A month later, Chu Xuan emerged from his meditation upon receiving a message from the Queen Bee. Since transforming the Hive into his lifebound magic tool, the Queen Bee had naturally become his lifebound gu insect.

However, it seldom initiated contact with him. This time, it was the mature blood honey that prompted her message.

"How did it mature faster than I expected?" Chu Xuan wondered as he fetched the Hive.

The Queen Bee's transmitted thoughts clarified everything—it was all due to the high-nutrient meat blocks!

The constant supply of these blocks not only sustained the hive and the Queen Bee but also enabled the unlocking of a new type of blood bee, the Poison Bee.

Moreover, there was a significant surplus, enough to provide Chu Xuan with a steady supply.

Buzzing sounds filled the air as a group of worker bees approached Chu Xuan, carrying cups made of beeswax. The cups were filled with a viscous, blood-red liquid—blood honey.

A sniff of its intoxicatingly sweet fragrance invigorated Chu Xuan, prompting him to lift a beeswax cup and drink it all at once. He immediately refined the blood honey with his Spiritual Qi.

Moments later, he opened his eyes in astonishment. The energy density of the blood honey was incredibly high—a small cup of it was equivalent to five large blood pearls. From now on, his cultivation could entirely rely on blood honey instead of blood pearls.

"Good job," Chu Xuan praised generously.

The Queen Bee, slightly embarrassed by the compliment, quickly returned to the Hive.

Chu Xuan continued to meditate within the Soul-Capturing Evil-Nurturing Array, refining both the Yin Evil Qi and blood honey.

His cultivation level was advancing at a slow but steady pace.

...

Two years blinked by. The Black Blade had grown into a vast force spanning the eastern and northern regions. It now controlled a communication satellite and its corresponding ground station, effectively ensuring that every level three Superhuman had a satellite phone. Consequently, their intelligence network was incredibly developed.

However, Wang Gangjian and others always adhered to the rules set by the immortals. Their task was to gather intelligence, not to vie for dominance.

Thus, Wang Gangjian strictly vetted new members. Those seeking to join Black Blade for personal gain, regardless of their Psionic level, were invariably turned away.

Under such a stringent organizational structure, the situation in the eastern and northern parts of Han was extremely stable.

In Two Dragons City, within the Soul-Capturing Evil-Nurturing Array, Chu Xuan continued to meditate. His aura had reached the peak of his current stage, like a reservoir brimming with water, just waiting for the moment to break free from its confines.

Chu Xuan, having now advanced to the eighth layer of Foundation Establishment, considered the situation back at Mystic Azure Realm. It had been almost five months since his departure, and he speculated that things might have settled down a bit.

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"Let's go back and see if it's safe; if not, I can always return," Chu Xuan thought.

He had several critical needs that only Mystic Azure Realm could satisfy, especially concerning the core condensation technique and body refining methods.

The Thunder Falcon Core Condensation Method given to him by Wan Wuying was only a mid-grade Foundation Establishment technique; if he had a chance to obtain a superior method, he would certainly seize it.

...

In the northern part of Wu Province, within a secluded mountain range, Chu Xuan materialized from his simple cave abode. His first action was to inspect the cave for any signs of disturbance. Finding none, he was relieved.

Next, Chu Xuan activated his Turtle Breath Technique to conceal his cultivation level, reverting it to the initial stages of Qi Refining. He then changed his appearance using a transformation technique to resemble an ordinary male cultivator. Blending into a crowd, he would be as inconspicuous as a drop in the ocean.

Having prepared himself, he quietly left the area and headed south, searching for a nearby cultivator's market.

Along the way, Chu Xuan noted several former outposts of the Heavenly Seal Sect, now all reduced to ruins. These ruins were deserted except for some Qi Refining stage demonic beasts that had claimed the territory.

After some time, Chu Xuan finally spotted a market town nestled by a mountain and a lake in the distance. He stowed away his Green Shadow Shuttle and pulled out an old, crooked low-grade flying sword he hadn't used in a long while, leisurely approaching the market.

Above the market entrance hung a sign with gilded characters: Golden Lake Market, named after the nearby Golden Lake known for its eight types of spiritual fish. Previously, there had been a Heavenly Seal Sect outpost here called Golden Lake Hall, but it was clearly gone now.

At the entrance of the market stood a cultivator in a deep blue Daoist robe, seemingly at the mid Qi Refining stage. He stopped Chu Xuan and casually mentioned, "Entering Golden Lake Market requires a fee of two small spiritual stones. This fee allows you to stay for one day."

Chu Xuan frowned slightly as he observed the practices of Golden Lake Market. It was unusual for markets to charge an entrance fee, and even more so to restrict the duration of stay.

However, not wanting to draw attention to himself, he handed over the two small spiritual stones and entered Golden Lake Market without protest.

Inside, Chu Xuan immediately noticed that the cultivators rarely walked in the middle of the road; instead, they cautiously moved along the sides.

The center was patrolled by a group of cultivators in deep blue Daoist robes, who scrutinized everyone passing by. Their gaze was ever watchful, especially on female cultivators who were inspected under the pretext of being Heavenly Seal spies, sometimes accompanied by flirtation.

Moreover, these cultivators were keen to pounce on anyone who seemed like a lucrative target, employing various means to exploit them.

Chu Xuan was here solely to gather information and to avoid drawing attention. He mimicked the behavior of other wandering cultivators, walking unobtrusively along the sides of the road.

His current appearance, deliberately made plain and unremarkable, allowed him to blend in seamlessly, escaping the notice of the patrolling cultivators.

Chu Xuan adopted the same strategy as before: he didn't buy anything, touch anything, just strolled around. The cultivation levels of the cultivators within the market weren't particularly high; he hadn't even spotted a single Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Being at the eighth layer of Foundation Establishment himself, his spiritual perception was strong enough to effortlessly eavesdrop on conversations among the other cultivators.

In just one day, he gleaned a clear understanding of the events of the past five months.

The Heaven Burning Sect had indeed been plotting for a long time; they had moved northward, sweeping through most regions of Wu Province and Jin Province. The remnants of the Heavenly Seal Sect had managed to escape to remote mountain valleys, barely clinging to survival.

Currently, the Heaven Burning Sect was consolidating its power, preparing for further northward expansion to attack the Imperial Spirit Mountain and Mystical Sound Palace.

Meanwhile, the underground ruins in the Misty Mountains still emitted a sinister aura, with no one having escaped from them.

The five major sects of Wu Province were now in dire straits, critically weakened and vulnerable. The Heaven Burning Sect had clearly seized this opportunity.

The territories of Wu Province and Jin Province were now under the control of various cultivation families aligned with the Heaven Burning Sect, including the Situ Family that controlled Golden Lake Market. The cultivators in deep blue Daoist robes, arrogant and high-handed, were disciples of the Situ Family.