Chu Ming let out a deep breath, a trace of Slaughter Sword Qi suddenly appeared at his fingertips, and with a slight sound, the space seemed to ripple. Not far below the ground, a lower Great Blood Demon began to disintegrate, its Blood Qi dissipating. It had been hiding there, intending to ambush Chu Ming, but Chu Ming’s keen senses caught even the slightest movements around him.
"I have to find a safe place to recover my injuries quickly!"
Chu Ming thought to himself. His strength was greatly diminished, and the Blood Demon Sea was extremely dangerous. If he were to leave now, he probably wouldn’t even be able to deter the exiles at the exit.
Chu Ming’s figure flashed and continued flying. After a time of half an incense stick, he found a cave in a desolate cliff area. There were marks of swords and knives on the cave entrance, likely left by predecessors. The entrance was not large, with a diameter of about two meters, just suitable for healing.
As soon as he walked into the cave, five or six Blood Demons pounced on him, but they were all easily killed by him using his fingers as a sword.
The cave was quite spacious, and Chu Ming did not go further inside. He merely sat near the entrance, took out a piece of Middle Grade Spirit Stone from his Storage Ring, and began absorbing the Spiritual Power within to heal his injuries.
In a blood-colored land, Blood Qi swirled all around, and eerie sounds echoed in the air, resembling the wails of vengeful spirits.
Three figures moved slowly through the blood-colored land, their eyes scanning the surroundings warily, fearing an ambush by Blood Demons.
"Princess, look, there is a hundred-year-old Blood Spirit Flower over there!"
Qinghao, who stood to the left of Princess Huoyun, exclaimed in excitement as he spotted the blood-red flower dozens of meters away. He turned into a green wind and dashed towards the Blood Spirit Flower.
Black Ink, standing beside, sneered. There were usually Blood Demons lurking near Blood Spirit Flowers, waiting patiently to strike down Martial Artists attempting to pick the flowers. Qinghao’s impulsive move was practically asking for death.
Sure enough, just as Qinghao’s hand was about to touch the Blood Spirit Flower, a blood-red figure leapt out from the depths and pounced at him, exuding sinister Blood Qi, akin to swarming maggots.
Qinghao was also formidable. He swung his folding fan sharply, and immediately, golden light burst forth like countless stars, transforming into streams that slashed at the blood-red figure.
"Princess, retreat quickly!"
However, the Blood Demon before them was incredibly powerful. Qinghao’s folding fan was knocked into the air. With a simple gesture, it flew back to his hand, but a faint crack had appeared on it.
Qinghao’s face turned dark. Before he could lament, he felt an overwhelming Blood Qi approaching. The huge Great Blood Demon was already in front of him.
"Black Ink, won’t you help?!"
Qinghao shouted angrily. It was clear that this Blood Demon was close to breaking through to the mid-level. He couldn’t suppress it alone; he needed Black Ink’s help.
"Weren’t you arrogant? Now you know how to ask for help?"
Black Ink did not immediately assist. He stood aside, mocking Qinghao. He knew Qinghao must have hidden cards, and he was testing him to force those cards to the surface.
He was surprised, however, that Princess Huoyun also stood by, coldly watching, without any intention of helping.
"A woman with deep schemes!"
Qinghao wanted to say more, but the Great Blood Demon had already lunged at him. Qinghao retreated, and his fan transformed into a green dragon-like shadow, charging at the Great Blood Demon.
The green dragon shadow shattered into countless spirit points, forcing the Great Blood Demon into the air. However, in an instant, it transformed into a sea of blood, sweeping towards Qinghao like a deluge from the sky.
"One Fan to Cover the Sky!"
The nearly broken folding fan suddenly shattered completely. A ray of golden light burst forth, illuminating everything, and air currents formed countless whirlpools, swallowing all surrounding Spiritual Power.
With its outer layer shattered, the fan revealed its golden core. The golden folding fan expanded dramatically, as if to cover the entire sky.
"An Earth Level Magical Treasure?!"
Black Ink was shocked. Looking at the golden fan in the sky, a glimmer of greed flashed in his eyes. The Black Water Sect also had Earth Level Magical Treasures, but those were the sect’s true heritage, not something he could casually use, let alone carry around.
Perhaps in the future, he might have his own Earth Level Magical Treasure, but definitely not now.
Princess Huoyun, however, was not surprised. The Sovereign of the Celestial River Kingdom had already told her everything about Qinghao. She had not intervened immediately because she wanted to see the Earth Level Magical Treasure in action.
The sea of blood poured onto the golden folding fan, continuously hissing as wisps of white smoke rose, swirling in the air.
The sea of blood was vast, but it could not break through the golden folding fan’s defense.
Qinghao’s Spiritual Power surged, forming a set of green flame armor around him. The flames danced, and the golden fan burst forth, instantly repelling the Great Blood Demon.
Princess Huoyun shouted, drawing her longsword. A silver gleam flashed, and Sword Aura fractured into pieces, slashing at the Great Blood Demon in mid-air. The air split open, waves rolling.
Blood-red spikes suddenly protruded from the Great Blood Demon’s body, meeting Princess Huoyun’s attack head-on. The collision created countless sparks, like a rain of fire.
Even with Princess Huoyun’s help, Qinghao could barely hold his ground. His golden folding fan was an Earth Level Defensive Magical Treasure, offering no boost to Attack Power. Moreover, activating an Earth Level Magical Treasure required immense Spiritual Power, which he could not afford to waste.
Black Ink’s eyes narrowed, and suddenly, he struck. Among the three, he was the strongest. His blade’s light was chilling, not due to its intent, but its sheer nature.