I can extract hidden information from everything.

Chapter 18 contains a wealth of hidden information.

Bloodstained Straw

[Hidden Information: Straw Blood Marrow (The essence of straw condensed from fresh blood; consuming it can greatly enhance cultivation level)]

[Extraction conditions: Use the woman in yellow as bait to lure out the Straw Fairy, then kill her]

Straw blood marrow, a large amount of cultivation power!

He had only consumed the power of qi and blood, yet his cultivation technique had already improved considerably.

If one could obtain the blood essence of straw, the increase in cultivation would be unimaginable.

"Kill them quickly!"

Xu Yan turned his head and lowered his voice.

The man in black was taken aback.

He saw a burning light in Xu Yan's eyes, a light that sent a chill down his spine.

However, he also understood that Xu Yan was planning to take action.

"So it turns out he wasn't after money or sex."

The man in black thought to himself, and at the same time took out a pair of gold-threaded gloves from his pocket and quickly put them on.

Xu Yan glanced at the gold-threaded gloves, his gaze lingering for a moment.

Gold-thread hand protectors

[Hidden Information: Meridian-Severing Technique (Unarmed martial art; when used, it can destroy the enemy's heart meridian or seal their cultivation)]

[Extraction criteria: Swing your fist 100 times while wearing gloves]

Good guy.

What a surprise.

I haven't seen hidden messages in a long time, but they've appeared one after another today.

However, Xu Yan knew that now was not the time to study this; the primary task was to obtain the straw blood marrow.

"Let's do it!"

Without hesitation, Xu Yan took a step forward.

A gleaming blade flashed from his waist, carrying a fierce aura, and slashed towards the nearest bodyguard.

Those who could stand here were no good people, and Xu Yan showed no mercy in his attack.

"Such swift and fierce swordsmanship."

The man in black was secretly alarmed; he hadn't expected Xu Yan's strength to be even greater than he had anticipated.

When did such a young master emerge in Anping County?

Despite his doubts, the man in black didn't hesitate and immediately attacked another bodyguard.

The bodyguards hadn't expected such a sudden turn of events.

But they were all men who had lived a life of constant danger, and they immediately drew their weapons to fight back.

"laugh--"

The sword's aura bursts forth from the inkstone's blade.

In the blink of an eye, the necks of the two bodyguards were severed along with their weapons.

These bodyguards had not yet truly entered the territory, so killing them would be a piece of cake for Xu Yan.

On the other side, the man in black swung his hands repeatedly.

Each palm strike to the bodyguard's chest could take a life.

"Clang!"

Xu Yan drew his long knife, wiped the blood off the corpse's clothes, and glanced around the courtyard.

In just a few breaths, the courtyard was filled with corpses, with only Chief Escort Wu still standing at the door.

"You two bastards, how dare you try to ambush me!"

With a roar, Chief Escort Wu charged at the man in black.

He never expected that two outsiders would infiltrate his security escort agency.

They never expected that they would see a secret they shouldn't have.

These two must die.

Otherwise, if the authorities find out that he has joined the Ascension Sect, the entire Shunshui Escort Agency will be destroyed.

He was cautious and noticed that the man in black seemed to be slightly weaker, so he decided to deal with the man in black first.

The man in black hadn't expected Chief Escort Wu to be so decisive, but he didn't panic and met the attack with a backhand palm strike.

"Bang!"

A dull thud rang out, and the man in black groaned as he was sent flying backward.

Upon contact, he felt an immense force, and his hands throbbed with excruciating pain.

"Watch out! He has straw in his hand!"

The man in black shouted a warning.

Wu, the镖主 (bodyguard), saw his palms split open, from which withered yellow straw pierced, the tips of which still faintly stained with blood.

The man in black tried to stand up, but felt a wave of dizziness.

"Poisonous! The straw is poisonous!"

He felt a strange power within his body, eroding his flesh and blood, and quickly circulated his inner energy to try to expel it.

"That's not poison, it's the power bestowed by the great Straw Fairy!"

Chief Wu ripped open his shirt, revealing his chest.

A pitch-black wound opened up, its internal organs long gone, replaced by withered yellow straw.

"Killing you all will make perfect ingredients for my medicine!"

Suddenly, the straw between his chest and abdomen shot out, piercing straight at the man in black.

The man in black felt a chill run down his spine and closed his eyes in despair.

"Bang!"

Another muffled sound.

The man in black felt no pain. When he opened his eyes, he saw a figure blocking his way.

"This power is rather strange."

Xu Yan stood holding the knife, his tone calm.

The ground was piled with straw, which he had just chopped down.

This wasn't the first time he'd witnessed the methods of evil spirits, but each time he did, it was astonishing enough.

"court death!"

Wu, the镖主 (bodyguard), had a cold look in his eyes. Straw shot out from his abdomen and wrapped around Xu Yan's neck.

Since Xu Yan is blocking our way, let's kill him first.

The man in black had just been corrupted by the power of the straw and was finding it difficult to recover for the time being.

Now that only Xu Yan is left, killing him shouldn't be difficult.

"Watch out, don't let the straw get close!"

The man in black shouted a warning again.

Xu Yan stepped forward with his sword, unleashing a continuous barrage of swordplay, bringing the Xuan Gang Sword Technique to its fullest potential.

Each strike was stronger than the last.

This is precisely what makes the Xuan Gang Blade Technique so terrifying.

Given enough Xuanpin Qi and enough time, he could even unleash a devastating strike.

All the straw that touched the blade was shredded by the blade's energy.

The remaining blade energy detached and slashed towards Chief Wu's chest.

"Excellent swordsmanship! But it's still not enough!"

With a loud shout, Chief Escort Wu quickly gathered the straw, forming a dense barrier in front of him.

"boom!"

The blade energy struck the barrier, creating a resounding boom.

The straws flew everywhere, but they successfully blocked the attack.

"Let's see where you can hide now!"

Chief Escort Wu let out a low growl.

The straw began to grow wildly, closing in from all directions, and was about to completely envelop Xu Yan.

"not good!"

Seeing this, the man in black disregarded the corrosive force within his body and struggled to get up, wanting to lend a hand.

He knew that Xu Yan's swordsmanship was superb, but once trapped by this straw, even the most skilled swordsman would be doomed.

But by the time the man in black rushed forward, it was too late.

Xu Yan was wrapped in straw, and a rumbling sound came from inside.

"hateful!"

The man in black gritted his teeth, convinced that Xu Yan was already dead.

After all, it's impossible to survive such an attack.

Wu, the镖主 (bodyguard), also showed a look of wild joy.

The more flesh and blood the straw absorbs, the greater its benefit to him.

Especially for secret martial artists like Xu Yan, it's like a great tonic.

Just as he was about to slowly absorb Xu Yan's flesh and blood, his expression suddenly changed drastically.

"wrong!"

"He's still alive!"

"boom!"

A loud roar rang out, and a sharp blade of energy sliced ​​through the straw in front of them.

Straw flew everywhere as Xu Yan, carrying a long sword, strode through the debris.

"These straws are indeed strong, but ultimately they're a little lacking."

"It was almost a matter of life and death."

The man in black froze, instinctively looking at Xu Yan's surroundings, and exclaimed in surprise, "A protective technique!"

At this moment, Xu Yan had already circulated his Qi and blood to their maximum.

The Blood Armor Technique glowed with a faint red light, covering the entire body's skin.

"Living like neither human nor ghost is worse than being dead."

Xu Yan raised his sword and unleashed the full power of his accumulated Xuan Gang sword technique.

In an instant, the flashes of blades illuminated the entire night.