Chapter 322 - Running into Xue Tianhe

Chen Fan darted through the treetops like a wisp of green smoke. With another flash, he disappeared without a trace.

Jiji, jiji...

As soon as Chen Fan left, a horde of writhing worms slithered from the murky swamp. They attacked the corpses of Gu Fenxian and the others, devouring them whole, leaving nothing but bare bones behind.

......

At another location in the Foggy Swamp, a blood-colored figure was clutching the neck of an eighth-level expert. With a sinister grin, the figure sank his sharp, bloody fangs into the victim's neck, indifferent to their pleas for mercy.

The sound of fresh blood gushing out rang.

Gulp.

The painful cries of the eighth-level expert resounded sorrowfully in the Foggy Swamp.

Bang.

The figure, wearing a blood-shirt, casually threw the desiccated corpse to the ground soon. "Ah, that hits the spot. Feeding on these experts will surely bring me to the Core Formation realm even quicker. Just a few more, and my blood core will be fully condensed."

The man had already turned into a bloody blur and scurried into the forest, but his voice still rang in that area.

Swish, swish, swish.

Swift as a phantom, he darted through the swamp, seeking out his next unsuspecting prey.

Suddenly, the blood-clothed man stopped. Perched atop a tree, he carefully sniffed, and his eyes brightened. He mumbled to himself, “I wasn’t imagining it. What an intense scent of qi and blood. My blood demon power is tingling; it practically wants to rush out right now. So unusual... There's something truly remarkable about this prey's bloodline.”

“Excellent! This changes everything.” Xue Tianhe’s eyes flickered with excitement as he said, “I don’t have to feed on another twenty to thirty experts at the eighth or ninth level. Perhaps I can directly advance into the Core Formation realm with that blood. Then, the entire Nebulous Mysterious Realm will be mine for the taking...”

“Over there...” Xue Tianhe's focus sharpened as he honed in on his target. He transformed into a streak of crimson light and silently darted toward it.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan pressed on through the Foggy Swamp, searching for the ends of the swamp.

He didn’t encounter other martial artists, though he did encounter many demon beasts lying in wait. Once, he narrowly avoided falling victim to the sneak attack of a demon beast as strong as a ninth-level expert; thankfully, he only sustained minor injuries.

“Hmm?” Chen Fan suddenly stopped, furrowing in suspicion as he scanned his surroundings.

A moment ago, an inexplicable sense of danger had gripped him as if he were being hunted.

Looking around with his sharp gaze, he spread his powerful senses.

Suddenly, a fierce light shone in his eyes, and he unleashed a punch to his rear and to his side. He shouted, “Show yourself!”

Boom!

A swathe of tall trees behind him became splinters. The swamp exploded, splattering muddy waters everywhere.

Swish.

A blood-colored figure flickered, revealing itself. He landed lightly on a withered tree in the swamp and looked at Chen Fan with a vague smile.

“Kid, you’re pretty sharp,” said Xue Tianhe.

Chen Fan’s nose twitched. He found Xue Tianhe’s aura familiar yet disgusting. A cold light burst from his eyes, and he said icily, “Demonic cultivation technique... You’re a blood demon, aren’t you?”

Be it Sir Blood Shirt from the Qingyang Mountain Range or the blood-sucking bandits in the northwestern lands, one of the traits they shared was that Chen Fan felt uncomfortable the instant he laid eyes on them.

Xue Tianhe didn’t deny it. “Ah, it seems you've had run-ins with blood demons before, kid. Indeed, I am one. Tell me, do you possess a unique bloodline? Your qi and blood are making my demon powers dance in excitement. It makes me want to gobble you up.”

In his eyes, Chen Fan was little more than prey. Revealing his identity before the kill seemed almost like a perverse pleasure.

Chen Fan furrowed his brow.

It’s making the powers inside Xue Tianhe stir restlessly?

Looks like the Rain Dragon bloodline is extremely attractive to the blood demons.

Makes sense. Rain Dragons are divine dragons. They were godly existences in ancient times.

A single drop of the blood from those god-like beings could suppress the ages. They contained unimaginable powers. For practitioners like blood demons, whose strength stemmed from blood, Chen Fan’s blood was an exquisite feast. A single mouthful of his blood could instantly grant them a decade's worth of cultivation.

“Actually, your answer doesn’t matter, kid. The scent of your qi and blood intoxicated me even when I was five miles away. Trust me, your blood will be the most delectable thing I've ever tasted.

“And while we are trusting each other, I will let you in on a little secret. I am in the Illusory Core realm. I had expected that I would need the blood of a lot more eighth or ninth-level experts to advance to the Core Formation realm, but you... You will save me a lot of trouble.

“Your fresh blood is worth more than tens of them combined. I am ninety percent sure I can advance to the Core Formation realm after draining you. To serve as a stepping stone for my breakthrough, kid, this is a blessing you must have cultivated in eight lifetimes.”

His eyes shining, Xue Tianhe looked at Chen Fan as if he were a beautiful, naked woman.

“All you heretics deserve to die!” Chen Fan said coldly, bursting with killing intent.

Memories of the horrifying scenes in the northwestern lands flooded Chen Fan's mind—the sight of dry corpses strewn about, victims of blood-sucking bandits who showed no mercy, not even to infants. They could no longer be called humans; they were abominations.

“Hahahaha. Even in ancient times, the Nebulous Divine Palace failed to eradicate our holy cult despite uniting with various factions. Yet, a mere seventh-level guy like you dares to speak such insulting words. Very well, I won’t drain you in one go. No, I'll capture you and savor every drop of your blood slowly and surely.”

A savage smile appeared on Xue Tianhe’s face.

Chen Fan had a unique bloodline. If he could be kept in captivity like a domestic animal and supply blood to Xue Tianhe endlessly, then his cultivation would progress rapidly.

Chen Fan was startled. When he was in the northwestern lands, Lu Yun told him about the blood calamity that engulfed the Tianwu Continent during ancient times. The Blood Heavenly Demon Sect was so powerful that it had threatened the lives of everyone in the entire Tianwu Continent.

Thus, the righteous martial artists of the Tianwu Continent banded together and waged war against the Blood Heavenly Demon Sect to destroy them.

Unexpectedly, the Nebulous Divine Palace had led the way, leading the numerous righteous sects to eradicate the abominations.

“Alright, kid. Give yourself up, or let me cripple your cultivation. Make your choice.” Xue Tianhe smiled coldly, looking at Chen Fan with his arms crossed.

Chen Fan’s gaze turned fierce. He held the iron spear vertically in front of him and said coldly, “Let’s see how you’re going to cripple my cultivation!”

“Oh, so you’re not going to give yourself up.”

Xue Tianhe didn’t become angry. He said with a smile, “I guess I’ll have to shatter your delusions and show you the difference between us. It’s not something blind courage can make up for.”

As soon as his voice fell, Xue Tianhe struck.