Han Yu flipped to the next page and found detailed diagrams showing the conversion process. Symbols of alchemical refinement and formation arrays illustrated how Slaughtered Moon Qi was drawn from the river, channeled through purification sigils, and crystallized into a usable form.

Through repeated refinement and stabilization, Blood Moon Qi could be extracted from the river's flow. From there, it could be imbued in objects, crystals, and pills for future use. However, those who sought true mastery—those who desired to walk the Ancestor's original path—attempted to wield the Slaughtered Moon Qi itself. Many of them perished, driven to madness or turned into living rivers of blood, their bodies bursting under the strain.

Han Yu rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That explains the pools of blood scattered around the sect. Failed attempts, perhaps."

His eyes continued tracing the words.

The Slaughtered Moon Qi was, in truth, never meant for mortal hands. Yet the sect could not abandon it, for it was both their curse and their blessing. In time, the sect's scholars created artifacts capable of holding and stabilizing the Qi—most notably the Moon Blood Crystals.

Now this part piqued Han Yu's interest. He had seen faint traces of these crystals during his journey through the sect. They shimmered faintly red, buried in the walls or set into the pathways like glowing veins.

The Moon Blood Crystals are unique among all known spirit stones. Formed naturally from the mutated essence of the land beneath the Blood Moon's light, they contain condensed Blood Qi that can later be refined into Blood Moon Qi. Unlike ordinary Blood Crystals, which are produced through sacrificial refinement of living beings, Moon Blood Crystals emerge spontaneously from the environment. This makes them a renewable and far less abhorrent resource for cultivation.

Han Yu could not help but let out a small sigh of relief. "At least they are not harvesting blood from people," he muttered.

He reckoned even the Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect was not so crazy as to keep on killing people. After all, there were a limited number of humans and creatures. If they kept on killing they would simply have no one to harvest, neither anymore to recruit into their own ranks.

While some might still harvest blood from people and beasts, it was probably at a limited scale now.

The book continued, explaining that due to the Blood Moon's presence, several mines and spirit stone deposits across the continent had transformed over millennia. Instead of regular spirit energy, they now emitted Moon Blood Qi. This mutation enriched the sect's resources, making them nearly self-sufficient in energy production.

At the same time, they became the exclusive resource of the sect as no other cultivator could use it. This led to the decline of many other sects on the continent, further strengthening the power of their sect.

Han Yu's mind pieced together the hierarchy described in the book.

There were, essentially, three distinct levels of Qi within the sect's system.

At the top was the Slaughtered Moon Qi, the purest and most dangerous essence, imbued with the will of the Ancestor himself. It was volatile, destructive, and almost impossible for ordinary cultivators to handle.

Below it was the Blood Moon Qi, the refined and more stable version of the original essence. This was what most of the sect's cultivators used, especially those from powerful bloodline families.

And finally, there was Blood Qi, the most common form, derived from either mortals or the environment and later refined upward. Ordinary disciples trained with this form before learning to convert it into Blood Moon Qi.

Han Yu whispered the hierarchy aloud as if testing how it sounded. "Slaughtered Moon Qi above Blood Moon Qi, and Blood Moon Qi above Blood Qi. A ladder of crimson energy."

It fascinated him how orderly the sect's cultivation system appeared on paper. Despite the gruesome origins, it was elegant in its structure; refinement upon refinement, as if the entire sect were built to tame the power of slaughter itself.

He flipped to a section that described the usage of the Moon Blood Crystals.

Each crystal naturally emitted Blood Qi, which disciples could draw directly into their meridians. Once inside, it could be slowly refined through cultivation techniques into Blood Moon Qi. This made cultivation smoother and less risky, though it also diluted the potency of their foundation compared to the original Slaughtered Moon Qi.

Han Yu smiled faintly at the irony. "So even in a sect built on slaughter, moderation became a virtue."

But the book also mentioned that many high-ranking elders, unwilling to settle for diluted power, continued to experiment with direct exposure to the Slaughtered Moon River. To manage this, vast formation arrays were constructed, capable of filtering and stabilizing the violent Qi flow. Disciples who trained near these formations needed to offer their own blood regularly as a form of harmonization.

Han Yu shuddered slightly. "That explains all the blood sacrifices carved into the floors and walls," he thought.

The deeper he read, the more he understood that this sect was both terrifying and ingenious. It thrived on contradiction; fueled by destruction, yet striving for stability.

He looked again at the faint stains on the cave floor. Perhaps Ju Fan had been one of those reckless few who tried to cultivate directly from the Slaughtered Moon Qi, pushing his body beyond its limit.

Setting the book down, Han Yu closed his eyes for a moment, trying to picture it all. The rivers of blood, the red moon hanging permanently in the sky, and the countless cultivators drawing strength from its flow.

It was both awe-inspiring and horrifying.

"This place really is something else," he murmured. "A sect that turns slaughter into sustenance. No wonder their disciples walk around looking half-possessed."

He gave a small laugh at his own remark, though the sound echoed strangely in the cave, making it sound almost hollow.

The history of the Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect had unfolded before him like a vast and blood-soaked tapestry. And Han Yu, sitting alone in the darkness of a dead man's cave, could not shake the feeling that he had only just begun to scratch the surface.