Scarlet Grotto-Heaven

A mist of blood exploded, followed immediately by a figure in black clothes darting backward from within the crimson fog.

Whoosh!

Xie Xuanyi's expression was grim.

Upon entering the Grotto-Heaven Realm, a cultivator's strength undergoes a "qualitative change," because each cultivator's Grotto-Heaven possesses unique characteristics corresponding to their individual path... If he wasn't mistaken, the crimson vertical pupil that appeared between Rank Six's eyebrows was the Grotto-Heaven she had condensed!

This Grotto-Heaven corresponds to the Heavenly Puppet Sect's "Blood Refinement Path"!

When the flying sword pierced Rank Six's shoulder, Rank Six seized the opportunity to leave her blood on the sword's blade, waiting for Xie Xuanyi to recall it.

The Blood Refinement Path is immensely powerful, but the price is equally steep!

This technique is somewhat similar to the renowned "Seven Injury Fist" of the martial world. Each time the practitioner launches an attack, they must expend their own Blood Essence... Cultivators who practice this path are all designated as "heretics" by the Great Chu! To compensate for the lack of Blood Essence, they often devour human blood to nourish themselves!

Xie Xuanyi knew from the start that this Rank Six was a ruthless person.

But he didn't expect... this madwoman to be so decisive!

Once the Blood Refinement Path was unleashed, it completely enveloped a radius of ten zhang, and she didn't even care about the living corpse she had painstakingly refined!

Xie Xuanyi successfully escaped.

But that burly living corpse was directly blasted into countless fragments!

The sturdy bamboo stalks of the swaying purple bamboo forest were covered with a layer of faint scarlet, and the air was filled with a thick, bloody stench.

"Good footwork..."

Rank Six sniffed excitedly.

Although her face was pale, her expression grew increasingly manic.

The wound pierced by the flying sword was still constantly bleeding... After the living corpse puppet was blown to pieces, the bloody aura in the air almost solidified.

Rank Six slowly raised a slender arm.

As she raised her hand, countless scarlet auras flew and converged in the air, transforming into blood-colored fireballs.

One by one, blood-red stars hung above the purple bamboo forest.

"Go!"

A sharp shout.

The crimson vertical pupil on Rank Six's forehead suddenly widened, and dozens of scarlet fireballs hanging above the bamboo forest crashed down—

Xie Xuanyi turned and ran without the slightest hesitation, running as cleanly and neatly as possible. This Heavenly Puppet Sect woman had profound cultivation and ruthless attacks, and most importantly, this Scarlet Grotto-Heaven... was truly bizarre!

In an instant, the purple bamboo forest turned into a sea of fire.

One by one, large red fireballs howled and crashed down, like siege mortars developed by the Great Chu Imperial City Bureau, each carrying a world-destroying momentum.

Scorching hot winds swept in from behind.

Xie Xuanyi, who was fleeing "in a panic" all the way, took the time to glance back slightly, and as expected, he saw Rank Six's hideous face, with a hint of mockery and sneer.

This Grotto-Heaven heretic probably thought that victory was certain, and now only regarded himself as prey with nowhere to escape, playing the final "cat and mouse" game.

"You probably think you're a smart person, knowing to wear a mask and hide your identity when you go out."

"But in my opinion, you're a complete fool."

Rank Six folded her arms and followed leisurely behind, her lips curled up, watching with interest as Xie Xuanyi was bombarded by fireballs all the way, fleeing in a panic, with a hint of schadenfreude.

She opened her mouth with a smile: "I was originally worried that you wouldn't dare to come to the Sunken Chime Mountain appointment."

Xie Xuanyi narrowed his eyes.

Through this period of maneuvering, he could be certain...

The Scarlet Grotto-Heaven that Rank Six cultivates corresponds to the Heavenly Puppet Sect's "Blood Refinement Path."

Potholes everywhere, a sky-high blood fire.

Every wisp of flame burning here is driven by Rank Six's own Blood Essence, but judging from Rank Six's reaction, she seems to still be in a state of "sufficient blood volume"?

"Enough playing around."

Rank Six instantly restrained her smile and said coldly, "I'll send you on your way."

She put her hands together.

The last blood-colored fireball was no longer "barely grazing," but accelerated and struck directly at the top of Xie Xuanyi's head—

A violent sound of tearing through the air resounded in his ears.

Xie Xuanyi subconsciously drew his sword, but the sword he had casually bought in Carp Tide City had been shattered by the Scarlet Grotto-Heaven. Even if he used Qi to summon it, he would only summon a pile of fragments... Xie Xuanyi bent down and ran, reaching out to grasp a thick purple bamboo. With a force in his palm, the purple bamboo, which was fully five zhang long, was bent and pressed to the ground in an instant.

The next moment, a sound of unbearable cracking rang out, and the purple bamboo broke in two!

Xie Xuanyi stopped running, but instead grasped the slender purple bamboo, twisted his waist and turned around, shooting it out like a spear!

The moment he turned around.

Xie Xuanyi's entire vision was filled with the falling blood fire!

"Boom!"

The next moment, the giant fireball was pierced and blasted apart by the purple bamboo. This unparalleled physical burst of power directly shattered the Scarlet Grotto-Heaven's brute force of the "Blood Refinement Path"!

Xie Xuanyi raised his sleeve to cover his face, while the purple bamboo spear shot and exploded the fireball, he retreated. Fire rain fell in the sky.

He retreated to a safe distance again...

The purple bamboo, which he had thrown with all his might, did not lose momentum after blasting the fireball, and sped towards Rank Six's direction.

All of this happened too quickly.

Rank Six's pupils constricted, the hand seal was forcibly broken, and she was forced to stretch out her hands to meet the fierce purple bamboo spear head-on. Blood-colored flames gathered towards her sleeves, instantly dyeing the black robe blood-red, like a dragon drawing water. With just a shake of her palm, the purple bamboo was shattered from beginning to end!

Thump, thump, thump.

Rank Six took three steps back, her face a little unsightly, and she re-examined Xie Xuanyi with uncertainty.

There are only a few sects of body refiners, actually.

This guy in front of her is also ruthless when he starts, not "merciful" at all. This kind of killing technique is obviously unrelated to Buddhism!

Why does she feel that the person opposite her is also a "fellow practitioner" of the evil path?

Sunken Chime Mountain fell into a brief silence.

After the exchange just now, neither of them chose to attack rashly.

"It seems that I can't fight against a Grotto-Heaven yet..."

Xie Xuanyi murmured softly in his heart.

As he expected.

It is difficult to fight against the Grotto-Heaven Realm with only half of the acupoints ignited.

After condensing the Grotto-Heaven, the power of the Blood Refinement Path is far from comparable to Xu You and his like.

The Qi Guiding Realm Peak and the Grotto-Heaven Realm seem to be separated by only a thin layer of bottleneck.

But this is actually a chasm.

The existence of a "Grotto-Heaven" itself is a symbol of the Great Path.

If it were just the Qi Guiding Realm, Rank Six's "Blood Refinement Path" would not have been able to be used for so long... This Grotto-Heaven provides her with an extremely rich Blood Essence reserve, allowing her to squander and waste it wantonly.

Aside from the difference in realm.

There is also a very important factor...

That is, the "Blood Refinement Path" is really a bit too strange and too vicious.

Xie Xuanyi looked down at his palm, Golden Qi flowed in the acupoints, covering his hands, but faintly visible was a bloody, turbid aura flowing on the surface of his skin.

A sizzling burning sound came from the air.

Although he had been careful everywhere.

But Rank Six's "Blood Refinement Path" still splashed onto him.

Evil cultivators who practice this technique often do a crazy thing... that is, they seep poison into their blood.

Yes, they will take different poisons themselves.

In this way.

The "blood" that is normally sacrificed and sprinkled is also poisonous!

This is also the reason why normal cultivators are unwilling to fight against evil cultivators. Who wants to fight and kill with this kind of madman?

In this situation, even a drop of blood is a terrible thing.

"You are much more powerful than I imagined."

After a moment of silence.

Rank Six spoke again, the look in her eyes towards Xie Xuanyi changed, no longer the extremely contemptuous look she had before.

"You can still stand after being hit by the 'Blood Refinement Path'."

Rank Six narrowed her eyes and said slowly, "Is it because you have a treasure to protect you, or is your physical body really so domineering... that it can withstand the extent of the poisonous blood?"

Neither.

Xie Xuanyi remained silent, he knew very well why he could stand.

It was the Immortal Spring...

Accurately speaking, it was the Golden Qi that had not yet condensed into the "Immortal Spring". It was originally entrenched inside the dantian, in a free-flowing form. After he was hit by the poisonous blood, this Golden Qi began to actively roam on the surface of his body. The "poisonous blood" containing strange poison was found by the Golden Qi as soon as it invaded the skin.

Then they reacted with each other and neutralized each other.

This is the reason for the constant "sizzling" sound.

"Either way, it's a good thing."

Rank Six did not get a response and was not annoyed.

"If you have a treasure that can resist the Gu blood, after tonight, that treasure will be mine..."

"If you're relying on your physical body to withstand it, that's even better. I'm just lacking a strong enough natal puppet."

She smiled and stretched out her hands, once again forming a bizarre hand seal.

The Scarlet Grotto-Heaven loomed overhead, its bewitching red light cascading down like a waterfall. If one could ignore that hideous and detestable face and only look at Rank Six, bathed in the hazy, dreamlike aura of the red light... it might even give one the illusion of "beholding a compassionate Bodhisattva."

Xie Xuanyi narrowed his eyes.

He saw that Rank Six, illuminated by the light of the Scarlet Grotto-Heaven, was slowly growing a second pair of arms from her back.

This was no illusion.

Rank Six really did grow a second pair of hands, slender and delicate, but dripping with fresh blood!

The second pair of hands formed the Buddhist Pure Vase Seal, further enhancing her dignified appearance.

Bathed in the bloody light, the woman who used the Scarlet Grotto-Heaven as a cape, spoke in a soft and gentle voice, "It's fate that we meet. Tonight, the mountains are high, the moon is full, and all around is silent. Why don't we enjoy ourselves to the fullest?"

Squeak, begging, begging, begging for following along~