Chapter 90: Bone Blade Soul

"Bang!"

The massive inner hall gate shattered from an external force, sending a dozen Heartslaughter Cult disciples screaming and flying outwards.

The three formidable figures walked in with uneven steps, their disparate styles making them look less like a cohesive team. This profound sense of incongruity, however, exerted an inexplicable pressure on the cult's members.

"What! A Qi Refinement Realm cultivator??" Many of the cult leader's henchmen looked bewildered, staring blankly at Xu Yang and whispering amongst themselves.

Could these three really be the ones who killed the elders and the Grand Protector? An old eccentric, a hothead, and a mere Qi Refinement Realm pretty boy who seemed to be just along for the ride. It was hard to imagine such an odd combination inflicting so much damage on the mighty Heartslaughter Cult.

The cult leader remained completely unperturbed, still meditating and regulating his breathing while seated in front of a coffin, eyes closed in deep concentration.

Around him, a dozen ice-blue crystal lamps emanated cold energy, creating a chill, incense-like aura that enveloped his body.

"Guests are welcome, fellows. Treat these visitors well; don't disappoint me." The cult leader's sudden words made Xu Yang frown slightly.

It wasn't uncommon for a leader to send subordinates to a meaningless death. But these cannon fodder had long lost their will to fight, averaging only the Golden Core Realm. How could they possibly face opponents whom even the Cavern Heaven Realm elders couldn't stop? The cult leader's intentions utterly perplexed Xu Yang.

However, the answer was soon revealed.

A rumbling sound echoed. The Heartslaughter Cult leader suddenly pressed his palms together, and a golden light slowly bloomed from his hands, revealing a golden lotus artifact as his reflection. As this artifact emerged, all the surrounding ice crystals simultaneously shattered, and an intensely cold aura rapidly surged into the cult leader's body. At the same time, the coffin behind him began to overflow with wave-like surges of blood energy. This was the ice-attributed bloodline power remaining within Zhao Peng's wife's body, gradually being absorbed into the golden lotus.

"You bastard, what are you doing!" Seeing this, Zhao Peng instantly lost his composure. In a fit of rage, he lunged forward, the force from his twin swords instantly shattering a dozen cult members around him. Flying blood mist sprayed all over him.

Xu Yang's pupils contracted, and he quickly warned, "Be careful! Don't let the blood get near him!" But at that moment, Zhao Peng was beyond hearing anyone's advice. He only knew to unleash a frenzied slaughter with his weapons, venting his explosive fury to rescue his beloved wife.

"Hehehe, welcome to the Gates of Hell!" The Heartslaughter Cult leader suddenly opened his eyes. His left eye was ice-blue, his right blood-red, embodying two yin and yang forces. His gaze locked onto Zhao Peng's body, and the blood mist clinging to him became a fatal restraint, locking him in place! This was the fundamental reason Xu Yang had urged him to stop, and it was also the price for the surrounding cult members' deaths!

"No!" Zhao Peng immediately panicked. He felt an extremely powerful sealing force rapidly coursing through his limbs and bones, like a massive net, climbing along every one of his blood vessels and meridians, sealing off all his power.

"Your wife's bloodline power will become the shackles that imprison your life force. Before her life force is completely plundered by me, you will fall into a deep slumber!" The cult leader's voice, like a pronouncement of judgment, descended once more, echoing chillingly throughout the inner hall. Under this seemingly magical voice, Zhao Peng's eyes slowly closed, and he drifted into sleep.

The golden lotus floated above Zhao Peng's head, pressing down like a soul-suppressing artifact. From that moment on, both husband and wife became puppets under the Heartslaughter Cult leader's control.

"Boss, what exactly is this guy up to?" Huang Tian admitted he couldn't understand the cult leader's methods. What was the purpose of all this effort? They, as outsiders, were completely baffled.

Xu Yang spoke gravely, "If I'm not mistaken, Zhao Peng's bloodline is the best catalyst for his wife's Supreme Yin Physique. This demon wants to obtain the Supreme Yin Physique bloodline without depleting his own life source. The only way to integrate the Supreme Yin life source into his body is by sacrificing Zhao Peng, using his blood as a medium."

Huang Tian stroked his chin thoughtfully. "If that's the case, then we just need to take out this big guy first!"

Xu Yang nodded. "The precondition is that we must not shatter that golden lotus, otherwise Zhao Peng and his wife will never awaken!"

"Don't worry, with me here, there won't be any problems. Leave the fighting to me!" Although Huang Tian usually seemed unserious, once he got serious, he was an incredibly terrifying presence.

Whoosh! Huang Tian darted towards Zhao Peng's body like a phantom, personally guarding the golden lotus. The Heartslaughter Cult leader did not stop Huang Tian. Instead, he sneered and appeared directly before Xu Yang. A colossal power emanated from his body, forming a wave-like aura.

"Although I don't know why you only possess Qi Refinement Realm cultivation, I can feel that your body holds an unfathomable, ocean-like profound power. Only by conquering you can I truly be worthy of everything!"

"Your judgment is correct," Xu Yang said with a faint smile. "However, it's regrettable that conquering me is a luxury you can never achieve. You and I were always meant to live in two different worlds."

"Hahaha! In my opinion, you should only live in the netherworld, like the lost souls that have fallen in the Heartslaughter Cult, wandering aimlessly as a lonely ghost. How about that?"

Xu Yang wasted no more words, responding only with a cold smile. With a raised hand, a terrifying force capable of shattering mountains and rivers blasted towards the cult leader.

"A mere trick!" The opponent's yin-yang eyes gleamed with killing intent. His left palm wielded profound ice, his right palm blood mist. They combined, pushing out a crimson ice wall that perfectly blocked Xu Yang's powerful offensive.

"Peak Cavern Heaven Realm, quite a good level of strength," Xu Yang acknowledged his opponent. The attack he had just launched could have easily annihilated the white-haired protector outside, yet it failed to harm the cult leader in the slightest.

"I don't need your flattery. I only want to hear your screams." The cult leader laughed savagely, as two blood-red wings suddenly solidified on his back, lifting his body into the air. At the same time, he drew a blood-colored bone sword in the shape of a spine, which radiated an incredibly powerful spiritual pressure!

"You... deserve to die!" Xu Yang was enraged! He had caught a familiar scent from that bone sword! It was the aura of one of his subordinates from twenty thousand years ago!

"Oh? What's wrong? Could it be that this bone blade of mine, which carries countless vengeful spirits, has a familiar scent to you?"

Xu Yang clenched his teeth, already intending to annihilate his opponent. "Cherish your final moments. I will break every bone in your body and make you kneel in repentance before the vengeful spirits!"