Chapter Forty-Three: Decaying Blood Essence

Niu Dali led the charge, while Xu Chen provided support. Together, man and beast moved through the illusory realm as effortlessly as fish in water.

For teams of fewer than five, so long as their strength seemed unimpressive, Niu Dali would simply rush in alone. Once combat began, Xu Chen would join the fray. If there were more than five in the group, Xu Chen would keep his distance and lead Niu Dali far away, avoiding confrontation altogether.

Over the course of three days, both Xu Chen and Niu Dali accumulated more than twenty points apiece in the palms of their hands. Just as they were about to continue harvesting points, a masked female disciple appeared, radiating powerful energy and vitality.

Upon seeing Xu Chen and Niu Dali, she wasted no words and charged straight at them.

"Niu Senior, be careful! Her vitality is formidable!"

The woman was half a head shorter than Xu Chen, her figure balanced and masked face revealing only a pair of icy eyes.

"Xu Junior, don't worry. When it comes to strength, no one beats me, Dali," Niu Dali boasted, delivering a full-force punch.

"Bang!"

With merely a gentle palm, Niu Dali was sent flying dozens of yards.

Those cold eyes immediately fixed upon Xu Chen, her agile figure adjusting direction.

Xu Chen suddenly felt himself locked in by her overwhelming vitality. With her speed, escape was impossible—he had no choice but to fight.

He struck, deflecting her force, and followed up with a palm aimed at her chest.

"Bang!"

The woman retreated a step, then spun and delivered a heavy kick to Xu Chen’s abdomen.

It was as though a truck had slammed into him; Xu Chen was hurled far into the air. He managed to dissipate the force mid-flight, stabilize himself, and then slid several yards across the grass.

The woman, witnessing this display, allowed surprise to flicker in her ice-cold gaze.

"Niu Senior, this opponent is tough—let’s execute Plan Two!" Xu Chen shouted to Niu Dali, who was just struggling to his feet in the distance.

Man and beast instantly split, fleeing in two separate directions.

Seeing this, contempt flashed in the woman’s eyes. A throwing knife appeared in her hand, ready to be launched.

Just as she was about to throw, a great bell appeared in the sky above the illusory world.

A resonant chime thundered across the heavens, seeming to penetrate the soul.

"Awaken!"

In an instant, the illusory realm shattered, and everyone’s consciousness returned.

Xu Chen slowly opened his eyes and found himself back in Illusion Valley.

"Each point earned in the illusory world can be exchanged for two hundred spirit coins, or for corresponding treasures and elixirs."

"If needed, you may go to the sect’s treasury to make an exchange."

"Now, all disciples who participated in the trial, please leave Illusion Valley."

The overseer’s voice echoed across the valley.

"Xu Junior, in the illusory world just now, I nearly got killed by a single blow," Niu Dali said, still shaken. "It was terrifying. Her strength was no greater than mine, yet I couldn’t resist at all."

"Niu Senior, don’t dwell on it. Let’s just go home," Xu Chen replied.

Man and beast departed the valley and took a flying vehicle home.

By the riverside, Xu Chen slowly grilled fish over charcoal, brushing oil now and then.

"Recently, the sect seems different from before," Niu Dali commented, playing with dumbbells nearby.

"It’s true," Xu Chen agreed. "First, there were the rules for the trial world, then the illusion assessment within the sect."

"It seems the sect truly wants to raise its strength for the Grand Competition among the Five Major Sects," Xu Chen said quietly.

"That’s not so bad; at least we’re getting more resources," Niu Dali muttered.

At night, Xu Chen hammered away in the forging room, each strike infused with his dedication.

After an indeterminate time, a battle blade was completed, a number flickering on its surface.

"Eighty-three. I’ve improved," Xu Chen murmured.

He looked up at the sky, facing the thunder head-on.

"Boom!"

The raging force struck Xu Chen, reducing him to ashes.

Consciousness reformed, and he pushed open the wooden door of the forging room once more, only for thunder to crash down again.

This continued until three bolts had struck. Beyond a tingling sensation in his soul, he found himself almost craving the experience.

"What’s happening? Am I enjoying being struck?" Xu Chen mused, a strange look on his face. He then took the battle blade and pushed open the door to the Six Sacred Ape Forms.

"A rare guest. How long has it been since you last came to die?" the clone taunted.

"Enough talk. Take this blade!" Xu Chen charged in, but lasted less than ten moves before the clone broke his blade with a single punch.

"Is that all?"

"We’re not finished!" Xu Chen retorted, tossing aside the broken blade and engaging the clone directly.

This time, he didn’t make it to fifty moves before the clone broke his limbs.

"Use whatever tricks you like," the clone sneered. "Lately, you seem to be holding back."

"It’s not time yet. Finish me off so we can start again," Xu Chen said.

The clone raised a foot and stomped down hard.

On the second day, after morning cultivation, Xu Chen returned home to make Blood Rot Poison.

In the specialized pharmacy, Xu Chen handled the toxic ingredients with utmost care.

"These are all deadly poisons. A single slip and I’ll have to take an antidote."

To ensure his safety, Xu Chen had bought a bottle of antidote pills.

With insights gained from two previous perfect concoctions, Xu Chen finished a batch of Blood Rot Poison with little effort.

He quickly sealed the poison and placed it in the medicine cabinet.

Then he entered the Sacred White Space and opened the door to the pharmacy technique.

"Please produce ten batches of Blood Rot Poison, each above quality eighty."

Xu Chen worked skillfully and efficiently.

Time flowed on, three months passing in a flash.

Within the Sacred White Space, Xu Chen finished the last batch of qualified Blood Rot Poison.

His soul was pulled into a special realm—the same child, the same elder with immortal grace.

After the boy completed a perfect batch of Blood Rot Poison, Xu Chen’s consciousness returned, absorbing new insights.

"Merely coating weapons with poison isn’t enough. I need something airborne as well."

Returning to his body, Xu Chen suddenly recalled the Bloodburn Pill he’d bought at the trial world plaza.

With the perfect insights and pharmacology from three poisons, the entire process of making the Bloodburn Pill unfolded in his mind, and he could even optimize it.

"I’ll make this one next," Xu Chen decided.

Just as he stepped out to buy ingredients, a graceful figure appeared at his door.

"Greetings, Director Bai," Xu Chen said, startled, and hurriedly bowed.

"No need for formalities. I came to ask a favor," Director Bai replied.

She wore an emerald gown, her radiant beauty blooming like a hundred flowers.

"Director Bai, please speak freely," Xu Chen said, leading her to the pavilion in his courtyard.

"In a little over a month, the sect will open its gates to recruit new disciples. My nephew will be among them," Director Bai explained. "I’d like him to train alongside you under your guidance."

Xu Chen felt countless question marks swirl above his head.

"You mean you want me to mentor your nephew?" Xu Chen confirmed.

"My nephew is timid and lacks talent. Moreover, all my clan’s disciples in the sect are women, and I’m not comfortable entrusting him to them," Director Bai replied. "So I thought of you."