The Ancient Medicine Cauldron was truly sturdy. Even after taking two direct hits from the Spirit Infant Early Stage Cultivator, it remained completely unscathed.

Furthermore, the ancient Array Patterns that appeared on its surface had dissolved ninety percent of the attack’s power.

But Jiang Jichen was still rocked by the impact, his physical body disintegrating to the point of imminent collapse.

The gap in their Realms was too vast to be bridged. Naturally, Jiang Jichen had no power to resist.

But how could he be the type to simply wait for death?

He crushed the second Celestial Blood Grass leaf he had been holding in his mouth. A torrent of Essence Blood Power once again protected his body from annihilation.

However, the effect was significantly weaker the second time. It could only barely keep his body from disintegrating, and his injuries and Spiritual Power only recovered by thirty percent.

If he were to crush a third leaf of the Celestial Blood Grass, Jiang Jichen feared it wouldn’t even be enough to protect his body.

This was why Jiang Jichen had only held two leaves of the Celestial Blood Grass in his mouth from the start.

"So you really do possess a supreme, peerless Spirit Medicine that can instantly protect your body from destruction. But its effect only lasts twice. This time, let’s see what you’ll use to save your life!"

The Guo Family Spirit Infant Cultivator seemed to have expected this. He once again condensed a series of heavy Fist Seals and sent them to crush Jiang Jichen.

At the same time, the thick layer of fallen leaves in the forest suddenly disintegrated, and wave after wave of Blood Pattern Ants surged out like a crimson torrent.

At that moment, a sliver of unease inexplicably rose in the Guo Family Spirit Infant Cultivator’s heart. However, at this point, there was no choice and no possibility of retreat.

’No matter what, Jiang Jichen... must die!’

A look of grim determination and ruthlessness also shone in Jiang Jichen’s eyes.

The instant his body was protected, he suddenly spat a mouthful of blood at the Spirit Infant Realm Cultivator from the Guo Family, who was not far away.

This mouthful of blood was imbued with a Secret Skill, making it extremely profound.

Although it had no damaging power, the Spirit Infant Realm Cultivator discovered he was utterly unable to block it, nor could he dodge it.

’This is... the Blood Shadow Following Technique!’

’Attach one’s Blood Qi, follow like a shadow!’

In truth... this was the most famous, and also the most useless, Immortal Skill among the Six Paths. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

It possessed no offensive power, but not even a Supreme Great Power could evade the Blood Shadow Following Technique.

Of course, the skill’s effectiveness was also related to the user’s Cultivation Realm.

Although Jiang Jichen was only in the Innate Realm, once the Blood Shadow Following Technique was used, no one in the Spirit Infant Realm could avoid it.

The Guo Family’s elder, a Spirit Infant Early Stage Cultivator, was naturally no exception.

Thus, he was now stained with a mouthful of Jiang Jichen’s essence blood.

It contained an incredibly rich Celestial Human Blood Qi and Sun and Moon Essence, which now drifted through the air.

The Guo Family’s Spirit Infant Realm Cultivator had no idea what Jiang Jichen’s intention was.

He assumed that Jiang Jichen, knowing death was certain, simply wanted to defile him with blood before he died.

This made his face darken, and he grew even more displeased, his killing intent intensifying.

But... the forest floor suddenly began to tremble. Following the frenzied Blood Pattern Ants, enormous Blood Pattern Ants now rushed out one after another.

Finally... a Blood Pattern Ant King as large as a small hill flapped its transparent, blood-colored wings, soaring into the sky. Its gaze was fixed intently on the Guo Family’s Spirit Infant Realm Cultivator.

As for Jiang Jichen, after spitting out that mouthful of essence blood, he immediately concealed his aura and sank into the ground without a moment’s delay.

That’s right. As the Blood Pattern Ants rushed out, he rushed in...

None of the Blood Pattern Ants, not even the Blood Pattern Ant King, noticed Jiang Jichen, who had suppressed his aura and camouflaged himself as a dead twig.

All of their gazes were locked onto the Guo Family’s Spirit Infant Realm Cultivator, their eyes filled with boundless, surging hatred.

Moreover, the essence blood, containing the power of the Celestial Blood Grass, had driven them into a frenzied state.

The Guo Family Spirit Infant Realm Cultivator’s attack finally landed on the ground.

Dust and smoke billowed up from where Jiang Jichen had been standing, making it even more impossible for the Blood Pattern Ants to spot his figure.

Now, the entire nest of Blood Pattern Ants had poured out, furious and frenzied, because they... had sensed the aura of the despicable human who stole the Celestial Blood Grass.

To the Blood Pattern Ants, all that mattered was the aura of the Celestial Blood Grass. Who the target was didn’t matter, and they likely couldn’t have recognized him anyway.

Even the Blood Pattern Ant King had been forced to bow its head before the aura of the scrap of Desolate Celestial Beast Hide.

Under the pressure of the Desolate Celestial Beast’s aura, it had been completely unable to remember Jiang Jichen’s appearance. By the time it recovered its senses, it only saw Jiang Jichen’s fleeing silhouette.

So, when it now smelled the aura of the Celestial Blood Grass on the Guo Family Spirit Infant Cultivator, it immediately concluded that this was the person who had stolen the Celestial Blood Grass they had guarded for countless years.

’He stole the Celestial Blood Grass and actually dared to come back?’

How could the Blood Pattern Ants not be enraged? How could they not become frenzied?

Thus, even without a command from the Blood Pattern Ant King, all the Blood Pattern Ants had already gone berserk, charging murderously toward the Guo Family’s Spirit Infant Realm Cultivator.

Like a surging, crimson torrent, they instantly swarmed before the Guo Family’s Spirit Infant Realm Cultivator.

At this moment, how could the Guo Family’s Spirit Infant Realm Cultivator not understand what had happened?

He had been set up by Jiang Jichen!

’His goal from the very beginning was to lure me here... to the Blood Pattern Ants’ nest.’

’To make sure I fell for it, Jiang Jichen didn’t hesitate to put himself in harm’s way, using his own body as bait.’

’So ruthless, so treacherous!’

’Ruthless to himself, and even more ruthless to his enemies!’

The Guo Family Spirit Infant Cultivator was horrified. At the same time, he suddenly thought of... Guo Qishan.

’If even I was tricked into such a desperate situation, then wasn’t Guo Qishan also...’

The Guo Family Spirit Infant Cultivator had no time for further thoughts. The Blood Pattern Ant King, hovering in mid-air, made its move, its body striking down like a bolt of lightning.

In that instant... the Guo Family Spirit Infant Cultivator felt despair.

The Blood Pattern Ant King, with its six blood patterns, was beyond Foundation Establishment. It was equivalent to a being at the Spirit Infant Middle Realm. How could he possibly fight back?

What’s more, he was surrounded by countless Blood Pattern Ants of various sizes, none of which were low-level. He was now completely submerged in the crimson torrent of ants.

"AARGH! Jiang Jichen, you vile wretch! I refuse to accept this...!"

The Guo Family Spirit Infant Cultivator’s cry of despair echoed through the heavens and the earth. Even Jiang Jichen, currently sneaking through the Blood Pattern Ants’ tunnels, heard his voice.

However, Jiang Jichen’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. Between them, it had always been a matter of life and death.

But Jiang Jichen’s current condition was terrible. He had nearly had his physical body destroyed twice in a row. His body was in a dire state, on the verge of total collapse.

His body, at the Ninth Level of Body Refining, and even the Undying Scripture could no longer stop the Life Essence Qi from continuously draining away.

Although Jiang Jichen had cleverly avoided the Guo Family Spirit Infant Cultivator’s final strike by sinking into the ground, the shockwave alone had covered his body in countless cracks. He could barely hold his physical form together now.

Jiang Jichen gritted his teeth. Only after he was far from the battle zone did he burst out of the ant nest’s tunnels.

Just as he burst out of the tunnels, Jiang Jichen saw Guo Qishan... No, it was Little Haas, who had taken over Guo Qishan’s bloodline.

"Master, I’ve come for you!"

Little Haas lifted Jiang Jichen onto its back and quickly fled. After putting a great distance between them and the Blood Pattern Ant nest, Little Haas found a hole in the ground and dove inside.

The next moment, Jiang Jichen felt as if he had entered a subterranean labyrinth.