Curse of the Supreme Blood

Lu Feng stood ready, his eyes cold and calculating, locked in battle with the monstrous creature. The massive, shadowy bear-like beast, its tusks gleaming, and eyes burning with fury, swiped at Lu Feng with terrifying force. He parried the blow effortlessly, a smug smile playing at the corners of his lips as he dodged and countered with quick, deadly strikes.

Behind him, Bei Fu watched with narrowed eyes. The bitterness in his heart was palpable. Every move Lu Feng made, every calculated action, reminded him of the man who had been responsible for Xiao Cheng's death. Xiao Cheng, his closest companion, had perished under Lu Feng's command, and now Bei Fu was bound to this man by a twisted alliance. An alliance formed of resentment, survival, and an unspoken understanding.

Lu Feng's cruelty became unleashed once they entered the forest, and Bei Fu was certain that, should the opportunity arise, Lu Feng would kill him in an instant, just as he had mercilessly thrown Xiao Cheng to the monster that had devoured him earlier.

He regretted fawning over Lu Heng in order to get his favour. He wished he knew the true personality of Lu Heng as he did now but hindsight was useless. Xiao Cheng was dead as a doornail and nothing could bring him back. But Bei Fu silently vowed not to die a similar death if he could help it.

"Bei Fu, stay alert," Lu Feng said with a sinister calm, flicking a glance over his shoulder. "I won't tolerate your failure today."

Bei Fu's grip on his crossbow tightened, but he said nothing. He could feel the weight of Lu Feng's words, his eyes never leaving the beast in front of them. His fingers twitched, itching to fire, not at the beast but at Lu Feng, but he knew he would be dead before even getting a shot out.

It was a game to Lu Feng, but Bei Fu had learned to despise this man's games. The sense of power he exuded was a constant reminder of his dominance, but it was also an annoyance Bei Fu could no longer stand.

"Focus," Lu Feng hissed again, watching as the creature bore down on Bei Fu with a renewed fury. The moment Lu Feng spoke, Bei Fu sprang into action, launching a bolt directly at the beast's face. It struck, and the beast recoiled, its powerful roar reverberating through the trees.

A glimmer of satisfaction flickered in Bei Fu's eyes as the creature hesitated for a moment, but his attention immediately snapped back to Lu Feng. There was no gratitude, no camaraderie. Just a shared understanding of their mutual need to survive, though Bei Fu would never forget the death of Xiao Cheng.

Meanwhile, in the deeper caves, Li's group moved carefully through the narrow, winding passageways. The air grew colder the deeper they went, the smell of damp rock and earth mixed with something... unnatural. Zhang Wei, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, led the way, with Lei Yun and Lei Chen close behind. Li, always aware of the shifting energy in the cave, surveyed their surroundings cautiously.

The sound of their footsteps echoed unnervingly, and every corner seemed to harbor a new danger. The air felt heavy, thick with impending doom. But none of them could prepare for what happened next.

A deep rumble, followed by an eerie, slithering sound, echoed through the cave from deeper within. The ground beneath their feet seemed to tremble, and the very walls seemed to pulse with something alive, something ancient.

"Did you hear that?" Zhang Wei whispered, his face pale.

Li's expression darkened. "We're not alone."

Before anyone could react, the slithering sound grew louder, drawing closer with terrifying speed. A hiss reverberated through the cave, filling them with an overwhelming sense of dread. A massive basilisk, its eyes glowing a fiery amber, emerged from the darkness. Its body coiled like a serpent, muscles rippling beneath scales that gleamed like black marble.

The basilisk's gaze was unrelenting, and its massive form filled the cave as it approached. Lei Yun stepped forward first, his sword raised, but the creature's serpentine speed caught him off guard. The basilisk lunged, its jaws snapping, but Lei Yun managed to dodge the strike, narrowly avoiding the deadly fangs.

"Stay focused!" Lei Chen shouted, drawing his own sword.

Before they could even plan their next move, the basilisk swung its massive tail, crashing into the wall with a force that sent shockwaves through the cave. The impact sent Lei Yun crashing to the ground, and Zhang Wei barely managed to avoid being struck. The basilisk was a whirlwind of deadly intent, its tail and teeth tearing through the air with terrifying precision.

Li's heart pounded in his chest. As he stood back, watching the chaos unfold, something stirred deep inside him—an ancient power, raw and potent. His bloodline, buried for so long, began to surface.

His hands shook as the familiar warmth of energy coursed through him. His vision sharpened, the surrounding world slowing as he saw the basilisk's movements with perfect clarity. The instincts, once dormant, now surged within him. With a quick, fluid motion, he drew his sword.

The basilisk turned its gaze toward Li, its amber eyes locking onto him. Li's pulse quickened, and in that instant, the energy within him surged violently. Without thinking, he lunged forward, his sword flashing in the air. Time seemed to stretch as he delivered a series of strikes, each one landing with pinpoint accuracy, each movement guided by something beyond his conscious will.

His sword slashed through the basilisk's scales, cutting deep into its flesh. The beast screeched in pain, its tail snapping toward Li in a desperate counterattack. But Li's movements were too fast, his body almost a blur as he dodged and struck again, his sword finding the creature's weak points. A burst of energy, a flare of brilliant light, erupted from his blade, sending the basilisk into a convulsive spasm.

The basilisk howled, its eyes burning with fury as it slithered forward, desperate to crush the group beneath its might. Lei Yun and Lei Chen regrouped, taking advantage of the creature's disorientation to strike with precision. Zhang Wei fought beside them, his face set with determination. Together, they managed to weaken the beast further, their attacks swift and synchronized.

As the basilisk recoiled once again, Li's bloodline energy began to recede, leaving him drained but victorious. With one final, powerful strike, Zhang Wei delivered a blow that pierced the basilisk's heart, ending the battle. The creature collapsed with a massive thud, shaking the cave with its fall.

The group stood in stunned silence for a moment, the echoes of the battle reverberating through the cavern. They had survived, but at great cost. Lei Yun was bruised and battered, but it was Lei Chen who lay the worst off, his chest marked by a deep wound where the basilisk's tail had struck him. Blood stained his clothes as he gasped for air.

"We need to heal him, now," Zhang Wei urged, his voice hoarse as he dug in his spatial ring and brought out vial after vial of medicine which he poured down Lei chen's throat. But his breathing only grew better as the wound on his chest was still deadly open and seemed to be deteriorating along the edges.

'Its not working' Cried Lei Chen as he held on tightly tohis sister who kept gasping in pain.

'I heard that the basilisk poison is instant death' Mei Ying said

'But he was not bitten. He was hit by the tail' Li replied helplessly

'Let's make him comfortable as we explore further to see if theres anything here that can be of help. Lie Chen, stay with him while the three of us go' commanded Zhang Wei

The three then set off down the winding cavern. Li scanned the area, his mind racing. It was then that his eyes were drawn to a faint, glowing light in the distance, a soft, golden radiance that seemed to pulse with power. The fragrance of something sweet and intoxicating filled the air, drawing them deeper into the lair.

They approached cautiously, and there, nestled among the rocks, lay a plant unlike anything they had ever seen. Its petals shimmered with an otherworldly glow, its roots buried deep in the earth. The plant radiated an aura of vitality and healing power. Mei Ming recognized it immediately—Hibiscus Bloom, a legendary herb said to be able to cure all ailments except death itself. Very rare and valuable. Mei Ming had seen a faint picture of it in an ancient medicine manual elder Had had instructed her to return to the fourth level of the library. From the look of the shimmer emanating from it, it should be over ten thousand year old.

'I guess that's what the Basilisk was guarding' Mei Ming muttered in awe

With a reverent hand, Mei plucked a leaf from the plant and went and pressed it gently against Lei Chen's wound. As soon as the leaf touched his skin, a brilliant light enveloped him. The bloodstains on his chest faded, his breathing steadied, and within moments, he was fully healed.

Zhang Wei, his own wounds still fresh, looked at the plant in awe. "Can it heal me too?"

Mei nodded, carefully plucking another leaf. As soon as it touched Zhang Wei's injuries, the same healing light enveloped him. His pain faded, and his strength returned as if nothing had happened to him. in fact, past aches and pains from numerous other battles also disappeared and he felt rejuvenated.

'Wow! this is such an incredible plant' Zhang Wei exclaimed 

''We have to carefully uproot it along with the soil in order to preserve its efficacy till we replant it in the sect herb garden. Please no one should mention this discovery to anyone other than elder Han as the plant has been known to arouse covetiosness in people and if other bigger sects gets wind of it, it can lead to our sect's annihilation in their bid to possess it' Wei Ming explained.

She then carefully used one of her hair pins to loosen the soil surrounding the herb as she uprooted it and carefully put it in special container before handing it to Zhang Wei who then placed it in his spatial ring.

As the group marveled at the plant's power and what they had just heard about it, Li saw something glittering just a few feet from where Mei had plucked the plants.