“Kill!”
The Tianji Holy Land elder shouted sharply. He punched out. Peerless fist light shot straight toward one of the half-step Martial Saint elders.
Then his figure flashed. He charged at the other half-step Martial Saint at lightning speed.
Everyone else in the team attacked the remaining Blood Sect survivors.
Those people died or lay wounded. They were no match at all.
Boom! The half-step Martial Saint struck by the fist erupted with boundless power to block the Tianji Holy Land elder’s attack. Yet the strength gap was too vast. He was still pierced through the body by that single punch and died instantly.
The rest were swiftly killed by the group.
The Tianji Holy Land Martial Saint elder gravely injured the second half-step Martial Saint, captured him, and threw him down before the crowd.
“Apart from those first blood arrows, none of you used any Blood Sect techniques. Speak. Who exactly are you?”
The Tianji Holy Land elder demanded coldly of the blood-robed half-step Martial Saint.
At these words, everyone started. They had all assumed these were genuine Blood Sect experts.
But thinking carefully, the elder seemed correct. Something about these people did not fit the Blood Sect.
From the moment they appeared, something had felt odd. Each one deliberately wore a fierce, malevolent expression.
Yet they carried no baleful aura, no natural killing intent born from long years of feeding on blood.
Only now, with the elder’s words, did the group realise.
Even Lin Xiao only understood at this moment.
“If I tell you, will you spare me?”
The half-step Martial Saint asked in return.
“Tell me, and I grant a quick death. Refuse, and you will suffer greatly before you die.”
The Tianji Holy Land elder replied with cold indifference.
The half-step Martial Saint shuddered. Despair filled his face. “Fine. I am going to die anyway. No harm in speaking. Give me a swift end. We were sent by the Hong family of northwest You Province.”
Puff!
A surge of force pierced his body.
“The Hong family. They truly received the news too.”
Coldness settled on the Tianji Holy Land elder’s face. He had no doubt about the man’s confession.
Just as Tianji Holy Land had gathered outside forces with mere rewards, those people were going to die anyway. There was no need for them to keep secrets.
“Hmph. Attacking our Tianji Holy Land people. Does the Hong family intend to claim that thing for themselves alone?”
The Tianji Holy Land elder snorted coldly.
Lin Xiao’s heart jolted. Only now did he realise that Tianji Holy Land sending a Martial Saint and making such a grand display was not simply to destroy the Blood Sect.
They likely sought something specific.
At the same time, he felt alarm. In this border region where three provinces met, not only Tianji Holy Land forces had arrived. People from northwest You Province had come too.
Led by the dominant Hong family of You Province.
The Hong family wanted to strike Tianji Holy Land and monopolise whatever “thing” the Martial Saint elder referred to.
“With Sacred Province’s Tianji Holy Land and You Province’s Hong family both arriving in force at this three-province junction, what about the third province? Has Hao Province’s Jiang family come as well?”
Lin Xiao could not help wondering inwardly.
The chance was high. If the thing was truly valuable, every major power would likely dispatch a Martial Saint.
That would mean three Martial Saints gathering here.
Against one Martial Saint, especially a first-level one, he could use petrification to overpower them and find an opening to blast them with Heaven-Swallowing Spirit Gathering Finger.
But against three, and if they joined forces against him, he would truly be no match.
Unless all three grouped together, giving him a chance to blast them at once. Yet that possibility was tiny.
Moreover, if the three appeared at the Blood Sect main stronghold and Huo Ruyan was truly present, he could not blast them all.
Thus, three Martial Saints would spell serious trouble.
“I must not reveal my strength first. Let them slaughter each other.”
Lin Xiao resolved inwardly.
At this moment, the others were also shocked.
Their shock was not over the “thing” the elder mentioned, but the news that You Province’s Hong family had sent forces.
Another overlord power had arrived. Likely with a Martial Saint. The situation would grow even more chaotic.
“Whoever kills an enemy keeps their storage ring. Clean up, then we search for the other team. You Province may strike them too. The more of us die, the better it is for them.”
The Tianji Holy Land elder ordered.
Everyone nodded. During the fight, they had already quietly taken the enemies’ storage rings.
The only ones left unclaimed were those the Tianji Holy Land elder himself had killed.
He flashed forward and collected those storage rings.
“Do you know what that thing is?”
Lin Xiao transmitted to Ge Jiuwei.
“I only know there is a great treasure on the Blood Demon Body. I do not know exactly what.”
Ge Jiuwei replied via divine sense. “It was merely rumour before, unconfirmed. Now it seems true.”
Lin Xiao frowned. Ge Jiuwei had never mentioned this to him.
Ge Jiuwei likely coveted the thing himself and possibly viewed him as a rival.
Whoosh!
At that instant, a streak of yellow light flashed across the high sky toward their direction.
“That is our Tianji Holy Land distress signal. It can travel three thousand li. Trouble over there. Everyone, follow me to reinforce!”
The Tianji Holy Land elder spoke suddenly. He had already set off, flying without hesitation toward the beam’s origin.
His speed was like lightning.
Lin Xiao and the others hurried after him.
Though each harboured their own schemes, they were aligned with Sacred Province. If their teams were wiped out by You Province forces, facing them later would be dangerous.
Moreover, the Blood Sect main stronghold’s location remained in Tianji Holy Land hands.
To reach it, they had to follow Tianji Holy Land, even if used as cannon fodder.
Yet their speed lagged far behind the elder’s.
In moments, he vanished from sight. They could only continue toward the same direction.
“By the time we arrive, he will probably have resolved everything.”
Lin Xiao thought.
Indeed, when they reached the site, all sounds of battle had ceased.
For hundreds of li around, the ground was scarred with craters large and small, resembling ruins.
The earlier Sacred Province team of around forty had only a dozen survivors. Even the Tianji Holy Land genius disciple lay dead.
Likely slain immediately after sending the signal.
Otherwise, with the Tianji Holy Land Martial Saint elder’s speed, rescue would have arrived swiftly.
Besides them, dozens more corpses lay about, all clad in uniform blood-coloured robes. Clearly You Province forces disguised as Blood Sect again.
“How do You Province people know our plans so precisely? Striking both Sacred Province teams simultaneously from the start?”
The Tianji Holy Land Martial Saint elder looked grim as he pondered. “Someone must have leaked information. They know our plans inside out!”
“Could it be…” At this point, something occurred to him. His brows furrowed sharply, and his expression darkened.
