12: Chapter 12 The Chaos of the Demonic Cultivators!

The feeling of a Breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage was somewhat different from what Shi Jian had imagined.

There were no visions from the heavens, no Spiritual Qi vortexes, and the Spiritual Vein didn't even tremble more than usual.

Only the thick spiritual power within his body suddenly twisted into a single rope, and the subtle sound of bone remodeling came from his Meridians; from start to finish, it took no more than three breaths.

It was as quiet as taking a nap.

Shi Jian stretched his limbs, sharp claws extending from his paw pads. He casually swiped at the giant rock beneath him, and the stone surface was sliced open like tofu.

The neat cut went three inches deep, its edges so smooth they could reflect a person's silhouette.

"Not bad."

He retracted his claws, feeling confident.

Foundation Establishment Middle Stage was absolute top-tier combat power in Hongtian City. Even if that Yun Song from White Cloud Temple came again, he wouldn't fear him in the slightest.

But that was all.

He still couldn't afford to provoke Golden Core Cultivators; when it was time to back down, he still had to back down.

Just as he was about to continue his breathing exercises to consolidate his cultivation, Elder Rat scurried out of the grass, running fast with a look of lingering fear.

"Old Ancestor! Something big has happened!"

Shi Jian lifted an eyelid.

This fellow Elder Rat usually reported things in a slow, methodical manner, even spending half a day vividly describing which woman was having an affair, yet this time he was actually panicking like this.

"A few people arrived at the east city gate, covered in blood!"

Elder Rat crouched by Shi Jian's claws, his small paws gesturing non-stop: "They're members of the Fang Family from Heming Township in the neighboring Qinghe County!"

"Only these few are left, and they say their entire town was slaughtered!"

"Hmm? Could it be a Blood Sacrifice?"

Shi Jian frowned, seemingly deep in thought.

Elder Rat was stunned: "The Old Ancestor knows?"

Shi Jian didn't answer. He didn't know for sure, but he could guess.

In the cultivation world, there were only two types of people who could uproot and slaughter an entire town: one was those with a grudge, which was easier to understand.

After all, in this vast world, hatred was the greatest motivator.

The other type was Demonic Cultivators. Some Demonic Cultivators who followed the Blood or Corpse Dao required large amounts of blood and souls from living people as cultivation Materials; slaughtering a town for a Blood Sacrifice was the most common method.

"What was the highest cultivation level in the Fang Family?"

"Qi Refining level nine. An old man, but he's already lost an arm and is close to death."

"How much did they bring out?"

Elder Rat hesitated for a moment: "A few Storage Pouches, but they don't look very full. At first glance, there's not much profit; how much could they carry while fleeing for their lives?"

Shi Jian nodded with satisfaction.

He wasn't satisfied with the Fang Family's misfortune, but with Elder Rat's speed of intelligence gathering; the news reached the back mountain just as the people entered the east city gate.

"Keep watching and see how Sun Boan handles it."

Elder Rat took his orders and left.

Within half an hour, Sun Boan indeed arrived.

He was running out of breath; a man nearly fifty years old, he almost tripped on the mountain path.

"Old Ancestor!"

"Old Ancestor! Something terrible has happened!"

Sun Boan fell to his knees, bean-sized beads of sweat all over his forehead: "The Fang Clan, a small Qi Refining Family from Heming Township, was exterminated in a Blood Sacrifice. Four people escaped and are now at the city gate..."

"I know."

"Old Ancestor, if those Demonic Cultivators come for our Hongtian City..."

"What are you panicking for?"

Shi Jian didn't even change his posture, continuing to lie there lazily: "Demonic Cultivators want the blood and essence of living people for their Blood Sacrifices. One Heming Township is enough to feed them for a while; they won't move again in the short term."

"Besides..."

He let out a yawn: "This seat has just broken through to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage and was just worrying about having no place to test my skills."

Sun Boan's body shook, and he abruptly looked up.

"Foundation Establishment Middle Stage!"

"The Old Ancestor broke through?"

He opened his mouth but couldn't speak for a long time. Five years ago, Shi Jian could crush Sun Hangchun's protective spiritual light with a single palm strike, and now he had advanced another step...

"Take those four people from the Fang Family into the city, give them some food, and treat their injuries."

Hearing this, Sun Boan was stunned:

"Does the Old Ancestor want to take them in?"

"Free labor, why wouldn't I want it?" Shi Jian rolled over: "Four Qi Refining Cultivators are four Immortal Slaves who can work."

"Furthermore, the Fang Clan has just been exterminated; these people are homeless and have nowhere to turn. If you give them a bowl of rice now, they'll have to remember your kindness. Can't you figure out this calculation?"

"Moreover, the Sun Clan has only just recovered some Origin Qi these past few years. There are only eighteen Cultivators in the entire Family, and eleven of them are children who have only recently started."

"Do you expect these children to work the fields?"

Sun Boan suddenly realized and nodded repeatedly in agreement.

"Also..."

Shi Jian narrowed his eyes: "Send someone to Heming Township to investigate and see what's left in the town after the Fang Clan was wiped out."

"Spiritual Fields, Mineral Veins, inventory—anything that hasn't been ruined, take as much as you can. We can't pass up free things..."

Sun Boan hesitated: "But Heming Town is within the territory of Qinghe County. If our Sun Clan crosses county lines to take things, the White Cloud Temple side..."

"Can White Cloud Temple even manage it?"

Shi Jian sneered: "Where was White Cloud Temple when the Demonic Cultivators came? Where was White Cloud Temple when the Fang Family was slaughtered?"

"The people are dead, and the things are ownerless. Whoever takes them, they belong to."

"Besides, only you and I know about this."

"By the time White Cloud Temple reacts and sends someone down to clean up the mess or relocates another small Qi Refining Family, it will be at least a month or two later."

"A month or two is enough for you to make several trips."

Sun Boan swallowed hard and gritted his teeth: "This Junior understands!"

"By the way, Old Ancestor, White Cloud Temple also sent down an order today..."

"Speak."

"White Cloud Temple requires the nine counties under its jurisdiction to strengthen their defenses recently. The lead Family of each county must report the security status of their area once a month. If there are traces of Demonic Cultivators, they must immediately inform White Cloud Temple using a Communication Talisman."

Sun Boan took out a piece of talisman paper from his robes and presented it with both hands: "This is the Communication Talisman issued by White Cloud Temple. One per month, not for private use."

Shi Jian glanced at the talisman paper; the Spiritual Rune mark of White Cloud Temple on it was clearly identifiable.

"Keep it."

"Yes."

"Go do your work, move quickly, don't dawdle."

Sun Boan bowed and withdrew, while Shi Jian lay alone on the giant rock, his mind spinning rapidly. A Demonic Cultivator's Blood Sacrifice was a disaster for others, but for him, it might be an Opportunity...

The destruction of small neighboring families meant a large amount of ownerless resources and territory. As long as he moved fast enough and wasn't too greedy, he could gather a batch of resources in the short term to support his continued cultivation.

But at the same time, White Cloud Temple had tightened its control.

Reporting the security status every month meant someone would be watching the movements of Hongtian City every month. He, a Yao Beast, presiding over a Human Race city...

It was already conspicuous; if he amassed wealth on a large scale, he would eventually attract the attention of Golden Core Cultivators.

"I still need to find a Front Man..."

Shi Jian pondered for a while and found no good solution, so he could only set this plan aside for now and try to find a way in the future.

As for the Demonic Cultivators, heh...

As long as the other party dared to come and raid the Hongtian City area, Shi Jian wouldn't mind adding a snack for himself.

Demonic Cultivators used the Blood Sacrifices of thousands or tens of thousands of people as nourishment, but little did they know that in Shi Jian's eyes, so-called Demonic Cultivators—especially those of the Blood Path—were also a delicious and potent medicine.

This was much faster than breathing in Spiritual Qi.