Where should the next avatar be sent?
Blood Feast Valley was not her only option.
She could also consider sending one to Luofeng City, that ghostly fortress woven from countless soul banners.
Although Liu Wu had once returned with a soul banner, their knowledge of that place was but the tip of the iceberg.
And Liu Meng's current soul banner was still weak—its spirits too few, its strength limited. If she could acquire powerful beast souls or ghostly entities in Luofeng City, the banner's might would surely rise to a whole new level.
Even more importantly, as one of the four great sect gates of the Grand Dao Demonic Sect, Luofeng City must guard its own foundational cultivation method. If an avatar could uncover it, or better yet, cultivate it, it would become yet another powerful card hidden in her hand.
Then there was Sancai Market—a place equally shrouded in mystery.
She had once thought it nothing more than an ordinary, ruthless black market. But now that she reflected, for it to stand alongside Xuanpin Sect, Blood Feast Valley, and Luofeng City as one of the Demonic Sect's four pillars—how could it possibly be so simple?
That floating bazaar, suspended above a bottomless abyss… those countless cultivators toiling ceaselessly in underground workshops… Surely, behind it all lay a unique cultivation system of its own.
The problem was, she had no idea how to have her avatars infiltrate either of these places.
Perhaps in Luofeng City, her avatar might still approach that middle-aged cultivator she'd encountered before and try her luck. But Sancai Market? She had no leads at all. Worse, she feared any avatar sent there might suffer the same fate as Liu San—tricked by cunning merchants into a stone cavern, enslaved as a talisman-forging laborer.
That would be too great a loss.
After much deliberation, Blood Feast Valley still seemed the most reliable option.
After all, she already had the experience of successfully slipping an avatar inside once before.
With her mind settled, Liu Meng lifted her gaze to Qin Shuang."Senior Sister, when will the next Blood Feast Valley trial begin? If possible, I wish to take that task and preside over it myself."
Qin Shuang only smiled and shook her head."The next trial has already been taken. The notice on the task hall board is for the one after that. Even if you take it now, it won't be for the upcoming trial."
"So soon?" Liu Meng feigned surprise, then probed further:"Then may I ask… what are the conditions for selecting mortals for the next trial?"
Qin Shuang's eyes gleamed playfully, her tone turning mysterious."Hehe… this time, the conditions are quite interesting. Why don't you try and guess, Junior Sister?"
Liu Meng frowned thoughtfully. "Could it… once again be tied to their names?"
"No," Qin Shuang shook her head.
"Then… perhaps related to body size or physique?"
"That's somewhat closer," Qin Shuang chuckled, "but still not accurate."
Disappointment flickered through Liu Meng's heart.
Her summoned avatars could be assigned names freely, but their appearance, physique, even their gender, were left completely to random chance. If the trial's requirements were too restrictive, she might not be able to get another avatar in this time.
Seeing her waning interest, Qin Shuang smiled and revealed the answer."This time, the Valley Master demands mortals with… something extra upon their bodies."
"Something extra?" Liu Meng blinked in confusion.
"That's right," Qin Shuang nodded. "Ordinary people are born with two eyes, one nose, two hands, two feet. But sometimes, there are those born different—with an extra feature. Perhaps an additional eye. Perhaps an extra mouth. Or even another hand. Those are the ones sought for this trial. What do you think, Junior Sister—interesting, isn't it?"
"…Truly fascinating," Liu Meng replied stiffly, inwardly at a loss at how such bizarre conditions were even decided.
Still, she had obtained the information she needed. She bowed politely to Qin Shuang and Senior Brother Zhou, then turned and made her way toward the Scripture Pavilion.
But her mind was far from scriptures.
Her thoughts were fixed on the Blood Feast Valley's entrance trial.
Perhaps… her next avatar really could participate.
The requirement was mortals with "something extra."
If it were mere appearance or physique, her system could not control it.But if it was simply adding an "extra thing"… didn't her system already have that exact function?
At this thought, Liu Ming—seated cross-legged in his secret chamber—immediately gave the command:
"Summon avatar!"
[Summoning avatar…][Randomly generating avatar appearance…][Please assign an item to the avatar]
"Assign…" Liu Ming glanced at his left hand and declared firmly, "my little finger."
[Assigning item… successful][Please name the avatar]
After some thought, Liu Ming decided it was best not to make this avatar too closely tied to himself.
He named it:Qin Yi.
The moment the name left his lips, the air in the hall twisted violently. From the distortion stepped a strikingly handsome young man.
But if one looked closely, they would notice—on his left hand, he bore six fingers.
Such an anomaly should perfectly satisfy the Blood Feast Valley's recruitment condition!
At the same time, Liu Ming felt a strange sensation in his own left hand.
When he raised it, he found his little finger had vanished without a trace. The skin where it once was lay smooth and flawless, as if he had been born that way.
He paid it little mind. Casually, he grabbed a sizzling beast leg from the towering pile of food trays beside him, tearing into it with relish.
Since beginning cultivation of the Blood Feast Art, his appetite had grown insatiable. Fortunately, the mountains teemed with fierce beasts, and the sect maids grilled the meat before sending it to the hall, where Liu Ba would fetch it. Without this, he might have starved daily.
As the tyrannical Blood Feast Art churned within him, torrents of blood-essence energy surged into his body with each bite.
Already, he had reached the second level of Qi Refining.
And before his eyes, his missing little finger began regenerating—slowly but visibly—until it was once again whole.
To think, at just the second level of Qi Refining, his body could already regenerate severed flesh! Liu Ming couldn't help but marvel at the sheer might of demonic arts.
For all their twisted, wicked nature—these techniques were terrifyingly effective.
Soon, the six-fingered Qin Yi slipped quietly from the cave mansion and descended the mountain.
His destination: the entrance trial of Blood Feast Valley.