The rare races standing nearby instinctively tensed when they saw Zhi Yue's half-human, half-demonic form.
But when they glanced at Yun Jin, who was calmly sitting there eating, their nerves slowly settled.
Senior Yun's strength was unfathomable. If she still hadn't made a move by now, then she must've been absolutely confident she could suppress any chaos that might break out.
"Senior Yun, would you like some roasted mushrooms?" the elf girl asked eagerly. She channeled spiritual energy into a few mushrooms, smiling sweetly. "Our Elf Race is close to nature, so anything nourished by our energy tastes amazing!"
"Sure, I'll have some. Nice to change things up a bit."
The elf girl's eyes lit up as if she'd just been given an imperial decree. She focused intently on roasting the mushrooms to perfection.
While the aroma wafted through the air, tension on the battlefield reached its peak.
Zhi Yue, dressed in crimson, slowly stepped toward the crowd. Her long skirt billowed even though there was no wind, and her lips curved into an almost playful smile.
With each step she took, the sky darkened a little more.
One step, and the world dimmed again.
A faint, blood-red moon shimmered into existence above the battlefield.
Di Qian and the others grew visibly nervous. He shouted, his voice laced with fury, "Don't let her come any closer! Everyone, attack at once! Di Lie clansmen, fall back immediately! We can't let her get your bloodline!"
He thought he'd made the smartest possible move under the circumstances. But he'd forgotten one thing. Their so-called alliance was nothing more than a temporary convenience. There had never been any real trust between them.
The moment he spoke, others turned on him in outrage.
"Di Qian, what a nice plan you've got! You want everyone else to die first while your people sit back and take the profit?"
"Every other race has taken losses, so why's your Di Lie Tribe perfectly untouched? Did you even fight properly earlier?"
"You call yourselves the strongest tribe, yet you're the ones holding back the most!"
The accusations flew from every direction.
Di Qian's face twisted in anger. "Do none of you understand what's at stake? Can't you see it? Every time she absorbs a bloodline, her power skyrockets! Didn't that human say the same thing earlier? Right now, the only bloodline she hasn't taken is ours. Protecting the Di Lie bloodline is the only logical move!"
"Oh, how noble. So our clans' lives don't matter, is that it?"
"How can you even say something like that, Di Qian?"
"You've been holding your people back this whole time just to wait for this moment, haven't you?"
Di Qian froze, speechless. He wanted to defend himself but couldn't think of how.
Before anyone could settle their argument, the bloody moon above grew clearer, casting an eerie glow. The sky turned pitch-black.
Zhi Yue's lips curved into a chilling smile. "Still can't agree on anything, huh? Fine. Let me send you all underground so you can keep arguing there."
The clamor vanished in an instant. Everyone stared at her in fear.
Her fingers glimmered eerily in the crimson light as her nails extended into razor-sharp claws that gleamed like blades.
Yun Jin took another bite of mushroom, her eyes glinting with amusement.
Those claws were impressive. Their hardness was on par with a Heaven-rank treasure.
"Stop fighting! If you don't want to die here, do as I say!" Di Qian yelled, trying to rally them again.
But before he could finish, Zhi Yue's figure blurred and appeared right in front of him like a phantom.
"What was that you said?" she asked softly, a twisted smile curling her lips.
Di Qian's expression changed. He summoned a massive shield before him.
Zhi Yue's claws shot forward, piercing straight through it.
In an instant, the shield shattered like glass. Her claw sank into his chest as she smiled faintly. "Let's see how it feels to absorb the bloodline of the so-called strongest tribe."
Then she paused, confusion flashing in her eyes.
There was no bloodline in this body.
She whipped her head around suddenly.
Di Qian was standing far away, coughing up blood. Fear flashed in his gaze.
"Body clone technique," Zhi Yue murmured, smirking. "I underestimated you. But tell me, can your clansmen hide as well?"
Her eyes turned cold as she locked onto her next target.
"Protect the Di Lie clansmen! Anyone who survives will be rewarded!" Di Qian shouted desperately.
Everyone finally realized just how terrifying Zhi Yue had become.
Yu Shiyi's eyes flickered. "He's right. Stop her from absorbing that last bloodline!"
Though reluctant, the gathered tribes quickly moved to surround the Di Lie clansmen, launching a barrage of attacks toward Zhi Yue.
Spells rained down like a storm, exploding against her body.
Zhi Yue didn't dodge. She walked forward slowly, her aura swallowing the attacks.
Though she deflected most of them with spiritual power, some still struck her directly, leaving bloody gashes across her body. Yet she didn't seem to care. Instead, she looked almost pleased. Under the glow of the blood moon, she licked her lips, and her power surged again.
"The more she's injured, the stronger she gets!" someone shouted. "Stop attacking!"
Several people hesitated and stopped instinctively.
"Don't stop!" Yu Shiyi yelled in panic.
But it was too late.
Zhi Yue grinned wickedly and used that brief pause to break through the encirclement.
Before anyone could react, she was already clutching the throat of a Di Lie clansman. She smiled and licked her lips. The man's body shriveled instantly, leaving behind nothing but an empty skin.
They'd failed to stop her.
Di Qian roared, "Don't hold back! She hasn't fully absorbed it yet!"
He clenched his teeth, his expression pained, and pulled out a talisman.
The others gasped.
That talisman could only be used three times, each time releasing terrifying spiritual power.
Di Qian had already used it twice before. Once, he'd even killed a peak Mahayana expert with it. Now, to take down Zhi Yue, he was truly going all in.
The others didn't dare hesitate either. They all pulled out their strongest weapons and unleashed everything they had.
Zhi Yue sat cross-legged, a thick blood barrier forming around her. Waves of attacks crashed against it like a flood.
From the spectator area, the elf girl couldn't help whispering, "Senior, if they'd used all this power from the start, wouldn't Zhi Yue already be dead?"
Yun Jin smiled faintly. "If they'd gone all out at the beginning, maybe. But these people could never truly work together."
They came from different races, each with their own selfish motives. How could they ever act with a single heart?
Yun Jin narrowed her eyes at the blood barrier.
That blood moon… it looked suspiciously similar to the one used by the Demon Race. So where had Zhi Yue learned such a sinister cultivation method?
Could it be that a member of the Demon Race had crossed the central region, passed through the Savage Beast Mountains, and come all the way here?