In the distance, the sound of fierce combat roared incessantly, with flashes of light indicating that the three disciples of the Azure Ethereal Conclave were locked in a deadly struggle against other dark cultivators. Yet, in Zhang Xiaofan’s vicinity, an eerie silence suddenly descended.
Zhang Xiaofan stood in a daze, but the yellow flying sword and the gray fangs’ owners, who had witnessed the bizarre scene, were struck dumb with astonishment, unsure of how to react.
“Stray Dog, did I see that right? Jiang Lao San, who was supposed to be draining blood, ended up being drained himself?”
Another voice growled from the darkness: “What in the world? Someone from the Azure Ethereal Conclave is practicing the ‘Great Bloodsucking Art’! Could this fellow be one of our Immortalbane Nexus disciples?”
The first speaker spat on the ground, then after a moment, he grumbled, “No, we can’t let this go. This guy’s background is strange; we must get to the bottom of it!”
Two lights flared in front of Zhang Xiaofan, gradually revealing two figures. Startled, Zhang Xiaofan quickly banished his thoughts and focused on the enemy.
In the light, the yellow flying sword and the gray fangs flew back to their respective masters. The one on the left, a tall, thin man with a sharp nose and small, piercing eyes, grabbed the sword. His gaze was fierce and cold.
The one beside him was even more peculiar. At a glance, Zhang Xiaofan was taken aback. He was tall, but his appearance was grotesque—his eyelids drooped, his nose was prominent, his ears pointed upwards, and his lips were red. A long, red tongue flicked out frequently, making him look like a dog.
As the gray fang flew back into his hand, Zhang Xiaofan instinctively thought, *Could this be a dog’s tooth?*
Noticing Zhang Xiaofan’s unblinking stare, the so-called Stray Dog grew furious. “Hey, brat! Why are you staring at your master, Stray Dog Daoist?”
“Stray Dog Daoist?” Zhang Xiaofan frowned, noticing that the dog-like man was wearing a black robe similar to the one worn by the Azure Ethereal Conclave. He wondered if there was any connection between them.
Seeing Zhang Xiaofan’s obvious disdain, the Stray Dog Daoist snarled, “Brat, how did you kill the vampire?”
Zhang Xiaofan was puzzled. “What vampire?”
The tall man shouted, “The one on your back!”
Only then did Zhang Xiaofan remember the corpse he was carrying. Feeling a chill on his neck, he jumped away and dropped the body.
With a dull thud, the corpse, now a skin-and-bones skeleton, fell to the ground. Zhang Xiaofan felt nauseous and turned his head away.
The Stray Dog Daoist and the tall man exchanged glances, both seeing the shock and suspicion in each other’s eyes. The Great Bloodsucking Art was cruel and strange, powerful but also highly destructive to the user, turning them into something neither human nor ghost. Though they were part of the Immortalbane Nexus, they avoided it. But they knew a thing or two about this mysterious art.
The person lying dead before them, supposedly the only heir of the Great Bloodsucking Art, had been drained of all his essence.
From what they knew, the power needed to do this far surpassed that of the dead Jiang Lao San and even the rumored Bloodsucking Demon Elder.
But the young disciple from the Azure Ethereal Conclave did not have the sinister aura of a Bloodsucking Sect practitioner.
The Stray Dog Daoist looked at Zhang Xiaofan. “Are you a disciple of the Bloodsucking Elder?”
Zhang Xiaofan was confused. “What Bloodsucking Elder?”
The Stray Dog Daoist’s tongue flicked out, and Zhang Xiaofan was reminded of Dahuang, the dog from Bamboo Peak on Qingyun Mountain.
As he was lost in thought, a sharp cry echoed from the cave behind them. A black-clad figure stumbled out, blood streaming from his face, and struggled on the ground, clearly dying.
Zhang Xiaofan suddenly realized that his comrades were in a life-or-death battle, and he was here talking to these dark cultivators. He immediately leaped up, ready to help.
The Stray Dog Daoist and the tall man, seeing Zhang Xiaofan move, readied themselves, thinking he was attacking. But as Zhang Xiaofan moved, he winced and fell to his knees, sucking in a breath as cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He had forgotten the dark red fork still embedded in his shoulder.
Seizing the opportunity, the Stray Dog Daoist and the tall man’s eyes gleamed with malice, and their weapons glowed again.
But just then, a clear whistle echoed from behind, and a brilliant blue light shone through the darkness, outshining all others.
In the blue light, the sword Tianya appeared, and behind it, Lu Xueqi stood gracefully, her robes fluttering in the wind.
As the Stray Dog Daoist and the tall man stared in shock, Tianya’s blue light surged, transforming into a massive blue sword and slashing through the darkness. Various colored lights tried to resist but were instantly obliterated by the pure blue glow.
Amidst cries and chaos, five or six figures leapt out from the shadows. With a thunderous boom, the blue sword smashed into the stone wall, sending debris flying. Qi Hao’s White Ice Sword flared, and several Dark Sect members froze solid. Zeng Shushu, riding his flying sword, shattered them one by one.
The tall man and the Stray Dog Daoist exchanged glances, then abandoned Zhang Xiaofan to counterattack. Their yellow sword and gray fangs met Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu’s assault.
Their cultivation levels seemed higher than the other Dark Sect members, and they managed to hold off Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu. But they felt a sinking feeling.
They had planned to ambush Qi Hao and his companions, breaking through the seemingly impenetrable Liughe Mirror barrier and taking down the four Azure Ethereal Conclave disciples one by one. The plan had worked, but the disciples’ cultivation levels were unexpectedly high.
Their initial strategy was to focus on Zhang Xiaofan, the weakest link, and eliminate him quickly before dealing with the others. But the situation had gone awry, and Jiang Lao San had been drained of his essence by an unknown force.
While they managed to fend off Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu, there was also the beautiful woman with the blue sword and the strange, injured boy. If they all attacked, things would turn dire. After a few more clashes, as Lu Xueqi injured several Dark Sect members, the Stray Dog Daoist yelled, “Run!”
His tall companion, in perfect sync, recalled their weapons and fled, turning into two beams of light. The other Dark Sect members followed, scattering in panic.
Qi Hao made a quick decision. “Chase those two!” He flew after them, and Zeng Shushu followed. Lu Xueqi, her blue Tianya flashing, was about to join, but she remembered something and hesitated. She saw Zhang Xiaofan rise, bleeding from his shoulder, but the dark red fork had been removed.
Zhang Xiaofan flew forward, and Lu Xueqi, watching his form, paused for a moment before following.
The chase through the labyrinthine cave was reminiscent of Zhang Xiaofan and Tian Ling’er chasing the monkey Xiaohui on Bamboo Peak. They twisted and turned, sometimes ascending, sometimes descending, following the two beams of light relentlessly.
The cave was filled with strange rocks and towering formations. Zhang Xiaofan, following his comrades, concentrated on controlling his blackened firewood stick. In some narrow passages, he squeezed through without hesitation.
The pursuit became a blur of six light streaks, and Zhang Xiaofan felt the wind and darkness swirling around him. After a while, the Stray Dog Daoist and his companion, using their familiarity with the terrain, managed to stay ahead, though they couldn’t shake off their pursuers.
Suddenly, a faint light appeared ahead, and the two men sped towards it. Qi Hao and the others chased closely, and Zhang Xiaofan, feeling the pain in his shoulder subsiding, realized he could keep up despite the pain.
Though his shoulder hurt, his qi and blood flowed freely, giving him a sense of boundless energy. But remembering the Stray Dog Daoist’s words about “bloodsucking,” his heart turned cold.
As they approached the light, it grew brighter. The six figures shot towards it like arrows.
The light was like a strange, blooming flower in the darkness, illuminating the area. As they emerged into the light, Zhang Xiaofan was shocked.
They had entered a wide, straight passage leading to an enormous, impossible space. High above was the cavern ceiling, and far below was the ground. A giant, glowing stone illuminated the entire area.
But the most astonishing sight was behind the stone—a vast, dark abyss. The stone’s light reached the cavern roof but couldn’t penetrate the abyss. From above, it appeared pitch black, an expanse of eerie, oppressive darkness.
In front of the stone stood three people: a bearded man, a beautiful woman, and a pale, wicked-looking youth.
The Stray Dog Daoist and the tall man landed in front of the stone. Qi Hao, seeing the odd figures, motioned for his companions to land five zhang away.
Zhang Xiaofan, surveying the area, noticed the three large, ancient script characters carved on the stone:
Dead Spirits Abyss!
As the Azure Ethereal Conclave disciples landed, the people by the stone remained silent. The bearded man scowled. “Stray Dog, Liu Hao, you’ve performed poorly. Encountering a few younglings from the Azure Ethereal Conclave and bringing them here, to the Dead Spirits Abyss!”
The Stray Dog Daoist’s face reddened, and he was about to explain when the middle-aged woman behind the bearded man shrieked, “Where is Jiang Lao San?”
The Stray Dog Daoist glanced at the Azure Ethereal Conclave disciples. “He’s dead.”
The group, once calm, stirred. Not because of the disciples’ strength, but because of the impending wrath of the Bloodsucking Demon Elder.
The woman shook her head. “This will be hard to explain to the Bloodsucking Demon Elder!”
The bearded man pondered, then turned to the disciples. “We’ll capture these younglings and present them to the Bloodsucking Ancestor. That should suffice.”
The others nodded in agreement. Qi Hao, noting their arrogance, whispered, “These seem to be the leaders of the Immortalbane Nexus here. Their cultivation levels are likely higher. Be careful.”
Zhang Xiaofan nodded, and as he turned, he caught Lu Xueqi’s gaze on his wound. He flinched, and she quickly looked away.
The bearded man stepped forward, addressing the disciples. “I suggest you surrender. Otherwise, you’ll suffer broken bones and flesh wounds when we strike!”
Qi Hao snorted, and before he could speak, Lu Xueqi coldly declared, “Wretched demons, dare to be arrogant. Today is your end!”
Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu clapped. “Lu Shi Mei is right, exactly!”
The bearded man’s face darkened. “You’re asking for it!”
Without visible action, his normal eyes transformed, the right one doubling in size and turning blood-red, looking both terrifying and comical.
Before Zhang Xiaofan could react, a red beam shot from the bearded man’s eye. Qi Hao, ready, summoned the White Ice Sword, creating two ice walls.
But the red beam, imbued with malevolent power, melted a hole through the ice and rushed towards them. Qi Hao, startled, blocked with the White Ice Sword, and the beam disappeared in its white light.
However, Qi Hao noticed a faint red mark on his sword. The sword trembled, seemingly tainted by evil. He felt pained, knowing the importance of his weapon.
Before he could think, another red beam shot from the bearded man’s eye, silently piercing the ice walls and continuing towards them. Qi Hao blocked it, but another red mark appeared on his sword, and its light dimmed.
Seeing this, Zeng Shushu charged with his Xuanyuan Sword, ready to aid. The bearded man turned, and another red beam shot at him. Zeng Shushu, unable to dodge, blocked it with his sword, which also acquired a red mark and trembled.
The bearded man continued to shoot red beams, forcing Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu to stay put, the red marks multiplying and the swords’ lights dimming. The beams, filled with a sinister aura, began to seep into the swords, threatening to reach their users.
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