Cultivation Starting from Choosing Augments-Chapter 74 - 72: Blood Refining Demon Technique, Arriving at Shattered Stone Valley

Chapter 74: Chapter 72: Blood Refining Demon Technique, Arriving at Shattered Stone Valley

After sorting through the rest of the items, all that remained was a single book: the *Blood Refining Divine Technique*.

The pages appeared pitch-black, but to the touch, they were as smooth as a child’s skin.

Opening it revealed lines of crooked, blood-red text.

Xiao Chen could tell it wasn’t a matter of the author having poor penmanship.

Rather, it was as if the author had drunkenly scrawled the contents of the Heart Method like random graffiti.

The characters were a mix of large and small, and amidst the absurdity, they seemed to follow some strange pattern.

At first, it was frustrating and made one want to stop reading.

But after finishing a page, it suddenly became captivating, tempting him to turn to the next.

It detailed three types of Magic.

The *Blood Collection Technique*, which could forcibly extract Essence Blood from other Cultivators.

The *Blood Drinking Technique*, which accelerated one’s Cultivation speed by absorbing the Essence Blood of others.

And the *Blood Escape Secret Technique*, which allowed one to gain an explosive burst of speed by burning their own Essence Blood.

’*Blood Refining Divine Technique*, my ass. This is clearly the *Blood Refining Demon Technique*.’

Xiao Chen’s brow furrowed as he read. ’Everything is about Essence Blood. It’s either harming others or mutilating yourself. If this isn’t a Demon Technique, then nothing in this world is.’

The effects and costs of these three types of Magic were both immense.

The *Blood Collection Technique* could forcibly drain every last drop of a person’s Essence Blood.

It was also incredibly efficient, with virtually no loss during the process.

The price, however, was that the Cultivator from whom the blood was taken would die on the spot.

With the *Blood Drinking Technique*, the stronger the Cultivator whose Essence Blood was absorbed, the greater the boost to one’s Cultivation speed.

If the gap in Cultivation between the two parties was large enough, it could provide a boost of up to ten times the normal speed.

The price, however, was that long-term use of the *Blood Drinking Technique* would cause a Cultivator to become progressively more short-tempered, irritable, and eventually descend into madness.

Furthermore, this Secret Technique would gradually deplete the Cultivator’s own potential, causing the difficulty of breaking through major bottlenecks to increase exponentially.

The *Blood Escape Secret Technique* was a rather unique Cultivation Technique.

This Secret Technique had only one primary purpose: to burn one’s own Essence Blood to escape pursuit when facing a powerful enemy.

Its cost was also steep.

While it could massively boost a Cultivator’s speed, the effect was extremely short-lived.

Moreover, activating the Blood Escape Technique just once consumed a third of the user’s Essence Blood.

Such a massive loss of Essence Blood would inevitably have a severe impact on a Cultivator’s combat effectiveness.

This meant the Secret Technique should absolutely not be used lightly, only as a last resort.

And once it was used, escape was the only option. Until one’s strength recovered, they would be left in an even more vulnerable state.

’Only this *Blood Escape Secret Technique* seems to have some value.’

Xiao Chen immediately dismissed the first two types of Magic, but he hesitated when it came to the *Blood Escape Secret Technique*.

All Magic that consumed Essence Blood made future breakthroughs more difficult.

The *Blood Escape Secret Technique* was naturally no exception.

But in terms of its effect, it was an incredibly powerful life-saving measure that could drastically increase his chances of survival.

If he ever ran into an enemy he couldn’t defeat, this Secret Technique might be his ticket to survival.

As for the future price to pay... that was a problem for the future.

After all, if you’re dead, there’s no future to speak of.

’I’ll hold onto this for now. You never know when it might come in handy.’

After careful consideration, Xiao Chen decided to secretly stash the Cultivation Technique away for now and decide what to do with it later.

In truth, according to the Li Huo Sect’s rules, if a disciple happened to discover a Demon Technique, or obtained one after slaying a Demon Cultivator, they were required to either destroy it immediately or hand it over to the sect. Privately possessing a Demon Technique was strictly forbidden.

Initially, after realizing it was a Demon Technique, Xiao Chen had planned to burn it after a quick look.

But the effects of the *Blood Escape Secret Technique* were just too tempting, and he couldn’t bring himself to part with it.

’I’ll put it away for now. I’ll make a decision after I reach Foundation Establishment.’

Xiao Chen put away the Demon Technique and turned his thoughts back to the matter of Foundation Establishment.

Since a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object might appear in Shattered Stone Valley, it was well worth the trip.

Inner Sect Disciples were no longer required to do menial chores.

However, they still needed to report it if they planned to leave the sect for an extended period.

Decisive as ever, Xiao Chen went to inform Elder Chen that he planned to take a long trip, which might take over a month and a half, round trip.

"That long?"

Elder Chen advised with concern, "It’s still chaotic out there. Your most urgent priority right now is Foundation Establishment. If it isn’t something crucial, you’d best not go."

The problem was, finding a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object was directly related to his Foundation Establishment.

Xiao Chen just smiled, not revealing his intentions.

Elder Chen shook his head and took out a bottle of elixirs. "Alright, go if you must. But since you’ll be traveling far, take this with you."

"Thank you, Elder." Xiao Chen didn’t stand on ceremony and accepted it directly.

He then asked curiously, "What kind of elixir is this? I don’t believe I’ve seen it before."

Elder Chen replied, "It’s an Antitoxic Pill. It can counteract most common poisons. Carry some with you, just in case."

"When you have free time, take a look at the Magic Combat Manual the sect distributed. It contains more than just Combat Techniques."

"I won’t nag you about the rest."

Afterward, Xiao Chen went to see Shen Siyue. "Eldest Martial Sister, I’m heading out on a long trip. If Elder Qi asks, just tell him I’ll be back within two months at most."

Shen Siyue first asked, "Have you spoken to Elder Chen?"

Xiao Chen nodded. "I have."

Shen Siyue nodded as well. "Alright, I understand. Be careful out there."

Having notified both of them, he headed to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

He sold off his spare odds and ends—mainly Talisman Making supplies and extra Magical Artifacts—at a low price, converting them into more portable Spirit Stones.

He also purchased a few bottles of Fasting Pills to serve as provisions for the journey.

Fasting Pills were one of the most common elixirs in the cultivation world. They were cheap and remarkably effective.

A single pill could keep hunger at bay for an entire day.

However, their sales weren’t as good as Qi Nourishing Pills, mainly because Loose Cultivators were generally unwilling to buy them.

A single bottle contained a full thirty pills and cost only three Spirit Stones.

By price per pill, they were the cheapest Spirit Pills in the cultivation world.

But most people still chose to eat regular food. For one thing, even Outer Disciples only received a monthly stipend of three Spirit Stones.

For another, ordinary grains didn’t cost any Spirit Stones and also satisfied one’s palate.

That said, when it came to long journeys, carrying Fasting Pills was undoubtedly more convenient.

With all his preparations complete, Xiao Chen traveled light, leaving immediately and heading straight for Shattered Stone Valley.

Traveling at full speed, he reached Shattered Stone Valley in just half a month, arriving ahead of schedule.