He took a large stride forward, the Qingchi Sword tracing a cyan arc in mid-air. The air let out a sharp, frictional hiss as he struck directly, blade-to-blade, against the brilliant sword qi.
"Boom!"
A thunderous roar erupted at the point of impact. The brilliant sword qi shattered, transforming into a dense rain of tiny sword fragments that splattered in every direction.
"Shhh, shhh, shhh, shhh!!!"
The rain of sword fragments pelted the ground, sending stone chips flying and pockmarking the floor with holes the size of thumbs. Seeing that his full-power strike had failed to faze Xu Chen, Xiao Teng’s pupils contracted slightly, and murderous intent surged in his eyes. "You have some skill. Let’s see you try to handle my second strike!"
As spiritual power surged, Xiao Teng unleashed his second strike with full force.
"Don't just talk about the second strike," Xu Chen countered, parrying with his own sword. "Even if it’s the third, fourth, or fifth... I’ll take them all the same."
While dealing with Xiao Teng, Xu Chen had to reserve a portion of his focus to guard against Yang Guang, who was lurking nearby like a tiger eyeing its prey. Xiao Teng and Yang Guang possessed their own pride and disdained to join forces against him. Yet, there was no guarantee that Yang Guang wouldn't cast aside his honor and strike at any moment; after all, the Spirit Artifact was at stake. Distraction was a liability, and caution was his best defense.
"Clang, clang, clang, clang!!!"
Just as Xu Chen had promised, he withstood Xiao Teng's second strike, then the third... Xiao Teng’s attacks grew faster and sharper with every passing moment, yet Xu Chen parried them all.
Unable to take down Xu Chen after such a long struggle, Xiao Teng felt his old face burning with shame. Meanwhile, the other battlefields were gradually concluding; some had already seized their Spirit Artifacts and were now leveraging that power to hunt for a second one. If Du Shaoqiu, Tang Xiaotian, or Zhao Yi finished their respective opponents and arrived with their Spirit Artifacts in hand, the spirit sword and spirit armor on Xu Chen would surely slip through his fingers.
"I can't wait any longer. Let us join forces and kill him together!" Xiao Teng called out to Yang Guang.
"Fine," Yang Guang replied, his response terse. He immediately joined the fray.
With the two experts teaming up, Xu Chen’s situation became precarious. However, thanks to the astounding defensive power of the Xuanlei Spirit Armor, he was in no immediate danger of losing his life.
"Bang, bang, bang, bang!!!"
The three engaged in close-quarters combat, their immense spiritual power unleashed recklessly. As the stalemate dragged on, Xu Chen began to sustain injuries—two sword gashes on his arm and three on his calf. While the armor protected his chest from visible wounds, the repeated impacts were taking a toll on his internal organs. Xiao Teng and Yang Guang were faring no better; between old wounds and new, they looked no more pristine than Xu Chen.
Xu Chen had initially intended to slip away, but he noticed that Xiao Teng and Yang Guang’s attacks were gradually losing steam. Despite being at the Eighth Layer of the Qi Condensation Realm with deep reserves, the constant fighting had left them with little spiritual power left. Once that power was spent, they would no longer pose a threat. Realizing this, Xu Chen abandoned his plan to flee.
"Clang!"
Another collision. Xu Chen let out a muffled groan, his frame staggering backward.
"His aura is fading."
"Hahaha, brat, you’ve finally reached your limit!" Xiao Teng laughed triumphantly, seemingly seeing right through him. "I bet you have less than a tenth of your spiritual power left."
Yang Guang also chuckled. "Without spiritual power, let's see how you'll fight us now!"
Xu Chen stumbled, appearing as if his power were exhausted, and wheezed out a retort: "Don't the two of you have very little spiritual power left yourselves?"
Yang Guang’s expression darkened. "Enough to kill you!"
He sneered and lunged forward, his right hand curled into a claw, aiming for Xu Chen’s throat. Hoping to conserve his remaining power, he did not strike with his full strength.
Watching Yang Guang dive toward him, a flicker of mockery crossed Xu Chen’s eyes. Then, he exploded with everything he had. His vast spiritual power poured into the Qingchi Sword like a dam breaking.
"Die!"
With a roar, a yard-long arc of sword qi erupted from the Qingchi Sword, instantly engulfing Yang Guang.
***
**Chapter 14: The Master of the Shui Mansion is Not Dead**
"Boom!"
The ground was cleaved by a terrifying fissure. Yang Guang, who had arrived with such speed, was sent flying back even faster, his body flailing like dead leaves in the wind, spitting blood as he retreated.
"Bang!"
After flying seven or eight meters, he slammed into the ground, shattering the brickwork.
"Pfft!"
Yang Guang vomited a mouthful of blood. As the blood left his body, his aura plummeted rapidly and his eyes glazed over.
Xiao Teng skidded to a halt. Watching the lifeless Yang Guang, a chill gripped his heart. Yang Guang was dead. The fatal wound was a horrific sword strike that had nearly severed him in two, from crown to base. He had died because of his own carelessness. Thinking Xu Chen was spent, he had held back his full strength to conserve energy, giving Xu Chen the opening he needed.
"You... you haven't run out of spiritual power?" Xiao Teng stared at Xu Chen in shock and suspicion. Their battle had been long, and his own reserves were more than half gone. Since Xu Chen was only at the Third Layer of Qi Condensation, his energy should have been long exhausted. Yet, that final strike showed no sign of weakness.
"That last strike was my limit. My spiritual power is now completely depleted; I don't even have the strength to grip my sword," Xu Chen said, his body swaying and appearing frail.
Had this been before Yang Guang’s death, Xiao Teng might have believed him, but now...
"Do you really think I’d believe your lies?" Xiao Teng sneered.
Seeing he couldn't fool him, Xu Chen retorted, "You have less than thirty percent of your spiritual power left, don't you?"
"Even if I have to wear you down, I will kill you!"
Because of the terrifying refinement and absorption capabilities of the *Swallowing Emperor Technique*, Xu Chen had no fear of running out of spiritual power. He had been cycling the technique throughout the fight, keeping his reserves safely above the critical line.
Just then, a whistling sound cut through the air. The other five battlefields had ended, and the five winners were darting toward Xu Chen’s location.
All seven Spirit Artifacts had now been claimed. Xu Chen held two, while the others were held by Du Shaoqiu, Zhao Yi, Tang Xiaotian, the Grey-robed old man, and the red-skirted woman.
Seeing Xu Chen holding two artifacts, the five were taken aback. They then turned to look at Xiao Teng with strange expressions. Xiao Teng, an inner-sect disciple of the Heavenly Sword Villa, had not obtained a single one—a totally unexpected result. Even more surprising was Xu Chen’s solo haul.
Du Shaoqiu looked him up and down. "I misjudged you, kid. You must have hidden your true cultivation level."
The others realized the truth in an instant. The Grey-robed old man’s eyes glowed with greed as he stared at the artifacts. "You have already proven your strength by seizing two, but isn't it a bit greedy for one person to keep both? How about this: you hand one over voluntarily."
"And who should I give it to?" Xu Chen asked mockingly.
The Grey-robed old man grinned. "Though I am unworthy, I am willing to keep one for you for the time being."
"Old man, you have quite a thick face," Xu Chen cursed coldly.
Du Shaoqiu looked at Zhao Yi and Tang Xiaotian and proposed, "There are seven artifacts in total. Zhao Yi, Tang Xiaotian, let the three of us join forces to kill them all. We’ll take two each, and we can sell the last one for spirit stones to split between us. What do you think?"
At these words, everyone’s expression shifted violently. The joy vanished from the Grey-robed old man’s face, replaced by tension and fear. The red-skirted woman backed away silently. Xiao Teng’s face turned leaden—Du Shaoqiu had invited only Tang and Zhao, completely ignoring him. In terms of strength, those three had already left him in the dust; he didn't even qualify to join their alliance anymore.
"That's a good proposal. I agree," Zhao Yi said, nodding first.
"I have no objections," Tang Xiaotian replied with a smile.
The alliance was formed.
"Whoosh!"
The Grey-robed old man turned and fled without hesitation. He was only at the Seventh Layer of Qi Condensation; while he could fight an Eighth Layer expert with a Spirit Artifact, he had no chance against Tang Xiaotian and the others. The red-skirted woman was just as quick, turning to run at the same time.
Xu Chen had intended to fight, but seeing the others flee, he saw no choice but to join them. However, before he could move, a series of deafening crashes echoed from the tunnel leading out of the Shui Mansion. The ground trembled.
What was happening? That thought hit everyone simultaneously.
The next moment, they had their answer. The red-skirted woman and the Grey-robed old man returned from the tunnels.
"Giant stones have sealed the path!" they both cried out. They had taken different tunnels, but the result was the same.
Du Shaoqiu’s expression darkened. He ordered his clansmen, "Go check if the other tunnels are sealed too."
The Du family members went to the other tunnels and returned shortly after. The results were uniformly dire: every exit had been blocked by massive boulders.
Anxiety swept through the group.
"Look! The corpses... their blood is draining away rapidly!" someone screamed in horror.
Everyone looked at the bodies on the ground. It was true. The corpses were shriveling, desiccating, and turning into bare, white skeletons. Watching the bodies wither into bones in mere seconds, the people in the hall felt their scalps prickle and their blood run cold.
"What... what is going on?"
"Could it be that the Master of the Shui Mansion isn't dead?"
"Did we anger him by barging in?"
"This is no place to linger!"
"Quick, shatter the boulders!"
"Yes, yes, shatter them!"
"It’s no use! There are formations carved into the rocks; they can't be broken."
Panic spread. The crowd turned chaotic. Some tried to flee, but no matter what they tried, they couldn't move the boulders.
"Senior Brother, this Shui Mansion is strange. What should we do?" The disciples of the Heavenly Sword Villa gathered around Xiao Teng. The families and the Liuyun Sect members all clustered together, the human instinct to huddle for warmth in the face of the unknown.
"Everyone, stay calm!" Du Shaoqiu shouted, looking at the unruly crowd.
But the moment he finished speaking—
"Pfft!"
A dull, wet sound of a blade piercing flesh echoed. Du Shaoqiu shuddered. He looked down to see a sword protruding from his chest. He turned his head sharply, slapping the person behind him away with his palm, and roared in disbelief: "Du Zhong, have you gone mad? Why stab me?"
The attacker was his own kin, Du Zhong. Caught off guard, Du Shaoqiu had been dealt a fatal blow from behind, the sword piercing his heart. He died before he could get an answer.
At the same time, chaos erupted in the hall. Tang Xiaotian was approached by a Tang family disciple and decapitated. Xiao Teng had his right hand severed by his most trusted junior brother. Zhao Yi was struck in the chest by a fellow sect member, shattering his organs. Of the four young experts, two were dead and two were wounded in the sudden turn of events.
***
**Chapter 15: The Blood Protector**
This incident caused Xu Chen’s pupils to constrict. Why? Why would Du Zhong and the others suddenly kill their own? No! They were not acting of their own volition. They were being controlled!
As the four young experts suffered, the hall fell into complete turmoil. People who were fine one moment suddenly went mad, attacking those around them.
"Pfft!"
Xu Chen swung his sword, decapitating a warrior who lunged at him. Just then, a deep, rumbling sound began to shake the hall. In the depths of the chamber, a massive stone gate slowly rose. As it opened, a thick, suffocating stench of blood washed over them.
Xu Chen looked through the slowly widening gap and dimly saw a vast pool of blood. In the center of the pool sat a "corpse" consisting of nothing but skin stretched over bone. That must be the master of the Shui Mansion!
Seeing this, Xu Chen understood everything. The Shui Mansion was a trap. The martial artists who had entered were merely bait, fuel for someone else's resurrection.
"We cannot let the Master of the Shui Mansion wake up, or we will all die here!" the Grey-robed old man shouted.
The next moment, the old man and the red-skirted woman dashed toward the blood pool. Xu Chen agreed and charged forward as well, determined to kill the master before he could awaken.
But things rarely went as planned. As the old man and woman neared the pool, a low whistle rang out. A thick, massive python tail whipped through the air with terrifying force.
"Bang! Bang!"
Despite holding Spirit Artifacts, the two were sent reeling back.
"Splash..."
The blood churned. A massive python slithered out from the liquid. It was the Wuling Python! The same one the four experts had nearly killed—it had fled into the mansion, recovered its strength, and now its aura was even more terrifying.
The Wuling Python was now so strong that not even the four experts, even without using their Spirit Artifacts, could have bested it. Xu Chen was stunned. Two large lumps had grown on its head, the size of small vats—a sign of imminent breakthrough. A Second-Order peak-level Monster Beast. Xu Chen’s heart sank to the bottom. With the exits sealed and the four young experts dead or wounded, who could stop this thing?
"Hehe, realized it now? Too late."
A strange laugh echoed. A thin, gaunt old man in a black robe stepped out of the chamber where the blood pool lay.
"Everyone who entered will become the nutrients for the Blood Protector’s resurrection."
Seeing the black-robed man, Xu Chen’s pupils contracted. It was him! Qin Jing’s master! A tidal wave of murderous intent surged from his heart.
"Who are you?" the Grey-robed old man asked.
"Dead men don't need to know so much." The man waved a hand, and a streak of black light shot out, moving too fast for the naked eye to track.
"Pfft!" The Grey-robed old man’s chest was pierced through.
"You die too!" The man looked at the red-skirted woman and flicked his wrist. Another streak of black light followed. "Pfft!" She followed the old man to the grave.
"Die, all of you!" Having killed two experts with casual gestures, the man did not stop. He shook his sleeves, and a grey mist surged out. Looking closely, one could see the mist was composed of countless tiny insects. Wherever the mist touched, the remaining warriors screamed in agony as their bodies were reduced to white bones in an instant—a horrific sight.
"Die!"
With a low roar, Xu Chen channeled all his spiritual power. The bricks beneath him exploded, and he launched himself like a cannonball toward the black-robed man. The hatred for his father's death and his clan's destruction was absolute. He was in a desperate situation; he had to fight to the death.
"I’ve been watching you for a while. You’re a talented one—a fine subordinate." The man did not recognize Xu Chen. Half a year had passed, and Xu Chen’s appearance and presence had changed drastically. It was no wonder he didn't recognize him.
The man didn't intend to kill Xu Chen; he planned to control him. A sinister expression crossed his gaunt face as he waved his hand. With a *bang*, Xu Chen was blasted away by a terrifying force.
"Pfft!"
The insect-mist seized the opportunity, swarming into Xu Chen’s mind.
"Ahh!" Xu Chen let out a cry of agony, clutching his head and rolling on the floor. A moment later, he stopped struggling. His eyes glazed over; he was under the man's control.
Satisfied, the man turned to Xiao Teng and Zhao Yi. "You two are also decent. You have the qualifications to be my subordinates." He waved his hand, the insect-mist engulfed them, and within seconds, they were controlled as well.
"Master!" the three of them said, bowing respectfully.
"I am the chief disciple of the Blood God Cult’s Insect Protector. From today on, you are my subordinates. Follow my orders and guard the Blood Protector until he awakens."
"Yes, Master!"
The man laughed triumphantly. "Ha ha! Ten thousand souls—though not enough to restore the Blood Protector to his peak, he will certainly wake from his slumber."
Soon, only those controlled by the man remained in the hall, fewer than ten people including Xu Chen. The rest were dead, their blood flowing into the pool to serve as fuel. Their storage rings and Spirit Artifacts were all collected by the Blood Protector.
***
By the banks of the Sha River, a woman in a red skirt drifted down.
"Eighty years ago, the Blood God Cult’s Blood Protector slaughtered innocents across Taishang Country, committing heinous crimes. The five major sects joined forces to strike him down, leaving him severely wounded, but he escaped."
"The last place he disappeared was near Sha River Town. Recently, a Shui Mansion emerged in the river, and the sect suspects it might be connected to him, so they sent me to investigate."
Watching the mansion gradually sink beneath the water, the woman frowned. She had learned that a vast army of ten thousand had entered, but three days had passed and not a soul had returned.
"I am a step too late, after all."
"I will find out if this mansion has anything to do with the Blood Protector."
Her eyes turned sharp. Her slender, jade-like fingers formed a seal, and she pushed forward. A ribbon of spiritual power roared out.
"Boom!"
The river exploded. The force slammed into the bronze doors of the mansion.
"Dong!"
The massive gates vibrated violently.
Guarding the blood pool, the black-robed man opened his eyes. "Someone is attacking the mansion," he said in a deep voice.
"Dong, dong, dong!!!"
The red-skirted woman continued her assault, making the entire mansion tremble.
"Stay here and guard the Blood Protector; I will go take a look." The man vanished, the Wuling Python departing with him.
Not long after, the man returned, severely wounded. Stumbling to the edge of the blood pool, he cried out to the skeleton in the center, "Blood Protector, help me! A woman at the True Qi Realm has arrived, and I am no match for her."
Though powerful, the man was only at the Half-Step True Qi Realm and was no match for her. He had been sent flying in a single exchange, and had the Wuling Python not intercepted her, he would have been killed.
"Useless trash!" The skeleton sitting in the pool opened its eyes.
"This disciple is incompetent!" The man prostrated himself. Despite being the Insect Protector's chief disciple, he had to tread carefully before the bloodthirsty entity.
The Blood Protector stood up from the pool. "It has been so long since I tasted the blood of a True Qi Realm expert!"
***
**Chapter 16: Escaping the Shui Mansion**
As soon as the Blood Protector left, the black-robed man could no longer hold his injuries, and he vomited a spray of blood.