Chapter 125 - 124: Blood Evil Body Protection Technique, Changing the Cultivation Technique

Chapter 125: Chapter 124: Blood Evil Body Protection Technique, Changing the Cultivation Technique

「Three days later.」

Steward Sunx came to Lu Zhao’s room, tossed him a Jade Scroll, and then took his leave.

Lu Zhao immersed his Divine Sense into the Jade Scroll. The patrol schedule appeared clearly in his Sea of Consciousness: he was partnered with an Outer Sect Steward named Fengg Dao, a Qi Cultivator at the Ninth Layer, and their main duty was to patrol and guard the periphery and internal areas of the outpost.

As for the area near the Blood Spirit Jade Mine Cave, others were responsible for it, and they had no need to set foot there. The patrol cycle was seven days, and he only had to be on duty for one day, leaving the other six for him to arrange as he wished.

This arrangement suited Lu Zhao’s intentions perfectly. He made up his mind to lay low at this Lingze County outpost for over a year. Although the environment was harsh and plagued by Blood Spirit Worms, the time for cultivation was solid and guaranteed.

He planned to use this year to cultivate the *Hundred Waters Spirit Enhancement Skill* to the Minor Achievement stage. More importantly, he needed to diligently hone his Puppetry skills to prepare for breaking through to become a Tier One High-Grade puppet master. For now, however, the most important task was to cultivate the Secret Technique from the *Blood Shadow Corpse Refining Skill*—the Blood Evil Body Protection Technique.

He had already committed the cultivation technique for this skill to memory over the past few days. Its core principle was to refine the Evil Qi from the blood of a massive number of Demon Beasts or Cultivators, condensing it into a Protective Blood Gang.

The cultivation levels of this Magic were similar to the *Breath Concealment and Shapeshifting Skill*, also divided into five layers. The amount of blood required for the first layer alone was terrifying, and using blood from a homologous source yielded the best results. Once the first layer was mastered, the Protective Blood Gang would provide a Defense Power comparable to a Tier One Middle-Grade Defense Spiritual Artifact. In the future, by continuing to absorb Evil Qi, one could cultivate the first layer to its peak, achieving a Defense Power comparable to a Tier One High-Grade defensive magic tool.

Of course, this Magic’s primary function couldn’t be used to deal with Blood Spirit Worms. However, another key passage in the technique’s description showed Lu Zhao a way to handle them. If a cultivator of this skill slaughtered a large number of the same type of Demon Beast, they would accumulate a special kind of Evil Qi specific to that species.

Demon Beasts of the same species would perceive this Evil Qi, feel an instinctual fear, and flee immediately! Lu Zhao’s goal was precisely to use these ubiquitous Blood Spirit Worms to cultivate this technique. As long as he reached the Entry Level of the first layer of the Blood Evil Body Protection Technique, he could accumulate Evil Qi specific to Blood Spirit Worms. This would form a natural deterrent, saving him the massive expenditure of maintaining his Protective Spiritual Light and even carving out a relatively "clean" space for himself within this sea of insects.

「Seven days later.」

His turn for duty had arrived. At the outpost entrance, Lu Zhao met the Outer Sect Steward named Fengg Dao.

Fengg Dao was a middle-aged man with an ordinary face and a slightly plump build. His Steward Black Robe was faded from washing, but his face always wore a friendly smile, as if he’d known you for ages, making him seem quite talkative.

The moment they met, he greeted Lu Zhao warmly with a cupped-fist salute. "You must be Junior Brother Lu Zhao, correct? I’ve heard so much about you! I am Fengg Dao. Being a few years your senior, I’ll presume to call myself your senior brother." His gaze swept over Lu Zhao’s youthful face with a hint of curiosity. "You look new around here, Junior Brother. Which County are you from? And when did you join the Sect?"

Lu Zhao returned the courtesy, his tone calm. "Greetings, Brother Fengg. I am from Northern Plains County. I joined the Sect during the last Bixia Grand Ceremony."

"Oh? The last ceremony?" A flash of understanding crossed Fengg Dao’s eyes, quickly followed by a subtle hint of pride. "Well then, that makes me your senior! I joined during the ceremony before last. All told, I’ve been in the Bixia Sect for more than ten years now!" He puffed out his chest, looking every bit the seasoned veteran.

Lu Zhao’s expression remained unchanged as he went along with it, offering a compliment. "Brother Fengg, you have profound seniority and rich experience. I hope you’ll offer me your guidance in the future."

"Of course, of course!" Fengg Dao was clearly pleased. He laughed heartily, but his smile was soon tinged with bitterness and self-deprecation. "But what’s the use of seniority? In the Outer Sect, you can’t eat seniority, and you certainly can’t spend it like Spirit Stones." He sighed, his voice dropping to a grumble. "The Foundation Establishment Pill... ten thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones! If even one out of ten cultivators at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer manages to save up that much, it’s considered good! And that one person probably has a Foundation Establishment elder in their family helping them out, or they just got incredibly lucky and stumbled upon some great opportunity. If you really want to rely on yourself? Heh, not even one in a hundred succeeds! It’s hard... as hard as ascending to heaven!"

He seemed to be saying this to Lu Zhao, yet also muttering to himself. Lu Zhao’s heart stirred slightly, and he followed up, "What Brother Fengg says is absolutely right. In that case, does it mean the Sect’s rule of ’exchanging Spirit Stones for the Pill’ is like a backdoor opened for a very select few?"

"Isn’t it just!" Fengg Dao acted as if he’d found a kindred spirit, the floodgates of his speech opening completely. "What else did you think? That the Sect is a charity? This rule is clearly telling people like us, with no background and no luck: either accept your fate or risk your life for a chance! A chance to fight for some illusory opportunity, or..." He paused, not finishing the thought, and just sighed heavily again. "Forget it, forget it. Let’s not talk about such depressing things. It only makes one more frustrated. Come, come, let me tell you some interesting stories about this Lingze County..."

Fengg Dao was indeed talkative. Throughout the patrol, his mouth barely stopped moving. He went from which Steward at the outpost had a strange temper, to which area you could occasionally find some worthless but rare associated Spirit Ore, to that one time he saw a suspected Tier Two Demon Beast fly past in the distance... His topics were all over the map, which helped to alleviate the monotony of the patrol.

Lu Zhao, meanwhile, played the part of a competent listener. He would occasionally interject with a question but spent most of the time silently observing his surroundings while dedicating a sliver of his Heart Spirit to circulating the *Little Spirit Rain Technique* to absorb the local Spiritual Qi and replenish his own.

The patrol route was not complicated. It mainly involved inspecting the Defensive Array’s light curtain along the outpost’s perimeter, checking for any damage or signs of impact from Demon Beasts, while also keeping an eye out for any unusual activity within the outpost. As for the Blood Spirit Jade Mine Cave, they could feel a dense Cold Yin Qi and the faint fluctuations of a Restriction from a great distance, confirming it was indeed outside their jurisdiction.

Just as Steward Sunx had said, the patrol itself wasn’t dangerous. The peril of the Lingze County outpost lay in the ubiquitous sneak attacks from Blood Spirit Worms and the harsh environment, not the patrol duty itself.

Lu Zhao and his partner finished the day completely unscathed, which was to be expected. After all, the outpost was guarded by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and a formidable Array, so ordinary Demon Beasts dared not approach. And while the Blood Spirit Worms were numerous, they posed no threat as long as one maintained their Protective Spiritual Light. The patrol was peaceful, aside from the slippery moss underfoot, the lingering sweet, coppery smell of insects in the air, and Fengg Dao’s incessant chatter.

Back in his simple wooden hut, Lu Zhao sat cross-legged, but he didn’t immediately begin his cultivation. The information Fengg Dao had unintentionally revealed today had stirred some waves in his heart.

’Ten thousand Spirit Stones, and not even one in a hundred...’ Hearing this had surprised Lu Zhao as well; the odds were even lower than he’d thought. But on second thought, it was normal. After all, ten thousand Spirit Stones was indeed not a sum a mere Qi Cultivator could produce. While this was surprising, what concerned Lu Zhao more was another seemingly casual exchange.

During the patrol, he had feigned curiosity and asked, "Brother Fengg, do the martial uncles in the Foundation Establishment Stage also cultivate Lower Grade Cultivation Techniques?"

Without even thinking, Fengg Dao had casually replied, "How could that be possible! As far as I know, the martial uncles in the Foundation Establishment Stage all cultivate Middle-Grade Cultivation Techniques bestowed by the Sect! Lower Grade Cultivation Techniques? That’s what we Outer Disciples and Outer Sect Stewards cultivate."

This sentence was like parting the clouds to see the sun, instantly resolving a long-held dilemma in Lu Zhao’s mind.

He had long considered changing his Main Cultivation Method. The *Little Spirit Rain Technique* was only a Lower Grade and incomplete technique. Although it had helped him cultivate to this point, as his Cultivation deepened and his knowledge broadened, he knew its potential was limited and that it was not a top-notch choice. His dilemma, however, was whether to try and switch during the Qi Cultivation Stage or wait until after Foundation Establishment.

Changing a Cultivation Technique during the Qi Cultivation Stage was a significant risk. It required dispersing one’s cultivation to start anew, which was both time-consuming and exhausting. More critically, the other Cultivation Techniques he could access now were also merely Lower Grade. Who could guarantee they would be a better fit for him than the *Little Spirit Rain Technique* he was long familiar with? It might not be worth all the trouble.

Lu Zhao had been hesitating, but Fengg Dao’s casual words today were like a beacon cutting through a thick fog! They pointed him toward an unmistakably clear path—after Foundation Establishment, the Sect would bestow a Middle-Grade Cultivation Technique!

This meant he could wait until after Foundation Establishment to switch to a more powerful Middle-Grade Water Attribute Technique better suited for his future path! There was no need to exhaust his energy during the Qi Cultivation Stage to pursue a change where the risks far outweighed the rewards!

’I’ll use the *Little Spirit Rain Technique* to reach Foundation Establishment, then switch techniques!’ A flicker of resolve flashed in Lu Zhao’s eyes, and the last trace of hesitation in his heart vanished.

This decision made his next cultivation goal crystal clear: achieve Foundation Establishment first, at any cost! As for what came after? With a Middle-Grade Cultivation Technique as a solid Dao Foundation, his future Immortal Path would naturally be longer and broader!

With his thoughts clear, Lu Zhao took a deep breath and turned his attention back to the present. He took out a Blank Jade Scroll and once again carefully went over the cultivation technique for the first layer of the *Blood Evil Body Protection Technique*.

This technique required drawing Demon Beast Essence Blood into the body and using a special technique to refine the Evil Qi within it. The process was quite perilous; the slightest mistake could lead to a backlash from the baleful energy, affecting one’s mind.

’Blood Spirit Worms...’ Lu Zhao’s gaze turned cold as his Divine Sense swept over the ubiquitous, faint buzzing outside his hut. These annoying little things would soon become the "provisions" for his cultivation of this technique.

He stood up and walked to a corner of the room. Piled there were several crude devices he had fashioned in his spare time over the past few days from ordinary Refined Iron and Cyan Pattern Wood. They were shaped like funnels, with miniature "blood-drawing" and "sealing" Runes embedded at the bottom. These were the tools he had prepared for collecting the blood of Blood Spirit Worms on a large scale.

’I’ll start tomorrow,’ Lu Zhao decided. In his time off from patrols, he would collect Insect Blood while attempting to cultivate the *Blood Evil Body Protection Technique*. Once he reached the Entry Level of this technique and accumulated Evil Qi specific to the Blood Spirit Worms, he would be able to survive better here and increase his strength more quickly.

Inside the wooden hut, a luminous stone emitted a soft, steady glow. Lu Zhao sat cross-legged again, closed his eyes to focus, and began to repeatedly simulate the circulation route and key refining acupoints of the *Blood Evil Body Protection Technique* in his mind. He had decided to make his first attempt tomorrow and needed to be fully prepared to prevent any accidents.