"Saving Miss Zhou will be difficult. It's not that we don't want to, but the opponent is in the Body Tempering stage—someone far beyond our league," said a man whose face was etched with wrinkles.

Patriarch Zhou Qiwang had gathered a large assembly to discuss rescuing his daughter, but everyone present refused. In truth, no one wished to intervene. They all knew Zhou family's daughter had been abducted by a Daoist from the Blood Sword Sect. Setting aside the Blood Sword Sect's powerful background, which none of them could afford to provoke, this Daoist was rumored to be in the Body Tempering stage—a level far exceeding what their combined forces could handle. They had no desire to sacrifice themselves.

In this family of cultivators, Zhou Qiwang himself was only at the ninth level of Qi Refining. Facing someone in the Body Tempering stage was nothing short of a death wish.

These invited guests had years of friendship with Zhou Qiwang, making it difficult to refuse outright initially.

However, once the elder with the furrowed brow voiced the problem, the first person found an excuse, and the rest quickly followed suit.

"Indeed, we watched Qingyuan grow up, but the enemy is in the Body Tempering stage. For us to go would be futile, pure suicide."

"I heard your Zhou family has already lost a contingent trying to rescue her."

"It is said that even a Body Tempering expert sent from the Tenth Hall of the Five Immortals Alliance was defeated and forced to retreat injured."

"Even if you speak of a Sword Array, one that utilizes the collective power of many, the disparity in strength is too vast. Even with the Array, I doubt we stand a chance," others chimed in. Friendship aside, their own lives were paramount, and they shook their heads one by one.

"Precisely. And there is the Blood Sword Ancestor—that ancestor is fiercely protective and utterly vicious. If we actually kill one of his disciples, I fear not a single chicken or dog in our family will be spared." The Blood Sword Ancestor differed greatly from the leaders of other sects. Most sect masters possessed the demeanor of true leadership, rarely taking action themselves, and even when they did, they sought worthy opponents—those strong enough to warrant their effort.

But the Blood Sword Ancestor was an absolute exception. When the mood struck him, he would slaughter mortals without regard for status—kill simply because he wished to. Massacres that often resulted in the eradication of entire clans were common. He was truly a detestable figure. While his strength might not crown him as the foremost demonic cultivator in the Great Jin Kingdom, his reputation as the most ruthless killer in the demonic path was undeniable.

Back in the day, he rampaged across the Great Jin, burning, killing, and looting. This fury eventually drew the ire of the Huashan Immortal Sect Master, Yan Cangtian, who resolved to capture him. Who could stand against the peerless Yan Cangtian? Even the Blood Sword Ancestor would surely perish under his hand. Yet, this is the nature of prolonged evil: just as Yan Cangtian was about to strike, the Master of the Thousand Caves and Myriad Demons from the subterranean demon world, Dongfang Yao, challenged him. Yan Cangtian was compelled to abandon the pursuit of the Blood Sword Ancestor to face the Demon Lord of the Underworld.

That confrontation erupted into a legendary battle! Ultimately, Yan Cangtian triumphed, and Dongfang Yao was forced to flee.

This event formally cemented Yan Cangtian's position as the foremost Grandmaster of the Great Jin Kingdom.

Following this, the Huashan Immortal Sect officially became the premier immortal sect in the Great Jin, surpassing even the other four great immortal sects.

The Blood Sword Ancestor, utterly routed, fled back to his lair. After this defeat, he never dared to venture carelessly into the central plains of the Great Jin again—he was terrified of Yan Cangtian. He remained holed up in his base within the continuous snowy mountains of the Qinghai Black Sect, rarely emerging. Despite his humiliating escape, people nevertheless respected the fact that he managed to survive an encounter with the peerless Yan Cangtian.

People remained exceptionally cautious of the Blood Sword Ancestor. For instance, the strength of Wuling Shangren, the sect master of the Wuling Immortal Sect, was likely not inferior to that of the Blood Sword Ancestor.

However, in terms of notoriety, Wuling Shangren paled in comparison to the Blood Sword Ancestor. The latter was the kind of figure who could make crying children fall silent instantly.

Thus, upon hearing that a Daoist from the Blood Sword Sect was involved, many were unwilling to invite trouble, lest the Blood Sword Ancestor—who showed no restraint regarding status—slaughter their entire lineage in retaliation.

Zhou Qiwang scanned the room, noting that almost everyone deliberately avoided his gaze.

No one wanted to provoke the Blood Sword Sect. No one wanted to provoke a Body Tempering expert.

Zhou Qiwang mused inwardly, perhaps it was up to him and the Zhou family's two remaining elders, Zhou Tiegan and Zhou Tieru, to go alone. The Zhou family did possess some strength, but much of it had been depleted in previous rescue attempts. This was the family's final desperate effort.

"I will go."

A voice cut through the silence.

Everyone turned to see a youth in green robes answering the call. He held a wine gourd and spoke loudly precisely when everyone was avoiding Zhou Qiwang's eyes. This immediately caused most present to resent the green-robed youth. While everyone else feared involving themselves with the Blood Sword Sect, here was a young man volunteering to play the hero.

It seemed to highlight how cowardly everyone else was, while he alone was brave. It made them seem weak while he appeared virtuous.

Many felt this way: they dared not act themselves, yet when someone else finally did, they secretly resented that person for stealing the spotlight and posturing as a hero. Many inwardly thought that this green-robed youth was courting death and would surely end up slain by the Blood Sword Sect Daoist.

A desolate, upward-sloping sand path pointed toward the low mountain range visible not far ahead.

Miss Zhou had been captured by the Blood Sword Sect and taken to those low mountains.

At the foot of the low hill, four figures were currently making their way up.

In the center walked a middle-aged man with white hair and an exhausted face. To the man's right were two elders with grayish-white hair, and to his left was the green-robed youth. The three older men wore expressions of fatigue and worry, while the youth in green sipped intermittently from his wine gourd.

Zhou Qiwang glanced at the youth beside him. He truly hadn't expected that, besides his own kin, only this green-robed youth was willing to risk his life. It filled him with complex emotion.

Zhou Qiwang gripped the longsword in his hand tighter. The force he was taking this time was nearly all that remained of the Zhou family; many had already perished. Before setting out, he had already made arrangements for his succession should he not return.

This trip was a suicide mission. Zhou Qiwang took a deep breath and quickened his pace.

Meanwhile, Lu Yuan was contemplating how the scenery of the desert differed greatly from his birthplace. The mountains ahead were yellowed and barren, though there was a touch of green in the low scrub along the path. Enough, he thought, I need to focus. I am about to face a master I have never dealt with before.

Body Tempering stage, third or fourth level—he had never faced such a formidable opponent. He took a swig of wine, tossed the gourd into his Asura Pouch, and his hand settled onto the hilt of his Yangwu Sword.

The hill was short, and soon they reached the summit, a flat clearing. Lying on the ground was a girl in neat yellow attire, bound tightly by thick ropes, unable to move. This girl was exquisitely beautiful, with an oval face punctuated by dimples on either cheek. A stray lock of hair fell across her face, which was beaded with sweat and marked by panic. The heavy, dark ropes only emphasized the girl's delicate figure.

Sitting beside the yellow-clad girl was a middle-aged Daoist. The Daoist was incredibly stout, looking more like a butcher than a spiritual cultivator. His blood-red Daoist robe was the unique marker of the Blood Sword Sect. Seeing Zhou Qiwang, Zhou Tiegan, Zhou Tieru, and Lu Yuan approach, the Daoist in the blood-red robe burst into laughter. "Ha! More lambs coming to the slaughter. I told you, kidnapping Miss Zhou was a profitable venture; it keeps drawing cultivators up the mountain. Their flesh and blood will be used to refine my Blood Cloud Spirit Beast. And once my Spirit Beast is sufficiently tempered, I can take this beauty for my pleasure."

Near the Blood Sword Sect Daoist lay nearly ten corpses. Blood had saturated the ground around them, turning it crimson. Under the scorching desert sun, the remains were beginning to smell foul and shrivel. Vultures circled overhead, screeching, yet even they sensed the terrible power of the Blood Sword Sect Daoist and dared not descend to feed.

The Daoist laughed again, and with a sweep of his hand, a blood-red longsword appeared—this was the Blood Sword. The Blood Sword Sect differed entirely from other sects; they required no Flying Swords, Spirit Swords, or Immortal Swords. They refined their blades using their own blood, spitting a mouthful of vital essence onto the blade periodically, making the Blood Sword increasingly potent and powerful.

The moment the Blood Sword appeared, the Blood Sword Sect Daoist lunged toward Zhou Tiegan. The attack was blindingly fast. Before Zhou Tiegan could react, the Daoist was upon him. With no other option, Zhou Tiegan raised his sword to block, taking the blow head-on. However, the power imbued in the Blood Sword was immense. With a sharp pa, Zhou Tiegan was blasted backward a great distance, nearly tumbling off the mountaintop. He coughed up mouthfuls of blood; it was clear that this single exchange had gravely injured him.

This Blood Sword Sect Daoist was terrifyingly strong. Zhou family elder Zhou Tiegan, despite his ninth-level Qi Refining cultivation, was severely wounded by a single strike.

At this moment, Lu Yuan sank into deep thought.

Blood Cloud Spirit Beast.

The Blood Sword Sect's ultimate cultivation method was rumored to be the Blood Cloud Heart Sutra. While less profound than the Cloud Dragon Heart Sutra, it was still a renowned Cloud-type scripture in the Great Jin cultivation world. In terms of sheer destructive power, it ranked only beneath the Cloud Dragon Heart Sutra, but its fame was not far behind. It was said their Blood Cloud Heart Sutra possessed unique, esoteric qualities.

Naturally, the sect's supreme technique was the Blood Cloud Heart Sutra, a Cloud-type method, meaning they required Cloud-type spirit beasts. Legend held that they possessed a secret art allowing them to upgrade the rank of a Cloud-type Spirit Beast using human blood—for instance, turning a low-tier beast into a mid-tier one. This process, however, demanded vast amounts of blood, often requiring the blood of numerous cultivators.

These beasts, once tainted and elevated, were called Blood Cloud Spirit Beasts.

Back at North Peak, because the Blood Sword Sect practiced the Blood Cloud Heart Sutra—a Cloud-type technique similar to the Cloud Dragon Heart Sutra—it had been specifically explained. Lu Yuan, for some unknown reason, had stayed awake and listened. Now, hearing "Blood Cloud Spirit Beast," the memory surfaced instantly.

So, the Blood Sword Sect Daoist was here, intending to use the blood of cultivators to elevate the rank of his Blood Cloud Spirit Beast.

(The Blood Sword Sect is a faction that will feature heavily in future plots, and the Blood Sword Ancestor is a major antagonist slated for later appearances. Therefore, this chapter provides extra introductory detail.)