A flash of Sword Light, and the guards’ throats were all slit. They fell to the ground, blood flowing copiously enough to float shields. No one could stop Hong Yuan anymore.

And as Hong Yuan passed their bodies, they all turned into pools of grey mist, leaving no bones behind. Waste is shameful!

「...」

"Assassin, there’s an assassin!"

"Quick, someone come! No, spare me, please!"

With Hong Yuan’s undisguised assassination, the courtyard instantly descended into chaos.

Screams of panic, pleas for mercy, shrieks... All manner of reactions erupted from the crowd.

But Hong Yuan still swung his blood-red longsword expressionlessly, killing all he encountered and letting the sword drink its fill of fresh blood.

Guards, dead.

Kinsmen, dead.

Cats and dogs, also dead!

Wherever Hong Yuan passed, not even a blade of grass remained; it was as if a murderous demon had descended upon the world.

Yet, strangely, Hong Yuan’s robes remained immaculate, without a single speck of blood.

This was because the Blood Skull Worm was frantically absorbing the blood of his kinsmen!

A stream of supremely refined Blood Spring washed over Hong Yuan’s Aperture, making him feel extremely comfortable, his body trembling slightly.

A, B, C, D... the aptitude of this body has already risen from C-rank to B-rank. Hong Yuan’s eyes shone, joy filling his heart.

As the aptitude of his Aperture improved, the capacity of the Sea of True Essence within it grew wider.

Consequently, his cultivation at the mid-Third Tier began to decline, slowly falling to the peak of the Second Tier.

However, moments later, due to the feedback from the Blood Skull Worm’s Blood Spring, his cultivation rapidly ascended, and in the blink of an eye, it advanced back to the mid-Third Tier.

It even broke through the barrier effortlessly, reaching the late-Third Tier!

This might seem odd, but it was quite normal. This is because the potential represented by Aperture aptitudes like A, B, C, and D can be compared to an ocean, a lake, a river, and a stream, respectively.

The higher a Martial Artist’s Aperture aptitude, the more True Essence is required to fill it, which in turn determines the peak of their potential strength.

In a way, the Blood Skull Worm was truly deserving of being the True Transmission from the Old Ancestor of Blood Sea; its ability to enhance aptitude using the blood of kinsmen was simply too unnatural!

The Martial World truly has no shortage of extraordinary individuals, each leaving their unique mark... Hong Yuan couldn’t help but inwardly praise, and even the Sword Light emanating from his blood-red longsword seemed to grow a fraction sharper.

If his Demonic Body were to use the Blood Skull Worm Skill in the Destiny Demon Realm, he mused, he could probably forge a terrifying legion of Tao Soldiers.

Given enough time, creating a legion of Saint-level Tao Soldiers would likely not be difficult at all!

「On the other side.」

At the banquet, upon hearing his subordinate’s report, Ye Cheng was incandescent with rage.

Ye Qinghua’s expression was thunderous. She slammed down her wine cup, roaring, "What reckless fool dares to treat my Luochen Ye Family as nothing!"

Under the gaze of other guests, Ye Qinghua picked up the Python Head Cane beside her and strode out like a shooting star.

Ye Cheng followed closely behind her, and many guests also went out. They were eager to see who could be so audacious as to cause trouble at the Ye Family’s residence!

Seeing Hong Yuan slaughtering her third son, Ye Qinghua’s eyes instantly turned bloodshot. She lifted her Python Head Cane, brought it down furiously towards Hong Yuan, and shrieked, "You bastard! Stop this instant!"

"So it was you who made my Dream Realm Challenge difficult?" Hong Yuan’s eyes were cold, his heart filled with killing intent.

The vital energy and blood that had been dormant within him suddenly surged, like fiercely churning molten magma.

With a single leap, Hong Yuan crossed the dozens of meters separating them, his aura flaring to its zenith.

In the eyes of the crowd, it was as if a Divine Appearance of a great, blood-red sun was rising behind Hong Yuan, its crimson radiance spreading outwards along with his astonishing vital energy. The sight was utterly soul-shaking!

Directly facing Hong Yuan’s sword strike, the old woman Ye Qinghua’s pupils contracted violently.

This single sword strike was enough to send a chill down her spine, even as a Fourth-Tier Grandmaster.

Without a moment for further thought, the old woman Ye Qinghua squeezed every last drop of True Essence from her Aperture and unleashed her signature killing move: Blue Flower Split.

A layer of azure light enveloped the Python Head Cane, making it seem to come alive with an exceptionally bizarre aura.

BOOM!

The Python Head Cane instantly shattered. Ye Qinghua’s expression changed drastically, but she was still pierced through the waist by the blood-red Sword Light, dissolving into a pool of blood in the blink of an eye. She was dead.

"No, Grandmother!" Ye Cheng cried out, his heart gripped by panic.

"What kind of Demon Tao Cultivation Technique is this?"

"HISS! Elder Blue Flower is a Fourth-Tier expert, yet even she couldn’t block that!"

"Run! What are you standing there gaping for?!"

...

The crowd cried out in alarm, utterly panicked.

Some charged at Hong Yuan, while others turned to flee.

Those guests with stronger survival instincts had already retreated during the confrontation, making a break for the back door.

However, Hong Yuan had already set up a grand formation; escape was impossible for them.

"Thunderbolt Talisman? Try my Blood Thunder Talisman."

After Hong Yuan easily dispatched these fools who overestimated their own strength, he retrieved a yellow Talisman covered in crimson patterns from his robes, aiming it at Ye Cheng.

Previously, Ye Cheng had used a sneak attack with a Thunderbolt Talisman, grievously injuring this body of Hong Yuan and shattering its Aperture. Now, Hong Yuan would also use a Talisman to attack Ye Cheng.

However, the Thunderbolt Talisman was a Third-Rank Talisman, while the Blood Thunder Talisman was Fifth-Rank!

A sanguine wind gusted past, and the Blood Thunder Talisman activated instantly.

RUMBLE!

A blood-red thunderbolt, as thick as a water bucket, descended from the sky, striking Ye Cheng as he desperately dodged. He instantly turned into a bloody, black mist, leaving not even his bones behind.

"You all must die as well."

With a shake of his robes, countless Blood Tao Worms flew out from Hong Yuan, harvesting the lives within the large courtyard.