C1406
"Stop!"
Yu Yuan's voice escalated sharply.
Yet, Ann Ziqing ignored him completely.
Her face was flushed as if inebriated, and she continued to approach with unwavering steps.
Yu Yuan observed her, able to discern every movement within her body.
The circulation of her blood, the intricate link between her Yang God and the seven purple crystal pools within her.
The seven apertures of her body were shrouded in a thin blood mist, imprinted with the secret arts of the Blood God Cult.
Intent on halting her, Yu Yuan attempted to employ his Yang God to cease Ann Ziqing's movements.
"Freeze!"
Ann Ziqing's delicate legs suddenly tensed, as if the muscles had been deprived of blood and strength.
Her advancing legs grew as heavy as mountains, and her body gradually stiffened until she came to a complete standstill...
However, she was oblivious to the fact that Yu Yuan had influenced her limbs.
Her eyes remained fixed on Yu Yuan's Yang God with the wonder of someone beholding a newfound treasure.
She seemed utterly bewitched.
In that moment, a term surfaced in Yu Yuan's mind—Blood Slave.
Back in the Oblivion Starfield, numerous mutated monsters had been transformed into Blood Slaves by the Great Demon God, Grec. He masterfully manipulated them, allowing them to traverse the cold expanses of the Starfield, conquering territories and vanquishing foes on his behalf.
Cao Yi, once a prodigy of the Profound Sky Sect who had turned against Ann Jieshan, practiced the secret arts of both the Profound Sky Sect and the Blood God Cult. Despite his formidable and sinister techniques, Cao Yi had also been made a Blood Slave by Grec on the Origin Blood Continent.
Cao Yi's will was twisted, utterly subservient to Grec, who could manipulate him at will.
In times of peril, Grec could even draw upon the innate powers of the Blood Devil Clan to siphon energy from his Blood Slaves for his own use.
The lives of the Blood Slaves were inconsequential to him; their sole purpose was to live and die at his command.
Now, Ann Ziqing gave Yu Yuan the impression that she had become his Blood Slave.
There existed a unique bond of blood between them, granting him the ability to direct the flow of Ann Ziqing's blood and command her body.
It was akin to the connection between the seven purple crystal pools within Ann Ziqing and her Yang God.
Ann Ziqing had seemingly transformed into a purple crystal pool within Yu Yuan's external realm.
How could this be?
Yu Yuan's expression was peculiar as he recalled using the special abilities of the Life Altar in the Plover Realm to heal a gravely injured Ann Ziqing. He had refined the blood energy, rich with the essence of life, from the Life Altar and infused it into seven purple crystal pools.
This act had reinvigorated Ann Ziqing with new life.
The blood energy within the pools was assimilated by Ann Ziqing into her Yang God, becoming an integral part of her being.
The sinister secret arts practiced by Ann Ziqing and the entire Blood God Cult originated from the Blood Devil Clan in the outer realms. The Founder of the Blood Devil Clan hailed from the Origin Blood Continent's Yang Meridian source!
Yu Yuan's Life Altar, crafted from the Giant Beast Amber of the Chaos Roc, was indeed a missing piece of the Yang Meridian source.
The blood crystal belonging to Grec, the essence of the Great Demon God, also stemmed from the Yang Meridian source, representing a fragment of that enigmatic entity.
"It must be so! It was I who, during her time of critical injury, infused my own unique Origin Blood into her seven blood pools! After she refined the blood energy and integrated it with her Yang God, a blood connection was established between us."
"Once my unique Yang God had formed, I could subtly influence her through that innate bond."
"Has she thus become my... peculiar Blood Slave?"
Yu Yuan pondered deeply.
With a whoosh, strands of blood light burst forth from the Yang God within Ann Ziqing's body and from the seven purple crystal pools, drawn towards Yu Yuan by the fluctuations of his mind. As the blood light neared the brink of leaving Ann Ziqing's acupoint, Yu Yuan's thoughts shifted once more, and the light obediently returned to its place.
Yu Yuan was merely experimenting to see if he could indeed harness Ann Ziqing's blood energy and integrate it into himself. Upon confirming his suspicions, he promptly abandoned the attempt.
Stroking his chin, he observed Ann Ziqing, who stood immobilized, unaware of what had transpired, gazing at him with complete subjugation.
She was not yet fully assimilated; her soul had not been fully subjugated to become a Blood Slave.
Gradually, Yu Yuan awakened to the understanding of the Blood Slave knowledge hidden within his Yang God. He now grasped the situation.
Should he desire to utterly enslave Ann Ziqing, ensuring her soul, as well as her body, would comply, he would need to employ his life's mystical abilities to cleanse Ann Ziqing once more.
Her Yang God and the seven amethyst pools, including the impurities within her seven apertures, would be thoroughly purged.
This method could resolve most of the latent dangers within the body of the Blood God Cult witch.
Yet, by doing so, Ann Ziqing would truly become his exclusive Blood Slave, her body and mind utterly submissive and under his control.
Unlike the creations of the Yin Corpse King, a Blood Slave fashioned by the Blood Devil Clan retains its intellect and spirit if it was originally a living being.
The Yin Corpse, however, is merely a lifeless entity...
"No, it shouldn't be this way."
Yu Yuan gently shook his head, dismissing the thought that had arisen in his mind.
Given Ann Ziqing's aptitude and gifts, she should be able to purify her own body of its impurities without his intervention.
He had no intention of making Ann Ziqing his Blood Slave, nor did he wish to have such power over her life and death.
Their relationship should be one of allies, not of master and servant...
"Alright!"
With his decision made, the Yang God swiftly retreated to his own microcosm of Qi and blood, ceasing the release of the blood waves that could sway Ann Ziqing and render her unconscious.
Boom!
Ann Ziqing's rigid form burst into a burst of rainbow-hued blood light, and with a slight shudder, she was alert once more.
Her circulation normalized, and she reclaimed dominion over her body.
The obsession and fervor in her eyes faded, replaced by a growing serenity.
She took a deep breath and gently closed her eyes, replaying the recent events in her mind.
Yu Yuan stayed quiet, allowing her time to process and to pose her questions.
The Ice Concubine, as cold and radiant as a frost goddess on the tenth step, watched Yu Yuan and Ann Ziqing with curiosity and confusion filling her gaze.
What exactly had transpired?
The Ice Concubine was at a loss, sensing only that for an instant, this perilous woman from the Blood God Cult had become one of their own, utterly devoted to Yu Yuan, incapable of resistance and content with her fate.
"What is this bond between us...?"
After a considerable time, Ann Ziqing reopened her eyes, still tinged with bewilderment, as if struggling to make sense of it all. "Is there some sort of connection between us?"
Yu Yuan acknowledged with a nod.
"What is it?"
Her gaze was fixed on him, her face feigning calm, yet it was clearly tinged with concealed fear.
Just moments ago, she had experienced an uncontrollable and terrifying impulse to willingly die for Yu Yuan!
She felt as though Yu Yuan had rooted something sinister within the depths of her soul using some dark secret arts.
"When we were in the Oblivion Starfield, you were gravely wounded by Cao Yi's ambush. You cocooned yourself in blood and fell into a prolonged coma. To save you, I utilized the peculiar Life Altar within me, harnessing its inherent life-creating powers to replenish your blood pool," Yu Yuan explained in a gentle tone.
Ann Ziqing nodded, signaling him to get to the point, though her eyes betrayed a dangerous glint.
"It seems that through the blood bond between us, I can influence you with my Yang God. It's akin to the Blood Devil Clan's Blood Puppet technique and the Blood God Cult's Blood Slave practice. You're aware that despite their different names, they essentially mean the same thing."
Yu Yuan opened his hands as he clarified.
"Blood, Blood Slave? I, Ann Ziqing, nearly became your Blood Slave?! Yu Yuan, what have you done to me?"
"It means that if I continue to influence you and cleanse your Yang God and body with my blood, that possibility could indeed become a reality."
Yu Yuan was forthright, as he had no intention of proceeding in such a manner, so he wasn't afraid to lay out the details.
"How can you do this to me? Who do you think you are, the Great Demon God Greco?" Ann Ziqing, feeling provoked, saw her eyes turn a deep crimson. The blood vessels at her heart's core writhed like awakened, vicious blood snakes, unleashing an incredibly pure and potent surge of blood energy.
In her body, seven blood-colored realms, corresponding to the purple crystal pools, burst into blood-colored flames.
The interior transformed into a world of gore, with bloodlines weaving through the air, reminiscent of the Demon Blade, Blood Prison.
