Seeing Yu Ping gravely injured, Lin Feng's heart sank. This was another unforeseen development. He hadn't expected the Corpse Puppet Sect cultivator to be so powerful! Yu Ping, a seventh-layer Nascent Soul practitioner, had been defeated in mere dozens of breaths!
There's no choice... I have to use it!
A flicker of hesitation crossed Lin Feng's eyes but vanished instantly, replaced by steely resolve. He knew there was absolutely no room for hesitation now. Gritting his teeth inwardly, he flicked his right wrist. A dagger materialized in his grasp, its dark-red blade radiating an overwhelming, nauseating aura of bloodlust.
The Blood Devouring Blade!!
If possible, Lin Feng truly wished to avoid unleashing this artifact. But now, there were no alternatives. To eliminate Wu Luosen with the utmost speed and then rush to Yu Ping's aid, this final trump card was his only recourse.
Once decided, all doubt vanished from Lin Feng's mind. A flash of killing intent erupted in his eyes, accompanied by a faint, unconscious crimson glint of savagery. He channeled his true yuan in a violent surge. With a forceful flick of his right hand, he hurled the dagger. The instant the Blood Devouring Blade left his grasp, it drained over half of his internal true yuan. Transforming into a blurred streak of scarlet energy, it shot like a crimson comet towards Wu Luosen!
The 'blood energy' stored within the Blood Devouring Blade came from Huang Yisong of the Cloud Desolation Sect, slain by Lin Feng during their last encounter – a formidable third-layer Nascent Soul expert! The power unleashed by the dagger now far surpassed anything Lin Feng had witnessed before. Its bloody radiance painted the sky along its trajectory a deep, unsettling crimson. From a distance, it looked like a raging tide of blood surging violently towards Wu Luosen!
The sheer spectacle startled even Lin Feng himself. Wu Luosen, completely unprepared, was utterly stunned.He had barely managed to suppress the violent thunderforce energy ravaging his body when an even more intense wave of danger slammed into him. His head snapped up in horror. His vision filled with bloody light—a dam of gore bursting towards him! Dead center of this overwhelming pressure, a crimson dagger tore through the air, hurtling towards him with mountainous, crushing force!
"What is that?!" Even with over two centuries of experience, a flicker of utter bewilderment struck Wu Luosen. Within his vast memory, he had never heard of an artifact capable of such terrifying presence! Crucially, this weapon was being wielded by a mere Golden Core cultivator!
Faced with yet another unexpected, devastating attack from his opponent, Wu Luosen's composure finally cracked. The initial blow came from him suffering significant internal injuries upon the violent shattering of the grand formation he was controlling. That's precisely why he had immediately unleashed his Nascent Soul Master Wraith and employed the Soul Gathering Art—aiming to crush Lin Feng instantly. Instead, not only had his swift kill failed, but Lin Feng had grievously wounded him! Now, depleted of true yuan and at his weakest, survival demanded desperate action. Ignoring the searing pain of his injuries, he roared, summoning a black shield taller than a man, its surface bristling with vicious spikes. Simultaneously, he kicked off the ground, frantically retreating.
Whoosh… KRANG!!
The sequence happened blindingly fast. Wu Luosen had barely retreated ten meters after summoning the shield when the artifact violently shuddered. The sharp sound of crack echoed, followed instantly by a web of fissures spreading across its surface—before it shattered into countless fragments!
Amidst the flying debris, the Blood Devouring Blade's momentum remained utterly undiminished. It seemed to possess a malevolent intelligence, adjusting its trajectory unerringly to track Wu Luosen as he scrambled sideways!
The moment his shield shattered, Wu Luosen's eyes nearly bulged from his skull, his face a mask of utter disbelief. His shield was a superior-grade spirit artifact! Destroyed in an instant?! Not even a supreme-grade spirit artifact could unleash such destructive force! Unless…
"A Dao Artifact?! No… impossible!!" Wu Luosen shrieked, sounding deeply disturbed. He exploded his remaining true yuan in a desperate burst, shattering the ground beneath his feet as he strained to dodge the incoming blade.
Thwip!
The dagger plunged deep into Wu Luosen's lower right abdomen. He paled instantly, yet a flash of relief crossed his eyes—he had narrowly avoided a vital organ! There was still a chance…
Before this faint hope could solidify, however, an indescribable terror seized him. A horrifying force invaded his entire being. The wound in his abdomen felt like a bottomless vortex. In a single, chilling instant, all his true yuan, his very blood, even his essential life force—everything was violently sucked towards that point!
"This is…" Wu Luosen only froze for a split second before abject horror consumed him. He instinctively tried to tear the dagger from his belly. As his hand moved, however, he saw his forearm—now grotesquely thin, resembling nothing more than skin stretched taut over bone. He couldn't even twitch his fingers…
Wu Luosen instantly grasped that his physical body's vitality was utterly extinguished. He desperately tried to flee via his Nascent Soul. A new wave of terror crashed over him; the dreadful suction wasn't just consuming his flesh and blood—it was dragging his Nascent Soul itself, trapping it, preventing escape!
"NOOOO!!" Wu Luosen's Nascent Soul screamed a silent wail within its dissolving prison. In the next heartbeat, his consciousness plunged into absolute darkness. His physical form had shriveled completely into a desiccated husk. It swayed for a moment, then collapsed heavily onto the ground.
…
While the sequence felt prolonged, everything transpired within a mere dozen breaths. Seeing the Blood Devouring Blade finally succeed in obliterating his foe, Lin Feng felt a wave of relief. A spark of surprised delight flashed in his eyes. He had to admit, despite the unease the dagger stirred within him, it was undeniably a weapon of staggering power. This time, its unleashed might had surpassed even his own expectations.
Unbeknownst to Lin Feng, the moment he unleashed the Blood Devouring Blade, Wu Pang, hovering over the quicksand pit nearly a kilometer away, snapped his head around in shock—momentarily forgetting even his pursuit of Yu Ping.
He witnessed the entirety of Wu Luosen's annihilation. Only when Wu Luosen's mummified corpse thudded to the ground did Wu Pang jolt back to awareness. His eyes, wide with disbelief, locked onto the blood-radiant dagger embedded in the corpse. An expression of profound, earth-shattering horror contorted his features, as if confronted by the utterly impossible. He suddenly shrieked, his voice raw with disbelief:
"The Blood Demon Blade!! It's Elder Luo's Blood Demon Blade!! No… THAT CAN'T BE!!!"
"Hmm?!" Startled by Wu Pang's cry, Lin Feng froze momentarily. His gaze sharpened, snapping towards the source. His eyes burned intently as they fixed on Wu Pang, carrying a flicker of… unexpected interest.
The instant Lin Feng's gaze met his, however, Wu Pang flinched violently. Unmistakable fear flashed in his eyes!
—Yes, pure terror!
He stared at Lin Feng, his mind seemingly fraying as he screamed hysterically, "Who are you?! How do you have Elder Luo's Blood Demon Blade?!"
"..." Faced with this frantic demand, Lin Feng remained silent. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully, clearly deep in contemplation. Yet, his right hand lifted, fingers curling slightly. The Blood Devouring Blade tore free from the corpse and shot back through the air, landing firmly in his grasp.
Wu Pang's reaction that followed, however, completely defied anything Lin Feng could have anticipated…
Seeing the crimson dagger settle into Lin Feng's hand, Wu Pang's pupils constricted into pinpricks. He jerked backwards in the air as if scalded. Then… he spun around! Transforming into a streak of light, he rocketed into the distance!
He flashed past his Corpse Puppet, merely flicking a hand. The puppet vanished instantly. His speed never faltered. Within mere blinks, he was kilometers away!
He had… Run away!!