Starting as the young master of a medicine shop, he practiced swordsmanship for twenty years.

Chapter 398 The Spirit of the Blood Infant! I Don't Want to Be Human Anymore!

"You...who are you?"

The red-robed Taoist's throat bobbed, his voice trembling uncontrollably, and the veins on his hand holding the magic weapon were slightly bulging, his knuckles turning white.

He tried to appear calm, but couldn't hide the fear surging in his eyes. He shouted sharply, "Who sent you? I'm warning you, don't do anything rash!"

Those corrupt officials who embezzle public funds and break the law, I have all the dirt on them!

If I make even the slightest mistake, the evidence hidden on the cloud server will be plastered across the entire internet by tomorrow morning, ruining their reputations!

But as he uttered these threats, the red-robed Taoist priest himself became increasingly flustered.

The oppressive aura emanating from the other party was like an invisible giant net, making his breathing difficult and causing his body to tremble slightly uncontrollably.

He had lived for nearly fifty years, and in all his years of traveling around the country, he had met countless extraordinary people.

Whether it's a powerful family that dominates a region and has countless experts under its command, or a master of internal energy who can shatter stone with a single punch and whose aura is profound and serene.

He had dealt with, and even fought with, fellow sorcerers who roamed between the realms of Yin and Yang, were proficient in talismans and incantations, and could communicate with ghosts and gods.

Even those powerful figures who once made him wary were nothing compared to this mysterious old man, like fireflies compared to the bright moon.

The mysterious old man stood before him, and without even lifting a finger, the unfathomable aura emanating from him sent a chill down his spine.

It was as if he were facing not an ordinary person, but an unfathomable abyss.

In the blink of an eye!

"Die!"

The red-robed Taoist, gripped by extreme panic, suddenly roared in a fierce voice.

His previously panicked eyes instantly turned sinister and ruthless, and the fear on his face vanished, replaced by a desperate madness.

The red-robed Taoist's wrinkled old face was suddenly covered with a thick, ink-black aura of malevolent energy, as if countless vengeful spirits were churning beneath his skin, making him look ferocious and terrifying.

The next second, his withered hands suddenly rose up, his ten fingers gripping the dark red crescent-shaped magic artifact hanging in front of his chest.

With a crisp "crack," the magical artifact shattered!

In an instant, countless blinding red lights burst forth from the fragments, illuminating the entire room as if it were a blood-red inferno.

Immediately afterwards, a series of extremely shrill screams, like those of vengeful spirits from hell, pierced the eardrums and echoed wildly in the space, making one's hair stand on end and one's mind shake violently.

These are sinister and evil techniques that can directly pierce the soul and disturb the mind.

Even a master of martial arts who has cultivated internal strength to the highest level and whose body is as hard as refined iron can lose his composure and suffer considerable pain if caught off guard.

Even worse, a master of martial arts might have their consciousness invaded by vengeful spirits and become insane.

"Hmm? That's interesting. It actually contains a power somewhat similar to the will of martial arts?"

Lu Xuan stood still, his expression unchanged, only slightly raising his eyebrows, his tone revealing no emotion whatsoever.

His deep, abyss-like eyes narrowed slightly, and the barely perceptible Yin energy in the void instantly became visible.

Twisted strands of black energy coalesced into clumps, transforming into terrifying, disfigured ghostly figures with protruding fangs.

They came at him with a chilling aura and a shrill cry, baring their fangs and claws as if to tear his soul apart and devour it.

"However, it is still too weak in the end..."

The moment he finished speaking, a faint golden halo quietly appeared around Lu Xuan.

The golden halo, though seemingly faint, acted like the strongest barrier, keeping the approaching ghostly figures at bay.

No matter how much they tore and rammed, they could not get any closer.

Then, Lu Xuan slowly withdrew his right hand from behind his back, before he had fully moved it.

A scorching hot wind rushed towards us, instantly igniting the surrounding air and creating visible, distorted ripples of intense heat.

Even the light became illusory, the temperature in the sealed room suddenly soared, and the water evaporated into wisps of white mist.

He slightly clenched his five fingers, slowly made a fist, and then clenched it.

This punch seemed ordinary, without any earth-shattering noise, but the secret room suddenly trembled violently, cracks spread across the ground like a spider web, and dust fell from the walls.

At the same time, an illusion of a boundless and majestic mountain suddenly appeared in the void.

The mountain peaks are majestic and towering, shrouded in clouds and mist, and with an imposing aura that suppresses all ages, they crash down from the heavens!
Its overwhelming power seemed to freeze the very space around it.

The menacing ghostly figures in front of them didn't even have time to scream before they were instantly crushed by the mountain illusion, turning into wisps of black mist and disappearing without a trace.

The yin energy that filled the room vanished completely.

The red-robed Taoist in the distance was struck as if by a heavy hammer, his whole body flying backward and crashing heavily into the cold stone wall with a dull thud.

He felt as if his head was being pierced by thousands of steel needles, and the excruciating pain swept over him like a tidal wave, causing his vision to go black in waves.

Dark red blood beads instantly seeped from his seven orifices, winding down the red-robed Taoist's cheeks.

His already ferocious face became even more terrifying, making him look exactly like a vengeful ghost that had crawled out of hell.

It should be known that this Yin Sha technique was refined by him with his own blood essence and half a lifetime of cultivation. It was already closely connected with his soul and body, and could be called his life-bound technique.

The spell and the body are like vines and roots; once the spell is forcibly destroyed, the resulting backlash will be amplified.

This damage was several times more intense than any external physical attack, enough to shake his foundation and severely damage his cultivation.

However, the terrifying threat of life and death, like a persistent carbuncle, completely shattered the red-robed Taoist's last line of defense.

His eyes were bloodshot, and his body suddenly unleashed a terrifying speed he had never experienced before.

He transformed into a blurry afterimage, leaving trails of bloody footprints in his wake, and sprinted toward the ruins of the altar in the corner of the secret chamber.

Upon arriving at the ruins, the red-robed Taoist, as if possessed, disregarded the fact that his hands were cut and bleeding from the rubble, and frantically pushed aside the pile of broken wood and shattered magical artifacts with all his might.

He was muttering to himself, as if trying to dig out the last glimmer of hope from this mess.

Even if he is a monk who commands the awe of ordinary people and is secretly feared by the powerful.

But once the magical enhancements are removed, it is still just a mortal body of flesh and blood.

In just a few seconds, the red-robed Taoist's hands, which were frantically digging through the ruins, were covered in cuts and scratches from sharp wooden splinters and the edges of broken magical artifacts.

Dark red blood gushed from the deep, bone-revealing wound, dripping through his fingers and forming a winding trail of blood on the ground.

But he seemed oblivious to the pain, continuing to frantically rummage through the debris, his eyes filled only with an unwavering will to live.

This is the most fundamental difference between a sorcerer and a master of traditional Chinese martial arts.

Masters of traditional Chinese martial arts cultivate their physical bodies to the extreme, perfecting their muscles, bones, and skin, resulting in physical strength far exceeding that of ordinary people.

With brute strength, he could split stone tablets and shatter rocks; with exquisite skill, he could deflect a thousand pounds of force; with a single move, the wind and clouds would change color. His pure power was enough to astound heaven and earth and make ghosts and gods weep.

Warlocks, on the other hand, are better at hiding in the darkness, using the spiritual energy of heaven and earth they absorb as a guide.

By using talismans and magical artifacts to communicate with the yin and yang and manipulate the mysterious forces that influence reality, they appear unpredictable and mysterious, but in reality, their physical bodies are as fragile as paper. This is precisely why the red-robed Taoist was filled with fear from the very beginning.

They were approached by Lu Xuan, a super martial arts master who could crush everything with his physical body.

For him, it was like a helpless sheep running headlong into the jaws of a tiger, with barely any room to struggle.

However, before the red-robed Taoist could find what he wanted, a figure approached silently.

The figure walked with steady steps, each step seeming to tread upon the heartbeat of the red-robed Taoist.

Until the shadow completely enveloped him, engulfing his hunched body kneeling on the ground, and utterly extinguishing the last ray of light.

The red-robed Taoist froze, a chill of despair shooting from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

He mustered his last bit of strength to lift his head, and through his blurred vision, he could only see a pair of golden eyes that were as dazzling as the sun and so bright as to be blinding.

There was no emotion in his eyes, as if he were looking at an insignificant, lifeless object.

This was the last scene that came into his view before his consciousness faded.

In an instant, a vast and magnificent projection of thousands of rivers and mountains suddenly appeared from the void.

The mountains were majestic and continuous, and the rivers were surging and turbulent, carrying an overwhelming momentum that crushed everything as they rushed towards the red-robed Taoist.

His already fragile will shattered like fragile glass in the face of this overwhelming power.

Immediately afterwards, Lu Xuan's indifferent voice echoed slowly in the silent secret room, devoid of any emotion.

"Tell me the whereabouts of any malevolent entities in Yifeng Province, and your origins."

"Yes……"

The red-robed Taoist's eyes glazed over, his pupils losing focus.

He was like a puppet controlled by strings, mechanically responding to every word, pouring out everything he knew without reservation.

It turns out that this Taoist priest in red was not a native of Yifeng Province.

Thirty-five years ago, he secretly infiltrated this place with his strange magical abilities.

After establishing himself with his skill in "warding off disasters and bringing good fortune," he began to secretly take on disciples and cultivate dozens of trusted followers.

These disciples were like a spider web he had cast, spreading to every corner of Yifeng Province.

While searching far and wide for special offerings needed to refine Yin Sha magic, she deliberately befriended and cultivated relationships with prominent local dignitaries, weaving an impenetrable network of connections.

The red-robed Taoist priest remained hidden behind the scenes, always maintaining the facade of a "living immortal" to the outside world.

They specifically use the gimmick of "no side effects, and can eliminate disasters and bring good fortune and longevity with just magic" to attract celebrities and dignitaries from both the political and business circles.

Those people, whether seeking peace for their families or to ensure their official careers, all lowered themselves to visit him, unaware that they had already become pawns in the red-robed Taoist's scheme to cultivate evil spirits and consolidate his power.

"Averting disasters and bringing blessings" is nothing more than a pretext for him to deceive and mislead people.

Furthermore, those disaster-avoidance techniques that are sought after by the masses and claimed to have "no backlash whatsoever" actually conceal enormous karmic traps.

The Taoist priest in red forcibly reversed the fortunes of others with his own magic, seemingly eliminating the immediate disaster, but in reality, it was like forcibly severing the threads of fate, creating a deep and intractable karmic bond in the darkness.

The law of cause and effect in the universe is always fair; every sip and every bite is predetermined, and there is no room for luck.

Those powerful and famous people who attempt to defy fate and escape the calamities they are destined to suffer by using magic may seem to gain an advantage, but in reality, they have already secretly incurred a "karmic debt" to heaven and earth.

Once this debt matures, it will turn into a devastating disaster.

In milder cases, the person may suffer a series of divine punishments, such as sudden natural disasters or man-made calamities, leading to a life of hardship and misery.

In severe cases, it can even damage one's bloodline, leading to the extinction of one's lineage and becoming a cursed loner, living a solitary life and dying in endless loneliness and desolation.

Just like Fang Hai, who once held a high position in Yifeng Province, he sought the help of a Taoist priest in red to alter his career path and destiny through magic in order to climb to a higher position.

Little did he know that this seemingly smooth "change of fortune" had already sown the seeds of his utter destruction.

More than a decade ago, Fang Hai's wife and children died in a sudden "accident." The tragic car crash caused him to fall from grace overnight.

Fang Hai was kept in the dark the whole time, taking it all as a pure accident caused by the capriciousness of fate, and never doubting the truth behind the "disaster relief and fortune-changing" incident back then.

Later, he retired to the background and moved into a retirement villa in order to cover up his predicament of having no descendants and to maintain his dignity in front of outsiders.

Fang Hai secretly adopted a child from the orphanage, claiming to the outside world that the child was his illegitimate child from his early years, in order to silence public opinion and maintain that false sense of perfection.

Even more surprisingly, this Taoist priest in red had somehow learned an extremely insidious and evil technique.

He can transfer all the consequences of his own actions onto the powerful and wealthy who have been bewitched by him, and even innocent victims.

He completely avoided the backlash of cause and effect, like a ghost detached from cause and effect.

It is precisely because of this that he dares to sacrifice living people without restraint, using each and every one of their precious lives as stepping stones to advance his magic and achieve his goals.

Those who were harmed by the red-robed Taoist under the guise of "sacrifices" were either people with special destinies or innocent passersby. They all became the fuel for his grand conspiracy that he had been preparing for his entire life.

"For the sake of the Blood Infant Spirit!"

The red-robed Taoist priest's voice trembled as he truthfully confessed, "The Blood Infant Spirit must devour newborn infants every year to maintain its malevolent power!"

The reason he spent thirty years painstakingly protecting those powerful and influential people was not for the sake of so-called wealth or power.

Rather, it was to use this as leverage to control their weaknesses, firmly bind these political and business figures to their own side, and turn them into the strongest protective umbrella.

Over the past thirty years, many newborn babies have mysteriously disappeared in Yifeng Province every year.

After the family reports the case, the investigation often stalls as soon as it makes progress, and in the end, all the cases are left unsolved, becoming unsolved mysteries.

Without a doubt, this was all orchestrated in secret by powerful and influential people who had received "favors" from the red-robed Taoist priest.

They used their power to suppress and cover up the case, erasing all traces and concealing the evil deeds of the red-robed Taoist priest in raising the spirit of the blood infant.

They watched helplessly as innocent children became sacrifices, yet, fearing exposure of their evil deeds, they chose to aid and abet the perpetrators.

Under the fear of death, the power and wealth that had been sought after by countless people in the past were all fleeting clouds to the red-robed Taoist, utterly worthless.

His true obsession, from beginning to end, was the spirit of that ferocious blood infant.

If it can be completely refined, it can utilize the endless Yin energy and vital essence of living beings condensed by the Blood Infant Spirit.

It can help one break free from the shackles of a mortal body, escape the suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death, and truly transcend the limits of humanity.

Because in the mind of the red-robed Taoist, he believed that the power of magic was like a vast starry sea, with no upper limit.

However, the practitioner's physical body and lifespan acted like an invisible shackle, tightly binding the red-robed Taoist's steps.

It was this resentment that caused the red-robed Taoist to completely lose his humanity.

He no longer wanted to be a "human" bound by life and death, but instead wanted to achieve a bizarre symbiosis with the spirit of the Blood Infant, thereby breaking free from all constraints and unleashing truly unrestrained and world-destroying magic.

(End of this chapter)