# 1663
Chapter 1656: Imperial Crimson Blood
This despair and suffocation... even if Loki stood before Him, would be like a mere indigenous Chief God playing petty tricks.
Wu Quan's figure slowly rose. He looked down at Lin Qiye and said leisurely:
"Not many people can make me strike twice. You're the only human. Unfortunately, you'll never get to use those little tricks again..."
"Little tricks?" Crimson blood seeped from the corner of Lin Qiye's lips. As he coughed, he slowly rose from the ground, a cold smile on his face. "If they were truly just little tricks... then why would the Key to the Gate go out of its way to send you back two thousand years?
The Key to the Gate noticed me, and you didn't hesitate to sever a finger to come back and kill me... which means that what I'm about to do in this era will threaten you... isn't that right?
You... are afraid of me?"
"Afraid?" Wu Quan coldly laughed. "You overestimate yourself, Lin Qiye. I admit there are some extraordinary things about you... but so what? Last time I failed to kill you. This time... will that fellow come out to help you again?"
Wu Quan's fingertips lifted, and Ame-no-Murakumo violently pulled free from behind Lin Qiye, spinning through the air and slashing across Lin Qiye's chest. A ferocious bloody gash ran from his collarbone all the way down to his lower abdomen, nearly splitting him open!
Lin Qiye's expression contorted in agony as blood wildly splattered across the ground. Despite sustaining two fatal wounds, he gritted his teeth and stood firm on the earth, his eyes locked on the approaching Wu Quan. With an angry roar, his clenched right fist launched forward with tremendous force!
BOOM—!!
Wu Quan's head was shattered by the blow. Blood and white matter splattered across Lin Qiye's entire body, mingling with his own blood—like a blood-soaked figure.
The headless Wu Quan crumpled to the ground with a thud. Moments later, he dissolved into a willow branch covered with eyeballs. A severed black finger floated suspended in the air, having not been smashed to pieces by Lin Qiye's strike. In the swirling colorful mist, it appeared ghastly and bizarre.
The fingertip automatically split open, as if a mouth had grown from it. Chaos's voice rang out once more:
"Die by your own sword... Lin Qiye."
As the words fell, Ame-no-Murakumo howled through the mist. A blade of light flashed as Lin Qiye's neck was cleanly severed. His head slowly rolled to the ground, and his furious eyes still死死盯着那截黑色断指.
At this moment, that powerful heart finally began to slow... then stop completely...
One sword through the heart, one sword through the body, one sword through the neck.
Even a Hongmeng Lingtai body could not withstand three certain-kill strikes from Ame-no-Murakumo. The black finger floated silently in the air for a moment. Confirming that Lin Qiye was truly dead, it transformed into a stream of light and vanished into the distance.
In the churning colorful mist, a blood-soaked corpse lay on the ground, motionless.
Sizzle—
Faintly, a green progress bar flickered above the corpse and vanished in an instant.
"Lin Qiye Treatment Progress: 49%"
...
Outside Chang'an City.
A rolling fire dragon howled and devoured most of the outer wall. The raging flames dyed the entire sky crimson. A cold glint pierced through the fire as two spears collided without any flourish!
Dazzling sparks burst across the night sky. With a fierce stomp, armored Huo Qubing thrust his second spear directly toward his opponent's throat!
CLANG—!!
Robe-clad Huo Qubing blocked the strike with his spear. The terrifying force transmitted through the spear shaft, tearing the robe on one side to shreds!
Robe-clad Huo Qubing grunted, his body stumbling backward several steps. He looked down to find the robe wrapped around him already in tatters. On his side and back, a ferocious sword wound was chilling to behold. As the black banner fragmented, blood poured ceaselessly from the wound.
"Seems like your injuries are worse than this Marquis's. Even if you temporarily sealed your wounds with the Black Dragon Banner, your mobility will be affected." Armored Huo Qubing held his spear with one hand and walked slowly toward him. "This wound... Yu Wu left it, didn't he? What did you do to him?"
Robe-clad Huo Qubing said nothing. He glanced at the approaching colorful mist in the distance and took a deep breath. Then, he directly tore off the remaining pieces of black banner still clinging to his wound.
A scarred young torso was exposed to the air—grotesque yet well-proportioned, like a work of art that had escaped death's grip. Huo Qubing gripped his spear in one hand, his spine straight. As a faint glow ignited in his eyes, a violent gust of wind exploded outward from within his body!
Sand and碎石 were blasted away by this wind like shotgun pellets. Gongyang Wan's form unsteady, she was sent flying more than ten meters by the blast!
She stumbled to stabilize herself on the ground and gazed at robe-clad Huo Qubing. A look of shock appeared in her eyes!
"This aura... Damn it, why is even a fake this powerful?!"
Robe-clad Huo Qubing's body floated up from the earth. The terrifying dominance force flooded back into his body, precisely attaching to every corner of his form. Under his deliberate control, his body began to emanate a crimson glow. His aura surged at an alarming rate!
The thick clouds beneath the crimson star churned as if stirred by an invisible giant hand. A massive vortex slowly rotated above him. Ferocious lightning slithered through the clouds, producing resonant dragon-roaring sounds.
"That is Imperial Crimson Blood." Armored Huo Qubing stared at the terrifying figure in the sky and slowly spoke. "Through precise control of the Dominant Emperor's ability, perfectly commanding one's muscles, blood vessels, and nerves to break the body's limits to the maximum, explosively releasing double or more combat power in an extremely short time... The cost is a severe reduction of one's remaining lifespan, or possibly even instant death.
This usage only existed in my imagination. I never expected him to actually dare put it into practice."
Gongyang Wan raised an eyebrow. "Though just a fake, this魄力 is indeed unexpected... What do you plan to do?"
"He's using Imperial Crimson Blood. If this Marquis doesn't use it too, I won't survive more than a few exchanges under his hand... He's forcing this Marquis to fight him to mutual destruction." Armored Huo Qubing coldly stared at the robe-clad Huo Qubing in the sky. His grip on the spear shaft tightened suddenly!
BOOM—!!
An equally violent gust of wind erupted. Armored Huo Qubing's eyes took on a faint glow. His entire presence surged alongside robe-clad Huo Qubing's!
"He wants a desperate, life-or-death battle with this Marquis... So this Marquis will oblige him." Armored Huo Qubing spoke calmly. The next moment, his form transformed into a stream of light that shot into the clouds. Rolling thunder and lightning tore the entire sky in half!
Dark clouds churned. Lightning crackled like forest teeth. Two "Emperors" charged toward each other above Chang'an City. Visible shockwaves rippled across the sky!