A Strike From Above

Not just Zhou Chuanyong, but all surrounding warriors were taken aback as well. They raised their heads to the blood-filled sky, panic evident on their faces.

“Did something just fall on the leader’s head?” one of them wondered aloud, only to be met with an obvious, “Otherwise, why would he bleed?”

They looked at Tang Pi and Kong Binghuang, the two exceptional fighters who had also paused momentarily to scan the sky with caution. While others might not have clearly seen the swift, bloody pillar descending from above, these two had.

What truly disturbed them was their uncertainty about whether the hidden assailant was friend or foe, combined with their inability to sense any concealed presence around them.

As everyone watched, Zhou Chuanyong slowly rose, his enormous body unsteady. He lifted his foot, stepping forward with a thud that disturbed the dust, generating a gust of wind. Sweat mixed with blood beaded on his forehead, cascading down in a terrifying spectacle.

A sense of dread gripped him. The attack had not only penetrated his skull but seemed to have damaged his nerves as well, resulting in compromised body control. But at least it hadn’t taken his life.

With an exhale that resembled a celebration of his narrow escape, he realized his body was still trembling uncontrollably.

Above the sea of blood, Qin Huai observed Zhou Chuanyong, who had barely avoided disaster, with a hint of pity in his eyes. “Too bad the power of the heavenly punishment is still too weak against a peak visceral prefecture realm expert like Zhou Chuanyong.”

Qin Huai had timed his attack perfectly, striking during the distraction provided by Kong Binghuang and Tang Pi, giving Zhou Chuanyong no chance to evade.

“The visceral prefecture realm is indeed the visceral prefecture realm,” he thought, noticing Zhou Chuanyong’s unsteady stance and sensing his change. It seemed his attack had indeed been effective.

With a gentle tap of his finger, Qin Huai launched another attack.

On the ground, Zhou Chuanyong’s heart clenched. He mustered all his strength to dodge the incoming blood pillar, which disappeared as soon as it struck, leaving a massive hole in the ground.

Bang!

His body swayed, barely missing the deadly attack. The head wound had left him disoriented and vulnerable.

A chilling killing intent rose behind him. Kong Binghuang and Tang Pi, in tacit understanding, charged toward Zhou Chuanyong. They had been unsure of the first attack’s origin, but they saw the second one clearly.

Tang Pi knew that this was undoubtedly the work of the entity residing above the sea of blood, Wang Kun. Despite his shock at the incredible long-range attack, he couldn’t afford to waste time pondering. Opportunities like these were fleeting.

The two former adversaries, who once stood at the pinnacle of Qingzhou, were now united against Zhou Chuanyong. Kong Binghuang’s wind technique unfurled, transforming into a gigantic dragon that spiraled in the sky. Its gray feathers were soft as snow yet brought a bone-chilling cold. As the dragon draped its gray plumage, it stirred up the ground’s sand and stone.

Kong Binghuang and Tang Pi, already fast fighters, had the added advantage of Qin Huai’s divine assistance, leaving Zhou Chuanyong effectively cornered, exposed to their onslaught.

“Attack! I’ll hold these two off,” Zhou Chuanyong commanded, attempting to imbue dignity into his predicament. He then turned to Yue Yang with a ferocious roar. “Lord Yue, you wouldn’t betray us now, would you?”

“Eliminate them!” Yue Yang, after only a brief hesitation, commanded the dozen or so visceral realm experts he had brought from the Thousand Divination Tower to attack the Kun Peng clan.

With the lord of the Thousand Divination Tower leading, the formidable martial artists of the Sacred Heart Sect no longer wavered. Accustomed to relentless killing, they perceived the people before them not as warriors of Wuji Mountain or demons of the Kun Peng clan, but merely as prey — their food.

The remaining Wuji Mountain members and the grievously injured Kun Peng clan struggled to compete with the powerful Sacred Heart Sect army. The cult’s astounding recovery technique, the blood heart technique, was fully manifested in this battle, making any minor injury a prime target for their aggressive onslaught.

Chuckles of satisfaction escaped Zhou Chuanyong as the battle swayed in his favor, his initial apprehension gradually fading.

He engaged in close combat with the two adversaries, ensuring the hidden attacker could not injure him accurately. His blood heart technique could easily repair his arm and ankle wounds, posing no significant threat.

Even though Yue Yang’s attitude irked Zhou Chuanyong, he remained a valuable asset. His status as an expert at the fifth-level visceral prefecture realm could help Zhou Chuanyong withstand the dual attack for a considerable time.

At this moment, the Sacred Heart Sect, with its numerical and combat advantages, was quickly overwhelming the remaining members of the Kun Peng clan and Wuji Mountain.

The tide of battle was indeed in his favor… Or so Zhou Chuanyong thought, until his vision was abruptly flooded by a sea of red.