Screams of agony rose and fell in waves.
Within the oasis, eerie black tendrils coiled around the soldiers' bodies, causing them to explode into bloody mists almost instantly. Flesh and bones splattered in all directions, turning the once-lush oasis into a river of blood—a living hell.
Sun Gongming trembled with rage, his eyes locked onto Li Qingling. The man's once-refined demeanor had vanished, replaced by a sinister grin.
His fingers elongated into razor-sharp claws as he swept his gaze over everyone on the Silverwing Griffin's back and sneered, "All of you—will die!"
In the next instant, Li Qingling shot into the air like a specter, his claws slashing downward. Five thick streaks of bloody light tore through the sky.
The attack struck the Silverwing Griffin's back, ripping through flesh and bone. The massive creature didn't even have time to react before it was torn apart.
Those standing on its back barely managed to evade—some unfurling wings of true qi, others hovering mid-air—all glaring furiously at Li Qingling.
Sun Gongming's heart burned with regret. He had trusted Li Qingling too much, ignored Ling Feng's warning, and now three thousand of his men were dead.
Ling Feng clenched his fists, the Eradicator of Realms flashing in his grip. He had suspected Li Qingling's treachery, but he never imagined the demon would slaughter an entire army in moments.
These soldiers were elites—the weakest among them at the eighth level of the Pulse Formation Realm—yet they hadn't stood a chance.
The earth split apart as a grotesque stone statue rose from the ground. Rivers of blood surged toward it, the statue greedily absorbing the soldiers' vital essence!
"Li Qingling! Why?!" Sun Gongming's voice shook with fury. His orders had doomed three thousand men—including Vice-General Wang, who had fought alongside him for years.
"Heh heh heh—" Li Qingling's laughter was a twisted mockery. "Blame your own stupidity, Sun Gongming!"
"You—you're not Senior Uncle Li!" Jin Weide's face paled in horror. "The Evergreen Hall's creed is to heal and save lives! He would never do this!"
"Oh, I am Li Qingling." The man's voice dripped with malice. "But I am also—the Blood Sword Heavenly Lord!"
Black demonic qi erupted from his body, writhing like living shadows. Hideous tentacles sprouted from his sleeves, coiling around his right arm as a sinister black sword—pulsing with bloody light—slowly emerged from his flesh.
"So you really are the Blood Sword Heavenly Lord!" Ling Feng's suspicions were confirmed. Li Qingling had found the demon sword in the imperial tomb, mistaking it for a great opportunity. Little did he know, the sword had long since consumed his mind.
"Not as stupid as I thought." Li Qingling's cold gaze locked onto Ling Feng. "Pity you'll die here today. No—with your talent, I'll refine you into the perfect Blood Spirit Corpse. You'll be my finest general!"
"I don't care if you're the Blood Sword Heavenly Lord or Li Qingling!" Sun Gongming roared. "You slaughtered my men—now you pay with your life!"
Before Li Qingling could react, Sun Gongming lunged, his curved blade slashing with lethal precision.
But the Blood Sword Heavenly Lord's power was beyond mortal comprehension. With a mere flick of his wrist, a wave of condensed demonic qi sent Sun Gongming flying. Black flames clung to his arm, rapidly spreading.
"Forgive me, General!"
Ling Feng moved like lightning. His sword flashed—severing Sun Gongming's right arm at the shoulder. The demonic fire consumed the limb instantly, reducing even his mystical artifact-grade blade to nothing.
A second later, and the general would have been erased entirely.
"Argh!" Sun Gongming gritted his teeth, cold sweat pouring down his face. What kind of flames are these?
Ling Feng sealed the bleeding with a few quick strikes. "General, this demon is at the Emperor level. Don't act recklessly."
"E-Emperor level?!" Sun Gongming's face drained of color. An Emperor-level expert could obliterate a Spiritual Element Realm cultivator like him with a thought.
Jin Weide and the other physicians trembled in terror. Though they had escaped the initial massacre, death still loomed over them.
"Heh. So that black donkey really did tell you everything." Li Qingling's lips curled. "No wonder you figured me out."
"If you knew he was with me, why show yourself?" Ling Feng's voice was ice. "You've got guts."
"I've been watching this entire time. There's no trace of other experts nearby." Li Qingling sneered, raising his demon sword. "You'll regret not keeping that black donkey by your side."
Li Qingling swept his demon sword through the air and sneered coldly.
"Once I've taken your vigor, I'll refine you into one of my Blood Spirit soldiers!"
As soon as he spoke, he raised a hand. A curtain of blood-red light fell from the sky, shrouding the surrounding area for dozens of miles in a sealed space.
Answering the call of the demon sword, he didn't even bother subduing Ling Feng and the others with any elaborate moves. He simply shot forward like lightning, heading straight for the stone statue at the center of the oasis.
"Think you can just take what you want? Did you ask this divine beast for permission?"
The next instant, a shimmering violet luminous barrier flared to life in front of Ling Feng. Despicable Donkey appeared out of thin air, blocking Li Qingling's path.
But this time, Despicable Donkey no longer looked like an ordinary black donkey. His head was wrapped in several layers of red cloth, and his muscles bulged grotesquely. His entire body had grown in size, and even his hooves had transformed into sharp, gleaming claws.
Li Qingling's pupils contracted. He hadn't expected this—let alone that a Demon Emperor would be Ling Feng's spirit pet.