Chapter 474 - 307: Stealing the Blood Pool, Longevity Sword Seed Devours 8 Apertures

The enemy didn’t choose to fight me head-on, but simply fled, abandoning all their "belongings."

’Decisive.’

Han Feng’s gaze shifted to the lowest level.

That was also where the entire ruin’s energy fluctuations were the most intense.

A massive pool over fifty meters in diameter churned with a viscous, dark-red liquid. It gave off a nauseating, bloody stench, but at the same time, it contained an astonishing amount of Life Energy.

The roots of those spiritual tentacles sprouted from this pool.

[Item: Myriad Spirits Blood Pool (Degraded Version)]

[Grade: Quasi Tier Four]

[Effect: Dissolves the flesh and blood of living creatures to extract their Life Origin.]

[Description: Although this pot of soup looks disgusting and is far from sanitary, you have to admit the Life Force it contains is enough to drive any Body Cultivator wild.]

After reading this, Han Feng had a pretty good idea of what was going on.

This was basically a production line.

The pool at the bottom turned Sea Beasts into Energy, the Corpse Puppets in the middle operated the Rune Array, and the crystals at the top purified this Energy into some kind of "finished product."

Han Feng’s figure flickered, and he landed silently on a platform on the uppermost level.

A pile of already "processed" Crystal Stones was stacked neatly there.

The Crystal Stones were only the size of a thumb and had a dreamlike, pale-gold hue. Holding one in his hand, he couldn’t feel the slightest hint of a malevolent aura; instead, it exuded a warm, pleasant sensation.

[Item: Divine Grace Crystal (Basic Level)]

[Grade: ?? (Current Appraisal Level insufficient)]

[Suspected Effect: Swallowing it directly can greatly increase Spiritual Power and open one’s Sea of Consciousness, ignoring any bottlenecks.]

Han Feng’s eyes narrowed as he read the text.

The name of the item alone told him this was something extraordinary.

He didn’t dare use something that even his All Things Identification couldn’t determine the Grade of.

But that didn’t stop him from collecting them.

He didn’t know why the Children of the Mist had left these things behind, but now that he’d seen them, there was no way he was letting them go.

Han Feng waved his hand.

Without the slightest hesitation, he activated his System Space.

WHOOSH—

The pile of thumb-sized golden Crystal Stones on the platform—at least three thousand of them—instantly vanished into thin air, leaving not a single trace behind.

Next were the rare ores used for inscribing Runes, a few what looked to be high-quality Spiritual Soldier blanks...

Everywhere Han Feng went, he stripped the place cleaner than a swarm of locusts.

He didn’t stop until both his Storage Ring and System Space were completely full.

After pillaging the upper level, Han Feng glanced at the Corpse Puppets still busy at work on the middle level.

He didn’t move to destroy them.

For one, they posed no threat to him. For another, if he killed these "operators," the ruin’s mechanisms might grind to a halt.

He would leave them be, so that anyone who came after him could see what the Children of the Mist were really up to.

’Next up is this pot of soup.’

As swift as lightning, Han Feng instantly appeared at the edge of the Blood Pool on the lowest level.

Up close, the bloody stench was even more overpowering.

But the Longevity Sword Technique inside Han Feng’s body reacted like a starving man catching the scent of a feast. It began to circulate wildly, pulsing with desire.

For someone who practiced this Magically Modified Cultivation Technique, Life Force was Life Force; its source didn’t matter.

All that mattered was that there was plenty of it.

’Perfect. I used up a fair bit of energy just now, and this place is secluded enough. It’s a good spot to cultivate in seclusion.’

Han Feng scanned the area and found a rocky ledge above the Blood Pool, shrouded in shadow.

He sat down cross-legged and, without any hesitation, activated the "Absorption" Technique of the Longevity Sword Technique.

VMMMM—

Within the twelve acupoints he had already opened, miniature Longevity Sword Seeds lit up simultaneously.

The Sword Seeds resonated with one another, forming a visible, azure vortex on the surface of his body.

The Blood Pool below instantly began to boil.

Streaks of visible, Crimson mist were forcefully extracted from it, surging into Han Feng’s body through the vortex.

The moment the mist entered his body, it was instantly refined by his domineering Soul-Burning Sword Aura, which purged all impurities, leaving behind only the purest Life Origin.

"Incredible!"

Han Feng felt so good he almost moaned aloud.

The sensation was like a man dying of thirst in the desert suddenly diving into a clear spring; every cell in his body rejoiced.

His meridians, which had been somewhat depleted from continuous combat and the use of his Divine Sense, were instantly replenished.

’This is way more efficient than popping pills!’

A sharp glint flashed in Han Feng’s eyes.

’Since the conditions are so perfect, I shouldn’t waste them.’

’Let’s break through!’

He mobilized all the Sword Aura in his body, gathered the vast Life Energy, and sent it crashing violently against his 13th acupoint.

...

Time ticked by.

The cavern was deathly silent, the only sound being the bubbling of the roiling Blood Pool.

The Corpse Puppets continued their mechanical work, completely oblivious to the "giant rat" above their heads, who was frantically siphoning off power.

One hour.

Two hours.

Four hours later.

Han Feng’s body suddenly shuddered, and a series of muffled pops, like roasting beans, sounded from within him.

BOOM!

A formidable aura erupted from within him, but he instantly suppressed it with his powerful Spiritual Power, not alerting anyone.

Han Feng slowly opened his eyes, and deep within his pupils, two streaks of azure-gold sword light seemed to flash before vanishing.

Twenty!

In just four short hours, by harnessing the immense Life Force in the Blood Pool—accumulated from who-knows-how-many Sea Beasts—he had broken through a full eight acupoints in one go!

Now, the twenty acupoints in his body shone like stars, each one nurturing a Sword Seed brimming with Vitality.

Although the total amount of his Sword Essence hadn’t doubled, its quality and Recovery speed had risen to a whole new level.