Despair

Daoist Chai's wild laughter hadn't ceased when his figure flickered forward, blood energy surging like a tide. He swung his sword in a furious slash, aiming for the gravely wounded Wang Hao, who hadn't yet recovered.

"Wang Hao, die for me..."

"You wish--!"

Old Zhou let out a low growl and suddenly shifted sideways, his battered body shielding Wang Hao. His spear was broken, but he still used his last ounce of strength to block the blow.

"Commander, go!" his voice was hoarse, blood constantly spilling from the corner of his mouth. "We... we're no match for him..."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly grabbed Daoist Chai, like an old but unyielding hound latching onto a fierce tiger.

Daoist Chai's face contorted. "You're asking for death!"

"BOOM--!!"

A terrifying force erupted from within him, blasting Old Zhou's body into pieces, flesh and blood flying everywhere.

"Old Zhou--!!!" Wang Hao's throat tightened, his blood energy churning, and he spat out a mouthful of old blood.

He fell to his knees, hands trembling, staring at the cloud of shattered blood mist before him, his eyes filled with hatred and resolve.

He slowly took a blood-red pill from his chest. It pulsed with an eerie glow—it was a Blood Burst Pill!

And this Blood Burst Pill didn't look like an ordinary one.

"Daoist Chai..." he gritted out, his voice deep as thunder, "You deserve to go to hell!"

"Heh!" Daoist Chai raised an eyebrow, looking at Wang Hao's aged but unyielding body, a sneer appearing on his face. "You? Even swallowing a Blood Burst Pill will only prolong your suffering. All of you people will spend your lives looking up at the dust beneath my feet."

He raised his long sword and pressed forward, his killing intent like a collapsing mountain and a raging tsunami.

"Then come and try!"

Wang Hao roared to the heavens, swallowing the Blood Burst Pill. A frenzied aura instantly exploded from within him. His muscles bulged, veins protruding, his entire presence surging as if he had transformed from a tiger into a ferocious lion!

Their auras reached their peak in that instant, about to collide—

"BOOM--!!!"

The temple doors were violently kicked open with a deafening roar. A bloody silhouette rushed in, followed closely by a giant resembling a blood demon!

"ROAR!!!"

Liang Hu and Duan Lie, like Asuras from hell, their blood energy churning, their eyes devoid of spirit, their mad roars like beasts released from their cages, their killing intent filling the sky!

Daoist Chai's expression drastically changed. He took half a step back, his face showing a mixture of panic and anger for the first time.

"You... how can you be here?!"

Liang Hu's eyes were blood-red, as if they could drip blood. He stared intently at Daoist Chai, his voice hoarse and low, yet filled with bone-chilling hatred:

"Old thief... you lied to me... you said the Blood Pill would make me stronger... Now... now I just want to tear you apart!! I want you dead! I want... to twist your head off!!"

"Hrrraaaah--!!!"

He threw a punch, the air exploding. It was utterly unadorned, yet it was like a collapsing mountain, terrifyingly powerful.

"Get lost!"

Daoist Chai swung his sword to meet the attack, his sword energy like a curtain, blood-red light crisscrossing.

But then, a black shadow suddenly lunged forward. Duan Lie roared repeatedly, spouting nonsensical ravings, his fists like hammers. He attacked without any semblance of technique, yet he was incredibly strong, punching again and again like a rampaging giant ape!

Daoist Chai roared, "You two lunatics!"

He suddenly exploded into action, his feet cracking the floor tiles. His figure turned into an afterimage, and he kicked Liang Hu away.

"BOOM--!"

Liang Hu's massive body slammed heavily into the wall of the pill hall, creating a huge hole.

At the same time, seeing Duan Lie approaching.

Daoist Chai suddenly slammed a palm towards Duan Lie's chest. The force was so strong that it sent the iron-tower-like Duan Lie staggering back several steps, spitting blood and roaring, his body shaking.

Before Duan Lie could steady himself, Daoist Chai spun back, his long sword like a viper's tongue, unleashing a chilling arc of light!

"Pfft--!"

Where the sword light passed, blood splattered from Duan Lie's neck. His huge head rolled to the ground, his wide eyes still fixed on Daoist Chai, filled with hatred and madness. His massive body crashed to the ground with a loud thud.

Liang Hu, who was already gravely wounded and lying on the ground, actually understood fear and quickly got up to flee.

Outside the door, Gu Chang'an leaned against a broken pillar. Seeing this, his pupils contracted, and he cursed under his breath:

"Holy crap... this old bastard is too strong..."

His gaze fell on Daoist Chai. The man was now like a descending demon, his robes fluttering, his posture straight, every inch of his muscles taut as iron, his eyes filled with madness and indifference. He had completely reduced human lives to mere dust.

And according to the System's display, Daoist Chai's Constitution value had reached 780.

Terrifying.

Liang Hu and Duan Lie, who seemed incredibly powerful to him, were treated like playthings by Daoist Chai.

In an instant, one was gravely wounded, and the other was dead.

This scene deeply shook Gu Chang'an's heart.

"Aaaah--!"

Just then, Wang Hao's voice rang out.

He felt as if his insides were being sliced by knives, his entire body burning as if engulfed in flames. Yet, he endured the backlash from the enhanced Blood Burst Pill, gritted his teeth, and stood up. His Constitution also climbed, reaching 650.

"Daoist Chai, die..."

Wang Hao roared, stomped his foot, cracking the ground. His body shot out like a landslide, lunging at Daoist Chai, his heavy saber slashing down furiously!

"Hmph!"

"Ant..."

Daoist Chai snorted coldly, flicking his long sword upward. The two weapons collided in mid-air with a deafening roar, sending out waves of wind several yards wide.

Wang Hao's saber strike was heavy and fierce. In a direct clash, he actually forced Daoist Chai back a step!

Daoist Chai's eyes flashed with sharp light: "You're a bit tougher than I thought."

"You want to kill me?" Wang Hao's eyes were filled with determination. "Then you'll have to pay a price!"

He didn't retreat. He swung his saber three times in quick succession. The saber winds surged like tides, shattering stone pillars and sending roof tiles flying in the great hall!

Daoist Chai sneered, saying nothing. His long sword danced, its light becoming a blur. He weaved through the gaps in Wang Hao's heavy saber strikes, each blow aimed at a vital point, uncanny and sharp.

Their figures crossed, sabers and swords cutting through the air, their energies clashing. The ground cracked inch by inch under their feet, corpses flew everywhere, resembling a battlefield of Asuras!

Gu Chang'an gripped his long saber, standing outside the door, his gaze as heavy as frost:

"Director Wang... please hold on..."

Inside the hall, the clash of swords and sabers thundered, sparks flying. Wang Hao and Daoist Chai fought a life-or-death battle, a fight that blurred the heavens and the earth!

Although Wang Hao's Constitution was more than a hundred points lower than Daoist Chai's, he wasn't immediately suppressed.

650 against 780. There was a gap, but it wasn't an overwhelming one.

With proper technique and unwavering will, there was still a sliver of a chance for victory.

Gu Chang'an's eyes flickered.

There's still a chance... is there really?

But soon, his heart sank bit by bit.

No.

The Blood Spirit Pill Daoist Chai consumed was an evil pill refined with the blood of living beings, enhancing his fundamental physical being – a permanent increase.

Whereas the Blood Burst Pill Wang Hao swallowed, while capable of unleashing astonishing power for a short time, merely overdrafts his lifespan and Qi and blood, making it unsustainable in the long run.

He might be able to resist at first, but once he ran out of strength and energy, Wang Hao would be doomed!

He gritted his teeth, cold sweat silently trickling down his forehead.

This is bad... the situation is worse than I imagined...

Gu Chang'an's fingers trembled slightly. A thought of escape actually arose in his heart.

He was a man who dared to fight and dare to struggle, but he wasn't reckless.

If Wang Hao died, facing a Seventh Rank evil cultivator, he would have absolutely no power to resist.

Staying would just be throwing his life away...