Under the cover of night, Wei Zhong pushed his Breath Concealing Technique and Invisibility Technique to their limits. He also employed the Dao of Time, borrowing power from the past to suppress his spiritual energy fluctuations.
Mystical runes flickered in his eyes as he activated the Spirit-Seeking Art.
The surrounding landscape instantly flooded with vibrant spiritual light, each color representing a different type of spiritual energy. Following the strongest concentrations of this light, Wei Zhong made his way toward the mountainside.
He eventually stopped before an Immortal's Cave, its entrance framed by a paifang-style gate inscribed with the words "Zhiming Cave."
The weathered calligraphy, likely left by an ancestor of the Li Family, served as a poignant reminder of the sect's former glory, now fallen into the hands of outsiders.
Wei Zhong entered the cave, finding himself in a long, narrow passage. The ceiling teemed with bats, some of the larger ones emitting a crimson glow.
These were Blood-Eating Bats, ranked demon beasts known for their communal nature and insatiable hunger for fresh blood, especially Spirit Blood rich in spiritual energy.
Their exceptional sensitivity to blood and qi meant they could instantly detect any human entering their territory. Qi Refining cultivators who strayed into their domain rarely escaped with their lives, and even Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn't guarantee a safe retreat.
Candle Daoist had cultivated this swarm of demon beasts as an early warning system, far surpassing the effectiveness of external formations. In critical moments, they could even serve as combatants to repel intruders.
Yet beneath this swarm of vigilant Blood-Eating Bats, Wei Zhong moved with utter nonchalance, as silent and still as a stone.
As he neared the end of the tunnel, Wei Zhong suddenly spotted a colossal bat, far larger than its brethren.
Its entire body was crimson, and even with its wings folded, it was half the size of an average man. Hanging upside down in the tunnel like a prominent fang, it was impossible to miss.
A late-stage First-Tier demon beast, perhaps even a peak-stage creature on the verge of breaking through to the Second-Tier.
Glancing back at the densely packed swarm of bats behind him, Wei Zhong abandoned his initial plan of having humans face humans and beasts face beasts.
Neither Nine-Colored nor Big Gold stood a chance against this horde of demon beasts.
Emerging from the tunnel, Wei Zhong resolved to first locate Candle Daoist's position.
This Immortal's Cave was the most spiritually abundant location on the island, its dazzling spiritual light nearly blinding Wei Zhong.
Forced to rely on his real-world vision, he noticed traces of human habitation within the cave.
After searching everywhere, Wei Zhong couldn't find any sign of the Candle Daoist. Had the Daoist gone out? Or was this place just a facade, and the Candle Daoist wasn't here at all?
Just as Wei Zhong was pondering this, he noticed something strange about a section of the rock wall. The spiritual light there seemed unusually faint, almost excessively sparse.
Upon closer inspection, he discovered a peculiar ancient paper. It was painted with a pattern that perfectly mimicked the surrounding rock wall, which had initially concealed it from Wei Zhong's notice.
Remarkably, the paper possessed a subtle ability to conceal spiritual energy, making it a valuable find.
Carefully lifting the paper, Wei Zhong sensed no triggers or mechanisms.
Behind it lay a narrow passage, from which a faint, metallic scent of blood drifted.
It turned out the paper not only concealed spiritual energy but also trapped the bloody odor within.
Wei Zhong's vigilance sharpened. He secretly gripped two small black spheres in his hand, the Flying Throwing Technique poised for deployment.
As he advanced through the passage, Wei Zhong's eyes could already discern four distinct clusters of spiritual light within.
Two of these clusters flickered erratically, as if on the verge of extinguishing, each connected by a thin strand of spiritual light to a third, crimson-hued cluster.
The three figures remained motionless, only the remaining mass continued to shift and writhe.
Wei Zhong traversed the narrow passage and finally saw the scene within.
Two figures hung upside down in the cave, bound like slaughtered pigs. Their exposed necks, arms, and chests were covered in countless wounds.
Blood streamed from these wounds, tracing down their bodies and long hair to drip into a stone trough below. The trough channeled the blood toward a crimson humanoid figure.
This figure barely resembled a human. Its surface was a mass of writhing flesh, a horrifying sight. Its facial features were chaotic, like grotesque tumors sprouting from the circular mass of flesh.
A strange feeling stirred in Wei Zhong's heart, reminding him of the Blood Sea True Monarch's inheritance he had obtained years ago.
Within that inheritance was a technique for creating an Extracorporeal Incarnation called the Blood Body Technique. Though he hadn't examined its details at the time, the method this figure was cultivating was likely that very technique.
Wei Zhong turned to look at the Candle Daoist, who radiated the aura of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. As the intelligence reports had suggested, he appeared to be only in the early stages of Foundation Establishment.
His towering physique completely filled out his loose Daoist robes, which were red and white. The fiery cloud patterns rising from the hem contrasted sharply with the white, smoky clouds above.
His disheveled hair hung down like a stirred-up bird's nest, framing a face distinguished by a striking, straight-line eyebrow that made his features instantly memorable.
At that moment, the Candle Daoist, his rugged face flushed with anger, was shoving dark pills into the mouths of the two suspended figures.
"Useless, utterly useless! What a waste of all the healing pills this Daoist prepared for you! Your Foundation Establishment Spirit Blood is as thin as water!"
As he spoke, he slapped one of the figures across the face. "You're not even fit to be a pig!"
The latter showed no reaction to the blows. Years of torment had long since crushed his spirit, and his weakened body lacked the strength to resist.
If not for his Foundation Establishment cultivation base, he would have died long ago.
Wei Zhong knew the two were beyond saving. If they still had the strength, they would likely choose suicide to end their endless suffering.
He had initially assumed the Candle Daoist had secretly killed them, never imagining he would be harvesting their blood for some dark technique.
Wei Zhong sighed inwardly.
While he pondered, Candle Daoist finished venting his rage. He approached the crimson figure, bit his fingertip, and let a drop of red blood trickle out.
Ignoring the nauseating writhing flesh, he smeared the blood across the figure's face with his finger.
This was likely one of the steps in refining the Blood Body Technique.
After thoroughly investigating the cave, Wei Zhong confirmed there were no other ambushes. His only opponents were Candle Daoist and the crimson figure.
Now, while Candle Daoist was refining the Blood Body, was the perfect opportunity to strike.
With a subtle flick of his wrist, Wei Zhong launched a dark shadow through a nearly vacuum-sealed channel of spiritual energy, sending it hurtling toward Candle Daoist's back.
Flying Throwing Technique - Grand Master (11%)
Candle Daoist, with his thick eyebrows and wide eyes, suddenly felt a chill in his heart. By the time he sensed the attack, it was already too late.
He could only twist his body awkwardly as a flash of fire erupted from his form—his automatic defensive measure.
But the fire offered no real protection. Like a phantom barrier, the black sphere pierced through it effortlessly, as if it were nothing more than an illusion.
The black sphere struck the cultivator's chest, completely obliterating his internal organs. Its momentum carried it through his back, tearing away half of his torso in the process, leaving a mangled, bloody mess.
The formidable vitality of a Foundation Establishment cultivator allowed him to survive this grievous wound, though only barely.
With a subtle flick of his fingers, Wei Zhong formed a hand seal. The two Foundation Establishment cultivators hanging upside down in the cave immediately exploded, showering him in a rain of blood.
Wei Zhong flicked his sleeve upward, conjuring a dark gray barrier of Foundation Establishment spiritual power above his head. The blood sizzled as it struck the barrier, creating a hissing sound.
Blood, fire, and poison? Good heavens, what kind of demonic concoction did this Old Daoist feed these poor fellows?
Though Wei Zhong could withstand the blood rain, he chose to conserve his spiritual energy by activating the Cloud Soaring Technique and swiftly escaping the crimson downpour.
Through the blood rain, Wei Zhong couldn't see Candle Daoist, and even his divine sense was temporarily blocked.
When the blood rain finally ceased, a towering, distorted figure rose from the ground, its heavy breathing echoing through the cave. It roared at Wei Zhong:
"You must die!!!"