Forbidden Zone of Deception

Chapter 239 Blood Lord and Wu Zhiping
Blood Lord's voice sounded like it came from the deepest hell, filled with deep-seated hatred.

"You and your daughter framed me back then, ruining my reputation and subjecting me to endless humiliation! Today, I will take it all back from you, with interest!"

Faced with the Blood Lord's overwhelming killing intent and the terrifying pressure of the [Black Prison Sacrifice], Lady Bai Yewei merely raised her chin slightly, her eyes remaining cold and arrogant, even carrying a hint of disdain.

Facing the person she had framed in the past, she felt no remorse whatsoever. Instead, she rebuked him in a righteous tone: "Blood Lord! Even now, you still show no remorse, only resorting to sophistry and twisting the truth! Back then, you used alcohol to commit violence, even attempting to take advantage of me and Mia. What excuse do you have? Captain Pussy handled the matter impartially, showing leniency out of consideration for past grievances! You beast, ungrateful and harboring resentment, are truly beyond redemption!"

These accusations, which turned black into white, were like adding fuel to the fire, instantly igniting the Blood Lord's fury to its extreme!
"Bullshit!" Blood Lord laughed in fury, his body radiating a black and red aura of resentment like boiling magma. "Today I'm going to tear your mouth full of lies to shreds!"

Madam Baiye stopped looking at him and instead turned to her daughter and Li Yuanxiu, coldly ordering, "I'll hold him off! Mia, Yuanxiu, you two deal with the other two women. Be quick and kill them!"

She looked at Bai Miya, her tone carrying a hint of encouragement: "Miya, you've been stuck at the LV3 Soul Refiner bottleneck for a long time. You need to experience more life-and-death battles and absorb soul energy before you have a chance to break through to the Soul Prison Master!"

Madam Baiye also felt that her daughter was too disappointing. She had taken such a big risk to frame the Blood Lord in order to give her daughter the hope of advancing to the Soul Refiner level. But her talent was really useless. So much time had passed, and she was still far from advancing to LV3 peak, let alone LV4. Without proper training, how could she have any hope of advancing to LV4?

Parents who love their children plan far ahead for them. Bringing her here today at this risk serves two purposes: first, to give her more opportunities to gain experience; and second, to allow her to bask in some credit so she can obtain more resources from Lady Pustules in the future.

Then, she added to Li Yuanxiu, "Yuanxiu, if we can take the Blood Lord's life today and obtain his Skull Key, with his LV4 peak accumulation, he will surely be able to open it and get a top-quality item! At that time, I will never forget your contribution!"

Li Yuanxiu hurriedly replied, "I was able to rescue Nanyin from Ye Xiu thanks to Madam's planning, and also to Miss Bai's delivery of the poisoned dagger. Otherwise, I wouldn't be where I am today. If the key is unlocked, I'm willing to give it all to Madam!"

"it is good!"

The mother and daughter spoke to Li Yuanxiu in an extremely calm tone, assigning tasks and discussing spoils of war, as if the three Blood Lords were already sitting ducks. They showed no sign of guilt or remorse, only naked scheming and murderous intent.

The war broke out instantly!

Lady Baiye's body was filled with intense Yin energy, and countless translucent, twisted, wailing vengeful spirits emerged from the void, forming a barrier that temporarily resisted the erosion of the [Black Prison Sacrifice]!

She muttered incantations, and a rotating yin-yang symbol appeared beneath her feet. However, the symbol was as black as ink and exuded an eerie aura that communicated with the netherworld—it was none other than the signature skill of the Wanderer class, [Path of the Netherworld]!
Blood Lord revealed a sinister smile, and the power of Soul Prison Lord erupted in full force. Countless sinful souls bound by chains crawled out from behind him and pounced on the vengeful spirits summoned by Lady White Night!

The black and red evil spirits collided violently with the gray and black netherworld power, causing the temperature of the entire street to plummet and black frost to quickly condense on the walls!
Because of Freddy's rampage, most of the residents in this area have died, so they can fight each other at will.

On the other side, Bai Miya and Li Yuanxiu also pounced on Georgia and Aurora at the same time!
Bai Miya, a Level 3 Soul Refiner, is skilled at extracting and refining the souls of living beings.

In her hand appeared a swirling, deathly white gourd that seemed to be made up of countless human faces. The gourd's mouth was pointed at Aurora, generating a powerful suction force that attempted to directly pull Aurora's soul out of her body! At the same time, several grotesque ghosts that she had refined appeared around her, shrieking as they pounced on Georgia!
Li Yuanxiu was even more direct, approaching Georgia like a ghost, his poisoned dagger aimed straight for her vital points! His attack was ruthless and cunning, carrying a strong aura of death.

Georgia and Aurora, though startled, remained calm and immediately focused all their efforts on dealing with the situation.

Aurora let out a sharp cry and activated her curse skill at full power.

She quickly threw out several cursed dolls and wooden carvings, and a powerful repulsive and cursed force field targeting the soul spread out, barely resisting the suction force of Bai Miya's Soul Refining Gourd.

Georgia formed hand seals, and the healing and purifying white light of the incantation enveloped herself and Aurora like a curtain of water, desperately resisting the erosion of the soul-refining power and Li Yuanxiu's attacks. However, she was ultimately more skilled in support and healing, and faced with Li Yuanxiu's rapid and fierce close-range attacks, she was immediately in grave danger, only able to barely manage to cope with Aurora's curse interference.

While fiercely battling Lady White Night, Blood Lord kept a close eye on the other side of the battle out of the corner of his eye. Seeing Georgia and Aurora quickly fall into a disadvantageous position and be in critical danger, his heart tightened.

Although he always reminded himself that women were merely replaceable resources, tools to satisfy desires and maintain team stability, human nature is ultimately complex.

These two women had followed him for a long time, spending their days and nights together, their bodies intimately connected; even without feelings, there was habit. When faced with a life-or-death situation, seeing them fight valiantly for him, their lives hanging by a thread, the Blood Lord couldn't help but feel a pang of worry and anxiety deep within his heart.

"If only Zhiping were still here at this moment..." This thought resurfaced uncontrollably.

Wu Zhiping! Wu Ge's father, his brother who shared life and death with him! If he were still alive, how could Madam Bai Ye be so arrogant!
Thinking of Wu Zhiping, Blood Lord felt as if his heart was being gripped tightly by an icy hand, and endless grief, anger, and regret overwhelmed him.

The profound friendship between Blood Lord and Wu Zhiping, a bond strong enough to entrust with life and death, was forged on the brink of life and death in countless terrifying dungeons filled with peril and distorted rules.

Their first encounter was during the completely rule-based quest, "The Note Left by Mom," where Wu Zhiping was arguably the biggest contributor to breaking the dungeon's rules. Afterward, Wu Zhiping chose the Hunter class, which offers very high growth potential.

What truly forged a deep bond between the two was their near-death experience in the Silent Hill dungeon, a bloody raid where the entire team barely escaped with their lives. That town, shrouded in an ever-present fog and heavy with sin, resembled a vast, living purgatory. For those forever trapped in a cycle of slaughter, entering this dungeon stripped away Silent Hill's materialistic facade, plunging them into a rusty, flesh-and-blood contamination.

Here, Blood Lord's formidable combat prowess was often less effective than Wu Zhiping's almost beast-like hunting instincts. When Blood Lord, Long Cang, Bernadette, and others were attacked by monsters with heads encased in triangular iron hoods, it was Wu Zhiping who used special bullets to create an opening. Later, when they were chased by the heavy footsteps of the "Pyramid-Headed" giant through the ashes-filled streets, it was Wu Zhiping who noticed subtle differences in the symbols in the environment, leading the entire team into a small hut engraved with special exorcising runes, narrowly avoiding the slash of that giant butcher's blade. Later still, deep within that school filled with childhood trauma and cult rituals, facing a twisted monster, Blood Lord was once trapped by the hallucinations it created, and it was Wu Zhiping who shattered the hidden meme carrier with a single shot, pulling him back to reality.

Wu Zhiping seemed born to survive in such an extremely harsh and bizarre environment. Every warning and every indication he gave pulled Blood Lord back from the brink of incomprehensible, instant-death rules.

Afterwards, the Bloody Team ventured into the [Minakami Village] instance of *Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly*. This abandoned village, hidden deep in the mountains, was shrouded in the curse of an ancient and tragic "Crimson Sacrifice" ritual. The dilapidated shrine, the deep forest, the endless night, and the omnipresent vengeful spirits wielding supernatural cameras formed a suffocating prison. Here, Wu Zhiping's abilities were put to their fullest potential. He didn't need a camera to photograph spirits, but possessed a "spiritual sense" far more acute than any camera, always able to detect the approach of "floating spirits" and "vengeful spirits." When the immense resentment of the twin priestesses "Sae" and "Yae" swept in like a raging curse, Wu Zhiping used himself as bait, drawing away most of the resentment and buying the Blood Lord a precious opportunity to counterattack. The Blood Lord, with his overwhelming power, directly confronted them. One precisely restrained the other, while the other violently broke through, carving a path to survival for the newly formed Bloody Team amidst the seemingly insurmountable ritual curse. With his keen insight into the environment and ancient documents, Wu Zhiping repeatedly solved the spatial puzzles of the village and found the key item "Foggy Diary," ultimately enabling the Bloody Team to clear this infamous horror dungeon.

Later, in the "Evil Spirit Chase" instance (based on the game "Outlast"), in the giant mountain mental hospital filled with madmen and mutants, the two were chased to the point of having nowhere to run, by the deranged doctor "The Groom" who wielded giant scissors, possessed immense strength, and seemed tireless. At this moment, Wu Zhiping used his keen observation of the building structure to discover an abandoned medical waste passage and turned the terrifying hunter into charred remains.

In the [Corpse People] instance (based on the game *Siren*), in the secluded island village of Yuzuru, surrounded by strange red seawater, the villagers are transformed into "Corpse People," neither truly alive nor dead, by the mysterious power of "Fallen Stars." Time loops, spatial distortions, shifting perspectives… the rules here are bizarre and fantastical. By observing the Corpse People's behavior patterns and environmental details, Wu Zhiping quickly summarized their visual and auditory patterns, formulating efficient stealth and hunting strategies. In this instance, he successfully advanced to LV2 Ghost Hunter.

Time and again, in those bizarre and perilous worlds, Blood Lord's powerful frontal assault capabilities were perfectly combined with Wu Zhiping's accurate environmental insight, hunting intuition, and fearless courage.

Wu Zhiping was the most talented hunter he had ever seen! Hunter advancement was already far more difficult than for ordinary professions, but Wu Zhiping was breaking through at an astonishing speed. Soon, Wu Zhiping had become a near-LV3.

At that time, Wu Zhiping was his designated and undisputed candidate for deputy regimental commander. As soon as he advanced to LV3, he would immediately assume the position of deputy regimental commander.

They should have joined forces to build the Bloodstained Team into a powerful force capable of shaking the Muxu Market and even the entire nation's Reincarnators.

Besides admiration and respect for Wu Zhiping, Blood Lord also felt a sense of shared suffering.

Wu Zhiping was falsely accused of murdering one of his female students, and all the evidence pointed to his innocence. Although he insisted he was with his only son, Wu Ge, at the time of the incident, there were almost no security cameras near their home, and his son's testimony was ineffective. But Blood Lord absolutely believed in Zhiping's innocence! He knew Zhiping's character: upright, kind, even somewhat pedantic. In the horror-themed instance, he would even lend a helping hand to characters in the storyline; how could he possibly murder his own student?

But nobody listened to them. The officials in the imperial court only wanted to close the case as quickly as possible. In the end, Wu Zhiping was sent to the most dangerous memetic contamination chamber as an "experimental subject." His parents suffered as a result; one died of a cerebral hemorrhage, and the other became a vegetable. His wife even cruelly abandoned their child...

Ultimately, they encountered a desperate situation in a horror dungeon called "Evil Spirit Chase," modeled after the game Outlast 2. An omnipresent curse, inescapable deadly coincidences, and a relentlessly encroaching, eerie force... To rescue the Blood Lord trapped in this deadly predicament, Wu Zhiping, already a near-Level 3, used himself as bait to forcibly break the dungeon's rules, opening a path to survival for the Blood Lord!
On his deathbed, Wu Zhiping held the Blood Lord's hand tightly. His eyes showed no fear of death, only endless regret and deep concern for his only son, Wu Ge.

“Commander… I… I’m not afraid to die… but I can’t let go of Wu Ge… that child… was implicated by my meme contamination and became a reincarnator too… what will become of him…?”

"Stop talking, Zhiping! Hang in there! There must be a way!" Blood Lord's eyes were bloodshot as he frantically transferred his SAN points to him.

"It's no use... Commander... Please promise me... From now on... please protect him... Don't let him... follow in our footsteps..."

With tears streaming down his face, Blood Lord gripped his brother's cold hand tightly and nodded emphatically: "I promise you! As long as I, Blood Lord, have a breath left, I will never let Wu Ge suffer the slightest injustice! He is my own son!"

Having received the promise, Wu Zhiping revealed a relieved smile, his eyes gradually becoming unfocused, and finally his arm fell limply to his side, the Reincarnator Watch transforming into a skull key.

At that moment, Blood Lord was in even more pain than when he had been framed.

He lost his best brother and most trusted comrade-in-arms.

He still treasures that skull key to this day, but has never used it to open the skull treasure chest.

If Zhiping were still alive, he would undoubtedly be a Level 4 Rule Hunter by now, and might even be approaching the threshold of Level 5! With the brothers joining forces, the Bloodthirsty Team would be even more formidable, becoming the strongest team below Level 5!
Lady Baiye is nothing to speak of.
Unfortunately, no if.

The brutal reality of the battle pulled Blood Lord back from his memories. Lady White Night's Netherworld Path skills were unpredictable and bizarre, while Blood Lord, relying on the domineering power of the Soul Prison Lord, clashed head-on with her. Although he had a slight advantage, he could not quickly defeat her.

Meanwhile, Georgia and Aurora's situation is becoming increasingly dangerous!
Georgia's incantation light had dimmed considerably, and her left arm was nearly slashed open by Li Yuanxiu's dagger. Aurora fared even worse; to protect Georgia, she had taken the brunt of an attack from a vengeful spirit controlled by Bai Miya, leaving several deep, bone-revealing claw marks on her shoulder. The chilling ghostly energy seeped into her body, turning her face ashen and slowing her casting spells considerably. Bai Miya's Soul-Refining Gourd still emitted a powerful suction, making Aurora feel as if her soul was about to be ripped from her body at any moment!
"Captain!" Aurora screamed in alarm; she was about to collapse!

Blood Lord, his eyes blazing with fury, roared and suddenly increased the output of [Black Prison Sacrifice], temporarily forcing back Lady White Night's attack, attempting to return to the rescue.

But would Lady Baiye let him have his way? She sneered and her hands formed even more seals!
"Your opponent is me!" Madam Baiye's voice was icy. "Today, none of you... will leave alive!"

At this moment, Blood Lord knew that if it were a one-on-one fight, without Georgia and Aurora present, he wouldn't be afraid of Lady White Night at all; he had plenty of ways to deal with her. But with these two women around, he was truly hesitant to act rashly.

Lady Baiye's Netherworld Path skills are truly bizarre and unpredictable. As her ten fingers flew, countless semi-transparent chains of vengeful spirits emerged from the void, wrapping around and tearing at Blood Lord's Soul Prison Black Mist, producing a series of teeth-grinding friction sounds!

Blood Lord's body was filled with boiling black and red energy. He pushed the power of [Black Prison Sacrifice] to its limit, and the domineering power of the Soul Prison continuously shattered the evil spirits and chains that rushed towards him!
He then pushed the [Black Prison Sacrifice] to its limit, transforming it into the [Nine Nether Prison]!
At their level, the professional skills they painstakingly acquire will no longer deduct SAN points, but they will cause the SAN points to decrease and the potential to increase, which is even more deadly!
But now, with his greatest enemy right in front of him, he can no longer care about anything else!

It must be said that Blood Lord did have a slight advantage. Lady Baiye's face was slightly pale, clearly indicating that she was not having an easy time holding on. However, the Netherworld Path was extremely difficult to deal with, possessing both offensive and defensive capabilities. Although Blood Lord could suppress her, he could not truly injure her in a short period of time, let alone break through her obstruction to rescue her.

"He used forbidden techniques to take a shortcut to cultivation, and he actually became this strong?"

Lady Baiye had to admit that Blood Lord was indeed a genius Soul Master! If he had advanced to LV3 using the Resentment Crystal Shards back then, he might have actually been able to challenge for LV5, which countless reincarnators dreamed of!

Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs"! Now that they are mortal enemies, she must kill the Blood Lord at all costs to eliminate any future troubles!

(End of this chapter)