Chapter 527: Chapter 527
Han Yu glanced down at his hand.
One of the red crystals lay there, small enough to fit on the tip of his finger, its crimson veins glowing faintly. It pulsed with a rhythm almost like a heartbeat, emitting a strange, cold energy.
"So this is one of the Moon Blood Crystals," he whispered softly, holding it between his fingers.
The longer he looked at it, the more he could sense a faint rejection from within the crystal, similar to when he had first tried to probe it with his spirit sense earlier.
He focused and began channeling his new Blood Qi into it, gently at first, testing how the energy would react. The crystal trembled faintly in his palm, and he could feel a faint thread of power trying to push back against him.
It was like the crystal was alive and unwilling to submit.
Han Yu narrowed his eyes and continued steadily, not forcing it but guiding his Qi in slow, precise pulses. Little by little, the resistance lessened. The faint crimson glow within the crystal began to swirl, almost as if it were melting into his energy flow.
He could feel the faintest trace of something entering his body... a strange vibration that resonated with his Blood Qi. It was cold, sharp, and yet profoundly invigorating. His breathing deepened, and a faint warmth spread across his limbs as the energy fused with his own.
The crystal dimmed in his hand, its glow fading as though its essence had been absorbed.
Han Yu took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, feeling the change within him. His Blood Qi was stronger now, slightly more refined. Though he had only used one crystal, it was enough to understand the process.
If he continued, he might be able to reach the second stage of refinement sooner than he thought.
He looked down at the remaining pile of red crystals within the ring and smiled faintly.
For now, he would take it slow. Recklessness could cost him everything. But as he sat there beneath the silent canopy, surrounded by the crimson glow of his newly cultivated Qi, Han Yu felt a flicker of confidence stir within him.
The path of blood and slaughter was dangerous, but it was a path he could walk... one step at a time.
For four long days, Han Yu sat beneath the shroud of mist and shadow, unmoving save for the steady rhythm of his breath. The air around him was thick with the metallic scent of blood, yet none of it was physical.
It was the manifestation of the Blood Qi that swirled around him like faint crimson threads, drawn from his body in slow, pulsing waves before sinking back into him. Each exhale was tinted with red energy, and every inhale deepened the glow that emanated from within his veins.
The ground beneath him had been dried and hardened into a strange, glassy surface by the sheer density of Qi he had been channeling.
All around him, Moon Blood Crystals were scattered in small piles, their faint, rhythmic glow flickering like a thousand dim stars. Some were dull, their essence spent; others pulsed faintly, waiting their turn to be absorbed.
Han Yu had lost track of time in the haze of cultivation.
His world had narrowed to the beating of his heart and the endless circulation of Qi through his meridians.
Each time he consumed a Moon Blood Crystal, the sensation returned: the pulse of alien energy resisting his control before submitting to his will. It would melt within him like liquid moonlight, merging into his Blood Qi and refining it further.
By the end of the fourth day, Han Yu finally stirred.
His eyes opened slowly, glowing faintly red before fading back to their normal dark hue. He flexed his hands and took a deep breath, sensing the energy within him. His Qi was denser than ever before, and his dantian felt like a storm of crimson light.
He examined it carefully with his spirit sense, gazing inward into his own spiritual world. What he saw filled him with both awe and confusion.
Within the sea of Blood Qi that churned inside his dantian, a few strands gleamed differently. They were darker, deeper, and unlike the rest. Each of these threads shimmered faintly, carrying an ethereal luminescence that reminded him of moonlight reflected upon still water.
They stood out against the bloody waves, serene yet immensely powerful.
This was the Blood Moon Qi mentioned in the manual.
Han Yu could feel the difference just by sensing it. It was sharper, heavier, and more potent than the ordinary Blood Qi. Every wisp of Blood Moon Qi carried the weight of something beyond mere qi and life essence... it felt as though it was forged from cold divinity rather than blood and flesh.
He had used over six hundred Moon Blood Crystals to reach this point, and yet this was all he had managed to produce. Just a few small streaks, no more than a handful of fine silver-red threads amidst a vast ocean of crimson. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel_fіre.net
Han Yu frowned slightly, feeling uncertain. "Is this really normal?" he muttered. "Or am I doing something wrong?"
He had read and re-read the manual countless times but didn't know if there was some set standard that needed to be followed.
There was nothing that said how quickly one should be able to refine Blood Qi into Blood Moon Qi. All it stated was that the process required patience, resources, and time. Perhaps this was the normal pace, or perhaps the Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect cultivators had other methods or blessings that accelerated their progress.
Still, the results were undeniable.
When he focused on those faint threads of Blood Moon Qi, he could feel their strength. Each strand felt equal to several times the power of his normal Qi. They resonated with a force that reminded him of something mysterious, cold, vast, and indifferent.
He sat there quietly, examining further.
His spiritual core had also begun to change.