Zhao Wanqing stepped into the heart of the village.
The bloodstains on the ground had long dried, but the pungent stench of blood still lingered in the air.
The charred remains of houses lay scattered in ruins.
As she walked, the traces of the sacrificial ritual's formation could be seen etched into the ground.
It was clear that these demonic cultivators had planned to sacrifice the entire village from the very beginning.
No corpses were visible along the way, except for the one hanging from the large tree at the village entrance.
It was obvious that all the bodies had been moved to the core of the formation.
Zhao Wanqing took a deep breath, suppressing the indescribable emotions in her heart. If there was any useful trace left by those demonic cultivators, it would most likely be at the formation's core.
Her eyes scanned the surroundings for clues, but her steps remained swift as she headed toward the village center.
That location would provide the simplest coverage of the entire village.
Everything unfolded just as Zhao Wanqing had predicted.
At the village center, piles of bones lay scattered across the ground—all that remained of the drained villagers.
But there was something Zhao Wanqing hadn't anticipated: not all the demonic cultivators had left.
Sitting casually atop the pile of bones was a figure clad in a simple black robe, a dark-red greatsword resting beside him, exuding an endless aura of blood.
"The Demon Suppression Bureau's efficiency is getting worse and worse," the black-robed man said in a hoarse voice, his tone filled with disdain. "And only two of you showed up. How do you expect to protect mortals like this?"
"Was this your doing?" Zhao Wanqing asked coldly, her hand already reaching for the short blade at her waist.
"If it wasn't me, then was it you, the little captain of the Demon Suppression Bureau?"
The black-robed man sneered, suddenly gripping the greatsword beside him.
Under the moonlight, a dark-red glint flashed.
In an instant, the black-robed man was at Zhao Wanqing's side, his greatsword radiating a dark-red glow.
Zhao Wanqing reacted swiftly, her short blade already drawn to parry the attack.
Clang!
The deafening sound of metal clashing echoed through the silent night.
Zhao Wanqing felt the overwhelming force of the strike, her injured arms nearly giving out. She summoned all her spiritual energy, barely managing to block the attack.
This black-robed man's cultivation was likely at the late Foundation Establishment stage!
But what troubled Zhao Wanqing even more was the blood energy emanating from the demonic cultivator.
It surged from the greatsword, rapidly climbing along the spiritual energy at the point of contact and attacking Zhao Wanqing.
This forced her to divert her focus, using her spiritual energy to fend off the encroaching blood energy.
If the blood energy managed to reach her body now, it would spell certain death.
However, the black-robed man was a demonic cultivator who had crawled through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. With a sudden motion, he lifted his foot and kicked Zhao Wanqing squarely in the abdomen.
With no room to dodge, Zhao Wanqing could only gather her spiritual energy to brace against the impact.
The kick landed, and Zhao Wanqing felt as though her internal organs had been violently displaced.
Her body could no longer hold its ground, and she was sent flying, crashing into the ground with such force that it left a small crater.
Forcing down the metallic taste in her throat, Zhao Wanqing quickly rolled to her feet and retreated.
At the same time, she gripped her short blade tightly, slashing out several blade auras to prevent the black-robed man from pressing his advantage.
But things did not go as she hoped. The black-robed man surged forward, using his greatsword to deflect the blade auras. Then, with a burst of blood-red spiritual energy, he aimed directly for Zhao Wanqing's head.
As if offering genuine advice, the black-robed man said,
"Don't become an official in your next life!"
Zhao Wanqing gritted her teeth and raised her short blade once more to block.
Seeing this, the black-robed man's heart leapt with joy. He unleashed a surge of blood energy from within, forcibly shifting the center of gravity of his greatsword downward.
This altered the trajectory of the blade, which was originally aimed at Zhao Wanqing's head, causing it to slash toward her waist instead.
Since mastering the control of blood energy, the black-robed man had used this move to end the lives of many Foundation Establishment cultivators!
Zhao Wanqing watched as the blade transformed into a streak of crimson light...
Clang!
Suddenly, a rusty iron sword intercepted the crimson light. At the same time, Zhao Wanqing felt the collar of her robe being yanked, pulling her out of the greatsword's attack range.
The iron sword shattered into pieces under the crimson light.
Li Xingtian looked at the broken sword... His senior sister really knew how to put him in a tough spot.
Zhao Wanqing glanced back and saw Li Xingtian standing there with a calm expression.
Out of concern for his employer, Li Xingtian asked, "Are you alright?"
"Thank... Watch out!"
Zhao Wanqing had been about to express her gratitude when she noticed the black-robed man charging again with his greatsword and quickly warned him.
Li Xingtian slightly raised his eyes, and the broken sword in his right hand suddenly emitted an indescribably profound aura.
Facing the blood-soaked, murderous greatsword, Li Xingtian showed no fear. He responded with what was left of his shattered sword, now little more than a hilt.
To Zhao Wanqing, it seemed as though Li Xingtian had simply extended the broken sword with a light, almost careless motion.
She widened her eyes, shocked by what appeared to be a suicidal move.
But what happened next left Zhao Wanqing stunned. It was the black-robed man who dodged the exchange.
The black-robed man abruptly lifted his greatsword and retreated dozens of meters in a frenzy, his voice fluctuating between fear and anger:
"...Kid... Are you from the Central Continent?"
That aura just now was unmistakably a divine ability!
Apart from the Central Continent, where else could someone afford to let their disciples cultivate divine abilities at the Foundation Establishment stage? The black-robed man couldn't believe there was another place with such resources!
That was a divine ability!
If it weren't for his demonic cultivation and the instincts he had honed, he would have suffered greatly from that seemingly ordinary sword strike.
Li Xingtian didn't answer. Instead, he condensed his spiritual energy, took a step forward with the broken sword, and slashed from dozens of meters away.
A dark-red light flashed as the broken sword moved.
Boom!
The dark-red light surged forward, obliterating everything in its path with overwhelming force.
Zhao Wanqing stared in shock as the thread-like dark-red light effortlessly destroyed everything in its wake...
This... This was definitely not a technique of the Foundation Establishment stage!
Dust and debris filled the air, but with a light wave of his sword, Li Xingtian dispersed it with sheer pressure.
The black-robed man was nowhere to be seen.
"He fled," Li Xingtian said, not bothering to give chase. He turned to Zhao Wanqing, who was slumped on the ground. "How are you holding up?"
"I'm fi..."
Zhao Wanqing was about to respond when the consequences of suppressing her internal injuries caught up with her. She spat out a mouthful of blood in a rather dramatic fashion...
Li Xingtian: "..."
"Let's retreat for now. There might be other demonic cultivators around, and I might not be able to protect you in your current state."
Zhao Wanqing knew her condition was far from ideal and agreed to Li Xingtian's suggestion.
"Let's head back to the Demon Suppression Bureau..." Zhao Wanqing began, only to vomit another mouthful of blood.
"...I'll help you up. Please try not to speak," Li Xingtian said seriously.
Zhao Wanqing took a deep breath and nodded slightly.
This was utterly embarrassing!
The sword strike Li Xingtian had used earlier was merely a warning, but its power came at a cost.
That single strike had drained half of Li Xingtian's spiritual energy.
To guard against potential ambushes by other demonic cultivators, Li Xingtian had no choice but to retreat with Zhao Wanqing at a slower pace, conserving his spiritual energy for any emergencies.
Perhaps they had truly been intimidated by Li Xingtian's display of power.
The journey back was uneventful, with no ambushes encountered.
As they approached Yuzhou City, Li Xingtian ignored Zhao Wanqing's suggestion to return to the Demon Suppression Bureau and instead took her to a courtyard house.
Facing the closed gate, Li Xingtian grabbed Zhao Wanqing by the collar and leaped over the wall.
Before Li Xingtian could report to his master, Chu Xingchen pushed open the door, his gaze immediately locking onto Zhao Wanqing, pale and covered in blood.
"What happened here?"
"Senior..." Zhao Wanqing began, only to vomit another mouthful of blood.
Chu Xingchen: "..."
Well, that explained it.
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
orn and Humiliation】【Forced Love】 In his past life, Lin Ran was betrayed and murdered by his girlfriend and family, while the yandere female aristocrat, who had treated him as a mere plaything, avenged him by doing in his enemies. Upon seeing the yandere female aristocrat lying in the same coffin, ready to die with him, Lin Ran realized how profoundly mistaken he had been. Reborn, he abandoned the fickle campus beauty and wholeheartedly embraced the yandere female aristocrat's arms. "Ran! If I dig out your eyes and turn them into a specimen, you'll only be able to look at me!" Lin Ran: "Darling, kiss me!" "Ran! If I break your legs, you won't run away anymore, right?" Lin Ran: "Love, hold me tight!" "Ran! If..." Lin Ran: "Hush now! Love me more!" Luo Yao: ... Seeing his scumbag dad: "Take him out!" Seeing his stepmother: "Get rid of her!" Seeing his brother: "Eliminate him!" Seeing his white moonlight: "Send that to Southeast Asia!"
villain is the number one simp for the book's leading female protagonist, Shen Wan'er. As expected, he later becomes a tool for the main character to show off and slap faces, ultimately meeting a tragic end with his family ruined and his life in shambles. Fortunately, he awakens the [Universal Pure Love System], which allows him to earn points by performing acts of pure love. To change his fate, Gu Yan makes a decisive choice to seek warmth and companionship with the book's biggest villain—Cold Qingqiu. ........... My name is Leng Qingqiu. To find the murderer who killed my parents years ago, I deliberately blinded myself so that everyone would lower their guard around me. Just as I was secretly accumulating power and capital according to my initial plan, a man walked into my world. "Lengleng, Qingqing, Qiuqiu, which nickname do you prefer?" I don't like any of them. You'd better leave quickly! "Why aren't you saying anything? How about I call you my baby wife?" Leng Qingqiu thinks to herself, this man is truly annoying! (Stubborn pure love warrior + single female lead + true pure love + 1v1)
th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"
