Chapter 105: The Night's Transformation

A short while later, Hu San completed his cultivation. The monster beast essence blood he had ingested had been almost entirely converted into a warm current, and the majority of that energy had already been utilized.

With a flick of his palm, Hu San tucked away the empty jade bottle and produced another. This one emanated a faint, blood-red hue, and within the swirling vapors, the vague image of a roaring giant beast appeared—evidently, it contained potent contents. However, he did not consume it immediately; after toying with it for a moment, he returned it to his storage stone. As for the True Gang Flower he had obtained from Gong Sha, he did not even bother to take it out.

Although his unique physique meant he did not require the complex, legendary methods usually needed to consume a True Gang Flower, Hu San doubted how much utility it would actually provide him. Given his current physical state and Gang Qi cultivation—which, while at the eighth level, was far superior to that of an ordinary eighth-level practitioner—it was unclear how much a flower capable of raising an average person’s cultivation by one stage would benefit him.

Considering the difficulty of training at the eighth level, Hu San determined that the breakthrough to the ninth level would likely be arduous. The True Gang Flower would be best saved for pushing through that bottleneck. Thus, he chose not to consume it now, intending to wait until he had pushed his Gang Qi to the absolute peak of the eighth level.

"The remaining bottle contains pure essence blood left by a giant bear. While far superior to the residual essence blood from creatures like the peacock, it is clear that with my current situation, it is impossible to push my Gang Qi cultivation any further. Reaching the peak of the eighth level will likely take quite some time."

"Unless, of course, I could obtain a large quantity of essence blood from Dharma-Gathering stage demons!"

Hu San sighed softly and stood up. Gazing at the brightening night sky outside the window, he shook his head slightly. "But that is merely a pipe dream. Outside the Qilian Mountains, no demon tracks are to be found, and inside, killing one or two small fry at the Dharma-Gathering stage is possible, but any more would be suicidal. It seems I must plan for the long term."

As he thought this, a faint smile played on his lips. He murmured to himself, "I imagine there will be a fine show tonight. I wonder which faction will come for me first. Should I wipe them all out, or should I temporarily evade them? Hmm, that is a question. I suppose that faction is currently tracking my whereabouts, right? Perhaps I should lie low for a while?"

Just then, the previously silent night suddenly erupted in noise. Pricking up his ears, he could clearly hear shouts and roars, seemingly interspersed with the clashing of blades. Within the blink of an eye, the dim night sky lit up. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the entire area surrounding the inn, including the front and back courtyards, was flooded with the light of countless torches.

The commotion grew, and Hu San noticed that within a few breaths, the entire inn seemed to be in an uproar. The scene was nearly as chaotic as the beast tide he remembered attacking the mountain stronghold in the Qilian Mountains.

*What on earth is happening?*

The thought flashed through his mind. He had not expected the greedy bandits he had anticipated, but rather a scene reminiscent of an imperial army laying siege to a city.

"Could it be that the demons from the Qilian Mountains have truly breached the Tianluo Stronghold and reached this place?"

As he prepared to step out and investigate, countless flaming arrows were suddenly shot from the darkness outside the courtyard. In an instant, the already dilapidated structures were engulfed in roaring flames.

Hu San snatched several arrows flying toward him and, acting on instinct, threw them back the way they came. A few muffled groans echoed from the darkness, and then silence returned.

"Interesting. A grand gesture indeed!"

Hu San paused, then sighed lightly, surprised that a casual strike had failed to finish off the enemy. Given his current strength, even a casual throw possessed more power than a heavy military crossbow. He estimated that even a peak second-rate martial artist at the sixth stage would have certainly died from such a strike. The fact that the attackers were merely wounded suggested that those setting the fires were likely first-rate experts.

His astonishment stemmed from this: such a wealthy faction would use first-rate experts just to set a fire—it was an understatement to call it using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Seeing the fire spreading, Hu San decided against helping the innkeeper save the property. He grabbed the black saber from the table, kicked open the window, and leapt out, heading straight for the courtyard exterior.

Once outside, he saw that the entire inn was surrounded by a sea of fire, with only the central area left untouched. Many who had been flushed out by the flames were fleeing toward the center, as if a lethal threat lurked in the shadows around them. More importantly, the guests of this inn seemed to possess impressive skills; they moved with agility, and while they were not scaling walls, their footwork and movement styles were clearly not those of simple men.

Watching the dark shadows darting outside the firelight, Hu San realized their movement techniques were far beyond those of ordinary martial artists. He frowned slightly, sensing he had fallen into a significant amount of trouble.

Whatever flaming arrows the attackers had used—or perhaps the inn’s construction was simply too old—within the time it took to burn a stick of incense, Hu San saw that all the surrounding buildings had been reduced to ash. The darkness before dawn was receding, and in the morning light, aided by the glow of the torches, the world suddenly became clear.

The figures moving outside the fire had all stopped. Now, squads of vigorous martial artists dressed in black marched in orderly lines through the scorched earth, pressing toward the central area.

After seeing their attire and discipline, Hu San grew even more certain that he had been caught in a major conflict. Because this place was so close to the Tianluo Stronghold, he feared alerting the faction collaborating with the demon race. Adhering to the philosophy that it was better to avoid unnecessary complications, he went with the flow and joined the crowd, stepping into the central area—the only part of the complex untouched by the flaming arrows.

A significant number of martial artists had been inadvertently caught up in this, so Hu San did not stand out among the masses.

Upon getting closer, Hu San noticed that this sole surviving area was a building resembling an ancestral hall. Its structure was simple, consisting of two levels built from massive, pure white stones. The area around it was an open plaza paved with long slabs of bluestone, cradling the hall like two palms.

The guests, startled by the fire, gathered in the open space around the hall, whispering in small groups and casting curious, reverent glances toward the entrance. Directly in front of the hall stood a group of martial artists in green, clutching their weapons and glaring at the crowd with hostile expressions, as if ready to strike anyone who dared approach.

"Greetings, old sir. May I ask what exactly is happening here? Why did someone set fire to the place, and who are those people in front of the hall?"

Hu San steadied himself, approached a thin, white-clad old man nearby who was carrying a sword, and greeted him with a respectful bow and a faint smile.

"Heh heh, young hero, why ask what you already know?"

The old man scanned Hu San with suspicion, a mocking curl to his lips, though he did not remain silent. "Anyone staying at this inn at this hour must be well-informed; otherwise, you would never have heard the news about Jiang Nansheng. Even if you arrived here by chance, you are a person of the pugilistic world—surely you recognize the Chushan Sect, the leaders of the righteous path?"

"The Chushan Sect? I must confess, old sir, I have just arrived in Wu City from afar, intending to head to the Qilian Mountains to seek my fortune, and I am unaware of the Chushan Sect's existence. As for the current events, I am completely in the dark. If you don't mind, could you enlighten me? It would surely ease my confusion."

"Very well! The Black Fiend Legion will be here soon anyway. Whether you are playing the fool or not, you will know the truth soon enough. I don't mind giving you a brief introduction. Kid, have you heard the rumors of the Four Great Martial Classics of the pugilistic world?"

The old man squinted and, without waiting for a reply, gave a dry laugh. "These Four Great Classics are extraordinary. It is said that obtaining just one allows one not only to dominate the world but also to find the path for martial artists to progress further, perhaps even attaining longevity. Now, the most mysterious of the four—the Boundless True Scripture—is about to emerge, and the key to it all is that boy, Jiang Nansheng."

"Before, people thought that boy had three heads and six arms to dare occupy such a divine art alone. Now it seems he has the backing of the Chushan Sect, which explains his confidence. But things aren't that simple. Did you see the skills of those who set the fire? Impressive, right? Ha! They are the subordinates of the Black Blood Four Demons, giants of the Demonic Sect. These four have been renowned experts for a long time, not to mention that above them sits an even more terrifying presence: the Black Giant Spirit."

"The Chushan Sect wishing to monopolize the Boundless True Scripture is likely a pipe dream. To us, this scripture might just be a way to dominate the pugilistic world, but to those seniors who have reached the realm of supreme experts, it concerns the possibility of transcending their current limits. Just watch; today's play will not end easily. Of the Four Great Classics, the Boundless True Scripture holds the greatest allure for supreme experts. You cannot even imagine their desire."

As he spoke, the old man’s eyes took on an eerie, sickly green cast. However, he quickly noticed his loss of composure, his expression softened, and he returned to his previous air of indifference.