Chapter 237: Blood of Sealing the Ghost

It was past noon but not yet dusk. The sky had been clear, but with the arrival of the woman in white, clouds suddenly gathered overhead, forming a dense, dark mass. Faint flashes of lightning were visible within them.

Especially the ferocious ghostly face formed by these dark clouds, which now looked down with a malevolent intent. It seemed as if with a single thought from the woman, this specter would rush into the Demon Suppression Division and lunge at Xu Qing.

The area outside the Demon Suppression Division was usually sparsely populated. Now, it was completely deserted.

The disciples of the Demon Suppression Division had been immediately dispatched by Xu Qing after he received the intelligence report.

So, currently, only Xu Qing remained within the Demon Suppression Division.

He sat in the reception hall, the "Demons Fighting for Food" painting behind him. Hearing the commotion, he looked up. His calm gaze spanned the large courtyard, settling on the woman in white standing outside the main gate.

Xu Qing paid no mind to the cloudy specter above her head. He also ignored the black spherical ghostly faces behind her.

His gaze, sharp as lightning, fixated on the woman at the entrance. It was as if he could see through her essence.

"A clone?"

A slight ripple crossed Xu Qing's eyes. He toyed with a jade slip in his hand. This had been sent by the Intelligence Division the moment the other party entered Seven Blood Eyes territory.

It contained detailed information about the woman's origins and background.

"The orthodox cultivators of the Monster Hunt Gate prioritize bloodlines, supplemented by cultivation techniques. This sect worships four sources of bloodlines, which disciples can transplant into their bodies. Each bloodline possesses unique properties and has miraculous effects against abnormalities. Their origins are widely debated."

"Among these, the bloodline transplanted by the Sima clan is called the Blood of Sealing Gloom. It exhibits astonishing capabilities in sealing abnormalities. However, while these four bloodlines are powerful, they are inferior to the legendary mysterious tribe of the Ancient Continent, the Companions of Abnormality."

"Sima Ru is exceptionally talented. After transplanting the Blood of Sealing Gloom, her compatibility was astonishing, making her stand out. She was a sequence heir of the Monster Hunt Gate many years ago. Although not the first, after the few individuals ranked above her achieved Golden Core, she suppressed the disciples of her sect's four branches for several years while still at Foundation Establishment. She then broke through to become a Heavenly Palace Golden Core."

"Her true body is currently in seclusion, so the one here is a clone she forged from her own bones during her peak Foundation Establishment stage. This clone has multiple abnormalities sealed within it. Its combat power exceeds four 'fires' but hasn't reached five; it should be around four and a half 'fires'."

As the contents of the jade slip surfaced in Xu Qing's mind, Sima Ru, the woman in white outside the gate, looked at the reception hall where Xu Qing was, and spoke softly and very politely.

"My younger brother is unruly; he has caused you trouble."

"I apologize on his behalf for his wrongdoings."

Sima Ru's voice was cold and clear. As she finished speaking, wherever her trailing black hair touched the ground, the ground became animated, forming numerous black spherical ghostly faces. These bounced around, mimicking Sima Ru's words with a cacophony of their own.

"Apologize, apologize."

"Trouble, trouble."

The sounds were dense and numerous, as if countless children were scrambling to speak. While unsettling, the many faces appearing on Sima Ru's opened umbrella also produced sounds of crying and laughter.

This scene made the elites of the Seven Sects Alliance, who were observing from a distance, gasp. The Monster Hunt Gate was, in fact, extremely mysterious among the Seven Sects. Other sects usually preferred not to interact with them.

Xu Qing gazed at Sima Ru from afar.

This was his first encounter with her, and he wasn't familiar with her style. However, Sima Ru had been very polite since her arrival. She hadn't forcibly intruded or attacked without reason. She even apologized on her brother's behalf.

She was far from being as arrogant as Sima Ling.

Such a demeanor made it difficult for Xu Qing to harbor much hostility. Nevertheless, his vigilance would not decrease because of her manner. So, he spoke calmly.

"This matter requires me to report to the sect. You may wait a few days."

The woman in white nodded gently upon hearing this. Her expression was serene and elegant as she looked at Xu Qing. Her cool, clear voice spoke softly.

"Waiting a few days is acceptable. However, regarding my brother's wrongdoing, I have apologized on his behalf."

"Then, regarding you hitting him, how should you compensate?"

"My brother enjoys collecting eyes, so let's use one of yours as compensation."

The woman in white maintained a polite and courteous demeanor from beginning to end. Even as she uttered these three sentences, her expression remained unchanged, showing no trace of anger. It was as if, in her mind, everything was supposed to be this way.

Hearing these three sentences, Xu Qing remained silent. He retracted his gaze, abandoning the thought of releasing Sima Ling.

At the same time, as her words faded, the woman in white, Sima Ru, drifted slowly forward, floating through the Demon Suppression Division's main gate and into the courtyard. With her arrival, the clouds above her head rumbled, rolling forward directly to envelop the Demon Suppression Division.

Simultaneously, the black spherical ghostly faces vied with each other to leap through the main gate. As they jumped, they repeated Sima Ru's words.

"Compensate, compensate."

"Compensate, compensate... Ah." Amidst the numerous voices, one black spherical ghostly face, while bouncing, landed in a dark spot. The moment it touched the ground, it was as if it had fallen into an abyss. It vanished instantly, and its voice abruptly ceased.

Almost the instant that black spherical ghostly face disappeared, the formation within the Demon Suppression Division erupted. While isolating the outside world, this formation also sealed the area, preventing outsiders from probing or perceiving anything.

A suppressive force also descended.

But as the woman in white took out a white token from her bosom, this suppressive force instantly halted. Clearly, this token was extraordinary, fully demonstrating the supreme status and venerability of her sect.

While the isolating force still remained, the suppression vital to Seven Blood Eyes against external sects was completely ineffective against her.

The grand protective formation of the esteemed Seven Blood Eyes had actually lost its suppressive power at the flick of an external sect's wrist.

This feeling was like one's own property, which others had permission to use, perhaps even surpassing one's own authority. They could toy with it as they pleased, whether secretly or openly, and yet one could say nothing, because, ostensibly, it truly belonged to them.

This made Xu Qing sigh inwardly. He suddenly understood why the sect elders and others had to implement various covert grand plans.

No one wished to be perpetually and passively controlled by others. A word from the other party could displace one's disciples. A mere token from the other party could render the sect's protective formation, guarding the entire sect's safety, ineffective.

Especially in these chaotic times, where everyone was like tigers, leopards, wolves, and jackals, no one was willing to live as an inferior.

Xu Qing even felt it was highly probable that if the high-ranking officials of the Seven Sects Alliance were to arrive, the Seven Blood Eyes' formation would, with a flick of their hand, likely become a tool to suppress Seven Blood Eyes itself.

"You used this formation to dispel my brother's protective guardian from the battlefield, didn't you?" Sima Ru, the woman in white drifting towards Xu Qing, spoke softly.

By now, she had drifted across the courtyard and reached the outside of the reception hall. Without any hesitation, she floated directly into the reception hall. But the instant her words echoed and her body drifted inside, Xu Qing moved.

He stood up and took a single step, appearing directly before Sima Ru. His face devoid of expression, he unleashed a direct punch.

With this punch, winds and clouds shifted, and the heavens and earth trembled. Its explosive power was incredibly fierce, forming a colossal thunderclap that roared in all directions.

Moreover, the moment Xu Qing made his move, the shadows on the courtyard ground suddenly rose, transforming into countless eyes and wide mouths, vigorously swallowing the black spherical ghostly faces.

At the same time, a black lightning bolt rapidly shot out from a hidden spot nearby, heading straight for the cloudy ghostly face that was currently descending from the sky.

In an instant, earth-shattering, deafening sounds erupted.

The woman in white, Sima Ru, trembled abruptly. Under Xu Qing's punch, her body instantly recoiled, flying directly out of the reception hall and retreating into the courtyard.

Her previously composed expression changed for the first time. All the eerie faces on her opened umbrella widened their eyes, looking not at Xu Qing, but at the courtyard ground.

On the ground, all the black spheres were gone.

All of this made Sima Ru's eyes glow with a faint, eerie light. She looked up, staring at the person now emerging from the reception hall's main door.

Inside the reception hall's main door, flames surged, spreading violently outwards through the doorway. They transformed into the shape of a Golden Crow, enveloping the front, with a magnificent aura like a rainbow.

Within these flames, a faint youthful figure was stepping out, one step at a time.

Around the young man's body, the Golden Crow shrieked. He himself was like the Lord of Flames. The Golden Crow's tail flames formed an imperial robe on him, making him immensely noble. His long hair flowed freely, and the sea of fire became his cloak.

As he walked out, this fiery cloak spread out even further behind him, shaking all directions. Meanwhile, the Golden Crow swooped down, its head rising from above the young man's head, like an imperial crown.

Coupled with his exquisite appearance, at this moment, Xu Qing strode with the might of a dragon and tiger, his aura piercing the firmament. He resembled a young ancient emperor, walking into the human world.

"Golden Crow Refines All Spirits!" The woman in white, Sima Ru, stared at Xu Qing, speaking each word distinctly. Her body blurred, and in an instant, her speed exploded. She suddenly appeared before Xu Qing. Her right hand lifted, fiercely clawing towards his eyes.

Xu Qing's expression remained calm. He abruptly lowered his head, using his own skull, to forcefully collide with the woman's grabbing hand.

This fighting style startled Sima Ru's mind. The next moment, with a bang, Sima Ru's right hand disintegrated. Her expression showed a hint of shock. Her body rapidly retreated.

Xu Qing lunged forward violently. His speed was so great that it surpassed Sima Ru's. He caught up in an instant, raised his right hand, grabbed her hair, and slammed her fiercely onto the ground!

The ground rumbled, cracking and collapsing.

Sima Ru's body suddenly transformed into a large amount of mist, dispersing from Xu Qing's grasp. At this moment, a shrill sound abruptly emanated, as the mist formed numerous eerie shadows that rushed towards Xu Qing from all directions.

Furthermore, above Xu Qing's head, Sima Ru's ghostly umbrella materialized, suddenly pressing down on Xu Qing.

But how could a mere ghostly umbrella be worthy of suppressing a Golden Crow!

The next instant, the Golden Crow, forming an imperial crown, suddenly lifted its head, a hint of disdain in its eyes, and abruptly soared upwards.