“You disobeyed military orders, disregarding the lives of countless great saint warriors of the Blood Emperor Demon Camp. As the camp leader, I must severely punish you.”
Blood light radiated from Qi Linzi’s body. The blood cloud beneath his feet extended tendrils, surging towards the sub-divine warship where Xia Yu, Zhang Ruochen, and Chi Kongle stood.
Beside Qi Linzi, the other two deputy camp leaders, Huo Xi and Xun Qingyun, both revealed a faint smile.
If they could bring down Xia Yu today, the Blood Emperor Demon Camp would be left with only nine deputy camp leaders. Their own authority would naturally increase.
As the second strongest in the Blood Emperor Demon Camp, only behind Qi Linzi, Xia Yu overshadowed all other deputy camp leaders. Undoubtedly, after Qi Linzi broke through to the divine realm, she would be the one to take over as camp leader.
As long as she remained, other deputy camp leaders had no chance of becoming camp leader.
When a near-Yuanhui-level powerhouse acted, it was naturally extraordinary.
Thirty-six blood qi tendrils condensed into massive humanoid handprints. In mid-air, they formed thirty-six advanced saint techniques, displaying thirty-six different seal methods.
This was Qi Linzi’s divine ability, the Thirty-Six Blood Brahma Seal Techniques.
Using a divine ability right from the start showed how seriously Qi Linzi regarded Xia Yu as an opponent.
Xia Yu’s expression was grave. She summoned the Seven-Star Ghost Lotus, invoking supreme power and striking out to meet the thirty-six seal techniques descending from the sky.
Zhang Ruochen’s palm pressed against her back, sending a powerful and pure blood fiend qi surging into her.
“Boom!”
A deafening ghostly wail erupted from the Seven-Star Ghost Lotus. The supreme power surged, shattering all thirty-six seal techniques and blood qi tendrils.
The space trembled violently.
Qi Linzi’s body shook as if struck by a heavy blow. He flew back hundreds of metres, his blood qi churning, a trace of astonishment in his eyes.
He knew Xia Yu’s cultivation better than anyone.
How could she shatter the Thirty-Six Blood Brahma Seal Techniques and still push him back?
“Camp Leader!”
“Xia Yu, how dare you openly oppose the camp leader.”
Huo Xi and Xun Qingyun each summoned a king-grade sacred weapon. One was a black stone disc, the other a dazzling silver sword. Both weapons were already interwoven with supreme inscriptions.
“Stop!”
Qi Linzi halted them and flew back, his blood-red eyes fixed on Zhang Ruochen standing beside Xia Yu. To his shock, he could not clearly see the man’s appearance.
His face and figure were blurry.
It must be known that after Blood Demon became a god, Qi Linzi was considered the strongest below the divine realm in the Undying Blood Clan. As for Blood Slaughter, he was now a disciple of the Death God, holding an exalted status, practically a cultivator of the Destiny Temple.
With Qi Linzi’s cultivation and sixty-ninth-level mental power, encountering such a strange occurrence was unthinkable.
Qi Linzi cautiously said, “Is Your Excellency’s mental power at the peak of the sixty-ninth level?”
“A little higher,” Zhang Ruochen replied.
Including Huo Xi and Xun Qingyun, all the great saint warriors of the Blood Emperor Demon Camp present gasped, their gazes locking onto Zhang Ruochen.
A little higher than the peak of the sixty-ninth level?
Qi Linzi said, “May I know how to address Your Excellency?”
“You don’t need to know who I am.”
Zhang Ruochen exuded an aura like a dragon in the clouds, carrying an air of commanding authority with every gesture. He calmly said, “Leaving your post without permission was indeed Emperor Yu’s mistake. Punish her as you see fit. But, could you give me some face today and let it pass for now?”
“What are you, to demand face from the camp leader?” Xun Qingyun snapped coldly.
Huo Xi, with her delicate beauty, a goddess-level figure in the Undying Blood Clan often compared to Xia Yu, laughed, “Your Excellency takes himself too seriously. A mental power of sixty-nine and a half levels might be impressive elsewhere, but before the Blood Emperor Demon Camp, it carries little weight.”
Though Huo Xi and Xun Qingyun’s cultivation was far inferior to Xia Yu’s, they were deputy camp leaders of the Blood Emperor Demon Camp, commanding the most powerful secular army of the Undying Blood Clan.
Not to mention a great saint with sixty-nine and a half levels of mental power, they had led armies to slay even pseudo-gods.
More and more great saint warriors of the Blood Emperor Demon Camp gathered behind Huo Xi and Xun Qingyun.
These warriors were all extraordinary, with formidable combat strength. Some were divine sons, others disciples of gods, some possessed supreme bloodlines, handpicked from the entire Undying Blood Clan.
Their armour and weapons were uniformly crafted. When activated, they released identical inscriptions, interweaving to form a battle array.
With just one word from Qi Linzi, Huo Xi and Xun Qingyun would lead the army to suppress Xia Yu.
Qi Linzi locked eyes with Zhang Ruochen for a long time before saying, “Fine. Today, I will give you this face. But, how to deal with Xia Yu is the Blood Emperor Demon Camp’s business, and no one may interfere.”
Huo Xi and Xun Qingyun froze simultaneously.
The ever-domineering camp leader, who dared to clash with pseudo-gods, was compromising with a mental power great saint today?
Huo Xi sent a mental message to Qi Linzi, “Today is the best chance to eliminate Xia Yu. If she dares disobey military orders again and refuses to comply, we can use this as a reason to kill her, avenging Emperor Blade Prison and giving an explanation to that god of the Qitian Tribe.”
Emperor Blade Prison was the figure supported by the Qitian Tribe to succeed Qi Linzi in commanding the Blood Emperor Demon Camp.
Xia Yu’s killing of Emperor Blade Prison had enraged many major figures in the Qitian Tribe, including his divine father. Were it not for Blood Empress’s protection, Xia Yu would have already been executed.
Qi Linzi ignored Huo Xi and said, “Let them pass.”
Xia Yu piloted the sub-divine warship forward.
Zhang Ruochen stood on the warship, smiling and clasping his hands in a gesture of respect towards Qi Linzi.
Only after they had gone far did Huo Xi, extremely unwilling, say, “Xia Yu will surely return to the Asura Star Pillar Realm immediately, back to the camp, and deny ever coming to the Boundless Divine Sea. Camp Leader, we missed the best chance to eliminate her.”
“She can’t be eliminated.”
Qi Linzi wore a profound expression and added, “Blood Empress has come to the Boundless Divine Sea.”
“Xia Yu has committed a grave mistake. Even Blood Empress can’t protect her. Blood Empress has no authority over the Blood Emperor Demon Camp. Only the Undying Temple does,” Huo Xi said coldly, her snow-white teeth clenched.
Xun Qingyun, after deep thought, said, “Does the camp leader think that man is Zhang Ruochen?”
Huo Xi reacted, then froze, saying, “Impossible. The news of Zhang Ruochen being alive is just a rumour. The Destiny Temple couldn’t be wrong. But, Blood Empress coming to the Boundless Divine Sea is indeed suspicious.”
Qi Linzi said, “The Hell Realm couldn’t produce a great saint with sixty-nine and a half levels of mental power out of nowhere. There are too many suspicious points. Perhaps, we need to test the waters to uncover the truth.”
“How do we test?” Huo Xi asked.
“We won’t act ourselves, of course. We only need to…”
Qi Linzi stopped speaking aloud and conveyed the strategy to Huo Xi and Xun Qingyun through mental transmission.
“We’ll handle it immediately.”
Huo Xi and Xun Qingyun turned into two beams of blood light and soared away.
Eight of the ten realm battles had already taken place. Today was the ninth.
The Hell Realm’s representative was Blood Slaughter.
The Heavenly Court’s representative was Zhenyuan.
Nan Sheng, one of the Hell Realm’s ten Yuanhui-level representatives and the strongest of the Death Clan, had fought Qing Sixue from the Heavenly Court days ago. Though he won, he sustained serious injuries.
Thus, today he remained in the Floating Holy Hall on Ji Wen Island to recover, not attending the battle.
Huo Xi landed outside the Holy Hall. Immediately, Death Clan cultivators greeted her, bowing and stealing glances at her voluptuous figure, their eyes filled with unconcealed desire.
“Desire should be expressed, not hidden in the heart,” Nan Sheng always taught them.
“This camp leader wishes to see Nan Sheng,” Huo Xi said.
“Let her in.”
The Holy Hall’s gates opened, and Nan Sheng’s voice echoed from within.
Nan Sheng, dressed in a green robe, exuded an air of elegance. Long white whiskers framed his cheeks, giving him a distinguished appearance.
Huo Xi entered and saw a stunningly beautiful woman, Yuan Shu True Emperor, one of the Death Clan’s few powerhouses. Her crown was missing, her long hair dishevelled, her robe slightly disordered.
Yuan Shu True Emperor sat by the couch, her gaze fixed on a corner of the hall.
Huo Xi instantly realised she had come at an inopportune time. She kept it brief, saying, “This camp leader came to inform Lord Nan Sheng of something important. Zhang Ruochen may truly have returned.”
Nan Sheng remained unfazed, saying, “Does Camp Leader Huo also believe the Heavenly Court’s rumours?”
“Not rumours. I just saw him with my own eyes,” Huo Xi said.
Nan Sheng’s gaze sharpened, “Is this true? Zhang Ruochen is alive and has come to the Ruins?”
Huo Xi said, “I can’t confirm it’s him, but a mysterious man did arrive at the Ruins with Xia Yu and Chi Kongle, his cultivation unfathomably deep. That’s all I have to say. I won’t disturb Lord Nan Sheng’s pleasure.”
After Huo Xi left, the Holy Hall’s gates closed again.
Nan Sheng returned to the couch, glanced at Yuan Shu True Emperor, and lost interest. He waved his hand, saying, “Leave for now. I need to think alone.”
As a Yuanhui-level representative and heir of the Southern Life-Death Ruins, Nan Sheng held unmatched status in the Death Clan, surpassing even Yuan Qianmo from a thousand years ago.
Even a prodigy and top powerhouse like Yuan Shu True Emperor came and went at his call.
With the Hell and Heavenly Court on the brink of war, the Death Clan’s secular affairs were all under Nan Sheng’s control. Those seeking benefits or closeness to him naturally had to pay a price.
Yuan Shu True Emperor, now dressed neatly, exuded dignity, authority, and grace, saying, “If Zhang Ruochen has truly returned alive, he will be a formidable foe.”
“Even if he’s alive, he’s only at the Ten Thousand Deaths Life Realm. He’s no threat.”
As Yuan Shu True Emperor neared the hall’s exit, Nan Sheng added, “If you want to offer yourself to me, wear something sexier next time. Show some femininity.”
…
The past two days’ slow updates have reasons: one, I’ve been caught up in gossip; two, family matters; three, I went cycling again.
Moving forward, we’ll aim for two chapters daily.
This month, I won’t ask for votes. If I did, I wouldn’t be Flying Fish. Flying Kun, Flying Dog, anything else would do.
