Wandao Sect, Blood Sin Peak.

A few months ago, Blood Demon had sent Wang Qian and her daughter away.

A month ago, Blood Demon had used a mission as an excuse to send Yu Yunwei away as well.

The once-lively summit was now quiet, with only Blood Demon left, sitting alone in the courtyard, drinking and watching over the Imperial Uncle.

Although Blood Demon had always lived like this before, she couldn’t help but feel a little lonely now that she was the only one on the summit again.

"Blood Demon, here’s the thing you wanted." At noon, Qing Yuan arrived at the summit of Blood Sin Peak and handed her a doll-like object.

"Thank you for your hard work." Blood Demon smiled faintly, taking the doll and examining it closely. "Not bad. It’s quite exquisitely made."

"You can always trust the quality of my work," Qing Yuan said, sitting on a stone stool and pouring herself a cup of tea. "But, Blood Demon, you need to think this through. Are you really going to do this? Setting aside whether you can even find your master, if the Sect Leader finds out, things will get very difficult."

Blood Demon chuckled. "I’ve been searching for my master for three thousand years. This is the most promising lead I’ve ever had. Do you really think I would give up now?"

"Fine..." Qing Yuan sighed.

In truth, she still didn’t approve of Blood Demon’s plan.

It was simply too risky.

But she also knew that once her best friend made a decision, nothing she said would change her mind.

"Don’t worry, this has nothing to do with you. I won’t drag you into it," Blood Demon said with a smile. "If I’m discovered, I’ll say I stole this puppet from your courtyard. I’ll take full responsibility."

"What’s all this talk about dragging me down between us?" Qing Yuan rolled her eyes at Blood Demon. "You saved my life once. At worst, I’ll just give it back to you."

"It’s not that serious. The worst-case scenario is we fight our way out of the Wandao Sect together. With our combined strength, no one in the Wandao Sect can stop us."

As she finished speaking, Blood Demon stood the puppet on the ground, blew a breath onto it, and then sent a wisp of her Divine Soul into its body.

The puppet began to grow, eventually reaching the size of a normal person.

"Go."

Blood Demon patted the puppet’s head. With a CREAK, the puppet moved, then flew off toward the Wandao Sect’s main peak.

Blood Demon closed her eyes, her Divine Sense connecting to the puppet to take complete control.

Qing Yuan sat beside Blood Demon, standing guard for her.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Blood Demon guided the puppet to the Wandao Sect’s main peak.

Blood Demon easily controlled the puppet, flying it inside.

The puppet had been imbued with an Array and crafted with Heavenly and Earthly Treasures that could conceal its presence. Therefore, even though the main peak’s protective Array was active, the puppet went undetected.

Once inside the peak, "Blood Demon" took out a Compass.

The Compass was specially made by Qing Yuan. A drop of Essence Blood from the former Peak Master of Blood Sin Peak—Zhou Rushi—had been placed inside it.

As long as it was within thirty zhang of Zhou Rushi, the Compass would react.

"Blood Demon" moved continuously across the main peak, but the Compass remained still.

An hour later, "Blood Demon" arrived before a rock wall.

Looking at the rock wall, her brow furrowed. She felt that something was off about it.

"Blood Demon" walked up and reached out to touch the rock wall, only then discovering that it was hollow inside.

She took a stone from a hidden compartment in the puppet’s thigh and placed it against the rock wall.

The stone was carved with inscriptions, a supreme treasure for breaking through Arrays and Barriers.

As the stone vibrated continuously, the pattern on its surface changed every second.

Finally, when the pattern on the Array-Breaking Diagram settled, a one-zhang-high opening appeared in the rock wall before "Blood Demon."

"Blood Demon’s" heart leaped with joy as she stepped inside.

The stone cavern was very deep, leading straight underground.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, the needle on the Compass finally reacted.

"Blood Demon" quickened her pace.

At the same time, back on the summit of Blood Sin Peak, beads of cold sweat formed on Blood Demon’s forehead, and her heart began to beat faster and faster.

Qing Yuan noticed Blood Demon’s strange state and felt a surge of joy herself.

She knew Blood Demon must have found a clue about her master; otherwise, she wouldn’t be so agitated and nervous.

DRIP...

On the Wandao Sect’s main peak, when Blood Demon finally came to a stop, the sight before her sent a shock through her Divine Soul.

Ten Cultivators were bound by chains, standing on either side of the cave.

An Array was drawn beneath each of their feet, and their bodies were pierced with several Soul-Locking Nails.

"Master!"

Soon, "Blood Demon" saw her master and rushed toward her.

Seeing her master’s haggard and unconscious form, Blood Demon’s eyes wavered, her fingers trembling.

To Blood Demon, her master was not just her master; she was like a mother to her.

"Master, wake up... Master..."

"Blood Demon" tried to wake her master, but it was no use.

As for the chains, the puppet’s current strength was not enough to break them. It couldn’t even force the Soul Nail Array out of her master’s body.

Just as Blood Demon was wondering what to do...

The Arrays beneath the ten Cultivators’ feet activated. Their souls and Life Origins began to flow like streams toward a statue at the very front of the cave.

At first, "Blood Demon" had paid no mind to the statue, thinking it was just a simple sculpture.

But now, the statue that was absorbing her master’s Life Origin and Spiritual Power was radiating a dazzling light.

She wore a long skirt made of animal hide, her long hair draped over her shoulders. She gazed into the distance, the corners of her slightly raised mouth held in an ambiguous smile.

Ripples of Spiritual Power emanated from her body.

It was as if the statue was about to come to life.

"Blood Demon" even felt a terrifying pressure.

It was a feeling akin to the innate suppression a True Dragon holds over all other beasts.

’Even I, a Human Race Cultivator at the Immortal Realm, feel the urge to bow and submit to it!’

"Do you know who She is?"

Suddenly, a man’s voice came from behind "Blood Demon."

"Blood Demon’s" focus sharpened. A long saber appeared in the puppet’s hand as it spun around and slashed.

CLANG!

The saber in the puppet’s hand was blocked by the longsword of Wandao Sect’s Leader, Ding Jingyi.

"She is the most perfect existence in this world, and I will become that existence!"

Ding Jingyi continued, his tone perfectly calm, yet his eyes burned with an almost fanatical craze.

"I didn’t expect you to find this place, Martial Niece. A pity, but you’re too late."

With that, Ding Jingyi flicked away the saber in "Blood Demon’s" hand and, with a single strike, lopped off the puppet’s head.

COUGH, COUGH, COUGH...

On the summit of Blood Sin Peak, Blood Demon’s eyes flew open, her chest heaving violently.

"Blood Demon..." Seeing her condition, Qing Yuan rushed forward, her voice filled with worry.

"Go!"

Blood Demon gripped Qing Yuan’s arm tightly.

"We have to go! Now!"