Soul-Slaying Maiden: Master Of Ancient Divine Weapons

As the eerie pill was about to break out of the Shennong Cauldron, a faint golden light suddenly enveloped the entire cauldron.

The grotesque face on the pill seemed to be repelled by the golden light, letting out a sharp screech before disintegrating into ash.

After a while, ensuring there were no abnormalities within the cauldron, Han Zhan finally retrieved the pill.

Holding the round and lustrous pill in his hand, Han Zhan's eyes involuntarily heated up.

With [Divine Insight] activated again, the pill's details unfolded before his eyes.

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[Name: Lesser Revival Pill]

[Effects: Can resist the night's erosion, suppress internal mutations, and break the rules to grant three hours of nighttime activity.]

[Caution: Refining the Lesser Revival Pill poses a life-threatening risk. One life for one pill. Refine cautiously.]

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Reading the pill's description, Han Zhan finally understood.

It wasn't that the formula was cursed—it was that refining the Lesser Revival Pill required a life in exchange for each pill.

Such a deceptive setup. Fortunately, he used the Shennong Cauldron, a divine tool capable of suppressing aberrations during pill refinement. This was the only reason he escaped unscathed.

"That Jiang Clan Chief, Jiang Huai, must have known about the conditions for refining the Lesser Revival Pill. That's why he forbade his clan members from refining it but instead handed the recipe to me, an outsider. His intentions are truly sinister."

Although Han Zhan had successfully refined the Lesser Revival Pill, he chose to remain indoors and wait for nightfall.

Since the pill could grant temporary nighttime mobility, according to the rules, consuming it would allow him to bypass the restrictions and gather more clues at night.

His instincts told him that the night held more secrets.

The process of refining the pill had drained much of his energy, so Han Zhan decided to take a nap and wait for dusk.

When Han Zhan woke up again, night had already fallen.

The familiar howling wind resumed outside.

This time, without hesitation, Han Zhan swallowed the Lesser Revival Pill in one gulp.

After consuming it, he felt a unique energy surge within him, wrapping around his body to form a natural barrier.

Han Zhan pushed open the door and stepped outside.

The Jiang Clan settlement was eerily silent at night, with not a soul in sight. The moment the door opened, even the howling wind abruptly ceased, as if everything before had been an illusion.

There were no ghostly apparitions, no crimson eyes as imagined, only an empty street.

With his heightened senses, Han Zhan faintly heard footsteps in the distance. Quickly, he hid near a house, observing quietly.

Before long, a shadowy figure appeared at the far end of the street.

The person seemed confident no one else would be out and walked boldly into view without concealing their movements.

When the figure emerged from the shadows, Han Zhan was surprised.

'Jiang Huai? He can also move at night? Of course—he must have a surplus of Lesser Revival Pills. After all, he gave me the recipe',Han Zhan pondered silently, holding his breath.

Jiang Huai soon arrived at Han Zhan's doorstep.

He first pressed his ear to the door, listening intently. After hearing nothing, he sneered coldly and muttered to himself, "This outsider has died a worthy death, gifting me a free Lesser Revival Pill."

With that, Jiang Huai forcefully pushed the door open.

The door creaked open, revealing an empty interior with no sign of Han Zhan.

Seeing this, Jiang Huai was dumbfounded. Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind him:

"Clan Chief Jiang, are you looking for me so late?"

Startled, Jiang Huai turned around in disbelief. His eyes locked onto Han Zhan, filled with suspicion. "Impossible! You... You refined the Lesser Revival Pill. How are you still unharmed? This is impossible."

"Nothing is impossible, Clan Chief Jiang," Han Zhan said, stepping forward to block Jiang Huai's path.

He dared to act so boldly because he had discovered a shocking secret.

The Jiang Huai before him had lost the imposing aura he displayed during the day. Now, he felt like an ordinary person with no cultivation.

It was precisely this discovery that gave Han Zhan the confidence to confront him.

Jiang Huai's expression darkened.

Forcing a smile, he tried to negotiate, "Outsider, I have no intention of harming you. Let's just forget this matter, shall we?"

"No intention of harming me? Giving me the Lesser Revival Pill recipe and tricking me into refining it to exchange my life for a pill—this is what you call no harm? Haha."

Han Zhan's sarcastic remarks made Jiang Huai's face alternate between pale and flushed.

Seizing the moment, Jiang Huai attempted to dart down a nearby alley. However, Han Zhan reacted faster, slamming him to the ground with a single palm.

Han Zhan rather enjoyed this sensation of slapping someone to the ground.

"The way I was slapped during the day, I'll return it to you at night."

"What do you want?" Jiang Huai growled through gritted teeth.

"Tell me everything you know. No tricks. We have plenty of time, and I can wait," Han Zhan replied coldly.

Realizing there was no escape, Jiang Huai decided to come clean and revealed everything he knew.

The Lesser Revival Pill recipe did indeed originate from Shennong.

After Shennong's death, the Jiang Clan had been safeguarding the recipe.

However, due to the life-for-a-pill restriction, the clan's alchemists could not afford to refine it. Hence, the recipe was sealed away.

The rule forbidding outdoor activity after 6 p.m. was real and applied to everyone, not just Han Zhan.

The night air contained a mysterious, ominous pollution. Exposure accelerated the illness plaguing the Jiang Clan, making nighttime ventures exceedingly dangerous.

There was also another peculiar phenomenon Han Zhan had already suspected.

This world was bizarre and deeply afflicted.

During the day, the inhabitants possessed extraordinary strength, effortlessly hunting wild beasts.

But at night, the outside world turned perilous. The stronger someone was during the day, the weaker they became at night—reduced to less than ordinary people. Meanwhile, the seemingly fragile wild beasts mutated into terrifying creatures under the night's cover.

Jiang Huai admitted that he had used Han Zhan to stockpile a Lesser Revival Pill for the clan's future needs.

Hearing Jiang Huai's explanation, Han Zhan remained skeptical.

However, he refrained from dealing a fatal blow and let him go.

The two fell into silence.

At that moment, light and swift footsteps echoed in the distance.

A petite, black-clad figure appeared far down the street.

It was a young girl, no older than twelve or thirteen, with twin pigtails, strolling nonchalantly.

But the most striking feature was her red eyes.

Jiang Yue!

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