The ability to control blood?
Li Ye's pupils contracted as he immediately began searching his mind for a Servant whose abilities matched that description.
Could it be a vampire?
Before Li Ye could think further, he vaporized the blood arrow with a backhand and discovered that the sea of fire had already reached him!
Only then did Li Ye notice what the sea of fire was made of.
It was clearly a crimson sea. The so-called flames were merely an illusion; what was truly rushing toward Li Ye was an ocean of blood laden with countless curses!
Bang!!
Distracted by the ocean of blood, Li Ye was caught off guard. It was as though he had been struck head-on by a bullet train traveling at three hundred and fifty kilometers per hour. His feet left the ground, and in an instant, he was sent far away from where Sanzang stood.
The scenery around him sped backward.
What the hell is this?
Although Li Ye had not suffered much injury, the Servant who had transformed into a beast was gripping his shoulders tightly, trying to restrict his movements.
What stunned Li Ye was the longing in the Servant's eyes.
Yes, longing.
Li Ye found it hard to imagine that he could see such nearly insane desire in the eyes of a middle-aged man—a desire for parts of his body—
Blood?!
The hands gripping his shoulders seemed ready to tear them off by force, while heavy, blood-reeking breaths washed over his face.
Having strengthened his body with vast amounts of magical energy and thus remained uninjured, Li Ye leaned back slightly.
Crackle—
A streak of Crimson Lightning blossomed in the narrow gap between Li Ye and the Servant.
Bang! Bang!
Li Ye struck like lightning, landing two consecutive punches on the armor around the Servant's waist. The tremendous force nearly made him release Li Ye.
Though he had failed to knock the Servant back, those two punches had still bought Li Ye enough room for his next attack!
"Grrr—"
The Servant's beastly nature was stirred by Li Ye's attack. He opened his mouth wide, his animalistic fangs seemingly ready to pierce Li Ye's skin and suck his blood!
Splash.
The sound of waves suddenly rang out beside his ears, and Li Ye swiftly swept his gaze around.
Everything around him had been swallowed by blood-red hues. Flames accompanied each rolling wave as they slowly closed in, as if intending to devour him whole.
Li Ye did not know what would happen if he touched this Sea of Blood and Fire, but judging by the cursed aura pervading the area, it could not be anything good.
After a rough assessment, Li Ye knew that dragging this out would only put him at a disadvantage. He could not actually let this Servant bite him.
Crackle.
Crimson Lightning rose again, racing along Li Ye's body. Taking advantage of the space created as the Servant reeled back from his punches, Li Ye abandoned his fists and launched another attack with his strongest weapon—his elbow.
Elbow strike!
The attack, compressed to its absolute limit, smashed heavily into the breastplate with a dull roar.
Boom!
In the next instant, Li Ye felt the grip on his shoulders loosen. The Servant consumed by Madness Enhancement had been sent flying by that elbow strike!
Using the force of that blow, Li Ye successfully stopped himself and landed back in the yellow sand.
Madness Enhancement that strips away reason and leaves only desire?
Having successfully opened the distance between them, Li Ye glanced at the crazed Servant. By now, he had also recognized the Servant's identity.
The world-famous vampire—Vlad the Third, or rather, Count Dracula.
Had he not been afflicted by those flames of Madness Enhancement, this summoned Servant, who was likely Vlad the Third, would surely have been a true hero.
So it really revolves around him—
Li Ye glanced at the receding Sea of Blood and Fire. After he sent Vlad the Third flying, the Sea of Blood and Fire that had nearly enveloped him had moved away along with Vlad the Third.
From this, Li Ye concluded that the Sea of Blood and Fire was merely a special territory effect that moved around Vlad the Third.
Where's Sanzang?
After confirming the identity of the Servant who was likely Vlad the Third, Li Ye actually turned his gaze aside right in front of Vlad the Third, trying to find Sanzang in the distance.
With Sanzang's abilities, she should not have been unable to react to this speed even now.
Under normal circumstances, she should have arrived by now.
Yet Li Ye saw no sign of Sanzang. Clearly, the same situation as with Nitocris had happened again.
Did someone hold Sanzang back and set up an ambush here? Or did they choose to summon a Heroic Spirit directly?
Li Ye frowned slightly. This string of actions left him utterly baffled. It was as if whoever was behind it was acting on a whim, doing whatever came to mind.
*!*
A bloody wind rushed at him, and a suddenly approaching shadow bared its fangs at Li Ye.
Facing Vlad the Third's sneak attack, Li Ye did not choose to meet him head-on. Instead, he pulled back and retreated.
Centered on Vlad the Third, the ocean of blood surged wildly. What concerned Li Ye even more were the flames blazing atop it.
Using blood as fuel, it cursed the world.
What the hell is that? Can a human even bleed that much?
Li Ye frowned at the sight. No human could possibly have that much blood, and it was continuously being turned into fuel for those flames of Madness Enhancement.
Li Ye maintained a certain speed and kept a constant distance from Vlad the Third, neither widening nor narrowing the gap, lest he enter the range of the Sea of Blood and Fire.
Seeing that he could not catch Li Ye, the crazed Vlad the Third actually tore open his own skin. The blood that suddenly poured out transformed into arrows and shot toward Li Ye!
It was not only arrows formed from Vlad's own blood. Hundreds of flaming blood arrows also rose from the Sea of Blood and Fire at his side, raining down upon Li Ye from all directions!
Facing Vlad the Third, the world-famous vampire, Li Ye did not dare let his guard down. He instinctively reached for the sword hilt at his waist, only to remember that his weapon had been damaged.
The blood arrows were incredibly fast. In the instant Li Ye reached for the wrong weapon, they had already arrived before his face, nearly piercing straight through him!
The powerful curse contained within those blood arrows even caused Li Ye's own Dragon Blood to stir restlessly!
A blood curse?!
Lacking any real knowledge of such things, Li Ye could only classify it for the moment as a curse related to blood. Since it involved blood, he could not allow it to come into contact with his own.
Crackle.
Crimson Lightning immediately coiled around Li Ye's body. Excess magical energy flooded his body, greatly enhancing the effect of his Magic Resistance and even forming a membrane of magical energy over his skin as he confronted the hundreds of blood arrows head-on!
Yet instead of retreating, Li Ye advanced, charging straight at Vlad the Third!
Crackle.
Like spring snow melting away, the blood arrows gave off sharp sizzling sounds the moment they struck Li Ye and touched the layer of Crimson Lightning. Like snowflakes falling into a hot pan, they melted away in an instant!
Li Ye entered the range of the Sea of Blood and Fire once more!
Unlike before, Li Ye shifted to the offensive and raised his foot before stomping down fiercely!
Crimson magical energy howled outward from Li Ye as its center, spreading endlessly through the surroundings like crashing waves!
It forcibly blasted open a gap in the Sea of Blood and Fire, allowing Li Ye to press forward!
"Grrr!"
Seeing Li Ye actually approaching him, the crazed Vlad the Third pounced excitedly toward him.
As Vlad the Third moved, flaming iron spikes shot out from the Sea of Blood and Fire surrounding Li Ye.
And there was only one target.
Li Ye!