Inside the Blood Feast Valley, chaos had already replaced the initial confusion.
In the scramble for the cultivation manuals scattered within the wooden huts, people completely cast aside their masks of civility. The valley turned into a bloody hellscape, echoing with clashes of steel and agonized screams.
Just like before, burly men targeted Shen Qingyun one after another.
For reasons unknown, everyone had smuggled in weapons, and the cultivators who had brought them here did nothing to prevent it.
The moment blades were drawn, the situation spiraled out of control.
People were killed one after another, and the ownership of the huts shifted constantly.
The first victim marked the beginning of a massacre that could no longer be stopped.
But then—
"Stop! Don't kill anymore!"
A young man with the appearance of a scholar suddenly stepped forward, shouting hoarsely:
"Have you all gone mad? The immortal brought us here, perhaps to test our hearts and character! If we recklessly commit such slaughter, our chance at immortality will only slip further away!"
"And besides, there are plenty of manuals here. Nowhere is it said that only one person can study them! Why not study together? Whoever first grasps the mysteries will naturally walk the immortal path. Isn't that better than mutual slaughter?"
His words caused many to hesitate.
Indeed—they had come seeking immortality, not to kill or be killed.
And no one could guarantee they wouldn't be the next victim.
After weighing the risks, a portion of the crowd actually dropped their weapons and gathered around the scholar to study the manual he offered.
Most of them were weak and unarmed mortals—the same frail woman seen earlier was among them.
From a distance, Shen Qingyun watched with cold detachment, a trace of pity flickering in his eyes.
These ignorant people still hadn't grasped the true nature of the Blood Feast Technique.
Only when someone truly understood its essence would the real bloodshed begin.
But Shen Qingyun didn't bother with the weak huddled together for warmth. Instead, his gaze turned toward the men with bloodstained hands.
Many had chosen not to join the group. They had seized huts and declared the manuals inside their personal property. Anyone who approached was cut down without hesitation—or killed trying.
These men were burly and brutish, enjoying overwhelming advantages in mortal combat. They had already slain one, then two, then many more without remorse.
Shen Qingyun chose them as his targets for another reason.
Ye Xun had once warned: using the innocent for cultivation easily bred heart demons, leading to eventual ruin.
But killing those already steeped in sin carried no such risk.
And these men, who killed wantonly out of selfish desire, were the perfect prey.
With that thought, Shen Qingyun no longer hesitated. His figure shot forward toward a burly man who had just slain another and was still catching his breath.
Having reached the first layer of Qi Refining, Shen Qingyun's speed and strength were far beyond mortal limits. Before the man could react, his throat was slit, and the light in his eyes dimmed instantly.
As the body collapsed, a torrent of blood energy surged into Shen Qingyun's body, refining his cultivation further.
He could feel his strength rising once again.
Without pause, his ghostly figure darted across the chaotic battlefield, seeking his next prey.
Splurt!
Another killer fell.
Bang!
A third, fourth, fifth…
Against a Qi Refining cultivator, these mortal brutes stood no chance.
With each strike, Shen Qingyun's cultivation climbed higher, until at last it reached a critical threshold.
Slash!
Another man died—and in that instant, the bottleneck to the second layer of Qi Refining shattered!
Boom!
A surge of power flooded his body, heightening his senses, sharpening his soul, and making his slaughter even more efficient.
The sixth, seventh, eighth…
Shen Qingyun lost count of his victims. His cultivation surged relentlessly upward, unstoppable.
He had never imagined that he could become the second avatar to break into the third layer of Qi Refining—let alone in such a short time.
Before long, his realm stabilized at the peak of the third layer of Qi Refining.
And then, no further progress.
As expected—just like Liu Meng—he was stuck.
The barrier to the mid-stage of Qi Refining was impenetrable. No matter how he tried, he couldn't advance further.
It seemed the third layer was indeed the limit of the early stage. To go further, he would need a true method for breaking through.
Shen Qingyun stood silently in thought. When he finally raised his head, he saw that the valley had fallen silent.
The only survivors were either lucky ones who had hidden in huts to study manuals, or the group of weak mortals clustered together. They had neither killed nor been killed.
But now, gazing at the blood-soaked figure standing alone, they trembled with terror.
To them, Shen Qingyun was no longer a seeker of immortality.
He was a murderous demon.
Why?
Why could he comprehend the manuals so quickly?
Why did comprehension make him so powerful?
Why wasn't the first to grasp the technique me?
A hundred questions swirled in their hearts, but all converged into one thought—
Are we all destined to die by his hand?
"You… you demon!" the scholar who had tried to stop the killing earlier suddenly found his courage again. Pointing a trembling finger at Shen Qingyun, he shouted:
"You've committed such heinous slaughter! The immortal will never forgive you!"
Shen Qingyun slowly turned his head and revealed a faint, unfathomable smile.
But instead of attacking, he simply sat cross-legged on the ground, closing his eyes in meditation.
Here, he was the strongest.
While others still struggled to grasp the Blood Feast Technique, he had already broken through to the peak of the third layer—reaching the very limit of the early stage.
He was curious.
Once others truly understood the technique, what choices would they make?
For now, he could rest—and focus part of his mind on Liu Meng, who was still fighting elsewhere.
The onlookers froze in confusion at his unexpected action.
They couldn't understand it—but they knew one thing: this was their best chance.
Although they didn't know why the "murderous demon" had suddenly stopped, none were foolish enough to waste the opportunity. They hurriedly threw themselves back into studying the manuals, hoping to achieve enlightenment before it was too late.
For the first time, an eerie calm fell over the Blood Feast Valley…