Gu Tengfeng quickly gathered detailed intel from Han Linzhong about the sixteen cities affected by the Blood God Cult—including which ones were hit the hardest.
He also obtained a breakdown of troop deployments and the names of the generals stationed in each region.
“According to Han Linzhong, the cult's former headquarters was located in Yanbao City. The corruption there is the most severe—the infected have already begun to lose control and are even attacking the soldiers stationed outside. On the other hand, Mengshan City is closer to us, and the officer in charge there was personally trained by my father. It might be a good starting point.”
He turned to the group, his expression serious. “What do you all think?”
Gong Cheng rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Since Yanbao City was once their base of operations, it could hold critical clues. If we're looking to uncover the cult’s secrets, that might be the best place to start.”
"Mhmm." Ling Feng nodded. Gong Cheng was indeed the team's strategist—his considerations were far more comprehensive than Gu Tengfeng's.
"Then let’s split up for now," Ling Feng said. "Captain, you head to Mengshan City and coordinate with the local forces. Even if I manage to develop an antidote, we’ll still need the military’s support to contain this crisis quickly. With just the few of us, we’d burn out before making any real progress."
"I’ll go to Yanbao City directly. It has the most advanced cases of Blood Spirit Corpse transformation. I need to study how far along the infection has to progress before the victims become truly beyond saving."
As soon as Ling Feng finished, the group nodded in agreement with his plan.
"Let’s divide into teams, then. According to the Despicable Donkey, the Blood Sword Heavenly Lord is seriously injured and probably won’t be making any moves for now. Still, be extremely cautious when dealing with the afflicted—their bodies are saturated with a sinister energy from something called a Blood Soul Pearl. If that energy corrupts you, you could end up turning into a Blood Spirit Corpse yourself."
Ling Feng’s tone was heavy with warning.
Everyone's expressions darkened. The team was split into two groups.
The first, led by Gu Tengfeng, included Xue Xiaolin, Lin Mochen, Yu Sixian, Li Bufan, and Mu Qianxue.
The second, led by Ling Feng, consisted of Tuoba Yan, Gong Cheng, Jiang Xiaofan, and Ye Nanfeng, heading to Yanbao City.
Of course, the Despicable Donkey remained inside Ling Feng's Five Elements Heavenly Palace, lying low.
This time, the donkey deliberately stayed hidden, hoping Ling Feng would draw the Blood Sword Heavenly Lord's attention. Once the Blood Sword Heavenly Lord couldn't resist attacking Ling Feng, it would spell his doom!
"Alright. Once I reach an agreement with the Mengshan City garrison, I'll bring everyone to regroup with you."
Gu Tengfeng spoke solemnly.
"No need to rush. Start from Mengshan City and expand outward. With your status as the Gu family’s young master, the garrisons will cooperate without hesitation. Unified action is the key to efficiency, and time is tight. I'm counting on you, Captain."
"You’re the key to saving them—focus on developing the antidote as soon as possible."
Gu Tengfeng gave Ling Feng a firm pat on the shoulder before the two teams split up.
"Big Brother, once we catch that damn Blood Sword Heavenly Lord, I’ll make sure he suffers a thousand cuts!" Jiang Xiaofan growled, fists clenched and eyes blazing with fury.
That so-called Demon-Masked Lord had taken the lives of several of his relatives. The hatred he felt for the Blood God Cult ran deep—he would never forgive those who used such vile, twisted arts.
"Mhmm. That demon must be eradicated, or the consequences will be dire."
Ling Feng nodded, then led the group toward Yanbao City.
The yellow sands stretched endlessly, whipped by fierce northern winds that carried a faint, sinister stench of blood.
After roughly half a day, the group finally reached Yanbao City—or more accurately, the first blockade set up thousands of zhang away from the city.
The Blood Spirit Corpses inside Yanbao City had already begun displaying aggression. As soldier casualties mounted, the military had no choice but to conduct an initial purge of the mindless husks within the city before reinforcing the blockades to three layers, ensuring none could escape.
Before Ling Feng and the others could approach, an arrow shot down from a watchtower, embedding itself in the ground at his feet as a soldier shouted, "This city is under quarantine! No one enters!"
Soon, a squad of soldiers surrounded them. The commander, seeing how young they looked, sneered. "You lot must be those reckless sect disciples here to hunt Blood Spirit Corpses, huh?"
Jiang Xiaofan tried to explain but was cut off.
"Listen up, kid—turn around and go back where you came from! Yanbao City is no place for you!"
Jiang Xiaofan was interrupted again.
"Stubborn, aren't you? Plenty of sect disciples have gone in before—none came out alive! If you want a thrill, try another city. This one's sealed tight. In a few days, once we get the order, we're burning it to the ground."
"I thought the quarantine was for three months? You're burning it already?"
"Three months?" The commander scoffed. "It hasn't even been one month, and we've lost over a hundred men! If this keeps up, once those Blood Spirit Corpses get even fiercer, we'll all be joining them!"
"Point is, just leave. These people are beyond saving. Burning every last one of those monsters is the best solution."
Ling Feng shook his head. “Has no Daoist physician come?”
“Daoist physician?” The commander let out a dry laugh. “You think they grow on trees? Their lives are way too valuable to risk in a place . We did capture a few live Blood Spirit Corpses and sent them to Xiling City for the Daoist physicians at Huichun Hall to study—but so far, no breakthroughs. Let’s be honest, if even they can’t figure it out, what chance do you kids have? You’d be better off saving yourselves the trouble.”
“Thanks for the warning,” Ling Feng said, rubbing his nose. “But I didn’t come all this way just to turn back.”
Though the commander’s tone was rough, Ling Feng could tell he meant well. Smiling faintly, he raised his voice.
“Please inform your general that Divine Imperial Physician Ling Feng requests an audience.”
“Divine... what? Imperial... who?” The commander blinked in confusion, then his eyes went wide. “Wait—you’re the Divine Imperial Physician?!”