Despise me, hate me, then kill me...

"Aaaah!!!"

Pitiful wails and sounds of slaughter rang throughout the courtyard.

Through the crack in the door.

Countless household servants were dragged out one after another by the Evil Soul Masters who descended from the sky, then brutally killed, their souls or flesh devoured. Those bloodthirsty fiends spared no one.

She saw with her own eyes a group of Evil Soul Masters cruelly holding her father's and mother's heads by their hair, blood dripping from their severed necks.

They gazed at the girl, their eyes filled with terror and despair.

As though recounting everything they had just suffered.

"Run..."

"No, don't!!!"

The girl's eyes reddened as she pushed open the door and cried out to her father and mother.

But though she stumbled toward her parents' heads, her arms caught only empty air. Everything around her dissolved into scattered phantoms, and when her sense of touch returned, she found only that she had fallen into a warm embrace.

"How did that feel?"

Lu Cheng held Zhang Lexuan against his open chest, his eyes full of mockery.

"The feeling of watching your parents die with your own eyes..."

"It must have been pretty good."

"Lu Cheng!!!"

Zhang Lexuan lowered her head and shoved Lu Cheng away, her voice filled with fury.

Her parents had died from the poison of the very person before her.

Yet she had still clung to one last foolish hope of reconciling with him, then retiring to a little village to live out the rest of her life?

It was truly rather ironic.

Only at this moment were the bonds between her and Lu Cheng completely severed.

The force of Zhang Lexuan's presence rose little by little.

Eight Soul Rings slowly rippled up from beneath her feet.

She raised her head, tears still clinging to her stunning face, but a trace of murderous intent and hatred had entered her pale blue eyes.

"Sixth Soul Skill, Moon Silence!"

"Seventh Soul Skill, Silver Moon True Body!"

The girl stared fixedly at that still-languid figure, no longer concealing her killing intent. Her red lips parted as she called out two killing moves.

A silver moon behind her shed its lingering radiance onto Lu Cheng, holding him firmly in place.

At the same time, a Soul Ring radiating an uncanny blood-red glow slowly rose. "Eighth Soul Skill, Eclipse of the Blood Moon!!"

The once-bright silver moon turned into a blood moon at that moment, radiating an indescribably terrifying presence. Heaven and earth changed color, and a strand of blood-colored light shot from the red moon, falling directly upon Lu Cheng.

Boom!

Spring water surged up with it, steaming mist spreading everywhere.

It concealed Lu Cheng's figure.

"Was he dead?" Zhang Lexuan's gaze sharpened slightly.

This was a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, after all. Under its full-powered strike, even a Titled Douluo could suffer grievous injuries if caught unprepared.

No matter how monstrous Lu Cheng was, now that he had been locked onto, he would probably find death difficult to escape.

The mist dispersed, leaving only a charred corpse.

Yet Zhang Lexuan's heart clenched violently, her pupils quaking.

He really died?!!

Although she had been furious just now, driven into a genuine rage, and had unleashed that entire combination without holding anything back, she had never imagined this blow would truly kill Lu Cheng.

"Lu Cheng!"

Zhang Lexuan hurried over in a few strides.

She was about to examine the charred corpse.

But her body suddenly flew backward, gouging two furrows in the ground. She barely steadied herself against the cave's rocky wall, and when she looked up again, Lu Cheng's familiar face still wore a contemptuous smile as he looked down at her indifferently.

The charred corpse dissolved into a wisp of smoke.

"You could kill me?"

"Don't make me laugh..."

"I was only bringing out your killing intent. That doesn't mean... you could actually kill me." Lu Cheng scoffed, folding his arms over his chest as he looked Zhang Lexuan up and down.

"Get dressed first. I don't fight stark-naked women."

Zhang Lexuan: "..."

Her face instantly turned as red as a ripe apple. Gritting her teeth, she glared at Lu Cheng, who had turned his gaze away.

With a soft huff, she slipped back into the spring in a few quick movements, put on her clothes, and only then managed to walk back.

"Not bad. There's a little more killing intent now. Much more interesting than before." Lu Cheng smiled with interest.

"Continue," Zhang Lexuan said coldly.

But in the next instant.

"Pfft~"

Zhang Lexuan's eyes flew wide as Lu Cheng landed a heavy punch in her abdomen. Blood spurted from her mouth, and she flew backward, only this time she slammed straight into the hard wall.

Bang!

Shattered stones flew.

Zhang Lexuan slowly slid down the wall.

Bracing both hands against the ground, her stomach churning like an overturned sea, she turned deathly pale and vomited two more mouthfuls of blood. Even her arms trembled, and only after several seconds did she barely struggle to her feet.

"Not bad."

Across from her, a smile appeared at the corners of Lu Cheng's mouth.

"Continue!" Zhang Lexuan shouted angrily.

Boom!

Soul Rings surged from beneath Zhang Lexuan's feet, and the blood moon appeared in midair once more.

But a crimson arrow pierced straight through that blood moon and tore it apart, turning it into specks of starlight that fell upon the spring water.

Zhang Lexuan stared blankly at the sight, still unable to react.

Her body was smashed into the rocky wall again.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

The mist dispersed.

Zhang Lexuan's throat was once again seized in a vicious grip. The man seemed to be studying a struggling bird, a hint of mockery in his eyes. "Is this all you've got?"

"You're still a little short of being able to kill me..."

Zhang Lexuan coughed heavily, but those hands only tightened their grip, leaving her increasingly breathless and powerless.

"..."

"Cultivate hard. Use every means at your disposal to grow stronger."

Just before she suffocated, Lu Cheng slowly released his grip, letting the beauty slump to her knees on the ground and gulp down fresh air as he walked outside.

"Turn your hatred into the drive to grow stronger."

"Lu Cheng, I will kill you!!!"

Only after he had left the cave did a hysterical voice ring out from within.

"Not bad. Quite motivated."

A smile curled at the corners of Lu Cheng's mouth.

"Flutter~"

Beside him, a black crow landed on his shoulder, a humanlike expression in its Blood Pupils. "Doing this... was it really necessary?"

"Was it worth it?"

"I think I've figured it out. You're using every means possible to make her hate you and kill you. Is there some misunderstanding between you two? Can't you explain it?" the crow cawed.

He glanced inside the cave, then looked at Lu Cheng.

"..."

Lu Cheng remained indifferent, his gaze turning somewhat dangerous as he looked at the black crow.

"Forget it, forget it."

The crow shook his head. "It's none of my business. But since I owe you such a huge favor, kid, don't worry. Your business is my business. I, Wu Yun, will brave boiling water and raging fire for you."

"Those fellows from the Holy Spirit Cult-should I bring the Immortal Herb back to them?"

"No need," Lu Cheng said flatly.

"Heh heh heh..." The crow laughed slyly.

Then he flew off into the distance.

Lu Cheng gazed at the blazing sun in the sky. The climate in this valley and that of the Sunset Forest outside were practically two extremes.

Outside, poisonous miasma shrouded half the forest, a scene of unspeakable horror, countless skeletal remains strewn everywhere.

Inside, by contrast, everything was peaceful and serene.

"Phew..."

Lu Cheng gently exhaled.

Yet he took a small bottle from inside his clothes and unscrewed its cap. A faint smell of blood came from within.

It was Zhang Lexuan's blood...