Patience.

If there was truly more to this than meets the eye, he couldn’t afford to be hasty.

Although he was very confident in his strength, it wasn’t impossible for even the most capable to stumble on the simplest of tasks.

...

At that moment, the Abbot who had entered the room made his way to a secret underground chamber.

The secret chamber was vast, with a massive pool in the center.

But the pool was filled not with water, but with a liquid like fresh blood.

In the middle of the blood pool, atop a Lotus Stone Platform, a monster glowing with red light sat cross-legged like a human.

It looked like a cat, yet it was a third larger than even a jackal.

A crimson glow permeated the air, and the thick stench of blood enveloped the entire secret chamber.

The Abbot approached and looked at the jackal-sized cat monster in the center, his face showing a respectful expression.

SPLASH!

Just then, the blood in the pool churned, continuously flowing into the cat monster on the Lotus Platform.

The crimson light all around it grew increasingly intense.

In the span of just a dozen breaths, the blood in the pool was completely absorbed.

A dense, bloody light enveloped the monster’s body, making it look like a blood-red egg.

After a long moment, the bloody light around it completely dissipated.

On the Lotus Platform, the motionless monster opened its eyes.

Within its eyes was a hint of human-like intelligence, mingled with the coldness of a beast.

It looked at the Abbot outside the pool and spoke in a human voice, "The quality has dropped quite a bit recently. What’s going on?"

The Abbot was unsurprised to hear the monster speak. He replied respectfully, "Things have been tense lately. There have been more Constables around. It’s possible the Court has taken notice."

Hearing this, a look of disdain crossed its face. "The Court is just a bunch of incompetent, freeloading gluttons. What is there to fear?"

The Abbot replied, "...The local Government Office is no cause for concern, but I am worried we might attract the attention of the Observatory."

"The Observatory!"

Hearing this, a grave expression appeared on its feline face.

"There’s some truth to what you say. While the Court is mostly filled with good-for-nothings, the Observatory is a tough nut to crack."

The Abbot looked at it and clasped his hands. "Therefore, to be cautious, I believe we should halt our current activities and wait for things to blow over before we act again."

At this, the monster’s gaze hardened. "Halt our activities? Then the chance for my Mortal Transformation will be lost. That is not acceptable."

The Abbot looked troubled. He glanced at the monster and asked tentatively, "Then... how much more is needed?"

The monster lowered its head in thought for a moment, then looked up at the Abbot. "The blood of ten more young boys and girls should be enough. My Essence has already begun to take shape. Once the Essence is condensed, I can achieve Mortal Transformation."

"Ten young boys and girls..." The Abbot lowered his head, his expression grim.

The monster looked at him and said, "Expand your search area. This chance for Mortal Transformation is rare and cannot be missed. If I take this step, I will not treat you poorly. What you desire, I will naturally give to you then."

Hearing this, the Abbot’s eyes lit up.

The mere thought of that thing made his heart burn with desire.

"Truly?"

"When have I ever lied to you?" the monster said, shooting him a sideways glance.

The Abbot pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I will do my best to find them. Expanding the area a bit shouldn’t be a problem."

The monster nodded. "Good. Be quick about it. It would be best to finish within ten days."

"Understood," the Abbot nodded.

"Leave me. I must begin my Cultivation," the monster said, then closed its eyes.

Seeing this, the Abbot turned and left the secret chamber.

After the Abbot was gone, the cat monster on the Lotus Platform opened its eyes again.

’Why do I feel so uneasy? Could something unexpected happen?’

The cat monster furrowed its brow in thought, but it couldn’t figure out what might be wrong. It shook its head and closed its eyes again.

...

’He’s coming out.’

In a tree outside the courtyard, Fang Xing watched as the door opened again and the Abbot’s figure emerged from the room.

’Looks like there’s a secret passage in that room. Perhaps the Demon is inside.’

The thought flashed through Fang Xing’s mind as he watched the Abbot walk out of the room.

Based on his timing and his Extraordinary Perception, Fang Xing was eighty to ninety percent certain.

’In that case, I’ll deal with this Abbot first!’

Fang Xing’s eyes glinted, his grip on the Demon Suppression Treasure Saber tightening.

Concentrating and Calming his spirit, he became like a tiger poised to strike, his focus absolute.

The Power he had accumulated within his body surged, ready to be unleashed.

CREAK~

The Abbot opened the courtyard gate, and in that instant, Fang Xing moved.

He shot out like an arrow loosed from a bow, his speed reaching its absolute peak.

Under the moonlight, the blade glinted with a bone-chilling light.

The Treasure Saber tore through the air!

The strike was as swift as Jing Hong!

A flash of cold light arrived first!

A sense of fatal crisis exploded in the Abbot’s heart.

The moment the Abbot realized what was happening, his pupils contracted violently.

Under the moonlight, a chilling long saber was upon him.

It was so fast he didn’t even have time to activate his Powerful Qi!

PSHCK—!!

The Jing Hong strike landed, and fresh blood spurted, its metallic scent filling the air.

An intense, searing pain washed over his chest. The Abbot struggled to look down and saw the chilling blade piercing through his heart.

This strike was so fast that even someone at the Peak of Neutralizing Force would not have had time to react and dodge.

A single strike through the heart!

Along with the searing pain came a wave of powerlessness.

As if all his strength had been drained away, he struggled to raise his head. Under the moonlight, a handsome face came into view.

"Who... are you?"

PSHCK!!!

But he received no answer. The pain in his chest suddenly intensified as the long blade was thrust deeper through his body.

BANG!!!

A palm struck down decisively, and his consciousness faded completely into darkness.

Withdrawing the Demon Suppression Treasure Saber, blood dripped from its tip. The Abbot’s body collapsed to the ground as a wisp of crimson light entered Fang Xing’s body.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

The Little Novice Monk at the side stood frozen like a statue, not daring to move.

"Ab—"

The Little Novice Monk was about to cry out, but he was a step too late.

A chilling glint of light from the saber flashed, and his body fell as well.

After slaying the two, Fang Xing gently wiped the blood from his blade and looked up at the closed door of the room in the courtyard.

Saber in hand, Fang Xing stepped into the courtyard.

As he neared the room, he could more clearly feel the bloody stench permeating the air.

He pushed the door open with his long saber. The room wasn’t large; inside was only a single cabinet.

Stepping inside, Fang Xing swept his gaze across the room, his eyes landing on the wooden cabinet against the wall.

The man-high wooden cabinet was pressed tightly against the wall.

Closing his eyes, Fang Xing pushed his Perception to its limit.

’Just as I thought, a mechanism!’

His powerful Perception Power allowed him to sense every inch of it clearly. Fang Xing felt around the cabinet, and his palm stopped on a raised spot.

He pressed it lightly. The cabinet against the wall automatically moved aside, revealing a man-high passageway.

An intense, bloody odor wafted out from the passage.

With his Perception fully open, he could feel an astonishing fluctuation of blood and qi deep within the passage.

Gripping the Demon Suppression Treasure Saber tightly, Fang Xing quickly stepped into the passage.

The passage extended downward.

It was illuminated by lamps on both sides.

After descending about a hundred meters, the entrance to the secret chamber appeared before him.

Just as he reached the entrance, a voice rang out.

"What is it now?"

The voice was hoarse and low. Fang Xing’s eyes narrowed as he stepped into the secret chamber.

The secret chamber was spacious, with a huge pool in the center.

A thick stench of blood emanated from the pool.

And in the middle of the pool, there was a Lotus Stone Platform.

On the Lotus Stone Platform, a black monster a third larger than a jackal sat cross-legged like a human.

It had the body of a cat!

Except, it was a magnified, black cat monster.

As their eyes met, the air seemed to freeze.

"A Demon Cat!"

Fang Xing stared at the Demon on the Lotus Platform, now completely certain.

"Who are you?"

WHOOSH! The Demon on the Lotus Platform shot to its feet, a layer of red light spreading all around its body.

SCHWING!!!

Without any nonsense, Fang Xing raised his hand and slashed out.

Power flooded into the Treasure Saber, forming a ten-foot-long beam of Sword Qi that sliced through the air, reaching the Demon in an instant.

"ROAR—!"

The Demon roared. Crimson light gathered between its claws, and with a raised hand, it collided with the ten-foot beam of Sword Qi, creating the sound of clashing metal.

SWOOSH—!!

And in that same instant, the Demon’s figure suddenly vanished from the Lotus Platform.

A sound of tearing air approached as a razor-sharp claw, glowing with bloody light, swiped at his face.