C32 Death Envelopes

The Lunar Spirit left her body!

At Ann Ziqing's command, the Lunar Spirit from the Colddeath Divine Cult flew out of her with surprising docility!

What was happening?

Le Feng, who had been gathering his strength, seized the moment without a second thought and unleashed the full force of his "Frost Thunder Spell."

"Crack!"

Streaks of silver arc light, laced with ice crystals and lightning, surged toward the Lunar Spirit like serpentine flashes of silver.

Lightning is the bane of all ethereal souls!

Recently, after being pinpointed by the "Divine Appearance Dust," the Lunar Spirit had suffered a severe blow from Le Feng.

Le Feng was convinced that another strike would obliterate the spirit entirely!

Yet, the Lunar Spirit, hovering timidly above Ann Ziqing's head, made no attempt to evade.

It was utterly unafraid!

"Le Feng, watch out!"

"Oh no!"

Yuan Lianyao and Zhao Dongsheng, realizing something was amiss, were visibly shaken.

In that moment, Ann Ziqing cast a distant glance at Le Feng.

Just one glance.

Deep within Le Feng's mind, it felt as though he was being shredded by countless blades, and blood began to pour from every orifice.

A sinister red glint flickered in Ann Ziqing's eyes.

She swiftly drew the blood-colored ribbon from around her waist.

It transformed into a crimson blade!

With a swift "swish," a dazzling blood-hued light burst forth as Ann Ziqing swung her "blade" in a wide arc.

The silver arc light that Le Feng had released shattered mid-flight, disintegrating into ice shards and wisps of smoke.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Lotus blossoms, manipulated by Yuan Lianyao, blazed toward Ann Ziqing like fiery orbs.

The vibrant lotus petals morphed into razor-sharp daggers, hurtling through the air.

Each petal bore enigmatic glyphs and runes, exuding psionic powers of sealing, imprisonment, and binding.

As the petals fluttered down, bystanders like Yu Yuan, Zhao Zhenghao, and Zhao Dongsheng felt overwhelming constraints.

As though mired in a quagmire, they struggled to so much as lift their arms or flex their ankles.

"The blazing red lotus can actually be arranged into a formation and has such ingenious uses!" The hefty man from the Zhao family was astounded. "I've truly underestimated her."

"Is the mayor present?"

Ann Ziqing's voice rang out crisply, her eyes twinkling like crescent moons, exuding an air of harmlessness.

The ribbon she brandished, akin to a blood-red long knife, could be as rigid as steel or as pliable as cotton.

"Go!"

The blood-colored ribbon sprang to life at her command, as if animated by its own will, engulfing the petals like a ravenous blood python.

In mere seconds, the sky full of petals vanished without a trace.

Ann Ziqing's eyes deepened to a blood-red hue, mirroring the crimson sky above.

"Hiss! Hiss!"

Only Yuan Lianyao, attuned to the Subtlety Stage, could perceive the fiery red beams shooting from Ann Ziqing's eyes.

Defying the bounds of space, they pierced straight into Yuan Lianyao's mind!

Inside her mind, the crimson light morphed into various forms: a menacing python, a bolt of scarlet lightning, a fearsome Demon God, or a blood sword cleaving through heaven and earth.

In Asvetaesi, the mayor, the most powerful cultivator in the city, suddenly found blood trickling from his ears.

His captivating eyes lost their sparkle, fading into a dull gaze.

"Clang!"

One by one, the lotuses, now devoid of petals, plummeted to the ground.

These lotuses were crafted from Sunsilver, not mere spiritual energy and vitality.

Despite their high quality, they now lay on the ground, lusterless, much like Yuan Lianyao's dimming eyes.

"Who can endure an assault on the three souls of heaven, earth, and man?"

Zhao Zhenghao, the patriarch of the Zhao family, let out a bitter sigh and gestured to his portly son to cease his futile efforts. "I am Zhao Zhenghao of the Zhao family, loyal servants of Dragon Lake in secret. I implore the elders of Colddeath to spare the Zhao family, in light of our allegiance to Dragon Lake."

Confronted with dire straits, Zhao Zhenghao's true colors as a cunning leader shone through—he was indeed a man who knew when to yield and when to stand firm.

Zhao Dongsheng hung his head low, the picture of despondency.

At the entrance to Mount Aureum, members of the Huang family, led by Huang Fan and Huang Tianyi, stealthily emerged. Huang Fan, the head of the Huang family, initially looked puzzled, but his spirits quickly lifted. "I implore the elders of the Divine Cult to champion the cause of the Huang family! My grandson and son were both slain by that vile Yuan Lianyao!" He laid the blame for Huang Bin's grievances at Yuan Lianyao's feet as well.

"Yuanyuan," Ann Ziqing said with a coy smile, her lips pursed. "Do you understand why the blood sacrifice magic circle continues to function?"

Blood streamed from Yuan Lianyao's ears, her radiant eyes now dim, leaving her at a loss for words.

The Zhao and Yu family members scattered throughout the valley regarded Ann Ziqing with unfamiliar eyes, as if they were seeing her for the first time. Who was she?

Several inquisitive glances were cast toward Yu Yuan, seeking answers.

"Brother Yu?" Zhao Yafu asked in a timid voice, "Your maid is from Colddeath? You were unaware, weren't you?"

The Lunar Spirit's fearful demeanor in Ann Ziqing's presence was telling; her standing in Colddeath was undoubtedly high. Her capacity to grievously wound Yuan Lianyao, a practitioner of Subtlety, raised many questions.

"It appears he didn't take over her body," Zhao Xi finally realized. "He merely used Ann Ziqing as a refuge from calamity and, with her assistance, allowed the fragmented Lunar Spirit to coalesce once more. It makes sense now; how else could the wraiths of the Lunar Spirit have reassembled around her so swiftly?"

By now, many had come to understand.

The newly ascended Lunar Spirit of Colddeath was well aware of Ann Ziqing's identity. In her gravely wounded state, a fragment of her residual soul sought refuge within Ann Ziqing, and with her aid, it managed to reconstitute itself.

Seemingly to confirm the crowd's suspicions, the Lunar Spirit spoke up at the right moment, "Junior sister, are you planning to continue this charade?"

"Be quiet," Ann Ziqing huffed. "Get on with merging into the blood sacrifice magic circle. Use its power to purify your soul and solidify the Lunar Spirit. I've already wasted too much time on you. If your Lunar Spirit fails to solidify, my return to the cult will be met with death."

"Understood."

The Lunar Spirit, revealed by the "Divine Spark," acknowledged the command and swiftly soared into the crimson firmament, merging into it like a stream joining a sea of blood.

The "Divine Spark" finally lost its potency, and as the onlookers raised their heads, they could no longer discern the movements of the Lunar Spirit, only knowing it had become one with the blood sacrifice magic circle.

Even the most skilled cultivators felt a sudden increase in oppressive force.

The blood sacrifice magic circle seemed to have been imbued with a soul, gaining consciousness and wisdom.

The heavens churned with a tumultuous scarlet hue!

"Heh! Ruby Hand!"

A triumphant and booming voice echoed from the crimson heavens, belonging to the envoy of Colddeath.

The dense, blood-red clouds coalesced, forming an immense arm capable of crushing mountains and rivers.

This arm, as broad as a flowing river of blood, emitted a fearsome glow.

The blood-colored limb, like a Demon God from beyond the Nine Heavens, reached down through the heavy sky, as if plucking fish from the mortal realm.

Terrifying waves of vital energy surged from the blood-red firmament created by the magic circle, unrestrained and infinite.

The colossal blood-red arm, as if cleaving through the sky itself, descended upon a low hill outside the city.

This very hill was where Yuan Qiufang, following Yu Yuan's orders, had slain Lyu Yue.

At this moment, Yuan Qiufang, bathed in blood, stood at the summit of the hill.

Looking up, he saw an enormous blood-red arm blotting out the sky, descending upon him.

Streaks of blood light, like crimson lightning, burst forth from the arm.

"Crack! Crack! Crack!"

The splattering blood light shattered the boulders on the hill, causing the land itself to tremble.

"Colddeath!"

Yuan Qiufang bellowed, a column of flame bursting from his crown like a waterfall in reverse.

His expression bordered on madness.

Yet, in that instant, a flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes, "That pill..."

As the blood-red arm bore down upon him, he clenched his jaw and, in a flash of lightning, swallowed a deep red pill.

In his mind echoed Yu Yuan's warning, "Do not consume this pill unless you face certain death!"

...

"Young Master."

Elsewhere, the purple-clad maid, Ann Ziqing, sashayed toward Yu Yuan with a graceful air.

Every morning, it seemed, she was there attending to Yu Yuan with the utmost care.

In Asvetaesi, the surviving members of the four great families felt a tingling sensation on their scalps.

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