Chapter 70 Rapid Cultivation

Within Lin Feng’s aperture, the primeval sea churned violently. Under the continuous influx of purified energy, enormous waves rose one after another and crashed relentlessly against the aperture walls. The membrane repeatedly trembled beneath the impact before finally beginning to transform, its golden radiance flickering continuously as Lin Feng’s cultivation climbed at an astonishing speed.

Rank Four middle stage!

Rank Four upper stage!

Rank Four peak stage!

In less than half a day, Lin Feng had risen directly from Rank Four initial stage to Rank Four peak stage. Such cultivation speed even surpassed Relic Gu, which could instantly raise a Gu Master cultivation by one minor stage!

This was precisely the terrifying allure of Blood Path. As long as one abandoned all restraint and was willing to slaughter and plunder without hesitation, cultivation could advance at an astonishing rate. What others required years or even decades of bitter cultivation to accomplish could sometimes be achieved by a Blood Path Gu Master within a single day.

Countless Gu Masters had been drawn into the vortex of Blood Path precisely because of this temptation. It did not matter whether they belonged to the righteous path or demonic path. In this world, strength determines one’s status, wealth, safety, and even whether one lived or died. Faced with the possibility of obtaining such power in a fraction of the usual time, how many people could truly remain unmoved?

This was also why Blood Path could never be allowed to spread freely. Unless everyone in the world cultivated the Blood Path, the temptation to slaughter others for rapid advancement would always remain. Once it became widespread, Gu Masters would inevitably begin treating one another as cultivation resources, plunging the entire world into endless bloodshed.

Of course, the righteous path was no more immune to the allure of Blood Path than anyone else. Although the great righteous forces openly prohibited Blood Path cultivation and relentlessly hunted Blood Path demonic Gu Masters, many secretly researched its methods and accumulated its inheritances for themselves.

Shang Clan leader Shang Yanfei was one such example. As a Rank Five peak stage Blood Path Gu Master, he possessed the Blood Handprint True Inheritance, one of Blood Sea Ancestor’s true inheritances, and had even obtained clues concerning the Blood Shadow True Inheritance. Yet because Shang Clan was willing to compromise with the other righteous forces and share a portion of its Blood Path research and benefits, those forces tacitly tolerated Shang Yanfei’s cultivation.

Even if demonic Gu Masters found this hypocritical, what could they do about it? Appeal to another righteous clan and demand that they punish Shang Yanfei for cultivating the Blood Path? The righteous and demonic paths represented fundamentally different interests. The same action could be tolerated when committed by one of their own and condemned as an unforgivable crime when committed by an outsider.

“Hahaha! As expected of Blood Path! All these years of planning and all the effort I’ve spent were worth it. Today, I’ve finally reaped the rewards!” Even with Lin Feng’s temperament, he could not suppress his laughter after sensing the enormous increase in his cultivation.

Although he had failed to break directly into Rank Five, this was largely due to his B-grade aptitude. Compared with an A-grade Gu Master, the difficulty of reaching Rank Five was several times greater. Even so, advancing directly from Rank Four initial stage to peak stage had saved him more than ten years of painstaking cultivation. How could he not be pleased?

Of course, cultivation raised so violently was not without flaws. Rapidly obtaining power that normally required years of accumulation inevitably left a Gu Master lacking the corresponding experience and control. Yet for most demonic Gu Masters, this could hardly be considered a serious drawback. Unlike clansmen or sect disciples, demonic Gu Masters usually wandered alone. They lacked stable resources and powerful elders to protect them, while constantly facing pursuit from righteous forces and attacks from other demonic cultivators. Under such circumstances, survival naturally came before everything else.

If increasing one’s cultivation immediately raises the chance of surviving tomorrow, why worry about whether one’s accumulation was perfectly stable? One first needed to remain alive before having the luxury of considering such matters.

Blood Path compressed what might have been an ordinary lifetime into a brief eruption of brilliance, allowing a Gu Master to rise with terrifying speed even if the price was equally terrifying. Perhaps such brilliance resembled a firework, dazzling yet fleeting. But without Blood Path, many demonic Gu Masters would be killed by the righteous path before they ever had the chance to shine at all.

Yet just as Lin Feng was immersed in the joy of reaching Rank Four peak stage, an inexplicable pressure suddenly settled over his heart.

“Strange… I’ve already reached the Rank Four peak stage. Even if I encounter a Rank Five expert, I should at least have the confidence to escape with my life. Then why is this feeling of oppression becoming stronger?”

Lin Feng’s laughter faded. His heartbeat quickened as an increasingly powerful sense of unease rose within him. It was not ordinary fear, nor did it seem to originate from any immediate danger around him. Instead, it felt almost like an instinctive warning that something beyond his control had changed.

Lin Feng’s expression slowly became solemn. There was only one possibility he could think of.

Great Love Immortal Venerable had returned.