Chapter 218 - 161: Blood River True Inheritance

Chapter 218: Chapter 161: Blood River True Inheritance

Within the Yunlan Mountain Range, Shen Yunjiao raced through the forest with Chen Xiaorong on her back, the tree shadows swaying around them. They had agreed on a rendezvous point ten kilometers away. As they ran, she took out the Hundred-Change Mask and handed it to Chen Xiaorong.

"Refine it with your Mana to change your aura," Shen Yunjiao said.

"Okay."

Chen Xiaorong had never used a Magical Artifact other than Suwen, so holding this one felt a little novel. But she didn’t hesitate, immediately placing it on her face and beginning the slow Refinement process.

She hadn’t expected to make it back alive today, but now that she had a chance, she wasn’t so stubborn as to refuse to use a Magical Artifact.

Chen Xiaorong began to slowly refine the Hundred-Change Mask, using her remaining Divine Thought to stay vigilant of her surroundings. Although her cultivation had fallen to Qi Cultivation Perfection, it didn’t prevent her from using her Divine Thought. However, without the amplification from the Heaven and Earth Bridge, its power was several times weaker.

In the blink of an eye, Shen Yunjiao ran for several more kilometers. For some reason, she felt a faint sense of unease. ’This rescue mission is going too smoothly...’ Logically, the forces sent by the three Demon Path sects to ambush Chen Xiaorong shouldn’t have been this simple.

Twenty-four late-period Qi Cultivation Demon Cultivators was a large number, but for a Foundation Establishment Powerhouse, it wasn’t nearly enough. It could hardly be considered a foolproof plan, unless the Demon Path still had other cards up its sleeve.

"Be careful," Chen Xiaorong said suddenly.

Shen Yunjiao spread her Spiritual Sense and finally detected the danger ahead. She violently slashed forward with the Magical Artifact in her hand, seeming to break some kind of boundary. A blood-red dagger materialized in the empty air.

The weapons collided with a crisp sound. Shen Yunjiao felt an immense force wash over her, and she used its momentum to retreat a few steps, letting go of Chen Xiaorong and allowing her to fall to the ground.

"This person is very strong. I’m not confident I can win. You watch out for yourself."

Shen Yunjiao spoke calmly, taking a few steps forward with her longsword in hand. She adopted an offensive stance, pointing the sword in front of her. A bloody color swirled in her eyes, her bones cracked, and her entire frame seemed to undergo a strange transformation from the inside out.

Wisps of evil, bloody qi spread out from her body, devouring any Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power it touched. Even the wild grass at her feet and the ancient trees nearby began to lose their Life Force, their leaves turning yellow and withered.

"Taotie Transformation."

After the initial clash, the figure wielding the blood-red dagger vanished without a trace, as if disappearing from the world itself. But Shen Yunjiao’s eyes could still see his position—a flowing mass of blood-red Energy.

’Perhaps... he can help me break through to Qi Cultivation Perfection.’ Shen Yunjiao determined that her target was a Cultivator of the Blood Demon Dao, and his strength was above Qi Cultivation Perfection, though he had not yet reached Foundation Establishment.

The figure moved. Like a soft breeze, he didn’t even cause a change in the airflow as he swiftly approached Chen Xiaorong, brandishing the blood-red dagger.

Chen Xiaorong struggled to her feet, her gaze still firm. Sword Intent swirled around her as she held the dim Suwen horizontally, ready to defend against an attack at any moment.

TING.

As Suwen swung out, the blood-red figure materialized, and their weapons clashed once more. Chen Xiaorong had clearly seen through his line of attack. Immediately after, Shen Yunjiao spun around, gripping her longsword with both hands and bringing it down in a vicious overhead chop. She, too, had clearly anticipated the target’s location.

With a faint flicker of light and shadow, the blood-red figure vanished from under their combined attack.

"Ten meters behind you! He’s going to attack you!" Chen Xiaorong warned. But it was as if Shen Yunjiao had already anticipated the enemy’s attack. She spun around to meet the blood shadow head-on, and the two rapidly exchanged a hundred blows in the blink of an eye.

"Traceless Blood Shadow, Nether Ghost Thorn... He’s one of the True Disciples of the Blood River Sect!"

"Blood Shadow Escape is an Escape Technique that allows one to shift between the corporeal and ethereal planes, but it consumes an enormous amount of Mana. And the Nether Ghost Thorn is an attack that targets the Soul."

Chen Xiaorong stood where she was, explaining this to Shen Yunjiao in a low voice. At this moment, with her Meridians ruptured, she had lost her normal ability to move. Every simple swing of her sword would only worsen her injuries.

"Understood," Shen Yunjiao replied. Through their brief exchange, she had already gotten a basic grasp of the enemy’s combat style. He was similar to an assassin, skilled at delivering a single fatal blow but not particularly adept at close-quarters combat.

SWOOSH.

Shen Yunjiao’s attack missed as the enemy’s figure once again vanished between the planes of corporeal and ethereal. When she spotted the blood-red trace again, he had already reappeared on a tree branch dozens of meters away, looking down on the two of them.

He wore a black cloak that largely obscured his face.

"The Cultivation Technique you are using is truly strange. It grants you combat power far greater than that of the Qi Cultivation Perfection realm, and the aura it emits is so ancient and evil... Truly strange."

Shen Yunjiao stared silently at the man in black, but inwardly she felt a pang of nervousness. ’The strength the enemy displayed in our clash was greater than my own. With my power alone, I probably won’t be able to protect Chen Xiaorong.’

"If you’re really no match for him, you should just leave on your own," Chen Xiaorong said calmly.

Shen Yunjiao heard her words but made no move, her gaze remaining fixed on the enemy.

For one, she greatly coveted the enemy’s abundant Flesh and Blood Spiritual Power. For another, she believed Zhao Zuo would arrive soon. With their combined strength, they might be able to turn the tables and kill their opponent.

"It seems that in this special state of yours, you aren’t worried about consumption. You can absorb Energy from your surroundings."

Seeing that Shen Yunjiao had no intention of launching a preemptive strike, the man in black voiced his guess. He then glanced at Chen Xiaorong, who was leaning against a tree to recover, and felt a faint sense of threat.