Chapter 44: The Death of the Black Steward
The formless wind-blades transformed from astral wind slashed toward the surging sea of blood, yet they yielded little effect. Though the wind-blades managed to cleave the blood curtain, it would soon be filled again by more surging black blood.
Song Changsheng's expression was grave. He picked up the treasure gourd and took several deep gulps, and instantly a surge of even more immense spiritual power erupted. A massive phantom of a bronze bell emerged, resonating with deep, thunderous chimes.
The sea of blood began to churn violently and even showed signs of receding.
Standing on high ground, the Black Steward let out a cold sneer. With a casual lift of his right arm, a river of blood filled with wailing evil spirits poured from his wide sleeves.
This blood river had devoured countless lives. Innumerable resentful souls howled within it, the shrill sounds making those present feel vaguely disoriented and mentally unsettled.
Whoosh!
With earth-shattering force, the blood sea crashed heavily against the phantom of the bronze bell. In the blink of an eye, the phantom shattered into fragments of light and dissipated.
Pfft-
Song Changsheng felt as if struck by thunder; a sweetness surged up his throat, and he coughed up a mist of blood.
“Changsheng?” Zhu Yiqun and the others tensed instantly, their expressions tightening as they looked at the injured Song Changsheng.
His sword-like brows were furrowed, and his blood-smeared lips were twisted into a grimace. He shoved a handful of Vitality Recovery Pills into his mouth and chewed them fiercely, then forcefully stabilized the nearly-collapsing formation once more.
The Black Steward raised an eyebrow and said leisurely, “Had it been the original Mystic Yang Skysteel Array, perhaps this seat might have truly been helpless against it. But now… it’s hardly worth mentioning!”
Boom!
With a deafening roar, the blood river that had shattered the bell phantom transformed into a lifelike blood-colored flood dragon. Its enormous eyes, like copper gongs, glared fiercely as it slammed against the protective light barrier formed by pure yang energy.
The entire formation trembled violently. A black dot appeared on the barrier’s surface, and from that dot, cracks spread outward like a spider web.
Song Changsheng clenched his teeth and channeled all his spiritual power into the formation.
But it was all in vain.
The yang energy accumulated by the formation was insufficient, and Song Changsheng’s cultivation level couldn’t fully unleash the array’s power. In the end, he could only watch helplessly as the barrier shattered like a broken mirror.
Roar-!
The moment the barrier broke, the blood-colored flood dragon threw back its head and let out an ear-piercing roar, as though announcing its dominance to the four directions.
Song Changsheng’s face turned pale as paper. The backlash from the shattered formation had severely wounded him.
“Hmph, devour them!” the Black Steward commanded coldly.
The hundred-zhang-long flood dragon opened its gaping maw, ready to swallow them whole.
Though Song Changsheng was weakened and reeling, his mind remained calm. As he faced the overwhelming flood dragon, a talisman had already appeared in his hand, his final trump card!
But before he could activate it, Zhuang Yuechan crushed the jade pendant in her hand. Instantly, a dark blue spiritual shield enveloped them all.
The flood dragon slammed into the shield, and it merely quivered slightly.
Song Changsheng and the others widened their eyes in astonishment, their curiosity about Zhuang Yuechan’s identity reaching its peak in that moment.
Feeling their gazes, Zhuang Yuechan gave a wry smile. “This is a talismanic treasure my master gave me for protection. At most, it can last for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. If help doesn't arrive by then… we’ll truly perish here.”
The time it takes to burn an incense stick.
Everyone’s hearts grew heavy. Though they had all sent for aid from their elders, this place was too remote from any marketplace. Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator traveling at full speed would take time to arrive. The situation was grim…
“Just who are these people, to possess even talismanic treasures?!” The Black Steward was close to losing his mind. He had yet to take down a few mere Qi Refinement cultivators. If word of this got out, wouldn't he become a laughingstock?
Just as he prepared to launch another fierce assault, a deep, icy voice drifted in from afar: “Such impudence from a remnant of the demonic sect, daring to lay down such a foul formation! You're courting death!”
“Who’s there?” The Black Steward's heart jolted. He turned around and saw a golden streak of light shooting from the horizon, bringing with it a crushing, killing intent.
“Your grandpa Niu, that’s who!”
With a thunderous shout, a burly figure appeared. He was over nine chi tall, with a frame like an ox and a face full of brutish muscle. Without a word, he charged straight toward the Black Steward on the hillside.
“White Bones Fill the Wilds!”
The Black Steward raised both hands as if holding up something intangible. Wails of ghosts and howls of wolves echoed around him. The very hillside beneath him transformed into a field of ghastly white bones, filled with deathly miasma. Plants withered instantly, turning the area into a barren wasteland.
“Fill your damn self!” the burly man barked, cursing crudely as he lunged forward. He swung fists the size of sandbags straight toward the Black Steward’s face.
The Black Steward’s face twisted in shock. He raised his arms to block and shouted, “You’re not afraid of death aura?!”
His only reply was a torrent of fists, each blow faster and heavier than the last. The Black Steward staggered under the onslaught, forced steadily into a disadvantage.
Inside the shield, Zhu Yiqun gaped. “He’s completely unfazed by the demons' death qi? This senior’s body must be as tough as a spiritual tool!”
“At this rate, that blood demon probably won’t last even half an hour, it’s practically one-sided.”
This was Song Changsheng’s first time witnessing a body cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage. He hadn’t expected them to be so formidable. They were like living, breathing spiritual tools. Normal attacks were completely ineffective.
“Hahaha! You demonic brat, is that all you’ve got? Your grandpa Niu is just getting warmed up!” The burly man’s laughter boomed like thunder, dripping with disdain.
The Black Steward’s expression darkened as he roared, “Arrogant fool! Don’t celebrate just-”
“I’m arrogant? Then kill me if you can!” the burly man snapped, not even letting him finish. A solid punch slammed into the Black Steward’s chest, shattering several ribs and sending him flying.
The burly man gave him no respite. He surged forward and continued the pummeling, treating a late-stage Foundation Establishment blood demon like a mere punching bag.
Watching the brutal scene unfold, Zhu Yiqun scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly. “This senior is certainly… a man of temperament.”
Even the corners of Zhuang Yuechan’s lips beneath her veil twitched slightly. That display hardly matched the refined image of her sect.
“You’ve gone too far!!” the Black Steward’s eyes turned blood-red. His body swelled rapidly, transforming into a towering blood-colored giant several zhang tall.
“You still ain’t had enough?” the burly man bellowed. His eyes bulged, and he raised his fist again. A faint golden light wrapped around it, rendering it brilliant like pure gold.
With a single punch, the shockwave roared like thunder.
All Song Changsheng saw was a flash of gold, then the burly man’s fist had already pierced through the Black Steward’s heart.
The Black Steward stared at the gaping hole in his chest, his eyes filled with disbelief. He glared venomously at the burly man as cracks formed across his massive blood demon form, and then he disintegrated into a puddle of foul blood.
A streak of blood light shot toward the heavens, fleeing into the distance.
“You still wanna run from your grandpa Niu?” the burly man bellowed, stomping down with massive strides. In an instant, he caught up with the fleeing soul, grabbed it in one massive hand and crushed it, destroying both soul and spirit.
(Chapter End)