novelnext Chapter 214: A Mountain Of Corpses And a Sea Of Blood (2)
Chapter 214: A Mountain Of Corpses And a Sea Of Blood (2)
Chapter 214: A Mountain Of Corpses And a Sea Of Blood (2)
Can we really endure it?
Zhou Xuchuan knew the horrors of the Blood Demon well.
In his previous life, during the Era of War and Chaos, he had fought in the Invasion of the Blood Cult. Even now, the memory of that living nightmare sent shivers down his spine.
The more you fought, the more the monsters grew!
The true horror of the Blood Cult was their fearless madness and their limitless numbers.
No matter how many they killed, their numbers never seemed to dwindle. In fact, they only increased. What was even more shocking was that among their reanimated enemies were their own allies—those they had once fought beside in life.
The Blood Demon, a one-man army!
The Blood Demon wasn’t on the frontlines without reason. He was there to obtain the freshest corpses, which he would turn into jiangshi.
Though he was one of the Ten Empyrean Overlords, the Blood Demon was more of a sorcerer than a warrior. That was why he had often been underestimated before he appeared on the frontlines.
As a sorcerer, not a martial artist, most believed he wouldn’t be much of a threat.
But this carelessness turned into bitter regret. The number of people who lost their lives to his blood-stained hands had reached the thousands, and each one swore loyalty to him after death.
What the martial artists truly feared was that they would end up on the Blood Cult's side after death and take the lives of their family and friends.
We can't do this alone.
They could no longer rely on the same strategies.
Zhou Xuchuan also sent letters to places that could help, such as the Gold Will Sword Sect, before leaving Mount Hua Sect, asking for reinforcements.
A war could not be fought alone. They had to join forces and try to hold the line before the rearguard arrived.
Lanzhou Martial Alliance barracks.
Since this was a war among martial artists, fighting in the middle of Lanzhou wasn’t an option. Instead, they set up barracks a little further away and made it their base.
The Martial Alliance flag fluttered in the middle of the desert.
In the command barracks, key figures from the Righteous Faction's Martial Alliance took their seats and continued their conversation.
“The Blood Cult’s forces haven’t decreased, but at least they haven’t grown either. They’re still at five thousand," the Lanzhou Branch Manager, Tou Zhong, said.[1]
"The Blood Cult shouldn't have so few members, though..." said the First Demon Subduing Sword Zhi Yunbo, a renowned expert of the Kongtong Sect.
The expert of the Mount Hua Sect, the Fourteenth Sword Hero Qiu Feng, frowned.
The Blood Cult rarely revealed themselves publicly, but their numbers had always been large and consistent—typically eight to ten thousand members. Yet, for the Central Plains invasion, only half their forces had shown up, which should have required their full strength. It didn’t add up.
Qiu Feng suspected there might be a trap waiting in the shadows.
"No matter their numbers, it doesn’t change anything. We just need to kill them all."
The expert of the Kongtong Sect, the First Demon Subduing Sword Zhi Yunbo (伏魔一劍), had a cold glint in his eyes.
“That’s right.”
The old nun of the Mount Heng Sect agreed with Zhi Yunbo’s words. She was the Absolute Transformations Plum Sword (絶梅劍變), Shui Jing.
“Hmm...”
Finally, the junior brother of the Sect Master and greatest expert of the Zhongnan Sect, the Milky Way Sage (銀河老師), let out a heavy sigh.
Lanzhou was now filled with famed experts. It was only natural, as the forces had sent their elites first to provide urgent support.
Most were renowned masters of their sects and well-known within the murim.
"According to the intelligence that just came in, they're about a day's journey away."
Tou Zhong, a middle-aged man with a face tanned from living in a desert like Lanzhou, explained the current situation.
"Even better! No need to wait another four days, I’ll teach the Blood Cult a lesson myself!"
Zhi Yunbo’s eyes gleamed with murderous intent. As the First Demon Slaying Sword, it was no surprise—any mention of the Demonic Path’s Two Lineages was enough to make him tremble with rage and grit his teeth.
While most of the Righteous Faction disliked cultists, the Kongtong Sect was a sect that had many clashes with the Demonic Path. Their hatred ran deep.
"We'll get in big trouble if we act rashly."
All eyes turned toward the speaker.
Despite being Daoists, they were almost completely ignorant about Daoist Spells.
"Even for skilled corpsemasters, it would take a week or two at least. However, there's something that can instantly shorten this process."
"And what's that?"
“The artifact, the Death Yin Staff (死陰杖).”
Artifact!
The mention of an unexpected artifact drew groans from the group.
"Hmm, an artifact..."
Artifacts were tools imbued with mysterious powers. However, to martial artists, or more precisely, martial artists who valued martial arts that focused on the ultimate form of self-discipline, training oneself to reach the pinnacle, artifacts weren't particularly important.
Artifacts were rare and difficult to find. Even if one was usable, only a handful of people possessed them. Moreover, most martial artists believed it was better to dedicate themselves to refining their martial arts instead of relying on artifacts.
Artifacts were seen as objects that were 'good to have if you've got one, but not something worth seeking out if you don’t.'
"Wait! By the Death Yin Staff, do you mean...?!" The Milky Way Sage exclaimed as realization struck.
"You've heard of it?" Tou Zhong asked.
"According to legend, it’s a stone staff capable of freely manipulating surrounding death qi and yin qi,” the Milky Way Sage explained.
“As expected, you've heard of it.”
Zhou Xuchuan applauded the Milky Way Sage’s answer.
The Death Yin Staff was an artifact passed down to the Blood Demon by the Dark Heavens Association.
"I never could have considered it. If that's the case, it's definitely possible for them to turn into jiangshi on the spot."
The Death Yin Staff worked by preventing death qi from escaping a corpse, bypassing the usual process of binding the spirit to the body and having to adjust it so that the jiangshi could move. That meant that it was possible to instantly turn corpses into jiangshi.
Of course, the artifact wasn’t something just anyone could use.
The Death Yin Staff wasn't something that could be used without the proper strength. It required a high level of stamina and qi manipulation ability, while also consuming immense amounts of qi. One also needed to have a high cultivation or sorcery mastery.
But for the Blood Demon, none of those conditions really mattered.
“Then, if what you’re saying is true, we’re just food for the jiangshi. Should we not fight at all, then?” Zhi Yunbo asked in an unpleasant tone.
"It’s not that extreme,” Zhou Xuchuan replied evenly. “But the idea still stands, it’s wiser to avoid fighting as much as possible.”
"If our army fights, we'll suffer losses. However, the Blood Cult is different. Even if they lose a lot, they can make up for their losses through our corpses. So it’s barely a loss to them, give or take. However, since we're already small in number, every loss is critical."
Zhou Xuchuan explained the current situation in an easy-to-understand manner.
“The good news is that the Jiangshi revived through the Death Yin Staff aren't as strong as regular Jiangshi. Thankfully, they're a bit less durable in return for being made hastily. If we hold them here without pushing too far, we shouldn't have any need to worry."
"I refuse to listen to this any longer!"
Bam!
Zhi Yunbo slammed his fist into the table, shattering it.
"The Blood Cult is right in front of us. It's already frustrating to be told to defend without advancing forward, and now you're seriously standing here telling me not to fight at all?!"
His face turned bright red with anger.
"As someone who bears the title of the Demon Slayer, do you really think I'd tolerate that, you coward?! Learn what shame is!"
“Listen, calm down.”
The Milky Way Sage tried to stop Zhi Yunbo, but it was no use.
“You’re not a hero of the Righteous Faction, you’re a coward of the Righteous Faction! Besides, if these Jiangshi are weaker than your average ones, they're just mere rabble, so why aren't we just destroying them? After we kill the Blood Demon, their corpsemaster, we can take that Death Yin Sword or whatever away from them!"
"If that were possible, I wouldn't even be having this conversation. It's impossible for us to break through that army and kill the Blood Demon."
"Toddler of the Mount Hua sect, you really are scared then! Know that you bring shame to your sect! Enough, talking is over!"
Zhi Yunbo glared at Zhou Xuchuan with disgust, then stepped outside the command barracks.
“If you’re so scared, hide or run away—do whatever you want! I, the First Demon Slaying Sword, and the Kongtong Sect will personally kill the Blood Demon!”
1. His name means Head Bell, lmao. ☜