Transforming into a stunningly beautiful fox spirit, leaving a scar on the heart of a prodigy.

The sky darkened in an instant, not in the way that dark clouds obscure the sun, but as if someone had poured a basin of dirty blood used to wash pig offal into the sky.

A thick, fishy stench filled the nostrils, making one's stomach churn.

The pavilion had long since collapsed into ruins. Amidst the rubble, dozens of bandits from Black Wind Stronghold were still reeling from the recent events, craning their necks and staring blankly into the air.

A person was floating there.

He wore a wide, dark red robe, was as thin as a bamboo pole, his face was pressed tightly against his bones, his eyes were sunken, and he casually twirled two white skulls in his hands, making a clicking sound.

Blood Butcher, the leader of Black Wind Stronghold.

"The boss!"

The bandits on the ground were stunned when they saw who it was. Then they were overjoyed and knelt down to kowtow, their heads hitting the ground with loud thuds.

"The boss has emerged from seclusion! We're saved!"

"Boss, avenge the Second Boss! Kill these arrogant bastards!"

Blood Butcher lowered his head, his turbid eyes sweeping over the bandits and robbers kneeling on the ground below, a chilling smile curving his lips.

"revenge?"

His voice was hoarse, like two rusty pieces of iron rubbing together.

"A bunch of useless trash. You can't even handle a few mortals, and I, your ancestor, have to personally come out of seclusion. What use are you?"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly opened his mouth and took a deep breath downwards.

call--

A foul wind swept across the flat ground.

Before the bandits kneeling on the ground could even scream, their bodies deflated instantly, like punctured balloons.

Immediately afterwards, a series of muffled thuds followed.

Dozens of living people were instantly blown into clouds of blood mist, which were then sucked into Blood Butcher's mouth by the suction force.

This happened too fast, it was disgusting.

Gu Xiang, who was still catching his breath while leaning against the pavilion with one of its pillars broken, froze when he saw this scene.

Dozens of people who were just jumping around and looking fierce a moment ago have disappeared in the blink of an eye?

Not even bone fragments were left?

Blood Butcher swallowed the blood mist, an abnormal flush rising to his face. He then let out a long sigh, and the two skulls spun even faster.

"The taste is a bit off, but it's still good for your health."

He licked his lips, his gaze finally settling on the three people in the ruins.

That look in his eyes wasn't like he was looking at a person, but rather at meat on a chopping board.

"vomit--"

Gu Xiang finally couldn't hold back any longer and vomited while leaning against the ruins.

"You beast...you even killed your own people...you're a beast!"

He vomited while cursing in a trembling voice.

Although his calves were cramping, he still forced himself to stand up straight and stood in front of Su Qing and Li Yu.

Blood Butcher tilted his head, seemingly finding it amusing.

"Beast? Little kid, this is called making use of waste."

He raised his withered finger and pointed casually.

call out!

A crimson energy burst through the air.

too fast.

Gu Xiang felt a chill on his thigh, followed by excruciating pain.

"what!"

He screamed and collapsed to his knees, a gaping hole in his thigh from which blood gushed.

"Brother Gu!"

Li Yu's expression changed drastically. He tried to help her up, but was held firmly in place by an invisible pressure.

Blood Butcher chuckled wickedly: "Scholars? I, your ancestor, despise scholars the most. They spout benevolence and morality, but their hearts are sour."

His gaze shifted and landed on Li Yu, his cloudy eyes brightening for a moment.

"But you, with your delicate skin and the aura of a dragon... are you from royalty?"

Li Yu gritted her teeth; it was no use pretending to be stupid now.

He suddenly pulled a golden ruler from his pocket.

As soon as the ruler appeared, it shone with golden light, and the faint sound of a dragon's roar could be heard, pushing back some of the nauseating stench of blood around it.

Earth-grade magical artifact, the Imperial Dragon Ruler!

"You wicked Taoist! Today I will act on behalf of Heaven!"

Li Yu shouted and spat a mouthful of blood onto the ruler.

The Imperial Dragon Ruler swelled in the wind, transforming into a golden dragon phantom that roared as it charged toward Blood Slaughter in mid-air.

This was his last trump card, and also what the Great Zhou royal family used to save the prince's life.

However, Blood Butcher merely curled his lip in disdain.

"Great product, but the user is too incompetent."

He tossed the skull in his hand into the air.

"Blood Sea Demon Art, filthy!"

boom!

The once clear sky was instantly covered in blood, and the wails of countless wronged souls and vengeful ghosts echoed across the land.

The two skulls spewed out large gushes of dark red blood, which poured over the golden dragon phantom.

sizzle-

It was like boiling oil being poured onto the snow.

The golden dragon let out a painful wail, its once brilliant golden light quickly dimmed, and its body was covered in filthy blood. Before it could even reach Blood Butcher, it exploded with a "crack".

The Imperial Dragon Ruler returned to its original ruler size, fell to the ground, its surface pitted and uneven, and all its spiritual power was gone.

"puff!"

Li Yu suffered a backlash due to the damage to his natal magic weapon. He spat out a mouthful of blood, collapsed to the ground, and his face turned ashen.

It’s over.

This was the only thought in Li Yu's mind.

The gap is too big.

This is a power that no mortal can contend with. Even if he is a prince and even if he has magical treasures, he is still as fragile as a joke in front of this old demon.

"Good stuff, it's mine now."

With a wave of his hand, Blood Butcher sent the Imperial Dragon Ruler flying into his grasp.

He played with it for a moment, then casually stuffed it into his pocket before slowly landing in the muddy ground.

The boots made a squelching sound as they stepped into the blood.

He walked step by step toward the three people.

With each step, the terrifying pressure intensified.

Gu Xiang felt as if a huge mountain was pressing down on his back, and his bones were creaking.

But he gritted his teeth, dug his hands into the soil, and crawled toward Li Yu little by little.

A long trail of blood stretched down his thigh.

"Brother Li... run!"

Gu Xiang's voice trembled, her face streaked with tears and snot, yet she still tried to grab Li Yu's sleeve.

A foot stepped down.

It landed right on the back of Gu Xiang's hand.

"ah--!"

Gu Xiang was in so much pain that her whole body convulsed. Her fingers were connected to her heart, and her hand was instantly turned into a bloody mess.

Blood Butcher looked down at the scholar below and crushed him forcefully.

"Run? Where to run?"

He bent down, his face, as withered as tree bark, almost touching Gu Xiang's face, and the stench emanating from his mouth made Gu Xiang's eyes roll back in her head.

"Weren't you so tough just now? Didn't you call me a beast? Say it again, shall we?"

Gu Xiang was in so much pain that she was sweating profusely and biting her lip until it bled.

He raised his head and stared intently at that terrifying face.

"You...you'll die a horrible death..."

Snapped!

Blood Butcher slapped Gu Xiang across the face, sending him flying. Gu Xiang crashed into the broken wall and rolled twice before coming to a stop.

Half of his face swelled up instantly, and two of his teeth flew out.

"Those ignorant fools."

Blood Butcher snorted coldly, about to step forward and finish off the noisy scholar, when he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He sniffed.

His gaze was fixed intently on Gu Xiang's heart.

There, the heart was pounding wildly due to intense pain and fear.

Boom, boom, boom.

But to Blood Butcher's ears, that heartbeat sounded like the most beautiful drumbeat in the world.

"This taste..."

The greed in Blood Butcher's eyes surged instantly, even overshadowing his killing intent.

"A heart with seven orifices of exquisite beauty?!"

He let out a strange cry and trembled with excitement.

"It's actually the legendary Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart! Heaven has been kind to me! With this heart, not only will my injuries be fully healed, but I'll also be able to break through to the next realm!"

He could no longer care about Li Yu beside him, and in a flash, he appeared in front of Gu Xiang.

A withered, claw-like hand, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, reached straight for Gu Xiang's chest.

Give me your heart!

Gu Xiang was already out of his mind from the beating and could only watch helplessly as the terrifying hand drew closer and closer.

Am I going to die?

Yeah.

Anyway, there's no logic to this world.

It's a pity about Er Ya's cloth shoes; they got dirty after only a few wears.

And Brother Su...

By the way, where is Brother Su?

Gu Xiang struggled to turn his eyes, wanting to take one last look at his sworn brother, who always waved a fan and had a smug, punchable smile, before he died.

Su Qing, who had been standing quietly to the side, was now leaning against a large tree that hadn't fallen yet, tapping her palm with a folding fan.

She watched this scene with her brows furrowed deeply.

I'm incredibly annoyed.

Those two idiots.

One person, wielding a royal treasure but unsure how to use it, was crippled by a mouthful of dirty blood.

One person was terrified, his legs were so weak they were practically trembling, yet he still insisted on rushing forward to get himself killed.

Do you really think this is a storybook? Good triumphs over evil?

In the world of cultivation, might makes right, and survival is the only true principle.

This body is merely an external avatar with limited strength. If I were to fight this old demon head-on, I might end up damaging my foundation.

Moreover, the main body is still dormant and consolidating its cultivation. If something goes wrong here, the main body will also be affected.

The death of a prince or a scholar is none of her business.

Anyway, people die every day in this world.

【warn!warn! 】

The damn system in her head suddenly started screaming, making her head ache.

[SSS-rank target Gu Xiang detected is critically injured! Health remaining: 5%!]

[If the target dies, the mission will be considered a failure for the host!]

[Host, please provide immediate assistance! Provide immediate assistance!]

"Shut up!"

Su Qing cursed inwardly.

We really owe you guys something.

Blood Butcher's claws were about to pierce Gu Xiang's chest, and had even torn his clothes and touched his skin.

Gu Xiang closed his eyes.

Zheng—

A crisp sound of impact rang out.

The expected excruciating pain did not come.

Gu Xiang opened her eyes blankly.

A simple folding fan was thrust across his chest, blocking the deadly ghostly claw.

The ribs of the folding fan were slightly bent, clearly having withstood tremendous force, yet they did not break.

Looking through the folding fan, you can see a fair and slender hand.

Above that was Su Qing's face, which was etched with impatience.

"Hey, old man."

Su Qing held the fan in one hand and forcefully blocked Xue Tu's powerful blow, even having the leisure to pick her ear.

"Isn't it a bit disrespectful to rip out my little brother's heart right in front of me?"

Blood Butcher was stunned.

Although he didn't use his full strength in that grab, it was still something that no ordinary weapon could withstand.

What is this broken fan made of?

What shocked him even more was this "pretty boy" whom he had always overlooked.

He hadn't sensed any fluctuations in this person's aura at all; it was as if the person were a stone or a piece of wood.

"Who are you?"

Blood Butcher withdrew his hand, took two steps back, and his eyes became wary.

"A cultivator?"

Su Qing shook her slightly numb wrist, picked Gu Xiang up from the ground, and threw him next to Li Yu like a sack of potatoes.

"Keep an eye on him, don't let him die."

Without turning her head, she said something to Li Yu, then turned to look at Xue Tu.

Who I am is not important.

Su Qing sighed, closed the folding fan, and twirled it in her hand.

"The important thing is, the person you hit is my underling."

"And you've dirtied my newly bought boots."

She glanced down at the few drops of blood splattered on her boots, a flicker of disgust crossing her eyes.

Blood Butcher narrowed his eyes, his divine sense sweeping over Su Qing.

There was no fluctuation of spiritual energy.

I can't see through his cultivation level.

He's either an ordinary person, or... his cultivation level is far above his.

impossible!

Where could such a powerful being come from in this desolate wilderness?

Most likely, they are carrying some kind of magical artifact that conceals their aura.

Thinking of this, Blood Butcher's greed resurfaced.

That pretty boy must have something good on him!

"Playing tricks!"

Blood Butcher sneered and slammed his hands together.

"No matter who you are, you're going to die here today!"

"Blood-Transforming Demon Blade, unleash!"

hum!

A piercing whistling sound rang out.

A long, blood-red blade, radiating intense malevolence, flew from the top of his head, growing to three zhang in length as it faced the wind, and with a world-destroying momentum, it slashed down at Su Qing.

This strike was so powerful that even the air itself seemed to hiss and crackle from the corrosion.

Li Yu closed her eyes in despair.

This was a strike from the peak of the Casting Cauldron Realm, and it even faintly possessed the power of the Transformation Realm.

That Brother Su, we can't stop him.

Gu Xiang stared wide-eyed, even though her eyelids were so swollen they were barely open.

"Big brother! Run!"

He shouted in a hoarse voice.

Su Qing stood still, without moving an inch.

She looked at the demonic blade that was slashing down, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes, but mostly helplessness.

It seems this disguise can't be kept secret any longer.

She raised her hand, her folding fan suddenly unfolding, and charged towards the enormous demonic blade.

boom!

A loud bang.

A terrifying shockwave exploded outwards from the two people.

The mud on the ground was hurled several feet high.

Gu Xiang and Li Yu were thrown a long way by the blast wave and rolled in the mud.

The smoke and dust cleared.

Su Qing remained standing in the same spot, but the ground beneath her feet had collapsed into a large pit.

The folding fan in her hand was now only half a fan rib, completely ruined.

The Blood-Transforming Demon Blade was also sent flying back by the shock, its light dimming considerably.

However, the jade crown binding Su Qing's hair was ultimately an ordinary object and could not withstand the surge of spiritual power.

Click.

A crisp sound.

The jade crown shattered and fell to the ground.

Her once neatly tied black hair suddenly cascaded down like a waterfall, dancing wildly in the wind.

Su Qing shook her head, her long hair covering half of her face.

She casually tossed away the remaining half of the fan bone, raised her head, and her originally cold eyes now faintly glowed with an eerie pink.

That lazy, carefree attitude vanished completely.

Instead, it exudes a breathtaking sense of nobility and aloofness.

Gu Xiang lay on the muddy ground, staring blankly at that figure from behind.

Her long hair cascaded down her shoulders, and her figure seemed to have become much slimmer and more graceful.

Her profile was partially obscured by her disheveled hair, breathtakingly beautiful yet so unfamiliar that he dared not recognize her.

"Brother Su...?"

He called out instinctively.

Su Qing turned her head, her long hair brushing against her cheek.

She glanced at the stunned Gu Xiang, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.

That smile was captivating, a natural charm.

"Idiot, have you seen enough?"

Gu Xiang's mind went blank.

It’s over.

This time it seems like he's really gay.

wrong……

Brother Su is a woman?!

This scene is just as the poem describes:

Bloodlust blotted out the sky and obscured the setting sun; withered bones and demonic cultivators ran rampant.

The scholar, though his leg was broken, still protected his friend; the prince, though his halberd was broken, was heartbroken.

A folding fan gently sways to ward off the ghost's claws; a jade crown shatters, revealing her red makeup.

Who says women are not heroes? A woman's anger can shake the entire world.

Where is her exquisitely beautiful heart? Her black hair, like a waterfall, reflects the glint of a sword.

Don't be a fool and ask why you're a guest; just watch as the beauty calms the four directions.