Red smoke churned and spread.
The thick, rank stench of blood surged everywhere, foul beyond endurance.
Looking up.
One could see half the heavens dyed a vivid crimson by that scarlet light, as though about to drip blood, striking enough to make the heart quail.
"..."
Under Ai Jian's wary, piercing gaze.
Below the ridge.
A few strands of bloody light first seeped faintly from Sima Lingzhen's mouth and nose. Then, slowly, more and more streamed out, dense as silken cords.
Amid a slick, squelching sound, they pieced themselves together into an eerie Blood Shadow.
The Blood Shadow stood over ten feet tall, without a stitch of clothing. Its face was smooth and flat, without ears, eyes, mouth, or nose.
His entire form flickered indistinctly, like a mass of dazzling scarlet light.
Both insubstantial and solid, both illusory and real-
As though a gust of wind might sweep him away at any moment.
Yet his aura was terrifying, fierce and savage, like a vast sea of blood surging and rolling, intent on dragging the living world into endless perdition!
Never mind the surviving Mysterious Truth Sect Daoists on Moon-Returning Peak.
Even Ai Jian.
Felt his mind and spirit tremble at that moment.
Overawed by the fiend's presence, he involuntarily retreated several steps, almost unable to summon the will to draw his sword.
"Damn it!"
He roared in anger. Keen light shot an inch from his eyes before he abruptly stopped, instantly cutting down the fear in his heart and bracing himself against it.
That shout also alerted the blood demon Fashanji had become, and he slowly turned his neck to face them.
By now.
After Fashanji emerged, Sima Lingzhen's corpse had utterly turned to ash, without the slightest trace of his form remaining.
Fashanji slowly passed a hand over his