Chapter 525: Chapter 525
Han Yu sent a thin thread of his spirit sense into the jade slip. The moment he did, he felt a connection form, like entering a vast, unseen network. Lines of energy pulsed faintly within his perception, each line representing a connection to another individual jade slip.
There were far more than he expected... over a hundred entries appeared within his mind, each labeled with names, designations, and ranks. Many were marked as "Outer Court," some as "Inner Court," and a few even bore the title of "Elder."
Han Yu's heart skipped a beat when he saw the last one.
"Xiu Hong," he whispered.
The same name as the one who had signed Ju Fan's mission scroll.
He quickly withdrew his spirit sense. His forehead was damp with sweat.
To attempt communication with any of them would be courting death. He could only wait and be prepared if they contacted him instead. That was likely to happen soon, given the ongoing mission.
Setting the jade slip aside, Han Yu continued to inspect the rest of the ring's contents. Several manuals and scrolls lay stacked neatly within, their bindings perfectly intact despite their age. He selected three that seemed the most important and began to read.
The first was titled The Slaughtering Moon Blood Baptism Art.
Even from the opening lines, Han Yu realized this was no ordinary cultivation technique. It was elegant yet cruel, written in blood-red ink that seemed to shimmer faintly as though alive.
The text described a path of cultivation that refined one's Qi through the essence of a bleeding moon, intertwining vitality and killing intent to temper the body and Dantian.
Han Yu's eyes widened the more he read.
Compared to the Twin Leaf Qi Refinement Manual he had practiced before, this was on an entirely different level. His previous manual had been decent for a disciple of his rank, but it only went as far as the Core Condensation realm.
Advancement beyond that required specialized continuation manuals that were jealously guarded by the sect's higher ranks.
This manual, however, extended all the way to the Dao Shell realm. Its framework was deep, profound, and intricate, involving not only spiritual energy refinement but also the transformation of normal qi into Blood Moon Qi.
The very idea of cultivating through blood was heretical to most orthodox sects, which viewed it as a corruption of one's spirit.
Yet, Han Yu could not deny its brilliance. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on novel※fire.net
Even the initial stages of the art promised immense power. The practitioner's blood would become a reservoir of energy, capable of enhancing both defense and regeneration. It could even be used offensively, allowing one's wounds to lash out with retaliatory force.
Han Yu could not help but imagine the implications of such an art in battle. The Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect might truly be as powerful as their name implied if even their outer disciples cultivated something this formidable.
But then he noticed a line that made him pause.
The technique required two key components to progress beyond the initial stages: Slaughtered Moon Qi and Moon Blood Crystals.
He frowned, recalling the strange red crystals he had seen earlier in the ring.
'Could those be the Moon Blood Crystals?'
If so, that explained why Ju Fan had been hoarding them. But he had never heard of Slaughtered Moon Qi before. Perhaps it was something only cultivable within the sect's territory, a special kind of energy unique to their cultivation environment.
Han Yu leaned back against a tree trunk, the bark cool against his back.
The forest around him was eerily silent except for the occasional drip of condensed mist falling from leaves above. A faint silvery glow reflected off the puddles on the ground, making it look strangely beautiful.
He thought about his body, rebuilt, refined, and neutral in its current state.
Technically, he was no longer bound by the limitations of his old cultivation method. That meant he could start anew with this one. It was dangerous, but if he was to blend in with the Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect, he would need to understand and perhaps even practice their methods.
The risks were great, yet so were the rewards.
Han Yu exhaled slowly and placed the manual beside him. His expression was calm, but a fire burned behind his eyes. The path ahead was uncertain and treacherous, but it was a path he had no choice but to walk.
If the Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect ruled this place, then he would become one of them... at least for now.
And when the time came, when his strength was sufficient, he would turn their own power against them and carve their name into the earth as a warning to all who hid their sins beneath the guise of divinity.
For now, though, survival came first and for that he had to learn the Slaughtered Moon Blood Baptism Art.
Han Yu sat quietly, surrounded by the mist that still lingered in the air.
His body felt warmer than usual, and the faint pulse of power coursing through his veins carried a strange, metallic tang, as though his very blood resonated with the forest around him.
The air was still, the mist hanging low to the ground, and only the soft drip of water from the leaves above marked the passing of time.
He slowly exhaled and glanced back toward the open storage ring that rested beside him. He had finished reading the first manual, The Slaughtering Moon Blood Baptism Art, and had already taken his first steps into learning it.
The results had exceeded his expectations, and yet, he knew it was only the beginning. There were still several other scrolls within the ring, each sealed by thin protective talismans that glimmered faintly in the dim light.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he reached into the ring again, pulling out one of the other manuals.
Most of them appeared to be specialized skill sets, complementary to the main cultivation art he had just begun. He opened several, scanning their contents briefly, and then stopped when he found one that immediately drew his attention.