Chapter 2808: 霸虬 Takes the Blame

Winds Rise Across the Nine Provinces

If Bloodlight had collected enough vital energy, or if it had been their essence blood, they would have been severely wounded, if not killed. Given their current predicament, such an outcome would have been disastrous.

The immediate situation was not optimistic either, as Blood Abyssal, seeing Bloodlight's secret technique fail, had already unleashed his blood arts, attacking them both. A colossal blood dragon, shaking its head and wagging its tail, arrived in an instant, opening its gaping maw, intent on devouring them.

Lu Ye and Blood Fault turned simultaneously; one wielded a saber, the other swung a sword, unleashing their Dao power. Yet, even with their combined might, they could not withstand this earth-shattering strike. Under the overwhelming and irresistible force, both figures were sent tumbling backward, like kites with severed strings.

Only at this moment did Lu Ye truly comprehend the formidable power of a Half-Saint. Although he had previously engaged Blood Heavenly Punishment in a life-or-death struggle, the poison in Blood Heavenly Punishment's body had already erupted from the start, and he had been severely wounded by a sneak attack, so his full strength was far from its peak. Blood Abyssal was different; he was completely unharmed, and his enraged strike held nothing back. If they hadn't been so far away, Lu Ye reckoned that he and Blood Fault might not have been able to withstand that blow.

Both he and Blood Fault had sustained injuries in the previous battle; although they were mostly recovered within half a day, they had not fully recuperated. This new blow, combined with their old wounds, caused both of them to stagger. Fortunately, using the residual force, they finally landed on Abyss Island.

Blood Fault completely disregarded his image, hastily scrambling to his feet and dashing frantically, like a stray dog, towards the depths of Abyss Island. Lu Ye ran even faster.

The blood dragon had not yet dispersed, roaring in pursuit, but upon reaching the edge of Abyss Island, it dared not advance further. Blood Abyssal's eyes were filled with cold, unwilling fury as he watched the two figures flee, but in the end, he raised a hand and the blood dragon dissipated. All Half-Saints knew that the True Saints resided in seclusion on Abyss Island, though opportunities to see them were rare. Therefore, Blood Abyssal dared not act too presumptuously there.

Moments later, Lu Ye and Blood Fault had reached the very center of Abyss Island. Having arrived, they could go no further. The two exchanged a glance, stood firm, turned around, and tried to adjust their condition.

As a bloody light flashed, two figures appeared not far from them, a man and a woman, both with unfriendly expressions. And behind these two, a Half-Saint radiating demonic energy hovered in the air, arms crossed over his chest, looking like he was watching the unfolding drama with great interest. It was Mo Duo, who had been following them all along.

Blood Abyssal turned his head and looked at Mo Duo; although displeased, he did not wish to cause further complications.

"Blood Fault greets the two Esteemed Saints!" Blood Fault, though disheveled, still bowed respectfully. He had killed Blood Heavenly Punishment, seized his bloodline, and devoured his blood soul, but he did not wish to antagonize the two before him. After all, according to his plans, if everything went smoothly, he would still need to collaborate with them in the future.

"You still have the audacity to speak!" Bloodlight couldn't help but let out a cold snort.

"Esteemed Saint Bloodlight, what do you mean by that?" Blood Fault feigned ignorance.

"Fighting among yourselves, murdering a Half-Saint within the clan, causing our clan to lose a pillar of support — do you truly take us for fools!" Blood Abyssal roared.

Blood Fault immediately retorted, "Esteemed Saint, your words truly wrong me. Blood Fault's strength is meager, and I have only just arrived in Source Realm. I haven't even had time to show proper respect to the clan's Half-Saints; how could I possibly conspire against them?" He put on an expression of being wronged, which made Lu Ye glance sideways repeatedly. If he hadn't fought alongside him earlier, Lu Ye might have actually believed his nonsense.

"Then tell me, whose corpse did you just discard?!" Blood Abyssal gritted his teeth and growled.

"That was Esteemed Saint Heavenly Punishment!" Blood Fault showed a sorrowful expression. "It's pitiful that Esteemed Saint's grand ambitions went unfulfilled, falling victim to a treacherous plot. Even Fellow Daoists Blood Cavern and Blood Firmament perished alongside him. Blood Fault intended to avenge him, but alas, his strength was insufficient; it's truly heartbreaking."

Lu Ye, standing by, was almost astounded by him, truly unable to fathom how this fellow could lie so brazenly. Blood Abyssal and Bloodlight likewise listened with faces contorted in fury.

Blood Fault, however, seemed to suddenly realize, "You two Esteemed Saints couldn't possibly think that I killed Esteemed Saint Heavenly Punishment, could you? That would be a colossal misunderstanding. Esteemed Saints, please consider how powerful Esteemed Saint Heavenly Punishment was, and he was accompanied by Fellow Daoists Blood Cavern and Blood Firmament. How could I, Blood Fault, possibly kill him?"

"If not you, then who else?" Blood Abyssal had already lost patience for his nonsense.

Blood Fault said, "I don't know who that was! But that person had a majestic and exceptionally domineering appearance. I merely glimpsed him from afar... Oh, right, here's his image!"

As he spoke, Blood Fault activated his vital energy and conjured an image before them. Lu Ye turned to look, and his eye twitched. The person in the image was exactly as Blood Fault had described: tall and imposing, with an aura of natural authority, wielding a massive blade. Even standing there expressionless, he exuded an overwhelming sense of dominance.

Ba Qiu!

He knew Blood Fault would never admit to killing Blood Heavenly Punishment, as it was crucial for Blood Fault's future survival in the Source Realm. However, he hadn't expected this fellow to actually drag Ba Qiu into taking the blame.

Blood Abyssal and Bloodlight naturally wouldn't believe his lies; Half-Saints were not so easily fooled. Blood Abyssal was about to open his mouth to reprimand when Bloodlight interrupted him: "Heavenly Punishment was killed, Blood Cavern and Blood Firmament are both dead; why are you the only one alive?"

Blood Fault's face was filled with sorrow. "I don't know either. That person left in a hurry after killing Esteemed Saint Heavenly Punishment. Perhaps that person simply didn't deem me worth his attention?"

"Very well, if that's the case, then why did you flee with Heavenly Punishment's corpse?" Bloodlight asked again.

Blood Fault looked as if it were the most natural thing. "Esteemed Saint Heavenly Punishment is dead, but his bloodline cannot be lost. So I thought of quickly taking his corpse away. As for fleeing... where did that idea come from? I merely intended to come here to refine Esteemed Saint Heavenly Punishment's bloodline." Seeing that Bloodlight was about to speak again, Blood Fault hastily continued, "Esteemed Saints, please understand. Our clan has already lost a Half-Saint expert. If Blood Fault can refine Esteemed Saint Heavenly Punishment's bloodline, he can soon join the ranks of Half-Saints. Naturally, this would fill the void left by Esteemed Saint Heavenly Punishment and thus ensure our clan's foundation remains intact!"

Blood Abyssal was so angered he laughed. "So, you're saying you had good intentions?"

Blood Fault's face was solemn. "Although I come from the Inner Realm, I am also of the Blood Clan and naturally ought to share the clan's burdens."

Blood Abyssal stared coldly at him. "What if we disagree?"

A Half-Saint's bloodline was incredibly precious. Even if everything Blood Fault said was true, it wouldn't be his turn to refine it. Blood Abyssal and Bloodlight had their own suitable candidates under their command; how could they possibly hand such an opportunity to an outsider of the Blood Clan?

Blood Fault said, "But I have already devoured Esteemed Saint Heavenly Punishment's bloodline."

Blood Abyssal sneered, "Even if you've devoured it, it can be re-condensed!" The premise was that Blood Fault would either cooperate or be killed.

Bloodlight also spoke: "Since you repeatedly claim to be considering the clan's welfare, then it's simple: come back with us to our territory. You're not safe here. Once back in our territory, I will personally guard you. After you have fully refined Heavenly Punishment's bloodline, you will naturally become a Half-Saint of our clan, and everything Heavenly Punishment left behind can also be given to you."

Blood Fault chuckled, "Thank you, Esteemed Saint, for your concern. Abyss Island is quite good; perhaps I should return to the clan after I achieve Half-Saint status?"

Blood Abyssal roared, "Blood Fault, don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit! Do you truly think we dare not act against you here? Though the True Saints reside in seclusion here, they never interfere with worldly affairs; you've miscalculated!"

Blood Fault's mouth twitched, and he forced himself to say, "Esteemed Saint, you truly misunderstand me."

Bloodlight, however, suddenly frowned. "What are you doing?"

What else could they be doing? While Blood Fault was engaging in verbal sparring with the two Blood Clan Half-Saints, both he and Lu Ye were secretly activating their spatial power. In Blood Fault's mind, when the two had first arrived in Source Realm, they had attracted the Seven Saints. Now that they had reached Abyss Island, by relying on the Phoenix Clan bloodline and spatial power, there was undoubtedly a high probability of making the Seven Saints reappear. That was why Blood Fault had spoken all that nonsense; he wasn't unaware that Blood Abyssal and Bloodlight completely distrusted him, but he was merely buying time.

What he hadn't expected was that the Seven Saints had not appeared even now; the longer the delay, the more his heart sank. Lu Ye also sensed that something was amiss. If the Seven Saints were truly willing to appear, they should have done so long ago. Their failure to appear now indicated that they would not appear again.

This was bad! If the Seven Saints didn't appear, there would be no way to make Blood Abyssal and Bloodlight hesitate. And judging by the expressions of these two Blood Clan Half-Saints, they were undoubtedly very impatient and could strike at any moment. They were indeed wary of the True Saints, but everyone knew that the True Saints were merely puppets and might not care about what happened there.

It was precisely at this moment that Mo Duo, who had been watching the show from the side, leisurely spoke: "There seems to be the aura of a supreme treasure remaining on that battlefield, one that has never appeared in the Source Realm before..."

Blood Fault wished he could rush over and tear his mouth apart! Both Blood Abyssal and Bloodlight's expressions shifted. They had arrived later than Mo Duo. By the time they reached the scene, the residual aura of the Starry Sky Chessboard had already dissipated, so they had not detected it. Mo Duo was different. The abyss was not far from the Demon Clan's territory, in fact, it was right on the edge. Mo Duo had only gone to investigate because he was attracted by the aura of the Starry Sky Chessboard. He didn't say this out of any good intention; he was simply very curious himself about what kind of supreme treasure it was.

Bloodlight's gaze grew dangerous. "Blood Fault, if you are willing to return to the clan with us, then everything before this will be forgiven!" Blood Heavenly Punishment's bloodline had to be reclaimed; it was impossible to give it to Blood Fault. She was also very interested in that supreme treasure; although the Blood Clan possessed several, no one ever thought they had too many. Not to mention, Blood Heavenly Punishment already possessed one, which had surely fallen into Blood Fault's hands by now.

Blood Fault remained silent. The current situation deviated from his plan, and he felt somewhat helpless, completely unsure of what to do. He naturally couldn't return to the clan with Bloodlight; that would be no different from courting death. But if they fought, he and Lu Ye would certainly be no match.

As he pondered, Blood Abyssal let out a fierce roar: "Stubborn and unyielding! If that's how it is, then die!" Don't be fooled by his constant assertions that the True Saints don't interfere with worldly affairs; in reality, he was quite wary. Otherwise, he and Blood Abyssal wouldn't have wasted so much breath on Blood Fault.