Chương 107: The Ash Blood Hound

Once Zhang Huaijin stepped into the inner perimeter of the Purple Dusk Mountain Range, the number of spirit beasts began to multiply rapidly. Every kilometer or so, a Tier 2 spirit beast lurked. Nothing below Tier 1, upper grade could survive here. The ambient spiritual energy was several times denser than in the outer perimeter, and it only grew richer the deeper he went. It was no wonder this was a colossal mountain range spanning multiple nations, coiling across the land like a purple dragon.

Almost immediately, Zhang Huaijin encountered a Tier 2, mid grade Water Cloud Fire Toad. With its dual affinities of water and fire, hardness and softness in perfect balance, it was a formidable opponent. But before the creature could even show its strength, Huaijin's sword split its skull. Blood sprayed through the air. The toad didn't even manage a dying croak before it dropped dead. After harvesting its materials, he fed everything into the Realm-Breaking Pearl.

The black and white energy inside the pearl had already accumulated past the halfway mark. Even without spirit beast flesh or spiritual herbs, given enough time, the pearl could absorb spiritual energy on its own to fill its reserves. Not far from the toad, he found a water cloud fire grass, a Tier 2, mid grade herb. Generally speaking, spiritual herbs of this quality were guarded by a beast. That was part of Zhang Huaijin's goal. To train while hunting for resources… It seemed his luck was holding.

Just entering the Purple Dusk Mountain Range, he'd already gotten off to a flying start. Time passed, and his haul continued to grow. He wouldn't touch lower level beasts. He understood the principle of not draining the pond to catch the fish. Besides, a massive die off of Tier 2 beasts would inevitably attract the attention of Tier 3 beasts. Those were the equals of Purple Mansion Realm cultivators. Despite his formidable battle power, Zhang Huaijin was still no match for a Tier 3 beast.

Against them saving his own skin would be an achievement. Of course, he had to carefully balance all these factors. Before he knew it, ten days had passed since he entered the inner perimeter. He had killed two upper grade beasts at the seventh level and nearly twenty mid grade beasts. He had nearly butchered half the beasts in this area. And so, Huaijin stopped. It was time to leave this area. Aside from the beasts, he had also gathered a fair number of spiritual herbs.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. The black and white energy inside the Realm-Breaking Pearl was now three quarters full. With a bit more time, it would overflow again. Currently, he is at the fifth level of the Foundation Establishment Realm. By the time the beast tide erupted, he would surely advance to the sixth level. And once the beast tide ended, he could directly step into the late stages.

For most cultivators at the sixth level, the bottleneck to the late stage took at least twenty years to break through. The higher a cultivator's realm, the harder the bottlenecks became. They required constant tempering and deep insight. … The remaining beasts all knew that a terrifyingly powerful human cultivator had arrived. They had begun to band together, planning to kill Zhang Huaijin.

But Huaijin was already gone He estimated he had now entered the area corresponding to Shangfu County Here, there were even more Tier 2 beasts. The region seemed calm. And deep within Zhang Huaijin, the black and white energy produced by the Realm-Breaking Pearl ceaselessly tempered his own flesh. His power grew increasingly profound. He had now comprehended nearly twenty Bloodline Abilities. His skeletal frame was constantly refined. His own blood had become thick as mercury, viscous and heavy.

A single drop falling could shatter the skull of a Qi Refining Realm beast. His blood surged like a wolf-smoke beacon on the horizon, vast, mighty, and unstoppable. Yet all of this remained hidden from the outside world. The power of the Primordial Tai Chi Visualization Diagram continuously refined his soul, concealing every extraordinary sign. —— Pffft! Huaijin slapped down. A colossal palm print, like a bear's paw, condensed from his surging blood qi.

It shattered the skull of a Tier 2 spirit beast, killing it in a single blow. He continued his slaughter. Every few minutes, another spirit beast fell. ROOOAR! Suddenly, a terrifying roar erupted from a distant mountain ridge. A wave of baleful energy rushed toward him. A beast, a full ten meters tall, moved with shocking speed. In the blink of an eye, it stood before him. Its crimson eyes swirled with demonic energy, filled with murderous intent. Its limbs were like pillars, its claws vicious.

Its body was covered in fine, colorful scales. Around it flickered strange, shifting shadows. From a distance, it looked like it was draped in a living ink wash painting.

"An ash blood hound!" Zhang Huaijin's eyes flickered with surprise.

"And at the Perfection Stage, no less." The ash blood hound was a beast with terrifying close combat abilities. More importantly, it also wielded illusory powers. It could construct dreamscapes, silently killing its opponents. A truly troublesome foe. ROOOAR! The ash blood hound charged directly at Zhang Huaijin. A claw made of shimmering, multicolored energy condensed, wailing with spectral voices, aiming to rip open Zhang Huaijin's throat. Zhang Huaijin's blood qi exploded outward.

A cascade of Bloodline Abilities erupted one after another, manifesting as a relentless stream of phantoms. Their energy attacks clashed repeatedly, creating a series of booming detonations.

"Not bad for a Perfection Stage Foundation Establishment beast. This has got some real punch!" Zhang Huaijin was thrilled by the challenge. The ash blood hound's most dreaded power, its illusions, was utterly useless against Zhang Huaijin. With the Primordial Tai Chi Visualization Diagram guarding his sea of consciousness, his spiritual sense saw through all deception. The battle grew increasingly fierce. Zhang Huaijin unleashed both his Qi and Body cultivation at once. His Blood Dragon Sword appeared.

Dragon's roar shakes the sky! Entomb the Spirit Ruins! A sky-filling storm of swords descended, suppressing the ash blood hound from all sides. Demonic energy swirled in the beast's eyes. Strands of illusion power wove together, knitting a tapestry of deadly traps. Reality and fantasy intertwined, enveloping Zhang Huaijin. In an instant, a dozen ash blood hounds appeared, along with countless demonic and bestial phantoms. But then… CRUNCH! Zhang Huaijin ignored the illusions all around him.

His Blood Dragon Sword sliced precisely into the ash blood hound's neck. A horrible, tooth grinding screech echoed. Blood sprayed from the wound.

"Heh. Not bad at all." Suddenly, a black-robed figure materialized near the ash blood hound, radiating demonic energy. His presence was icy and cold, like a vengeful ghost, exuding a sinister chill. He walked forward slowly, his face full of distress as he looked at the ash blood hound beside him. His own cultivation was also at the Perfection Stage of Foundation Establishment Realm. Zhang Huaijin felt the man's aura, and his pupils contracted sharply.

"A demonic cultivator…"