The White Lotus Blood Infant’s body still bore patches of charred black skin—likely wounds from Lu Xuan’s Crimson Flame Saber Technique.
Unlike Lu Xuan’s fervor, the Blood Infant reacted strangely.
It instinctively retreated, as if afraid of Lu Xuan.
It seemed to sense something within him—a terrifying power that made it tremble.
As the Blood Infant stepped back, Lu Xuan had already vanished from his spot, leaving only an afterimage behind.
At the same time, a crimson streak, swift as lightning, shot through the air toward the Blood Infant.
Compared to his previous attack, this time, Lu Xuan had poured all his inner energy into the strike.
The crimson flames burned fiercely, the scorching heat distorting the very air before instantly slamming into the fleeing Blood Infant.
The flames clung like maggots to bone—no matter where the Blood Infant fled, it couldn’t shake off the crimson fire.
Though the creature possessed the strength of a perfected Blood Refinement realm cultivator, it was still far too weak against Lu Xuan, who had reached the Inner Energy realm.
The sinister energy within the White Lotus Blood Infant was swiftly and utterly annihilated by Lu Xuan’s overwhelming inner force.
Lu Xuan stood silently, waiting until the system panel appeared in his mind once more.
Host: Lu Xuan
Realm: Inner Energy Realm (Minor Achievement)
Cultivation Arts: Crimson Flame Saber Technique (3/9, can be evolved), Gale Chasing Steps (1/9, can be evolved)
Points: 105
Confirm expenditure of 45 points to evolve Gale Chasing Steps?
Confirm expenditure of 60 points to evolve Crimson Flame Saber Technique?
Seeing the system points break into triple digits for the first time, Lu Xuan couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. The White Lotus Blood Infant had just given him a whopping 60 points in one go.
He glanced at the saber in his hand. The once-polished blade now bore a visible flaw—a scorched black mark. A flicker of regret passed through his eyes.
“Looks like the Crimson Flame Saber Technique is getting even more destructive.”
“Once I reach Dengfeng County’s city, I’ll have to replace this blade.”
This particular saber had been custom-forged by the best blacksmith in town, commissioned through Liang Cheng. Made from high-grade refined iron, it had cost him five to six hundred taels of silver.
And now, after barely a month of use, those hundreds of taels were going up in smoke.
Even someone as free-spending as Lu Xuan couldn’t help but feel the sting.
What’s worse, he hadn’t brought much silver with him when leaving Qingyun County—just a few hundred taels.
That would’ve been more than enough for food and lodging.
But buying a new saber? Nowhere near sufficient.
I wonder where the Lotus Birth Temple keeps its treasury…
Without hesitation, Lu Xuan set his sights on the temple’s riches. A place this large had to have substantial wealth hidden away.
Just as he was about to leave the underground chamber to find a monk and persuade them to reveal the treasury’s location—
Thud! Thud! Thud!
A clamor of panicked footsteps echoed from the stone staircase leading down.
Dozens of monks rushed down in a frenzy.
“Disaster has struck!”
“Elder Xiang! The abbot—the abbot is dead! He was killed in the main hall! Someone has invaded the temple!”
“And the White Lotus Sacred Seeds we distributed have failed! The visiting martial artists have discovered our plan!”
The lead monk, frantic, began shouting before even reaching the bottom.
At the base of the stairs, Lu Xuan stood silently, waiting for them to descend.
“Elder Xiang, we beg you to—”
The monk at the front froze mid-sentence as his eyes landed on the tall figure blocking their path.
“Who are you?!”
“Where is Elder Xiang?!”
The monk halted abruptly, causing the others behind him to stop as well.
Lu Xuan had no interest in answering. Instead, he studied the man, an idea forming in his mind.
Speak of the devil…
He’d just been thinking about finding a guide, and here they were—delivered straight to him.
“What do you want? We need to see Elder Xiang immediately!”
The lead monk’s heart pounded as he met Lu Xuan’s dark, fathomless gaze. A terrible premonition gripped him.
In an instant, Lu Xuan became a blur, a gust of violent wind surging forward.
Where he passed, monks collapsed on the stairs—some tumbling all the way down to the chamber floor. Each corpse bore a sunken palm print.
One incense stick’s time later…
Lu Xuan had already returned to the surface.
The familiar main hall greeted him, its walls still embedded with a headless corpse.
In his grasp was the lead monk, now dazed and utterly lost.
“Take me to the temple’s treasury.”
———
Outside, the once-silent Lotus Birth Temple was now ablaze with light and chaos.
Torches illuminated every corner as shouts and clashes erupted throughout the grounds.
“Bastards!”
“These damned bald donkeys sneaked into our rooms at night!”
“The monks are imposters! Brothers, cut them down!”
“The so-called ‘Sacred Seeds’ were a fraud!”
Lu Xuan paid no mind to the turmoil. Still holding the monk, he leaped across the temple rooftops, heading straight for the treasury.
Of course, any other monks he encountered along the way met the same fate as their brethren.
At the back of the temple…
Following the monk’s directions, Lu Xuan arrived at a hidden cave entrance.
“Young hero, this is the temple’s treasury. Please… spare my life.”
The monk in Lu Xuan’s grip spoke up, his face betraying a strange smirk—unnoticed by Lu Xuan.
Though Lu Xuan didn’t see the expression, he did hear the man’s rapidly accelerating heartbeat.
So… there’s something off about this cave.
A faint, almost kindly smile curled on Lu Xuan’s lips as he regarded the monk.
“Is that so?”
“Since you’ve been so helpful thus far, why not see this through to the end?”
“Go on ahead—light the way for me.“
“You—!”
The monk’s face drained of color. But before he could protest—
WHOOSH!
A tremendous force hurled him through the air, sending him crashing straight into the cave’s pitch-black maw.
