NOVEL NEXT Chapter 439: Making a Move
"What a powerful Blood Puppet!"
Everyone watching was taken aback as the Fire Cloud Sect's leader, Tang Lie, summoned a puppet radiating an intense, bloody aura. Shock registered on their faces.
Among various methods for refining talisman puppets, the most brutal is crafting them from live bodies—a ruthless method that creates a special type of puppet called a Blood Puppet. However, Blood Puppets often carry intense, hostile energy and can even turn against their master if not controlled carefully.
Looking at the dark red shade of the Blood Puppet's body beside Tang Lie, it was clear that this puppet was built using fresh blood. To make such a vicious creature, how many lives had it taken?
Zhong Kui, observing the puppet from above, let out a mocking chuckle, smirking beneath his ghostly mask. "A mere half-step Death Xuan Realm Blood Puppet to change the tide of battle? Wishful thinking."
Even with just one battalion, the strength of the Tribunal Army far surpassed that of Fire Cloud Sect. This Blood Puppet would at most buy them a few more moments of struggle.
Tang Lie, however, ignored Zhong Kui's derision and instead cast a meaningful look toward the battlefield below, where a darkly clad woman with a black scythe fought. Despite facing two Life Xuan Realm elders, she maintained her ground with an intense aura of dark energy, her scythe's fierce attacks keeping the elders on the defensive.
Tang Lie chuckled. "If I'm not mistaken, that young woman must be none other than the Dark Hall master's own disciple, destined to be its sixth leader, Lin Qingtan." He smiled to himself, thinking, "For the Dark Hall to send someone of her status… perhaps this is the opening Fire Cloud Sect has been waiting for."
Narrowing his eyes, Tang Lie commanded, "Capture her!"
Following Tang Lie's command, the Blood Puppet raised its head, its scarlet eyes locking onto Qingtan below.
Qingtan suddenly felt a chill overtake her as the Blood Puppet's intense gaze focused on her. Her eyes shifted, catching sight of the bloody figure looming above her.
"Roar!"
The Blood Puppet's scarlet eyes blazed, and it let out a guttural growl before shooting down toward Qingtan in a flash.
"You dare!" Zhong Kui instantly understood Tang Lie's intentions, and even his usually calm expression under his mask twisted in anger. Tang Lie was trying to capture Qingtan to use her as leverage to force the Tribunal Army to retreat.
As the commander of this battalion, Zhong Kui could not let that happen. He moved like a specter, determined to intercept the Blood Puppet.
Qingtan's status was invaluable, and though she had extraordinary potential for her rank, a half-step Death Xuan Realm Blood Puppet would be too much for her to handle alone. But as Zhong Kui rushed in, a shadow appeared beside him, and with a burst of red energy, a spear lunged toward him. Forced to block the sudden attack, Zhong Kui raised his black iron maces to parry.
"Commander, you should focus on fighting me," Tang Lie taunted with a sly smile as he blocked Zhong Kui. "Let the battle below play out without your interference."
If Tang Lie could capture Lin Qingtan, he could turn the tide in his favor and even hold the upper hand over the Tribunal Army.
"You're courting death!" Zhong Kui roared as he watched the Blood Puppet speed toward Qingtan. His red sword-marked mask grew darker, and a murderous energy surged from him, so intense that Tang Lie felt its weight. It was a force cultivated only in the blood-soaked battlefield of life and death.
"As expected of the Tribunal Army's commander… such a deadly presence." Tang Lie felt a flicker of dread. Despite his own level, he realized he could barely match Zhong Kui. Tang Lie had no illusions—if this continued, he would lose.
But as long as he captured Qingtan, he'd have a powerful bargaining chip, enough to bring the Tribunal Army to heel and neutralize this crisis.
Zhong Kui knew Tang Lie's intentions. Unfortunately, with Tang Lie at the Death Xuan level, defeating him would require significant effort. His gaze drifted briefly toward Qingtan on the battlefield below. "Looks like we'll have to rely on her shadow guard this time," he murmured to himself.
The Tribunal was ruthless. Anyone meant to inherit the title of Hall Master needed to survive their share of deadly trials.
With renewed focus, Zhong Kui fixed his killing intent on Tang Lie and began to form a hand seal. In the next moment, a flood of red energy materialized into a wave of blood behind him. The surging wave pulsed like real blood, crashing with a fearsome roar as Zhong Kui rode atop it, emanating an imposing, unstoppable force.
"Fire Cloud Sect will fall today!"
With that declaration, Zhong Kui threw himself into battle against Tang Lie with full force, determined to end things quickly.
The intense energy clashing between two Death Xuan Realm fighters was overwhelming, and though Tang Lie struggled to hold his ground, anyone could see that Zhong Kui had the upper hand.
But the Blood Puppet's advance caught everyone's attention.
"Kill…kill…"
On the battlefield, the Blood Puppet's red eyes locked onto Qingtan. Its sinister aura intensified as it focused on its prey.
With a movement as swift as a phantom, the Blood Puppet appeared above Qingtan, striking down with a wave of red energy that howled through the air.
Seeing the Blood Puppet attack, Qingtan was alarmed. She could sense the puppet's powerful, blood-red energy and dared not face it head-on, immediately retreating to avoid its onslaught.
"Boom!"
The blood-colored whip struck the ground, causing it to tremble violently and leaving a jagged crack nearly a hundred feet long. Onlookers gasped, the hairs on their bodies standing on end—if such a blow landed on someone, it would surely result in an immediate, gruesome death.
"Swish!"
The Blood Puppet's eyes burned even redder as its initial attack missed. The blood whip swung in the air like a giant snake, coiling once more to strike at Qingtan.
Noticing the danger, two Fire Cloud Sect elders decided to take advantage of the situation, moving in to surround Qingtan. Lan Yan, the flag leader nearby, saw this and her face paled. She moved quickly to assist, but the Blood Puppet lashed its right arm, sending the massive blood whip sweeping toward her like a monstrous serpent.
"Boom!"
With a powerful burst of energy, Lan Yan managed to form a defensive barrier around herself. However, against the terrifying force of the blood whip, her energy shield shattered like thin ice.
"Crash!"
The blood whip tore through her defenses, smashing into her chest with overwhelming force. Lan Yan felt her blood churn inside her as she was sent flying back like a cannonball. As she struggled to regain her balance, she suddenly felt herself collide into something solid.
"You okay?"
A concerned voice broke through her shock as Lan Yan realized she had landed in someone's arms.
"You…"
Lan Yan looked up, immediately recognizing the scent of the person who had caught her—it was Lin Langtian, the shadow guard who had arrived with Qingtan. Even though his face was concealed by a ghost mask, Lan Yan's keen senses confirmed his identity. A subtle blush flickered in her eyes.
"Leave Qingtan's protection to me. You just support us from the side," Lin Langtian said, setting Lan Yan down and turning to face the Blood Puppet, his gaze narrowing in determination.
"But that Blood Puppet is nearly at the Death Xuan Realm…" Lan Yan hesitated. She had heard of Lin Langtian's ability to defeat Mo Ming, who was at the peak of the Life Xuan Realm, but the gap between Life and Death Xuan Realm was substantial. The Blood Puppet was only a step away from Death Xuan, making it a formidable foe.
"Don't worry. I have a plan. Besides, protecting her is my duty," Lin Langtian reassured her with a calm smile. Without waiting for her response, he sped toward the Blood Puppet.
"A plan…"
Lan Yan blinked in surprise, watching Lin Langtian's figure retreat, her gaze filled with curiosity.
In the heart of the square, the Blood Puppet advanced like a monstrous undead warrior, its crimson eyes locked unwaveringly on Qingtan.
"Roar!"
A bestial roar escaped its mouth, sending a shockwave through the plaza, causing the ground to tremble violently.
"Swish!"
In an instant, the Blood Puppet moved, transforming into a red blur as it charged toward Qingtan. A massive, bloody whip arced down with deadly intent.
Seeing this, Qingtan's expression tightened. She quickly knocked back the two Fire Cloud Sect elders and, gathering her dark energy, formed a thick, ice-cold barrier in front of her.
However, the defensive wall barely formed before the blood whip slammed into it, shattering it instantly. The impact created visible shockwaves, leaving deep cracks on the ground beneath her.
Qingtan leaped back, throwing her massive black scythe forward with a fierce concentration. She summoned a droplet of her own blood, letting it fall onto the scythe's blade. Instantly, a faint red glow pulsed along its edge, exuding a fearsome aura.
Still, Qingtan didn't stop there. After a brief moment of hesitation, she brought her hands together in a complicated gesture, causing a dark light to glow at the center of her forehead. A dark, ancient symbol slowly emerged, releasing an overwhelming wave of dark energy.
"That's…"
From a distance, the leaders of the South River Region looked on in shock as they recognized the black symbol that appeared above her.
"The Dark Ancestral Talisman?!"
The sky darkened as an immense dark energy radiated from the symbol floating above Qingtan. Everyone stared in astonishment as the symbol emitted a power that felt ancient and indomitable.
As citizens of the Northern Xuan Region, they knew all too well the legend of the Dark Ancestral Talisman, a sacred artifact of the Dark Hall. Suddenly, someone among them noticed something odd, pointing out, "No… it's an imitation, modeled after the real Ancestral Talisman."
This realization quickly spread, and the leaders understood why a mere Tribunal soldier could possess such strength. "She must be Lin Qingtan, rumored to be the one chosen to succeed Master Bo Xuan as the next Dark Hall leader!"
"Boom!"
The cold barrier collapsed as a bloody shadow darted forward, the whip snaking toward Qingtan in deadly arcs.
"Clang, clang!"
With the Ancestral Talisman clone surrounding her, Qingtan skillfully wielded her scythe, intercepting each deadly strike with flowing precision. Each collision sent tremors through the air, deepening the cracks in the ground. Yet even with the enhanced power of the scythe and talisman clone, the Blood Puppet's raw strength began to overwhelm her.
"Roar!"
The Blood Puppet let out a furious roar, throwing a powerful punch that sent Qingtan's scythe flying before slamming its fist into her, sending her hurtling through the air with blood trickling from her lips.
Just as the Blood Puppet lunged for another strike, a piercing sound echoed across the plaza.
A lean, dark-clad figure flashed between Qingtan and the puppet, radiating a fierce, battle-hardened energy that seemed to fill the entire square.
"Brother Langtian!"
Seeing him, Qingtan's eyes lit up with joy.
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