Yaoqin’s expression was grave, surrounded by a frenzied, blood-tainted aura that coiled relentlessly around her.
This bloody energy seemed to carry an added effect—tugging at one’s emotions.
At the very least, she now felt an overwhelming urge to slash the head off the Red-robed Woman before her.
She tried to raise a spiritual shield, but the blood-tainted energy eroded her defenses at alarming speed.
Her opponent was at the Nascent Soul realm. Even if Yaoqin and Chu Xingchen pooled their spiritual power together, it would hardly match the Red-robed Woman’s.
Add to that the need to resist the suffocating blood energy around them—
They had to end this quickly!
Yaoqin lightly tossed her longsword into the air, hands swiftly forming a seal.
A glimmer of spiritual light flickered across the blade, and in the next instant, the sword seemed to pierce through space itself, flashing directly before the Red-robed Woman.
The Red-robed Woman smirked, the surrounding blood energy abruptly condensing into thick, viscous tendrils that latched onto the flying sword, rapidly corroding its razor-sharp sword intent.
With a contemptuous smile, she said, “Perfect. My child could use a high-quality blood meal… You two will make fine supplements.”
“Chu Xingchen! Fall back! I’ll cover you!” Yaoqin gritted her teeth. “This blood energy is her domain—she controls everything here! Don’t drag this out. I’ll hold her off!”
“Oh?” The Red-robed Woman’s eyes lit up with delight. “My child loves devouring those with loyalty and righteousness. You’d suit his tastes perfectly!”
Yaoqin let out a cold shout, her spiritual energy erupting violently. The blood-entangled sword suddenly blazed with radiant light.
The blade tore free from the clinging blood energy as Yaoqin lunged forward, snatching it mid-air. Without hesitation, she slashed toward the Red-robed Woman, the sword’s glow intensifying as a terrifying pressure surged forth.
The Red-robed Woman’s expression darkened instantly. This girl’s stance—she was going for a life-or-death strike! The woman hastily manipulated the hovering bell beside her, sending it hurtling toward Yaoqin.
Yaoqin’s eyes were ice-cold. Unfazed by the bell’s malevolent aura, she swung her sword decisively.
BOOM!
A colossal wave of spiritual energy exploded outward.
Behind the Red-robed Woman, a blood lotus flared to life, absorbing the violent surge—but not without cost. One of its petals withered instantly.
Though the Red-robed Woman was locked in combat with Yaoqin, most of her attention remained fixed on Chu Xingchen.
Yaoqin’s techniques were refined and her foundation solid, but she was only at the Golden Core mid-stage.
Chu Xingchen, however, was an enigma—his aura seamless, flawless, his spiritual energy so dense it nearly rivaled Nascent Soul levels!
His techniques weren’t as polished as Yaoqin’s, but between the two, the Red-robed Woman sensed far greater danger from him.
Yet, to her bewilderment, Chu Xingchen hadn’t moved an inch. He stood rooted, as if lost in thought.
What was this?
His spiritual fluctuations were faint—nothing like someone preparing a major strike.
But opportunities were fleeting. Without hesitation, the Red-robed Woman darted from the ritual’s center, closing in on Yaoqin.
She seized the bell mid-clash with Yaoqin and gave it a sharp shake.
Ding-ling.
A sinister chime, laced with blood energy, blasted Yaoqin backward.
CRASH!
The impact sent her slamming into the mountain wall, the force carving out a massive crater.
Gritting her teeth, Yaoqin forced herself up—only to see Chu Xingchen still standing motionless.
The Red-robed Woman pressed forward, the bell in her hand pulsing with a dark crimson glow.
“Chu Xingchen!” Yaoqin roared, snatching a talisman from her waist and hurling it toward him.
Clutching her sword, she forced herself upright, draining every last drop of spiritual energy from her battered body.
“RUN!” she bellowed.
Her sword’s pressure skyrocketed once more. A trickle of blood escaped Yaoqin’s lips, but her gaze was steel. With a final, desperate slash, she unleashed everything.
Unlike their earlier clash, this time the blood energy recoiled as if tamed. The blade descended—and it was the Red-robed Woman who staggered back.
Yaoqin stared in shock, only to see the same disbelief mirrored in the Red-robed Woman’s eyes.
Both turned toward Chu Xingchen.
The talisman—a Thousand-Mile Teleportation Talisman—hung suspended mid-air, ensnared by blood energy, never reaching him.
Chu Xingchen glanced at it, then cracked his neck.
“Run? Now it’s our turn.” He lifted a hand, and the blood energy in the cavern surged toward him in a frenzied tide.
“I was just syncing up with the blood energy’s frequency.”
The Red-robed Woman frantically shook her bell, but the blood energy no longer obeyed. Instead, it writhed against her, even corroding her own flesh.
Another chime, another pulse of fresh blood energy—yet the moment it spilled forth, control slipped through her fingers.
“Who are you?!” she shrieked, eyes wide with horror. “How do you know our Sacred Sect’s blood arts?!”
Chu Xingchen answered with only a faint smile. His fingers curled slightly, and the blood energy turned rabid, lunging at the Red-robed Woman like a pack of starving wolves.
Beside him, Yaoqin could only gape as the thick, swirling energy coiled around Chu Xingchen, painting him like some demonic cultivator.
Worse—it listened to him.
For a heartbeat, she couldn’t tell who the real villain was anymore.
But the ones truly stunned weren’t just Yaoqin and the Red-robed Woman.
The Wind Sword Sect members, who had cautiously re-entered the cavern after hearing the earlier commotion, froze at the scene before them.
The Holy Mother—the Red-robed Woman—was being ravaged by her own blood energy, the lotus behind her dimming rapidly.
And the one commanding it?
The same “Zhongzhou’s Profane Blood Sect disciple” who had handed them the blood spirit stones.
The only one who didn’t look like a demonic cultivator was the striking young woman standing off to the side.
Yet here they were, two supposed “evil fiends,” locked in mortal combat.
The Red-robed Woman’s gaze snapped toward the Wind Sword Sect Leader.
“What are you waiting for?! Kill them!”
The Sect Leader’s hand flew to his sword—
Only for Chu Xingchen to glare at him and roar:
“Kill my ass! You blind fools! Can’t you see this ‘Holy Mother’ is a fraud?! Get over here and cut this impostor down!”
The Wind Sword Sect Leader froze.
The Red-robed Woman, barely fending off the blood energy with her bell, screamed:
“You idiots! I’ve been with you since the start of the plan!”
The Sect Leader and his elders hesitated, swords half-drawn—
Then Chu Xingchen’s voice dripped like poison:
“Words lie. But the blood energy? That doesn’t. Who’s controlling it now? Or are you saying some random ‘evil cultivator’ outmatches your Holy Mother?”
The Wind Sword Sect Leader’s feet glued themselves to the ground.
Well…
Damn.
That did make sense.
nto another world, I bought a slave for the first time, never expecting the silver wolf girl to be so cute... Lin Feng: I know it's cold, but you don't have to sneak into my bed! Yuna: Just sharing body warmth, if you dare do anything naughty, I'll definitely...
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
at random stations. Passengers can choose to disembark and explore, or stay on board and wait for departure. This world holds endless treasures, but also unknown dangers. The goal is to explore stations, gather resources, upgrade the train, and survive. Unlike others who received food in their newcomer gift packages, Qi Xiao got a module card that activated a special ability—Station Forecast. Every time the train starts moving, it updates detailed information about the next station, warning of dangers and revealing potential treasures. While others must cautiously explore, Qi Xiao can rapidly develop his strength by relying on the station forecasts. [Next Station: Sunshine Gym, a large fitness center with no dangers.] [Next Station: Cai Family Village, contains zombie chickens, danger level: 2. One level-1 treasure chest located in the village chief's house at the center.] [Next Station: Three Mountains Station, contains one large supermarket, no dangers.]
iving with nine beautiful women. [Ding! Welcome back to the Joyous Sect, Host…] Lin Yu: ??? I’m clearly in a shared rental, but you’re saying I’m in the Joyous Sect? Watering plants is now [Tending to Spiritual Flora]? Cooking becomes [Researching Elixirs]? Making the bed turns into [Setting Up Formations]? A gentle and innocent auntie, twin classmates, a mysterious hacker girl on leave, a severely socially anxious artist, an elementary school Chinese teacher, a community hospital nurse, a pet shop owner, an antique clock restorer… This system… is kinda interesting.
