A blood-red arrow shot across the sky like a meteor, piercing Blade Cutter Salka's groin at tremendous speed. It exited through his rear without losing momentum and slammed into the mysterious space's Barrier, sending ripples across its surface.
"Aaaargh—!!!"
A furious scream shook the entire space. Blade Cutter Salka's face was dark, his scarlet eyes fixed on Blood War and the war-crossbow in his hands, hatred flashing deep within them.
Unfortunately, his limbs were bound; for the moment he could not break free.
Otherwise, even at the cost of his own life, he would have slaughtered this despicable man who had just inflicted a second grievous injury on his 'little brother'!
"Whew—my blood energy's drained too much."
Blood War's face was pale, his breath ragged. "If only I could fight at full strength; I'd loose three bolts in a row and leave him critically wounded!"
"All right, drink a Blood-replenishing Potion first. Let the others take over for now."
Blood Spirit aimed both hands at the distant crimson array, forcibly locking Blade Cutter in place. Without turning her head she said, "Two City Lords, it's your turn."
"Please wear him down as much as possible. When this is done… you'll be handsomely rewarded."
"Hehe, sure thing!"
The enthusiastic woman stepped forward, her gaze sweeping across Blade Cutter's groin. She chuckled, "Tsk, such ruthless shots. Two arrows alone have probably dropped the boss from 1.5 billion Combat Power to barely a billion."
"Sister Yao, let's move together."
The woman turned to the icy lady gripping a sky-blue longsword.
"Hmph."
With a cold snort the icy woman locked her eyes on the trapped Blade Cutter, vanished in a flicker, and reappeared behind him.
Icy energy surged, condensing to a single point on her frost sword as she thrust it straight into the wound on his back!
A tearing sound rang out.
Black blood gushed. The icy woman spun away like a gust of wind, flipped her blade, and seven brilliant sword-lights formed, shooting into Blade Cutter's eyes, ears, nostrils and mouth!
Pfft—!!!
In an instant more black blood spurted forth!
Blade Cutter dropped to one knee, releasing an earth-shaking howl toward the sky.
Meanwhile the icy woman's aura faltered; she swayed, turned into a beam of white light, left the special space and reappeared on the altar at the edge of the Abyss Sea.
"I've given my all. From here… it's up to you."
Her voice was flat, devoid of emotion. After those words she sat cross-legged and began recovering.
The onlookers gulped and instinctively backed away several steps.
Everyone had witnessed the sudden burst of Tian Gang City's lord.
In short, one line summed it up—ruthless and taciturn!
From the shadows beyond the altar Lin Bei watched the icy woman's explosive strike and clicked his tongue in admiration.
That attack… truly vicious!
Pity her Combat Power was too low. If she'd had Xue Yi's level, that sequence would have cost Blade Cutter at least half his life.
"Damn you! Damn you all!!!"
Within the special space Blade Cutter Salka roared, the scarlet in his pupils turning completely black.
In the next instant his aura erupted; he tore the Blood-forged Chains apart and, like a teleport, swept his arm-blades in a lethal arc toward the members of Blood God Hall!
"Not good!"
Seeing this, a flicker of anxiety crossed Blood Spirit's usually calm eyes.
She spat a mouthful of blood, sketched a sigil in the air, and every Blood God Hall member turned into phantom blood-shadows that streamed into the crimson seal before her.
"Withdraw!"
Leaving Blood War with those words, Blood Spirit grasped the blood seal and dissolved into motes of starlight, vanishing.
Blood War crushed a Teleportation Talisman, trying to escape the battlefield.
But he was a heartbeat too late.
Blade Cutter's strike landed, severing both his legs at the root!
The Lord of Tian Kui City saw this and instantly dispersed into a ball of flame, disappearing.
Only the enraged Blade Cutter remained—along with the pair of long legs lying at his feet.
His body ruined, Blade Cutter was no longer the hundred-metre titan of before; he had shrunk to a tenth of his former size.
He picked the legs off the ground, tossed them into his cavernous maw, crunched bones and flesh together, and swallowed.
Crimson light enveloped him; his wounds began to close.
In less than a minute every injury had healed.
Yet the earlier damage had still weakened him.
Now he could barely bring out half his strength.
"Damn it, one step too late!"
At the altar Blood War's legs had regrown, but his face remained paper-white.
Blade Cutter's frenzied blow had left a lingering Cutting force in the wound that continuously shredded his flesh, tormenting him.
He now had to divert part of his power to repair the wound, greatly limiting his own strength.
Before, he could fire three Blood-bolt Arrows in succession; now two would leave him spent.
"Scared me to death! That was razor-close! Luckily the boss didn't target me first, or this lady would've been skinned alive!"
The Lord of Tian Kui City said, patting her chest in fright.
Realizing how that sounded, she quickly laughed. "Ahem… sorry, didn't mean it. Don't mind me."
Blood Spirit gave her a cool glance, said nothing, and produced the blood seal again, dispersing it with a hand sign.
A dozen pale figures immediately appeared around the altar.
They were the Blood God Hall members who had been hanging by a thread earlier.
"Are you all right? Rest half an hour, then we challenge Blade Cutter again!"
Blood Spirit frowned, sweeping her gaze across them.
"No need to ask them!"
Blood War's face darkened. He stared at Blood Spirit. "You force-used the Blood Spirit Seal just to save them? Do you realize how much that costs us in the next wave?"
He was furious at her arbitrary decision.
If those people had stalled the boss for even a moment, he wouldn't be injured and unable to fight at full strength now.
To him they were mere tools, meant to be thrown away as shields.
"They're still useful—they can activate the Blood-Slaughter Array."
Blood Spirit frowned and answered coolly.
"You—"
Before Blood War could retort, the icy woman cut in: "I've done my part. The rest is none of my business. Pay the balance."
"What do you mean? We agreed—after success—"
"Pay or not?"
The icy woman's tone was flat.
"I refu—"
"Pay."
Blood Spirit cut him off, tossing the icy woman a Storage Bag.
"Pleasure doing business."
After a glance inside the bag the icy woman's look softened. She left without another word.
The Lord of Tian Kui City hesitated, torn.
In the end she sighed and stayed; she hadn't fought yet and was too embarrassed to demand payment.
Fine—next battle she'd strike quickly to avoid losing both reward and face!
The Blood God Hall members looked ashen, hearts cold.
They had clearly heard Blood War's words.
In his eyes they were expendable pawns.
Had Blood Spirit not intervened, they would have died without question.
A heavy silence fell.
Each of them, nursing their own thoughts, seized the moment to recover.
From the shadows at the altar's edge Lin Bei watched quietly, his nascent plans taking deeper root.