The red-skirted woman was formidable. With a single strike, she had left him severely wounded. Fortunately, the Blood Protector had already awakened; otherwise, this entire operation would have truly gone to waste. Once the Blood Protector made his move, that woman would surely perish.
He retrieved a medicinal pill and began to heal his wounds. Meanwhile, Xu Chen, who was standing guard by the blood pool, tilted his head slightly, observing the Blood Protector from the corner of his eye. Seeing that the man had consumed the medicine and was focusing on his recovery, Xu Chen’s mind stirred. He activated the Devouring Emperor Art, and almost immediately, the dying screams of the parasitic worm echoed in his mind. With the death of the worm, he had finally broken free from the Black-robed Man’s control.
Had it been before, the Black-robed Man would have detected his shift in status instantly. But now, the man had poured all his focus into healing. Xu Chen approached him calmly, silently gathering his strength as he drew closer. When he was less than ten meters away, his power reached its peak.
Just then, the Black-robed Man suddenly opened his eyes. Seeing Xu Chen approaching, he was briefly stunned, then realized he had lost his connection to him. Panic washed over his face.
"Die!"
Seeing the Black-robed Man wake up, Xu Chen dropped all pretense. He roared, his figure pouncing forward like a hunting leopard, the spiritual power he had been hoarding erupting in an instant.
"You brat, you dare to bite the hand that feeds you!"
Seeing Xu Chen attacking him, the Black-robed Man’s expression turned vicious. Ignoring his injuries, he channeled his spiritual power into his right arm and let out a low growl, thrusting his arm forward like a spear.
"Bang!"
Their fists collided heavily. Spiritual energy surged, causing the ground to crack and the blood in the pool to explode into the air. Both men were jolted, sent flying backward. The Black-robed Man was already severely injured, his strength reduced to less than a tenth of its peak. This hurried clash immediately aggravated his internal wounds. Mid-air, a sweet taste rose in his throat, and he spat out a spray of blood.
Xu Chen, on the other hand, didn't pause for even a second upon landing. He sprang up again like a leopard. He had to kill the Black-robed Man in one go. Though severely wounded, the man still possessed the power to control others; if he were given a moment to catch his breath, it would be Xu Chen who died.
"Die!"
Xu Chen let out a loud shout, crashing violently into the Black-robed Man’s chest. A *crack* sounded as the man’s ribs shattered.
"Boom!"
The two of them slammed into the blood pool, sending blood splashing meters into the air. Waves of blood slapped against the pool walls. A figure shot up from the crimson water: it was Xu Chen. Looking back at the Black-robed Man, he saw him struggling in agony, emitting dying whimpers. A dagger was buried in the center of his chest. It was just a common iron blade Xu Chen had carried with him—not a Spirit Artifact, so the Black-robed Man hadn't bothered to take it away. When they had smashed into the pool, Xu Chen had drawn the blade and, in that split second before the man could dodge, driven it deep into his heart.
With his heart pierced, the Black-robed Man suffered a fatal wound. Yet, he did not die immediately, his eyes filled with disbelief. He was actually going to die at the hands of an ant in the Qi Condensation Realm. He was filled with resentment. And regret. Regret for not killing Xu Chen sooner.
Xu Chen looked down at the fading man and said coldly, "Do you still remember me?"
"The blood feud of my father and my clan—surely you haven't forgotten that?"
He crouched down, bringing his face close to the Black-robed Man’s, and hissed through gritted teeth, "My name is Xu Chen, the Young Master of the Xu family in Qingfeng City. I came here specifically to kill you!"
The Black-robed Man’s eyes widened. Regret consumed his heart. So, he had actually had two chances to kill Xu Chen.
Xu Chen gripped the dagger still lodged in the man’s chest and twisted it sharply. The Black-robed Man perished completely. The moment he died, the group led by Zhao Yi, who had been controlled by the parasitic worms, let out a collective scream before collapsing into unconsciousness.
Seeing that the Black-robed Man was truly dead, Xu Chen breathed a sigh of relief, a wave of joy washing over him as his great revenge was fulfilled. His father's death had been avenged! Now, his only remaining enemy was Qin Qingrou.
He had to leave quickly. But before he left, he was going to collect some interest. Xu Chen hurriedly bent down and took the Black-robed Man’s Storage Ring. Since the owner was dead, the spiritual imprint vanished automatically. Xu Chen channeled a thread of spiritual power into the ring.
"Hiss—good heavens, he really has a lot of stuff."
Even with his expectations, Xu Chen was stunned by the contents. The ten-thousand-man army that entered the Shui Mansion had been nearly wiped out, and almost all their wealth had fallen into the Black-robed Man’s hands. Added to the treasures already in the mansion—spirit stones, Spirit Artifacts, medicinal pills, fire crystals—the sheer volume of resources was staggering. Xu Chen was ecstatic.
He tucked the Storage Ring away, but didn't leave immediately. He looked around the blood pool and licked his lips.
"Boom!"
A terrifying devouring force erupted from his body. The blood in the pool turned into pure energy, flowing endlessly into him.
***
Outside the Shui Mansion.
"Boom, boom, boom!!!"
The thunderous sounds never ceased. Spiritual power surged. The river flowed backward. The earth fractured. The battle between the Blood Protector and the red-skirted woman had reached a fever pitch.
"Damn it! If not for the fact that I just woke from my slumber and my injuries haven't healed, leaving me with less than a tenth of my strength, I would have killed you long ago!" The Blood Protector roared in frustration at the woman.
"Remnant of the Blood God Cult! Eighty years ago, you managed to escape judgment and have been clinging to life ever since. But you haven't changed your wicked ways—killing ordinary martial artists to restore your cultivation. Today is your death day," the red-skirted woman said coldly, showing no fear.
The Blood Protector barked, "Little girl, when I was terrorizing the Taishang Country, your parents were still nursing! You want to kill me? Aren't you afraid your tongue will fall out from all that boasting?"
Hearing the Blood Protector call her a 'little girl' caused a frost to settle over her beautiful face. With a sharp cry, the two clashed once more.
Time trickled by. The fight continued. At the entrance of the Shui Mansion, a head suddenly poked out. It was Xu Chen. He watched the two fighting in the distance, then turned his gaze to the corpse of the Black Spirit Python at the entrance. It had been killed by the red-skirted woman, and with no one there to claim it, it was Xu Chen’s for the taking. He waved his hand, stored the python's body, and smiled with satisfaction before flashing away into the distance.
This was no place to linger. The battle was too terrifying; it was not something a small martial artist at the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation Realm could interfere with. Yes—he had broken through again. Using the energy from the blood pool, he had reached the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation Realm.
The Blood Protector, still fighting, noticed Xu Chen emerging. What infuriated him most was that the boy had dared to loot the python carcass and make his getaway while he was too tied up to stop him. In all his years, he had only ever taken advantage of others; this was the first time someone had turned the tables on him. He was so angry he felt like his head might explode, but he couldn't spare a moment to eliminate Xu Chen.
***
Xu Chen ran like a madman without looking back. He dared not stop, fearing that if the Blood Protector defeated the woman and returned to find not only the Black-robed Man dead and his treasures looted, but the blood pool destroyed as well, he would pursue him with everything he had.
After running for tens of miles without stopping, until the sky began to darken and he was drenched in sweat, Xu Chen finally collapsed onto the cold ground, gasping for air.
"Hahaha, thrilling! Truly thrilling!"
Xu Chen lay on the ground, looking up at the bright moon and recalling the events of his trip to the Shui Mansion, unable to keep from laughing out loud. Though dangerous, the journey had ended safely. He was the biggest winner—not only had he killed the Black-robed Man and avenged his father, but he had also acquired shocking wealth.
"That said, it really was dangerous. If it weren't for that red-skirted woman, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
"I wonder how she is doing? Who won, her or the Blood Protector?"
She had essentially saved his life. Remembering their battle as he left, he couldn't help but worry about her. If she won, justice triumphing over evil, that would be the best outcome. But what if she lost? Xu Chen didn't understand why he was suddenly so worried.
"She is my savior, after all."
"If it weren't for her, I'd still be under that man's control."
Xu Chen found a reason to justify his concern. After resting for a while and recovering some strength, he stood up and continued on under the moonlight. He wasn't out of danger yet. He couldn't stop.
He kept walking, but after a while, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
***
Under the moonlight, Xu Chen’s eyes widened. He stared unblinkingly at the area under a large tree ahead. A woman in a long dress leaned against the trunk, eyes slightly closed, as if she were asleep. However, the pallor of her face in the moonlight told him she wasn't sleeping—she had passed out from severe injuries.
"Gulp."
Xu Chen swallowed. Speak of the devil. The woman was none other than the one who had fought the Blood Protector. It looked like she was seriously wounded. Seeing her, Xu Chen felt a sense of relief, but then he was faced with a dilemma.
Should he save her? If he did, who could guarantee that once she recovered, she wouldn't covet his treasures and turn on him? The resources he carried were enough to make even a True Qi Realm martial artist envious. If he didn't save her, she would likely die from her wounds or be found by the Blood Protector and turned into 'nourishment' to restore his cultivation.
"Sigh—fine. You saved my life once; I'll treat this as paying off that debt."
Xu Chen walked over, crouched down, and lifted her up. His hands inevitably brushed against her skin—soft, smooth, and wonderful. Xu Chen felt his heart flutter. He looked down at her delicate, sculpted face, his own heart heating up. He bit the tip of his tongue hard; the sharp pain helped him regain his clarity, and he took a deep breath, suppressing the fire within him. He wanted to slap himself—what kind of situation was this to be having such thoughts?
He carried the woman and ran for his life. He ran until he was exhausted once more, having put seventy or eighty miles between himself and the Shui Mansion. Only then did he feel safe enough to put her down. Overcome by fatigue, he drifted off to sleep without even realizing it.
He didn't know how much time had passed when he slowly opened his eyes. The sun was high overhead. He turned his head toward the woman—and his heart stopped. She wasn't there.
Just as confusion set in, he felt a cold, metallic touch against his neck.
"Don't move!"
A voice, soft yet chilling, sounded in his ear. Xu Chen didn't dare move; his life was in her hands. He tracked the voice to see a pale, beautiful face. It was the red-skirted woman.
"There's no need to be so serious, is there? I am your savior, after all," Xu Chen swallowed hard, speaking cautiously.
The red-skirted woman stared at him, not retracting the dagger. "Are you that little martial artist who escaped from the Shui Mansion?"
"It’s me, it’s me," Xu Chen nodded repeatedly. "It was lucky you attacked the mansion that day, otherwise I wouldn't have escaped so easily."
She pressed further. "What about the others? I know for a fact that over ten thousand martial artists entered that mansion. You're the only one who escaped? What about the others? Are they dead or alive?"
"Uh... could you put the dagger down first?" Xu Chen said gingerly.
The woman applied pressure, and the blade drew a thin line of blood on his skin. Startled, Xu Chen blurted out, "They're dead! Everyone else is dead! Their blood was drained to create the blood pool..."
As he spoke, he looked past her, his expression changing. The woman instinctively looked behind her, but there was nothing there.
*Damn it,* she thought.
"Bang!"
"Clang!"
The moment she realized she’d been tricked, Xu Chen acted decisively. He knocked the dagger away, then threw a punch filled with anger toward her head—but diverted it at the last second to strike her shoulder instead.
"Bang!"
The woman was sent flying. When she landed, a thread of blood spilled from her pale lips, and her eyes rolled back as she lost consciousness.
Xu Chen leaped to his feet. He looked at the unconscious woman and fumed, "How ungrateful! I saved your life, and you repay kindness with an assassination attempt. I won't kill you, but I'm leaving you here to fend for yourself."
He dusted off his clothes and walked away without looking back. He was truly angry. He had pushed himself to the brink of death carrying her to safety, only to be threatened with a blade the moment she woke up. If not for his wit, who knows if she would have killed him?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. After trekking seven or eight miles of mountain road, he cursed under his breath, turned around, and went back.
***
He carried the woman again and continued on. Half an hour later, he found a cave and set her down. He stroked his chin, studying her closely. Gradually, a sense of awe washed over him.
The red-skirted woman was stunning. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen—even Qin Qingrou, the self-proclaimed top beauty of Qingfeng City, was no match for her. Her skin was flawless, her features exquisite, her body curvaceous, and her aura cold and noble. A rare beauty on earth.
Xu Chen’s eyes lingered on her chest for a moment before he forced himself to look down, finally settling on a spot three inches below her collarbone. There was a hideous knife wound there, stretching down to her abdomen. It was long and deep, skin torn, with bone vaguely visible. Her clothes were soaked in blood. Perhaps due to the rough journey, the wound had begun bleeding again.
Xu Chen frowned. Her injuries were too severe. If he didn't treat them and just let her bleed, her life would be in danger.
"Her wounds are too heavy. If I want her to recover, it's going to cost me quite a bit of medicinal power." He looked at the Storage Ring on her right hand. *Forget it.* Her cultivation was far higher than his, and since she wasn't dead yet, the spiritual imprint on the ring wouldn't have faded. He couldn't open it anyway.
"It seems I have no choice but to use my own medicine." Xu Chen sighed at his bad luck and retrieved a Mystic Grade low-level medicinal pill.
*Rip.* He tore her clothing to reveal the ghastly wound. He leaned in, his brow furrowing as he noticed the wound had turned black and was beginning to fester. *What is this? Poison?* He hoped the medicine would work.
He crushed the pill, letting the juice drip into the wound, and applied the remaining dregs carefully. During the process, his fingers inevitably brushed against her skin. It took every ounce of his willpower to finish.
"Whew!" He panted, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Applying medicine was harder than fighting a battle.
"I'm exhausted. It’s hard to be a good person—I even had to cough up a Mystic Grade pill." Xu Chen felt bitter. His gaze wandered over her again, finally landing on her neck, where a teardrop-shaped green necklace rested.
"This necklace is nice. I'll take it as payment for saving your life." Xu Chen had a sharp eye; he could tell this was no ordinary trinket.
***
Xu Chen snatched the necklace off and began to play with it. "This thing really is extraordinary. Holding it, I feel calm and clear-headed; my thoughts are even sharper."
He was both surprised and delighted. He had found a treasure. It was an auxiliary Spirit Artifact. Even as an auxiliary, its value exceeded that of most common attack or defense artifacts.
Just as he was admiring the necklace, the red-skirted woman let out a pained groan. Her eyelids fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Xu Chen quickly hid the necklace and jumped back, staring at her with wariness. She was a master who could fight the Blood Protector; even if she was injured, there was no guarantee she wouldn't gamble her life to land one last strike on him. For safety's sake, he kept his distance.
When the woman saw Xu Chen again, she didn't try to fight. Instead, she remained strangely silent. She looked down at her torn clothes, frowning slightly, but her expression softened when she saw the medicine on her wound.
"Did you save me?" she asked, though she clearly knew the answer.
"Yes, I did," Xu Chen emphasized.
"It’s useless," she said unexpectedly.
Xu Chen was confused, not understanding her meaning. She explained, "When the Blood Protector wounded me, he injected blood toxin into my body. If the toxin isn't removed, my wounds will never heal, and standard medicine can't neutralize it."
Xu Chen’s face went through a range of complicated emotions. He stammered, "Would... would you like me to suck the blood toxin out with my mouth?"
The woman looked at him in surprise. Xu Chen realized what he’d said and waved his hands frantically. "I’m joking! Don't take that seriously, please!"
He wanted to slap himself. Why was he risking his life for a stranger? *Sucking it out with my mouth—what was I thinking?*
"Cough, cough," the woman suddenly started coughing. "Pfft!"
She spat out a mouthful of black blood. Her face turned even paler. Xu Chen was alarmed. "Are you alright?"
He started to step forward to support her, but stopped himself. He was still wary of her.
The red-skirted woman took off her Storage Ring and held it out. "Thank you for saving my life. I don't think I’m going to make it this time. I have a request—if you can do this for me, take this as a reward."
Before Xu Chen could speak, she continued, "Please go to the Qingling Sect and deliver a message for me: tell the Sect that the Blood Protector of the Blood God Cult has emerged."
"Are you really going to die?" Hearing that she was on the verge of death, Xu Chen felt a sudden, strange heaviness in his heart.
"The blood toxin has already reached my heart..."
After a moment of hesitation, Xu Chen said, "I might be able to save you."
The woman didn't believe him. Even she was helpless; what could a Qi Condensation Realm cultivator do?
Xu Chen tried to persuade her. "You’re going to die anyway—why not let me try?"
She didn't expect him to be so stubborn. She sighed; she still needed him to deliver that message, so if he wanted to try, let him. "What are you going to do?" she asked.
"Don't worry, I value my life too much to try sucking the poison out with my mouth," Xu Chen said with a smirk. He walked over, crouched down, and, before she could prepare herself, pressed his right palm firmly against her chest.
"What are you doing..." The woman’s brows arched in anger, thinking he was trying to take advantage of her.
"Don't speak!"