Chapter 379: Fog Time

Inside the mountain cave, the two discussed many things, including Xun Ancai’s plans for the future development of the Dog Clan and the standards for their future cooperation.

As Xun Ancai matured, their relationship evolved from a simple romance into a partnership.

Xu Sanyan learned several crucial details from her. First, the Praying to the Gods Method could only be used by those who worshipped the Dog God. Even if he obtained it, it would be useless to him. This fundamental limitation shattered any lingering ambitions he had of becoming clan chief.

He suspected that the restriction wasn’t solely based on faith but also on bloodline.

What exactly was this so-called “Dog God”? Or, for that matter, what form did all the “gods” in this world truly exist in?

Were they merely ethereal beliefs, or were they once real, tangible beings? He couldn’t know for sure.

But he had a growing suspicion: these “gods” might not be entirely dead.

The Bear God and Snake God might be dead, as both races had perished and even their divine statues had been fed to the Dog God.

However, other deities of those races likely still existed in some form. Given the right conditions, they might even be resurrected.

These were merely Xu Sanyan’s speculations, unsupported by any evidence.

At that moment, a sense of rejection washed over him, signaling that his time in the Secret Realm World had expired.

“I’ll bring more food next time,” Xu Sanyan said before vanishing.

Outside the Secret Realm World,

Xu Sanyan noticed the writing left on the ground, confirming that Lin Fan hadn’t emerged and was still inside the Secret Realm World.

Lin Fan had absorbed too much spiritual energy during his last visit, leaving him uncertain how long he would need to remain inside.

“Lucky bastard,” Xu Sanyan muttered, curling his lip. He himself had to tread carefully each time he entered and exited, constantly guarding against outsiders while scheming against those within the secret realm.

Meanwhile, Lin Fan only needed to focus on conquering the secret realm, free from any other worries.

Xu Sanyan pulled out a spirit stone and began absorbing its energy. A surge of spiritual power flooded his meridians, gradually settling into his Qi Sea. He circulated the power to heal his body, the pain slowly receding.

“Hah…”

Xu Sanyan exhaled deeply, clenching his fist. His body surged with boundless energy. The sensation from this fourth blessing was entirely different from the previous three.

He felt a subtle transformation coursing through him, both internally and externally.

Listening intently, he could almost hear the sound of his blood flowing through his veins, like the surging Yangtze River, unstoppable in its momentum.

With a light stomp, a muffled thud echoed as a deep crater instantly formed in the ground. His physical strength had once again significantly increased, and his weight seemed to have increased as well.

Glancing at his panel, Xu Sanyan frowned sharply. New entries had appeared…

[ Xu Sanyan ]

[ Age: 23/1698 ]

[ Realm: Soul Refining Realm (Mid Stage) ]

[ Cultivation Method: Dao-Seizing Vitality Origin Sutra (Peak Stage) ]

[ Mystical Arts: Subduing the Heart-Ape Method (Peak Stage), Soaring Void Wind-Riding Technique (Peak Stage), Soul Condensation Technique (Peak Stage), Lu Clan’s Spirit Refining Force (Peak Stage), Purple Mountain Heart-Planting Art (Peak Stage), Detailed Explanation of the Soul-Gathering and Brilliance-Preserving Grand Formation (Peak Stage)… ]

[ Demonic Transformation: Dog Demon (0.1%) ]

[ Techniques—Perfect Circle Stance (Peak Stage). Three Tigers Subduing Dragon Saber (Peak Stage). Horse Appraisal Technique (Peak Stage)… ]

[ Vitality—960 ]

[ Demonic Transformation… ]

Xu Sanyan stared at the line of text. His previous three blessings had yielded no changes, so why was this one different?

[ Divine Blood! ]

He realized that the previous three blessings hadn’t used Divine Blood, only this fourth one had.

[ Bullshit Divine Blood—this is Demon Blood! ]

And this stuff can actually alter the panel?

Xu Sanyan shook his head. It probably wasn’t the Divine Blood itself changing the panel, but rather that the panel had this function all along, hidden until now because he hadn’t triggered it.

Perhaps he hadn’t fully unlocked the panel’s potential. There might be other features he hadn’t yet discovered.

Moreover, the “Dog Demon” option lacked a plus sign. There were two possibilities:

First, this feature couldn’t be upgraded through the panel and could only be enhanced by Demon Blood.

Second, he didn’t have enough Vitality.

Xu Sanyan suspected the latter was more likely.

[ Demonic Transformation… I wonder what it does. ]

If he maximized it, would his bloodline and race change, turning him into a Dog Demon?

Or become a half-human, half-demon existence?

A human-demon…?

Doesn’t seem very useful.

Lost in thought, Xu Sanyan placed his palm against the massive boulder and pushed with all his might. A beam of sunlight pierced through, illuminating the dark, cramped underground chamber.

Immediately afterward, a shadow fell across the entrance.

“Who’s lurking here?!”

A thunderous roar echoed from ahead, startling Xu Sanyan. He hadn’t expected anyone to be in this desolate place.

His eyes narrowed as he glanced up, instantly discerning the man’s cultivation level. Seeing that he was merely at the Foundation Establishment Realm, Xu Sanyan let out a long sigh of relief.

“Who are you, and why are you trespassing on Iron Clan territory?” the young man demanded, his eyes wary and his stance ready for battle.

“Iron Clan?” Xu Sanyan tilted his head, recalling what he knew. The Iron Clan was a vassal family of the Wang Family. He hadn’t realized his haphazard choice of location had led him to someone else’s territory.

Whoosh—

Without another word, Xu Sanyan’s figure blurred, vanishing from his spot as if teleporting.

The young man turned to flee in terror, unable to even track Xu Sanyan’s movements—clear proof of the man’s overwhelming power.

Thud!

A muffled thud echoed as the young man collapsed to the ground, revealing Xu Sanyan standing behind him. The young man’s neck was bent at an unnatural angle, his breath already gone.

To avoid complications, best to just kill him.

Looks like I need to choose a better spot next time, Xu Sanyan thought to himself.

With his mid-stage Soul Refinement cultivation level, Xu Sanyan didn’t need to be so cautious. While he couldn’t exactly roam the cultivation world unchallenged, he was certainly powerful enough to dominate a region.

Even among the five great sects of the Central Region, Soul Refining Realm cultivators were relatively rare. In mid-tier sects like the Vast Origin Sect, the Sect Leader himself was only at the same realm as Xu Sanyan.

But Xu Sanyan was accustomed to caution. After all, his life was his own, and he valued it dearly.

Upon returning to Thousand Autumns City, he noticed a significant increase in personnel throughout the city. Many Wang Family disciples hurried back and forth, their purpose unclear.

Moreover, entering the city now required inspection, no longer the casual affair it once was.

Unaware of what had transpired, Xu Sanyan curiously surveyed his surroundings.

Just then, a warm greeting came from behind him. “Eh, Brother Lin, what are you doing here?”

Xu Sanyan turned to see Wang Ying and Wang Yu, the Wang Family brothers. He clasped his hands in greeting.

“Just taking a leisurely stroll. What brings you two here?”

Although the Wang brothers were nominally his subordinates, their status as the First Madam’s people gave them a unique position. Xu Sanyan never lorded his authority over them, treating them as equals.

Wang Yu stepped forward to explain. “Oh, it’s almost Mist Time.”

“Mist Time?” Xu Sanyan had never heard of it before.

Wang Ying chuckled. “Brother Lin, you haven’t been in the Chaotic Cloud Mountains long, so you might not know much about it. There’s a reason these mountains are called the Chaotic Cloud Mountains, you know.”

“I’m eager to learn more.”

(End of the Chapter)