Crimson pillars of light erupted, shaking the air and rippling outward like shockwaves.
In the capital of the Wei Kingdom, panic swept through the streets. Terrified citizens collapsed to their knees, paralyzed by fear.
"Master!"
The one-eyed elder was so overcome with emotion that tears welled up in his eyes.
From within the blazing light, a tall and imposing figure slowly emerged.
His face was cold and severe. Blood-red hair whipped behind him like flames, and the aura he emitted was ancient and oppressive—like a primordial beast awakening from slumber.
His eyes swept across the area with disdain. But when they landed on Hong Qianye, murderous intent flashed within them.
His thin lips moved slightly as he muttered in surprise, "It's you?"
Hong Qianye's expression shifted momentarily before he regained his usual composure. His voice was calm. "It's been a long time, Blood Demon. I didn't expect you to still be alive."
A flicker of emotion crossed Shi Tianjue's eyes, and he let out a low, self-deprecating laugh. "It's been ages since anyone called me that."
Indeed—
This man was none other than Shi Tianjue, the infamous Blood Demon who had supposedly perished more than two centuries ago after being besieged by the sacred grounds of the Central Region.
Like Hong Qianye, he had once stepped into the True Immortal realm.
At his peak, the Blood Demon Cult he founded had surpassed even the formidable Fire Cult, spreading terror across the land.
His cultivation path was utter madness.
Not only did he consume human blood to strengthen himself, he also passed down twisted techniques to his followers—encouraging them to massacre innocents and spread chaos. And when the time was right, he'd betray them all, harvesting their cultivation for his own gain.
His methods spread like a plague throughout the Central Region.
Both righteous sects and demonic factions suffered beneath the cult's bloody rule.
Though his power rose rapidly, the cruelty and treachery of his ways made him a target to all.
Eventually, the great powers united against him. The Blood Demon Cult was annihilated, and Shi Tianjue—the terrifying Blood Demon—was believed to be dead. A fragile peace returned.
No one expected that he had survived… and now he had resurfaced in the barren Arid Province of the Eastern Domain!
If word of this reached the Central Region, the entire cultivation world would be thrown into chaos.
"How did you escape?" Hong Qianye asked steadily. "Countless people saw your body obliterated by sacred artifacts. Your blood was vaporized—there shouldn't have been a trace left."
Shi Tianjue let out a scornful laugh. "Those arrogant fools. I had already separated a drop of my life's blood and hidden it. When I 'died,' that drop became my path to rebirth."
"Unfortunately… I had to start over from nothing. Even the Undying Blood Body must be rebuilt."
His gaze grew cold. "To avoid attention, I secluded myself in the Eastern Domain. But eventually, the sacred grounds there took notice. With no other choice, I escaped here—feeding on low-tier cultivators to restore my strength. It's a slow process, but it keeps me alive."
"I see," Hong Qianye replied, though he sighed inwardly.
As expected from the most treacherous man in the Central Region—he had faked his death and continued cultivating in secret.
Even the demonic sects had turned against him back then. His brutal methods had made him a target of all.
Compared to what he had endured, Hong Qianye realized his own trials seemed lesser.
Had their roles been reversed, he doubted he would've survived.
"It seems we share a similar fate," Shi Tianjue remarked, his gaze narrowing as he noticed the drop in Hong Qianye's cultivation.
"Heh," Hong Qianye chuckled lightly but offered no explanation. The implication was enough.
"Master! Save me! She's going to kill me!"
The Crown Prince, seeing Shi Tianjue, looked more relieved than if his own father had appeared. His voice trembled in terror.
"You want to die?" Hong Qianye's eyes turned frigid.
Before the Crown Prince could react, his body exploded into a fine mist of blood. The red vapor drifted toward Shi Tianjue, vanishing into his nostrils like smoke.
"Big Brother!" the little princess screamed, her face pale with fear.
"Hao'er…" The Wei Emperor looked as though he had aged decades in an instant. A deep, weary sigh escaped him.
"Wasn't he your disciple?" Hong Qianye asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Just an insect. What right did he have to call himself my disciple?" Shi Tianjue said coldly. "Besides, if you wanted him dead, then he dies. You know how I feel about you."
His blood-red hair fluttered in the wind as he clasped his hands behind his back, looking at Hong Qianye with an oddly tender gaze.
If any of the Central Region's major powers witnessed this scene, their jaws would drop in shock—
The infamous Blood Demon… acting sentimental?
Hong Qianye was speechless.
Even in the past, Shi Tianjue had been obsessed with him. When Hong Qianye revealed his true gender and firmly rejected him, the lunatic never gave up.
"Looks like my disciple really is something. Even managed to move this madman," Ye Junlin muttered, rubbing his chin.
He casually grabbed a bag of caramel-flavored melon seeds, cracking them open one by one as he watched the drama unfold like a street play.
At that moment—
Hong Qianye looked straight at Shi Tianjue and shook his head. "It's impossible."
"Still?" Shi Tianjue sighed. "After all these centuries, you're still the only one I admire among the newer generation of demonic elites. Yet you never gave me a chance."
"It was impossible then. It still is now. I've had enough of your obsession."
Boom!
A terrifying pressure descended from above, as though an invisible mountain had crashed down on Hong Qianye's shoulders. The ground beneath him cracked and groaned.
His voice turned icy. "Blood Demon, what are you trying to do?"
"I need to restore my cultivation," Shi Tianjue said calmly. "Now that I've found a former immortal, how could I let this chance go? If you won't accept me… then I'll drain your blood and fuse it with mine. That way—we'll be together forever."
A chilling smile curled his lips—twisted by madness.
"That's deranged," Ye Junlin scoffed under his breath.
Still, he could sense it—Shi Tianjue's cultivation had already returned to the peak of the Transformation Stage, matching his own.
A surge of power erupted from his body.
He soared into the sky like a crimson meteor. Twin golden flames blazed in his gem-like eyes.
Crimson fire spiraled around him, burning the air to cinders.
"Don't bother resisting. You're not on my level," Shi Tianjue said, indifferent.
He wasn't wrong—Hong Qianye was only at the early Transformation Stage, while Shi Tianjue had reached the peak.
Crossing realms to fight was rare—unless the weaker cultivator was exceptionally gifted.
But Shi Tianjue was a genius too. Her odds weren't great.
"Heh. You won't know until we fight," Hong Qianye said with a sneer.
With that, a powerful battle aura surged from him. He activated the Three Thousand Flame Sutra, and his presence skyrocketed—becoming suffocatingly intense.
With a flick of his wrist, five-colored divine flames ignited in his palm. He hurled them forward.
For the first time, Shi Tianjue's expression shifted. He sensed genuine danger.
"What kind of fire is this…"
He didn't dare underestimate it. Mustering his full strength, he slammed his palm forward.
A wave of blood-red energy surged out, forming a sea of screaming ghost faces.
Blood Fury Palm!
Zzzz—!
The moment the technique collided with the divine flames, it was completely incinerated.
The fire pressed on.
Shi Tianjue was caught off guard. It took all his strength to suppress the remaining flames.
Sweat streamed down his face.
"What the hell is this fire? It completely devoured my Blood Fury Palm…" he muttered, clearly shaken.
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