The Illustrated Guide Lights Up Again? (Thanks to Yimo for the 100 Reward)

The battle was still raging. Ye Xingliu's flying sword artifact and the blood cultivator's flying dagger artifact circled through the air together. The blood cultivator's eyes had grown even redder, as though he had taken some kind of pill, his spiritual energy seemingly endless.

That was why he alone could hold back a cultivator of the same rank and a second-order giant lizard.

Along with quite a few Qi Refinement cultivators and Qi Refinement spirit beasts.

The blood cultivator's tenacity had exceeded all expectations.

Ye Jingcheng watched with some anxiety. If Xu Xiuqing had not been here today, the Ye Family might have handled this far more cleanly.

But the Ye Family needed the spirit mine, so they had to agree to Xu Xiuqing's conditions.

After Ye Jingcheng's reminder, Ye Xingliu and the other Ye Family elders also realized that the blood cultivator was stalling for time.

Under normal circumstances, a blood cultivator would have fled long ago.

"Xinghe, take three people beneath the lake!"

Ye Xinghe immediately nodded, while the blood cultivator's expression changed drastically in an instant.

Clearly, he truly had something planned beneath the lake!

He took out another command token, which spread outward before him.

Three blood-robed cultivators rushed out from beneath the lake. These three were Rogue Cultivators under control as well, but their cultivation had clearly reached the eighth and ninth levels of Qi Refinement.

Each of them possessed quite a few artifacts, making them far stronger than the cannon fodder from before.

The appearance of one of them immediately made Xu Xiuqing's eyes redden.

"Father!" Xu Xiuqing charged forward at once.

One of the cultivators suddenly showed a flicker of clarity in his eyes at the sight.

This scene made Ye Jingcheng and the others hesitate.

Yet Ye Xinghe's Crimson-Crowned Snow Eagle made use of its terrifying speed again, rushing out first as countless ice blades smashed toward the three Qi Refinement cultivators.

Ye Xinghe naturally knew Old Xu as well, but he had made things clear beforehand: once someone was controlled by the Blood Heart Curse, they could not guarantee Old Xu's safety.

And now, they certainly could not let Xu Xiuqing throw her life away!

The Blood-Patterned Leopard also let out a roar, turning into a streak of spiritual light as it pounced wildly toward one of them.

Ice crystals rained down without end, but the three men continually brought out shield artifacts and blood blade artifacts.

They scattered all the ice crystals and flying blades, as well as the flying swords and spirit talismans unleashed by Ye Xinghe and the others, in midair.

Countless streaks of spiritual light fell into the lake, kicking up wave after wave.

Even though Xu Xiuqing was in agony, she knew that her father had lost his mind.

She could only take out her artifact and attack from afar, her face still filled with conflict and pain.

At that moment, Ye Jingcheng's Crimson Flame Fox fired another four Fireball Spells. Once the Chain Fireball Spell was unleashed, even a mid-stage first-order defensive shield could not withstand it. After one shield was blasted away, countless ironwood vines appeared again!

As the ironwood vines emerged, the blood-robed cultivators were about to cast Fireball Spells, but Ye Jingyu's wind banner fluttered continuously. This time, it was not one gust of wind, but two.

The stronger gales blew the fireballs directly away.

Instead, the three men were thrown into a sorry state!

Meanwhile, the ironwood vines and Ye Jingyong's small seal artifact descended at some unknown moment.

This series of attacks was linked together seamlessly. Yet even under control, the three Rogue Cultivators remained extraordinarily experienced, jointly sending three flying dagger artifacts shooting out!

But in the next instant, another massive fireball appeared!

This fireball was faster still. After Ye Jingcheng patted its head, the Crimson Flame Fox spat out another enormous fireball!

Under the fireball, one cultivator died on the spot, while the other two suffered severe injuries. Then, with a ringing sound, a huge bell appeared and covered Old Xu.

This time, Ye Jingcheng had used the massive fireball spell to conceal the Heaven-Trapping Bell.

The remaining man could not hold out much longer. He was struck by the Crimson-Crowned Snow Eagle's Ice Crystal Storm, then torn apart at close range by the Blood-Patterned Leopard!

Ye Xinghe immediately charged toward the bottom of the lake!

At this sight, the Foundation Establishment blood cultivator grew even more frantic!

He actually rushed toward the lake as well, his hands forming seals madly.

In an instant, countless blood-colored spiritual patterns appeared across the lake's surface.

Those blood-colored patterns were about to spread into a line, as though some terrifying formation was about to emerge.

Just then, a flash of golden light burst forth. A massive Blue-eyed Hanging-eyed Tiger appeared and pounced at the blood cultivator!

The suddenly appearing second-order Hanging-eyed Tiger blazed with dazzling golden spiritual light. With one swipe of its paw, the seemingly indestructible spiritual barrier was smashed apart!

The blood cultivator could scarcely believe it and could only dodge in disarray.

But since Ye Xingliu had even summoned the Blue-eyed Hanging-eyed Tiger, he naturally showed no mercy. Together with the second-order giant lizard's enormous long tongue and countless earth spikes!

Ye Xingliu slashed out with his sword once more.

This time, the Foundation Establishment blood cultivator had no spare artifact left to defend himself. After blocking several moves, he was beheaded by a single sword strike!

The blood formation that had spread halfway abruptly came to a stop.

Ye Xinghe and Ye Xingyu used water-escape arts to enter the underground.

Meanwhile, Ye Jingcheng, Ye Jingyong, and Ye Jingyu began clearing away the corpses.

As the younger generation, such cleanup work naturally fell to the three of them.

Only Xu Xiuqing walked toward what lay beneath the enormous bell.

Her father, Old Xu, was trapped inside. Yet there had been no movement from beneath the bell, filling Xu Xiuqing's eyes with both madness and terror.

Ye Jingcheng had yet to lift the Heaven-Trapping Bell, but as its controller, he naturally knew what had happened. The blood cultivator had triggered the Blood Heart Curse before reaching the bell!

Old Xu had died on the spot, though at least the Heaven-Trapping Bell had preserved his corpse intact.

"Fellow Daoist Ye, please uncover it!" Xu Xiuqing's body swayed slightly, but she still spoke.

Ye Jingcheng recalled the Heaven-Trapping Bell, revealing Old Xu's figure. He had already become a corpse, his eyes seeming unwilling to close even in death. Only after seeing Xu Xiuqing did they slowly shut.

His last trace of vitality dissipated as well.

Just then, Ye Xinghe and Ye Xingyu emerged.

The two spoke with unchanged expressions:

"Uncle, there's a blood pool below. That evil cultivator used it to cultivate. His entire Foundation Establishment cultivation was likely built through blood cultivation. Fortunately, we got rid of him today!" Ye Xinghe wore a lingering look of fear.

Many blood cultivators used cultivators' essence blood to cultivate, allowing their cultivation speed to soar by leaps and bounds.

After all, cultivators' blood was more nourishing than spirit beast blood and better suited for cultivators. Yet such a practice was intolerable to heaven and reason, a demonic path everyone condemned.

However, as Ye Xinghe spoke, Ye Jingcheng was inwardly puzzled, because he discovered that the illustration in his treasure book had lit up again.

This time, a Blood Leech appeared. Its entire body was limp as mud, yet it could split from one into a thousand, and from a thousand into a hundred thousand!

In an instant, the treasure book's illustrated world became densely packed, filled from end to end.

At last, it returned to calm, transforming into the appearance of a Blood Leech egg, while a new pill formula appeared as well!

Ye Jingcheng understood inwardly that the blood cultivator below had likely not been cultivating a blood-based technique, but had been using cultivators' blood to incubate this Blood Leech demon egg.

Ye Xinghe simply did not wish to reveal it before everyone. This Blood Leech surely involved far more than met the eye.

Ye Jingcheng also understood that it was because he was not qualified enough.

He still had not earned the family's complete trust.