Blood River as Sacrifice, Demonic Blade Unsheathed

"What? Not fighting anymore?"

Lu Shaoyou, wielding his iron cudgel, slowly turned around, his gaze falling upon Xue Yutang, whose expression had drastically changed, filled with shock and uncertainty.

His green robe was already soiled and stained with blood from the fierce battle, but his entire being exuded a terrifying aura unlike anything before.

The oppressive pressure emanating from the four Dragon-Elephant Powers felt almost tangible, striking fear into the hearts of the remaining two Xiantian experts. They instinctively took half a step back.

Xue Yutang's eye twitched wildly; the horror in his heart was beyond description.

Wear him down?

How the hell am I supposed to do that?

He gets stronger the longer we fight?

What kind of monstrous freak is this!

He knew the plan had to be moved up. If this continued, his people would be slaughtered before the formation was even fully activated!

"Demonic fiend! You're at the end of your rope, don't try to bluff your way out of this!"

A hint of madness and resolve flashed in Xue Yutang's eyes. He suppressed the shock in his heart, reignited his full power, and his blood-colored saber emitted a piercing hum.

"Boundless Sea of Blood!"

A nearly solidified blood-red saber energy, carrying a thick scent of blood and resentment, shot towards the sky as if to cleave it open. With thunderous might, it slashed towards Lu Shaoyou.

This strike was his ultimate hidden move, possessing infinite power.

However, in the eyes of Lu Shaoyou, now empowered by four Dragon-Elephant Powers, it was still insignificant.

"A firefly's light dares to compete with the brilliance of the moon?"

Lu Shaoyou sneered disdainfully. The Qi Mei Cudgel in his hand grew rapidly with the wind, shining with dazzling golden light. It was like an awakened ancient divine dragon, roaring as it met the attack.

"Get lost!"

BOOM—!

The cudgel and the saber collided fiercely in mid-air.

This time, there was no stalemate.

The terrifying blood-red saber energy was crushed and shattered like brittle glass the moment it came into contact with the golden cudgel's shadow!

Xue Yutang felt an unimaginable force surge through his saber, causing it to emit a mournful cry as it was violently flung away.

He himself was hit as if by a mountain, spitting blood and flying backward like a tattered sack, directly off the stage, crashing heavily onto the ground far away. His fate was unknown.

This scene utterly shattered the two remaining Xiantian experts, who were already mentally unstable.

If even Xue Yutang, a Xiantian Mid-stage expert, was sent flying with a single move, what hope did they have?

The two exchanged glances, abandoning all pretense of sect dignity or martial ethics. They turned and prepared to jump off the stage to escape.

But, at that very moment, a drastic change occurred!

HUM—!

A dull hum, as if from the depths of the earth, resonated throughout the peak of Soul Severing Cliff.

Immediately after, centered around the massive stone platform, crimson, blood-like patterns materialized on the ground, spreading outwards at an astonishing speed in all directions.

In the blink of an eye, a massive blood-colored formation covering the entire platform took shape with a roar!

"Ah! What is this cursed thing!"

"My Inner Force! My Inner Force is draining!"

"Help! My blood... my blood is flowing out!"

Piercing screams erupted one after another.

The blood-colored formation surged with light, and an irresistible, terrifying suction force erupted from it.

All the martial artists within the formation's range, regardless of their cultivation level, felt their Inner Force and vital essence being siphoned out of their bodies like an unleashed flood, beyond their control.

They transformed into visible streams of blood-red energy, converging towards the center of the platform.

Only a few martial artists standing at the very periphery, who had luckily avoided being enveloped by the formation, were spared.

But as they witnessed the horrifying scene before them, which resembled hell on earth, their legs turned to jelly, and they collapsed, too weak even to flee.

"What is this?"

"How could this happen? Blood Saber Sect! It's the Blood Saber Sect's doing!"

"Xue Yutang! You beast! May you die a terrible death!"

The martial artists trapped within the formation finally understood.

They struggled in agony, cursing with all their might.

Just then, Xue Yutang, who should have been incapacitated, slowly got up from the ground.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his face devoid of any trace of disarray or anger. Instead, it was replaced by a sickly, frenzied smile.

"Hahaha... Hahahahahaha!"

He spread his arms wide, laughing wildly at the sky, his voice filled with the satisfaction of a plan coming to fruition.

"Curse me! Scream! Your anger, your fear, your blood will all become the foundation for me to reach the pinnacle!"

"This Blood River Spirit Sacrificing Array is the destination I've meticulously prepared for all of you!"

"Your deaths are fitting!"

His words sent a shockwave through the entire field!

This pact at Soul Severing Cliff was, from beginning to end, a complete and utter conspiracy! A vicious trap that sacrificed the lives of thousands of martial artists from Qingzhou!

"My lord, this..."

On a distant lone peak, the old man in grey changed his expression, a hint of unbearable emotion flashing in his eyes.

Such an evil array, sacrificing living beings, was extremely poisonous and went against the natural order.

He instinctively looked at the golden-faced man before him, as if asking if he should intervene.

The golden-faced man, however, simply watched quietly, his deep eyes revealing no emotional fluctuations.

"No need. As long as the Demonic Sect's Sky Locking Array isn't broken, we shouldn't reveal our identities and alert them. The Dynasty's plan must not be disrupted."

He paused, his gaze shifting to the center of the array, where the sole figure in blue remained unaffected. A playful curve touched his lips.

"Besides, I'm very curious to see how this interesting young man intends to break this predicament."

The old man in grey was slightly taken aback, looking at his lord with mild surprise.

He hadn't expected his lord to have such a high evaluation of Lu Shaoyou.

This array had gathered the essence and blood of thousands of martial artists. Even a normal Grandmaster would likely not fare well if caught within it.

Could that kid really break free?

Within the great array, wails and cries echoed everywhere.

The experts from various sects who had been clamoring for a fight moments ago were now like lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

Their bodies withered at a visible rate, their eyes filled with despair and terror.

"Young Hero Lu! Save me! I was wrong! I shouldn't have opposed you!"

"Hero Lu! Please! Save us! This was all Xue Yutang's scheme!"

"If you save me, my Hengshan Sect will pledge allegiance to you!"

It was unclear who spoke first, but soon, pleas for mercy and cries for help erupted into a chorus.

These righteous sects, who moments ago would have gladly devoured Lu Shaoyou alive, now saw him as their only lifeline.

What a farcical scene.

Lu Shaoyou stood at the center of the array, golden light flowing around him. The protective Inner Force from the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill completely blocked the terrifying suction force.

He listened to the pleas around him, a cold, disdainful smile gracing his lips.

Save them?

For what reason?

A bunch of ungrateful, utterly foolish individuals. One moment they were shouting about eliminating evil for the people, the next they were kneeling and begging for mercy.

Such people deserved to die.

What's more...

He glanced at the numbers on the system panel, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

It would be a shame to waste so much walking Slaughter Value on some broken array.

"Want to live?"

Lu Shaoyou suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears.

The martial artists struggling to hold on, upon hearing this, had their eyes burst with hope, like drowning men grabbing a life raft, nodding their heads vigorously.

Lu Shaoyou scanned the crowd, looking at their eager faces, and then suddenly smiled.

That smile was brilliant, yet so chilling it made one's heart turn cold.

"In your next life!"

Before his words had even finished, the Qi Mei Cudgel in his hand smashed down with a roar!

"Dragon-Elephant Demon Suppressing Cudgel - Annihilation!"

This strike had no fixed target.

A golden cudgel silhouette, piercing heaven and earth, carrying the peerless divine power of the Four Dragon-Elephants, swept out from his center with a thunderous boom!

Rumble—!

The golden shockwave, like a ripple of death, instantly engulfed the entire array.

The martial artists, already drained and weak from the array's suction, couldn't even let out a scream before this attack. Like bubbles, they were annihilated and pulverized piece by piece, turning into a sky full of bloody mist!

[Slaughter Value +500 points.]

[Slaughter Value +2000 points.]

[Slaughter Value +5000 points.]

A series of system prompts, like the most beautiful music, rang wildly in Lu Shaoyou's mind.

In just a moment, the Slaughter Value on his status panel had broken through the one hundred thousand mark at a terrifying speed!

One cudgel, and the area was cleared!

The entire mountaintop, apart from him, Xue Yutang in the distance, and the terrified onlookers who had miraculously survived, had no other living souls.

The vital essence of countless martial artists, freed from their physical bodies, erupted completely.

The blood-red light of the entire grand array intensified to its absolute extreme, transforming into a true river of blood. It roared and churned, pouring entirely into the bottomless crevice at the center of the stage.

RUMBLE!

The entire Soul Severing Cliff began to tremble violently.

A terrifying aura, evil, violent, and bloodthirsty to the extreme, surged from the depths of the earth, piercing the sky!

Along with this aura, a ferocious-looking, blood-red long blade slowly rose from the crevice.

On the blade, it was as if countless wronged souls were wailing. Just a glance at it made one lose their focus and be filled with an endless desire to kill.

The Blood Drinking Demonic Blade!

Xue Yutang's eyes blazed with unprecedented fanaticism. With a flash, he appeared beside the demonic blade and reached out, grasping it in his hand.

HUMMM—!

As the demonic blade entered his grasp, Xue Yutang's aura began to skyrocket at an incredible speed.

Xiantian Mid-stage peak... Xiantian Late-stage... Xiantian Late-stage peak...

Finally, it directly broke through the shackles of Xiantian, reaching a new, terrifying realm—Xiantian Peak!

"Hahahaha! It's done! It's finally done!"

Xue Yutang, feeling the unprecedented power surging through him, let out a mad, unhinged laugh.

He held the demonic blade, pointing it at Lu Shaoyou, his eyes filled with condescending pleasure and cruelty.

"Lu Shaoyou, thank you."

"If it weren't for you, this play of mine wouldn't have reached such a spectacular conclusion."

"Now, as a token of my gratitude, I will use this freshly sharpened Blood Drinking Demonic Blade to personally send you on your way!"

"How do you feel?"

Facing this earth-shattering turn of events and Xue Yutang, whose strength had surged to Xiantian Peak, Lu Shaoyou's expression remained calm.

He was merely somewhat surprised by the opponent's means, that he could orchestrate such a grand scheme.

Afterward, he glanced at the exaggerated number on his system panel.

[Slaughter Value]: 125800.

A meaningful smile slowly curved Lu Shaoyou's lips.

"Feeling... extremely good."