Chapter 2053: You... want it?

Lu Ye had an idea he wanted to test, and for that, he would need some Blood Servants as assistants. At present, he only had four Blood Servants under him, with Ma Shangsi being the sole Sun-Disciple. Naturally, he intended to use this opportunity to recruit more.

On the spirit peak, Lu Ye waited patiently.

A day later, visitors arrived.

They were, surprisingly, several of Ma Shangsi's old friends from the Blood Jade Realm. There weren't many of them, only six in total, all of whom had hurried there after receiving Ma Shangsi's message to meet him.

Lu Ye had indeed given Ma Shangsi nine slots for candidates. However, firstly, Ma Shangsi didn't have many close associates in the Blood Jade Realm, and secondly, to become Lu Ye's Blood Servant, one needed to possess a certain level of strength. He hadn't considered anyone below the Moon-Disciple level.

Of the six visitors, one was a Sun-Disciple, and the other five were Moon-Disciples.

After a long separation, the six visitors were naturally curious about Ma Shangsi's experiences over the years and questioned him eagerly. However, Ma Shangsi was evasive, simply chatting with them as they ate and drank.

After a few rounds of drinks, Ma Shangsi, observing his friends, noticed that while their strength had grown over the years, they still seemed as frustrated and discontent as before. He immediately made a decision.

"Don't you all want to know how I advanced to the Sun-Disciple level?" Ma Shangsi suddenly asked.

"Brother Ma, are you finally willing to tell us?" a graceful female Blood Clan member asked, her expression shifting. She was one of the five Moon-Disciples, and her cultivation had reached the peak of her rank, preparing for a breakthrough to the Sun-Disciple level. However, due to an insufficient bloodline, she saw no hope of advancement. Ma Shangsi's promotion could undoubtedly offer her some inspiration.

Among them, she was the most eager to know.

While the other Moon-Disciples weren't as desperate as she was, they knew there was no harm in learning more about such things and immediately showed interest.

Even Shen En, the sole Sun-Disciple Blood Clan member, looked on curiously. He had achieved his rank through exceptional talent, and based on his understanding of Ma Shangsi, his friend should have been unable to break through the Moon-Disciple shackles. Yet, Ma Shangsi had returned as a Sun-Disciple, which left Shen En perplexed.

"There's nothing I can't say," Ma Shangsi said with a faint smile. "Even if I couldn't tell others, for you few, I am certainly willing to reveal everything."

At his words, all the Blood Clan members looked touched.

"Follow me," Ma Shangsi said, finishing his drink and standing up to beckon them.

The Blood Clan members followed quickly, without a moment's hesitation.

A moment later, in a sealed secret chamber underground, Ma Shangsi activated numerous restrictions, isolating the room.

Seeing how seriously he was acting, the Blood Clan members who had followed him couldn't help but feel a jolt, vaguely sensing that the secret Ma Shangsi was about to reveal might be quite extraordinary.

After all, if it were merely an explanation of his advancement to Sun-Disciple, there would be no need for such theatrics.

Observing his friends' expressions, Ma Shangsi smiled faintly and subtly activated his Blood River Art.

A crimson mist diffused, quickly filling the entire secret chamber.

Ma Shangsi's voice slowly resonated: "The reason I was able to advance to the Sun-Disciple level so smoothly is quite simple..."

As his words faded, the sacred aura he had concealed with a secret technique slowly began to emanate.

All the Blood Clan members' expressions shifted, and Shen En exclaimed, "A Saint Lord's body?"

He could barely believe what he was feeling at that moment. From Ma Shangsi's Blood River, a sacred aura, one only possessed by Saint Lords, was emanating. Moreover, that sacredness continued to intensify, soon surpassing the level he had sensed from other Sun-Disciple Saint Lords.

But... how was this possible?

Sacred Blood had always been strictly controlled by the higher echelons of the Blood Clan. The demise of every Blood Clan Saint Lord was meticulously recorded, their causes traced, and their Sacred Blood recovered.

If Ma Shangsi had, by chance, obtained and refined a drop of Sacred Blood to achieve Saint Lord status, that would have been understandable. But a single drop of Sacred Blood could never possess such an intense sacred aura.

How much Sacred Blood must have been refined to reach such a degree?

Under the suppression of this sacred aura, even he, a Sun-Disciple, felt his vital energy stagnate. Even if he attacked with full force at that moment, he could only display strength barely comparable to a Moon-Disciple.

If he was affected to such an extent, the five Moon-Disciples beside him were even worse, like soft-legged shrimps, their bodies weak and numb. They hastily supported one another to keep from falling, their faces a mixture of fear and envy.

"Can you feel it?" Ma Shangsi asked, trying to keep his voice gentle. He harbored no ill will towards his friends, but the suppression of their bloodlines was beyond his control.

All of them nodded.

Shen En opened his mouth, as if to ask something, but ultimately held back. He had originally wanted to know how Ma Shangsi had advanced to Sun-Disciple, hoping to gain some inspiration from his method, but now, it seemed unnecessary to ask.

He couldn't help but feel disheartened. Back then, though he and Ma Shangsi were barely strong enough in the Blood Jade Realm, they held no significant status. While they were indeed superior to ordinary Blood Clan members, they had to be humble and seek favor from any Saint Lord.

Fortunately, he had advanced to Sun-Disciple, and his status had improved somewhat. Ma Shangsi had gone far away, and now he had returned as a Saint Lord. In comparison, Shen En felt incredibly foolish for having wasted so many years in the Blood Jade Realm.

"Do you... want it?" Ma Shangsi asked, his voice low.

The stunned Blood Clan members all paused at his words. Shen En instinctively asked, "Want what?"

A disbelieving thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Ma Shangsi smiled faintly, then raised a hand and pointed. Six drops of golden-glowing blood suddenly flew to each of them.

"If you want it, refine it quickly. Refine it, and you too will be Saint Lords!"

The six Blood Clan members gazed at the precious blood that had suddenly appeared before them, each resembling a hungry wolf spotting a piece of meat, their breathing quickening.

Yet no one moved, for the precious blood before them looked subtly different from the rumored Sacred Blood. Although distinct, the sacredness it contained was undeniably real.

The most important thing was...

"Brother Ma, where did you get so much Sacred Blood?" Shen En asked, his lips dry, as he looked up at Ma Shangsi. It was already remarkable that his friend's own sacredness was so powerful, clearly having refined a significant amount of Sacred Blood. But to now possess extra was simply incredible.

Ma Shangsi simply smiled, remaining silent.

Shen En didn't press further. He simply gazed at the precious blood before him, his expression a mix of struggle and strong inclination. He could feel his own bloodline's extreme craving for this drop of Sacred Blood, a craving powerful enough to overwhelm his rationality. Even knowing that refining Sacred Blood was extremely dangerous, he was willing to risk everything.

And this craving would grow increasingly intense with time!

This was undoubtedly an unavoidable dilemma for the Blood Clan when confronted with the temptation of Sacred Blood. All Blood Clan members knew that refining Sacred Blood was perilous; success meant becoming an exalted Saint Lord, but failure led to death and annihilation, with extremely high risks. Yet, if a Blood Clan member truly encountered Sacred Blood, none could remain indifferent.

"I don't care!" While Shen En was still hesitating, another Blood Clan member could no longer bear it. He reached out, seized the golden precious blood before him, thrust it into his mouth, and swallowed it whole.

One after another, in the blink of an eye, all five Moon-Disciples made their choice.

Shen En was still struggling, but his failure to leave immediately sealed the futility of his resistance.

"I'll risk it!" Shen En muttered, finally taking the precious blood and beginning to refine it. Years of longing and pursuit were laid bare before him; he truly couldn't resist the temptation.

Ma Shangsi had clearly anticipated this scenario. Only then did he withdraw his blood art, flash to the side, and wait quietly.

The next moment, agonizing screams rose one after another from within the secret chamber.

Ma Shangsi's expression remained impassive. He knew, of course, how arduous the process of refining precious blood was. However, compared to refining true Sacred Blood, refining precious blood offered a significant advantage: there was no risk to one's life.

Over the years, he had received precious blood from Lu Ye on multiple occasions. He, the Xiangyin sisters, and Ding Beifeng had all done so, yet they were all still alive and well. Each time they refined the precious blood, it made their sacredness denser and their bloodlines purer!

Time passed. After a good half day, Shen En's breathing finally stabilized. He slowly opened his eyes, which were filled with profound joy.

He had successfully refined the Sacred Blood and was now finally among the ranks of Saint Lords!

Amidst his joy, he remembered the others and quickly turned to look. Upon seeing them, he couldn't help but freeze: "How can this be?"

His five friends were all still alive. And judging by their condition, they were clearly still in the process of refining, likely nearing completion.

His cultivation was the highest, so he finished the fastest.

"What I gave you is different from true Sacred Blood," Ma Shangsi explained, having appeared beside him at some point. "Though refining it is arduous, there's no risk to your life."

Shen En hesitated, "Brother Ma, the source of that Sacred Blood is..."

"You'll know soon enough," Ma Shangsi replied.

Shen En suppressed his doubts and calmly familiarized himself with his suddenly much denser bloodline. He finally understood why it was so difficult for ordinary Blood Clan Moon-Disciples to advance to Sun-Disciple.

This was never a simple matter. Let alone ordinary Moon-Disciples, even Moon-Disciples who were Saint Lords might not be able to advance to Sun-Disciple, as it involved comprehending one's own bloodline. Saint Lords merely held an advantage in this process.

Now that he too had achieved Saint Lord status and his bloodline had greatly intensified, his future cultivation would undoubtedly yield twice the results with half the effort.

Moreover, he faintly felt a strange connection between himself and a nearby location. As he carefully sensed this connection, Shen En's expression turned to one of surprise and suspicion.

A short while later, in a side room, Lu Ye sat upright, looking at the six figures before him.

Ma Shangsi stood beside him, bowing as he said, "My lord, I've brought everyone."

Lu Ye nodded.

The six new Blood Servants, led by Shen En, all looked at him with curiosity.

Having refined his precious blood, these Blood Servants now felt a natural sense of awe and closeness towards him. Thus, even though it was their first meeting, the six Blood Servants vaguely understood what had happened.