Chapter 734 Blood Sacrifice Burning Soul

"Roar--!"

Amidst the rubble, the Blood Blade Saint suddenly raised his head and roared, the hoarse sound crashing against the mountain cliffs, causing stone chips to fall like rain.

The bloodstains on his chest were still meandering and flowing, but he ignored his injuries and slammed the ghost-head knife heavily on the ground, pressing his left hand against his brow like an iron clamp.

Between his fingers, dark red blood oozed out like a living snake, winding down his deeply lined cheeks and gathering into a bead of blood on his chin.

"Since holding back is useless, then I'll show you... my trump card!" His voice seemed to be ground from a rusty iron throat, each word laced with an unyielding stench of blood, "Secret Technique, Blood Sacrifice Soul Burning!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the blood energy around the Blood Blade Saint suddenly exploded! The pale red mist that had been surrounding him surged wildly like a flame doused with kerosene, expanding into a blood-red cocoon several feet high in just a few breaths.

On the surface of the cocoon, countless tiny blood lines darted about like a spider web, and one could vaguely hear the mournful howls of countless wronged souls within them, chilling the heart to the bone.

Even more terrifying was that the battle qi within his body was surging at a visible speed. Originally, he was only at the initial stage of advanced semi-saint, but now he was breaking through the shackles like a flood bursting its banks, and even the surrounding space was slightly distorted by this violent energy.

Once the mountain wind hits the cocoon of light, it is instantly stained blood red, turning into a scorching heat that explodes in all directions, even causing the distant vegetation to wither and turn black.

"Crack! Click!"

The cracking sounds of bones bearing the strain rang out one after another, and the Blood Blade Saint's figure actually grew slightly taller under the nourishment of blood energy. His originally withered muscles suddenly tightened, making his tattered robes flutter loudly and revealing the gnarled tendons underneath, like the roots of an old tree.

His once sharp eyes were now completely filled with blood, even the whites of his eyes turned scarlet. Only a dark glint remained deep within his pupils, like a hungry wolf, fixedly on Xiao Ling and Xun'er, refusing to look away.

The ghost face pattern on the hilt of the Ghost Head Saber seemed to come alive at this moment, opening its fangs to "absorb" the surrounding blood energy. The dark red of the blade became even more intense, and tiny blood droplets even rolled down the blade. When the blood droplets landed, they could burn a pit more than ten feet in size into the hard mountain, and the smoke was filled with the smell of burnt meat.

Xiao Ling lightly touched the air with his toes, his moon-white robe fluttering slightly in the mountain breeze, his posture as light as a suspended blue cloud.

He raised his eyes to look at the surging blood energy around the Blood Blade Saint. His azure eyes remained calm, but his perception was as sharp as a fine spider web, capturing every slight change in the other's aura without any error.

The battle aura that was originally only at the early stage of the advanced semi-saint realm suddenly surged wildly like a flame ignited by hot oil, breaking through multiple shackles in just a few breaths and firmly landing at the peak of the semi-saint realm.

There was even a faint, almost imperceptible, pressure rising upwards, subtly touching the threshold of the Dou Sheng realm. However, that aura was ultimately as fragile as a candle flickering in the wind, and compared to the profound sense of a true Dou Sheng who "makes his words law and controls heaven and earth," it was still worlds apart.

"Peak of the Half-Saint realm... that's not bad." Xiao Ling lightly flicked his fingertips, easily sensing the residual blood energy in the air. His tone was as calm as if he were evaluating an ordinary thing. "The effects of the secret technique are indeed amazing, but unfortunately, the price is far too heavy. It is definitely not the path that righteous cultivation should take."

He could clearly sense that the Blood Blade Saint's energy body, transformed from his soul, was being burned inward by a violent force.

The edges of his once solid body were beginning to dissipate with tiny specks of light, like ice and snow being scorched by a raging fire. Even the blood and qi around him carried a burnt, soul-scorching aura.

The energy bodies in the Heavenly Tomb rely on the origin of the soul for survival. The Blood Blade Saint insisted on using "Soul Burning" as a catalyst to activate the secret technique, which was tantamount to using his own life as firewood, gambling that this move could burn his opponent to ashes.

Xiao Ling gazed at the other's completely bloodshot eyes, a faint smile curving his lips. His tone betrayed no fear, but rather a hint of understanding.
"Tsk tsk, are you planning to go all in? You don't even care about the consequences of your soul being scattered... It seems that you were a complete madman in your previous life."

"Can you feel it? This is the power unleashed by the essence and blood of my remnant soul!"

The Blood Blade Saint slowly raised his hand, the Ghost Head Blade spinning in his palm, the resulting blood-red gust of wind lifting rubble several feet away into the air. His voice was filled with manic arrogance.

"I am now more than capable of killing you two arrogant brats!"

Before he finished speaking, the crimson cocoon around him suddenly contracted rapidly, flowing into the Ghost Head Blade like a tide.

In an instant, the blade erupted with a blinding blood-red light, and a giant blade aura far surpassing the previous "Blood River Slash" condensed at the blade's edge. The blade aura was over a hundred feet wide, and black spatial rifts even flashed across its edges. The air in the mountain stream was torn apart by the blade aura, emitting a piercing "sizzling" sound. Even the distant clouds were shaken away by this fierce aura, revealing a dark sky.

The crimson blade light, carrying a power capable of tearing apart heaven and earth, pressed down, igniting the air along its path and even causing subtle ripples in the void.

Xiao Ling's eyes narrowed slightly, but he showed no sign of panic. He twisted his wrist sharply with his right hand, which was gripping the Divine Weapon, and the spear instantly shone with a blue-gold battle aura. Like a bolt of lightning that pierced the darkness, it fiercely slashed down at the giant blade of light!
"clang--!"

The deafening clang of metal against metal shook the mountain stream, and the aftershocks transformed into visible shockwaves that swept outwards, shredding the vines on the rock walls and even lifting the bluestone slabs on the ground several meters away.

The tip of the Fallen God Weapon struck the center of the blade's edge with pinpoint accuracy, and a surge of azure-gold battle qi poured in like a tide, actually cleaving the hundreds-of-feet-wide crimson blade's edge in two!

The cracks spread at a visible speed, and finally exploded into a cloud of blood mist with a "boom," dissipating in the wind.

But just as the blood mist had not yet dissipated, a black shadow suddenly darted out from the mist. The Blood Blade Saint took advantage of the cover of the exploding blade light to get close at a speed several times faster than before!

His aura had faded somewhat, but his speed was so fast that he became a blur, leaving faint blood-red trails in the air.

The ghost-headed saber, accompanied by a whistling wind, slashed straight at Xiao Ling's face, its sharpness almost tearing Xiao Ling's robes apart.

"So fast!"

If it were an ordinary half-saint, he would have been driven to the brink of despair by this sudden attack. However, Xiao Ling's soul power had already enveloped the surroundings like a spider web, and he had already noticed the Blood Blade Saint's movements as soon as they began.

Almost simultaneously with his opponent's strike, Xiao Ling tapped his toes in mid-air, his body drifting backward like a willow catkin, barely dodging the blade. He then swept his Fallen God Weapon horizontally, the tip carrying a strange spatial fluctuation, aiming straight for the Blood Blade Saint's chest.

Seeing this, the Blood Blade Saint pressed his left hand hard on the back of the blade, forcibly pressing the blade down to block the tip of the Fallen God Weapon's spear.

With a crisp "ding," sparks flew as the two forces erupted at the point of contact, their blood energy and battle aura intertwining and dispersing the surrounding blood mist.

Blood Blade Saint exerted force with his wrist, and the Ghost Head Blade slid along the gun barrel, the blade making a piercing scraping sound, directly slashing at Xiao Ling's wrist.

Xiao Ling remained calm and composed. He gripped the middle of the gun with his left hand, spun around suddenly, and slammed the butt of the gun into the Blood Blade Saint's temple like a heavy hammer.

The two instantly engaged in close combat, their blades and spears flashing and intertwining in the air.

The Blood Blade Saint's sword techniques were ruthless and cunning, each strike aimed at Xiao Ling's vital points. The blood energy wrapped around the blade was like a leech, burning flesh once it touched him.

Xiao Ling's marksmanship, however, was steady and agile. He always used the most appropriate methods to defend and attack, without any unnecessary exertion.

In his hands, the Fallen God Weapon sometimes spits out its tongue like a venomous snake, and sometimes it descends like a tiger from the mountain. The azure-gold battle aura protected his entire body completely. Every time the tip of the spear collided with the blade, the enormous force transmitted back would make the Blood Blade Saint's arm go numb.

In the void, the flashes of swords and spears were so fast that only afterimages remained. Every collision between Xiao Ling and the Blood Blade Saint was like a thunderclap. The azure-gold spear light of the Fallen God Weapon and the blood-red blade energy of the Ghost Head Blade intertwined, and the force overflowed in all directions, turning the mountains below upside down.

A burst of spear energy swept across, and the mountain rocks, several meters high, shattered and flew like a rainstorm; then a blade of energy cleaved down, cutting the entire hill in two, the cut surface as smooth as a mirror, and dust billowed into the sky.

In a short time, the once continuous mountain range was now filled with ravines, collapsed rock walls blocked the mountain streams, and even the underground river was shaken and changed course. The turbid river water, carrying rubble, rushed down as if to completely flatten this mountain range.

The air was thick with the acrid smell of burning battle energy and the dust from shattered rocks, and even the light was dimmed. Only two figures, constantly intersecting, continued their relentless battle amidst the chaos.

A thousand feet away, Xun'er stood atop a relatively intact boulder, her fair hands unconsciously clenching slightly, faint white marks appearing on her fingertips.

Her beautiful eyes, which were usually filled with lively smiles, were now fixed on the battle in the void, and a hint of worry could not be hidden in them.

Although she already knew that Xiao Ling's strength was unfathomable, the Blood Blade Saint's current display of peak semi-saint power still made her heart tighten.

The ferocity and madness contained within that blood-red sword aura were so palpable that even from a distance of a thousand feet, she could clearly sense it. It was likely that anyone with a cultivation level below the half-saint level would tremble and become unstable simply by feeling that aura.

She longed to help, and when she saw the Blood Blade Saint use the secret technique to burn his soul, she had already planned to intervene.

However, the clan leader's telepathic message to Xiao Ling still echoed clearly in her ears. It was this trust that made her temporarily suppress the urge to attack, and she could only silently pray for Xiao Ling in her heart.

Looking at the collapsing mountains below and then at Xiao Ling, who was occasionally forced to retreat slightly by the sword energy in the void, Xun'er's heartbeat quickened. Her slender hands involuntarily tightened around the exquisite jade pendant around her neck, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the cool patterns on the pendant. Even her heartbeat was a few beats faster than usual.

She quietly concealed the aura of the strange fire to the extreme, her eyes fixed on the battle. If Xiao Ling showed any sign of being at a disadvantage, she would immediately activate her bloodline to help him and protect him, even if it meant going against his instructions.

Just as the spear tip deflected a slash in mid-air, a strange tremor ran through Xiao Ling's heart. It was a subtle feeling of being connected with Xun'er's heart, which made him subconsciously glance in the direction of the girl.

On the boulder, Xun'er clutched the jade pendant around her neck, her brows furrowed, and even her usually bright eyes were veiled with worry, which stirred a slight emotion in Xiao Ling's heart.

He let out a helpless chuckle, thinking to himself that he had gone a bit too far and made her worry like Xun'er; it was indeed his fault.

This distraction lasted only a moment, but the Blood Blade Saint opposite him had already seized the opening! Seeing that Xiao Ling dared to be distracted while fighting, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes, and his Ghost Head Blade slashed through the void, carrying a gust of wind that tore through the blood and qi, aiming straight for Xiao Ling's heart.

"You dare to be distracted while fighting me? It seems you're not satisfied with dying sooner!"

The blade arrived in an instant, and Xiao Ling had no time to recover his thoughts. He could only hold the gun horizontally with one hand to block. "Clang!" With a loud clang of metal clashing, violent blood energy surged into the gun, making his arm numb. He was forced back dozens of feet, and when his toes swept through the air, even the surrounding air currents were stirred into vortexes.

How could the Blood Blade Saint let this opportunity slip by? He stomped his foot in the void, his figure shooting forward like an arrow, the blade once again condensing a dense crimson light.
"Haha, I'll kill you arrogant brat first, and then I'll send your little girlfriend over to reunite with you!"

Before he finished speaking, the ghost-headed blade transformed into a streak of blood-red light, slashing down towards Xiao Ling's shoulder. The blade's sharpness was so intense that it almost tore open the space itself.

The moment the crimson blade light slashed down, the Blood Blade Saint's eyes blazed with the wild joy of success. With such a close-range surprise attack, even if this detestable brat reacted quickly, there was absolutely no way he could completely block this charged slash in such a hurry.

As he expected, although Xiao Ling spun around at the last second and once again blocked with one hand holding the gun horizontally, he didn't have time to exert any force in that brief gap.

The Ghost Head Blade and the Fallen God Weapon clashed again, but the expected ear-piercing metallic clang did not sound. The Blood Blade Saint only felt the blade slice through a "void," and the next second he saw the cyan-gold spear being cut in two by the Ghost Head Blade as if it were silk being cut by a sharp blade!

Although the Blood Blade Saint vaguely felt something was off about the sensation of splitting the spear, he didn't have time to think about it. He lowered his arm along with the momentum of the slash, a confident smile already playing on his lips, just waiting for the next second for the blade to pierce flesh and cleave the boy in front of him in two.

Before the ecstasy on his face could fully unfold, the blade was only an inch away from Xiao Ling's shoulder when a sharp, intense pain suddenly shot through the Blood Blade Saint's right chest, as if he had been pierced by a red-hot iron. His arm, which was wielding the blade, instantly lost its strength and could no longer slash down even a fraction of an inch.

The Blood Blade Saint's pupils constricted sharply. He staggered and looked down, only to see that the Fallen God Weapon, which he should have cleaved in two, was now perfectly intact, standing upright against his chest. The incredibly sharp spear tip was completely pierced into his soul, and a powerful spatial force surged through the spear shaft, frantically tearing apart his body. (End of Chapter)