Volume 1: Chapter 102 - Spirit-Transforming Blood Fiend

"Third Uncle! Third Uncle!" Chu Chu's voice came from afar. Lin Yu guided the Wind Controlling Sword back to the hostage manor—he couldn't openly stow it in his sea of consciousness under watchful eyes. 

"Third Uncle, are you okay? Was that the National Protector? He resembled Prince Su, but Prince Su uses wind intent, while he used fire. Who's stronger?" Chu Chu babbled, relieved to see him unharmed. 

Lin Yu smiled wryly—both the Han prince and Zhou protector were his aliases. How would Chu Chu react if she knew? 

"Third Uncle, shall we still visit Jici Hall?" Chu Chu looked toward the pharmacy. 

"Of course. We can't leave empty-handed." Lin Yu led her in, purchasing one of each pill before returning. 

At the manor gate, Chu Chu waved goodbye, heading back to the post house—she couldn't act freely with her sect elder. After she disappeared, Lin Yu entered, finding the Wind Controlling Sword glowing cyan in the center of the room. He beckoned, and it vanished into his sea of consciousness, stored in the cauldron. 

"Kid, take out the pills!" The Cauldron Lord urged impatiently. 

Lin Yu laid out hundreds of pills, summoning the cauldron. "They're all yours, Cauldron Lord. If not enough, I'll raid the Zhou treasury." 

"Slow down. Let me devour these first." The cauldron emitted starlight, absorbing all pills. A rich medicinal aroma filled the room as the cauldron boiled with starlight, refining the pills' essence. 

Lin Yu sat to meditate, but images of demonic warriors plagued his mind. The sudden surge of demon cultivators in Zhou must have an ulterior cause. 

... 

"Your Majesty, nine areas in the capital saw demonic outbreaks today. The National Protector intervened just in time to avert a disaster," the chief minister reported in the imperial study. 

"Another demonic disaster? Why does Zhou suffer so? Where does this come from?" The Zhou Emperor's face darkened. The conflict with Profound Heaven Gate had nearly drained the dynasty; now this. 

"Your Majesty, the disaster first struck border towns. General Su reports two towns were destroyed, thousands dead." The chief minister sighed. "It spread toward the capital, affecting cities and now the capital. Someone must be behind this." 

"I checked the archives. This—where demonic blood infects and causes自爆 (self-destruction)—is the Demonic Sect's Spirit-Transforming Blood Fiend technique. The greatest master was the Blood Demon Lord, said to have been slain by Han强者 (experts)." The emperor gritted his teeth. 

"Blood Demon Lord? Did Han fail to kill him, and he's returned?" The chief minister exclaimed. "He's using the technique to absorb blood and recover. Infected people grow stronger—first ordinary folk, now Xiantian cultivators. He might have regained Myriad Manifestations!" 

"Pity we can't find the National Protector. He could crush the Blood Demon Lord." The emperor苦笑 (smiled bitterly), as the protector remained elusive. 

"Your Majesty, we must deploy elite guards and cultivators to patrol, extinguishing outbreaks swiftly." 

"Agreed." The emperor sighed. "Profound Heaven Gate will soon receive Peng Wudi's sword message. We need the protector to solve this before their retaliation." 

"Perhaps the protector will work a miracle." The chief minister eyed him firmly, trusting the protector. 

... 

The Profound Heaven Immortal Gate was tense, all smiles vanished. Since Peng Wudi's soul lamp extinguished, the enraged Grand Elder had nearly destroyed all lamps in the Longevity Hall. He refused to believe Peng Wudi—their peerless sword cultivator, a prodigy destined for Void Formation—could die. 

"What's that?" A gate disciple spotted a silver light speeding toward the mountain protection array. As it neared, it slowed—revealing a broken flying sword. Though halved, its inscribed arrays remained. 

As the sword approached, light surged from the inscriptions, wrapping it. Like a stone on water, it rippled through the array, then shot toward the Longevity Hall. 

"It's a disciple's weapon returning with a message!" 

"The blade is broken—what happened to them?" 

"Whoever harmed a玄门 (Profound Heaven) disciple will pay!" 

The crowd议论 (chattered) as the half-sword entered the hall, circling above Peng Wudi's extinguished soul lamp before landing before his tablet.