Piaohua Palace: Ten Thousand Beast Blood Pool
Lin Chen sat cross-legged in the center of the blood pool, submerged up to his neck in dark red water. The pool boiled and roiled, every drop containing frenzied demonic beast essence blood that constantly eroded his skin with faint "hiss" sounds of corrosion. He clenched his teeth, circulating the Primordial Spirit Devouring Art to forcibly draw the spiritual power from the blood water into his body, his meridians feeling like they were being pierced by thousands of steel needles simultaneously.
[System: Host is in an overdraft weakened state (18 days remaining). Absorbing fourth-stage beast essence blood. Recovery speed +30%, but pain value +200%. Warning: Forced cultivation may damage your foundation.]
"Brother, are you alright?" Lin Ying crouched by the pool, small hands tightly gripping her clothes, eyes full of worry. The Fiery Demon Wolf pup on her shoulder also let out low whimpers, seemingly able to sense its master's pain.
"I'm fine." Lin Chen opened his eyes, a trace of bloody light flashing in his pupils, "Kill three more, and my core will recover to sixty percent."
Before his words fell, a heaven-shaking roar suddenly came from the depths of the blood pool. The water surface exploded as a fourth-stage peak "Sky-Splitting Demonic Ape" broke through the water. Its mountain-like body brought up a rain of blood, its arms like heavenly pillars smashing toward Lin Chen's head. The ape's eyes were scarlet red, clearly its mind had been eroded by the blood pool's malevolent energy.
"Perfect timing!" Lin Chen grinned savagely, his figure advancing instead of retreating. His Thunder-Patterned Core was forcibly activated, his right fist wrapped in purple lightning as he met the attack head-on.
BOOM——!
Fist and arm collided, erupting with thunderous explosions. Lin Chen flew backward three zhang, slamming heavily against the stone wall at the blood pool's edge, stirring up large patches of water as he spat out mouthfuls of blood. The demonic ape also staggered back two steps, its chest scorched black by lightning, flesh curling.
[Warning: Host forcibly activated spiritual power. Weakened state extended by 3 days. Remaining: 21 days.]
"Again!" Lin Chen wiped away the blood, his battle intent undiminished as he leaped back into the pool's center.
At this moment, Su Miaoyin's urgent voice came from outside the blood pool, carrying clear panic: "Young Master Lin! The Tianxuan Sect people... the Tianxuan Sect people came early! They're at the mountain gate right now!"
Lin Chen's expression changed drastically, his heart sinking heavily. Two whole days early!
---
Piaohua Palace: Mountain Gate.
Tianxuan Sect's outer court executive elder Yue Buqun led twelve Golden Core executors, arriving with overwhelming momentum. Yue Buqun wore black robes, his face pale and beardless, his eyes sinister as a snake. His mid-stage peak YuanYing pressure covered the sky and earth, bending the ancient trees outside the mountain gate.
"Meng Qingcheng, hand over Lin Chen, the murderer of our Tianxuan Sect's outer court disciples and raised beasts!" Yue Buqun's voice was like a great bell, shaking the air until it buzzed, "Otherwise, today I will flatten your Piaohua Palace!"
Meng Qingcheng stood atop the mountain gate, white robes fluttering, her expression indifferent as ice: "Elder Yue has quite the tone. Your Tianxuan Sect disciples at Black Wind Fortress committed all kinds of evil, robbing merchant caravans and murdering for goods—they deserved to die. Lin Chen acted on behalf of heaven, what crime is there?"
Her voice wasn't loud but clearly entered everyone's ears, carrying unquestionable authority.
Yue Buqun's face turned livid, veins bulging at his temples: "Sharp-tongued! Lin Chen killed my Tianxuan Sect people, and blood must be repaid with blood!"
"Blood debt?" Meng Qingcheng sneered as if hearing the world's greatest joke, "Who will repay the blood debt your Tianxuan Sect created at Black Wind Fortress?"
The two confronted each other, the atmosphere tense enough to snap, the air almost solidifying.
At this moment, a blood-stained figure shot into the sky from the rear mountain direction, covered in blood, his killing intent thick as substance—Lin Chen!
"Old bastard, your Tianxuan Sect's people were killed by me! Want revenge? Come on!" Lin Chen's voice was hoarse but carried overwhelming battle intent.
Yue Buqun's gaze swept over Lin Chen, accurately perceiving his early-stage Core Formation and weakened state, the corners of his mouth curving into a cruel arc: "Meng Qingcheng, you actually expect this half-dead waste to withstand my Tianxuan Sect's fury?"
[System: Emergency Alert—Enemy attack ahead of schedule! Original 7-day period not yet arrived. Host has no preparation time! Recommendation: Full overdraft, quick battle!]
"Whether I'm waste or not, you won't know until you try." Lin Chen grinned, his teeth dyed scarlet with blood, his Thunder-Patterned Core spinning madly as he actively charged at Yue Buqun.
[System: Host's ironclad rule triggered—erupt on the spot, never endure!]
[System: Exceptional approval granted—can overdraft 5 days of future Killing Intent Points, total: 200. Confirm?]
"Confirm!" Lin Chen's eyes were blood-red, "Today, either he dies or I die!"
[Overdraft successful! Killing Intent Points +200. Current: 0/4000 (300 overdraft). Weakened state extended to 30 days!]
[Skill "Lady's Friend" forcibly activated! Duration: 3 seconds!]
Yue Buqun was a male cultivator, the skill effects fully activated:
- Damage to males +500%
- Reduce male damage -95%
The miniature chancellor's crown appeared above Lin Chen, but this time it was dim and filled with cracks. The domineering announcement echoed across the field:
"I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me!"
In an instant, Yue Buqun's movements froze, his internal spiritual power stagnating for a full three seconds! It was this fatal stagnation that caused his YuanYing pressure to plummet by ninety percent!
"What's happening?! My cultivation..." Yue Buqun's face changed drastically, his eyes full of disbelief.
Lin Chen grinned savagely: "Old bastard, you have today too!"
He detonated the "Demonic Madness Powder" that Meng Qingcheng had given him. From the blood pool direction, ten furious beast roars shot into the sky. Ten fourth-stage demonic beasts broke through the water, eyes scarlet red, pouncing on the nearest target without distinction—Yue Buqun!
"Beasts, get lost!" Yue Buqun responded in haste, but with his spiritual power restricted, a palm that could originally kill three beasts now could only repel one.
[System: Yue Buqun is suppressed by the skill, his strength plummeting to peak Golden Core level!]
The remaining nine beasts instantly lunged forward, claws and fangs tearing open deep, bone-visible wounds on him.
Lin Chen collapsed on the ground, bleeding from his seven orifices, yet laughed maniacally: "Tianxuan Sect elder? Nothing special!"
[Host's framing successful! Hatred transfer +50!]
Yue Buqun's hair and beard stood on end in fury. Ignoring the beast siege, he burned his essence blood to forcibly break free from the suppression and sent a palm strike toward Lin Chen.
Lin Chen rolled to the side, dodging the palm strike. The palm wind swept past, creating a three-foot-deep crater where he had just lain.
"Enough." Meng Qingcheng spoke indifferently, her figure motionless as a Half-Step Deity Transformation's pressure enveloped the entire scene like a sky canopy, "Elder Yue recklessly intruded into my Piaohua Palace's forbidden grounds, disturbing the blood pool's seal. Now the beast tide is out of control. If he dies to beasts, your Tianxuan Sect brought it upon yourselves."
As her words fell, she actually actively dispersed the spiritual pressure protecting Yue Buqun!
Without the final obstruction, the nine frenzied beasts instantly overwhelmed the severely injured Yue Buqun. Sounds of tearing and screams echoed across the mountain gate. The dignified mid-stage peak YuanYing elder was torn apart on the spot, his YuanYing even ripped apart and swallowed by a demonic ape.
[Target eliminated: Yue Buqun (mid-stage peak YuanYing). Killing Intent Points +600. Current: 0/4000.]
[Congratulations on completing an extreme counter-kill! Reward: Weakened state shortened to 15 days.]
The twelve Golden Core disciples were scared out of their wits, fleeing in panic, not even daring to collect Yue Buqun's corpse.
Meng Qingcheng sent a private telepathic message to Lin Chen in the deep pit, her voice carrying rare warmth: "Well done. For the next fifteen days, you will recuperate in the blood pool. On the sixteenth day, I will send you to Emei Palace."
[End of Chapter 19]