"There are two lizards inside of you," he murmured, his voice dry and hollow. The chilling tone sent a shiver down Chen Fan's spine. The Blood King's attention then drifted to Chen Fan's right arm, which was covered in black scales. His lips curled in disdain. "That arm… So, he still dares to wield that power, despite all his words. How ridiculous."
Hearing those words, a realization struck Chen Fan. He had always felt a faint connection between the power of the Black Dragon and blood, and now it made sense—they were linked in some way. However, this was not the time to dwell on such thoughts. His mind raced, desperately searching for a way to escape. He could use the token, but the distance was too close—he doubted he would have enough time. Besides, Bai Mulan was still somewhere in this building. If she were to be ambushed by the Blood King…
The mere thought of it made his decision clear. He dismissed the plan immediately.
"What a useless piece of trash."
The Blood King's words rang in Chen Fan's ears, but before he could grasp their full meaning, the doors burst open with a deafening crash. At the same moment, a surge of blood-red ropes coiled around his limbs, tightening with an unnatural force. Chen Fan gritted his teeth as he felt his energy being drained—his qi was being absorbed into the very blood that bound him.
A spear shot through the air, aimed directly at the Blood King, but before it could reach him, tendrils of blood intercepted it, coiling around the weapon and stopping it just before his eyes. However, the figure who had entered the room wasted no time. She kicked off the ground, closed the distance in an instant, and delivered a powerful punch to the base of the spear, sending it hurtling forward with renewed force.
Chen Fan could feel the blood's absorption growing stronger. Without hesitation, he unleashed Annihilation Qi around his body. The moment it surged forth, the blood restraints dissolved, setting him free.
"What?!" The Blood King's eyes narrowed in disbelief. He had not expected Chen Fan to break free so quickly. His plan had been to slowly extract the dragon's power from him, but now—
That brief moment of shock was all it took. The spear, now surging with momentum, shot toward him. Realizing the danger too late, the Blood King vanished in an instant, his form disappearing before Chen Fan's eyes, and the strike hit nothing but air.
Freed from his restraints, Chen Fan finally got a good look at the figure who had intervened.
She stood tall, her fiery red hair glowing in the dim light, a striking contrast to the blood that covered her body. And yet, despite the crimson stains, there was not a single wound on her. None of it was her own blood.
Her sharp gaze swept across the room before locking onto Chen Fan. Her cold eyes flickered with a trace of worry.
"Where is Mulan?" she asked, her voice steady yet edged with urgency.
—
The moment Chi Ling had uncovered the location of the hideout, she had wasted no time. Without hesitation, she stormed the Devil Sect's base, cutting down countless elders in her path. But before she could go further, a man appeared before her, claiming to be the sect's leader.
From the very first exchange, she could tell—this man was nothing like the others. His strength was in an entirely different realm. Surrounded by enemies, Chi Ling quickly found herself at a disadvantage. It was only when reinforcements from the righteous sects arrived that the battle reached a stalemate.
And yet, despite the intense fight, the so-called Devil Sect leader never unleashed his full power. He remained at the entrance, guarding it while supporting the sect members from the shadows. The most unnerving part was their enemies' resilience.
Even after severing their heads, the Devil Sect elders refused to die. They would regenerate, their bodies knitting themselves back together as if death were a mere inconvenience. It was only when their entire bodies were utterly obliterated that they ceased to exist.
The battle raged on for two days.
Then, at one point, Chi Ling caught sight of the Devil Sect leader retreating into a suspicious-looking cave. The moment he disappeared inside, the Devil Sect's attacks weakened noticeably. Sensing an opportunity, Chi Ling immediately followed his trail.
Now, standing in the blood-soaked chamber, her gaze swept over the battlefield. Chen Fan was covered in wounds, surrounded by the corpses of the Devil Sect members. Yet, no matter where she looked, she saw no sign of Bai Mulan.
A knot tightened in her chest.
Where was she?
"She should be safe," Chen Fan reassured Chi Ling.
At that moment, the enemy forces tensed, their gazes sharpening as they prepared to strike at any given moment. Then, without warning, ice spears rained down from behind them. Some, caught off guard, were instantly encased in ice, their breath leaving them in an instant.
Chen Fan's gaze darted toward the source of the attack, and there, slightly panting, stood a familiar figure with white hair.
Relief flickered across their faces, but before they could savor the reunion, a streak of blood-red qi shot toward Bai Mulan. Her instincts kicked in, and she hastily erected an ice wall in defense. Yet, the blood qi pierced through it with ease, rendering her barrier meaningless.
Before Chen Fan could react, Chi Ling had already moved. In a blur, she appeared before Bai Mulan, deflecting the attack. However, a portion of the blood qi managed to slip past, grazing her body.
There was no time to rest.
A second wave of blood qi hurtled toward Chen Fan, moving even faster than Nie Mingjue's attack. Reacting instantly, he enveloped himself in Annihilation Qi, and the moment the blood qi made contact, it disintegrated into nothingness.
The Blood King's eyes narrowed with intrigue.
"What is that power…?" he muttered, scrutinizing Chen Fan with growing curiosity. He had already gathered some information about it from Nie Mingjue, but seeing it firsthand only deepened his fascination.
Even though his cultivation was currently suppressed, that did not extend to his techniques. His vast experience made it easy to overpower someone like Chen Fan. And yet, this strange power compensated for that gap.
Even in the upper realms, he had never encountered an ability capable of utterly annihilating anything, regardless of the power difference.
His desire to consume Chen Fan only intensified.
Swoosh!
Chi Ling's spear thrust forward, tearing through multiple Devil Sect members in its path before reaching the Blood King. He barely managed to dodge, but not completely—the tip of the spear grazed his shoulder.
He had to admit, this woman was strong. Even in his current state, she was an even match.
Without hesitation, the two engaged in a fierce battle, their relentless attacks cutting down the Devil Sect members around them.
Meanwhile, Chen Fan's eyes flickered with determination.
"Mulan, protect me!"
Seeing that the Blood King had no leisure to focus on him, Chen Fan dashed toward the Pool of Blood. Right now, Chi Ling was holding the Blood King in check, but if he managed to absorb the blood within the pool, they would be facing an entirely different level of danger.
Bai Mulan's expression darkened as she watched Chen Fan, battered and bloodied, rushing toward the pool while surrounded by Devil Sect members. Her brows furrowed in concern, but she didn't hesitate. She immediately cut down the enemies in her path, guarding his advance.
Yet, as she watched him, a flicker of confusion crossed her face.
"He's trying to absorb the blood?"
Hong Xuan's voice rang in her mind, and her pupils trembled.
Just moments ago, Hong Xuan had shared critical information about the Blood King and his connection to the Pool of Blood.
She wanted to stop Chen Fan—the risk was far too great.
"Don't worry," Hong Xuan reassured her. "It's only a portion of the Blood King's soul. With Ao Xuan's power, he should be able to suppress him. Right now, this is the best way to turn the tide in our favor."
Bai Mulan hesitated, but in the end, she chose to trust Chen Fan.
Shaking her head, she steeled herself and charged forward, cutting down every Devil Sect member that dared to approach. But exhaustion was creeping up on her—her breathing grew heavy, her body slowing.
She was reaching her limit.
Even so, she refused to stop.
Chen Fan came to a halt before the Pool of Blood. Taking a steady breath, he stretched out his hand without hesitation.
Devour.
A black spiral erupted from his palm, engulfing the entire pool in an instant.
"STOP! DON'T YOU DARE!"
The Blood King's furious roar shook the air as he realized what was happening.
Panic surged within him—this blood was the last remaining fragment of his soul. Once it was gone, his essence would become incomplete. Worse still, even if people died in this realm, there would be no more blood to sustain him. No more replenishment.
Desperation took hold. He launched himself toward Chen Fan, intent on stopping him
But Chi Ling was already there, blocking his path.
"MOVE!"
He snarled, his rage burning hotter than ever.
Meanwhile, Ao Xue's eyes widened in sheer disbelief as she watched Chen Fan's cultivation surge.
Foundation Building—9th stage.Foundation Building—12th stage.
"What the…" Ao Xue muttered, bewildered.
Normally, a cultivator transitioning from the Qi Gathering realm to Foundation Building needed to merge their spiritual pools into one. Once they reached Foundation Building, their focus would be on stabilizing that merged pool.
To put it in perspective, a Foundation Building cultivator's spiritual core would start off rough, uneven like an unfinished stone. By the 9th stage, it would be smooth and refined, resembling a perfect sphere. Upon reaching the Golden Core realm, it would undergo another transformation, condensing into an even more solid state.
Yet Chen Fan's spiritual core was defying all logic.
Instead of stabilizing at the 9th stage, its density continued to increase.
Foundation Building—15th stage.17th stage.19th stage.
Ao Xue had never seen anything like it.
Within Chen Fan's inner world, the Blood King's soul materialized, much stronger than Hei Yun's but still weaker than the current Ao Xue.
Before it could fully form, Ao Xue acted. Summoning a chain, he swiftly bound the soul in place.
"I WILL KILL YOU! I WILL KILL YOU!"
The Blood King's screams echoed, his bloodshot eyes filled with unrelenting hatred. His plan—so meticulously laid out—had crumbled at the very last moment.
—
Chen Fan's eyes snapped open, and at once, he could feel the surge of power coursing through him.
Compared to this, Nie Mingjue would be nothing more than an insect.
His gaze locked onto the Blood King. The composure he once held was gone—only fury remained.
A smirk curled on his lips.
"Heh. Thanks for the meal."
With a mocking laugh, he goaded the enraged Blood King further.