Herlinta

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Herlinta (赫琳塔)
Alias(es)	Second Senior Sister; temporary President of Anshan City's Zhu Xi
Species/Race	Human; later corrupted into a Black Blood Species
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Snake Heart Sect; Zhu Xi
Occupation/Role	Snake Heart Sect's Second Senior Sister; Jiang Zuo's disciple; acting leader of Anshan Zhu Xi
Status	Deceased — killed and absorbed by Hu Qi; her identity was subsequently assumed by Hu Qi through Twisted Light 139 147
First Appearance	Chapter 51

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Martial Dao Practitioner	51	Already far stronger than Lin Tong; tested Hu Qi's strength and identified his physique and perfected Cannon Fist after one exchange 51
Martial Dao Practitioner with Essence, Vitality, and Spirit Treasury opened	97, 121	Could release Blood Essence externally and recognized the Blood Gold Vermillion Fruit as a treasure capable of increasing a practitioner's chance of reaching Qi Dao Grandmaster 97 121
Peak Martial Dao Practitioner	124	Consumed the Blood Gold Vermillion Fruit, breaking through her longstanding bottleneck at the eighth level of the Red Snake Secret Martial Arts 124
Corrupted Black Blood Species	124, 127	A hidden drop of black blood in the fruit enslaved her to a Food Master and granted her Black Blood Species power 124 127
Enhanced Black Blood Species combatant	136, 137	Her aura became several times stronger; she had killed a Qi Dao Grandmaster and could manifest a colossal blood-red giant snake Blood Soul 136 137

Background

Herlinta was abandoned beside a road immediately after birth. Her biological mother had conspired with her lover to kill Herlinta's father, gave birth to obtain compensation money, and discarded the infant after receiving it. She was later adopted, but her adoptive home burned down during her teens, leaving her orphaned again. Jiang Zuo found her afterward and brought her into the Snake Heart Sect. 212

Within the sect, Herlinta was originally ranked fourth among Jiang Zuo's disciples. She became the Second Senior Sister because the disciples ranked above her had died. She warned Hu Qi that talent without character and effective strength was fragile in the Secret Martial Artists' world. 96

Appearance

Herlinta is a slender blonde woman with distinctive wine-red eyes and a habitually cold, detached expression. She commonly carries a long red saber, later identified as the Blood Refining Spirit Weapon Red Mirror. 51 73 138

• Blonde or golden hair, sometimes worn long and disheveled 51 96
• Wine-red eyes that darkened further after her corruption 51 124
• Usually expressionless or cold-faced; her features become ferocious when killing intent overwhelms her 74
• Carries the red saber Red Mirror 95 138
• During the Gray Mist crisis, her damaged body could regenerate scorched flesh, facial tissue, and eyes 137

Personality

Herlinta is outwardly indifferent, blunt, and intimidating. Even fellow sect members fear her; Lin Tong describes her as dangerous but generous after she compensates Hu Qi for testing him with Snow Snake Paste. 51

Her protectiveness toward the Snake Heart Sect is inseparable from intense aggression. She reacts violently to threats against its members, threatens Han Luan of the Holy Rain Sect, and declares that anyone causing trouble for the sect will regret being born. 74 95 100

The Ghost Slaying Blade worsened her killing intent and emotional instability. Jiang Zuo reprimanded her for allowing the technique's murderous influence to control her, ordering her to avoid fighting while she purified her state of mind. 74

After accepting the Food Master's power, Herlinta became increasingly ruthless and battle-obsessed. She killed Zhu Xi guards without hesitation, pursued combat for excitement, and treated the risk of becoming fully Black Blood Species as preferable to death. 127 137 138

Abilities & Skills

Ghost Slaying Blade

Herlinta practiced the Snake Heart Sect's Ghost Slaying Blade, a powerful saber technique whose killing intent can erode its wielder's mind. Its training footage was used by Hu Qi when he chose the technique. 67 74

• Can project overwhelming killing intent and gruesome mental imagery through the drawn blade 95
• Her Ghost Slaying Blade Strike was strong enough to contend with Hu Qi's disguised swordsmanship 136
• Its severe psychological drawback contributed to her loss of emotional control 74

Red Snake Secret Martial Arts

As an advanced Snake Heart Sect practitioner, Herlinta had opened the Essence, Vitality, and Spirit Treasury and understood the sect's Secret Martial Arts inheritance. 97 121

• Could perform external Blood Essence release 97
• Possessed a blood-red giant snake Blood Soul, manifested after her Black Blood Species transformation 137
• Reached the eighth level of the Red Snake Secret Martial Arts before using the Blood Gold Vermillion Fruit to break her bottleneck 124

Black Blood Species Power

The Food Master's corruption gave Herlinta Black Blood Species traits and a rapid means of accumulating True Blood Qi Strength through consumption. 139

• Regenerated catastrophic wounds, including destroyed facial tissue and eyes 137
• Claimed the Food Master had bestowed “immortality”; black mist healed her wounds after Red Mirror pierced her heart 138
• Her regeneration and borrowed power were limited: Hu Qi drained her life force and absorbed her despite these abilities 138 139
• Continued reliance on the power would have fully transformed her into a Black Blood Species, preventing her from reaching Qi Dao Grandmaster by her own cultivation 138

Combat Prowess

Herlinta combines extreme speed, refined saber technique, and powerful killing intent.

• Moved quickly enough in her first meeting with Hu Qi to seem to vanish and reappear within a meter of him 51
• Killed two Seal Wolf Sect Martial Dao Practitioners in the Gray Mist with decisive saber strikes 132
• Was powerful enough after corruption to kill a Qi Dao Grandmaster, though she was ultimately outmatched by Hu Qi 136 137

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Red Mirror — Her Blood Refining Spirit Weapon, a red saber that resisted Hu Qi when he seized it. Hu Qi took it after defeating her. 138
• Snow Snake Paste — A rare medicinal paste made with Snow Scale Python as its primary ingredient. Herlinta gave it to Hu Qi as compensation for attacking him during her test. 51
• Blood Gold Vermillion Fruit — A breakthrough treasure supplied by the Food Master's agent; it concealed the corrupting black blood that enslaved her. 121 124

Relationships

• Jiang Zuo — Master and Snake Heart Sect Sect Master. He adopted Herlinta after her adoptive parents died, taught her the Ghost Slaying Blade, and later became the target of her resentment. She accused him of using her as a test subject, then killed and consumed him after her corruption. 74 127 149 212
• Hu Qi — Junior brother and later personal disciple under Jiang Zuo. Herlinta tested his strength, gave him Snow Snake Paste, taught him about higher cultivation, and accepted him as a personal disciple on Jiang Zuo's behalf. Hu Qi later killed her while disguised, absorbed her memories, and assumed her identity. 51 96 97 139 147
• Lin Tong — Junior sect member who feared Herlinta's strength but accompanied her and Hu Qi during the Hanlin Garden investigation. 51 53
• Han Luan — Holy Rain Sect Martial Dao Practitioner. Herlinta nearly killed her during a confrontation over the destroyed Ice Weapons branch, forcing Han Luan to apologize and withdraw. 95 96
• Food Master — A being surpassing Mid-tier Black Blood Species. Its divine thought arranged Herlinta's corruption, intending to use her as a puppet capable of entering the surface world. 124 139
• Du Wang — First Senior Brother of the Snake Heart Sect. He later became wary of the radically changed “Herlinta,” unaware that Hu Qi had taken her identity. 119 200

Story Role / Major Arcs

Hanlin Garden Investigation

Herlinta first appears when she joins Lin Tong and Hu Qi's investigation into Black Blood Species activity at Hanlin Garden. She attacks Hu Qi without warning to test his strength, recognizes his exceptional physical condition, and compensates him with Snow Snake Paste. She then orders the team to hunt down the Black Blood Species responsible for the deaths. 51 53

Hu Qi's Sect Advancement

Following Hu Qi's rapid advancement to the third Qi and Blood Transformation, Herlinta accepts him as a personal disciple on Jiang Zuo's behalf. She introduces him to the Snake Heart Sect's ancestor, explains the brutal fate of its former disciples, and guides him through the inheritance process for the sect's Secret Martial Arts. 96 97 98

Anshan City Defense

As acting president of Anshan Zhu Xi, Herlinta organizes the defense of Anshan City when the Gray Mist approaches. Her deployment of Martial Dao Practitioners addresses the city's shortage of defenders, after which she secretly descends to confront Jiang Zuo. 125 126 127

Corruption and Betrayal

Before the Gray Mist crisis, Herlinta accepted a Blood Gold Vermillion Fruit from a mysterious Black Blood Species agent in exchange for cooperation. The fruit's hidden black blood corrupted and enslaved her to the Food Master. She killed Zhu Xi guards, confronted Jiang Zuo, and became a Black Blood Species operative. 121 124 127

Final Battle and Death

Within the Gray Mist, Herlinta slaughtered Seal Wolf Sect members and later confronted a disguised Hu Qi. She regenerated after his Exhale Thunder, transformed her Blood Soul into a colossal giant snake, and invoked the immortality granted by her master. Hu Qi overpowered her, seized Red Mirror, absorbed her life force and soul light, and buried her remains. 132 136 137 138 139

Posthumous Identity

After her death, Hu Qi used Twisted Light and Herlinta's memories to impersonate her. Because the Gray Mist had eliminated witnesses and concealed her betrayal, he was able to present her apparent survival and breakthrough as plausible. The Snake Heart Sect and wider Federation subsequently treated “Herlinta” as its leader, unaware that the real Herlinta was dead. 147 148 149