such potential dangers, excessive caution was warranted.

To Han Yi's relief, after venturing ten li into the mountains, he still hadn't encountered any Blood God Sect cultivators.

An hour later, Han Yi returned to the edge of the Blood Sea to assist the other six Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators in slaughtering the relentless waves of demonic creatures crawling ashore.

The majority of these creatures were at the Qi Refining Stage, with a smaller number at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage. Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment creatures or higher were exceedingly rare.

During the hour Han Yi was present, no Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment demonic creatures appeared.

The relatively weak strength of the demonic creatures eased Han Yi's concerns, but their overwhelming numbers and relentless aggression made him frown deeply.

It was no wonder the cultivators of the Blood God Sect were so terrifyingly strong in battle. Having spent years constantly fighting demonic creatures, the weak among them would have long become prey, unable to survive and escape this land.

Three days later, Zhuge Wuyou completed the Lesser Four Sages Formation.

Seven days later, Huo Ming returned to the Profound Pill Sect and brought back a group of Mid-Stage and Low-Stage Qi Refining disciples to begin rebuilding Blood Sea City and Blood God Peak.

Half a month later, the Immortal City and Blood God Peak were reborn, gleaming with renewed vitality.

Their names were also changed: the Immortal City was renamed Profound Blood City, and Blood God Peak became Profound Blood Peak.

Profound Blood City now nestled beneath Profound Blood Peak.

The name "Profound Blood" was chosen to reflect the Profound Pill Sect's role in guarding the Blood Sea.

Profound Blood City, Profound Blood Peak, and the Profound Pill Sect's Blood Sea Branch Sect, built atop the peak, were introduced to the Cultivation World in their revitalized forms.

Seven months later, Han Yi sat cross-legged atop a ten-meter-tall stone pillar on the edge of the Blood Sea. The pillar's broad top, spanning over three square meters, was engraved with the number "7"—this was the seventh guardian pillar, one of ten such structures.

These guardian pillars had been newly constructed by Profound Pill Sect cultivators along the shores of the Blood Sea.

Perched atop the seventh guardian pillar, Han Yi sat cross-legged, continuously unleashing spirit flames to obliterate the demonic creatures swarming below. Simultaneously, he absorbed Spirit Stones to replenish his mana, maintaining a delicate balance within his body.

Over the past seven months, he had primarily focused on mastering the Spirit Flame Art, but he had also steadily absorbed Spirit Qi to bolster his mana reserves. Today, his Spirit Sea had finally reached its full capacity.

With this milestone achieved, his cultivation realm had completely stabilized.

The pale crimson Proficiency Panel flickered briefly before materializing before him:

Name: Han Yi

Lifespan: 51/248

Cultivation Realm: Early Foundation Establishment Stage (21/100)

Cultivation Technique: Great Sun Divine Gang (Proficiency: 48/100)

Skills:

- Ninefold Soul Tower (Peak Perfection: 25/100)

- Spirit Void Finger (Peak Perfection: 49/100)

- Sword Control Technique (Peak Perfection: 78/100)

- Light Body Technique (Peak Perfection: 59/100)

- Fire Shield Technique (Peak Perfection: 47/100)

- Li Fire Sword Manual (Peak Perfection: 8/100)

- Alchemy Technique (Perfected Purity: 49/100)

- Turtle Breath Technique (Perfected Purity: 69/100)

Wind Wall Technique: Perfected Purity (45/100)

Spirit Flame Art: Masterful (18/100)

Aura Concealment Technique: Masterful (29/100)

Qi Observation Technique: Masterful (29/100)

Talisman Crafting Art: Initial Glimpse of the Dao (29/100)

Over the past seven months, Han Yi had achieved significant breakthroughs in two skills.

The first was the Li Fire Sword Manual. He had begun practicing this sword manual after reaching the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining. As the most advanced of all his skills, its progress had been the slowest, only recently reaching the Peak Perfection level a month prior.

The second was the Spirit Flame Art, a spell suitable for crowd control and possessing numerous versatile variations. After surviving countless life-and-death battles, Han Yi had identified his weaknesses and sought out this specific spell to compensate.

In just seven months, the Spirit Flame Art had advanced from novice to Masterful. However, after reaching this level, its progression slowed dramatically, now requiring ten times, or even dozens of times, the previous effort for further advancement.

Apart from these two skills, only the Sword Control Technique showed relatively promising progress, already nearing the next level.

In addition to his skills, Han Yi had spent the past seven months refining the broken sword named Blacklight. However, its rank was so high that even in its broken state, controlling it with his Divine Sense proved quite taxing.

Still, it served perfectly as a trump card. Han Yi had tested its power and was astonished by its destructive force. He was confident that in a rematch with Mo Wen, this broken sword would surpass even the Blood Blade in combat prowess.

As for his cultivation realm, Han Yi's progress had been relatively slow. This was primarily due to his duty guarding the Blood Sea, which left little time for secluded meditation. He could only cultivate in peace during rotations with other Foundation Establishment Elders when stationed at Profound Blood Peak.

Nevertheless, thanks to two enhancements to his Root Bone, his cultivation progress had reached 21/100, a commendable rate.

Overall, his cultivation regime was balanced: half his time was dedicated to secluded meditation to advance his realm, while the other half was spent guarding the Blood Sea, slaying demonic creatures, and grinding Proficiency.

This fulfilling and steady routine gave Han Yi a sense of stability, making him confident that he could maintain this rigorous practice for at least another decade.

Whoosh!

A figure descended from the sky, revealing He Fengdi.

"Junior Brother Han, it's my turn for the rotation. I'll be stationed at Guard Pillar Seven today."

Han Yi stood up and cupped his hands in a respectful salute. "Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother He."

As Han Yi mounted his sword, preparing to take flight, He Fengdi called out to stop him. "Junior Brother Han, you probably haven't heard about the Sect's latest decision."

Han Yi paused, slightly taken aback. "Decision?"

He Fengdi nodded. "I figured you were unaware. The Sect has decided to establish Immortal Cities around Profound Blood City as its foundation. I suspect they'll attract Rogue Cultivators and Cultivation Families through missions and rewards, allowing our Foundation Establishment Elders to withdraw from guarding the Blood Sea and focus on their cultivation."

"Oh?" Han Yi's interest was piqued.

"However, the specific details haven't been announced yet, and I'm not entirely clear on them myself. Junior Brother, you should keep an eye out for updates, as this will affect all Foundation Establishment Elders."

Han Yi nodded, thanked him, and soared into the sky. He covered the ten-mile distance back to Profound Blood Peak in less than a minute.

Upon returning, he entered a newly constructed palace: the Profound Blood Hall. This hall served a similar function to the Profound Pill Hall on Profound Pill Peak, acting as the supreme authority for the Profound Pill Sect's branch sect along the Blood Sea's coast.

Han Yi sought out Gu Yu, and after some inquiries, he gained a more detailed understanding of the Sect's plans for establishing the market.

Gu Yu had far stronger connections within the Sect than He Fengdi. He maintained good relationships even with many Late Foundation Establishment cultivators, naturally giving him access to more information.

After clarifying the details, Han Yi suddenly understood.

He Fengdi had been mistaken about one crucial point.

The Sect wasn't establishing the peripheral Immortal Cities through missions. Instead, they were splitting the Spirit Vein of Profound Blood Peak, downgrading it to a top-tier Fourth-Tier Spirit Vein. The fragmented vein was then transformed into six Third-Tier and twelve Second-Tier Spirit Veins.

These eighteen Spirit Veins radiated outward from Profound Blood City, forming the foundations for eighteen smaller-scale Immortal Cities.

The Sect then used these Spirit Veins as leverage to invite Cultivation Families and powerful Rogue Cultivators to settle in the cities.

Naturally, the factions settling in the Immortal Cities incurred obligations. They were required to station personnel at the Blood Sea to eliminate demonic creatures and pay rent for using the Spirit Veins.

In essence, the Profound Pill Sect had accomplished something unheard of for ordinary sects: fragmenting a Fifth-Tier Spirit Vein, downgrading it to Fourth-Tier, building Immortal Cities on these fragments, and then leasing them out.

Normal sects would strive for generations to elevate the tier of their spirit veins. The Profound Pill Sect, however, went against the grain. Upon learning of this, other sects would undoubtedly denounce their actions as a reckless waste of heaven's bounty.

Yet, in the nearby county capitals of Taibai, Nanyang, Sanyuan, and Xinghai, cultivation families and rogue cultivators alike went into a frenzy.

The Profound Pill Sect offered spirit vein leases with fifty-year contracts.

This meant that a cultivation family securing the initial lease would gain exclusive rights to freely utilize a Second-Tier or even a Third-Tier spirit vein. While the lease fees were substantial and required personnel to garrison the Blood Sea, these drawbacks paled in comparison to the value of a spirit vein itself.

In the cultivation world, spirit veins undoubtedly reigned supreme as the most vital cultivation resource.

When Han Yi learned of this from Gu Yu, his first reaction was disbelief at the Sect's folly. His second thought, however, was that the Sect must harbor hidden masters.

Currently, the Profound Pill Sect's forces were stretched thin. Managing the Profound Pill Mountain Range alone already strained their resources. Diverting manpower to garrison the Blood Sea, while seemingly securing a Fifth-Tier spirit vein, would tie up nearly half of the Sect's strength.

Whether this gamble would pay off remained uncertain. The trade-offs were difficult to assess.

Why not simply sever this connection and transform the Branch Sect into an endless source of cultivation resources for the Main Sect in the Profound Pill Mountain Range, reducing it to a mere tool for generating such resources?

While it might seem like losing a spirit vein, this move would actually accomplish multiple objectives at once.

As for spirit veins, once the Sect's strength grew and more Nascent Soul True Monarchs emerged, they could compete for not only Fifth-Tier but even Sixth-Tier spirit veins.

It was a daringly audacious plan, and one they were bold enough to execute.

Han Yi's mind flashed with an image of Qin Wuxian. He couldn't shake the feeling that these extraordinary policies originated from the enigmatic Supreme Elder.

"In three months, the Branch Sect here will be free to choose whether to remain or return to the Profound Pill Mountain Range Main Sect. Every three years, five Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators will be permanently stationed here, while all other cultivators can travel freely between the two."

"Junior Brother Han," Gu Yu said with a smile, "I know you've long yearned to return to the Profound Pill Mountain Range. This time, your wish will be granted."

Over the past seven months, Gu Yu's Divine Soul wounds had healed, but lingering damage remained. For the rest of his life, he would struggle to advance beyond the mid-Foundation Establishment Stage, his Immortal Path forever stunted.

Han Yi bowed his thanks.

Truth be told, he preferred Azure Dragon Peak to Profound Blood Peak.