Zhu unleashed the second form, Dragon-Severing Purgatory. A crimson bloodlight enveloped him, chilling the crowd to their bones.
As the first form struck, he felt his life force drain but was thrilled to find Weiting weaker than expected, strong but impure.
If his guess was right, the second strike would cripple Weiting, and the third would kill him. The second form struck.
"How is this possible?" a voice gasped.
"Fortieth heaven power!" another cried.
Amid the shocked cries, someone recognized the technique's origin. "The Annihilation Six Forms of the Blood Shadow Demon Art. The assassin is from the demon sect!"
Six forms? Mei's heart skipped a beat. Zhu pursued Weiting, striking from above.
Guards unleashed palm strikes, but against fortieth heaven power, their attacks crumbled before reaching him.
Zhu's fists thundered, smashing into Weiting's chest.
"Agh!"
Weiting's protective aura shattered. His chest and spine broke, piercing his organs.
He flew backward, killing anyone he touched, blood spraying as he soared, grievously wounded.
Mei rejoiced. The plan had succeeded beyond expectation. Weiting, too injured to use his signature move, was near death.
But as Weiting flew back, Zhu halted, his face flickering with uncertainty. He roared skyward, unleashing a terrifying surge of energy.
The energy swept outward, killing and wounding dozens within ten zhang. Blood spurted from his mouth, and he collapsed.
"Zhu!"
Clearly, he had succumbed to qi deviation. Mei, panicked, rushed to her son.
With only a fraction of her strength, she moved slowly. Halfway there, enemies attacked her fallen son.
The South Sea Sect leader, Qianlang, and the Limitless Fist Sect master, Picheng, both cowards who fled during the initial assault, saw their chance.
Exchanging a glance, they struck Zhu from both sides.
Thud! Thud!
Two muffled impacts, their attacks absorbed like mud into the sea. Realizing their mistake, they tried to retreat.
A bone-chilling cold surged through their arms. Onlookers saw their success turn to horror.
Like wax by a flame, their bodies melted from the head down into pools of red pus, sickening the crowd.
"Blood Shadow Demon Art. It truly is the Blood Shadow Demon Art!" someone shouted.
"Wait, are these not the Song family's demoness and her bastard? They are indeed from the demon sect!" another added.
Mei reached Zhu, supporting his body, desperate to break through. The crowd, armed and hostile, surrounded them.
With her strength gone, escape seemed impossible.
Heaven has blessed us, she thought. Zhu has slain that traitor. Even if we die here, it is not in vain.
As Mei lost hope, chaos erupted. Masked figures charged from the east, shouting, "Do not harm our lady!"
"Young master, fear not, we are here!" another called.
Their martial skills were formidable, wielding heavy weapons that cut through all resistance.
With most experts gathered around Weiting, they carved a bloody path in moments.
Mei's heart leaped. "Are these Hongmen brothers lending aid?"
Grateful, she thought heaven had shown mercy, that some remembered her husband's kindness and stood by them in this crisis.
The masked group reached them swiftly. Their leader called out, "Madam and young master, retreat. We will hold them off."
With the situation dire and Zhu's condition critical, Mei felt guilty but complied.
"What are the names of you noble brothers? The Song family will repay your righteousness," she said.
"Why say such things, madam?" the leader replied. "We are but nameless pawns of the sect."
"To spread the true god's teachings and serve the sect master loyally, every member would gladly die, our bodies shattered, without regret," he continued.
His words struck Mei like lightning. She gasped, "You…"
The leader laughed dryly, then shouted for all to hear, "This mission to topple Hongmen is a complete success. The heartland warriors are utterly defeated."
"The sect master is pleased. Holy Consort and young master, return to the main altar at once," he added.
Without giving Mei a chance to respond, they charged back into the crowd.
The title "Holy Consort" was reserved for the Joyous Sect master's concubines. By saying this, he branded Mei and Song Zhu as the sect master's consort and son.
He proclaimed it loudly before the crowd. This injustice was a stain she could never wash away.
As if a bottomless abyss opened beneath her, Mei stood dazed until Zhu's groan snapped her back.
Gritting her teeth, she lifted him onto her back and fled the scene.
Behind her echoed endless accusations, curses, and the chaos of a slaughter.
Amid the fortress's chaos, Mei carried Zhu to a small, secluded warehouse, unlikely to be found soon.
She quietly broke the lock, and they slipped inside.
Lighting a firestarter, its faint glow revealed Zhu. He bore no external wounds, but his qi was chaotic, surging uncontrollably.
His body was ice-cold, gradually frosting over, his face ashen like ancient ice, trembling. Qi deviation had turned his unleashed energy against him.
"Mother," he groaned, "I feel terrible."
Mei's heart burned with worry, but she knew no cure.
If a master like her elder brother or husband were here, they could force his rampant qi back with their inner strength. But she could not.
Her knowledge of the Blood Shadow Demon Art was too limited.
"Mother!"
His icy hands slid to her hips, the chill piercing through her clothes.
Mei knew what he needed but hesitated. This was enemy territory, with danger at every turn. How could they act so recklessly?
Another groan, faint as a thread, reached her ears. Blood trickled from his nose and mouth.
Throwing shame aside, she pulled down his trousers. His cock, swollen to the size of a child's arm, pulsed with exposed veins.
It was grotesque and dangerous, as if it might burst.
With swift movements, Mei loosened her belt, shedding her trousers and undergarments, setting them aside. Her jade-like lower body gleamed.
Aligning herself, she straddled his waist and lowered herself.
"Hngh!"
Her pink, luscious pussy slowly engulfed his icy cock. Mei grunted, the stretch painful, the cold making her shiver, as if she had taken an ice rod inside her.
Yet, as she did, Zhu's groans softened. The act was stabilizing him.
Mei stripped off her remaining clothes and removed his upper garments. Their naked bodies pressed together.
She lay gently atop him, her pussy gripping his cock, her breasts rubbing his chest, warming him with her body.
Her breath hitched as his cold shaft stirred inside her, a mix of pain and forbidden arousal coursing through her veins.
Their bodies joined, they circulated their qi silently. Hours passed.