Primordial Era: I am a treasure trove, full of magical treasures.

After his miraculous encounter at the icy pool, Lin Yan changed.

He still completed his daily chores, but a ruthless glint appeared in his eyes. In the dead of night, he would quietly sneak into the depths of the back mountain to cultivate according to the incomplete method of the "Blood Fiend Body Tempering Technique".

At first, he only experienced a surge of qi and blood, and his skin felt like it was being pricked by needles. Three days later, he noticed that dark red lines were faintly appearing under the skin of his arms, and he gained the strength of an ox, able to crack ironwood with a single punch. Seven days later, he secretly sneaked into the sect's kitchen and, taking advantage of the fact that no one was looking, ate a few pieces of demon beast meat. The demon beast meat was refined by a strange power as it entered his stomach, turning into wisps of blood energy that seeped into his bones. He rolled on the ground in pain, but he also felt a real increase in his strength.

"Not enough...not enough!" Lin Yan's eyes were bloodshot. He had tasted the sweetness of power, and his thirst for strength grew wildly like weeds.

On this day, the outer sect held a minor competition.

The Qingyun Sect holds a minor competition for outer disciples every three months. The top ten receive elixirs as a reward, and the top thirty can enter the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion to choose a basic spell. Lin Yan, a menial disciple, was not qualified to participate, but he gritted his teeth and used all the contribution points he had accumulated over three months to exchange for a "spectator spot".

On the arena, two disciples at the Qi Refining stage were locked in fierce combat. One used a fireball technique, while the other wielded a low-grade magic weapon flying sword, drawing cheers from the audience.

Lin Yan stood in the corner, his fists clenched. The two people on the stage had entered the sect at the same time as him three years ago. Their aptitudes were only average to below average, but they had become formal outer disciples by reaching the Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation stage early on, and now they were enjoying immense prestige. Meanwhile, he was still struggling to break through to the Qi Refining stage.

"Next match: Wang Hu vs. Li Shan!"

Two burly men leaped onto the arena. Both were body-refining cultivators, specializing in their sect's body-refining techniques, and had already achieved some success. Their punches and kicks were powerful, making the arena resound with a thud.

"Senior Brother Wang must be made of iron and bronze by now, right? That punch must have the force of ten thousand jin!"

"Senior Brother Li is no slouch either; look how stable his lower body is!"

A buzz of discussion arose from the audience. Lin Yan stared at the two on stage, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes. He could sense that their physical strength was inferior to the results of his three days of cultivating the *Blood Fiend Body Tempering Technique*! If he were to go up...

"Bang!"

Wang Hu landed a powerful punch on Li Shan's chest, causing Li Shan to stagger backward with blood trickling from his mouth. The referee immediately declared Wang Hu the winner.

"You flatter me!" Wang Hu clasped his hands in a fist salute, his face full of smugness. His gaze swept across the audience, suddenly landing on Lin Yan, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "Oh, isn't this our 'workaholic' Lin Yan from the menial workers' section? What, you want to give it a try too?"

A murmur of laughter rippled through the crowd. The menial disciples, being the lowest in rank among the outer sect, were often the butt of jokes.

Lin Yan lowered his head, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

"What, you're not convinced?" Wang Hu jumped off the stage, walked up to Lin Yan, and looked down at him. "I heard you've been training your body in the back mountains every day. What, you want to pursue physical cultivation? Forget it, with your aptitude, you could train until you die and still not catch up to a single finger of mine!"

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Hu suddenly reached out and grabbed Lin Yan's collar—he was going to embarrass him in front of everyone!

In a flash, the energy flow path of the Blood Fiend Body Tempering Technique in Lin Yan's mind automatically began, and a violent aura surged straight to the top of his head! Almost without thinking, his right hand shot out like an iron clamp, striking first and grabbing Wang Hu's wrist!

"You!" Wang Hu was shocked. With his body-refining cultivation, he could exert the strength of ten thousand jin with a single swing of his arm. Although he did not use his full strength, this grab was still something that a menial disciple could not withstand! But Lin Yan's hand was like an iron clamp, and he could not break free!

"Let go!" Enraged, Wang Hu unleashed a powerful punch, his left fist carrying a gust of wind, aimed straight at Lin Yan's face! This punch was delivered with eight-tenths of his strength, something even a typical Qi Refining Nascent Soul cultivator wouldn't dare to take head-on!

A flash of bloodlust appeared in Lin Yan's eyes. Without dodging or avoiding, he also threw a punch!

"Bang!"

The dull thud of fists colliding and flesh striking flesh sent a shiver down the spines of the surrounding disciples!

"Ah—!" Wang Hu screamed in agony as his entire left arm bent at an eerie angle. He flew backward like a broken sack, knocking over three or four people before crashing to the ground, spitting out blood and losing consciousness.

Quiet.

A deathly silence.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at Lin Yan. This menial disciple had sent Wang Hu flying with a single punch? And even crippled his arm?

Lin Yan stood there, panting heavily. His right fist was torn and bleeding profusely, but he seemed oblivious. In the instant of that clash, he clearly felt the power within him, originating from the Blood Fiend Body Tempering Technique, subtly absorbing and refining a trace of the blood and qi from Wang Hu's fist, nourishing himself! Although it was minuscule, the thrill of plundering and devouring sent shivers down his spine!

"Demonic art! This is demonic art!" an older disciple suddenly screamed. "His fist has a bloodthirsty aura! I can see it clearly!"

"What?!"

"Take him down!"

Several disciples reacted quickly, drawing their magical artifacts and surrounding him. Lin Yan panicked and turned to flee! He was incredibly fast, breaking through the crowd in a few leaps and disappearing into the dense forest behind the mountain!

"Chase them! Sound the alarm! A disciple has been practicing demonic arts and has defected from the sect!"

A piercing alarm sounded throughout the Qingyun Sect.

……

Lin Yan fled into the dense forest behind the mountain, like a frightened bird. The shouts and whooshing sounds of his pursuers grew closer and closer. In his panic, he could only rely on the brute strength and speed granted by the Blood Fiend Body Tempering Technique to run for his life through the rugged forest. His body was scratched and bled by thorns, and the slightly weakened Blood Fiend power within him, which had been diminished by absorbing a trace of Wang Hu's blood, became the only straw that kept him clinging to for survival.

"I can't be caught and taken back! Going back means death!" Lin Yan roared inwardly. He knew all too well that cultivating "demonic arts," injuring fellow disciples, or betraying the sect—any one of these would be enough to condemn him to eternal damnation. His mind flashed with the expectant eyes of his parents, the cold stares and mockery of his fellow disciples, and Wang Hu's derisive face, finally settling on the cold, hard black iron plaque in his arms.

It was this! This iron plaque gave him power, but it also brought him disaster! But he had no regrets! Without this power, Lin Yan would forever remain an ant in the menial labor area, subject to humiliation! Even if this power was malevolent, even if the road ahead was a bottomless abyss, he accepted it!

"This way! He's heading towards the Cliff of Broken Souls!"

"Set up a formation! Don't let him jump off the cliff!"

Several sword lights flashed past the treetops, blocking the way. A ruthless glint flashed in Lin Yan's eyes. Instead of slowing down, he accelerated and rushed towards a misty cliff! That place was the infamous "Soul-Severing Cliff" of Qinglan Mountain. It was bottomless and shrouded in poisonous miasma all year round. Even cultivators who fell in would have a very bad chance of survival.

Seeing this, the pursuers slowed their attack, seemingly hesitant.

It's now!

Lin Yan rushed to the edge of the cliff and, without hesitation, leaped into the air!

"He jumped off a cliff!"

"Fool! You're asking for it!"

The pursuers reached the edge of the cliff, only to find poisonous miasma swirling below; Lin Yan was nowhere to be seen. The group exchanged bewildered glances. A leading disciple said in a deep voice, "Falling into the Soul-Severing Cliff is certain death. However, just in case, send a message back to the sect, reporting that Lin Yan practiced demonic arts, defected, and fell off the cliff. Request that the sect send people to search the area below and around the cliff; we must find him alive or dead!"

……

Below the Cliff of Broken Souls, there wasn't a direct path to the earth, but rather a complex network of caves and underground rivers. When Lin Yan fell, he was briefly stopped by several sprawling old vines before plunging into a deep pool. Although the fall broke his bones and caused him to cough up blood, the enhanced physique from the Blood Fiend Body Tempering Technique allowed him to survive by sheer luck. The icy pool water irritated his wounds, the excruciating pain almost causing him to faint. He struggled to climb ashore, leaning against the slippery stone wall, panting heavily, his eyes unfocused.

"I can't die... I finally gained power... I can't die here..." His hands trembled as he pulled out the black iron plate again. The iron plate was stained with his blood, and the twisted patterns seemed clearer, emitting a faint suction force that subtly drew in the remaining blood energy within his body, slowly circulating it to repair his damaged body.

Just then, the iron plaque suddenly trembled slightly, and an extremely faint yet alluring thought entered Lin Yan's mind, which was on the verge of collapse: "Blood... Fiend... Insufficient... Devour... Living beings... Can prolong life... Can make you stronger..."

Lin Yan shuddered and looked sharply into the dark depths of the cave. There, a faint rustling sound came from, and two eerie green lights shone in the darkness—these were "Ghost-faced Spiders," which lived underground and fed on poisonous insects and decaying matter! These monsters were not strong individually, but they were highly venomous and often lived in groups.

Normally, Lin Yan would never dare to provoke him. But at this moment, the will transmitted by the iron plate mixed with his survival instinct, turning into a frenzied and violent aura.

"Devouring...living beings..." He licked his chapped lips, his eyes growing increasingly bloodshot. Dragging his mangled body, like a wounded beast, he slowly crawled towards the demon-faced spider...

……

The news of Lin Yan's defection and fall off a cliff, suspected of being involved in demonic cultivation, caused a minor stir within the Qingyun Sect, like a stone thrown into water. However, that was all. The life or death of a menial disciple was insignificant before the vast machinery of the sect. After searching the area below the cliff for several days without success, the sect declared him "deceased" and hastily closed the case. Only a handful of disciples who had entered the sect at the same time as Lin Yan and were now inner disciples shook their heads and sighed upon hearing the news before returning to their respective cultivation.

However, things did not end so simply. In just a few years, similar events occurred one after another in hundreds of sects, large and small, among the human race! And their patterns were strikingly similar.

A disciple who was originally mediocre or even inferior in talent, who was looked down upon and frustrated in his sect or family, or who accidentally cultivated a kind of seemingly unorthodox, domineering, and rapidly advancing technique while traveling, but which actually had hidden dangers and required the absorption of external essence, blood, or special evil energy to improve quickly.

After cultivating, these disciples experienced a rapid increase in strength in a short period, far surpassing their peers and even enabling them to challenge opponents of higher levels, attracting considerable attention. Some were thus re-evaluated by the sect and received more resources; others became arrogant and their actions became increasingly extreme, escalating conflicts with fellow disciples; still others had their minds gradually corrupted by the malevolent energy within the cultivation technique, and in their pursuit of rapid breakthroughs, they began secretly harming living beings, stealing the essence and blood of fellow disciples, or embezzling sect resources, ultimately leading to their exposure and tragic consequences.

One by one, these incidents initially appeared as scattered rumors, dismissed by the major sects as isolated cases of disciples with impure intentions or who had gone astray, and were dealt with internally by their respective sects. However, as similar incidents became more numerous, more frequent, and involved a wider range of sects, even cross-regional cases with subtly similar cultivation techniques began to emerge, they finally attracted the attention of the higher-ups—no, they attracted the attention of Emperor Xuancang, who was in charge of human affairs at Shouyang Mountain, and Imperial Tutor Fuxi!

Shouyang Mountain, Rendao Temple.

This place is no longer the simple cave dwelling of the past, but a magnificent palace built with the combined energy of humanity and the red copper of Shou Mountain, as well as the essence of the stars. Although its layout is not as grand as the Lingxiao Palace of the Heavenly Court, it possesses its own majestic aura of bearing all people and carrying all things with virtue. The increasingly solidified phantom of the Kongtong Seal floats on the ceiling, casting a warm glow and regulating the vast energy within the palace that is connected to the human race.

At this moment, in the center of the main hall, a giant light screen formed from the aura of humanity was flashing at an extremely fast speed, displaying urgent communication runes from all parts of the human race, major sects, and large tribes, as well as briefings on some selected "abnormal events" worthy of attention. Beside the light screen, several first-generation humans, each with a deep and composed aura and at least the cultivation level of a Taiyi Golden Immortal, were sweating profusely as they rapidly processed, categorized, and labeled the messages using their divine sense.

Emperor Xuancang sat regally on the main throne, wearing a simple golden crown adorned with stars and a dark yellow imperial robe. His face was more mature and dignified than before, with an unyielding solemnity between his brows. In his hand, he held a jade slip used for transmitting messages, and as he scanned its contents with his divine sense, his expression grew increasingly grim.

The jade slip records that a disciple of the Li Huo Divine Palace suddenly went mad three days ago, using a secret technique to ignite the toxic fire of the earth's lungs, nearly causing a massive fire that would burn for thousands of miles. After being subdued, a strange aura mixed with fire poison and resentment was forced out of his body. His cultivation method seemed to share similarities with several previous cases, but was even more insidious and vicious. The Palace Master of the Li Huo Divine Palace, a Great Luo Golden Immortal, personally traced the source and actually detected a trace of demonic energy in the void.

"Demonic energy!"

Xuan Cang slammed the jade slip down on the table, and the air in the hall suddenly froze. "In just a few years, over a thousand similar incidents have been reported! More than four hundred sects and tribes are involved! The techniques vary, but the core is the same: plunder and devouring, harming others for personal gain, and corrupting minds! All bear traces of demonic energy! This is no coincidence!"

His gaze, sharp as lightning, swept over the assembled officials and Fuxi beside him: "Teacher, gentlemen, this is a premeditated infiltration! It's aimed at undermining the foundation of our human race and disrupting the destiny of humanity!"

Fuxi's fingertips flashed with the illusory image of the Eight Trigrams, deducing the secrets of heaven. His expression was cold and stern: "Indeed. This is not a natural disaster, but a man-made one. The methods are insidious, exploiting the greed of the human race and catalyzing their inner demons. The transmitted techniques are all cleverly disguised, offering rapid progress in the early stages and being extremely tempting. As the cultivators become more dependent and their minds become skewed, it becomes a poisonous sore. They either expose themselves and are eliminated, causing internal strife within the sect and depleting the human race's strength; or they completely succumb and become the enemy's spy. What a 'boiling frog in lukewarm water' trick, utterly vicious!"

A high-ranking official in charge of oversight added in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, what's even more troublesome is that some of these geniuses haven't been exposed. Instead, their 'rapid progress' has made them valued by their sects, granting them more resources and increasingly crucial positions. They're like poisonous thorns hidden within the human body, ready to erupt at any moment!"

Xuan Cang slowly rose, his imperial aura emanating from him, and the illusory image of the Kongtong Seal shone brightly: "Issue my decree: Within the territory of the human race, all sects and tribes shall immediately conduct a thorough internal investigation to identify all those whose cultivation has recently made abnormal leaps, whose temperament has changed drastically, or whose cultivation methods are questionable! Arrest them all, better to arrest the wrong person than let one go."

"Then, Your Majesty, if... certain sects are involved, or their elders or disciples who hold high positions..." a first-generation human asked hesitantly.

Xuan Cang's gaze was icy as he looked at the vast, crimson-gold-tinged aura of humanity outside the hall: "No matter who is involved, or what position they hold, anyone who has colluded with demons and wreaks havoc on the human race is a mortal enemy of humanity! All—slay!"

The hall was thick with murderous intent, and everyone present was on edge. They knew that a thunderous storm, sweeping through humanity and aimed at eradicating the malignant tumor within, was about to descend with the Emperor's wrath and the Imperial Tutor's wisdom. Those venomous snakes lurking in the shadows would inevitably face the cruelest reckoning. The path to humanity's rise was destined to be paved with iron and blood, sweeping away all demons and monsters!