Chapter 362: Blood Spirit King
The blood mist grew thicker and thicker, not only enveloping the surroundings but even covering the sky.
How had the fog suddenly appeared?
Almost instantly, Zhang Ruochen and Hua Qingye both held their breath, not daring to inhale the blood mist.
"What's going on? Have we stumbled into some forbidden ground?"
Hua Qingye frowned, retracting the Soul-Shattering Bell and holding it in his palm, ready to launch an attack at any moment.
This was too strange.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Hua Qingye and smiled. "You're a top-tier expert of the Demon Ridge. Surely you're not afraid of stumbling into a forbidden ground?"
Hearing this, Hua Qingye relaxed a little. After all, with his cultivation level, aside from the deadly stretches of the Tongming River and the lairs of some fifth-rank savage beasts deep in the Demon Ridge, most forbidden grounds posed little danger to him.
Hua Qingye shot Zhang Ruochen a glare but didn't rush to deal with him. Instead, he looked into the blood mist and called out in a loud voice, "I am Hua Qingye, the Supreme Leader of the Poison Spider Merchant Guild. Who might you be, friend? Why not come out and meet me?"
In the past, as soon as Hua Qingye announced his name, whether the opponent was a righteous or evil expert, they would have fled immediately.
But today was strange. The blood mist not only failed to dissipate but grew even denser.
From within the blood mist came a strange, wailing sound.
Not just Hua Qingye, but even Zhang Ruochen grew tense. He thought to himself, "In the Demon Ridge, aside from a handful of people, who would dare to provoke the Supreme Leader of the Poison Spider Merchant Guild?"
Suddenly, a woman's eerie cry echoed from the blood mist.
"Whoosh!"
A blood-red figure shot out from the mist, extending a pair of arms as it lunged at Hua Qingye.
"Bold enough to ambush me? You're asking for death."
Hua Qingye's eyes turned cold. He immediately struck out with the Soul-Shattering Bell, hitting the blood-red figure and knocking it to the ground.
It was a woman, clad in blood-soaked clothes, her body covered in red vein-like patterns.
Just as Hua Qingye was about to rush forward and kill her, she sprang up from the ground, dashed back into the blood mist, and vanished.
"Impressive."
Hua Qingye's expression grew unusually grave. Even Zhang Ruochen hadn't seen him look so serious. With his cultivation, anyone who could withstand a blow from him and survive had to be at least at the Heavenly Extreme Realm Great Perfection.
What was more, the fact that she could still escape after being struck by the Soul-Shattering Bell meant her physical defense was astonishing. Even Zhang Ruochen, if hit by that bell, would likely have his body torn apart.
Zhang Ruochen rested his chin on his fingers, deep in thought. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as if he had figured something out. "Could it be a Blood Spirit?"
"A Blood Spirit? How could such a thing exist in the Demon Ridge? No one can refine them," Hua Qingye said.
"Not necessarily."
Zhang Ruochen replied, "If I'm not mistaken, she has arrived."
"Who?" Hua Qingye asked.
Just then, a path opened in the blood mist, and a beautiful woman with hair reaching her waist stepped forward.
Zhang Ruochen and Hua Qingye were both drawn to her immediately.
She appeared to be in her twenties, exuding an eerie, sinister aura. On her forehead was a tiny point of light. Upon closer inspection, that point radiated a divine charm and a sacred aura, starkly contrasting with the sinister energy around her.
Behind her followed six figures clad in blood-red robes—four men and two women. Their veins bulged prominently, forming dense, blood-red patterns.
The woman who had been struck by the Soul-Shattering Bell earlier was one of them.
All six had blood-red eyes, ferocious expressions, and long fangs. They stared hungrily at Zhang Ruochen and Hua Qingye nearby.
"So they really are Blood Spirits."
Hua Qingye stared at the six ghastly, fanged blood beings and drew a cold breath. He felt relieved that they were only Mortal-rank Blood Spirits.
Mortal-rank Blood Spirits were equivalent to cultivators at the Heavenly Extreme Realm Great Perfection. However, their bodies were incredibly tough, almost indestructible. An ordinary Heavenly Extreme Realm Great Perfection martial artist facing a Mortal-rank Blood Spirit would have no chance of survival.
Only the most elite among Heavenly Extreme Realm Great Perfection martial artists could contend with a Mortal-rank Blood Spirit.
With Hua Qingye's cultivation, dealing with a Mortal-rank Blood Spirit would be troublesome but manageable.
What truly terrified Hua Qingye was the beautiful woman standing before the six Mortal-rank Blood Spirits. Who was she? It seemed the six Blood Spirits were all under her command.
Anyone capable of refining Blood Spirits was undoubtedly a fearsome existence.
Zhang Ruochen recognized the woman immediately. It was Lu Han.
Back in the Chi Kong Secret Mansion, after Zhang Ruochen killed Lu Han, her corpse had been possessed by the residual Half-Saint Light of Jin Yun Half-Saint, turning her into a bloodthirsty demon.
The Martial Market Academy had sent numerous experts to hunt her down, but she had always managed to escape.
Since fleeing the Chi Kong Secret Mansion, traces of her had appeared across various commanderies in the Demon Ridge. She had caused countless massacres, drinking human blood to enhance her cultivation. Entire sects had been drained dry, and whole cities had been turned into ghost towns.
Now, encountering her again, she had grown immensely powerful. If she continued her slaughter, she would soon fully merge with the Half-Saint Light and become an evil, bloodthirsty Half-Saint.
Compared to when she first emerged, she now looked much more normal. The violent aura had vanished, and her eyes seemed to hold a glimmer of intelligence.
Clearly, as her cultivation advanced, she had regained some memories and reasoning ability, no longer acting solely on the instinct to drink blood.
Lu Han seemed to recognize Zhang Ruochen. Her eerie yet beautiful eyes fixed on him, and she gave a sinister smile. "I remember you... Zhang Ruochen..."
Zhang Ruochen stood with his sword at the ready, narrowing his eyes. "So you've regained your memories?"
"Haha! My memories come half from Lu Han and half from Jin Yun Half-Saint. But both sets are incomplete—I can only recall fragments. Still, that's enough, because I want to become a completely new being. From now on, you may call me Blood Spirit King."
She continued, "Back then, if you hadn't killed me, I wouldn't have had this fortuitous encounter. Zhang Ruochen, how should I thank you?"
Suddenly, a chilling aura burst forth from the Blood Spirit King.
Her long hair floated in the air as if moved by an unseen wind. Each strand seemed like a fine sword, slicing through the air with a sharp rustling sound.
"Roar!"
The six Blood Spirits behind her also roared, baring sharp claws and gleaming fangs.
At a single command from the Blood Spirit King, they would charge forward and drain Zhang Ruochen dry.
Hua Qingye bowed respectfully to the Blood Spirit King. "Since you've come to settle a score with Zhang Ruochen, I'll take my leave and not disturb you two."
Although Hua Qingye desperately wanted to learn the location of the ancient cave from Zhang Ruochen, he wasn't about to risk his life for it. The Blood Spirit King was clearly no one to trifle with, and in his current state, he likely couldn't defeat her.
"Leaving?"
The Blood Spirit King sneered, extending a pale arm. Her fingers curled into a claw as she channeled the power of the Half-Saint Light and struck at Hua Qingye.
Hua Qingye's expression changed. He immediately activated his movement technique and fled into the distance.
Suddenly, his body went out of control. He floated up from the ground, suspended two meters in the air, his entire body stiff and immobile.
"What's happening? Who are you?"
Hua Qingye was terrified. He had never encountered such a formidable opponent—someone who could effortlessly immobilize him midair.
The Blood Spirit King remained expressionless. A strange force gathered in her palm, drawing Hua Qingye toward her.
"Whoosh!"
Blood droplets seeped from Hua Qingye's pores, turning into blood energy that flowed into the Blood Spirit King's palm and into her body.
"The blood of a Fish-Dragon Realm martial artist is truly delicious. Absorbing your blood will surely make me even stronger."
The Blood Spirit King wore an ecstatic expression as she continued to drain the blood energy. The point of light on her forehead grew brighter, forming a sacred halo around her.
Meanwhile, Hua Qingye screamed in agony, his cries pitiful beyond words.
Now was the time to flee!
"Boom!"
Zhang Ruochen bent his legs and shot forward like a cannonball, landing on a small hill hundreds of meters away.
Without pausing, he activated the Wind-Riding Flying Dragon Shadow and plunged into the dense forest.
"Given the Blood Spirit King's current strength, even if I've refined Jin Yun Half-Saint's sacred blood, it would be nearly impossible to reclaim the Half-Saint Light. I need to get back to the Martial Market Academy first."
Zhang Ruochen knew a secret technique that, using a Half-Saint's blood, could reclaim the Half-Saint Light. The Blood Spirit King had absorbed Jin Yun Half-Saint's Half-Saint Light, and Zhang Ruochen had absorbed Jin Yun Half-Saint's sacred blood. If he used that technique, he might have a chance to take back the Half-Saint Light from within the Blood Spirit King.
However, the Blood Spirit King was terrifyingly powerful. Even Hua Qingye had been helpless against her. Even if Zhang Ruochen used the technique, he would have at most a thirty percent chance of success.
The other seventy percent meant being drained of blood and killed by the Blood Spirit King.
With less than even odds, fleeing was the better option.
Just then, Zhang Ruochen glanced back out of the corner of his eye and was startled.
The six Blood Spirits were hot on his trail.
Because his Martial Soul was damaged, he couldn't draw on the world's natural energy, slowing his movement speed significantly. Soon, the six Blood Spirits caught up.
"As expected of Blood Spirits—they're fast."
One of the Blood Spirits attacked, its claws aiming for Zhang Ruochen's head.
Before it even reached him, Zhang Ruochen could smell the overwhelming stench of blood. How many humans had it drained?
"Bang!"
Zhang Ruochen struck out with the Wild Elephant Stomping the Ground technique, hitting the Blood Spirit in the chest and sending it flying.
But the Blood Spirit was completely unharmed. It flipped back up and lunged at him again.
"What insane defense. No wonder it survived Hua Qingye's attack."
With Hua Qingye's Fish-Dragon First Transformation cultivation, he could kill a Mortal-rank Blood Spirit if he put in the effort, but it would take some work.
A Heavenly Extreme Realm Great Perfection martial artist facing a Mortal-rank Blood Spirit should flee immediately and never try to fight head-on.
Zhang Ruochen wanted to flee too, but with six Blood Spirits surrounding him, escape was impossible.
"If I could break through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm Upper Extreme, my speed would increase, and I might have a chance to escape even with six Blood Spirits chasing me."
Zhang Ruochen sighed. He had only just broken through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm Middle Extreme. Breaking through to the Late Stage was no easy feat.
For now, he had no choice but to fight.