"Hoooo..."

Lu Changsheng exhaled slowly. Exhaustion settled into his body. Unleashing the Heart Sword again and again to forcibly shave off the demonic martial artist’s mental strength, had taken a heavy toll on him. But at last, his foe finally lay dead on the ground. It was all worth it.

Truth be told, without the Heart Sword, Lu Changsheng would have had no way to deal with the demonic martial artist. The Sonic Shock and the Undying Demonic Body were both extraordinary abilities; they highlighted just how valuable demonic essence blood really was. The stronger the demonic essence blood, the more powerful the abilities a demonic martial artist could awaken.

Naturally, Lu Changsheng would have liked such abilities for himself, but at the end of the day, those abilities were demonic in nature, and so they could only be awakened with demonic essence blood. No matter how high his Perception was, he had no way to obtain them through cultivation.

While Lu Changsheng gathered himself, the twenty-four Divine Fortification martial artists stared at the corpse on the ground, their eyes burning with undisguised desire.

"It's... It's dead!"

"The demonic martial artist... actually died?"

"Didn't it have an undying body? Its body is still intact, but it has no trace of lifeforce left. There's only one explanation. Its mental strength must've been annihilated!"

"Mental strength... That envoy from the Northern Region Heavenly Sect must possess a secret technique that can annihilate an opponent's mind."

"Four layers of divine fortification, four Domains, strength exceeding one hundred thousand cauldrons, and now even a mental secret technique... Even among the inner sect of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect, someone like him would rank among the very top."

"Perhaps one day, he could become a true inheritor disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect and step into the Divine Treasury Realm."

"But now that the demonic martial artist is dead, what about the demonic essence blood?"

Although none of the twenty-four martial artists had helped in the battle, they still yearned for the demonic essence blood. Naturally, anyone would be tempted to get their hands on something that could extend one's lifespan.

Schwing!

Lu Changsheng drew his saber. A streak of crimson light flashed, severing the demonic martial artist's head. This time, there was no reaction. The body did not stir, and nothing regenerated.

At last, he could let out a sigh of relief. Even so, he did not lower his guard. Although the Undying Demonic Body had failed and the demonic martial artist appeared dead, it still could have employed some kind of tricks. . He watched for a moment longer to be certain.

After confirming that there was truly no movement, Lu Changsheng stepped forward and crouched beside the body. He searched it carefully, but found nothing. Naturally, as such entities relied on demonic essence blood, manuals and other things of the sort had no use to them.

"Demonic essence blood..." Lu Changsheng murmured.

He had killed a demonic martial artist once before, but back then, he knew nothing about demonic essence blood, and so he did not extract it. Now that he understood its value, he would not make the same mistake again.

Lu Changsheng glanced at the twenty-four Divine Fortification martial artists. The desire in their eyes was obvious.

Demonic essence blood is usually located in the heart...

He swung his saber and split open the demonic martial artist’s chest, then reached in and pulled out the heart. With another swing, he cleaved the heart apart, and a drop of blood, as black as ink, emerged before his eyes.

Although Lu Changsheng had never seen demonic essence blood before, he knew at once that this was what so many had been seeking. It gave off a violent aura, and the closer one got, the more it began to influence the mind. Once ingested, it would permanently alter a martial artist, granting them traits of a demon. It was a path of no return.

Lu Changsheng took out a porcelain vial and carefully stored the drop of demonic essence blood inside before tucking it away.

Then, just as he straightened up, his expression shifted. He sensed something and turned at once. The twenty-four Divine Fortification martial artists reacted as well.

A man was approaching from behind at astonishing speed. He arrived before them in the blink of an eye.

It was an elderly man with white hair and a long beard. His blood qi had already begun to decline due to age, and even as a Divine Fortification martial artist, he could not halt that process. His gaze fell on the corpse of the demonic martial artist. When he saw that the head had already been severed, a trace of disappointment flickered across his face.

"Tsk... One step too late..." he muttered.

His eyes shifted to the carved-up chest. He noticed that the heart had been cut out, and that the demonic essence blood was gone. His gaze swept across the twenty-four martial artists before finally settling on Lu Changsheng, who stood beside the corpse.

"Sir, are you Lu Changsheng, an inner disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect?" the elderly man inquired.

"That’s correct," Lu Changsheng replied. "And you are?"

Lu Changsheng noticed that the elderly man had not addressed him as an envoy, and from that alone, he could tell the man held a high status.

"I am Prince Yong of the Great Moon Dynasty."

Hearing this, the twenty-four Divine Fortification martial artists had to suppress a shudder.

"Prince Yong?! That's the uncle of the current emperor."

"I've heard his combat power is unmatched. He's one of the strongest in the Divine Fortification Realm. He once led armies across the land and helped establish the Great Moon Dynasty. He's a truly remarkable man.”

"He even personally suppressed the jianghu, forcing it to submit to the imperial court for decades."

"Legends claim he's fought countless battles without once experiencing defeat. Many martial families and sects were destroyed under his command. But for some reason, despite all his power, he never entered the Northern Region Heavenly Sect."

"I heard he once aimed for the Divine Treasury Realm, but a technique he cultivated years ago drained much of his lifespan. Though only in his fifties, he looks like a man in his seventies or eighties. He probably doesn't have long left."

Hearing the whispers of the twenty-four martial artists, Lu Changsheng could already guess Prince Yong's intentions. He must have come for the demonic essence blood.

"I have a Dao Comprehension Pill," Prince Yong went on. "I will trade it for a drop of demonic essence blood."

Lu Changsheng shook his head. "I don’t need it."

As a scion disciple, he could receive double rewards. When the time came, he could exchange 20,000 contribution points for two Dao Comprehension Pills. Trading a drop of demonic essence blood for just one was not worth it.

Prince Yong's expression darkened. He gritted his teeth and spoke again in a low voice. "I know that as a disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect, you lack neither martial arts nor secret techniques. But if you wish to improve your heart scale, life-and-death combat or experiencing life in the mortal realm are both viable paths.

"Hand over the demonic essence blood, and I will arrange opponents for you. You may kill as many as you wish. If you want to experience life in the mortal realm, I will ensure everything is to your satisfaction."

Lu Changsheng remained unmoved. Even without Prince Yong, his status as a scion disciple would grant him access to all of this. There was no reason to trade away the demonic essence blood.

"Still not interested." Lu Changsheng turned to leave.

"Very well," Prince Yong muttered, glaring at him. "I intended to resolve this peacefully, but you refuse to accept my offer. I'll get my hands on that demonic essence blood no matter what, even if I have to kill you!"

Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly. "Kill me? And are you planning to do that alone? Or will you have the dozens of Divine Fortification experts you brought to help you?"

Prince Yong paused for a moment. "You figured it out?"

He had not expected Lu Changsheng to notice the martial artists he had brought with him. Still, it changed nothing. In the face of absolute strength, knowledge made no difference.

Before long, dozens of Divine Fortification martial artists arrived and gathered behind Prince Yong.

Then, Prince Yong glanced at the martial artists that had accompanied Lu Changsheng and let out a cold sneer. "I'm sure you can see that I'm close to death. A man like me does not fear consequences. Assist me in killing Lu Changsheng and seizing the demonic essence blood, and I will pardon you once and spare your lives. Refuse... and you will all die."

After everything Prince Yong had achieved, he could not simply accept death and wait for it to claim him. The demonic essence blood was his only hope, and he was going to do anything in his power to get his hands on it.

Originally, Prince Yong had intended to hunt the demonic martial artist himself. But the Governor of Qing Province, Zhang Wending, had invited help from the Northern Region Heavenly Sect instead.

That decision had naturally enraged the prince, and in the end, he decided to come anyway. To obtain the demonic essence blood and prolong his life, Prince Yong was prepared to kill everyone present—even the disciples of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect.

If Lu Changsheng died, Prince Yong could simply report that he had fallen to the demonic martial artist. As for the other twenty-four martial artists, no one would care enough to investigate their deaths.

Over the years, he had destroyed countless powerful families and wiped out entire martial sects. With his own strength, he had suppressed the jianghu of the Great Moon Dynasty. His authority was known to every martial artist in the land. Killing them required no explanation, no justification. In his eyes, they were insignificant, and the choice before them should have been obvious.

"Obey me, or stand with Lu Changsheng and die with him. Choose." The prince's voice was cold, and his expression carried absolute confidence. Within the Great Moon Dynasty, no martial artist had ever dared defy him.

Whoosh!

Without hesitation, the twenty-four Divine Fortification Realm martial artists moved to Lu Changsheng's side.

"Envoy, we will assist you and eliminate Prince Yong!" Their gazes were steady, without the slightest trace of doubt.

Prince Yong's eyes widened. "Y-You...!"

For decades, he had suppressed the jianghu. With dozens of Divine Fortification experts behind him, the choice should have been obvious for these twenty-four martial artists. But for some reason, they had chosen to side with Lu Changsheng.