Chapter 175: Qilin Blood Body Refinement
“The moment I learned of this thing’s existence, I had already been cast out from the Qin clan’s inner circle.”
She sighed repeatedly. “That is why, to this day, I still do not know the specifics of this pill.”
“However, I suspect it is connected to the Demonic Dao.”
“The Demonic Dao?”
“Indeed.” Qin Xijun nodded. “Over the past few years, many young children with mediocre aptitudes have been disappearing without explanation, or dying prematurely.”
“Last year, five children with spiritual roots were born to the branch families. Come spring, only three remained.”
“The clan elders said the other two died of illness.”
“I wished to investigate, but someone always found some excuse or another to obstruct me, to prevent me from looking into it.”
“I suspect it has something to do with that pill.”
Song Yan listened to Qin Xijun’s words, his brow furrowed deep.
He was no longer the naive youth he once had been.
Worst of all—if her suspicions proved correct—refining a pill capable of enhancing one’s cultivation aptitude would require the “sacrifice” of other lives.
In that case, both the pill’s effects and its required conditions bore resemblance to the Spirit-Transforming Blood Pill.
Perhaps it was a higher-grade variant along the same line as the Spirit-Transforming Blood Pill.
“Colluding with the Demonic Dao?”
This was no trivial matter.
“Cannot this be reported to the sect?”
“The problem is that we lack sufficient evidence, and moreover…”
“The Eastern Abyss Sect elder currently responsible for overseeing such matters is Yang Wenxuan.”
“So that is how it is…”
Song Yan drew a deep breath.
The Qin clan was nothing but a quagmire.
He could scarcely imagine what manner of pressure and torment Qin Xijun had endured, juggling affairs with those who were once her “kinsmen.”
“This matter involves too many parties, and it is not for the two of us to decide.”
Qin Xijun said, “You need only remember: stay far from the Qin clan.”
Song Yan nodded.
He had no interest whatsoever in the struggles between factions.
Even less did he wish to squander the precious time he could spend peacefully cultivating the Sword Dao on scheming and political machinations.
He himself had only been caught up in the crossfire, and Granny Qin had long since withdrawn from the Qin clan’s murky waters.
The most pressing matter now was to grow stronger, and quickly.
His foundation rested upon cultivation and the Sword Dao.
Since Yang Wenxuan had attacked him without restraint, that did not mean the man should have exercised moderation.
Quite the opposite—it proved only one thing.
That the strength and talent he had shown was far from enough.
He needed to press forward with unwavering resolve. He needed to let his brilliance shine without reservation.
He needed to join Demon Subjugation Peak.
He would owe no elder any favors—answerable directly to the Sect Master, serving Li Jun Daoren’s Demon Subjugation Peak!
With that thought, Song Yan lingered no longer.
He took his leave of Qin Xijun.
“Two and a half days remain… there is still time.”
He did not return to his cave dwelling immediately, but first made his way to the Spirit Origin Marsh Market.
He purchased a batch of spirit herbs.
After weathering great events, a person needed rest. This was only natural.
The art of the civil and martial alike lies in the balance of tension and relaxation.
One’s state of mind would inevitably loosen somewhat.
Yet when that looseness persisted too long, a person often developed a most sluggish train of thought.
I shall wait until these days have passed before resuming.
I shall wait until the present trivial matters have concluded before properly continuing my cultivation.
In truth, starting now would pose no obstacle whatsoever. The only impediment was one’s own mentality.
Song Yan had been just like this before—always wanting to wait until after the final battle before beginning his body refinement. But now, he had changed his mind.
He would begin now.
Returning to his cave dwelling.
He drew a jade casket from his Cosmos Bag—the Precious Qilin Blood he had obtained from the Hidden Qilin Cloud Cavern.
To this day, Song Yan did not know what distinguished a spirit beast’s “essence blood” from its “ordinary blood.”
He had asked Xiao He, and she knew nothing at all.
Still, he supposed it was much the same as the importance of essence blood to cultivators.
According to the nameless body refinement technique’s description, mixing the Precious Qilin Blood directly with clean water for body tempering would also yield excellent results.
If conditions permitted, it could be supplemented with certain spirit herbs.
On one hand, the effects would be enhanced; on the other, the rejection response from the beast’s blood would be tempered by the medicinal liquid.
The spirit herbs mentioned were neither overly expensive nor rare, and Song Yan had already procured every last one.
Divine sense, spiritual energy, sword qi, sword arts—these all required long, sustained effort.
To make significant progress in any of these areas within a short span was impractical.
Body refinement, in fact, was quite suitable.
From long ago, he had already begun contemplating the necessity of tempering one’s physical body as a sword cultivator.
A more powerful physique could unquestionably bear a greater volume of sword qi.
Moreover, the principal reason many sword-driving techniques remained beyond his reach was that his meridians could not withstand the corresponding intensity of sword qi flow.
At this thought, Song Yan felt a spark of excitement kindle within his chest.
He took out the spirit herbs one by one and arranged them neatly upon the stone platform.
“Verdant Forest Grass, Cloud Branch…”
“Scarlet Flame Fruit.”
At the center of the cultivation chamber, a bronze medicinal cauldron half a person tall had already been prepared.
This was an old piece he had acquired back in his outer disciple days—no magical artifact by any means, but sturdy and durable.
Originally used for brewing medicinal concoctions, it would now serve as a bath.
His gaze sharpened. He first took up the Cloud Branch and gently snapped it.
A milky-white sap beaded at the broken cross-section, dripping crystalline liquid into the cauldron.
He then poured in clean water, and the remaining spirit herbs were added one by one according to the technique’s instructions.
Only then did he solemnly open the jade casket holding the Precious Qilin Blood.
The moment the lid was lifted, a wave of searing heat surged forth, and the blood within flowed like a living thing.
Without further hesitation, he poured the Qilin blood into the cauldron.
The liquid within ignited as though set aflame, instantly transforming into a vivid crimson. The temperature of the entire cultivation chamber soared.
Song Yan condensed a sliver of sword qi and cut his fingertip, letting a single drop of his own essence blood fall into the cauldron.
The “Blood Guiding” technique recorded in the body refinement method—adding one’s own essence blood to the mixture could slightly mitigate the rejection from the beast’s essence blood.
With everything prepared, he shed his Daoist robes and stepped into the cauldron.
The moment the scalding liquid and beast blood touched his skin, every muscle in his body clenched taut.
The searing agony of the blood burning through flesh far exceeded anything he had anticipated—as though ten thousand red-hot steel needles were being driven into his pores simultaneously.
He hissed through clenched teeth, forcing himself to sink into a seated position as the liquid rose to his chest.
According to the technique’s instructions, he needed to guide his spiritual energy along a specific meridian pathway to stimulate blood flow.
But in this agony, merely remaining conscious was a struggle.
Before he had even begun the body refinement, his entire skin had already turned bright red and glistening as though he were a boiled prawn, with fine beads of blood continuously seeping from his pores.
Those golden-red medicinal liquids were boring through his pores, and wherever they passed, his meridians burned as though branded by a heated iron.
He struggled to maintain his breathing and began, according to the body refinement technique, to slowly circulate the spiritual energy within his body.
The entire cultivation chamber was filled with a dense, billowing mist.
He exhaled slowly.
The golden-red liquid enveloped his entire body, and with each breath Song Yan drew, it began its slow work of transforming every inch of his flesh and blood.