Seated in the cross-legged position on the floor of the room that he rented, he began to go through the Way of the Demonic Blade battle art in his head.

Once he started reading through it, he came across two foundation-level techniques of the many immensely powerful techniques that were titled and detailedly described in the art. And these two techniques were the Mortal Saint Beheading technique and King Annihilating Blade Wave technique.

Then when he went through the description of the Mortal Saint Beheading technique, he quickly understood how to use it.

Then trying to practice it, he brought one of his palms in front of him.

He then focused within himself and summoned a unique and dreadfully fierce, dark scarlet energy called Hermetic Demonic Energy, a completely rare and exceptional energy mentioned in the art in his head from those 50 True Demonic Marks floating within his dantian to his palm.

Once that particular energy erupted out of his palm, it began to violently fluctuate, giving Xiao Lin himself chills that quickly traveled down his spine.

He was both amazed and frightened at how the large wisp of dark scarlet energy floating an inch above above his palm began to tremendously surge, affecting even the air around him, since the air began to seemingly slash apart due to the power of extreme perceptible sharpness that radiated outwards from the seething energy and then permeated the atmosphere with it, filling it with incredible sharpness.

Also, it imbued the air with the overwhelming ferric smell of blood and saturated the atmosphere in the room with a strong demonic presence, invoking the definite feeling that a demonic entity had just arrived in the room through some means.

Then without thinking far about the energy since he wasn't there to observe but train, he used his powerful will to condense the shapeless dark scarlet energy into a small blade that began to float above his palm and produce humming sounds.

When he succeeded in doing this many moments later, Xiao Lin broke a smile in his face.

First technique down!

He then reasoned that he was getting more adept at quickly mastering techniques of any art that he may ever come across.

Then after breaking the solid form of the small-sized, Hermetic Demonic Energy blade hovering an inch above his palm which then rapidly dispersed away since it was no longer connected to Xiao Lin's mind, Xiao Lin quickly moved on to practice the second technique which was the King Annihilating Blade Wave technique.

A second later when he was done going through the description of the technique in his head, he understood what to do.

However, he couldn't practice that kind of battle move here since it might destroy his room and move on to affect other rooms, killing people in the process and alerting other cultivators that could be possibly residing in some other rooms in the inn.

And, since he had also gotten that technique down and would practice it later, he nodded his head and went on to study the Divinity-Annihilating Primal Blood Flame battle art, an empyrean-level battle art that he had to use his Spiritual Energy to produce powerful, fire-bound attacks.

***

Xiao Lin diligently studied that fire-based empyrean art from that evening that he arrived at the inn till the next day in the afternoon.

Then after understanding the profundity of the supreme-tier, god-level flame control art to a very small extent, and was eventually able to allow his Spiritual Energy take on the true characteristics of fire, which after possessing the actual physical properties of fire, began to erupt outwards from his hands as alarmingly strong and frenzied, rampaging flames due to the amazing fierceness and shocking formidableness of his dark-colored, overbearing Spiritual Energy, which he was able to specially cultivate using the Primordial Heretic Force cultivation art, a Spiritual Energy cultivation art that was transmitted to him by Lin Shou Wen, the Demonic Blade King, he stopped and then stood to his feet to leave his room.

When he left and closed the door behind him, he remained where he was which was in front of his room and quickly deployed his Vampiric Enhanced Hearing ability to listen to what people in the inn were discuss about.

And, the topic that he wanted to hear them talk about was about the one where many sects would gather for a particular event.

***

"So, the event that would occur between the numerous sects that have gathered for a prize would take place four days from now in the afternoon. They will duel on a large platform where only the last person standing is the person worthy of receiving that powerful and consummate, cultivation-boosting liquid item from our generous City Lord" one said.

"Really? That's nice! We would be able to watch these fearsome geniuses battle and then delight ourselves in their match. This is very cool!" Another said.

"Yea. I just can't wait to know which sect amongst all that have gathered here would come out as the strongest." Another said.

Then the same person that spoke just now shamelessly coughed and said "So, uhm, who would like to place a bet on what sect would win? If you are interested, come place your bet. Then as for me, my coins are going to the Heavenly Crimson Thunder sect. Haha!"

"What? Why that sect? Sounds like a trashy sect to me. Haha! Anyways, I am interested in your damn bet. So, my coins will go to the the Black Temple of Blood and Bones" Another refuted and then said.

Not long, everyone in that place began to place their bets, while Xiao Lin who remained where he was developed a sunken face.

"But why? Why in the afternoon when the sun is going to furiously burn me to death? This is really bad news for me. It gives me no joy at all. Ugh!"

"It seems my fortune well is starting to run dry. Hmm."

"Well, anyways, I don't need the fortune or providence from the heavens anymore. Since I am in charge of my own fate and destiny, I will make a way for myself. I must do something about this. I need their bloods and blood essences to get stronger. And now that thy have arrived in large numbers in this place, delivering themselves to me, how would I let them go just like that? I will definitely do something about this."