Chapter 358: Chapter 357: Divine Martial Blood Pool
You had to admit, Han Xu was exceptionally handsome. Dressed as a woman, he didn’t look out of place in the slightest. With his phoenix eyes, willow-leaf brows, delicate nose, cherry-red lips, and flawless, jade-like skin, he was the very picture of a great beauty—in no way inferior to Murong Wanqing or Luo Xiaowen. If Han Xu had truly been born a woman, he’d likely be the kind of beauty that could topple nations!
"Brother Shen, is this... really okay?" Han Xu asked, tugging at his padded chest with a thoroughly wronged expression.
Shen Haoran cleared his throat, trying to suppress his smile. "Excellent," he said. "With you looking like this, our plan is already halfway to success! Haha!" In the end, he couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing. Beside him, Murong Wanqing and Luo Xiaowen were also struggling to contain their amusement, covering their mouths as they giggled.
"You guys..." Han Xu stomped his foot in frustration, incensed by their laughter.
"Alright, alright, no more joking around," Shen Haoran said, his expression turning serious. "Our Miss Han will have to maintain this disguise for the next month and a half. Try to get out as much as possible. The goal is to attract the attention of the Hehuan Sect’s disciples, or better yet, their Elders. If you can do that, our plan will be well on its way to success!"
Hearing this, Han Xu could only nod. ’To complete the mission Jun Luohua gave me, I guess I have no choice but to use my looks as bait!’
"Even if we manage to infiltrate the Hehuan Sect, they have so many disciples. How are we supposed to deal with all of them?" Murong Wanqing asked, raising another valid point.
Hearing Murong Wanqing’s question, Shen Haoran pointed to himself. "Have you forgotten about my other identity?"
"An Alchemist!" Murong Wanqing’s eyes lit up in understanding. Of course! Shen Haoran was a Fifth Grade Alchemist. With his influence, he should be able to rally a force to keep those disciples occupied.
"As for their six Elders, I can tie up two of the Tier Three Spirit Aspect Inner Elders," Shen Haoran said after a moment of consideration. ’If I go all out, I can kill one Tier Three Spirit Aspect Elder. And with Changmao still inside me, that guy should be able to handle another one.’
"I can also hold off one Tier Three Spirit Aspect, but I won’t be able to kill him," Luo Xiaowen said grimly.
"That still leaves three Tier One Spirit Aspects!" Shen Haoran rubbed his forehead. This was becoming a problem. ’We’re short-handed!’
"I can tie one up!" Han Xu stepped forward.
"My strength is a bit lacking, I know, but thanks to my Spiritual Attribute, my defense is much higher than that of a typical Martial Artist. I’m no match for a Spirit Aspect Powerhouse, but I can still hold one off for a little while. Just finish your own fights as quickly as you can and come help me!" Han Xu added.
"Good. That leaves the last two for Wanqing," Shen Haoran said with a nod. He looked at her. ’As the young lady of the Murong Family, her strength on the surface is only that of a Tier Six Spirit Marquis, but I don’t believe for a second that’s all she’s got. The Murong Clan is no pushover!’
"As for the Hehuan Sect’s Spirit Emperor Powerhouse," Shen Haoran said softly, touching his Storage Ring, "someone else will take care of him."
After settling the main points, the group discussed the finer details. After all, they were planning to eradicate a second-rate power. There was no room for error, or their lives would be forfeit.
Once Shen Haoran and the others had finished their discussion, a maid entered and spoke respectfully to Luo Xiaowen. "Miss, Manager Luo has something to discuss with you."
"Oh, I see," Luo Xiaowen replied.
"Sister Xiaowen, before you go, could you check if the Celestial Martial Auction House has these Spirit Medicines?" As Luo Xiaowen was preparing to leave, Shen Haoran handed her a Pill Recipe. "If you do, I’ll trade these two Fifth Grade Elixirs for them."
"These are... the Spirit Medicines for a Transformation Pill?" Luo Xiaowen exclaimed upon seeing the items listed on the Pill Recipe.
"That’s right." Shen Haoran wasn’t the least bit surprised that Luo Xiaowen recognized them. The Luo Family was in the auction business, after all. She had seen countless rare items, so her knowledge was naturally extensive.
"I’ll do what I can," Luo Xiaowen said with a nod, then followed the maid out.
"Brother Haoran, why do you need the Spirit Medicines for a Transformation Pill?" Murong Wanqing asked, a sudden realization dawning on her. "Don’t tell me you’re planning to use ’that one’ to deal with the Hehuan Sect’s Spirit Emperor Powerhouse!"
Shen Haoran simply nodded. At this point, using ’that one’ was his only option.
Luo Xiaowen was gone for the entire afternoon, only returning at dusk.
When Luo Xiaowen returned, however, she seemed rather excited. She handed Shen Haoran the Spirit Medicines she had found. "These two were the only ones available in Divine Martial City right now," she said. "The others are nowhere to be found."
"Hmm, these two will be enough," Shen Haoran said with a nod. He then looked at Luo Xiaowen. "Sister Xiaowen, you seem to be in a good mood. Did something good happen?"
At his question, Luo Xiaowen gave a mysterious smile. She sat down before speaking. "Manager Luo just gave me some incredible news! When the Divine Martial Realm opens this time, the Divine Martial Blood Pool will open as well!"
"What? The Divine Martial Blood Pool is opening too?!" Murong Wanqing and Han Xu both exclaimed, their faces lighting up with ecstatic joy.
Seeing their intense reactions to the name, Shen Haoran asked in confusion, "What exactly is this Divine Martial Blood Pool?"
"You don’t know about the Divine Martial Blood Pool? It’s a legendary treasure ground, famous throughout the entire Northern Domain!" Han Xu explained. "Legend says that before the ancient powerhouse known as the Divine Martial Venerable died, he forced out all of his Essence Blood. A High Level Alchemist then performed a refinement, turning it into a vast Blood Pool. Anyone who soaks in it can not only achieve Body Refinement and purify their Spiritual Power, but it’s also immensely beneficial for one’s Spiritual Thought. It’s practically a Divine Artifact for Cultivation! However, the Divine Martial Blood Pool only opens once every few decades, so it’s a major event for Divine Martial City. Every time it opens, countless Martial Artists from across the Northern Domain flock here to fight for a chance to enter."
"So there’s a limit to how many can enter the Blood Pool?" Shen Haoran asked.
"Naturally. The Energy within the Divine Martial Blood Pool is finite—there’s only enough for ten people. Furthermore, you must possess a Divine Martial Token to enter safely. Otherwise, the Blood Pool will reject you, and it will even drain the blood from your body! When the Divine Martial Blood Pool opens, ten Divine Martial Tokens are released from it and scattered throughout the Divine Martial Realm. Anyone who finds a token can enter the Blood Pool!" Luo Xiaowen explained.
Shen Haoran nodded, his interest in the Divine Martial Blood Pool thoroughly piqued. ’It can strengthen the body, purify Spiritual Power, *and* it’s beneficial for one’s Spiritual Thought.’ He thought of the dormant Elder Yan inside him. ’If the Blood Pool really does help Spiritual Thought, it might be of great use to Elder Yan!’
"So when does the Divine Martial Realm open?" Shen Haoran asked.
"In seven days," Luo Xiaowen replied.
"Seven days, huh?" A grin spread across Shen Haoran’s face, and he licked his lips in anticipation. "Alright then. Before we wipe out the Hehuan Sect, let’s take a little trip to the Divine Martial Realm. I want to see for myself if this Divine Martial Blood Pool is as incredible as everyone says!"
