Suddenly xain yu felt as if his hands were burning, the sword became so hot that it felt like it affected his body too. His muscles burned, his blood boiled, and his heart pounded like a war drum.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Each beat sent a shockwave of power through his body. He stayed still. Xain Yu felt the pain of burning throughout his whole body.
The woman narrowed her eyes, sensing something was off. "Why… Why isn't he moving?"
She didn't realize it yet, but she had already lost.
Xian Yu's body wasn't failing—it was awakening. The heat wasn't weakness. It was power. Xian yu started radiating heat waves.
The butterflies descended for their final strike, swarming toward him like a carnivorous storm.
"Die!" the woman shouted, commanding the illusion to consume him.
But the moment the butterflies touched Xian Yu— They melted.
Hissssss!
The air itself twisted and shimmered from the sheer heat radiating from his body.
The woman's eyes widened in pure disbelief.
"What… What the hell are you?" she whispered.
Xian Yu felt as if he were surrounded by flames. He absorbed them all using the Vermillion Method, but the fire didn't stop. His eyes widened as he noticed that the Ebon Sword was continuously leaking flames, forcing him to keep absorbing them.
"Keep the formation up! Don't fall! I will use all my energy, and everyone must pour their energy into me! We will kill this monster here and now!" the woman screamed, her voice resolute. She controlled twelve air swords mixed with butterfly blades, their sharp edges shimmering ominously.
Outside the formation, Mu Chean couldn't see what was happening, but a growing unease gnawed at him. He hesitated but decided to stay and see it through. He had to kill Xian Yu.
He attempted to step into the formation, but one of the remaining four members of the Beast Squad, who wasn't participating in the formation, blocked his path.
"Young Master, you cannot enter the formation. Only the person to whom the formation's energy is distributed can control it."
Mu Chean clenched his fists. The uneasiness inside him kept growing.
Inside the Formation
Xian Yu absorbed the flames, and waves of heat began to spread throughout the formation. The Ebon Blade devoured the heat, then suddenly erupted, releasing a wide gust of scorching flames. A realization struck him—this was Scorching Tempest, the third form of Bloodstrike Blade.
He directed the firestorm outward, engulfing the twelve air swords and butterfly blades, reducing them to ashes. The flames raged further, consuming the woman and the remaining eight members of the formation.
"No…!" the woman screamed, but her voice was soon swallowed by the inferno.
The formation abruptly collapsed. Mu Chean and the four remaining squad members rushed forward to see what had happened. The entire battlefield inside the formation was ablaze. Xian Yu stood in the center, his aura erupting violently. There was no trace of the squad leader or the other members.
Mu Chean gritted his teeth. He understood one thing—Xian Yu had killed them all.
But Xian Yu was weakened. This was his chance. Mu Chean lunged forward to attack, but a massive surge of energy exploded toward him, striking him midair. The four other surviving squad members were crushed by the shockwave and perished instantly, while Xian Yu remained unaffected.
The lingering heat energy around Xian Yu suppressed the foreign attack. His eyes snapped open, and he immediately sensed it—he had broken through to the Intermediate Martial Master Realm.
However, before he could fully embrace his newfound power, a massive figure appeared on the horizon.
A giant ape, radiating the overwhelming aura of a Martial Grandmaster, charged toward them at full speed.
"Am I screwed?" Xian Yu thought bracing himself with a posture he wanted to perform before dying to leave a good impression on others.
But the beast didn't attack. It ran straight past them.
"Wait… it wasn't after me?"
He let out a breath of relief. But as his gaze shifted, he locked eyes with Mu Chean, who lay on the ground, severely injured.
"Hello, Mu Chean." Xian Yu approached, holding the Ebon Sword in his grip.
Mu Chean's eyes widened in terror. His body trembled as he scrambled to plead for his life.
"Y-you… Leave me alone! Let me go, and I'll talk to my father! I'm his only successor—he'll listen to me! Why should we fight? Let's put the past behind us and start fresh! I'll even help you rebuild the Whispering Sect! I had nothing to do with its destruction! That was all the Azure Sect's doing! Let's join forces! What do you say?!"
His voice was desperate. He was a genius, a man with boundless potential. He refused to die here.
But Xian Yu's gaze remained cold, indifferent. Without a word, he thrust the Blazing Fang through Mu Chean's body.
Flames erupted.
Mu Chean screamed as his body was incinerated, reduced to nothing but ashes.
A Warrior's Journey
Xian Yu stood still, his breathing steady. His gaze fell upon the Ebon Sword in his hands.
"What are your mysteries? How did you unleash those flames? Did you help me learn the third form?"
He studied the blade deeply, as if searching for an answer.
"Whatever you are… you and I are destined to walk this path together."
He turned, his steps firm. His vengeance was only beginning.
With that, he made his way toward the cave where his journey had begun—the resting place of the Blood Immortal.
Upon entering, he immediately focused on stabilizing his martial soul and dantian. His cultivation had advanced at an absurd, almost unbelievable pace.
Now, he had to consolidate his power.
Only then would he be ready for what came next.