“Power… power…” the youngster stammered, his pair of red pupils full of thirst.
Han Shuo’s abrupt intrusion caught his abusers off guard. After they came to their senses, the ring leader questioned Han Shuo, “Who, who are you?”
In Han Shuo’s eyes, the few teenagers were characters so puny that he could annihilate them with just a wave of his hand. He did not respond to their questioning but merely focused on that youngster he held up with his arms.
Jasper landed, along with Hemanna and Sylph. “Han Shuo, what’s the matter?” She looked at Han Shuo gravely, and was rather clueless about his actions.
Such things couldn’t have been more common in the Abyss realm. Some people began gathering around to watch when they discovered the unusual change in this area. While some found it interesting that anyone would interfere, some were mesmerized by the beauty of Jasper, Hemanna, and Sylph.
“Ay! Three beautiful ladies!” The ringleader teenager turned to a delighted expression and impudently catcalled them. With his indecent and frivolous appearance, he began scanning the stunning bodies of the three ladies with his eyes.
“Son, do you want power?” Han Shuo ignored the disturbances around him and continued to question the stubborn youngster.
“Of course, of course I want power. But, can you give me that?” the youngster said after he gradually recovered some strength with his deep red eyes staring blankly at Han Shuo.
Han Shuo smiled and put down the kid. He then extended his hand and placed it over the youngster’s nape. A few strands of demonic yuan shot out and entered the youngster’s body and they started circulating in mysterious orbits.
After Han Shuo injected his demonic yuan, the youngster’s blood red body suddenly turned even more blood red. A faints stench of blood began overspilling from his body, as though his fresh blood were overflowing from every pore in his skin.
There’s no mistake, this is indeed a Body of Sanguis, Han Shuo thought. It was a common of those who were Sanguis bodied that, when they were furious and their emotions were out of control, the blood in their bodies would circulate rapidly, making them look as though they were sprinkled with blood. People with this kind of unique body were the best choice of people to cultivate in Bloodgod Mantra. They could cultivate Bloodgod Mantra to an extremely high realm within a short period of time.
Han Shuo understood the details and particulars of Bloodgod Mantra from Chu Cang Lan’s memories. Back then, standing at the pinnacle of demonic arts, Chu Cang Lan once had a subordinate expert that cultivated in Bloodgod Mantra. That subordinate of his possessed great strength. However, as the person was not Sanguis bodied, no matter how assiduously he cultivated, he couldn’t cultivate Bloodgod Mantra to the ultimate level.
The legends had it that only those with a Body of Sanguis could attain the pinnacle in Bloodgod Mantra to become a ‘Blood Demon’. However, it was very hard to find anyone with a Body of Sanguis. Back then, Chu Cang Lan had actually tried to seek one with a Body of Sanguis so that he could teach the Bloodgod Mantra, thereby raising a mighty overlord that would be under his control. But unfortunately for him, he never could find any.
Who would have expected that in this Abyss realm, Han Shuo would actually come across a teenager with the Body of Sanguis. This youngster was firm and determined by nature. He was like a rough diamond, waiting to be refined and polished. If he cultivated in Bloodgod Mantra, given the Body of Sanguis he possessed, he definitely could progress at lightning speed and become an expert not to be belittled.
Han Shuo suddenly withdrew his hand. This youngster was on the verge of full recovery. His originally powerless eyes were filled with excitement as he stared fixedly at Han Shuo and asked, “Can, can you really give me power?”
Han Shuo nodded endearingly, “Be my apprentice, and I shall give you power – power beyond your imagination!”
“But, I have tried each and every one of the eight elemental energies, but I couldn’t cultivate in any of them. Can I really possess power?” The youngster still had some doubts. No matter how hard he tried, that peculiar body of his could not possess strength powerful enough for him to exact vengeance.
This teenager was just fifteen or sixteen years old, but already possessed such unyielding willpower. In Han Shuo’s eyes, he truly was a diamond in the rough. Once he imparted the Bloodgod Mantra unto this youngster, he would undoubtedly soar and excel in the world. Han Shuo looked at the boy and smiled. “Your unusual body is definitely not suitable for cultivating in any of the eight elemental forces. But with your natural endowments, even wider skies await you. The eight elemental energies and four edictal forces weren’t all that there was in this world. Be my apprentice, and you will understand!”
“Oi! You over there, keep your nose out of our business!” the teenage ringleader suddenly threatened.
Han Shuo groaned and turned back to glance at the teenagers, with killing intent spreading from his body like smoke. In an instant, the surrounding area was shrouded by a most terrifying sinister energy.
The eyes on those arrogant teenagers grew with ineffable dread. That sinister energy spreading from Han Shuo’s body shocked them to the point of quivering and they dared not to utter a word.
It wasn’t just the few bullies. Those bystanders who had looked on with excitement, weak or strong, were all frightened stiff. Under the cold, attentive gaze of Han Shuo’s, not one of them had the nerve to leave the area, but looked at Han Shuo with begging eyes, hoping that he would spare their frail and feeble lives.
“Get lost!” Han Shuo shouted.
Having heard Han Shuo’s words, the few teenagers dared not to stay in that place a moment longer and left, drenched in cold sweat. As did the onlookers. No matter their strengths, they were too threatened to remain there and continue watching, and swiftly evacuated.
“Who is that guy? What a frightening aura!”
“No idea. But he wasn’t a familiar face, so he must be a foreign expert. Even I, as a level-three Destroyer, dared not to move a muscle. He is a true expert!”
“Let’s get a move on… I don’t even have the courage to talk when I look at him!”
After those people fled in panic, Han Shuo turned to the scrawny boy and said, “Those guys who bullied you ought to be killed at your very own hands, and I will give you the opportunity to do just that!”
Thud! The boy dropped to his knees and bowed to Han Shuo at once. He exclaimed in a deep voice, “Thank you, master!”
The kid may have been weak, but he was no dimwit. The strength that Han Shuo suddenly revealed was terrifying beyond his imagination. Especially, when he noticed characters that were usually high up were shocked frozen by that energy Han Shuo demonstrated. He no longer hesitated and promptly decided to kowtow and accept this sinisterly powerful stranger as his master.
“Get up. I don’t care what your name was before, but from this day forth, you will be called Sanguis!” Han Shuo nodded satisfyingly and pointed to his three mistresses beside him, and said, “They are your masters as well!”
Thud! Thud! Thud! Sanguis bowed another three times before he stood back up and respectfully saluted towards Jasper, Hemanna, and Sylph. He greeted the ladies one by one, yelling, “Master.”
Jasper, Hemanna, and Sylph calmly acknowledged Sanguis’ appellation. But soon after, the three exchanged glances with each other and cast their puzzled gazes towards Han Shuo, clueless why Han Shuo would so suddenly want to take in an apprentice.
“Sanguis, do you have any close relatives?” Han Shuo knew next to nothing about this apprentice of his. Now that Sanguis had formally become an apprentice to Han Shuo, it was time to ask about Sanguis’ origins.
Sanguis’ face turned sad, with eyes turning deep red. In a low voice, he said, “No I don’t. My mother had recently died of illness, and I had yet to bury her body.”
Sanguis then raised his head and to look at Han Shuo before he continued, “My father was once a mighty warrior, but he died in battle long ago. My parents were of two different races. Since birth, my body has been innately different from that of a regular person, and I couldn’t cultivate in any elemental energy. For many years, my mother and I had been relying upon each other for survival. Our days were filled with hardship and suffering. Because I cannot cultivate in any elemental energy, others called me garbage, cripple, half-breed, and so on. I had long gotten used to being bullied and humiliated.
Those guys earlier, their families used to be troops under my father’s command. Before my father died, they would even deliberately fawn on me, and would never dare say a thing about me. But once my father died, they all turned extremely unkind and mean. Even my mother suffered some very horrible treatment. In fact, her death had everything to do with those bastards.”
At this point, Sanguis’ eyes turned blood red again. His body seemed to be concealing a ruthless and savage beast. Although the beast was ferocious and vigorous, it was firmly tied down and restrained, unable to unleash its savagery.
“Be at ease. From my hand, I will let you obtain great strength. It wouldn’t take long before every one of those people who once oppressed you and your mother suffer a hundred times the price for what they did!” Han Shuo reassured to this new apprentice of his.
“Master, give me strength! I want strength! I want strength mighty enough to kill them all!” Sanguis shouted with extreme thirst for power as he looked deeply at Han Shuo.
“Calm down, do not think of anything, open up your soul,” Han Shuo said with a low voice. He suddenly extended his left hand and gently placed it on Sanguis’ forehead. The most fundamental cultivation method of Bloodgod Mantra was branded on Sanguis’ memories.
“These are the fundamentals of Bloodgod Mantra. Practice them carefully. As soon as you grasp all the basic cultivation methods, you will be able to take retribution to your arch enemies!” Han Shuo smiled after he withdrew his hand. As for the moment, Han Shuo didn’t know if he could really be at ease with this newly taken apprentice of his, in addition to not wanting him to get too greedy, as a precaution, he did not impart Sanguis with the complete set of Bloodgod Mantra.
Sanguis’ eyes sparkled with excitement. Immediately, he kneeled on the ground, still quivering. After giving Han Shuo three resounding bows, he said emotionally, “Master, this cultivation method seems as though it was specially created for me. It’s magical!”
Han Shuo smiled and nodded, but did not speak.