Of course, the match wasn't over! If the Ghost King of Blood Feather couldn't even last a single round against Lady Red, then his faction wouldn't have been considered a top contender for the championship.
As blood began to seep out like countless little snakes from the spot where the colossal beast had struck, countless crimson threads swiftly climbed and adhered to the massive blood-red creature's form.
The match wasn't over. Looking at the large screen, Mu Anqi had a feeling of "as expected." After all, if Blood Feather had been instantly defeated… that would have been utterly disgraceful for a major faction. However, this style of combat was something Mu Anqi had never seen before
"Is Lady Red's true form that massive blood-red beast?" Mu Anqi asked curiously, but she immediately realized her mistake as she spoke. Lady Red was a ghost, not a monster from the Underworld Capital, so the concept of a "true form" didn't apply.
"You could think of it as the materialization of her ability," Ji Huaichu explained. "Similar to the countless ghostly shadows I summon and the black mist that births them." The abilities of ghosts and monsters like them often existed in a space between "illusion" and "reality." What might appear as a phantom could indeed exert tangible effects on the real world.
The bloody mist in the air seemed to grow thicker. Mu Anqi couldn't even tell if this crimson haze was a manifestation of Lady Red's power or Blood Feather's—perhaps it was a combination of both? The expressions of the audience in the stands showed slight discomfort, but the battle on the stage raged on. Suddenly, the individual from the Taiyin, who was seated in the main position as the arena's guardian, stood up. With a wave of his ability, a large, barrier-like structure rose from the arena, enveloping the entire fighting space and containing the spread of the blood mist. The tense-looking spectators finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It was only then that Mu Anqi realized the audience had genuinely been shrouded in the blood mist earlier; it wasn't just a camera effect. These private boxes for each faction were truly safe… No wonder so many weaker factions insisted on joining the event—they were essentially vying for a premium, safe spectator experience.
In a way, Mu Anqi felt she had stumbled upon the truth.
The moment the barrier was erected, the blood mist inside the arena condensed almost instantly into droplets of blood floating in the air, turning the entire competition world a shade of crimson! At that very instant, the several winding blood snakes suddenly "bound" the colossal beast's body—
BOOM!
An explosion? As one blood snake after another latched onto the giant beast, completing their constricting formation, Blood Feather launched his fierce assault. Countless blood snakes hissed, baring their fangs at the massive blood creature! In a flash, the gigantic blood beast exploded violently, the immense shockwave sending the tiny blood snakes flying, crashing against the barrier and creating a secondary impact.
"Haha—" A large sphere of blood coalesced in the air. The moment the blood evaporated and vanished, the Ghost King of Blood Feather spread his wings and reappeared. However, his maniacal laughter was cut short. The fragmented pieces of the exploded blood beast's "limbs" did not disappear. They hung suspended in the air, as if time itself had stopped.
But had time truly stopped?
Whoosh!
A scene that made Mu Anqi's skin crawl appeared. She couldn't quite describe the feeling she had at that moment. But on the countless fragments of the beast floating in the sky—on those pieces that seemed unaffected by space and time—slight bulges twitched for a moment, and in the next second, horrifying blood-red eyes, shrouded in the mist, opened upon them!
Innumerable fragments filled the sky, and in that single moment, countless pairs of blood-red eyes snapped open! Even though Mu Anqi was only watching through a screen, and even though the arena was protected by a barrier, the sheer, scalp-prickling intimidation made her visibly uncomfortable. Ji Huaichu placed a hand on her shoulder and drew Mu Anqi into an embrace.
"Really…" Yu Chuhan felt her headache returning. After all, Lady Red's ocular technique was something she had coveted for a long time. While she might still have a chance to recruit Li Bo Lian, Lady Red? Even in dreams, one had to adhere to basic logic.
The red mist grew denser. Even with their eyes closed, the audience couldn't escape the scene imprinted in their minds: thousands of red eyes opening simultaneously, staring back at them devoid of any emotion.
High in the air, the Ghost King of Blood Feather seemed to have his time frozen as well. His laughter ceased abruptly. His expression of madness and excitement was frozen solid, transmitted via the large screen for all to see. At that moment, many competitors watching from their private boxes couldn't help but tap their screens repeatedly, suspecting a poor connection or a frozen feed.
But that wasn't the case.
After a full three seconds of this "temporal stasis," the gigantic blood beast leaped up from the bottom of the arena. Like a colossal whale breaching the ocean's surface to launch itself into the air, its wide-open maw seemed poised to swallow the Blood Feather Ghost King whole in an instant. At that very moment, countless blood-red feathers shot out in all directions like sharp swords. The massive blood beast was continuously pierced and wounded, yet the onslaught did nothing to halt its relentless advance.
BOOM—
Like a giant fish leaping up to swallow the Blood Feather Ghost King, the colossal blood beast crashed heavily onto the arena floor. The blood mist in the air dissipated in that instant, like a tide receding. The countless emotionless blood-red eyes floating in the air slowly closed, and along with the fragments of the blood beast, they gradually faded and vanished.
On the stage, as the blood beast's form completely dissipated, Lady Red stood alone in the center, holding a single crimson thread between her fingers. The other end of this thread was connected directly to the heart of the Blood Feather Ghost King, who lay sprawled on the ground.
"Ha, ha… I lost." The Blood Feather Ghost King's grin remained, showing no trace of fear even as he admitted defeat. He looked at Lady Red. "Really now, and here I thought I'd hidden myself so deeply…"
Lady Red released the thread. It retracted back into the Blood Feather Ghost King's body as if alive. The Ghost King climbed to his feet, unable to hold back a sigh of lament. "If I'd known, fighting Ji Huaichu would have been more comfortable."
He hadn't even gotten to properly enjoy the feeling of bone-crushing, flesh-pummeling combat! Pupil Technique? That was just cheating. Blood Feather found himself nostalgic for his previous match against Ji Huaichu. After all, she had really and truly sliced him, crushed him, and "killed" him nearly a hundred times before finally locating his true vital point. Now that had been a proper enjoyment.
Lady Red shot him a glance but didn't respond. The match was over; there was no need for her to stay.
As for the Blood Feather Ghost King's incessant muttering… who cared what this chatterbox madman had to say?
Walking off the stage, Lady Red shook her hand with clear distaste.
"Madame." Wan Jin approached, holding a clean towel and a bottle of water. "Would you like to wash your hands?"
Lady Red looked at her, a trace of a smile finally appearing in her eyes. "Of course."
…
"The Blood Feather Ghost King is very troublesome to deal with," Ji Huaichu said. "Killing him is extremely tedious. Unless you can see through his vital point—that blood thread—at a glance, and crush it, you can't truly kill him. But that thread only appears when he's on the verge of death, and in the moment it manifests, it has no tangible form."
Ji Huaichu seemed to recall an unpleasant memory, her words carrying a hint of gritted teeth. "That guy is like an unkillable cockroach, and the problem is, he revels in pain and death." As long as you don't kill him by seizing his vital point, the more you beat him, the more excited he becomes—a complete and utter pervert.
In the Blood Feather Ghost King's view, how much territory his faction gained in the annual Feast of Extreme Bliss was unimportant. Whether his faction was strong or weak was also unimportant. For him, all he wanted was to cross blows with the leaders of the various factions and be killed by them. Even if he was truly killed at the Feast after his vital point was found, he could still resurrect. It was the ultimate enjoyment for him. The Blood Feather Ghost King even believed the Feast of Extreme Bliss was a carnival tailor-made just for him.
"But… Lady Red seemed to win quite easily?" Mu Anqi couldn't help but whisper.
"…" Ji Huaichu looked at Mu Anqi, remaining silent for a moment before speaking. "That's because Wan Jin can see through where the Blood Feather Ghost King's vital point is."
"But…" 'But the power Lady Red displayed was still incredibly shocking.' The imagery was still lingering vividly in Mu Anqi's mind. But just as she was about to say this, she stopped herself. She noticed that General Ji seemed a little… resentful? As General Ji's considerate little Money Tree, could she sway her branches in praise of an outsider? Obviously not! "But I believe you, General, could win even more impressively."
Ji Huaichu was momentarily stunned. "Of course." Having fought Blood Feather before, she naturally had experience. Although, searching her heart, Ji Huaichu felt she might not be able to win that quickly, if she got lucky and managed to crush his vital point directly, winning more impressively wasn't impossible.
Having completed this internal monologue, Ji Huaichu calmly accepted Mu Anqi's praise.
Perhaps because they had reached the final lineup, or perhaps because Lady Red and the Blood Feather Ghost King had delivered such a spectacular match, the rest period after this round was exceptionally long.
When the next round finally began, Mu Anqi noticed that the Blood Feather faction was simply… gone? Just like that? Was the faction eliminated just because their Ghost King was out?
"He got the fight he desired, so he won't stick around," Ji Huaichu explained. As for what the other members of his faction thought? If their views didn't align with his, they wouldn't have joined Blood Feather in the first place.
Mu Anqi silently observed the match schedule for this round. Her eyes landed on "Money Tree vs. Illusionary Dreamland ," and she suddenly felt a pang of anxiety for General Ji. "For this round… will Senior He be going up?" A sword cultivator should be able to hold fast to their original heart, right? Someone whose eyes only see the sword should be difficult to affect with mental interference… right?
"Those who walk the path of immortal cultivation must all pass trials of the heart," He Guxia said placidly. "These kinds of mental attacks are nothing to me."
Ji Huaichu looked at He Guxia seriously. "Do your best."
"Mm."
…
"Money Tree…" Yu Chuhan, curled up on the sofa, felt like her headache was a constant companion lately. She sighed mournfully, scanning the two key generals present in the room. Illusionary Dreamland had three participants, including herself, who could fight in the finals, so there was still significant room for strategy. But this match against Money Tree…
Would Ji Huaichu take the stage?
Thinking about the match between Lady Red and Blood Feather made Yu Chuhan's head throb again. If Ji Huaichu were to fight, wouldn't it be inappropriate for her, Yu Chuhan, to sit this one out?
"Ah, let's just play it by ear," she sighed, her voice listless. Her two loyal generals, ever attentive, helpfully extracted Yu Chuhan from the depths of the sofa.