Forge a path to success

The corpse of "Shax" dissipated into mist, the purple blood bag exploded, and withered vines shot out, aiming straight for Wen Yao's eyes. Wen Yao didn't even glance at the vine trap; she flapped her wings and was about to fly out of the fortress. However, the killing move had already arrived; a crimson bullet flew into the dark window and shot straight into the trap tailor-made for her.

Wen Yao's movements suddenly slowed down. She felt gravity in the bullet, a familiar and hateful gravitational pull.

The roots of Masila vine, the ethereal sand of the Calamity Seed - Void Angel, half of hatred, and the Reverse Shadow Spell jointly created by Ji Huaisu and Qingye. This is the Binding Sin Bullet, which uses the ethereal sand to extremely enhance its binding power. Shax's first shot used up all the rare materials that everyone had on hand. In front of the 4th point outsider, they had no strength left to struggle, so he was going to gamble everything on this shot!

The binding bullet struck Wen Yao's forehead. Its properties had already been triggered; bound by gravity, Wen Yao couldn't escape the shot. But just as the bullet was about to hit, she suddenly dodged. Thin lines of blood flew from Wen Yao's wings, hooking onto the frozen wall for leverage, her incredibly precise control allowing her to evade the sniper's attack.

The binding bullet grazed Wen Yao's ear and embedded itself in the ground. Wen Yao shook off the roof and flew into the sky. At that moment, pale golden fragments flashed in her eyes, and the withered vines instantly exploded, revealing metal clusters hidden inside. Attracted by the metal clusters, they flew towards the binding bullet, forming a golden gun behind Wen Yao.

The hymns rang in Wenyao's ears, and golden rain flew backward from the ground into the sky. The Binding Sin Bullets melted and turned into raindrops, which were holy spear arrays transformed from bullets, creating instantaneous piercing attacks within a space of two hundred meters.

Blood Holy Lance - Piercing Crucifixion!

Each holy lance carried the force equivalent to a direct bullet strike; dozens of lances of bondage pierced the wings of the Warm Hawk, causing it to plummet from the sky to the earth. The power originating from the ethereal angels invaded its wings, rendering the Warm Hawk unable to take flight no matter how hard it flapped its wings.

Shax gambled the entire game on this one shot. If they couldn't defeat the speedy Banshee, then they would first strip the Banshee of her wings!

"Go!" the sniper roared.

Three beams of light simultaneously shot out from directly below, behind, and above. Hidden in the mist, Qingye drew her sword, the gleaming blade aimed at Wenyao's back. Qingxia, using the pull of Qingkun Spear, leaped into the air, the spear tip pointing directly at Wenyao's ribs. Ji Huaisu slammed down his massive club with tremendous force, the majestic dragon on the club roaring in unison.

A thousand fleeting stars in the night sky.

Qingxia's blood pierced the void.

Ji Huaisu's stabilizing force.

The fastest skills, the strongest attacks—at this moment, all three unleashed their full power. Their attacks struck at the perfect moment… and then all three were simultaneously sent flying!

A blinding burst of crimson light erupted, engulfing Wen Yao's exquisite body. She landed silently, unharmed, her entire body enveloped in light, transparent armor. The armor was as red as blood, showing no damage even after enduring the heavy blows of three people.

Shax's heart sank. He recognized the armor's origins; he had seen the exact same moves before. It was...!

A secret technique from Longquan Township that reflects all physical attacks!

"Immortal Fist Technique, True Profound Qi Armor!"

Chapter 223 The Nature of Demons

The secret technique of the Zhengxuan Palace in Longquan Township, the Zhengxuan Qi Armor. A blood armor crafted by fusing intention and energy with blood, it can deflect almost all physical attacks. This is the pinnacle of Longquan Township's martial arts in defense; mastering it to its highest level results in a truly indestructible body.

This was originally a secret technique of the martial arts practitioners of Dragon Township. Even a former inner disciple of the Zhengxuan Palace like Wu He was not allowed to learn it without undergoing a test. Yet Wen Yao used it with ease, and its strength far surpassed the version Chu Hengkong possessed!

"Where did you learn the Qi Armor from?" Ji Huaisu shouted. "There are traitors from Dragon Village in Blood Plains?!"

"Didn't that little piece of trash tell you?" Wen Yao chuckled, "The secret to our Immortal Clan's superiority over all others... is that we can take everything of lower races for ourselves!"

Ji Huaisu transformed his staff into water, turning the Ruyi Jingu Bang (the magic staff) into waves that crashed down. Wen Yao countered with a palm strike, the immense power of which formed an omnipresent crimson light, piercing through the waves with a single blow and sending the three attackers flying. This was the Crimson Sun Subduing Demon Palm of the Yueque Palace, a wide-range attack fist technique specifically designed to counter concealment techniques. Originally a righteous and awe-inspiring fist move, it appeared malevolent in the hands of this demon, yet its power remained undiminished.

"I really like the Dragon Township Fist!" Wen Yao clapped his hands. "Powerful, beautiful, and capable of exerting power far exceeding that of a current point mass. It's a pity that we immortals are eager to learn, while those martial arts practitioners are ungrateful and refuse to teach even a single move."

"—So I had no choice but to eat them."

She licked her red lips, as if savoring the lingering taste on her tongue: "I ate 10 martial arts practitioners to obtain the Crimson Sun Subduing Demon Palm, and then ate 24 more to learn half of the Chaotic Star Technique. I've grown tired of eating them and the taste is cloying, but at least I've finally mastered this Profound Qi Armor..."

Enjoying it, reminiscing about it, while uttering chillingly bloody words.

"Little girls, why don't you guess how many martial arts masters from Dragon Township I've eaten? And how many Dragon Township boxing techniques I know?"

Those slender eyes swept over the crowd, filled with hunger, greed, and demonic mockery.

"Guess how many of these confident trump cards you have up your sleeve... How many have I, Wen Yao, seen and how many have I actually defeated?"

Ji Huaisu switched to her most defensive ice armor, held her breath, and charged forward, her burning longsword slashing down. Wen Yao caught the sword with one hand, and with a flick of her wrist, sent Ji Huaisu flying. Her palm was scorched by the fire but showed no signs of injury; the burning over the past three days had given Wen Yao near-perfect resistance to the purifying fire. She had achieved a further evolution; now she was practically the nemesis of the Discipline Knights.

Ji Huaisu created layers of ice walls behind her, using the flaming sword to slow them down urgently. She gritted her teeth and cried out, "Qingye, Qingxia, no..."

She wanted to tell the two not to be provoked, but her voice suddenly stopped halfway through. A blood-red flower was blooming on Ji Huaisu's neck, with barely visible small characters at its center.

She had deliberately worn defensive ice armor, but she was still poisoned the moment she came into contact with the warm hawk. This poison did not corrode flesh and bones like the previous waves, but it could silently take over the enemy's body.

Immortal Script Fire Seal. A neurotoxin that controls the bodies and disrupts the minds of others.

Wen Yao chuckled and beckoned with his finger, causing Ji Huaisu to involuntarily utter words against his will: "...Don't be intimidated by that demoness, come with me!"

Qingye, who was about to disappear into the mist, instinctively lunged at the words. "No!" But Qingxia noticed Ji Huaisu's unusual behavior. She quickly grabbed Qingye and leaped to the side with all her might. Almost at the same moment Qingxia jumped, specks of scales fell from the wings of the Warm Hawk. The wide-ranging "Joyful Splendor" was activated at that moment, and waves of poison surged up, crashing down on the two of them like a colorful avalanche.

A perfectly circular hole appeared in the poisonous blast, and a second bullet flew out, creating an opening for the two to escape. The bullet completely missed Wen Yao's trajectory, but struck the frozen Ji Huaisu. It pierced Ji Huaisu's throat!

—The leaves of the Divine Tree of Senluo, the blood of the Blood Knight of Desire, one-third of Obsession, and the black blood of the Fallen. The "Blood Healing Bullet," formulated based on a temporary antidote, temporarily suppresses the toxins by damaging the wound.

A purifying flame flashed in Ji Huaisu's throat, and she used the Blood Healing Bomb to urgently heal her injuries. "Thousand Miles of Ice Seal!" She slammed her large shield into the ground, and a freezing chill emanated from it, enough to instantly freeze the city and turn the poisonous tide into colorful ice.

Wen Yao slid down the frozen waves, her slender sword flashing as she aimed for Ji Huaisu's head. The timing of this move was exquisite; the speed of the Azure Armor Army would never allow them to react. But the longsword, formed from condensed sand, blocked Wen Yao's thrust, and half of Ji Huaisu's armor transformed into a bright yellow light armor. She had switched twice in a short time, becoming a Steel Armor Army soldier!

"You're quite an interesting knight," Wen Yao chuckled. "I wonder how many armies could you take on?"

"If you're curious, then try it out," Ji Huaisu sneered. "I'll break your cavities first!"

She swung her sword fiercely, charging forward, her armor transforming into speed-oriented steel armor. Having learned from their previous experience, Ji Huaisu understood that their methods were insufficient to combat the poison; to fight for any hope, they had to achieve as much as possible in a short time.

The Boundless Sword and Wen Yao's soft sword clashed rapidly, and energy powerful enough to flatten mountains erupted between them in microseconds. The energy penetrated the fortress and overflowed into the outside world, causing the ochre-red deep mountains to collapse one after another, and an earthquake occurred on the ancient battlefield in the distance.

Wen Yao's attacks lacked the viciousness of the Calamity Scythe, yet she still managed to sever Ji Huaisu's weapon in one strike. Her strength and speed far exceeded what low-level particles could handle; had Shakes's Binding Sin Bullet not hit her in the first strike, none of them would have been able to touch her even once.

The difference in speed was most evident in the most direct way. Ji Huaisu fought and retreated, while Wen Yao moved with ease. In the blink of an eye, the two entered the interior of the ice fortress. The pale purple poison seeped into the back of Ji Huaisu's hand along the sword. The bones in his right hand melted as a result, creating an opening in Ji Huaisu's attack. Ten blood lines burst from Wen Yao's wings on his back, like extremely thin claws, piercing towards Ji Huaisu's vital points.

Blood seeped into the white fur. In the nick of time, Qingxia burst through the wall and leaped out, using her strong body as a shield for Ji Huaisu. She scooped Ji Huaisu up and placed him behind her back, using her Qingkun Spear to create a blood-red spear flower.

Wen Yao gripped the gun tip with one hand: "You little piece of trash, you're a bit faster than before. Where did you get this evil intention? You can't even hear your own heartbeat clearly?"

"My heart is full of courage and goodwill; I grow stronger when faced with a strong opponent, and the more I fight, the braver I become!"

Qingxia opened her mouth and unleashed a blood-red "roar" at the shortest distance, carrying a torrent of rage towards Wen Yao. Wen Yao did not retreat, relying on her powerful physique to meet the attack head-on. The blood energy generated by the roar passed directly past her side, like a gentle breeze brushing against a giant tree.

Wen Yao slashed down with his Qingkun Spear, then clenched his fist and struck Qingxia's face. Qingxia gritted her teeth and parried the blow, the immense force penetrating her bones and sending her flying. At that moment, the Immortal Script Fire Seal was planted, Qingxia's expression changed, and the spear shaft involuntarily struck her back.

Ji Huaisu blocked the spear handle with her left hand and pointed to the sky with her right. In the two rounds Qingxia had bought for her, the new spell was completed. Starlight leaped up above everyone's heads, and layers of shimmering magic circles almost covered the entire sky. Countless starlight burst from the magic circles, crashing down with extremely concentrated power.

Dust, light, and shadow. The Holy Judgment of Discipline: Meteor Dust Shatters.

Starlight flowed across the battlefield, falling into the Shadow River, indiscriminately attacking friend and foe, disregarding range, as a burst of meteors rained down from the sky. The attack range had long since extended beyond the mountainous region. Ji Huaisu showed no regard for her teammates, unleashing her power to its limit, enveloping more than half of the Despairing Wilderness in starlight!

Wen Yao was secretly taken aback. She knew this knight had an extraordinary background, but she hadn't expected the enemy to be this frenzied. This was not the power that a Point 3 should possess. Under such a dense attack, even she, who was unrestrained, would have to worry about dodging, let alone since she couldn't fly yet.

She secretly reinforced her Zhengxuan Qi Armor, and with a light touch of her toes, she rushed towards Qingxia, who was protecting Ji Huaisu. Midway through her charge, Wen Yao suddenly turned and grabbed her wrist, which emerged from the void. The hidden Qingye appeared from the mist, and Wen Yao pointed a finger at her brow.

"Such trivial skills, yet you dare to show them off repeatedly."

"Of course I didn't expect to hurt you," Qingye said casually. "I just hope you'll turn back!"

Her scarf fluttered, revealing a glimmer of twilight. It was Vande, hidden within the scarf, which could only participate in the battle thanks to Nightfall's Mist Concealment Technique.

"—Don't move!"

The twilight light pierced Wen Yao's eyes, and the ever-effective hypnosis struck her at that moment. Wen Yao finally stopped moving, staring at Qing Ye and Fan De in surprise.

“I did underestimate you,” Wen Yao said. “Then you should die first.”

Qingye, who was about to disappear into the mist, paused, unable to use the Mist-to-Heart technique. Three layers of light appeared beneath her feet, the power of fire, water, and dust forming an array that originally belonged to the Discipline Knights.

Immortal Seal - Holy Trinity Array. A sealing technique that isolates supernatural forces.

The difference in strength between the two sides was too great. Vande's hypnosis could interrupt actions for a brief moment, but it couldn't stop Wen Yao's subtle movements. Wen Yao opened its mouth and spat out a drop of emerald green poison bullet straight at Qing Ye. Qing Ye knew she couldn't dodge it. Once the attack was launched, neither Shakes's sniping nor Ji Huaisu's support could arrive in time.

The opportunity was fleeting. The emerald-green poison bullet magnified in Qingye's eyes. She released the knife from her hand.

"Sister Huaisu, let's get started."

The poisoned bullet pierced the body of the wounded soul, and Guangshi Qingye collapsed into the dust. Ji Huaisu squeezed her eyes shut, clasped her hands together, and at that moment, the meteors that had covered half the wilderness all reversed, carrying the knight's rage as they struck their only enemy.

"Turn into dust...!"

Then, a burst of intense light erupted.

A single, terrifying magical strike, enough to level a mountain, rained down on Wen Yao in hundreds. The hypnotic stun ended after the initial blow, but Wen Yao, caught in the crossfire, couldn't escape. The Meteor Dust Barrage's attacks were endless; dust erupted in all directions, all space was filled with blasts, and after each explosion came an even more frenzied one. The earth groaned under the weight, and the ground beneath them sank lower and lower with each meteor strike.

A crimson humanoid figure stood amidst the blinding light, her armor constantly breaking and regenerating. In the 87th explosion, Wen Yao remained unharmed. In the 162nd explosion, the rate of her armor's regeneration slowed. In the 237th explosion, most of her armor was destroyed by the dust, and Wen Yao suffered her first injury. Her body continued its cycle of repair and destruction, the storm tearing away her bones to expose her crimson heart.

Qingxia charged forward, aiming straight for Wen Yao's heart. The Meteor Dust Slash wasn't over yet, but she knew she couldn't give Wen Yao any more chances. Forget the casualties, forget the damage, right here, now, pierce her heart!

Strong winds, a stench of blood, bones about to regenerate—only one chance. Qingxia drew her spear, the Qingkun Spear blocked by her deep red heart muscle. She concentrated all her strength into the spear, roaring as she charged—

She saw Wen Yao's eerie smile.

"Attack," Wen Yao said.

A bone hammer struck his chest, a bone whip coiled around his neck, and a deep purple bone spear thrust out viciously, piercing through the horse's body and the man's abdomen. Fu Huo, Jiao Du, and Huang Li, the three Blood Knights, simultaneously charged out, delivering a fatal blow to Qing Xia!

They had always been there, lurking underground in the form of hungry shells. Wen Yao had arranged everything long ago; while she was drawing attention, three Blood Knights had infiltrated beneath the battlefield. Now that their trump cards were known, there was no need for further hesitation, so the Blood Knights broke through the surface and fired upon their own kind.

Qingxia's eyes lost their color; she stared blankly at the tip of the spear. In the end, her spear only managed to draw a single drop of blood from the Plague Demon. The bombardment of Meteor Dust ceased at that moment, and Wen Yao drew his sword, piercing Qingxia's heart with a single strike.

The Qingkun Spear fell to the ground, and Qingxia fell to the spear of her own kind.

Chapter 224 Until the Last Moment

"Qingxia..." "Get out of the way!" "Qingxia!!"

I heard everyone's voices.

An anxious, worried cry.

No one had called her that before. Perhaps her injuries were quite severe this time. But now was not the time to worry about her injuries. She had to stand up. To block Wen Yao. To block her…

The light in my vision vanished sometime ago. Only a drop of blood remained on the tip of the spear. Wen Yao smiled maliciously. Was I blocked? Me? The other Blood Knights? When...

The soft sword pierced the heart, annihilated the muscles, and the faint heartbeat that sustained life ceased. The world was turned upside down. The silhouette of the plague demon lingered in the dim light.

It didn't block it.

It still failed.

She heard the mockery of her own kind, overwhelming and like the intrusive chirping of a swarm of insects. Wen Yao was walking towards the exhausted Ji Huaisu. In the distance, the Shaks roared. And she lay on the ground, looking around blankly.

How annoying. It feels like I've gone back to the day my grandfather died. On that day, she was also staring blankly, unable to move, unable to fight back, unable to do anything. Chu Hengkong gave her his own heart, but even with a human heart, is there still nothing she can do?

No. If this continues, everything will end. No.

Get moving. Get moving.

The sound of heartbeats and breathing fell silent.

Get moving!

·

"Lord Wenyao, how interesting," Huang Li sneered. "Look at the look in her eyes before she died; it was as if she thought she could kill you."

She stomped on Qingxia's abdomen, squeezing more blood from the wound; this torturous, toy-like act gave the Blood Knight direct pleasure. Fuhuo and Jiandu joined in with great interest, wanting to see if the corpse's expression would change before death.

"Stop wasting time and get under control," Wen Yao instructed.

The three blood knights simultaneously withdrew their weapons, the bone weapons stained with murky blood. Wen Yao reached out and touched his exposed heart, a glimmer of blue light emanating from his fingertips.

She drank the azure light, and her severe injuries healed at an incredible speed. Bones reconnected, skin regenerated, and her white hair grew back. In less than two seconds, she was back to her peak Plague Demon form, stunningly beautiful and completely unharmed.

"Is this the power bestowed upon you by your loving mother?" Fu Huo wondered, thinking to himself, why use it now? Could it be that Lord Wen Yao is being presumptuous?

Wen Yao glanced at her: "What do you know? My loving mother gave me this for a reason. Thinking that I used it in advance is a fault, not a merit."

As she spoke, she tilted her head slightly, letting the bullet whizz past her ear. Shaks' position was completely exposed; he was guarding the entrance to the cave. That was originally the deepest part of the fortress, but the previous desperate attack had leveled everything around the battlefield, leaving no cover whatsoever.

The sniper silently loaded his bullets like a machine. He stood up and raised his pistol. He was completely exposed to the toxins; his fragile body had turned into a viscous, jelly-like substance. However, his eyes were specially made prosthetics, so he could still see.

At this moment, Shax desperately wished he still had a tower, or at least a large building, so he could have a chance to fire a shot when the Blood Knight attacked. But he had nothing; at this distance, even a sniper rifle was too slow, and he only had a pistol left.

Shax fired, and before the last bullet was released, Huang Li thrust his spear forward, pinning him to the ground. Shax fell silently into the poisonous pool; his last shot had struck Ji Huaisu. It was the last remaining blood-healing bullet, which had replaced the healing component with a stimulant, allowing the exhausted Ji Huaisu to stand up once more.

After that all-out Meteor Dust Break, Ji Huaisu no longer had the power to use spells. She switched her armor to Blazing Armor, using the healing power of the Pure Fire to prolong her death. Now her weapons were only the most basic Shadow Blade and Light Shield. She stood guard at the cave entrance, not retreating an inch.

"Hold her down." Wen Yao waved his hand. "She's my food."

The Blood Knights charged forward, their three menacing weapons slashing at Ji Huaisu's limbs. Ji Huaisu remained unmoved; this small spectacle didn't faze her. She allowed the bone whip to wrap around her neck, her footsteps treading on the shadow of the Locust King, using her light shield to block the Hammer of Fu Huo. This bought her a second. She brought her Shadow Blade and light shield closer, the final Dust Strike about to be unleashed.

However, Huang Li broke free of her restraints and charged forward aggressively, crushing Ji Huaisu's wrists with both hands. The difference in their physical constitutions was too great; even someone as strong as Ji Huaisu was far inferior to the Blood Knight in terms of physique.

Ji Huaisu slammed a headbutt into Huang Li, who didn't budge and laughed, "Lord Wen Yao, here you go!"

Wen Yao's flight ability would take about ten seconds to recover, which she could use to replenish it. This Discipline Knight's strength was unparalleled; a weaker Plague Demon would likely have perished here. He was truly a perfect meal. The knight coldly watched her, his gaze far more pleasant than any she had ever tasted before. Wen Yao couldn't help but feel pleased; she eagerly awaited the taste of this heart.

She drew her soft sword, but failed to strike. A hand gripped her weapon, a cage as hard as steel!

Wen Yao saw astonishment in the Blood Knight's eyes, and she smelled the blood-stained wind. Silently, a massive shadow fell from behind her. Then, a powerful punch slammed into Wen Yao's soft sword, shattering the Plague Demon's weapon to pieces!