Back in Wan Chao City, Li Yi found a secluded corner to take off his black cloak and wandered around the city as himself before casually returning to the Li family mansion. He quickly went to his training spot in the back mountain.
Everything was as peaceful as ever at his training spot. Ruo Lin, whom he had captured, was still unconscious and unaware of Li Yi's brief departure.
Li Yi checked on her briefly, then went to the stone platform by the pond where he usually practiced and carefully took out the storage ring from his chest. The eerie silver light flickered in his palm, stimulating Li Yi's nerves.
After taking a deep breath, Li Yi asked, "Old ghost, how do I use this?"
The Serpent Venerable's voice came faintly in his mind, "Isn't it simple? The ring's original owner is dead. You just need to recognize it as your master with a drop of blood."
Li Yi nodded, bit his fingertip, and let a drop of blood fall on the ring. The eerie silver light on the ring gradually disappeared, turning it into an ordinary silver ring. However, when Li Yi touched it, he could feel a space several meters wide inside, filled with various items, most notably the mid-level Zhuque martial technique Qingyun Hand and the Wolftooth Blade, which emitted a strong scent of blood and evil.
Li Yi ignored the other miscellaneous items, first grabbing the Qingyun Hand scroll, his face showing a trace of happiness. Even with the Li family's power, the highest martial technique they had was only mid-level Zhuque. Now having a scroll of the same level was a cause for joy, even for someone as composed as Li Yi.
At that moment, the Serpent Venerable commented, "Kid, don't say I didn't warn you. This mid-level Zhuque martial technique is good, but you're not even a one-crystal Fighter. I doubt you're qualified to practice it."
After playing with the scroll for a while, Li Yi reluctantly put it back into the ring, saying, "I know. This Qingyun Hand is precious, but since it's stolen, I can't use it for now. But this item…"
While speaking, Li Yi took out the Wolftooth Blade. A dense and extreme scent of blood and evil spread out, stimulating Li Yi's vital energy.
As the Yunhuang Ring flickered, the Serpent Venerable's ethereal figure floated out. His eyes brightened upon seeing the Wolftooth Blade, "It seems this Tianfeng Empire has some decent figures. A mere fifth-grade weapon has such a rich scent of blood and evil. It shows the previous owner killed many in his time. Kid, with this, it's not impossible for you to condense a fighting spirit whirlwind within two months, but…"
"But what?"
"It's a pity," the Serpent Venerable said with a hint of helplessness, "If you were willing to kill that girl
outside and refine her fighting spirit seed, then becoming a Fighter within two months would be a piece of cake for you."
Li Yi curled his lip, "I don't share your twisted hobbies, and besides, I've already said that Ruo Lin is still useful to me. I can't just kill her on a whim."
"Fine, don't kill her then," the Serpent Venerable smirked strangely, "But one day, you'll realize that refining someone else's fighting spirit seed isn't as disgusting as you think. When that time comes..."
Li Yi snorted, "Enough talk. What's next? Do I just absorb the blood and evil from the Wolftooth Blade?"
The Serpent Venerable shook his head, "It's not that easy. The Wolftooth Blade is a rare item. Using it to set up a formation can create a small-scale Blood Demon Ground, but it takes at least a day to form. You'll just have to wait."
After saying this, the Serpent Venerable waved his hand in the air, and the Wolftooth Blade flew from Li Yi's hand into the air. With a strange smile, the Serpent Venerable's fingers weaved through the air, casting threads like blood around the blade.
The threads enveloped the entire pond like a spider's web, turning the water bloody and boiling. The serene place suddenly transformed into a scene akin to a hellish underworld.
Li Yi frowned at this sight and after a while said, "Old ghost, what are you doing?"
Possibly due to the effort of setting up this bizarre formation, the Serpent Venerable's figure became even more ethereal. He chuckled, "Kid, this Blood Demon Formation might look evil, but how else to fully unleash the blood and evil from the Wolftooth Blade? For now, let it be. Once the formation is complete in a day, you'll be surprised."
With that, the Serpent Venerable's figure flickered and returned into the Yunhuang Ring on Li Yi's hand.
Li Yi frowned slightly. Honestly, he didn't trust the Serpent Venerable much, but he knew one thing - with the Serpent Venerable's power, killing him would be easier than squashing an ant. So this Blood Demon Formation, despite its ominous appearance, probably wasn't harmful. After all, if the Serpent Venerable wanted to harm him, he wouldn't need to go through such trouble.
Gently shaking his head, Li Yi leaped to the shore and glanced back at the peculiar scene of the Wolftooth Blade floating in mid-air, continuously emitting an aura of blood and evil. He could only wait with slight anticipation for the surprises this item might bring him after a day.
For now, it seemed he still had some matters to attend to.
Slowly walking through the forest, Li Yi came to the girl whose limbs were bound. He revealed a faint smile as he casually untied Ruo Lin's restraints and gently pinched a few points on her body, after which the exceptionally beautiful girl slowly woke up.
Ruo Lin coughed weakly. The past two days of being bound had left her feeling weak and drained. Although Li Yi had now released her, she hardly had any strength to move.
After struggling on the ground for a moment, Ruo Lin managed to sit up. She seemed to realize that her wound had been treated by Li Yi, and a look of surprise appeared in her eyes, but it was quickly suppressed. She looked at Li Yi with a cold gaze and asked, "Is there something you need?"
Li Yi chuckled, squatting in front of Ruo Lin, and said softly, "I suppose you've had plenty of time to think over the past two days. Have you decided whether to accept my terms?"
Ruo Lin scoffed, "Don't overestimate yourself. Even if I agree to your terms, what good would it do with your strength? Aren't you afraid that I might deceive you in the martial technique chant? It wouldn't take much, just one wrong word, and you might end up dead from a backlash of fighting spirit during your practice
!"
Li Yi paused, then let out a bitter laugh.
Ruo Lin's point was indeed valid. In the practice of martial arts or techniques, a single error could lead to a deadly backlash of fighting spirit. This was precisely why written scrolls of martial arts and techniques were so valuable – far safer than oral transmission, which could easily be corrupted over time.
With this thought, Li Yi's interest in obtaining martial techniques from Ruo Lin waned considerably.
For Li Yi, the Yunhuang Ring he had obtained from Ruo Lin was already the greatest benefit. Though there was
an element of luck in its acquisition, it was enough to illustrate his good fortune.
Seeing Li Yi's reaction, Ruo Lin seemed to relax a bit. She took another look at Li Yi and sighed, saying, "However, if you really want to learn my martial technique, it's not impossible. But I have a condition."
"What condition?" Li Yi's interest was piqued.
Ruo Lin's expression changed several times before she finally resolved herself and said solemnly, "I have an enemy who has been relentlessly pursuing me. I've been on the run for half a year and still can't shake him off. If it weren't for you capturing me by chance, I might have fallen into his hands by now. I can tell your skills are no less than mine. If we join forces, we might have a good chance of killing my enemy. If you help me deal with him, then I'm willing to teach you the martial technique. How about that?"
Her thinking my skills are no less than hers? If Ruo Lin isn't mistaken, she should know my level is only at the vital energy stage, not even a Fighter. How powerful can that be? Or does she think I'm just hiding my true strength?
Inwardly rolling his eyes, Li Yi still smiled and said, "Then tell me about your enemy. For that Zhuque-level martial technique of yours, I might as well agree."
"Agree?" Ruo Lin's voice was tinged with bitterness, but she exhaled and said softly, "Do you know about the Martial Deity Temple?"