Chapter 143
Spiritual Bloodstone (4)
Deep into the night, Arthur sat inside the Luo Family residence, cross-legged in silence as he trained once again.
Before him lay an ancient wooden scroll, carefully polished, emanating a heavy historical aura, as though it carried the legacy of some great individual.
Before Arthur and Zhuo Fan had arrived at the Luo Family residence, after returning from meeting Jiu, a calm notification had appeared within his mind:
| Congratulations, Arthur. You have completed the hidden mission.
Hidden Mission: Trust the Luo Family and never abandon them regardless of the hardships, and remain with them.
Reward: Spiritual Bloodstone Usage Technique + Spiritual Blood Arts + 5000 Points |
Arthur sat quietly, staring at the scroll before him while his thoughts flowed slowly.
'Hmm… so it's an ancient technique, created in this world by some great person…
A technique that allows rapid growth at the cost of consuming the energy of others,
using Spirit Infants (Blood)…'
He took a deep breath, then closed his eyes for a moment.
'Alright… let's do this.'
He looked around. The room was empty.
Zhuo Fan had left some time ago, and there was nobody who could see him.
At that moment, Arthur took out a dark crimson stone, dense with aura, pulsing with a strange and dangerous energy.
'Alright… let's follow the steps one by one.'
Arthur transformed the Weapon King Bracelet into a small sharp knife, then leaned down and began carving a strange inscription onto the ground.
The lines were complex and unfamiliar, as though they did not belong to this era.
He placed the stone at the center of the inscription,
then cut open his palm with a deep wound.
Blood began flowing, dripping onto both the inscription and the stone simultaneously.
The inscription glowed with a beautiful demonic light, dark and enchanting,
and the glow slowly merged with the stone.
'If I use the original technique without modifications,
it would take seven to ten days to refine the spiritual blood…
But with this Blood Inscription, I can shorten the process to half a day… or slightly more.'
He paused briefly.
'But… the success rate is extremely low.'
Before he could finish the thought, he felt a violent dark force erupt from the stone and the inscription,
sweeping through his body mercilessly.
Arthur's body was thrown into the air,
crashing violently into the wall.
"Damn… looks like I failed… but—"
He did not finish.
Blood exploded from his mouth and eyes,
and agony burst through every part of his body, internally and externally.
He raised his head with difficulty and looked toward the stone…
It had shattered into dozens of tiny fragments.
Arthur breathed slowly, then opened his storage and took out the second stone.
This was the final stone he had obtained from the mission.
'Either I succeed now…
or I fail forever.'
He took several deep breaths, trying to calm his heart,
then sat once more before the glowing inscription.
He placed the stone down and restarted everything from the beginning.
Minutes passed…
then hours…
until eighteen hours of slow, hellish pain had passed.
Arthur opened his eyes with difficulty.
His vision was blurry and dark,
and his body trembled without end.
Blood deficiency had struck every cell in his body.
He was barely holding on.
Because of the Blood Inscription, the blood consumption had been horrifyingly amplified.
What was supposed to be consumed over ten days…
had been compressed into eighteen hours.
His body had become fragile,
like a dry sheet of paper on the verge of tearing apart from the slightest breeze.
His body had grown frighteningly thin,
and dark black circles had gathered beneath his eyes.
'I have to endure…
I have to endure…
I have to endure…'
He repeated the words like a chant,
like fuel keeping him standing despite the pain.
Until he felt something strange…
something piercing through his body.
He opened his eyes and looked at his trembling palm.
The stone had completely melted,
turning into a liquid resembling warm, glowing blood.
The shining blood gathered around his hand,
then slowly seeped into his body.
'Yes… finally.'
Arthur pressed his palms together and slowly began gathering his energy.
He felt a new power forming deep within him.
The power of spiritual blood…
flowed through his veins, his organs, his soul.
Until it completely fused with him.
He opened his eyes tiredly and smiled a weak smile.
"Yes… finally…"
Then…
he collapsed unconscious.
---
One full day later…
"Damn… what a cursed technique."
Arthur muttered in an irritated voice while lying on a white bed.
He slowly lifted his body and looked around.
Li Yun Xing was seated on a chair beside him, sleeping quietly.
A few moments later, the door opened, and Zhuo Fan entered.
"Oh… looks like you finally woke up."
"What happened?"
Zhuo Fan took a deep breath before speaking:
"After leaving you yesterday, I captured a spy from Black Wind Mountain.
She intended to eliminate what remained of the Luo Family and kidnap Lady Li Yun Xing.
After finishing the interrogation, I returned here and found you lying unconscious on the floor.
An entire day has passed since then."
Then he looked at him sharply.
"Tell me… can you fight?"
Arthur smiled calmly and rose from the bed.
"Of course I can.
Tell me the plan."
Zhuo Fan smiled faintly.
Arthur gently carried Li Yun Xing and placed her onto the bed,
then left with Zhuo Fan to another room.
There, he found two girls standing before him.
One possessed a powerful aura, beautiful features, and shining violet hair.
The other…
was extremely weak.
"So… this is the spy?"
"Yes, and now I have a plan."
Arthur sat beside Zhuo Fan and listened in complete silence, his expression calm, but his eyes sharp as they caught every detail in Zhuo Fan's words.
Some time passed, and the plan was complete.
---
Along a path surrounded by dense trees, where intertwined branches seemed to block out the sky, three people moved quietly.
A beautiful girl with shining violet hair,
a handsome young man with noble features,
and an elderly man who appeared dignified, radiating a mysterious aura.
They were Arthur, Zhuo Fan, and Miss Li — the spy from Black Wind Mountain.
Miss Li suddenly broke the silence, clear anger ringing in her voice as she glanced at them from the corner of her eye:
"If you have any ill intentions toward my family… none of you will survive."
Zhuo Fan smiled warmly, a smile so sincere it was frightening.
"Oh, Miss Li… this old man is only here to uncover the truth, and perhaps help you as well."
Arthur sighed quietly and said nothing, simply continuing forward until they reached the foot of the mountain.
A voice emerged from the shadows:
"Who are you—?
Oh… it's the young miss."
The guard immediately bowed respectfully.
"My apologies for not recognizing you, but… my lady, why are you here?
Weren't you supposed to be on a mission inside Feng City?"
Miss Li answered coldly:
"I returned because there's something I need to do here."
The guard bowed once again before disappearing back into the darkness.
The three continued walking.
Arthur smiled faintly.
"Oh… did you notice it, Arthur?"
"Of course. Do you think I'm an idiot?"
Miss Li suddenly stopped and looked at them in confusion.
"What are you talking about?"
Arthur sighed and looked at her with a mixture of coldness and pity.
"Didn't you say your mission in Feng City was secret?
Then how would an ordinary guard know about it?
He must be working for Yang Ming."
Her steps froze.
Zhuo Fan added in a quietly deadly tone:
"Yes… and I'm certain Yang Ming will appear at the mountain entrance."
The two smiled calmly while sweat slowly dripped down Miss Li's forehead.
'Could what they're saying be true?
No… impossible… I trust Brother Yang Ming.'
But the questions assaulted her mind mercilessly.
'How could a guard know about my secret mission?
How did Yang Ming know about the attack on the Luo Family Head?
And how…?'
Thoughts clashed violently inside her head,
but despite all the evidence, she chose to remain loyal, clinging to her blind trust in her brother.
---
At the mountain entrance, a shadow moved from behind a massive tree.
"Sister Li…
Weren't you on a secret mission inside Feng City?
Why are you here?"
A familiar-looking man stepped out from the shadows.
It was Yang Ming.
"Infiltrating Feng Fortress isn't easy," she said calmly,
"so I left everyone prepared and returned for something important."
Yang Ming frowned.
"So you're saying you got scared?
I know the Great Elder isn't our real father, but he raised us like his own children.
And now you return frightened after what happened to him, and even bring strangers with you?"
She stepped forward and spoke quickly:
"This respected elder is a second-grade alchemist. I encountered him by chance, and perhaps he can heal Father.
As for this one…" she pointed toward Arthur,
"he's his personal guard."
Zhuo Fan smiled gently, his voice filled with friendliness:
"This old man has crossed oceans and seas while treating people.
There is no illness I haven't heard of before, and I'm only here—"
He did not finish.
Yang Ming sighed and suddenly waved his hand, violently punching Zhuo Fan.
Zhuo Fan was sent flying through the air,
but a crafty smile appeared beneath his fake white beard.
"Why did you hit me?
I'm an old man who can't endure such pain…"
Arthur immediately moved, his voice filled with fake concern:
"Master! Are you alright? Please answer me!"
"I'm fine, my disciple," Zhuo Fan said while slowly standing up.
"It seems we are not welcome here.
Let us leave."
"Yes, Master."
Arthur supported Zhuo Fan over his shoulder, and the two began leaving calmly.
"Wait… please, honored sir!"
Miss Li shouted, her voice trembling.
"Brother… just give him a chance.
Perhaps he can save Father."
Yang Ming's expression darkened, and fury ignited within his eyes.
"Fine…
But I'll personally keep watch.
And if he tries to deceive me or worsen my father's condition…
I'll make him suffer unimaginable torment."
Zhuo Fan smiled faintly beneath the white beard.
Then…
everyone entered the mountain.
---
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