Chapter 747: The Blood God Cult

While Ling Feng and his team were fully focused on preparing for the Five Courts' Sword Team Grand Competition, the despicable donkey—who had been chased across the world by Human Emperor experts from the Tianmeng—was far from living as carefree a life as Ling Feng.

"Damn it all to hell!"

Despicable donkey flicked his tail, planted his hooves on his hips, and panted heavily. "Who knew the Tianmeng had so many experts? Hmph! If this divine beast had recovered even half its strength, one kick would've sent those damn pests straight to the afterlife!"

After catching his breath, he leaned against a boulder, muttering in confusion, "But come to think of it, those bastards just stopped chasing me out of nowhere. Must've realized how powerful this divine beast is and decided they didn't want to die!"

Little did he know, Ling Feng had already cleaned up the mess he left behind.

The Tianmeng had revoked his sky-tier kill order and relayed the news to all branches across the empire. Upon receiving this, the Human Emperors pursuing him had naturally dispersed.

For one, after days of clashes with the donkey, they'd realized his true strength—if he fought desperately, he could easily take a few of them down with him.

Secondly, while the donkey's mouth was foul and his attacks shamelessly aimed below the belt, he hadn't actually killed anyone. There was no irreconcilable blood feud between them.

Regardless, the despicable donkey had finally escaped his pursuers.

"And now I've ended up in this godforsaken Western Wilderness again!"

He sighed. In his panic, he'd fled westward, where the landscape was barren—nothing but endless stretches of rubble, with scarcely a tree in sight.

After resting a while longer and confirming no one was tailing him, he finally accepted that he was truly safe.

"Seems like the danger's passed."

The donkey wasn't in a hurry to return to Ling Feng's side. Without knowing the full situation, it was better to gather information first before deciding his next move.

Exhausted from days of being hunted, he trudged forward, hoping to find a human settlement where he could rest.

After walking for who knows how long, he finally stumbled upon a modest-sized town.

Located deep in the Western Wilderness, the town resembled an earthen fortress. Its residents lived in hardship, struggling with food and water shortages.

Pulling his cloak tighter, the donkey entered the town—only to notice something odd. Every passerby eyed him strangely.

"What's this? Can they see through the cloak to this divine beast's dashing looks?"

Frowning, he ignored the stares and entered a shabby inn built of packed earth.

Unsurprisingly, the inn was nearly deserted.

"Customer, dining or lodging?"

A waiter hurried over, handing him a menu with a practiced smile.

"Food first." The donkey waved a hoof dismissively. "Hey, buddy, what's going on in this town? Everyone outside seems a bit... off."

"Shh—!"

The waiter immediately tensed, lowering his voice. "Customer, you're not from around here, are you? If not, eat up and leave as soon as possible!"

"Leave?"

The donkey crossed his hooves smugly. "Heh, usually it's this lord causing trouble for others, not the other way around. Spit it out—what's happening?"

"It's that damned... Blood God Cult!"

The waiter trembled as he spoke. "Not long ago, a Taoist priest claiming to be a disciple of the 'Blood Sword Heavenly Lord' showed up in our Wuxi Town. He set up an altar and started preaching, demanding everyone join the Blood God Cult!"

"Blood God Cult? What nonsense is that?" The donkey scoffed.

"Shh! Don't say that!" The waiter broke into a cold sweat. "Customer, the Blood God Cult's enforcers wield real divine skills! They can make the sick and weak instantly healthy, and they claim even those without cultivation talent—people who could never reach the Qi Formation Realm—can gain spiritual roots! They say ordinary folks can learn to fly, move mountains, and even achieve immortality, just like martial artists!"

"Oh?" The donkey sneered. "And you believe this 'enforcer lord'? If it's such a great deal, why haven't you joined?"

"I'm not stupid!" The waiter whispered. "I once tried joining a sect myself. Though I failed, I know the basics—spiritual roots are innate. Forcing cultivation must have side effects. This Blood God Cult? Ninety percent chance it's a... a cult!"

When he uttered the last word, his voice dropped to complete silence—only his lips moved.

"At least you've got some sense."

The donkey rubbed his chin. Even evil cultivators usually just killed commoners for their essence blood. Why go through the trouble of deceiving ignorant villagers with this Blood God Cult nonsense?

This wasn't just some petty scheme.

"This Blood God Cult must be hiding something valuable!"

The donkey's eyes gleamed with greed. As a demon beast, he had no concept of good or evil—only treasures and trash.

"Ahem, customer, Wuxi Town is now one of the Blood God Cult's four branch temples. Best not to talk about this further. What would you like to eat?" The waiter forced a smile, changing the subject.

"Just bring me your specialty."

"Ah, our donkey meat sandwich—"

Before the waiter could finish, the donkey kicked him flying.

"SCREW YOU!"

...

Night fell.

The despicable donkey decided to investigate the Blood God Cult branch temple under cover of darkness.

From the waiter's description and his own observations, the townsfolk seemed to have had their vitality drained, yet they'd also cultivated some eerie martial art that left them emotionally numb but physically enhanced—stronger, pain-resistant.

"Definitely evil arts!"

The donkey couldn't care less about evil arts, but this suddenly emerged Blood God Cult piqued his interest.

When they'd last traveled to Wangduan Mountain, there'd been no mention of a Blood God Cult in the Western Wilderness.

For it to expand so rapidly in just over a month, its leader had to be formidable—and likely in possession of an extremely powerful evil artifact!

Since he had stumbled upon it anyway, he might as well wipe out this Blood God Cult. At the very least, he could make some extra profit!

(Author's note: The Blood God Cult was actually foreshadowed earlier. Care to guess who its leader is? Hint: Think about the title 'Blood Sword Heavenly Lord.')