Chapter 131: Muddy Waters

Upon the appearance of Dongyue, Casi felt a tingling at the top of his head, a sign of extreme danger. He dared not face it head-on and leaped to the side, while the other two also scattered in different directions.

With a swish, Dongyue fell, slicing the rear of the war chariot in half as if cutting through tofu.

Casi’s heart raced as he saw Qian Ye charging at him once more. He drew his sword to fend off the attack while shouting, “Norris, flank him!”

Dongyue carried an immense force, and their swords clashed for the first time, twisting Casi’s longsword. The sheer power, not to mention the origin power shockwave, made it difficult for Casi to parry.

Moreover, Norris, known for his speed, did not assist in time. His movements were as slow as a snail, and he even stumbled mid-run, unable to get up. He looked at his left leg, numb and oozing a foul-smelling, blackish-purple pus.

“My blood, my blood!” Norris was utterly horrified.

Under Qian Ye’s relentless, furious assault, Casi managed to block several dozen strikes before his sword shattered, allowing Qian Ye to pierce his abdomen. The origin power on Dongyue erupted, nearly tearing Casi in two.

The vampire viscount was still breathing, but Qian Ye didn’t have time to finish him off. Instead, he turned and pounced on the human man who had already escaped a short distance. In his true vision, eight origin nodes on the man’s body were clearly visible, indicating that he was merely an eighth-rank warrior. Yet, for some reason, this man, despite his modest strength, gave Qian Ye a vague sense of unease.

The battle raged ahead, and most of the warriors engaged in combat were unaware of the turmoil behind them. However, the rearguard units had reacted, with over a dozen vampire warriors and more than a hundred human soldiers encircling Qian Ye from all sides.

Ignoring the surrounding enemies, Qian Ye lunged at the human man with a straightforward, powerful strike. Against this mysterious foe, the best approach was to crush him with sheer force.

Yet, facing an attack that even a vampire viscount couldn’t withstand, the man showed no fear. He pressed a button on his waist, and a faint red energy shield appeared, protecting him.

Qian Ye felt as if he had struck a highly resilient ball, dispersing most of the force. This thunderous strike, unexpectedly, failed to penetrate the energy shield, merely sending it flying.

Qian Ye was mildly surprised. This defensive treasure could block eighty percent of his force, making it exceedingly valuable. It seemed the man had a significant background. But why would such a high-ranking individual travel without capable guards?

He grew wary, and a subtle, crimson light of origin power emanated from his body, strengthening his defense. At that moment, one of the ordinary soldiers suddenly burst forth, rushing to Qian Ye’s back with a long, narrow sword, thrusting it like lightning.

The thin sword pierced Qian Ye’s protective origin power, stabbing into his back. Even Qian Ye’s robust body, comparable to a vampire count, was powerless against the sword’s formidable might.

As the blade penetrated, Qian Ye instinctively twisted his body, avoiding his heart, and fired a reverse shot at his opponent.

Inside Qian Ye’s body, a soft clang resounded. The thin sword missed his heart but struck the dormant blood core! The sound was the needle piercing the blood core and colliding with its crystalline structure.

The attacker, caught off guard by Qian Ye’s swift counter, grunted as the Phantasm Manjushaka hit him, creating a large, bloody wound on his chest.

At such close range, the shot barely broke through his defenses. Despite this, the man remained calm, yanking the sword out of Qian Ye like a venomous snake and retreating.

Suddenly awakened by the injury, Qian Ye’s blood core began to pulse.

Thump, thump, the heavy sound resonated like a war drum, drowning out the heartbeat.

Though injured, Qian Ye didn’t lose his mobility like a typical vampire. Instead, he became more ferocious, like an ancient, wounded beast. A murderous intent surged within him, and he let out a primal, feral roar.

His blood boiled, almost igniting, and all the crystals inside lit up, shooting countless fine blood threads.

A faint red aura enveloped Qian Ye’s body, and hundreds of blood threads pierced through the warriors within ten meters. The skilled attacker was hit by dozens of these threads, while the severely wounded Casi and Norris were each struck by ten. The other high-ranking vampires suffered three to five hits, and most of the human soldiers were hit once.

The blood threads retracted, leaving a trail of crimson, and returned to Qian Ye’s body. The blood within his body suddenly became extremely rich, boiling, and the blood core repaired itself at an incredible rate. His physical wounds closed and healed, leaving only faint scars that soon disappeared entirely.

The strong attacker’s face was ashen, and his breaths were weak. He looked down at his body, noting only a few small punctures compared to the gaping wound from the origin gun. However, the injuries were far more severe. Nine of the blood points aligned with nine origin nodes, and multiple threads pierced his heart and the two Origin Vortices of a warlord.

Now, most of his life force was drained, and his Origin Vortex was destroyed. His nodes were pierced, rendering him a cripple.

He pointed at Qian Ye, stuttering, “You, you…” Before he could say more, he collapsed, his life force extinguished.

The other nearby warriors, statue-like, fell one after another, their lives extinguished. For a moment, no one around Qian Ye could stand.

The man in the protective barrier, pale and terrified, watched Qian Ye like a ghost. Distant enough to avoid the disaster, he paled when Qian Ye’s gaze landed on him. With a cry, he turned and fled.

Qian Ye couldn’t let such a key person escape. He pursued, rapidly closing the gap.

“Save me!” the man shouted as he ran. Qian Ye stayed alert, watching for any ambush, but maintained his speed.

A transport vehicle suddenly charged at Qian Ye. Still raging, Qian Ye, undaunted, roared and collided with the vehicle.

With a loud crash, Qian Ye’s feet sank into the ground, and he was pushed back several meters, leaving deep furrows. The vehicle was thrown into the air, tumbling several times before crashing to the ground.

Qian Ye strode forward, swinging Dongyue, which sliced through the vehicle’s midsection. Blood gushed from the metal, mixing with steam, forming a crimson mist. The people inside were certainly dead.

After dealing with the vehicle, Qian Ye resumed his pursuit and quickly caught up to the man, knocking him down with Dongyue.

The protective barrier was indeed formidable, blocking Dongyue again. The man, though down, was unharmed. This time, Qian Ye was prepared. He swung Dongyue repeatedly, striking the barrier. These externally formed origin power barriers required energy; once depleted, they vanished.

The man, in desperation, shouted, “Stop! Let’s talk! Stop now!”

After several strikes, the barrier flickered, about to break. The man, with no choice, deactivated the barrier, raised his hands, and slowly stood up.

“Order your men to cease fire and surrender,” Qian Ye said coldly.

With Dongyue at his neck, the man complied, shouting, “Cease fire! All of you, stop! Put down your weapons!”

The gunfire subsided, then stopped. The man’s high status ensured immediate compliance, even from the surviving vampires.

Soon, the convoy leader, Song Yinnian, rushed over. He paused, seeing Qian Ye in his tactical mask, hiding most of his face.

Realizing Qian Ye didn’t want to reveal his identity, Song Yinnian bowed deeply, saying, “I am Song Yinnian. Thank you for your assistance. Otherwise, the convoy and hundreds of lives would have been lost. May I know your name so I can properly thank you later?”

“Whose convoy is this?” Qian Ye asked.

Song Yinnian hesitated, then said with a bitter smile, “We thought the route was secure, but we were ambushed. We belong to Ningyuan Heavy Industries, and we hired three mercenary groups for additional protection.”

It was indeed a Ningyuan Heavy Industries convoy. Qian Ye’s intervention was justified, but something felt off. He pressed for more information.

However, Song Yinnian, a mid-level officer, was merely following orders. He knew only that the supplies needed to reach a specific location, a logistics hub. He had no knowledge of the rest of the journey, nor did he know what the convoy was carrying until it was attacked.

Seeing that Song Yinnian had no more to offer, Qian Ye instructed him to arrange an empty truck. He then grabbed the human man and threw him into the truck.

Closing the door, Qian Ye said, “Tell me everything you know. I don’t want to use force. No one has withstood my methods yet.”

The man, appearing in his thirties, with a pale, sharp face and narrow eyes, exuded a sinister, ruthless aura. Calmer now, he dusted himself off and sat cross-legged.

He said composedly, “I see you’re just a newcomer, unaware of the deep waters you’ve entered. You’re young and talented, with a bright future. I advise you to stay out of this, or you’ll regret it.”

Qian Ye replied, “How deep are these waters? You need to tell me.”

The man arrogantly stated, “Just for killing that vampire, you’re in big trouble. He’s a key figure from one of the twelve ancient clans, and they won’t let you go. But if you join me, I can protect you. What do you say?”

“If he’s truly so important, can you really protect me?”

Facing Qian Ye’s skeptical gaze, the man said, “Of course! My surname is Li. You should know what that means, right?”