"Ahhh!!!"
Miserable wails and the sounds of slaughter echoed throughout the small courtyard.
Through the crack in the door, she could see servants were dragged out one by one by the evil soul masters who descended from the sky and then cruelly slaughtered, their souls or flesh devoured; those bloodthirsty fellows didn't let a single person escape.
She watched with her own eyes as her father's and mother's heads were cruelly held by their hair by a group of Evil Soul Masters, blood dripping down from their necks, drop by drop.
They looked at the young girl, their eyes filled with fear and despair.
As if telling of everything they had just encountered.
"Run..."
"No, don't!!!"
The young girl's eyes reddened as she pushed open the door and cried out to her father and mother.
But even as she stumbled toward her parents' heads, she grasped only empty air; everything around her turned into phantoms and dissipated. When she regained her senses, she felt herself falling into a warm embrace.
"How does it feel?"
Lu Cheng opened his chest, holding Zhang Lexuan, his eyes full of mockery.
"The feeling of watching your parents die with your own eyes... It should be quite good."
"Lu Cheng!!!"
Zhang Lexuan lowered her head and shoved Lu Cheng away, her tone filled with anger.
Her parents had been plotted to death by the very person before her.
Yet she had still held onto a last shred of delusion, wanting to reconcile with him, then retire to a small village and live out the rest of her life?
This was truly ironic.
Only at this moment was the bond between her and Lu Cheng completely severed.
Zhang Lexuan's aura rose bit by bit.
Eight Soul Rings slowly rose from beneath her feet.
She raised her head; tears still hung on her stunning face, but a hint of killing intent and hatred had appeared in her pale blue eyes.
"Sixth Soul Skill, Moon Silence!"
"Seventh Soul Skill, Silver Moon Avatar!"
The young girl stared fixedly at that still-relaxed figure, her killing intent no longer concealed. Her red lips parted slightly as she shouted out two lethal moves.
A silver moon behind her cast its afterglow, landing on Lu Cheng and trapping him firmly.
Meanwhile, a strange, blood-red Soul Ring slowly ascended. "Eighth Soul Skill, Blood Moon Eclipse!!!"
The originally bright silver moon turned into a blood moon at this moment, emitting an indescribable, terrifying aura. The heavens and earth changed color; a streak of blood-red light shot out from the red moon, falling straight onto Lu Cheng.
Boom!
Spring water was carried up, and mist surged and filled the air.
It obscured Lu Cheng's figure.
"Is he dead?" Zhang Lexuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
This was, after all, a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring. Under a full-force strike, even a titled Douluo could be severely injured if caught off guard.
No matter how much of a prodigy that fellow Lu Cheng was, once locked on, he would likely be unable to escape death.
The mist dissipated, leaving only a charred corpse.
Zhang Lexuan's heart was suddenly gripped, her pupils shaking.
Did he really die?!!
Even though she had been extremely angry just now, forced into a true rage, and had unleashed this combo without reservation, she had never thought that this strike would actually kill Lu Cheng.
"Lu Cheng!"
Zhang Lexuan took a few steps forward, preparing to examine the charred corpse.
Her figure was suddenly knocked backward, carving two furrows into the ground. She barely managed to steady herself against the cave wall. When she looked up again, Lu Cheng's familiar face was still wearing a contemptuous smile, indifferently looking down at her.
And that charred corpse turned into a wisp of green smoke and dissipated.
"You think you can kill me? Don't make me laugh...
I was just stimulating your killing intent, not implying... that you could actually kill me." Lu Cheng sneered, arms crossed over his chest, looking Zhang Lexuan up and down.
"Put on your clothes first; I don't fight naked women."
"..."
Her face instantly turned into a ripe red apple, and she glared through gritted teeth at Lu Cheng, who had turned his gaze away.
With a soft snort, she quickly retreated into the spring, put on her clothes, and then barely managed to walk back.
"Not bad. You have a bit more killing intent now; it's much more interesting than before." Lu Cheng said with a laugh, looking intrigued.
"Continue," Zhang Lexuan said coldly.
But the next instant—
Pfft~
Zhang Lexuan's pupils widened sharply. Lu Cheng landed a heavy punch on her abdomen. She spat out blood, and her body was knocked backward; only this time, she smashed straight into the hard wall.
Bang!
Zhang Lexuan slid slowly down the wall. Bracing her hands on the ground, her stomach churned violently, her face deathly pale. She vomited two more mouthfuls of blood, her arms trembling. Only after a few seconds did she struggle to stand up.
"Not bad." A smile appeared on the corner of Lu Cheng's mouth opposite her.
"Continue!" Zhang Lexuan said angrily.
Boom!
Soul Rings surged from beneath Zhang Lexuan's feet, and the blood moon appeared in mid-air once again.
But that blood moon was forcibly pierced and torn apart by a crimson arrow, turning into specks of starlight that fell onto the spring water.
Zhang Lexuan stared blankly at this scene, not yet having reacted, before her body was smashed into the rock wall again.
"Cough, cough, cough..." The mist dissipated.
Zhang Lexuan's neck was grabbed tightly again. The man looked as if he were examining a struggling bird, his eyes filled with a hint of mockery: "Is this all you've got?
If you really want to kill me, you're still a bit lacking..."
Zhang Lexuan coughed heavily but was squeezed by those hands until she felt increasingly suffocated and powerless.
"Cultivate well, and use every means to become stronger."
Just before she suffocated, Lu Cheng slowly released his grip, letting the beauty kneel on the ground, gasping for fresh air, as he walked toward the outside.
"Turn your hatred into the motivation to become stronger."
"Lu Cheng, I swear that I will kill you!!!"
Only after he walked out of the cave did a hysterical voice come from inside.
"Not bad; you've got a lot of drive." A smile curled the corners of Lu Cheng's mouth.
Flap, flap~
Beside him, a black crow landed on his shoulder, its pupils carrying a hint of a human-like expression.
"Doing this... is it really worth it?"
"Worth it?"
"I've finally figured it out; you're using every means necessary just to make her hate you and kill you. Is there some misunderstanding between you two that you can't just explain?" The crow cawed.
It glanced into the cave, then looked at Lu Cheng.
Lu Cheng was indifferent, his gaze toward the black crow becoming somewhat dangerous.
"Forget it, forget it." The crow shook its head: "It has nothing to do with me, but since I owe you such a big favor, don't worry. Your business is my business; for that I'll go through fire and water."
"Do you want to bring back the Immortal Herb for those guys from the Holy Spirit Cult?"
"No need." Lu Cheng said indifferently.
"Hehehe..."
The crow laughed while it flew off into the distance.
Lu Cheng looked at the scorching sun in the sky. The climate in this valley was at the opposite extreme compared to the Sunset Forest outside.
Outside, due to the poisonous miasma, half the forest was obscured, a tragic scene with countless skeletons scattered about.
Inside, however, it was peaceful and serene.
"Hoo..." Lu Cheng exhaled gently.
He took a small bottle from his bosom and unscrewed the cap; a hint of a bloody scent wafted from it. It was Zhang Lexuan's blood...
Notes:
₍₍⚞(˶˃ ꒳ ˂˶)⚟⁾⁾ The first goal is achieved~ And as a bonus, I see this fic on the PS ranking (last 30 days) in 176th place (last time I checked). Sooo instead of just +1 chapters, it will be +2 chapters ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧
ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧
Read advanced chapters at p@atreon/holyangelicdemon
Goals
50 PS (Achieved)/ 5 Reviews 1 chapter
100 PS/ 10 Reviews 2 chapters
150 PS/ 15 Reviews 3 chapters