Chapter 227: Arriving at Black Wood Island, Tracking Down Gu Ran
Moreover, there was more to it than just the ability to kill extraordinary beings and drain a portion of their cultivation base.
The 'Endless Dark Blood Moon' bloodline had two additional unusual abilities.
The first one was the 'Spectral Concealment' ability!
The effects of this concealment were immensely chilling.
It hid not only the physical form but also the aura, fluctuations in the cultivation base, and much more.
However, this camouflage ability had one flaw - it would cease to function if the Yuan Power was utilized excessively fast.
Forget about intense combat, even an overly high flight speed could cause its failure.
Naturally, the more entities Gu Ran vanquished, the stronger the activation of the Endless Dark Blood Moon became, in turn enhancing the power of the Spectral Concealment.
It could even reach a point where it could be utilized in low-intensity combat.
The second trait was the ability to boost cultivation speed and efficiency in martial training.
This attribute was prevalent in almost all high-tier bloodlines.
The rank of the Endless Dark Blood Moon was extraordinarily lofty.
Even at a very low activation level, it brought about a dramatic enhancement in Gu Ran's cultivation speed and martial training efficiency!
Under equivalent conditions, Gu Ran's cultivation speed had already outstripped that of typical Top Grade aptitude geniuses.
The rapid cultivation ability, combined with the power to eliminate extraordinary entities and seize a portion of their cultivation base, if unhindered, would undoubtedly propel Gu Ran's cultivation base realm to astonishing heights!
'My bloodline is immensely potent!' Gu Ran thought to himself.
'It won't be much longer before I can exact my revenge!'
Drawing slow, profound breaths, his eyes sparkled with occasional flashes of murderous intent.
The 'Endless Dark Blood Moon' bloodline bestowed Gu Ran with immense self-assurance.
As long as he could secure an environment conducive to growth, he harbored no doubts about his ability to exact retribution.
Moreover, he wasn't overly concerned about the 'Ten Thousand Stars Dao Embryo' bloodline that had been taken from him.
The Ten Thousand Stars Dao Embryo and the Endless Dark Blood Moon were mutually constraining bloodlines, each possessing similar levels of power.
However, removing the Ten Thousand Stars Dao Embryo from Gu Ran's body was not without consequences.
Even with the most meticulous procedure, some losses were unavoidable.
The term 'perfect extraction' was relative, signifying a lesser extent of loss compared to other methods that would result in more significant depletion.
And the incorporation of the Ten Thousand Stars Dao Embryo would once again diminish a portion of the bloodline's power!
After being weakened twice, the Ten Thousand Stars Dao Embryo no longer had the strength to rival the Endless Dark Blood Moon.
The two bloodlines counterbalanced each other.
If one was enfeebled, it would be mercilessly suppressed, unable to recover its vigor.
Thus, from Gu Ran's perspective, even if the Ageless Spirit Heavenly Sect nurtured an exceptionally gifted individual with the Ten Thousand Stars Dao Embryo, that person wouldn't pose a threat to him.
Time steadily passed as the ship skillfully sailed across the sea.
In what felt like an instant, they arrived at a nondescript island.
This island housed a teleportation array that connected to other islands.
Gu Ran wasted no time; he blended into the crowd and, without spending a single spirit stone, utilized the teleportation array to reach his intended destination directly.
Using this method, he quickly made his way towards Black Wood Island.
...
Meanwhile, on Black Wood Island, a figure hovered above, surveying the entire island from the sky.
That person was none other than Jiang Chen, who had utilized the Heavenly Demon Hidden Heart Ring to conceal his presence.
Compared to Gu Ran's slow advance, Jiang Chen's speed was remarkable, and he had already arrived at Black Wood Island ahead of him.
'The Feng Clan...' he thought.
'They are the most formidable force on this island, the ones destined to clash with Gu Ran. This encounter will surely lead to their humiliation and eventual elimination.'
'The ones with the lowest Fate Value among them are several Mysterious Platform realm cultivators. It seems they will be the first to fall to Gu Ran's hands.'
As he scanned a vast mountain valley on the island, a spark of anticipation ignited in Jiang Chen's eyes.
The abundance of buildings nestled within the valley signified the residence of Black Wood Island's leading clan, the Feng Clan.
The Feng Clan was numerous, but their most formidable member had reached only the Inquiring Journey realm.
After all, this was merely a remote and minor island.
After taking stock of all the supporting characters in the Feng Clan, Jiang Chen's divine sense shifted towards the sea.
During his journey to this place, Jiang Chen had amassed detailed knowledge about Black Wood Island, and one particular detail had caught his attention.
Every year, in the eleventh month, a migrating pack of demonic beasts would pass by Black Wood Island.
This pack was made up of a varied assortment of demonic beasts, broad in scope, yet their realms were not especially elevated.
The most potent among them were at the Inquiring Journey realm, but they were few in number.
These migrating Inquiring Journey realm demonic beasts were too absorbed in their migration to attack the barren Black Wood Island.
Therefore, every eleventh month of the year, bold cultivators with remarkable skill would gather here to hunt demonic beasts.
If they succeeded in taking down some rare and valuable demonic beasts, they could gain considerable rewards.
'It's almost the eleventh month of the year in the Ageless Spirit Heavenly Sea!' Jiang Chen thought.
'Could it be that Gu Ran chose Black Wood Island as his growth base not just for its isolation and the difficulty of being discovered, but also for the demonic beast tide?'
Jiang Chen rubbed his chin, setting aside this suspicion for the time being.
Shortly afterward, he descended onto the island, casually selecting a place to hide himself.
He then commenced cultivation while he waited patiently.
Regarding the Feng Clan, Jiang Chen remained constantly vigilant, though he had no intention of intervening prematurely.
Such an action could inadvertently allow Gu Ran to remain hidden.
Time strolled at its leisurely pace, and before he knew it, half a month had vanished.
'Still no sign?' Jiang Chen thought, frustration mounting.
'Damn it, could I have been wrong?'
His watch had grown painfully protracted, his brow furrowing more with each passing day. He was now on the edge of losing his patience.
It wasn't that he was impatient, but rather that the protagonist, Gu Ran, was proving to be exceptionally elusive.
An entire half month! If Gu Ran had utilized this time to strengthen himself, how much could his cultivation base and fighting ability have improved?
Breathing deeply, Jiang Chen once again extended his divine sense, focusing especially on Black Wood Island and the neighboring maritime regions.
The initial scan revealed nothing no trace of Gu Ran, no sign of anything unusual.
The second sweep was equally unfruitful.
Just as Jiang Chen was executing his third sweep with divine sense, the protagonist, Gu Ran, finally appeared!
He was situated on a barren coral reef in the eastern sea region of Black Wood Island.
Whoosh!
A Mysterious Platform realm demonic beast, resembling a massive black tortoise, burst through the sea's surface.
Among the waves, it scrambled onto the coral reef, ready to bask in the sunlight.
However, at that very instant, a young man suddenly appeared as if from nowhere.
This man emanated the aura of the Mysterious Platform realm, and he was clad in a black robe.
He had a slender build, above-average appearance, and his eyes shone with a determined, icy glare.
It was, indeed, Gu Ran!
The moment he materialized, Gu Ran launched a deadly attack on the demonic beast.
Boom!
Taken by surprise, the creature was struck in the head by the young man's onslaught, letting out an immediate cry of agony.
In an instant, a flash of cold light swept by, and a razor-sharp blade quickly penetrated from the demonic beast's mouth into its skull, twisting with cruelty.
The demonic beast spasmed, its body quaking as it thrashed wildly, and with a loud crash, it fell into the sea.
But only a few breaths later, the massive corpse of this tortoise-like demonic beast resurfaced.
'Endless Dark Blood Moon!' Gu Ran thought, a spark of delight in his eyes.
With a soft growl in his heart, he promptly unleashed the power of his bloodline.
A faint red glow slowly rose from within the body of the black tortoise-like demonic beast, surrounded by streams of glistening 'fluorescence'.
This bloody radiance was the combination of Gu Ran's Yuan Power and the energy of his bloodline, while the gleaming 'fluorescence' was the pure essence of the cultivation base, siphoned from the body of the demonic beast.
'Absorb!' Gu Ran ordered, pulling the red light and the cultivation base into his own body.
The speed at which he absorbed the cultivation base was astonishingly swift, integrating it into his own essence in a mere moment.
'Excellent!' Gu Ran exclaimed.
'I'm one step closer to the Heavenly Origin realm!'
'Even though I cultivate rather quickly, hunting and seizing demonic beasts is still faster!'
Feeling a boost in his cultivation base, a faint smile appeared on Gu Ran's face.
Suddenly, as if struck by a bolt of lightning, he shuddered, every hair on his body standing on end.
Gu Ran felt as though he was being watched, an unseen gaze fixed on him.
His expression shifted, and without a moment's hesitation, he activated his bloodline power, concealing his presence.
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