The Bloody Night in the Silent Forest

Of the Barbarian youth Kael, there was no trace. However, Xiao Chen and his companions discovered Yarode, severely wounded and on the verge of death. By the time they found him, it was clear he would not survive.

“I never expected…” he laughed bitterly, looking at Xiao Chen. “I had to die by the Sword Demon Dugu’s hand…” After saying these words, Yarode breathed his last.

This was a night of bloodshed—killing born of fear, killing for survival, a night of madness!

By dawn, the slaughter had not ceased. Aside from the main forces of the major factions locked in their strategic gambit, nearly every other alliance in the region had been swept into the storm. Kill or be killed—all had descended into frenzy.

The acrid stench of blood pervaded the mountain terrain. A mist of blood nearly stained the forests and hills red.

And then, at dawn, something even more terrifying occurred. From a nearby valley, hundreds of giant venomous bees emerged, each as large as a sheep. Following the scent of blood, they furiously attacked the practitioners, catching everyone off guard.

The giant bees grew more numerous. The crowd was forced to flee toward the Dead-Silent Forest, for the bees descended like a dark cloud covering the sky. The bodies on the ground were soon devoured clean, leaving only white bones.

All fled into the Dead-Silent Forest. Strangely, not a single bee dared to enter. The killing resumed, and the major factions had yet to decide a final victor.

But at that moment, another horrifying event unfolded. Whenever blood splashed onto the ancient trees of this forest, those millennia-old trunks seemed to demonize. Huge branches drooped down, tightly strangling everyone nearby, horrifically corroding them away, slowly absorbing flesh into their leaves and trunks.

It was utterly terrifying! No one understood why such a terrible thing happened. Though the strong could shatter the demonized trees when danger loomed, many of the already wounded perished in the forest of bewitched trunks.

From then on, the practitioners dared not let a single drop of blood touch the ancient trees. Everyone felt the Dead-Silent Forest was spine-chilling—the trees seemed like malevolent spirits with souls. Now they finally understood why no beasts dared approach. Great danger lurked here.

The killing continued. The crowd was gradually approaching the Death Bone Sea, finally about to break out of the Dead-Silent Forest. The fighting immediately intensified, with no further need to worry about blood splashing onto trees.

“Xiao Chen…” The captivating Liu Ruyan, still alluring even in flight, swiftly dodged behind him. Behind her, nearly ten practitioners were in pursuit, clearly all set on killing her.

“You want to use us as a shield?” Xiao Chen’s killing intent surged as the ten men rushed toward them.

“No, I swear, if you can save me from this calamity, I will repay you handsomely.”

At this moment, there was no time for Xiao Chen to argue, for the ten had already attacked, giving him and Liu Mu no chance to explain. They attacked with full force. However, these men had clearly kicked an iron plate—these were two Sixth Heaven practitioners, not opponents they could handle.

A dazzling blade-light flashed, and Xiao Chen’s single stroke cleaved through two of them. Liu Mu was even more direct—he sealed all of them within his controlled space, including Xiao Chen.

A cyan light froze everyone except Xiao Chen. “Xiao Chen, strike quickly! I can’t hold it long!” Liu Mu shouted. Within this strange sealed space, spellmasters, spiritists, and warriors alike could scarcely move. Xiao Chen carved through them like slicing vegetables; after a dazzling flash of blade-light, all were bisected, blood gushing. The cyan light faded, and the mangled corpses fell to the real ground, pools of blood staining the earth.

It was a flawless collaboration. Xiao Chen praised sincerely, “A Space Spiritist truly lives up to his reputation!” Liu Ruyan was visibly stunned—ten experts annihilated in an instant. The power of the two men before her sent a chill through her heart.

Finally, she walked gracefully to Xiao Chen, smiling coquettishly. “I meant what I said. I’ve decided to give myself to you as a gift.” Liu Ruyan was naturally beautiful, ethereal and alluring—her slender waist as supple as a willow in the wind, her long legs straight and seductive, enough to captivate all beings with her peerless charm. But Xiao Chen and Liu Mu treated her as if she were invisible. In this time of extreme danger and chaos, their hearts were as hard as iron; no external temptation could sway them. Liu Ruyan clung close behind Xiao Chen, afraid they would abandon her to flee.

The slaughter continued! As they entered the Death Bone Sea, Xiao Chen and Liu Mu finally encountered Yan Qingcheng and her group. Yan Qingcheng, with her purple divine wings, along with the genius illusionist spiritist Kailuo and Wang Tong, the inheritor of the Little Li Flying Dagger, had clearly weathered the chaos largely unscathed. After all, they were Sixth Heaven experts; few could harm them.

The moment they spotted Xiao Chen, the three charged straight at him. When enemies met, words were unnecessary—only life or death. Yan Qingcheng was peerless in grace; her radiant purple divine wings made her seem even more ethereal, like a purple-winged angel descending to the mortal world. She traced an elegant arc through the air, transforming into a violet streak charging at Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen showed no fear. The Divine-Sealing Light Screen enveloped him, the seven stars of the Big Dipper blazing brightly, as if he wore ancient sacred armor. The long blade in his hand extended a scorching light, like a massive lightning bolt soaring upward to tear through Yan Qingcheng.

The dazzling violet light and the blazing blade-light clashed violently, erupting in a brilliant, multi-colored radiance. Yan Qingcheng shot upward, standing in the void, while Xiao Chen lifted his head to gaze coldly at her. On the other side, Liu Mu went all out—he actually trapped both Kailuo and Wang Tong at once, unleashing a terrifying spatial spirit attack!

Xiao Chen charged over without hesitation. Within Liu Mu’s space, Kailuo’s illusions were clearly hampered, and Wang Tong’s movements slowed considerably—he hesitated to unleash his flying dagger! Xiao Chen was unaffected and nearly dealt both a crippling blow. But then Yan Qingcheng joined the fray, and Liu Mu’s confinement finally broke. After all, strong as he was, he could not simultaneously restrain three top experts. A fierce battle erupted: Xiao Chen and Liu Mu against three supreme experts. Liu Ruyan, knowing she could not help, withdrew from the battlefield.

During the fight, Xiao Chen finally got a clear look at Wang Tong’s face. In their previous battle, Kailuo’s numerous illusions had obscured his view, so he had never seen the true countenance of the flying-dagger heir who had pushed him to death’s door. Wang Tong had an ordinary face but an extraordinary presence—his entire being was like a blade, exuding an acute sharpness. Half an hour into the battle, he still had not unleashed his flying dagger, only using close-combat techniques, clearly waiting for a decisive strike.

Under the suppression of the Space Spiritist, Kailuo’s illusions could not reach full potency, but his pure spirit attacks were unaffected, transforming into cascading meteor showers that raged across the sky. Yan Qingcheng, like a bolt of purple lightning, swept across heaven and earth, her violet beams nearly drowning Xiao Chen and Liu Mu. After a fierce quarter-hour, amid Kailuo’s layered illusions and Yan Qingcheng’s violet barrage, Wang Tong finally struck!

A small knife, as wide as a thumb and as long as a finger, crystalline like jade and almost transparent, seemed to tear through the void itself, completely breaking through Liu Mu’s spatial seal, and shot straight for his heart. Liu Mu and Xiao Chen were occupied with the furious attacks of Yan Qingcheng and Kailuo; Wang Tong’s timing was so precise that Liu Mu had no chance to use his spatial power to block.

“Clink!” The legendary unblockable Little Li Flying Dagger fell to the ground, but Liu Mu was still sent crashing away. He spat two mouthfuls of blood, his face deathly pale. Though the flying dagger had been blocked by the shattered multicolored jade shell, the blade-aura contained within had penetrated his body. Liu Mu was a Space Spiritist, his physical resilience far inferior to Xiao Chen’s, so the blade-aura wounded him.

“Liu Mu!” Xiao Chen transformed into a streak of light and rushed over. At that moment, Wang Tong’s second flying dagger shot forth—another dazzling, unparalleled strike aimed directly at Xiao Chen’s back.

Though Xiao Chen was worried for Liu Mu, the more critical the moment, the sharper his body and divine sense became. He sensed the legendary Little Li Flying Dagger closing in. He made an incredibly bold move—the Divine-Sealing Light Screen abruptly contracted, all of it converging on his left hand. The Big Dipper stars illuminated his palm with a bright glow. Without turning, Xiao Chen caught the crystalline flying dagger. “Clang!” The legendary dagger that never missed was caught in Xiao Chen’s hand. Liu Ruyan, Kailuo, and Yan Qingcheng were all stunned. The Big Dipper stars in Xiao Chen’s palm blazed with divine light. With a sudden exertion of force, he snapped the dagger in two!

The sound of air tearing rang out again—the flying dagger split the void, three streaks of icy light shooting toward Xiao Chen in quick succession. “Clang! Clang! Clang!” All three dazzling blade-rays were caught in Xiao Chen’s hand. The blow to Wang Tong was immense. His face turned deathly pale; with those three throws, it was as if his very spirit and essence had been spent. He spat blood and flew backward.

Xiao Chen, concerned for Liu Mu, threw down the broken daggers and hastily helped him up. “Liu Mu, how are you?” “It’s nothing. One mouthful of blood was meant to be spit; the other I forced out myself!” With that, Liu Mu roared, “Space Seal! Xiao Chen, strike now!”

Kailuo and Yan Qingcheng, who were launching fierce attacks, suddenly slowed. Without a moment’s hesitation, Xiao Chen swung his blade. The dazzling blade-light was so intense it shattered the long sword, sending a torrent of magnificent radiance sweeping forward. Kailuo used all his strength to break free of the space seal and shot into the sky, but still the blinding blade-light grazed him, leaving a trail of blood. Without looking back, he fled. Yan Qingcheng’s violet light was also shattered; the overwhelming blade-light inflicted severe damage on her. She too mustered all her power to ascend.

But just then, as Xiao Chen pushed his profound art to its utmost, besides the Big Dipper in his left hand, a blazing star appeared in his right palm—dazzling like the Purple Star of the Pole. He swung his right hand; the star in his grasp transformed into a resplendent divine sword. Without hesitation, he slashed toward the sky. The blazing light extended even farther than a spellmaster’s magical attacks; the heaven-ascending sword energy cut through Yan Qingcheng’s purple divine wings, sending her plummeting. Yan Qingcheng crashed heavily to the ground, her radiant purple wings shattered by Xiao Chen’s sword-light like delicate porcelain. Her face twisted in pain as she spat mouthfuls of blood, then collapsed.

With the Big Dipper in his left hand and the Imperial Star in his right, Xiao Chen felt boundless power surging through his hands. Liu Mu coughed and stood up. “Liu Mu, are you sure you’re fine?” “It’s nothing. A few days of rest will heal it.” In the distance, Liu Ruyan was even more astonished. She had never imagined Xiao Chen’s combat strength could be so overwhelming. She walked over lightly.

Xiao Chen turned to look at Yan Qingcheng, pale-faced yet still breathtakingly beautiful. “I hereby declare that from now on, you are our slave.”