Wild Dogs

Yang Fan then asked some questions about the Blood Spirit Sect.

After thoroughly understanding all the information he needed, Yang Fan gripped the Human King Banner and immediately prepared to use the Soul Devouring Technique to completely refine the divine soul.

"My lord, haven't I already told you everything?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Fan raised his eyebrows.

"When did I ever say that I would let you go if you confessed honestly?"

For Yang Fan, this person was no longer of any use, and keeping him around would only be a disaster, so it was better to get rid of him.

Upon hearing this, the divine soul became truly anxious and hurriedly begged Yang Fan.

"Please spare my life, my lord. I am willing to acknowledge you as my master and serve you at your beck and call."

Yang Fan sneered.

"What use would I have for a soul? You've told me everything you know; keeping you around is utterly useless."

Upon hearing this, the man became so anxious that his soul almost left his body. Seeing that Yang Fan was about to make a move, he was completely terrified and immediately shouted at Yang Fan.

"My lord, I can help you break through to the Foundation Establishment stage!"

Yang Fan abruptly stopped, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.

The person in front of us is a Foundation Establishment cultivator. If we keep him here, he will surely know the key to Foundation Establishment.

Yang Fan still doesn't have a Foundation Establishment technique. Without a technique, he can't advance to the Foundation Establishment stage. He also doesn't know anything about the materials needed for Foundation Establishment.

As a Blood Servant, his path to Foundation Establishment would be incredibly difficult without guidance from a master.

Thinking of this, Yang Fan couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

But he also knew that it was precisely at times like these that he couldn't easily compromise.

He sneered and shook his head dismissively.

"If that's all you're good for, you might as well die. How do I know you're up to no good?"

Seeing that Yang Fan had not completely refused, the man immediately saw a glimmer of hope and quickly raised his head.

"My lord, please believe me. I am willing to swear a solemn oath to my heart, never to betray you, and to serve you faithfully from now on. I only beg you to spare my life."

Seeing that Yang Fan didn't seem interested, the man gritted his teeth.

"My lord, I am, after all, a Foundation Establishment cultivator. I know many secrets and am also familiar with the key techniques of cultivation."

"Besides that, I can also help you find the most precious treasure in this Blood Cave."

"Please, sir, trust me just this once, and I will surely acknowledge you as my master!"

Inside the Human King Banner, the divine soul kept pleading. At this moment, he only wanted to live and no longer cared about anything else.

Hearing this, Yang Fan was completely moved.

This person is a Foundation Establishment cultivator who can help him break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. He also knows many secrets, which will greatly benefit his own cultivation.

More importantly, Yang Fan was also very interested in this treasure in the Blood Cave and wanted to know where it was hidden.

"What is this treasure?"

Since this person knew many secrets, Yang Fan naturally wanted to find out what the treasure inside was.

If this treasure is useful to him, Yang Fan would like to go and compete for it.

Upon hearing Yang Fan's question, the man hesitated for a moment before shaking his head with difficulty.

"I'm so sorry, I don't know exactly what kind of treasure it is."

All I know is that it was a coffin.

"As for what's inside the coffin, I have no idea."

Seeing Yang Fan's unfriendly expression, the man hurriedly offered an explanation.

"My lord, when I first entered this place, I was just a Foundation Establishment cultivator."

"I have no way of knowing the plans of the Blood Spirit Sect's higher-ups."

"All I know is that a coffin was sunk into the third level of the Blood Lake by the Blood Spirit Sect."

"I really don't know what's inside the coffin."

"Please forgive me, sir."

"But rest assured, sir, as long as you spare my life, I will definitely help you obtain that coffin."

As he spoke, he made numerous solemn promises to Yang Fan.

Yang Fan listened for a while, then waved his hand.

"Tell me, what do the Six Blood Path Sects need to reach the Foundation Establishment stage?"

Yang Fan didn't care about that precious treasure; he was more concerned about Foundation Establishment and how to find cultivation techniques after achieving it.

Upon hearing this, the man quickly spoke up.

"To establish your foundation, the key is to have Foundation Establishment Pills."

"If the master is exceptionally talented, one or two Foundation Establishment Pills will be enough."

"If the master's aptitude is slightly inferior, more Foundation Establishment Pills will be needed."

"What kind of spiritual root does the master possess?"

Yang Fan didn't hide anything and spoke frankly.

"I possess the hidden spiritual root of the Five Elements."

The man was immediately astonished as soon as he finished speaking.

"A hidden spiritual root of the Five Elements, actually able to cultivate to the Qi Refining stage."

"The master must have had a remarkable encounter."

Yang Fan was startled, neither admitting nor denying it, but simply looking at him calmly.

"Then tell me, given my situation, how should I begin the foundation-building process?"

Upon hearing this, the man hesitated for a long time before letting out a soft sigh.

"Master, given your condition, it's probably absolutely impossible for you to achieve Foundation Establishment."

Although Yang Fan already knew that Foundation Establishment was extremely difficult, his expression still turned extremely ugly when someone bluntly pointed it out to him.

"Is there really absolutely no chance of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage?"

Upon hearing this, the man nodded emphatically.

"There's no way that's possible."

"Master, you may not know this, but to be able to cultivate the Five Elements Hidden Spirit Root to the seventh or eighth level of the Qi Refining stage is already an extraordinary miracle."

"Your limit has been reached."

Then he sighed.

"In my opinion, Master should give up on Foundation Establishment."

"I will still follow you, my master, and search for treasures that will prolong your life."

At this point, the man secretly rejoiced, thankful that he hadn't succeeded in possessing Yang Fan back then.

As long as he remains within the Human King Banner, he will eventually find a suitable body to possess again. If he were to possess a body with a hidden spiritual root of the Five Elements, then he would be completely finished.

Yang Fan clenched his fists in frustration.

"Is there really no other way?"

The man pondered for a moment, then sighed softly again.

"It is absolutely impossible if the master relies solely on himself."

Yang Fan keenly grasped the deeper meaning in his words and immediately looked at him excitedly.

"You mean, besides my own efforts, there are other ways?"

Upon hearing this, the man nodded emphatically.

"Yes."

"The master alone is certainly not capable of establishing a foundation."

"However, with the help of a secret method, the master can successfully establish his foundation."

"What method?"

The man took a deep breath.

"This technique is called the Foundation-Seizing Technique, which involves seizing the foundation of a Foundation Establishment cultivator and directly converting it for one's own use."

Yang Fan frowned.

"Wouldn't that be considered possession?"

The man quickly shook his head.

"This is different from possession, which involves taking over someone else's body."

"And seizing a foundation is merely taking over someone else's foundation."

By seizing the foundation of others into one's own body, one can ascend to the heavens in one step and become a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Yang Fan was immediately moved.

"According to what you're saying, wouldn't I be able to seize the foundation of a Core Formation cultivator and then advance to Core Formation in one fell swoop?"

Hearing Yang Fan's delusional words, the man was speechless for a moment.

After pondering for a while, he looked at Yang Fan with a smile and flattered him.

"Theoretically speaking, of course it is possible."

"It's just too difficult to seize the foundation of a Core Formation cultivator."

"More importantly, there are requirements for winning the crown."

"What are your requirements?"

Yang Fan hurriedly asked.

"First of all, those without cultivation cannot seize a foundation."

"Secondly, seizing the foundation only takes away the opponent's cultivation foundation; everything else still depends on one's own cultivation."

"In other words, to become a Foundation Establishment cultivator, you must first cultivate to the peak of the tenth level of the Qi Refining stage, and be about to break through to Foundation Establishment."

"Then, seize the opponent's foundation and turn it into your own; only then can you successfully establish your own foundation."

"If Master only seizes the foundation of a Core Formation cultivator and forcibly integrates it into his own body, he will not only fail to seize the foundation, but he will also explode and die."

Hearing this, Yang Fan was almost dumbfounded.

Thinking about it carefully, it makes sense.

If it were that easy to seize the Foundation stage, wouldn't those powerful figures be able to easily create a large number of Core Formation cultivators for their descendants?

Thinking about it this way, Yang Fan felt relieved.

So it seems I don't need to rush right now.

He hasn't reached the tenth level of Qi Refining yet, so there's no need to rush to consider other things.

"However, given your situation, Master, it seems that only seizing the foundation is a viable path."

"Moreover, taking over the base also has its advantages for the master."

"If you can seize the opponent's foundation, your aptitude will also improve."

"Absorbing spiritual energy and improving strength will be much smoother in the future."

After listening to the man's words, Yang Fan pondered for a long time before nodding heavily.

You're right.

"For me, improving my skills is the key."

"Being able to improve one's strength is naturally very beneficial."

Yang Fan took a deep breath and shook his head.

"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore."

"Let's go check out Blood Lake first."

"Check on that coffin. Hopefully, no one else has touched it."

As Yang Fan said this, a thought flashed through his mind.

The news that Blood Lake contains a great treasure is probably known to more than just one sect.

There must be many forces eyeing that area, but for various reasons, no one has made the first move.

Thinking this through, Yang Fan prepared to put away the Human King Banner.

Seeing this, the divine soul looked at Yang Fan with delight.

"So, Master is willing to spare my life?"

Yang Fan spoke calmly.

"Your performance was acceptable, but whether you stay or leave depends entirely on your future performance."

"If you can truly help me obtain that coffin and its contents, I will spare your life."

"But if you dare to deceive me, or fail to perform your duties properly, then you will have no choice but to send me to my death."

After he finished speaking, Yang Fan stared intently at the man.

The man quickly assured Yang Fan repeatedly.

Then Yang Fan put away the Human King Banner and immediately headed towards the Blood Lake following the map's directions.

The map of the Blood Witch Sect is much more detailed than that of the Blood Fiend Sect, and the location of the Blood Lake is also marked.

Yang Fan made his way towards the Blood Lake, carefully observing the surroundings as he went.

He was very careful the whole way.

After all, once you get here, you won't easily run into those Blood Servants, but once you do, they're all ruthless.

Some people may possess treasures bestowed upon them by their sect.

Some people have their own hidden methods.

They are all extremely difficult to deal with.

At this point, Yang Fan naturally became even more cautious.

After surveying the surrounding area, Yang Fan confirmed that he was close to the Blood Lake.

At this point, he took out the King's Banner.

As they moved forward, they inquired about the opinion of the person in the banner.

Through this period of communication, Yang Fan also learned that the soul's real name was Zhou Peng.

This person is a disciple of the Blood Spirit Sect and possesses exceptional talent.

In order to break through as soon as possible, he risked entering the Blood Cave to seek opportunities, but ended up like this.

It was through him that Yang Fan understood why so many powerful figures were unwilling to personally infiltrate the Blood Cave, but instead sent Blood Servants instead.

The reason is simple: the blood energy in the Blood Cave has a great influence on cultivators.

Moreover, the higher one's cultivation level, the more pronounced the effects.

Of course, those with high cultivation levels can temporarily suppress their blood and qi, but the damage to their body and physique is still irreversible.

That's why the major sects send blood servants in to collect the necessary items.

When Yang Fan arrived near the Blood Lake, he was about to head there when Zhou Peng said something to him.

"Master, there's no need to rush over yet. Let's wait a bit."

Yang Fan raised an eyebrow.

"Why wait? Don't you know what's going on inside the Blood Lake?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Peng quickly shook his head with a forced smile.

"Of course not, I'm just worried that someone might try some underhanded tactics."

Seeing Yang Fan's confusion, Zhou Peng immediately explained.

"In fact, most of the blood servants who are able to enter the Blood Cave have been tampered with, and some of them even have special missions."

"Although things seem calm around Blood Lake now, it's hard to say who might be hiding in the shadows. Let's wait and see what others do first."

"Besides, this blood lake is fraught with danger. Having others scout ahead for us will make our subsequent actions more prudent."

After thinking for a moment, Yang Fan nodded emphatically.

"You're right, we should let others scout ahead for us."

Yang Fan stretched his limbs, then carefully hid near the blood lake, quietly observing the situation.

There is no vegetation around the Blood Lake, only jagged rocks and tall boulders.

Yang Fan hid behind the rocks, silently gazing towards the lake.

After waiting for several hours and seeing that no one came, Yang Fan was about to step out from behind the rock when he heard footsteps coming from afar.

He immediately bent down and looked toward the source of the sound, where he saw a group of five people hurrying toward him.

Upon seeing the five people dressed in the attire of the Blood Witch Sect, Yang Fan raised an eyebrow.

The Blood Witch Sect is certainly making a big move. First, they sent people to the herb garden to search for medicinal herbs, and now they've come to Blood Lake. I wonder if it's also for the coffins in the lake.

The group stopped by the Blood Lake. Yang Fan looked them over carefully, then suddenly frowned.

The other four were dressed in the standard attire of the Blood Witch Clan, but the last one was dressed in a black robe, making him stand out from the others.

When the group reached the lakeside, the other four turned around and bowed to the man in black.

"Sir, we've arrived. What's next?"

"You guys figure out a way to lure out what's down there."

The man in black robes gave the order in a cold tone.

Upon hearing this, the group exchanged glances and had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk to the lakeside.

One of them took out several porcelain bottles, carefully poured the contents into the lake, and then quickly retreated.

As the medicinal liquid fell into the blood lake, ripples gradually appeared on the originally calm surface.

Moments later, the entire lake surface began to churn as if boiling.

"Sir, is it about to come out?"

A blood servant cautiously asked the person behind him.

The man in black robes ignored him, staring intently at the boiling lake surface.

The commotion on the lake grew louder and louder, and the water surged violently.

Yang Fan, hidden in the shadows, paid no attention to the lake surface; his gaze remained fixed on the man in black robes.

He sensed a strong danger emanating from this person, but no matter how he probed, he couldn't detect the slightest trace of a cultivator's aura.

This person looked no different from an ordinary blood servant, just like a mortal, but Yang Fan couldn't figure out where that sense of danger came from.

Whoosh!

Just as Yang Fan was pondering, a loud noise came from the center of the Blood Lake, and a huge blood-red python suddenly poked its head out of the lake.

The giant python stared at the group of people on the shore, its eyes filled with ferocity.