Vampire Cultivation Notes

There is a river on the outskirts of the capital called the Jinshui River, which is formed by diverting a tributary of the Tongtian River.

There is a bridge over the river, named Jinshui Bridge.

The bridge is wide, about 130 zhang from east to west, and can accommodate five dragon-scaled horses walking side by side. It is usually crowded with pedestrians and is a trading hub in the suburbs of the capital.

As the moon rose above the willow branches, the head of the Xue family personally led a group of people out of the capital and along the banks of the Jinshui River.

Upon reaching the Jinshui Bridge, no one moved rashly. The head of the Xue family sent someone forward to investigate, asking, "Is this really the place? Are you sure?"

"allow!"

One person excitedly replied, "There's a concealment formation hidden under the Golden Water Bridge. It must have been set up just a few days ago. The person we're looking for must be hiding there."

Upon hearing this, the Xue family patriarch nodded in understanding, his heart seething with anger. The Jinshui Bridge was usually bustling with people, especially cultivators. The red-robed elder had set up an array under the bridge, hiding right under his nose, making it seem like a blind spot. He had searched for several days without finding a trace and had been reprimanded by the Imperial Preceptor.

That old man is truly shrewd.

"Master, should we proceed? Should we go directly to break the formation?"

"What are you going up for? Call for help!"

The Xue family patriarch cursed. The person the Grand Preceptor was looking for was not someone they could handle. He might even be a Foundation Establishment cultivator. What if they actually stormed in and wiped them out?

The plan is working well. One group of people are keeping watch here, while the rest are sending out messages to gather people from all sides.

They had Xue family's own close associates, reinforcements brought in by the Tongtian Merchant Alliance, and personnel assigned by the new national advisor from the Imperial Observatory—all reliable and capable individuals.

It was around midnight.

People scattered in various places all gathered together, and upon closer inspection, the number exceeded two hundred. Most of them were in the late stage of Qi Refining, and the few in the middle stage of Qi Refining also had their own methods.

With such a large group gathered, the commotion in the capital was considerable, no wonder the new Grand Preceptor urged them to hurry.

"The Imperial Advisor has arrived; he's at the rear!"

One of the new Grand Master's disciples came over and gave orders, saying that they should not wait any longer, otherwise things would change, and they should break the formation immediately!

Upon hearing that the Imperial Advisor had arrived, the Xue family patriarch felt both helpless and somewhat relieved.

With the backing of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, the gathered crowd immediately rushed to both sides of the Golden Water Bridge, each using their own methods to explore the underwater world.

After monitoring from the outside for a long time, they have found the key point of the underwater formation. After a barrage of attacks, a water curtain appeared and rose in the moonlight.

This water curtain, shimmering with light, spans the two banks of the Golden Water Bridge. Within the water curtain, an old man in a red robe is seen guarding a furnace, where the fire is condensing into elixir.

"The Foundation Establishment Pill is almost finished being refined?"

Yang Huangli, the new national teacher of the Eastern Land, hid in the shadows and watched this scene, focusing on observing the steps and techniques of the red-robed old man refining elixirs within the water curtain.

He wasn't in a hurry to act; he wanted to send someone to probe the situation first.

When the head of the Xue family personally arrived at the front line and witnessed this scene, the dreamlike water screen projection had a much greater impact on him than on Yang Huangli.

"What exquisite technique! Manipulating fire is as easy as breathing in spiritual energy..."

Within the water curtain, two streams of fire, shaped like snakes, circled the red-robed elder, at his command, occasionally bursting forth with bursts of flame that illuminated the water curtain.

A fragrant aroma of elixir slowly emanated from the alchemy furnace, eventually even projecting through the water curtain and beyond the Golden Water Bridge.

"What kind of elixir is that?!"

None of the attackers present recognized it, not even the head of the Xue family, who realized it wasn't the protective pill he had assumed.

Inside the water curtain, the alchemist had already discovered that his cave had been exposed, and thus was startled. In a moment of confusion, his technique became disordered, his magical power waned, and the alchemy furnace began to tremble.

"I wonder what kind of second-tier pill it was; it's such a waste that it's gone bad like this!"

The Xue family patriarch had practically already considered the pill as his own, and instinctively stopped the attacks on the surrounding formation.

Through this alchemy process, he could see that although the old man in red robes possessed great magical power and exquisite fire-starting techniques, he was a formidable figure among Qi-refining cultivators.

However, he was only at the Qi Refining stage.

With so many people rushing forward, even if the Imperial Advisor doesn't intervene, today's situation is secure.

Amidst the watchful eyes of everyone, the red-robed elder who was refining the pills blushed. Just before his magical power was exhausted, he raised his hand, pointed, and uttered the word "凝" (Ning).

The alchemy furnace was opened wide, and two pills flew out, shimmering in the water curtain above the Golden Water Bridge.

"This is... a Foundation Establishment Pill?!"

"To refine a second-grade pill, and a Foundation Establishment pill at that, with a Qi Refining Body?! Who on earth is this person?!"

One person recognized the elixir and exclaimed in surprise.

Upon hearing this, the entire audience erupted in uproar.

Foundation Establishment Pills are always hard to find in the Eastern Lands. These legendary items are usually found only in ruins or caves from before the founding of a nation. Sometimes, only one or two pills can be found, and it can be gone for ten or twenty years, or even several decades. Local cultivators rely on Pulse Protection Pills to break through to the next realm.

Otherwise, the new national advisor's claim of producing three Foundation Establishment Pills at once wouldn't have caused such a huge uproar.

As a result, tonight, right under everyone's noses, someone actually refined the Foundation Establishment Pill.

"What a master alchemist! Unheard of in the East!"

The Xue family patriarch excitedly raised his arm and shouted, "Break the formation and capture this man alive!"

The offensive resumed in an instant.

Bai Ningxue of the Bai Family Chamber of Commerce was also leading her people to mingle in the crowd. She had come here tonight to give face to the Xue family, but she never expected to witness the birth of a Foundation Establishment Pill.

This person is truly the greatest alchemist in the East!

As fellow alchemists, Bai Ningxue's eyes gleamed with fervor, almost as if she wanted to dive into the water curtain, kowtow to become a disciple, and listen to his teachings day and night.

However, after noticing the surrounding situation, his feverish mind instantly cooled down.

"Let's go!" Bai Ningxue turned and called her family away. "For no reason at all, I first betrayed the Xue family by revealing the Grandmaster's information, which was already unjust. To then go and ambush them would be truly shameful!"

In the end, Bai Ningxue, who had once taken pity on the people next door, now forcefully pulled her own family members against the tide and withdrew from the battlefield.

The flow was diverted in just a moment.

The water curtain spanning the Golden Water Bridge shattered, and the old man in red robes appeared in the water, leaping into the air.

With two Foundation Establishment Pills in hand, he put one into his sleeve, and after clearing the surrounding area, he suddenly shouted and threw the other onto the bank of the Golden Water River.

Instantly, most of the people scattered to chase after the single Foundation Establishment Pill that had fallen.

Only the head of the Xue family knew that the Imperial Advisor was watching from behind, and dared not be greedy. He still gritted his teeth and led the crowd forward to block their way.

"This is outrageous!"

The old man's voice was mournful as he roared, "Those who block my way shall die!"

The head of the Xue family blocked the way, confident that he was also at the peak of Qi cultivation and would have no problem taking a single blow from the red-robed old man whose magic power was insufficient.

Unexpectedly, a drop of crimson blood fell and spun around once.

Overwhelmed by terror, the Xue family patriarch let out a wail as his life essence was drawn out and gathered into the blood bead in front of him.

The old man in red robes stepped forward to collect the blood droplets, swung his sword to shatter the body of the Xue family patriarch, and then slammed his palm in front of a person to clear the way.

"The Blood Heart Freedom Technique, what a familiar method! It really is you, you demon!"

Yang Huangli, who had been observing from behind, finally confirmed his suspicions.

Behold, the red-robed elder was driven to the brink of despair by a group of Qi Refining cultivators, even having to throw away a Foundation Establishment Pill he had just refined, which greatly pleased him.

There was no time to think; it was time to make a decision!

Seeing that the red-robed man had created another mummified corpse to clear the way, and at the same time formed a hand seal, turning into a blood shadow to escape.

Yang Huangli could no longer tolerate it. He appeared on his former good brother's magical flying boat and shouted loudly.

"Where are you going, fellow Daoist!"

Before the sound arrived, the sword energy had already come.

It was precisely the Threshold Wind-Subduing Sword Technique.

As the sword energy struck him, the red-robed elder transformed into a bloody shadow and escaped from the dense whirlwind.

After navigating the Jinshui River, they fled straight towards the Tongtian River.

"Fellow Daoist, hiding in the capital to refine pills, you greatly underestimate me!"

"Why hide? Show yourself to me, and I will guarantee you a place of honor in the Eastern Court!"

Yang Huangli was also driven by greed. Seeing the opportunity to regain what he had lost was right before his eyes, he was unwilling to let it go.

The old man in red robes did not answer. He transformed into a blood shadow and arrived in the Tongtian River in the blink of an eye.

With the blood-red shadow in front and the flying boat behind, they rammed left and right, stirring up thousands of waves. The once calm river water was now surging with huge waves that flooded the riverbanks.

Seeing that he couldn't shake off the shadow for the time being, he paused and went upstream.

Yang Huangli is no longer the same as before; he is now in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. He arrived in a spirit artifact flying boat, and no matter how the red-robed elder used Blood Escape and other spells, the distance between them continued to close, and he traversed the waters as if they were nothing.

Although the distance was closing, Yang Huangli's mood was shrouded in gloom.

The Eastern Court has a powerful formation to suppress this Tongtian River area. If they cause any disturbance here, it will inevitably alarm the Foundation Establishment cultivators within the court.

"So that's how it is. Now you want to escape to the Demon Realm?!"

Seeing that Xueying gave up the entanglement and went straight upstream, Yang Huangli suppressed his unease, pointed a sword finger in front of him, and a flying sword transformed into a tornado that descended from the sky, swallowing him and the flying boat. Riding the wind, his speed increased to another level.

For the cultivators on both sides of the Jinshui River, it felt like only a blink of an eye, and the red-robed elder and the new national teacher arrived at the Tongtian River. In the next blink, both of them disappeared at the same time.

Instead, boundless giant waves surged from the vast Tongtian River, pressing down like mountains.

……

The Blood Heart Sect possesses the Blood Escape Flying Technique, which allows one to transform into a blood shadow and travel thousands of miles in an instant.

Of course, this statement is a bit of an exaggeration. Li Jieqing personally experienced this during his Qi Refining stage. If he kept using it, he could travel more than 20,000 li in about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, which was just enough to make a round trip to Xiaoxin Island.

When the Blood Escape Technique was created, it probably never imagined that someone would use it directly to travel and calculate speed.

Normally, a person can burn their life essence and blood to perform a single technique, and after running a few hundred miles, they have to stop immediately.

With Li Jieqing running like this, Yang Huangli, who was at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage behind him, was using a spirit artifact flying boat and some kind of secret technique to barely keep up. The shadow of chasing him all the way back then had already surfaced in his mind.

Fortunately, after leaving the vicinity of Jinshui Bridge, the distance between the two sides did not widen again, and it looked like they would catch up very soon.

Yang Huangli, amidst the swirling wind, felt immense satisfaction with the results of his diligent cultivation.