Chapter 38

In the dense forest, a black shadow suddenly flashed onto a thick clump of trees; his gaze slipped through the gaps in the branches and looked toward a big tree less than a hundred meters away, where more than a dozen figures were taking a temporary rest.

Qian Lao stretched out his right hand, made a grasping motion in the air, and the more than a dozen people below instantly turned into blood mist; the space was squeezed and twisted, and until the last moment these people probably had no sense of impending death.

He indifferently picked up the fallen storage rings from the ground, Qian Lao gave a cold snort, "Death is not worth pity."

Qian Lao's figure flickered and he arrived at another group of people……

In Black Seal City, Xiao Li casually snatched the money pouch from the ground and went to the inn.

"Qian Lao, you moved that fast?" Xiao Li said, somewhat surprised.

Qian Lao nodded, smiling, "Just kidding, I'm a Fighting Sect powerhouse; dealing with these Fighting Spirits and Fighting Kings is nothing."

Speaking, Qian Lao flung out several dozen storage rings from his sleeves, scattering them across a table.

Xiao Li gaped, seeing his money pouch suddenly lose its appeal; experts make money fast—just these storage rings are worth hundreds of thousands, right?

Blood Sha Ginseng, medicine cauldron, fighting skills, weapons, and that Fighting Spirit Pill—all are present.

Xiao Li instantly felt like a nouveau riche; with Qian Lao's move, the wealth of the five Xiao families would soon be revealed.

Seeing Xiao Li's excitement, Qian Lao gave a faint smile, "These don't matter; what's important is that I seem to have found news of the Strange Lightning."

Strange Lightning?

Xiao Li stood frozen, is the surprise coming this suddenly?

"Qian Lao, what Strange Lightning?" Xiao Li asked hurriedly.

"This is news I obtained from the mouths of the Blood Sect."

Qian Lao recalled that pallid-faced young man, "That kid's strength is not bad; he actually blocked my casual strike with Fighting King strength, and later, to save his life, told me this information."

"Under the Blood Sect's gate lies the place where Blood Sect members discard corpses." Recalling that nauseating sect, even Qian Lao's expression turned grim.

They rely on drinking blood to cultivate, raise blood slaves, their methods extremely cruel; the place where they dump corpses must be heavy with killing qi, so the Blood Sect's ancestors summoned lightning to dispel the killing qi, but unexpectedly, by a fortunate coincidence, something called Blood Sha Punishing Heavenly Lightning seems to have been produced.

Seeing Xiao Li's face full of excitement, Qian Lao's expression turned solemn, "Don't get too happy yet; the Blood Sect hasn't claimed this lightning for themselves, likely because its fierce nature clashes with their own yin-cold Dou Qi, but…"

"But why hasn't the dean taken it?" Bai Lao's figure leapt out, continuing Qian Lao's words.

Xiao Li startled, "Yeah, we have Strange Lightning right at our doorstep; why hasn't the dean of Canaan Academy taken it for himself?"

"Let's go take a look; seeing it should make things clear." Qian Lao hammered out a decision.

Xiao Li nodded, no matter what, we should go see first.

Having heard of the Strange Lightning, Xiao Li certainly couldn't stay calm to admire the loot; he immediately decided to head toward the Blood Sect.

According to Qian Lao, the Blood Sect is quite strong, apparently still having a peak Fighting Emperor ancestor surviving, but to Qian and Bai Lao it's nothing.

"Xiao Li, do you have any plans for building a power?" Qian Lao suddenly asked, his gaze like torches, not seeming to joke.

"In a few years." Xiao Li replied offhand.

In a few years, if the three-year agreement still stands, I certainly can't let Xiao Yan fight alone; I'll definitely go to support the scene, and to deal with the mighty Yunlan Sect, I must have my own backing.

Moreover, in Heijiao Yu there are many strong ones, and unknown numbers of hidden, low-key experts lurk in the dark; if we could recruit them, Xiao Li would have the confidence to oppose the Yunlan Sect—of course, this can only start after he reaches Fighting King, for a Great Dou Master's strength is still too weak.

Qian Lao nodded, saying nothing more; for now it's better for Xiao Li to rely on himself.

"All right, kid, with your speed it will take at least half a month to reach the Blood Sect; this is all your training, and unless the Blood Sect's elders make a move, I and Bai Lie will not intervene." Qian Lao said.

Xiao Li clasped his hands, "This auction has already troubled Qian Lao and Bai Lao; I'm out for training, so naturally I can't rely on elders for everything."

If it weren't for the abundance of good items, it'd be a pity to miss them, and letting Heijiao Yu's forces buy them would be even more regrettable; Qian Lao also won't overly interfere in Xiao Li's training process.

……

The Blood Sect's base lies in the northwest of Heijiao Yu within Heijiao Yu; almost no one dares approach, fearing capture by the Blood Sect to become blood slaves.

Because the Blood Sect cultivates solely by drinking blood, they cannot stay in Black Seal City like the Eight Gates; they reside on a certain mountain.

According to that Fighting King of the Blood Sect, the Blood Sha Punishing Heavenly Lightning lies underground beneath the Blood Sect's central hall, at a depth of kilometers, and the entrance is inside the hall.

"Qian Lao, how will we get in then?" Xiao Li asked.

"Can you sneak in?" Qian Lao countered.

"Um… the Blood Sect's main hall must be near the sect leader's residence; junior cannot." Xiao Li scratched his head; under the nose of a Fighting Emperor, how could he possibly infiltrate?

Qian Lao rolled his eyes, "That's settled; at that time Bai Lie will cause a disturbance to draw away the Blood Sect's high-ups, and I'll help you enter the Blood Sect's underground."

"But make clear beforehand, those below Fighting Spirit are your responsibility; we won't help you."

"Junior understands."

At night, in an unnamed forest, since Xiao Li had just cultivated the Profound Lightning Body, Qian Lao rare ly gave him a day off, waiting to find a place with richer lightning to give him a lightning tempering.

Bai Lao went ahead to scout the Blood Sect's depths, while Qian Lao, unusually distant from Xiao Li, said he would go gather some medicinal herbs; absorbing the Strange Lightning certainly requires thorough preparation.

With no one nearby for once, Xiao Li hastily took out all the magic beast corpses he had obtained and moved them into his internal Blood Furnace.

The Blood Furnace had long been dormant; this time, with a large batch of corpses added, it finally roused a blazing fire, Xiao Li's strength leapt, and the Furnace's power grew stronger—first- and second-stage corpses were being consumed at a visible pace, and one Blood Pill after another appeared in his hand.

Xiao Li chose not to use them now; if he accidentally broke through, the perceptive Qian Lao might notice, and then his suction technique might not be guaranteed to hold.

Better to wait a year, then use them together in seclusion.

Moreover, first- and second-stage Blood Pills are of little use to him now; later selling them or giving them to Xiao family disciples would be good options.

However, the Blood Pills contain many impurities; when giving them to Xiao family members, one must also warn them not to be greedy and overreach.

The journey to the Blood Sect still takes half a month, which is just right for refining all the Blood Pills.

"Ji" twice means to exterminate, strong, punitive.

Sorry, everyone, I went to sign up for the college entrance exam today, so the third update will be a bit late; please help me by clicking to follow tomorrow, Sunday—this is really important to me, QAQ.

This chapter is still a transition, laying groundwork for later plot; please, everyone, criticize less the humble high-school student author, and don't abandon the book—the next two chapters will surely be exciting!

(End of chapter)