Chapter 12: The Bloodstorm Pill
“Yang Le, an eighth-rank martial cultivator, and yet no clear background has been revealed?”
“Yes, my lord. According to your original plan, we intended to keep only ten individuals as elite resources, with the rest serving merely as expendable blood energy material. However, unexpectedly, Yang Le alone suppressed the other martial cultivators of Qinghe County so effectively that they dared not make a move, causing a slight deviation in your plan.”
“Useless!”
“My lord is right; the martial cultivators of Qinghe County are indeed worthless.”
“I say you are useless too!”
After hearing the situation, Zhangsun Ji’s already arrogant expression darkened further with fury.
Beside him, Li Bing dared not even lift his head under Zhangsun Ji’s scolding, bowing slightly with a thoroughly humbled expression.
A cold sweat even trickled from Li Bing’s forehead after the reprimand.
“Go and subdue these hundreds of martial cultivators, then find a way to distribute them as subordinates. Since we already have a prime candidate with an eighth-rank foundation, I will use the Violent Blood Pills in my possession to push him to seventh rank.”
The plan had been disrupted by Yang Le’s unexpected emergence.
Though enraged, Zhangsun Ji wasted no time.
He simply ordered Li Bing to handle the remaining hundreds of martial cultivators, seizing the opportunity to convert them into blood energy material to enhance his subordinates.
As for Yang Le in the room—
He was the prime candidate Zhangsun Ji had selected.
“Yes, I will attend to it immediately.”
Seeing that Zhangsun Ji had not taken out his anger on him, Li Bing was elated, gripping his sword and stepping outside.
He went to deal with the remaining martial cultivators of Qinghe County.
“Young and already at eighth rank. No matter your talents or background, Yang Le, you will be my prime resource to break through to mid-third rank!”
After Li Bing left, Zhangsun Ji’s eyes gleamed fiercely as he drew a wooden box from his bosom.
Slowly opening it, a hundred crimson-colored Violent Blood Pills, each the size of a Buddhist prayer bead, were revealed.
Once this pill was fed to Yang Le, Zhangsun Ji’s own sixth rank breakthrough would be only a matter of time.
As for whether Yang Le would have the strength to resist once he reached seventh rank—
Zhangsun Ji did not worry in the slightest.
The reason the Violent Blood Pill could break through martial cultivation was simple.
It forcibly mobilized the blood energy within the meridians to condense in the dantian, achieving a breakthrough.
In truth, this was a shortcut akin to forcing growth—an empty advancement that bestowed no real combat power.
Not to mention facing a martial cultivator of the same rank—
Even one below seventh rank would be no match.
…
“Greetings, Lord Zhangsun.”
Though indifferent and somewhat disdainful toward Zhangsun Ji, Yang Le maintained proper manners.
As Zhangsun Ji entered, Yang Le was the first to speak.
“Impressive…”
In the corner, Li Qier, upon seeing Zhangsun Ji’s arrival, quietly slipped behind him, eyes flickering with surprise.
Could it be that Cangzhou harbored pure-blood demons?
…
“Young prodigy, so young and already at eighth rank cultivation. Not just in this wild martial wasteland of Cangzhou, such talent is rare even in other major regions.”
Yang Le and Zhangsun Ji’s attention was fixed on each other, overlooking Li Qier entirely.
Finally, Zhangsun Ji broke the silence first, producing a wooden box containing pills from his bosom.
Opening it revealed more than a hundred “Body Tempering Pills.”
Zhangsun Ji’s gaze settled on Yang Le: “These can elevate your martial cultivation to the next level.”
“What is this?”
Yang Le frowned slightly, not rushing to take them, instead looking at Zhangsun Ji with suspicion.
The box bore the large characters “Body Tempering Pills,” which Yang Le recognized.
His doubts stemmed from the quantity inside.
At most, Yang Le had killed seventeen people in the previous selection.
Including daily military cultivation, he had at most nineteen Body Tempering Pills.
Yet the box now contained at least a hundred.
More importantly—
Yang Le caught a fleeting gleam of greed in Zhangsun Ji’s eyes.
This left Yang Le inexplicably uneasy, his hand naturally resting on his sword hilt.
“Soldiers of the Great Qian army are no trash. I, Zhangsun Ji, have limited resources to distribute. Rather than waste them on a bunch of useless recruits, I prefer to invest in a seedling worth cultivating.”
Seeing Yang Le unmoved by the pills, Zhangsun Ji grew anxious but patiently offered an explanation: “And you are the seedling I value.”
“What benefit is there for you if all resources are poured into me?”
“Having another seedling under me means that, according to Great Qian’s recommendation system, part of your future military merits will be credited to me.”
“Promotion by patronage?”
Yang Le nodded, then picked up the wooden box: “Thank you, Lord Zhangsun. I accept these pills.”
The moment he took the box, the item analysis prompt from the inscription system flashed.
Though Yang Le’s mind stirred, his expression remained calm and unreadable.
“Haha, the wise know when to act. I won’t disturb your cultivation further. I see you just broke through to eighth-rank body tempering—this is the perfect moment to consolidate your foundation. The timing of these pills is impeccable.”
“Once you consume them to solidify your cultivation, I will take you to the military armory to select suitable weapons.”
Seeing Yang Le accept the pills, Zhangsun Ji was secretly pleased and promptly took his leave.
“Remember, just after breaking through to eighth rank, these pills best consolidate your foundation. Take them quickly; with their aid, your cultivation will be as solid as metal.”
“Martial cultivation is like grinding stone—there is no rushing. But Body Tempering Pills have no side effects.”
Before leaving, Zhangsun Ji emphasized these points with the tone of an experienced elder, then even closed the door behind him.
“Chaos devours men as is normal, but I never expected it to be literal.”
After Zhangsun Ji left, a surge of anger welled within Yang Le.
Having transmigrated into this Great Qian era of turmoil, where eighteen rebel factions had risen,
Yang Le already knew this was no peaceful age.
On his very first day in Great Qian, Yang Le had prepared for a world where men devour men.
But he had thought it was merely a metaphor.
It was only after Zhangsun Ji produced the pills and triggered the item analysis that Yang Le understood:
Martial cultivation in this world truly devours people.
In the literal, physical sense.
[Body Tempering Pills (Fake): Named as Body Tempering Pills, but actually Violent Blood Pills used by demon cultivators, refined from human blood energy. Upon use, forcibly breaks through the current realm, followed by blood energy surging and total loss of martial cultivation. This item is useless to cultivators above seventh rank, demons, or dark cultivators.]
Reading the detailed description, Yang Le immediately tossed the Violent Blood Pills aside.
A mere trifle—useless to him.
Instead, he drew his sword and prepared to break out of Qinghe County.
Regardless of Zhangsun Ji’s true motive in giving him the Violent Blood Pills,
It did not stop—
Yang Le from wanting to kill him.