C39 Blood Bodhi
The same events unfolded elsewhere within the Kunlun Sect.
In under half an hour, Qin Buyi had executed all the sect's upper echelon.
While eliminating the Kunlun Sect's leadership, Qin Buyi also took the opportunity to scour the sect once more.
Yet, the loot was meager, with few items of real value.
Everything became clear to Qin Buyi the moment he opened the seven storage rings.
The Spirit Stones and treasures were all stashed within Woo Ping's ring.
With his killing and looting complete, Qin Buyi didn't linger.
The Kunlun Sect was nestled within Kunlun Mountain, the very entrance to the Kunlun Secret Realm.
Committing such acts twice in quick succession under the nose of the Kunlun Secret Realm was a gamble too risky for Qin Buyi at this time.
Departing the Kunlun Sect, he soared towards the capital.
The wound by his heart, inflicted by the Martial Marquis with the Immortal Killing Sword Array, still needed attention.
In the capital, Qin Buyi chose a five-star hotel at random and strode in, making no effort to conceal his injuries.
Given his current level of cultivation, Qin Buyi had no need for disguises.
The perceptions of ordinary, non-cultivating people were easily manipulated by Qin Buyi's potent Divine Consciousness.
At the front desk, a shapely young woman greeted him with a courteous smile.
"Good day, sir. How may I assist you?"
Qin Buyi produced a black card given to him by Lan Tianhe from his Storage Space and handed it to the receptionist, requesting, "A presidential suite for one month, please."
The presidential suite's nightly rate was 100,000 yuan, totaling three million for the month.
The receptionist, maintaining her professional composure, refrained from questioning the plainly dressed young man before her.
She accepted the black card, swiping it through the computer, and the card's details promptly appeared on the screen.
Upon looking up again, her eyes betrayed her shock and disbelief as she stuttered,
"Esteemed sir, one moment, please."
With that, she hurried off.
Qin Buyi took a seat nearby, and shortly after, a portly middle-aged man in his forties, drenched in sweat, hurried over, following the receptionist.
"Sir, my apologies for the wait. I am the manager of this hotel, Wang Fugui," said Wang Fugui with a respectful approach to Qin Buyi.
Qin Buyi gave a nod and asked, "Is it possible to go to the presidential suite now?"
"Certainly."
Wang Fugui shot a stern look at the receptionist, who promptly got the hint and scurried to the front desk to expedite the check-in process. She then carefully handed the black card back to Qin Buyi.
Following Wang Fugui to the presidential suite, Qin Buyi watched as he opened the door, bowing at a 30-degree angle with one hand on his chest and the other behind his back, respectfully waiting for Qin Buyi to enter.
Once inside, Qin Buyi addressed Wang Fugui, still lingering at the door, "If there's nothing else, you may attend to your duties."
"Of course, sir. If you require anything, please don't hesitate to call on me," Wang Fugui replied obsequiously.
With a nod from Qin Buyi, Wang Fugui gently closed the door and returned to the lobby. He reviewed the black card information on the computer:
Name: Unknown (Top Secret)
Level: Sovereign
...
"Only seven Sovereign-level cards exist on Blue Star, each belonging to a figure capable of monumental influence. I never imagined I'd encounter one today. Seizing this chance to align myself with him could secure a life of influence and luxury," Wang Fugui mused, while instructing the receptionist, "Alert the staff to be on their toes. Should anyone displease our esteemed guest, not even the Heavenly King could save them."
The receptionist, keenly aware of the card's significance, was already scheming to catch the eye of the distinguished guest.
Even a fleeting favor could promise her a future of opulence.
Back in the suite, Qin Buyi withdrew his Divine Consciousness. His cultivation level made the innermost thoughts of ordinary people transparent to him, instantly clear and discernible.
He paid no mind to their petty schemes, having extended his Divine Consciousness only as a precaution against any leaks to the Cultivator Association or the Kunlun Secret Realm.
Having arrived in Kyoto, I found myself right under the watchful eye of the Cultivator Association, so it was best to proceed with caution.
Yet, from what I've observed lately, it seems that ordinary people rarely, if ever, cross paths with cultivators.
That makes sense, I suppose. Even when I was the most feared assassin in Southeast Asia, I was oblivious to the existence of cultivators.
Since these folks pose no threat, there's no need for me to waste any more energy on them.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, I activated the System Mall's recycling feature and dumped all the items I'd acquired from the Kunlun Sect into it.
*Beep!* The system began calculating the value of the items.
*Beep!* Calculation complete: the total value came to four hundred and fifty system points.
Looking down at the gaping wound in my chest, I knew that without any medicinal aid, it would take about a month to heal.
With the way things are, a month could bring too many complications.
Most crucially, with Martial Marquis's sea of consciousness now shattered, it's prime time to strike while he's weak—a strategy I'm well aware of.
I browsed the System Mall for medicines to treat my injury and quickly zeroed in on my target.
The Fourth Rank Blood Bodhi, a revered healing elixir, promised to mend even the gravest wounds within fifteen minutes. It was priced at one hundred system points.
Once one's cultivation reaches the Fourth Rank, medicines of a lower rank lose much of their efficacy.
Within the Fourth Rank, only the Blood Bodhi could swiftly restore my combat abilities.
Any other medicine would merely reduce the healing time, but for a full recovery, it would still take anywhere from several days to over a week.
After exchanging for the Blood Bodhi, I held the vibrant red fruit in my hand, recalling how Martial Marquis had consumed one in his escape.
I swallowed it whole, and a refreshing coolness spread through me. The flesh around the wound on my chest began to knit together rapidly, and soon the scab fell away.
A quarter of an hour later, all my injuries had vanished, and my combat strength was once again at its peak.
"I hadn't anticipated the Blood Bodhi to have a healing effect on the sea of consciousness and Divine Consciousness, albeit a weak one. Still, it's better than nothing," Qin Buyi mused to himself.
During his recent healing session, he felt a faint cool sensation in his brain's sea of consciousness.
Once absorbed, the sensation ceased.
Qin Buyi was quietly relieved; a potent healing effect from the Blood Bodhi on the sea of consciousness could have been troublesome.
The Martial Marquis's sea of consciousness was shattered, and he was undoubtedly seeking a way to mend it. The priority was to locate and eliminate the vulnerable Martial Marquis.
With this in mind, a fierce resolve glinted in Qin Buyi's eyes.
He had 350 Merchant Points remaining, which he promptly converted into attribute points.
The exchange rate was one attribute point for every ten Merchant Points.
With the exchange complete, Qin Buyi had thirty-five attribute points at his disposal. He accessed his personal information panel and allocated them as follows:
Name: Qin Buyi
Desolate Body - Primary
All attributes increase by 5%.
Cultivation: Fourth Rank - Defication Late Period (199/200)
Strength: 199
Speed: 199
Physical Strength: 199
Attack Power: 199
Defense: 199
Fortune: 199
...
Killing Saber - Fourth Rank (199/200)
Broken Blade (1/9)
Attack Amplification - 10%
Attack Power: 199
Killing Saber Technique - Fourth Rank (199/200)
Attack Power: 199
Azure Dragon - Fourth Rank (199/200)
"Just shy of Defication Perfection."
With his breakthrough, Qin Buyi's attributes, now augmented by the Desolate Body, had solidly advanced him into the early stages of Void Refining, with his Divine Consciousness reaching the power of the middle Void Refining Period.
"The Primary Desolate Body is already formidable; what wonders might the Intermediate Desolate Body hold?" Qin Buyi pondered with eager anticipation.
He removed his garments and retrieved fresh clothing from his Storage Space to change into.
As he did so, Qin Buyi admired the Azure Dragon tattoo on his torso, which seemed to come alive, meandering across his skin, accompanied by the faintest of snores.
"I almost forgot about you," Qin Buyi said, smacking his forehead in realization.
Since his last ordeal in the Awakening Secret Realm, where he battled his own subconscious, the Azure Dragon, bored with no one to play with, had succumbed to sleep.
As it slept, it transformed into a tattoo-like form, clinging to Qin Buyi's skin.
Without waking the slumbering Azure, Qin Buyi changed clothes and got ready to leave the hotel for the Cultivator Association.
Passing the hotel's front desk, Wang Fugui approached and inquired, "Sir, may I assist you with anything?"
Qin Buyi gestured no with a wave of his hand, and Wang Fugui, understanding the cue, stepped back and wished him, "Have a pleasant outing, sir."
Once outside, Qin Buyi's Divine Consciousness, at the level of Void Refining Middle Period, swept over the capital.
In the Water Moon Secret Realm, located within a hotel in the capital, Yinyue opened her eyes from meditation and wondered, "Void Refining Middle Period? Who could that be?"
At the Lan family's estate in the capital, Lan Wenhao, his right arm in bandages, sensed the potent Divine Consciousness and pondered, "Mr. Qin, could that be you? If so, your rate of cultivation advancement is alarmingly fast."
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his arm, causing Lan Wenhao to wince and curse, "Zhang Yuan, that little rascal, doesn't know how to hold back."
Meanwhile, at the capital's Cultivator Association, Zhang Yuan sat in the office once belonging to the Martial Marquis, nursing a bruised face. Feeling the Divine Consciousness, he scoffed, "To use Divine Consciousness so brazenly in the capital, someone's courting death."
He touched his swollen cheek resentfully and muttered, "Lan Wenhao, you scoundrel, resorting to such low tactics."
Given Zhang Yuan's level of cultivation, any superficial injury would typically heal within half an hour.
Yet, somehow, Lan Wenhao had managed to keep his face swollen for nearly a day.
To add insult to injury, upon his arrival at the headquarters of the Cultivator Association, the Woo family members showed him neither awe nor the respect he felt he deserved.
Since taking over the Martial Marquis's office, his interactions with the Woo family had been cold, to say the least; they treated him as if he were invisible, not even bothering to acknowledge his presence.
Despite their outward appearance, they didn't hold back their mockery of him in private, something he was acutely aware of thanks to his Divine Consciousness.
Zhang Yuan couldn't be bothered with this crowd; he had two pressing concerns on his mind. The top priority was locating Qin Buyi. Finding the gravely wounded man was like stumbling upon an extraordinary stroke of luck for him.
His second concern was the whereabouts of Martial Marquis. Zhang Yuan would rejoice at the news of his death. But since Martial Marquis was still alive, Zhang Yuan's primary reason for visiting the headquarters of the Cultivator Association was to get a lead on his location as quickly as possible.
Once he had that information, he planned to leak it. The enemies of Martial Marquis from the Fire Cloud Secret Realm and Water Moon Secret Realm would certainly not miss the opportunity to kick a man when he's down.
By exploiting this situation, he aimed to diminish the Wu family's influence within the Kunlun Secret Realm, a place where internal competition was notoriously fierce.
