Chapter Sixty: The Desolate Headquarters of the Blood Fiend Alliance

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Wishing all readers a happy May Day! Three chapters today~

In a sparse and cramped dwelling, there was nothing but a small teleportation array underfoot and a single jade bed—no other items whatsoever.

Even Yang Jian, who had led the way, asked with some confusion, “Is this really the headquarters of the Blood Fiend Alliance?”

Lei Xiang had already regained his composure and replied coolly, “You brought me here and now you’re asking if it’s the headquarters?”

Yang Jian flushed with embarrassment. “I’ve never been to the headquarters myself, but this place is so bare—how could it possibly be the headquarters of the wealthy Blood Fiend Alliance?”

Lei Xiang nodded, though his divine sense was sweeping the surroundings. “Indeed. The Blood Fiend Alliance has only done two things over the years: murder and amass wealth. Their headquarters should at the very least be overflowing with spirit stones. Let’s look around.”

Spirit stones were the essential resource of the cultivation world, the sole currency, and one of Lei Xiang’s primary motives for seeking out the Blood Fiend Alliance’s headquarters. His meridians were a bottomless pit; without an enormous supply of spirit stones, he could not accumulate enough energy to advance further. This was why he had come in search of more spirit stones.

But here, there was absolutely nothing.

Yang Jian responded and cautiously pressed forward, the blood light from his Blood Bowl casting a protective glow. Lei Xiang, however, smiled. “I already checked just now; there are no ambushes here. Best to save your strength and dismiss your spell.”

He had checked so quickly? Though Yang Jian was surprised, he trusted Lei Xiang and withdrew the blood light barrier, beginning his search. Other than the white jade bed, only the northwest corner held a faint trace of spiritual energy. Lei Xiang noticed this too, his eyes flashing blue as he scanned the area. After a moment, he smiled faintly. “No need to look further, Yang Jian. There are several layers of wards set in the northwest corner, but the spiritual energy still seeps out—this must be where the Blood Fiend Alliance stores their spirit stones.”

“You understand this formation, young master?”

Seeing Lei Xiang shake his head, Yang Jian looked disappointed. He drew a five-pronged Bloodflame Fork from his storage pouch, ready to attack, but Lei Xiang stopped him.

If they couldn’t break the formation, sheer force would have to do—but why stop him? Lei Xiang explained, “Though we don’t know how to break the formation, we should at least find a weak point to attack. Otherwise, brute force alone could take months to get through these layers of wards, and by then the Blood Fiend Alliance would have sent reinforcements.”

Yang Jian realized this made sense and paused, awaiting Lei Xiang’s instructions.

Lei Xiang advanced slowly, blue light flickering in his eyes as he examined the outermost barrier, calculating silently before finally saying, “The outermost formation only isolates spiritual energy and provides illusionary cover, so it’s relatively easy to break. I’ve found the weakest point. If we focus our attacks here, we might break through soon.”

“Young master, if I attack, it’ll attract attention. Won’t the Blood Fiend Alliance come for us?”

Lei Xiang considered this. “It’s been three days since we parted ways with Linghu Zhong. By now, their plan to attack the Imperial City should have begun. The Blood Fiend Alliance won’t have time to bother with us. I believe we’re safe for at least ten days. Let’s begin.”

Without further hesitation, Yang Jian channeled his energy into the Bloodflame Fork and struck the point Lei Xiang indicated with all his might...

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After an hour, Yang Jian stepped back, panting heavily. “Young master, I’m out of spiritual energy. This ward is just too tough.”

Lei Xiang examined the spot closely—it showed only the faintest indentation, barely noticeable. He frowned, “Rest for now. I’ll give it a try.” He patted his storage pouch and drew out the Vermilion Banner. With a flick in the wind, the Gluttonous Maw leaped out, its four cucumber-sized green fangs grinding together, startling Yang Jian. He had no idea what this red-mouthed, green-toothed creature was meant to do.

Lei Xiang sent a thought command; the Gluttonous Maw lunged forward, sinking its huge fangs into the slight depression. The grinding “crack, crack” sound made Yang Jian’s skin crawl. Quickly, he formed a seal and cast a soundproof barrier to block out the unbearable noise, about to close his eyes to avoid the sight.

But instead, he stared wider, witnessing the incredible—those green fangs had already pierced the outermost ward. The barrier that had withstood his attacks for an hour was gnawed through in less than twenty bites. At that moment, the Gluttonous Maw seemed not greedy, but utterly adorable in Yang Jian’s eyes.

Five days later, before a small door in the wall, Yang Jian twirled his goatee excitedly. “We did it! Finally broke through—six layers of wards just to protect a little door. How insane!”

Lei Xiang quietly retrieved the Gluttonous Maw and swept the door with his divine sense, finding nothing unusual. “Yang Jian, this must be where the Blood Fiend Alliance keeps their spirit stones. Let’s go in and see.” With that, he led the way inside.

What greeted them nearly made Lei Xiang’s nose twist with anger.

The room was more than thirty feet across, but aside from a single cabinet against the north wall, it was completely empty. “No wonder the Blood Fiend Alliance is so rich—they’re frugal to the core.” With a helpless smile, his gaze fell upon the cabinet in the corner.

It was an ordinary three-foot-high cabinet, entirely carved from stone.

He gently opened the cabinet door and was immediately refreshed by a surge of pure spiritual energy. “Such pure energy!” Lei Xiang thought of the beauty-spirit incense burner in his storage pouch, which held spirit energy refined for over ten thousand years; by comparison, the spirit stones once kept here must have been top grade.

“What a pity.”

“What’s a pity?” Yang Jian, following behind, asked.

“It’s a pity we arrived too late—the spirit stones have already been taken.”

Facing the empty cabinet, Lei Xiang and the others could only force a bitter smile.

Suddenly, a series of booming explosions came from above, as if some formation or massive artifact had detonated. The blasts made their eardrums ache, and the stone cabinet shattered completely.

Lei Xiang extended his divine sense, listening for a moment before waving his hand. “Both sides are locked in fierce battle above. For now, the Dongyue Kingdom’s forces have the upper hand. Let’s go up and see—wait, what’s this?”

A crack had opened in the wall opposite the small door, likely caused by the recent explosions. From the fissure, black mist was seeping out.

“Ah, it’s resentful energy!”

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Lei Xiang didn’t understand what Yang Jian meant by “resentful energy,” but Yang Jian shouted, “Run!” Lei Xiang only gave a wry, fang-revealing smile. “It’s too late.”

Yang Jian spun around and saw that by the teleportation array, a dense swarm of shadowy ghosts was moving toward them. When he looked back, more ghosts were appearing before them and on both sides. In this cramped space, at least three hundred ghosts crowded in, their wailing and howling chilling the soul.

Lei Xiang had already leapt into action. With a sweep of his Eight-Treasure Dragon Lance, he scattered two ghosts blocking the way. The lance whirled, erasing five or six more. Another upward sweep sent three ghosts crashing into the stone ceiling, where they turned back into black smoke.

Were these resentful ghosts so feeble?

In moments, Lei Xiang had cleared the ghosts around him. Just as he relaxed, the vanished ghosts reappeared, encircling them once more. “Why are there so many?” Lei Xiang’s eyes suddenly lit up. “I see. The Blood Fiend Alliance’s leader must have used the Whale-Swallowing Great Technique—these are all the ghosts of those killed by his hand, just like Ma Tao at the Hongji Foundation Academy. This technique demands the blood sacrifice of countless living souls. No wonder there are so many ghosts.”

Swinging his stone hammer, Yang Jian grew uneasy. “If Lei Xiang’s right, there’s no end to them. We can’t kill them all or escape—are we going to die of exhaustion?” Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Lei Xiang doing something strange.

Lei Xiang raised a beast hide tent for cover, no longer attacking the ghosts but letting them throw themselves against the hide, relying on its defense. Then, four rollers shot out from under his feet, spinning rapidly as he slid along the wall—to where the ghosts were densest, pouring out from the crack.

At that moment, Lei Xiang’s Eight-Treasure Dragon Lance flashed like lightning into the fissure. A burst of golden light, and the gap widened with a roar. Countless ghosts surged through, enlarging the breach. Lei Xiang’s Windfire Boots spun beneath him, and he slipped like smoke through the opening.

Beyond the fissure, the number of ghosts was much less, but the air was thick with yin energy. Lei Xiang twisted his lance, adding another layer of Reverse Scale defense before looking up.

Five ghosts stood before him—not insubstantial shadows, but solid, fierce spirits with exposed fangs and razor-sharp claws.

These five had cultivation at the Foundation Establishment level, much stronger than the masses outside. But Lei Xiang paid them little mind; his gaze was fixed on what lay behind them.

There, atop a massive bed of white bones, sat a three-zhang-tall fiendish ghost, sharpening its teeth with phosphorescent claws. This ghost’s cultivation was equivalent to a human Foundation Establishment late-stage peak, and it seemed to possess intelligence.

Suddenly, Lei Xiang felt a tremor from his storage pouch—the Vermilion Banner was shaking violently.

Was it fear, or excitement?

Lei Xiang quickly sent a thought to communicate, then decisively drew out the Vermilion Banner. At that instant, the fiend on the bone bed opened its bloody maw and spat out a piece of flesh no more than half an inch long, still streaked with blood, carried on a gust of yin wind straight at Lei Xiang’s face. Before he could react, the Vermilion Banner in his hand leapt up, blocking the wind.

Lei Xiang rejoiced, while the fiendish ghost was clearly startled. In its skull-like eye sockets, something like hesitation—and even fear—flashed.

Such a subtle change did not escape Lei Xiang’s notice. With a flick of the Vermilion Banner, the Gluttonous Maw sprang forth, its blood-red jaws drooling with anticipation. At Lei Xiang’s command, it didn’t hesitate; those cucumber-sized green fangs grinding fiercely, it lunged at the nearest mid-Foundation Establishment fierce ghost.