Senior sister, I'm going to control you.

Li Tianran returned to the door of the woodshed and found it tightly closed, so he pushed it open.

It wasn't pushed away.

There was a wooden stick behind the door, and when he used a little more force, the stick fell over with a bang, and the door frame, which was loose, couldn't be held in place.

Step inside.

Hot water was boiling on the stove, and half the room was shrouded in mist.

Shen Qing was squatting in a wooden basin in the corner, his Taoist robe hanging on a bamboo pole, holding a wet cloth in his hand, and was wiping half of it.

The two locked eyes, then shrank into the edge of the wooden tub, splashing water all over the floor.

Instantly, the tips of her ears turned as red as if they were about to bleed.

"You...didn't you lock the door?!"

Li Tianran leaned against the door.

"This is my room."

"You can go out now, I'll be right there."

Shen Qing stood by the stove, his Taoist robe neatly worn, his belt tightened an inch tighter than usual.

Why didn't you knock?

Do you knock before entering your room?

Shen Qing opened her mouth, unsure how to answer, and her face turned even redder.

Li Tianran ignored her and went straight to the bedside.

Shen Qing stood by the stove, unsure whether to leave or stay.

After a few breaths, she spoke first.

"What did Old Devil Han say to you?"

"Tomorrow we'll go to Steward Ma's territory to collect the materials. Zhang Xuan, Zhao Ling, you, and I will go together."

Shen Qing was astonished: "Me too? What if Zhang Xuan attacks us on the way?"

"Senior Sister Zhao is going too, so don't worry."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qing nodded.

Zhao Ling is already under Li Tianran's control, so she definitely won't let Zhang Xuan do anything reckless.

"Take a break."

After Li Tianran finished speaking, he lay down on the bed, closed his eyes, and touched the jade slip in his arms.

So, I've got the complete Blood Puppet Technique just like that?

He felt no joy, only a sense of urgency.

Old Man Han isn't stupid.

How could someone trust a blood slave after only eight days?

The content she has been teaching these past few days has all been about how to nurture and assist in the refining of Foundation Establishment puppets.

She only saw him as a tool, or perhaps even an auxiliary material in the process.

The day the puppet is created will be the day he dies.

There is absolutely no way Han Laomo would give him the Blood Drawing Technique.

A pseudo-level 5 Qi Refining Blood Slave.

How can I escape from a Foundation Establishment Demon?

It's simply impossible on your own.

Unless external forces are involved.

Tomorrow I'll go to another butler's territory to retrieve some materials for her.

Perhaps we can play it by ear and see if we can find a way to break the deadlock.

Also.

After retrieving the materials, we must make good use of the Immortal Imprisonment Basin as soon as possible.

Do what you can do, and do it well, to the best of your ability.

There is only a glimmer of hope.

After Li Tianran had sorted out his thoughts, he suddenly sat up.

He immediately began practicing the Blood Puppet Technique.

Shen Qing was startled.

"Weren't you supposed to be resting?"

Li Tianran remained silent and took out the spirit stones he had plundered from Su Yingxue.

……

The next day.

Li Tianran opened his eyes.

He glanced at the eight spirit stones that had been drained of their energy by the bedside and was astonished.

Blood Puppet Technique truly lives up to its reputation as an evil art!

There is no such thing as a bottleneck in cultivation, as long as the body can withstand it and there are enough spirit stones.

He can keep absorbing and getting stronger.

Overnight.

His cultivation level has reached the peak of the pseudo-fifth level!

He could also clearly feel that his head was getting dizzier and his thoughts were becoming sluggish.

Self-awareness is being gradually eroded!

He took a deep breath.

Pulling out the basin from under the bed, there wasn't much water left.

The only change.

The two ordinary Blood Slave Talismans placed in the basin now had intricate patterns and their color had turned a deep purple.

A level three Blood Slave Talisman can control two more cultivators at the sixth level of Qi Refining!

Also.

One of the Blood Spirit Grasses also became tender and plump.

A level three Blood Spirit Grass would at least allow him to break through one minor realm!

Without saying a word, Li Tianran took out Su Yingxue's storage bag from under the bed.

He stuffed the remaining thirteen spirit stones, level three blood spirit grass, curved sword magic weapon, and blood slave talisman into the container all at once.

At the bottom of the basin, Su Yingxue's cultivation level had dropped to the second level of Qi Refining.

Feeling drowsy, I sat leaning against the edge of the basin.

After a moment's thought, he put the Immortal Imprisoning Basin into his storage bag.

Han Laomo already suspected him, and Zhang Xuan had his eye on him.

My trump card can no longer be kept in the woodshed.

It's safer to carry it with you.

He then took out the Concealing Breath Pendant to hide his cultivation level.

Only after he had done all this did he open the door.

Shen Qing was already very sensible and waited for him in the distance from the woodshed.

"Walk."

Li Tianran took Shen Qing directly to find Zhao Ling.

……

Halfway up the mountain, the stone gate to the cave is half open.

Zhao Ling sat in front of the stone platform, wiping her short knife.

She heard footsteps but didn't look up.

"Enter."

Li Tianran relayed Han Laomo's instructions to go to Steward Ma's place to get the materials.

"My master told me about it."

"But we simply can't accomplish this."

Zhao Ling shook her head, her tone indifferent.

I've already said that?

Li Tianran frowned, probably guessing that it was an extremely difficult task.

Zhao Ling continued:

"Last time, when Deacon Liu's disciple went to Deacon Ma's place to get materials, he came back missing an arm."

Deacon Ma said he was accidentally bitten by a demonic beast, while Deacon Liu said nothing; her disciple had signed a waiver of liability before entering the valley.

She straightened up, her cold gaze falling on Li Tianran.

"Bloodfang Valley is much harsher than this place."

Li Tianran: "Bloodfang Valley?"

Zhao Ling nodded.

"Deacon Ma is in charge of Bloodfang Valley and is responsible for raising various poisonous beasts and materials for the sect."

Deacon Wang is in charge of Blood Cauldron Peak and is responsible for the sect's pill refining.

Our Blood Burial Sect was originally responsible for cultivating the sect's spiritual herbs and medicines.

It's normal that you didn't know, after all, you weren't a sect disciple before, you were just a blood slave.

Li Tianran was taken aback, but he wasn't surprised.

It's useless for a lowly blood slave like him to know all this.

At this time.

Shen Qing chimed in, "Since everyone knows we can't succeed, what's the point of going?"

Zhao Ling: "Not going? Disobeying your master's orders?"

Shen Qing scoffed, "Does the Demonic Sect also have to go through these roundabout procedures?"

Zhao Ling ignored her.

He simply took out a map and handed it over.

Li Tianran picked up the map and glanced at it.

The map shows a red circle deep within Bloodfang Valley, with four small characters next to it: Mysterious Cold Pool.

"What is this red circle?"

"The habitat of the Black Water Poison Toad, the material we need is its heart."

This brood of poisonous toads is Steward Ma's lifeblood; he raises them specifically to extract potent poison and sell it for spirit stones.

Last time, Deacon Liu's disciple was tricked by Ma Wencai into entering the icy pool to retrieve the toad's heart. The poisonous mist corroded half of his body, causing his cultivation level to drop from the eighth level to the fourth. In the end, he had to pay for his medical expenses with one arm.

Zhao Ling paused.

"From then on, Bloodfang Valley established a rule that the Toad Heart could be given, but you had to go to the pool to get it yourself."

"Anyone who dares to enter will be given permission; they are responsible for their own lives. Even Steward Ma himself is reluctant to send anyone in."

Even after reaching the eighth level of Qi Refining, I still can't get out?

Li Tianran raised an eyebrow.

Having the opportunity to temporarily escape Han Laomo's control might not necessarily be a bad thing.

"Let's go first and then talk about it."

Zhao Ling nodded: "We definitely have to go, otherwise we won't be able to report back."

Fifteen minutes later.

In front of Zhang Xuan's cave.

The stone door was tightly closed, but a dim yellow firelight shone from inside.

Li Tianran raised his hand and knocked on the door, but no one answered.

He knocked three more times, harder each time.

With a loud bang.

The stone door was suddenly pulled open.

Zhang Xuan stood inside the door, his gray robe casually draped over his shoulders, with faint traces of blood seeping from the bandage on his right shoulder.

Upon seeing Li Tianran, two flames instantly ignited in his pale yellow eyes.

"You lowly slave, how dare you come to me?"

Li Tianran took out Han Laomo's token and held it up in front of him.

"Master has ordered us to go to Steward Ma's territory to retrieve the heart of the Mysterious Water Poison Toad. The four of us will go together."

Zhang Xuan stared at the token for a moment, then a slow smile spread across his face.

It wasn't smugness, but rather a sarcastic tone of "I knew it."

"My master told me that even with the eighth level of Qi Refining, the heart of the poisonous toad in that cold pool cannot be extracted. Even Steward Ma himself is reluctant to send anyone in."

He took a step forward and sneered:

Do you know why Master sent the four of us?

You need three of the materials; the more people there are, the greater the probability of getting them all.

Even if she doesn't get him, it's not a loss. The more people die in Bloodfang Valley, the stronger her bargaining power will be in negotiating with Steward Ma.

"To put it bluntly, it's just a formality. If it doesn't work out, Master won't blame us."

Li Tianran glanced at him.

"Meet at the entrance in half an hour."

"Are you giving me orders?" Zhang Xuanqi laughed.

He was about to say something.

Li Tianran had already turned and left with Zhao Ling and Shen Qing.

He could only grit his teeth and remain silent.

Li Tianran's desperate fighting might injure him, while Zhao Ling's ability to suppress him is commendable.

It wasn't worth the trouble, he snorted and closed the stone door again.

Half an hour later.

Zhang Xuan now had a bulging bundle on his back.

They claimed it was just a formality, but inside they stuffed it full of armor and antidotes.

Zhang Xuan glanced back.

"Since we're all here, let's just go through the motions and come back as soon as possible."

The words were spoken.

He and the two women turned and left.

They didn't even wait for Zhang Xuan; they immediately isolated him as well.