Ji Xueyun's brows furrowed.
She had heard of people with beastly hearts, but this kind of cultivation method was truly beyond her comprehension. Yet, as she thought about it...
Fine beads of sweat began to appear on Ji Xueyun's pretty face. She cried out in shock, "Junior Brother, are you saying they have human bodies but the hearts of beasts?"
"Not just their hearts," Bai Zihe said, narrowing his eyes and speaking in a deep voice. "Humans have five internal organs."
"These people..."
"When they were still children, their internal organs were replaced. Their hearts, livers, spleens, kidneys, and so on, were all swapped out."
"Then, combined with the use of special potions, their bodies wouldn't reject these organs."
"They grew up to be adults, becoming one entity. Those who grew up this way not only possessed human brains but also the organs of beasts, thus having higher combat potential and an easier time breaking through limits."
"It's just..."
Bai Zihe shook his head with a cold sneer. "This method is against the natural order and is not tolerated by Heaven. The success rate is extremely low, perhaps one in a hundred."
"And to think there are so many beast-hearted people here. Who knows how many died unjustly back then."
Ji Xueyun's face had already turned ashen as she listened to him describe the "refinement" process of the beast-hearted people. Hearing that the success rate was less than one percent, she became even more flustered and dazed, a chill running down her spine.
"Second Senior Sister, follow me!"
After observing for a while, Bai Zihe noticed some patterns in the beast-hearted people's movements and conceived a plan to infiltrate.
Ahead, two beast-hearted people were descending a small hill. As they walked along the winding mountain path, there was a blind spot in the patrol range of other beast-hearted people.
Now is the time!
Bai Zihe shot forward. Before the other beast-hearted people could react, he entered that blind spot. The two beast-hearted people patrolling there immediately attacked Bai Zihe.
Bai Zihe let out a cold snort. With two fingers of his left and right hands, he pointed at their chests. Powerful surges of energy pierced their hearts, killing them on the spot.
At the same time, Ji Xueyun quietly appeared behind Bai Zihe. Bai Zihe stripped off the clothes of the two men, put one on himself, and gave the other to his Second Senior Sister. Then, they swaggered back up the path.
The beast-hearted people on the mountainside didn't notice anything amiss. Bai Zihe and Ji Xueyun's infiltration went very smoothly.
However, as they walked, their moods began to change. They saw many people from the Great Han Ming Kingdom! It was hard to imagine that in the heartland of Great Xia, there was a camp belonging to the Great Han Ming Kingdom, and it seemed to be a main base.
But... these people from the Great Han Ming Kingdom were eating, drinking, and talking amongst themselves, completely unconcerned about the "beast-hearted people" passing by, treating them as if they were on normal patrol.
The deeper they infiltrated, the more people from the Great Han Ming Kingdom they encountered. Among them were powerful individuals. Bai Zihe even sensed several Grandmaster-level auras.
To avoid alerting the enemy, they proceeded with extreme caution, not daring to make any significant movements.
Soon, they reached a position near the summit of the hill. There was a cave. Outside the cave stood a large number of beast-hearted people, motionless, standing like javelins on either side. Bai Zihe noticed that no beast-hearted person dared to enter the cave. He and his Second Senior Sister found an inconspicuous corner and concealed themselves.
"Hummm..."
Just then, a medicinal fragrance drifted over. It was so rich, so refreshing, and so pleasant that both of them smelled it instantly.
"Junior Brother, look..."
The cave was brightly lit. The Second Senior Sister found an angle that allowed her to see the situation inside. Within the cave, there was a spirit spring, surrounded by exotic flowers and rare herbs, a scene of vibrant life. In the very center was a medicinal plant whose name neither of them knew. Its fragrance alone was so extraordinary that this plant was clearly the treasure the Great Han Ming Kingdom people were spending great effort to guard.
"Whoosh!"
Stimulated by the medicinal aroma, Ji Xueyun's heart pounded like a cat's claws. She leaped forward and flew towards the medicinal plant in the cave.
"Audacious!"
"Seeking death!"
"Kill her!"
The beast-hearted people immediately spotted Ji Xueyun and launched their attack. Over a dozen surged towards her from all directions. Ji Xueyun was unfazed. The beast-hearted people were only more powerful than normal martial artists of the same cultivation level. Compared to Ji Xueyun, who was at a higher level, they were far inferior. As they charged, Ji Xueyun knocked them all down with a single kick each.
Half a minute later, no beast-hearted person was left standing. Ji Xueyun walked step by step towards the medicinal plant.
"Whoosh!"
"You are courting death!"
"Those who dare to steal medicine shall die!"
"Die..."
Just then, a large group of experts from the Great Han Ming Kingdom rushed over. It was the group they had encountered on the road, and the leader was none other than a powerful Martial Grandmaster. They charged at Ji Xueyun desperately, as if touching that medicinal plant was like digging up their ancestral graves!
"Get past me first."
Bai Zihe suddenly appeared behind Ji Xueyun and, without a word, unleashed a palm strike.
"Rumble!"
Vast palm power poured out, instantly churning the land. The Martial Grandmasters from the Great Han Ming Kingdom in front were no match for Bai Zihe's single move and were all sent flying backward. Most died on the spot. A few struggled briefly before their heads lolled, and they breathed their last. Only the strongest, a late-stage Grandmaster, was still clinging to life, not quite dead. He stared coldly at Lin Tianxuan, then quickly pulled out something from his chest and yanked the fuse.
"Shoo—"
"Boom!"
A brilliant firework exploded in the sky.
"You, you..."
The late-stage Grandmaster's lips curved into a slight arc, a trace of blood staining them, making him look particularly ferocious. "You're all dead today!" With that, his head lolled to the side, and he too fell to the ground, dead.
"Junior Brother, what do we do now?" Ji Xueyun, who had already retrieved the medicinal plant, asked in a deep voice as she saw the smoke from the firework gradually dissipate in the sky.
Bai Zihe's gaze was sharp. "This is a branch of the Great Han Ming Kingdom's headquarters. Their main base should be the Yang stronghold of the Taiji Diagram."
"He's calling for reinforcements now, so experts from the Yang stronghold will surely come."
"We'll use a 'luring the tiger away from the mountain' tactic!" Bai Zihe sneered. "We'll go and take the treasure from their Yang stronghold as well!"
Ji Xueyun's eyes immediately lit up. "Good!"
The two immediately fled.
A moment later.
Jin Dongxi led a group of experts to the scene. Seeing the mess, he flew into a rage. But upon entering the cave... he found that not only was the medicinal plant gone, but the culprits were also gone. It was then that he realized. They had been tricked!