“Alright, Daddy!” Bloodfiend grinned ear to ear as he stood, all proud and cheerful.
“But before I pass you the Grand Blood Devour Art, maybe you should adjust your cultivation first?
That thing needs at least spiritcore realm to handle.”
“Hahaha…
Oh, that’s rich…
absolute karma…”
Cassian glanced helplessly toward the third cell, where Crimsonlotus was already squatting on the ground, laughing so hard he could barely breathe.
Tears even seeped from the corner of his left eye-clearly, the old man was still cracking up over Bloodfiend calling him “Daddy.”
Bloodfiend’s face twisted in rage, jaw clenched tight, but he couldn’t step out of his cell.
If he could, this place would’ve turned into a battlefield already.
Once Crimsonlotus’s laughter died down a bit, Cassian narrowed his eyes.
“You seriously saying this stuff can boost my cultivation on the spot?”
“Relax, kid.
I was the Alchemy Emperor, remember?
I may be half-broken now, but helping you climb a tier-I got that covered,” Crimsonlotus said with a crooked grin as he casually handed over the pitch-black pill.
Cassian hesitated.
The pill was so black and shiny it felt wrong just holding it, like it was soaked in some kind of filth.
He knew damn well it just came from the old man’s crotch, and that made it ten times worse.
Disgust flickered across his face as his hand trembled slightly.
Still, after hesitating a few breaths, Cassian clenched his jaw, held his breath and swallowed the filthy thing in one go.
Instantly, his entire body jolted like he’d just gulped down a mouse turd.
“Boom!”
A searing heat surged through him.
He instinctively dropped into a seated stance as the pill’s power erupted, flooding his sea of vital energy.
Spiritforce gushed in, loud as thunder.
His sea of vital energy, once as still as a lake, filled violently and swelled before his eyes.
It was expanding, stretching far beyond its prior size, like cracking open a hidden world within.
The sea of vital energy was more than a reservoir-it marked a cultivator’s growth.
The wider it grew, the stronger the spiritforce, and the more potent the divine-grade arcana it could fuel.
“Shiiing!”
Suddenly, a streak of blood-red flame burst from the top of Cassian’s skull, sharp like a crimson flying blade-and just as fast, it vanished three feet above him.
A clear sign of breaking past the peak of the spiritblade realm.
Cassian had just stepped into spiritcore realm, first tier!
At that moment, deep in his soul, he sensed a glowing sphere floating at the center of his brows-about the size of a fist, crystal-clear and gleaming.
His soul core-undergoing its first transformation.
Cassian stirred the spiritforce lightly.
The silver-white soul core instantly responded, pulling from the sea of vital energy and channeling it outward.
It emerged across his skin as a halo of silver flame.
It felt sacred, otherworldly, but within that glow burned a power far from ordinary.
“Congratulations on your breakthrough, Daddy!” Bloodfiend jumped in with quick flattery the moment Cassian’s eyes opened.”You really should quit calling me that…”
Cassian waved his hand, his face twitching.
Every time Bloodfiend called him “daddy,” it made his skin crawl like he’d been zapped.
“Heh, fine, Boss.
Just stick your hand in here-I’ll pass you the Grand Blood Devour Art right now.” Bloodfiend grinned wide, sounding unreasonably eager.
Cassian knew the guy was only being this helpful out of guilt.
Still, he didn’t hesitate and pushed his hand into Cell No.1.
“Buzz-”
A flash of dark red light sparked from Bloodfiend’s palm and surged into Cassian’s body.
He felt a burning line sear itself onto his soul core-a new blood-colored sigil.
Had to be the arcane sigil of the Grand Blood Devour Art.
“That’s it?
It’s done already?” Cassian raised an eyebrow.
That was way too fast.
“Of course.
It’s an auxiliary divine art-not meant to be fancy,” Bloodfiend boasted.
“Every technique I pass to the Boss, I make sure it’s practical.
Easy to learn, deadly to use.
Unless your opponent’s a full major realm above you, they won’t stand a chance.”
A major realm-like between spiritblade realm and spiritcore realm.
Cassian had only managed to suck that princess’s spiritforce last time because he was at the peak of spiritblade realm tier six and she was just entering spiritcore realm tier one.
If she’d been at tier two, he wouldn’t have stood a chance.
“So, the Grand Spirit Devour Art boosted my cultivation by absorbing spiritforce.
What about this Blood Devour Art?
What’s it actually good for?” he asked, skeptical.
“It devours blood vitality.” Bloodfiend’s tone turned serious.
“Sure, soul core cultivation is key-it’s all about spiritual awareness.
But body matters too.
A true powerhouse’s physique has to match the soul.
This art draws blood vitality from enemies, strengthens your flesh and bones.
Pure nourishment for your body.”
He paused, scoffing.
“Look at that old alchemy fart, Crimsonlotus.
Sure, he reached the imperial path realm-by scarfing down elixirs nonstop.
His body’s weak as hell.
Useless in a real fight.”
“You little wretch!
What do you know!” Crimsonlotus snapped back.
“Let me tell you, I can whip up an Eternal Adamant Body Elixir in my sleep-my body’s harder than steel!
You think you can mock that?!
I could stand here and let you hit me-wouldn’t even flinch.”
“Pah!
You shameless, brittle chicken!” Bloodfiend shot him a finger bone-middle one blazing red-with a glare full of disdain.
“If you’ve got spine, come over and try, runt!”
“Would you two just shut up already?”
Cassian looked at them-two ancient fossils who’d lived for eons-bickering like twelve-year-olds.
Completely ridiculous.
“Water…
someone…
water…”
Just then, a faint voice drifted out from the broken ancient tree in Cell No.2.
Weak, unmistakably female.
Thin as paper, but enough to make anyone feel a pang of sympathy.
Cassian didn’t hesitate.
He pulled the waterskin from his belt and walked to the other cell’s bars.
“Not sure if this water will help you,” he said quietly, “but here it is.”
He’d heard this voice before during his last trip here.
This time, he’d come prepared.