Chapter 902: Both a Sword Saint and a Demoness
"Clan leader, please reconsider. The young master is certainly at fault, but his crime does not warrant death," someone advised.
"Clan leader, spare the young master this once. He only offended Sword Saint Feiyu because he was thinking of the Zhenyu Ancient Clan."
Amid the crowd's dissuasion, Wang Beilie ultimately held back and did not deliver the palm strike, withdrawing his sacred qi.
At the same time, several elders of the Zhenyu Ancient Clan knelt before Ling Feiyu, pleading for Wang Jie's sake.
Ling Feiyu's gaze locked onto Wang Jie, filled with killing intent. Then, she turned to Wang Beilie and said, "Clan Leader Wang, this is the last time. If it happens again, do not blame me for showing no mercy."
With that, she used a strand of sacred qi to sweep up the severely injured Zhang Ruochen, flew off the arena platform, and departed.
The lightning in the sky quickly dissipated.
The vast sacred might that had enveloped the area gradually faded as well. The crowd present finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Many of them had their clothes soaked through, and their legs felt weak. The terror they had experienced was enough to be unforgettable for a lifetime.
The various half-saint domain kings from the Ministry of War all remained silent, not daring to step forward and stop them. They could only watch Ling Feiyu and Zhang Ruochen leave.
It wasn't that they were cowardly, but rather that their cultivation levels were far too inferior to Ling Feiyu's. Only someone with the rank of Heavenly King would be qualified to speak with her.
How many Heavenly Kings were there in the entire Ministry of War?
Although Wan Zhaoyi also held the rank of Heavenly King, he was the youngest and the weakest. There was a considerable gap between him and Ling Feiyu, and he simply couldn't intimidate her.
Jian Kongzi withdrew from the arena platform, his face pale and his spirit utterly dejected. He returned the Vajra Child to Wan Zhaoyi.
He knelt on one knee and said, "Subordinate failed to complete the mission. Please punish me, Heavenly King."
Wan Zhaoyi held the Vajra Child in his palm, casually playing with it, and said, "This matter is not your fault. Rise first."
Jian Kongzi felt a slight relief and slowly stood up, asking, "Heavenly King, are you really just going to let Zhang Ruochen go like this?"
"Ling Feiyu is clearly protecting Zhang Ruochen. As long as she remains in the Zhenyu Ancient Clan, with our strength, it's impossible to take Zhang Ruochen away. Let's set this matter aside for now. Our current great enemy is the Undying Blood Clan."
Wan Zhaoyi's gaze shifted to Shengshu Cainü and said, "The Undying Blood Clan has been laying plans within the Zhenyu Ancient Clan for years to rescue the Underworld King. There are bound to be many infiltrators. If we don't root them out, it will be extremely disadvantageous for our campaign against the Undying Blood Clan. Lady Cainü knows all under heaven. Do you know how to identify the true forms of the Undying Blood Clan?"
Shengshu Cainü sat quietly to the side like a white orchid, a contemplative expression on her face.
After a long moment, she said, "It is said that eight hundred years ago, the Ming Emperor of the Holy Bright Central Empire led various sacred clans and sects through a protracted war, defeating the Undying Blood Clan and sealing them on Manji Island."
"Afterward, the Ming Emperor ordered the Grand Tutor Shangguan Que and the participating saints to jointly compile a book specifically about the Undying Blood Clan, called the 'Blood Clan Secret Scroll.'"
"When I returned to the Central Imperial City, I searched the various libraries of the Confucian Path but could not find the 'Blood Clan Secret Scroll.' I did, however, find some related books that prove the Ming Emperor did indeed order its compilation. Thus, this matter is certainly not a rumor."
Although Zhang Ruochen had previously revealed two methods for identifying the Undying Blood Clan to all the sword cultivators present at the Liangyi Sect, those methods could only identify ordinary Undying Blood Clan members.
Those with special bloodlines, who had undergone special training or transformation, could not be distinguished even by saints.
For this reason, the 'Blood Clan Secret Scroll' was particularly important.
Wan Zhaoyi nodded and said, "I have also heard some news about the 'Blood Clan Secret Scroll.' It is said that not only the imperial court is searching for it, but the Undying Blood Clan has also dispatched a large number of strong warriors to seek it out everywhere."
Jian Kongzi's eyes flickered, and he said, "The one who first revealed the news of the 'Blood Clan Secret Scroll' was Lin Yue, the sword path prodigy of the Liangyi Sect. According to our Ministry of War's intelligence, that Lin Yue is very likely Zhang Ruochen."
"Unfortunately, Zhang Ruochen is very likely allied with the Undying Blood Clan. It's almost impossible to get information about the 'Blood Clan Secret Scroll' from him."
Shengshu Cainü said, "According to the latest news from the Eastern Domain, in the Underworld, Zhang Ruochen killed several half-saints of the Undying Blood Clan, including a direct royal clansman. Therefore, the possibility of Zhang Ruochen allying with the Undying Blood Clan is extremely slim."
Wan Zhaoyi's gaze sharpened. "If Zhang Ruochen hasn't defected to the Undying Blood Clan, then the other sword bearer, Xiang Zhengfeng, is very suspicious. Perhaps we can use him to find the Undying Blood Clan infiltrators within the Zhenyu Ancient Clan."
The Ministry of War had countless connections with the Zhenyu Ancient Clan, and more than one domain king from the Ministry of War was stationed there.
Therefore, Wan Zhaoyi was well aware of the cause and effect of the confrontation between Zhang Ruochen and Xiang Zhengfeng two days ago.
One of them must have defected to the Undying Blood Clan.
Ling Feiyu brought Zhang Ruochen back to her cave dwelling and threw him directly onto the ground. Then, from her snow-white jade hand, she tossed out a small, exquisite jade box.
"Take this Withered Wood Pill first," she said expressionlessly.
Zhang Ruochen took the jade box in his hand, endured his injuries, clasped his hands together, and bowed to Ling Feiyu. "Thank you, Sword Saint, for your assistance. If not for you..."
Before he could finish, Ling Feiyu interrupted him. "You don't need to thank me. Two Withered Wood Pills cost one drop of divine blood. Saving your life costs one hundred drops of divine blood. In total, that's one hundred and two drops. You can choose to give them to me yourself, or I can come and take them myself."
The corner of Zhang Ruochen's mouth twitched.
This Sword Saint Feiyu certainly had ulterior motives.
However, the price she quoted wasn't too outrageous.
"So my life is worth one hundred drops of divine blood. The Sword Saint thinks highly of this junior," Zhang Ruochen said.
One hundred drops of divine blood could be used to buy the life of a ninth-rank half-saint. In Ling Feiyu's mind, Zhang Ruochen's life was also worth one hundred drops of divine blood, which was naturally quite expensive.
Zhang Ruochen didn't show any dissatisfaction. He directly took one hundred and two drops of divine blood from the inner space of his space ring and handed them to Ling Feiyu.
What else could he do if he was dissatisfied?
With his current cultivation, bargaining with Ling Feiyu was clearly unrealistic. It was better to be straightforward and maintain some dignity.
Ling Feiyu took the divine blood, held it in her palm, and suspended it in midair.
Suddenly, a vast surge of sacred qi manifested, turning into a purple cloud that enveloped the entire cave dwelling.
The one hundred and two drops of divine blood, like blood-red stars, revolved around her sacred body.
At the same time, the Lightning Mother Purple Robe slipped off Ling Feiyu's body and flew into the purple sacred qi cloud.
Without the cover of the Lightning Mother Purple Robe, Ling Feiyu was left wearing only a thin, snow-white undergarment, which outlined her ethereal, white immortal body in a tantalizing, indistinct manner.
Her soft, delicate shoulders, her sexy collarbone, and especially the peaks of her chest, were extremely round and firm. Together with her slender willow waist and plump jade hips, they formed a strikingly powerful curve.
Continuing downward were a pair of long, slender jade legs—her thighs round and fair, her calves slim and delicate—presenting an ultimate temptation.
Zhang Ruochen only glanced at her and felt his masculine energy churn violently in his lower abdomen, turning into a ball of flame.
It was easy to imagine that this former Holy Maiden of the Demon Sect must have been peerlessly beautiful and enchanting in her youth, far from the cold sword saint she was now.
In her era, any man of the same generation who saw her would probably feel inferior and unable to lift his head to appreciate her beauty.
Truly a demoness who could move even a Buddha.
At that moment, under Ling Feiyu's control, a drop of divine blood flew toward the Lightning Mother Purple Robe suspended in midair.
With a "chi" sound, the Lightning Mother Purple Robe absorbed the divine blood.
Strange patterns, more complex than advanced inscriptions, appeared on the surface of the Lightning Mother Purple Robe. As the robe absorbed more and more divine blood, the patterns grew denser.
Standing to the side, Zhang Ruochen forcibly averted his gaze and stared at the Lightning Mother Purple Robe, thinking to himself, "So she's using divine blood to enhance the Lightning Mother Purple Robe."
The Lightning Mother Purple Robe must possess divinity. The more divine blood it absorbed, the more powerful it would become.
The power of the Lightning Mother Purple Robe was likely even greater than her Zangtian Sword.
After a long while, the Lightning Mother Purple Robe completely absorbed the one hundred and two drops of divine blood, then flew back onto Ling Feiyu's body, once again covering her exquisite, graceful figure.
Ling Feiyu turned around and glanced at Zhang Ruochen. "Now you should know why I wanted to buy divine blood from you. So? Have you decided what you want?"
Zhang Ruochen stared into her beautiful eyes, clearly seeing each of her lovely eyelashes. He nodded. "I have."
(Another chapter will follow later, but it will be quite late. It's best if you wait until tomorrow morning to read it.) (To be continued.)