Immortal of the Nine Realms

Victorious Buddha and the others all cupped their hands in respect. ”Master.”

Tai Yin Dragon King and True Monarch of Pan Mountain also walked over.

Fang Chen smiled at Xu Peng. ”You’re trying to poach my disciples.”

”Not at all. Nothing but a joke,” Xu Peng replied awkwardly.

”Fellow Daoist Fang, if we continue further, we’ll reach the area we’ve all heard about,” Han Linqiu said, pointing toward the southeast, quickly changing the subject.

Fang Chen nodded slightly and ordered Tai Yin Dragon King to reveal his true form, leading the group southeastward.

The deeper they went, the more serious everyone’s expressions became.

What greeted their eyes was a scene of devastation. In some places, there was not a single soul for dozens of miles, only ruined houses. Some villages and small towns were eerily silent, as if abandoned. Even cities that should have been bustling now only saw ragged beggars searching for food.

One group of people even fought over a steamed bun, resulting in countless deaths and injuries, as if the law had lost its function here.

Living in the prosperous Central Continent Empire, Han Linqiu and the others had never witnessed such sights in the mortal realm. They had heard of such conditions, sure. But witnessing with their own eyes was a different matter.

They were all silent.

These were the scenes they saw for the next several days. With Tai Yin Dragon King’s speed, they covered an immense distance in these few days.

Han Linqiu and the others couldn’t believe it. How many lives had to have been sacrificed to refine that second-rank Blood Spirit Pill?

”To put it bluntly, if we demons were allowed to devour freely... it would still take years to devour all the mortals in this area, right?” Xu Peng suddenly shook his head. ”The Spirit Blood Sect is truly a plague. If they keep doing this, it will be disastrous.

”If everyone is dead, the cultivation world in the Central Continent Empire will only continue to decline.”

Han Linqiu cupped his hands and said, ”Fellow Daoist Fang, although Xu Peng’s words may sound harsh, they do convey the truth. Our cultivation is not high, but our families are well connected. Perhaps we can persuade the elders to lend a hand.”

Fang Chen smiled faintly. ”Spirit Blood Sect practitioners are very secretive. Even if we have good intentions, without clues, we would be powerless. If any of you wish to join the Killing Spiritual Division, you can find the fourth princess after this mission.”

The four of them exchanged glances and nodded lightly.

”We understand.”

At that moment, Victorious Buddha suddenly stepped forward, his expression grave as he stared at a certain spot below. ”Master, it seems like there are cultivators below performing evil rituals.”

The others quickly turned to look. In a ruined ancient city, a cultivator in a green robe was standing in front of a pill furnace. He was using a Five Elements Control technique to channel the power of fire into the furnace while instructing his subordinates to throw people into a giant mortar, grinding them into a paste, which was then thrown into the furnace.

What was strange was that while the green-robed cultivator was performing this act, countless tattered commoners stood nearby, cautiously watching. These mortals had no fear in their eyes, only deep yearning.

As the green-robed cultivator casually manipulated the fire energy, he spoke to the nearby commoners with a smile. ”Everyone, once this Creation Pill is finished, it’ll be sold for 20 taels of silver each. First come, first served.”

One brave commoner shouted, ”Master Immortal, after taking this Creation Pill, will I really be cured of all illness and never have to feel hungry again?”

Before the green-robed cultivator could speak, a few of the mortal helpers beside him rolled up their sleeves, glaring at the commoner as if they were ready to kill. ”How dare you question the Master Immortal’s Creation Pill!”

The commoner shuddered in fear and quickly hid into the crowd.

The green-robed cultivator chuckled. ”It’s normal to have some doubts. But let me ask, those of you who have taken the Creation Pill, don’t you feel an endless amount of energy in your bodies?”

As soon as he finished speaking, voices of agreement immediately rose from the crowd.

”Yes, yes! I took a Creation Pill the other day, and today, even after skipping a meal, I don’t feel hungry!”

”My strength has certainly increased a lot. The beggar who lives next to me tried to steal my silver, and I punched him to death with one blow!”

There were numerous similar voices of affirmation. Upon hearing these words, the commoners became even more agitated, their eyes now full of fervent desire as they stared at the pill furnace.

”Master Immortal, we’re running low on medicinal catalysts,” one of the attendants beside the green-robed cultivator suddenly whispered.

”Running low on medicinal catalysts, huh...” the green-robed cultivator murmured thoughtfully.

Someone immediately reacted, grabbing a child by the arm and walking toward the green-robed cultivator with a fawning expression.

”Master Immortal, just use this one as the catalyst. I heard that those who are willing to contribute a catalyst can eat a Creation Pill for free.”

The child screamed in terror, but he was just a child and couldn’t escape.

At this moment, his parents finally reacted and rushed forward, crying out to rescue their child. But the man holding the child paid no attention, keeping a firm grip on the child. ”Get away from here! This is a gift to the Master Immortal. If you don’t want to die, back off!”

”Daddy, Mommy, save me!” the child screamed in fear.

”Beast, let go of my son!”

The child’s father bit down on the man’s arm, causing the man to howl in pain and release the child. They started to fight fiercely.

The woman, horrified, grabbed her child. Watching her husband gradually lose ground, his face covered in blood, she quickly called out to the nearby commoners, ”Please, help save my husband!”

What terrified her even more was the expression of the surrounding commoners. They seemed emotionless, even avoiding her gaze and ignoring her plea.

An elderly man suddenly spoke. ”This family doesn’t seem to be from our area. Let’s just use them as catalysts.”

”Ah, you’re right. Let’s use them as catalysts,” others agreed.

”Don’t let them escape.”

Hearing this, several young men exchanged glances before approaching the fighting pair.

The mother and child were terrified.

Seeing this scene, the green-robed cultivator stroked his beard and smiled.

At that moment, someone pushed through the crowd and casually walked up to the green-robed cultivator. The man asked, ”Such a miraculous pill. May I have a taste?”

Seeing how luxuriously Xu Peng was dressed, the crowd realized he was no ordinary person. They all turned their attention to him immediately.

A few young men who had been ready to help stopped in their tracks.

The green-robed cultivator’s eyes flickered, his expression becoming more cautious. ”Who are you, sir?”

The green-robed cultivator was not afraid. After all, he was a second stage Qi Refining Realm cultivator. He was skilled in various techniques. Dealing with a bunch of powerful martial artists was easy for him.

Xu Peng confidently walked up to the pill furnace and lifted its lid. ”You don’t need to know who I am. I was just passing by when I saw you. I couldn’t help but feel curious seeing a mere second stage Qi Refining Realm cultivator like yourself with some knowledge of alchemy.”

The green-robed cultivator had intended to stop him, but when he heard the other party reveal his cultivation level, he was momentarily taken aback.

A few of his subordinates immediately became furious. ”How dare you ruin the Immortal Master’s alchemy!”

They charged at Xu Peng.

Xu Peng casually waved his sleeve, and several of them were instantly sent flying, the sound of broken bones ringing in the air.

Looking at the contents of the furnace, Xu Peng commented, ”These are very ordinary herbs, not even considered spiritual materials. What you’re making is a pill that simply increases blood and qi. Even without using a living person as a catalyst, it will still have the effect of boosting one’s vitality.

”But once the blood and qi increase, one must also be able to sustain it. Otherwise, the body of a normal person wouldn’t bear the surge. After some time, serious illness will arise. If it’s severe, the person could die. Even if they don’t die, they will be left with permanent injury.”

The green-robed cultivator’s face darkened. He cupped his hands and asked, ”Who exactly are you?”

Xu Peng ignored him and instead turned his gaze toward the crowd. ”Fellow Daoist Fang, what should we do about this?”