Chapter 34: The Aftereffects of the Blood Refinement and Soul Augmentation Secret Art

If you can’t beat them, join them.

First, I’ll cloak myself in the colors of the Azure Water Sect.

Shen Lian swiftly tidied himself, affixed a Concealment Talisman to mask the sharp aura of his recent breakthrough, grabbed his communication charm, and stepped out of his home.

Weng Xia sought him out for the same old business—drawing superior Miasma Dispelling Talismans. His great-grandson, Weng He, was heading out on another mission and needed him to increase production.

As Shen Lian walked through the market streets, he used his spiritual sense to detect nearby empty spaces, still tinged with lingering spiritual energy. In the past, even cultivators had to exert themselves to draw in spiritual energy, but now it drifted visibly through the air in wisps and threads. The closer he got to the market’s core, the denser the spiritual energy became, especially near Yunmeng Mountain. From afar, he could see mist swirling—the residual spiritual energy yet to disperse.

Unlike the central area, the market’s core was off-limits to rogue cultivators, with the Azure Water Sect’s enforcement patrols guarding the shop-lined streets. Upon entering the commercial avenue, Shen Lian was greeted by a rush of thick spiritual energy. There was already a Spirit Gathering Array here, but now the floating spiritual energy was three or four times denser than before the spiritual tide.

He understood immediately—this was no ordinary spiritual tide. A second-grade spiritual vein beneath Yunmeng Mountain couldn’t cause such commotion. It seemed he had no choice but to join the Azure Water Sect. Best to blend in first and see what comes.

Inside the Treasure Pavilion, Weng Xia was busy, with cultivators lining up before him. Shen Lian glanced around, signaled with his communication charm, and proceeded to Yunmeng Pavilion—the only legitimate tavern on the street.

He ordered a private room, wine, and dishes, then waited for Weng Xia. Nearly an hour passed before Weng Xia hurried in, breathless.

“Brother, you’ve waited long. Didn’t expect things to get suddenly busy—hard to slip away.”

Shen Lian filled his glass. “You’re being too formal, brother.”

“I suppose you’re here for something today. Ask away.”

Weng Xia didn’t stand on ceremony, drinking as he spoke.

Shen Lian said, “The market’s been chaotic lately—I feel uneasy. Does your sect still accept new disciples?”

“You wish to join the Azure Water Sect?”

Over the years, Weng Xia considered himself somewhat familiar with Shen Lian. He knew this little brother was a homebody, rarely stepping outside unless absolutely necessary, almost like a sheltered maiden in the mundane world. He even ran an array at home. This wasn’t just unease—it was pure mental obsession.

“Brother, my admiration for the Azure Water Sect flows like the endless river… When I first set out on the cultivation path, I dreamed of joining a sect…”

Before Weng Xia could reply, Shen Lian continued, “I don’t aspire to be a formal disciple—just a position like yours, something steady and secure.”

Weng Xia drained his cup, shaking his head with a bitter smile.

“Brother, it’s not that I won’t help you, but the sect only recruits ‘spiritual seedlings’… You’re nearly forty, not even an old seedling anymore.”

“Besides, this is Yunmeng Market… If you were at the sect’s main site, you could rent a spiritual field for planting.”

Spiritual seedlings referred to youths with spiritual roots who had yet to embark on the cultivation path. There was a reason the sect didn’t accept rogue cultivators. The cultivation world had seen many cases where sects brought in rogue cultivators, only to suffer backlash. Rogue cultivators, rebellious by nature, couldn’t guarantee loyalty after the initial nurturing phase.

Ironically, Shen Lian’s goal was just to blend in, secure an inconsequential position, and slip away whenever convenient. He couldn’t claim unwavering loyalty, and his “loyalty content” was admittedly low. The Azure Water Sect had seen through such tricks, setting rules in advance to keep clever opportunists like him out.

Of course, some sects now admitted rogue cultivators as guest elders, but Shen Lian’s strength and top-grade talisman expertise weren’t enough for that.

He set those thoughts aside and discussed the spiritual tide with Weng Xia. But Weng Xia knew little, only that the earth veins beneath Yunmeng Mountain had suddenly shifted, causing spiritual energy to leak. Not just Yunmeng Market—Nanjiang and Changhe Markets experienced the same phenomenon at the same time.

They ate for nearly half an hour before Weng Xia rushed off to work, leaving Shen Lian alone to drink.

“Damn it, where’s the trust between men and sects?”

He slapped his cup on the table, pondering the feasibility of his next plan.

Plan Two, or Plan Three?

The lockdown order and spiritual energy anomaly made it hard to believe there wasn’t a connection.

…

Lu Family Apothecary.

“Fellow Daoist, it’s been a while.”

The shopkeeper greeted Shen Lian warmly.

Shen Lian glanced inside—just the shopkeeper, the pretty young girl wasn’t around.

“Shopkeeper, a bottle of Miasma Dispelling Pills.”

“Fellow Daoist, the price has gone up two spirit stones.”

“Price increased?”

“Yes, more cultivators need Miasma Dispelling Pills lately, and our stock is tight.”

The shopkeeper placed a bottle in front of Shen Lian.

Shen Lian paid twelve spirit stones, took the pills, and left.

He wandered the market, noticing that prices for Miasma Dispelling Pills, Poison Dispelling Pills, and Miasma Dispelling Talismans had all risen slightly.

After making his purchases, Shen Lian returned home and sat cross-legged in his cultivation chamber, letting his mind wander.

Once he regained focus, he took out his Blood Refining Soul Technique and a beast.

Cultivation.

No matter how turbulent the outside world, strengthening himself was the unshakable path. He’d finally acquired a spiritual sense secret technique—he couldn’t afford to be picky.

He placed the beast before him—a shabby young demon fox, its skull scorched with a gaping wound.

Placing his palm on the fox’s head, Shen Lian thought of the Nine Yin Bone Claw. Thankfully, the Blood Refining Soul Technique drew blood essence directly, not requiring live consumption.

Spiritual power gathered in his palm and surged into the fox’s body, eliciting strands of bloody demon energy.

Shen Lian activated the secret technique.

It worked in two steps: first refine blood into essence, then use the essence to nourish spiritual sense.

“Mmm…”

Bloody, demon-tainted energy streamed through his hand into his body, his features twisting with ferocity.

Buzz—

After nearly half an hour, Shen Lian was shrouded in a layer of blood light, appearing possessed, even his eyes reddened.

Examining himself inwardly, he found a bead-sized drop of bright red blood at his heart.

He licked his lips, instinctively reaching for the shriveled fox carcass, tempted to stuff it into his mouth.

The thought jolted him.

He was developing a craving for the taste of blood.

Coming to his senses, Shen Lian hurried to the talisman chamber, spreading talisman paper and drawing talismans.

He failed three times in a row, the paper smoking black.

On the fourth attempt, he finally crafted a Clarity Talisman.

Plastering it to his forehead, the coolness slightly eased the bloodthirsty urge.

He then made three more Clarity Talismans and stuck them to his brow.

“Huff, huff—”

He paced the room, the talismans flapping on his forehead.

Thank goodness his surname wasn’t Ren.

After a long while, the redness faded from his eyes.

“The aftereffects of the blood refining technique are a bit much.”

He exhaled deeply, sat cross-legged, and examined his body. The essence blood attached to his heart was crystal-clear, radiating vibrant life.

A faint spiritual sense was stirring within the blood bead.

After advancing to Qi Refining seventh layer, his spiritual sense measured forty-nine zhang.

Now, it had grown slightly—just a few inches, but it was definitely expanding.

“Couldn’t those demonic masters invent techniques useful for the harmony of the cultivation world?”

The previous Five Organs True Demonic Technique promised to shatter pills and form infants, but required constant hunting and enmity—a violation of Shen Lian’s cautious principles. He had to let it go.

But a spiritual sense secret technique, with alternatives available, was hard to abandon.

“In future practice, I’ll set up a Clarity Talisman array—cultivate while half-possessed, half-clear-headed.”

“I should buy some Calming Warm Jade and related arrays for backup.”

To counter the aftereffects of the Blood Refining Soul Technique, Shen Lian quickly devised strategies.

He would stick to this secret art.

…

Half a month later.

Shen Lian’s spiritual sense had grown by another foot.

The three beast carcasses in his storage bag were now dried jerky.

Boom—

On this day, the earth trembled.

Deep in Yunmeng Mountain came a thunderous sound.

Spiritual energy surged once more from underground, forming billowing mist tides near Yunmeng Mountain that swept toward the market.

This spiritual surge lasted two full days.

The rogue cultivators in the market were overjoyed, desperately absorbing the energy.

Rumors flew.

Cultivators returning from seeking opportunities reported seeing celestial light soaring above Miasma Cloud Mountain, suggesting a great fortune had appeared. Many couldn’t resist investigating.

Shen Lian only needed to release his spiritual sense slightly to hear cultivators discussing the celestial light at Miasma Cloud Mountain.

He sighed.

Lately, luck hadn’t favored him.

Aside from obvious progress in his spiritual sense, his plans for moving house had suffered heavy setbacks.

Plan One—if you can’t beat them, join them—had failed.

Plan Two—befriend a Foundation Establishment cultivator aboard a spirit ship—also failed, not for lack of effort, but because the Azure Water Sect’s spirit ship hadn’t appeared for a month.

As for Plan Three—ride the coattails of a family cultivator—

Shen Lian had prepared to use a disguise talisman to sculpt a handsome face, even resorting to his own charm, ready to stage a rescue romance.

But the naive, easy-to-fool pretty girl from the Lu family had gone off with her cousin to train in a cave mansion atop Yunmeng Mountain.

Well…

Even a good horse stumbles sometimes.

No more talk.

“There’s an ancient ruin beneath the celestial light, an aura so old it doesn’t belong to our era.”

“Are you serious?”

“Of course. Miasma Cloud Mountain has split open—there’s a mining vein with an excavated ruin right beside an ancient city. See for yourself if you don’t believe it.”

“The Wildlands have cultivation civilization dating back to the Middle Ages.”

“Rumor has it the Azure Water Sect’s Golden Core Ancestor has gone.”

…

“Middle Age Ruins.”

“Golden Core Ancestor.”

Shen Lian was speechless. These two together spelled nothing but trouble.

His own crow’s mouth—he’d spoken too soon.