An Ancient Bell seemed to boom within his skull. In his mind’s eye, his Self God strode forth from a roiling, wave-like mist, suppressing all chaos.

The roiling killing intent and anxiety receded like an ebbing tide, leaving him acutely aware of the trembling in every muscle fiber of his body.

The spear tip reflected in Xu Yunfan’s pupils seemed to slow by half a beat. He twisted his waist and leaned back, his movements perfectly synchronized with the weapon’s afterimage. As his nose grazed the blade, he could even count the fine Cloud Patterns etched upon it and perceive the flickering frequency of the aura pulsing from its tip—an aura that could effortlessly rip his body to shreds.

SHHNK!

The spear’s aura carved a deep, sparking trench into the ground that stretched for fifty feet.

"Huh?!"

The high-ranking member of the Incense and Candle Sect couldn’t believe his spear strike had missed.

His opponent was a mere Third Level Martial Artist, yet he, an expert in the Blood Exchange Realm, had completely missed!

Xu Yunfan used the momentum to flip backward, hooking a broken iron chain with his foot and whipping it at the Jiao Horse’s eyes.

As the chain links whistled through the air, he coiled his body like a taut bowstring, his back crashing through the last remaining window of Cui Bo Tower. The instant his feet touched the ground, he shot off like an arrow, making a break for Cuibo Lake.

The rider was about to give chase, but just as he dug his heels into his mount’s sides, a deafening crash like muffled thunder erupted from the direction of the city’s General’s Mansion.

"You bastards from the Incense and Candle Sect, you’re courting death!"

The shout was followed by the colossal clang of metal on metal, a sound that seemed to shake the entire city.

Watching Xu Yunfan about to vanish from sight, the man felt a surge of annoyance.

’That man has secrets,’ he thought. ’He might hold some unexpected prize.’

’He’s only in the Martial Master Realm. Even if he’s at Second Level Perfection in Muscle and Skin Training, it makes no sense for an expert of my caliber, from the Blood Exchange Realm, to miss a strike.’

He hesitated. Ultimately, he was afraid of jeopardizing the larger mission. If he were held accountable afterward, the consequences would be severe.

The man snorted coldly. He had no choice but to abandon the chase and go provide reinforcements.

"After him."

The Blood Exchange Realm expert’s voice was muffled by his face armor as his gaze fell upon the silent Vice General at his side.

The Vice General acknowledged the order and led three hundred heavily armored Incense Followers forward in formation, their iron boots thundering on the ground. But just then, Xu Yunfan whirled around. With a flick of his wrist, he threw his Thunderfire Qilin Hammer. The chain hammer slammed into the stone road, kicking up a ten-foot-high cloud of dust. By the time the dust settled, all that remained on the lake’s surface were widening ripples.

A speeding figure tore through the night mist over Cuibo Lake.

Each of Xu Yunfan’s steps across the water sent up a bowl-sized splash. Empowered by the Linn Character Technique, he could clearly feel the subtle contact between the Yongquan acupoints on his soles and the water’s surface. Each touch used no more than a fraction of his strength, like a dragonfly skipping across a pond.

Power from his rippling muscles traveled down to his feet, making every step on the water feel as solid as one on land.

Xu Yunfan didn’t dare remain in the Linn Character State for long. Although he had reached Third Level Perfection, and the aid of his Attribute Panel had allowed his body to undergo a perfect Transcendence—greatly extending the time he could use the state—prolonged use would still leave him utterly exhausted and unable to continue.

"Xu Yunfan!"

Yan Yuwei’s furious roar echoed from the south shore.

The madwoman, drenched in the blood of the Incense Followers she had charged, was actually dragging her massive blade as she chased him into the lake. Her legs, powered by the Melting Gold and Forging Iron technique, churned the water like propellers, keeping most of her body afloat. With every stride, however, fresh blood burst from her wounds.

Xu Yunfan cursed under his breath, flicking his wrist to send his Chain Hammer wrapping around her ankle. With a sharp tug, he pulled her out of the water.

As he flew through the air, he saw that the black smoke rising from the city walls on the North Shore had already gathered into a dark pall over Cui Bo City.

「Half a day later.」

In a reed bed on Lake Heart Island, Xu Yunfan sat cross-legged on a cracked reef.

Muscles twitched all over Xu Yunfan’s body as he sat cross-legged. White steam rose from his bare torso. As Blood Qi surfaced, thirteen Blood Python tattoos seemed to writhe eerily across his skin, mending his internal injuries.

He was regulating the chaotic Blood Qi within him.

After reaching Third Level Perfection, his Blood Qi was more substantial than that of an ordinary Martial Artist. He could truly guide it with his will, circulating it through his muscles to soothe his body.

Thirty feet away in the shallows, Yan Yuwei lay on her side, gazing toward Cui Bo City. He had treated her gaping wounds with the special Golden Wound Medicine he carried. The paste, mixed with blood, had formed brown scabs, and she was now out of immediate danger.

He glanced toward the North Shore. The whole of Cui Bo City was now awash in crimson, and the scarlet banners of the Incense and Candle Sect snapped in the wind atop the walls.

Even more horrifying were the Human Candles hanging at the city gates.

Hundreds of corpses had been pierced through their scapulae with iron hooks, their abdomens hollowed out and filled with oil. Now lit, they swayed in the twilight like Ghost Fires.

Meanwhile, Yan Yuwei, still lying on the ground, stared unblinking at Cui Bo City. Her knuckles dug deep into the rock as her eyes remained fixed on a flickering light somewhere inside.

Xu Yunfan glanced at her and understood instantly.

’Yan Yuwei must be from Cui Bo City.’

After a long moment, he finally asked, "What happened to the Cloud-Piercing Arrow I gave you?"

"I threw it away." Yan Yuwei’s voice was rough and nasal, like embers raked from a forge.

"It was getting in my way."

"..."

A vein throbbed on Xu Yunfan’s temple.

His joints popped like roasting soybeans as he stood up, and the lava-like patterns on the handle of his Thunderfire Qilin Hammer flickered.

"According to you, the Foreign Affairs Hall manages many of Celestial Craft Cave’s external businesses. If they’ve truly turned traitor, then Celestial Craft Cave’s Mechanical City is likely..."

He glanced at the prone Yan Yuwei, paused for a moment, and then continued.

"We need to get back to Celestial Craft City. If Celestial Craft Cave is still in the dark and we don’t get word to them in time, they’ll be in grave danger once the Incense and Candle Sect attacks."

"Let’s go!"

Yan Yuwei shot to her feet and took off across the water. Her legs, driven by the Melting Gold and Forging Iron technique, moved as if on solid ground, her furious pace kicking up splashes filled with the shredded remains of small fish.

Watching her nearly self-destructive sprint, Xu Yunfan knew what she was doing. ’She’s using the pain to numb her sorrow.’

***

A few miles south of Cui Bo City, corpses already littered the ground both inside and outside the walls. The stench of rot was overpowering. Patrols of the Incense and Candle Sect’s so-called "Demon-Vanquishing Celestial Army" roamed the area. Though only half a day had passed, the putrid smell was intensifying, as if the sect had done something to accelerate the decay.

Crouched in a Hawthorn Tree, Xu Yunfan watched the Incense Followers in the valley below arrange corpses into the shape of a lotus throne.

Eight black-robed figures used iron brushes to scrape flesh from bone. The resulting mince was packed into clay jars, upon which were carved two words: "Longevity Wine."

"The Ming Venerable is merciful, granting you eternal life..."

The leading Priest roared as he slit his palm. When his blood dripped into the jar, green smoke puffed out.

Over seventy followers knelt, their voices twisted like the shrieks of night owls as they chanted their scripture: "Skulls for lamps to light the world, guts for chains to bind the heavens..."

A few young children standing nearby suddenly walked into the center of the gathering. Under the greedy gazes of the followers, they began to sing and dance, their faces bearing unsettlingly innocent smiles.

"Baby cute and baby sweet,

Skin them for a lampshade neat.

Daddy laughs and Mommy cheers,

Bones for a Rainbow Bridge of tears.

Brother’s liver, sister’s gall,

Brew a soup to honor Ming Venerable’s call.

Neighbors left and right, do not flee,

An early death is filial piety."

As the last words of the chillingly innocent song faded, several of the black-robed followers surrounding the children produced sharp knives and began to disembowel them.