Within the cave abode, savage demonic creatures surrounded them, while blue-black demonic winds surged around Xie Shu and voices chanted verses from evil scriptures.
Xu Xuan had long suspected that this man had ties to the Wilderness of Witches, but he had never expected him to appear here. His aura far surpassed those of Xu Xuan and Zuo Hemo.
Xie Shu raised his hand slightly and clenched it around empty air. Xu Xuan felt his heart tighten and the flow of energy throughout his body surge backward. He immediately spat out blood.
"Foundation establishment."
Xu Xuan's heart nearly sank to the bottom of an abyss. Xie Shu had reached the sixth level too late back then, clearly leaving him no hope of foundation establishment. Yet now he had quietly achieved it, even faster than the direct descendants of the various houses of the Plainlands.
Beside him, Zuo Hemo's expression was equally grave. Though there were many qi refining demonic creatures, they could still hold them off with sword qi. Against a foundation establishment cultivator, however, the two of them probably would not survive even a single move.
Xie Shu took a step forward. The surrounding demonic creatures withdrew and crouched to either side, plainly obeying his commands.
"Xu Xuan, it's been a long time."
His voice was gentle as he offered a quiet greeting, like an old friend whom Xu Xuan had not seen in years.
"I can hardly claim to know you, Valley Master Xie."
Xu Xuan tightened his grip on Constant Light, lightning and fire surging. He was already a spent arrow, yet he forced himself to rally and face the man before him.
"Controlling the blood of another's heart... that resembles the old inheritance of Blood-Burying Mountain. It seems you cultivate 'blood qi.'"
His sect had records