Under the relentless bombardment, the blood barrier trembled slightly. The crimson glow dimmed, just a little.
But it still didn't break.
Zhi Yue was still calmly refining the last trace of bloodline.
The crowd began to panic. If they couldn't even shatter her defense, what chance did they have once she absorbed that final bloodline?
Someone finally cracked under the pressure and shot into the air, trying to flee.
The next instant, a transparent barrier appeared, slamming the person back down.
Chaos erupted instantly.
A barrier? When had Zhi Yue set up a barrier here?!
"Forget about running!" Di Qian shouted furiously. "She never planned to let us leave!"
So that's why Zhi Yue hadn't attacked right away—she'd been waiting for the barrier to form!
The nobles of the Shi Tribe began trembling. They thought they were the ones scheming against Zhi Yue. But in the end, they were the prey.
That terrifying shift in roles made every inch of their skin crawl.
A Shi Tribe noble stammered, "Everyone, we... we paid a huge price to get you to fight. You have to kill that demon!"
"Kill your ass!" Yu Shiyi cursed. "You think we're not trying?"
The Shi Tribe nobles instantly fell silent.
Di Qian glanced at Yun Jin, who was still sitting there looking completely at ease, and couldn't help yelling, "If she finishes absorbing that bloodline, you'll die too! You might as well help us!"
Yun Jin looked at him calmly. "Are you asking for my help now?"
Di Qian snapped, "You think she'll spare you after she's done killing us?"
Yun Jin smiled faintly. "She's not my match."
The arrogance in her tone made everyone freeze.
Yu Shiyi couldn't hold back. "Yun Jin, quit pretending! You're only at the Tribulation stage! Even if your strength isn't bad, in this situation, we need every bit of power we can get! The space here's sealed by her barrier, you can't teleport away even if you want to!"
"Tribulation stage?" Despair flashed through Di Qian's eyes.
He'd actually thought Yun Jin might help them, but if she was only at Tribulation stage… she wouldn't make any difference at all.
He gave up trying to recruit her and threw himself into the attack again.
"Yu Shiyi," Yun Jin said, clearly annoyed, "I was at Tribulation stage a year ago. Do you really think I haven't improved after an entire year?"
That only made everyone more hopeless.
Tribulation stage a year ago? What could she possibly have become in just one year?
Totally useless.
Yu Shiyi sighed helplessly. "Fine, fine, let's say you've improved. What, did you suddenly become one of the strongest cultivators in the world?"
Yun Jin popped the last piece of roasted mushroom into her mouth, chewed slowly, then jumped lazily down from the platform. "What, is that impossible?"
Yu Shiyi was speechless.
Seriously, now?
They were seconds away from dying, and this woman was still acting all casual like this was some stage play. Sure, she looked the part of a master, but pretending didn't turn into actual power!
They were all going to die anyway.
Zhi Yue's blood cocoon pulsed faintly. Yun Jin glanced at it, smiling softly. "Looks like she's almost done absorbing the bloodline. Alright then, I'll make you all a deal. I'll step in once—but in exchange, after Zhi Yue's dead, I want a copy of every cultivation technique you're all using."
Her voice was calm, but the demand made everyone stare in disbelief.
These people came from all sorts of races, each cultivating wildly different arts. Yet here they were, conveniently gathered before her. To Yun Jin, it was like they'd brought her a treasure chest and politely asked her to open it.
Yu Shiyi scowled. "Fine! If you can really kill Zhi Yue, I'll hand you all my techniques!"
Yun Jin blinked innocently. "And the rest of you?"
She turned to look at each of them one by one, clearly waiting for an answer.
Everyone's faces twitched. Was she serious right now?
But if they didn't say anything, she'd probably just keep asking forever.
Di Qian ground his teeth. "Fine! Kill Zhi Yue and you can have the damn techniques, alright?"
The others reluctantly muttered their agreement.
Yun Jin smiled and nodded. "Good. I'll hold you all to it. If anyone tries to go back on their word, I'll come collect personally."
"Enough talk! If you're so capable, break that damn blood barrier first!" Di Qian snapped.
Yun Jin finally turned her attention toward Zhi Yue, who was still shrouded in thick waves of blood energy.
Then her brow arched slightly.
Wait…
Maybe she didn't need to lift a finger after all.
Because the bloodline of the Di Lie Tribe had just been fully absorbed.
Everyone felt it at the same moment, and their faces went ghostly pale.
The blood mist swirled back into Zhi Yue's body, and under the crimson moon, her presence became even more monstrous.
Zhi Yue slowly rose to her feet. Her nails were even longer now, each one the length of a sword, and her aura had grown terrifyingly dense.
"Thanks to you all," she said with a twisted smile, "I've finally reached completion. As a token of gratitude, I'll repay you by sending you straight to hell."
Her aura exploded outward, suffocating everyone. Just standing under her pressure made it hard to breathe.
Despair flickered in Yu Shiyi's eyes. He'd faced countless life-and-death situations before, but this was the first time he truly felt like there was no way out.
Every instinct screamed the same thing—this time, he was dead.
Zhi Yue's gaze swept across the trembling crowd like a hunter looking at her prey.
When her eyes landed on Yun Jin, she smiled. "I'll kill you last. You can enjoy a bit more time before you die."
Yun Jin nodded seriously. "I get it. I'm charming, so you want to keep me around longer. But I promised them I'd kill you first."
Zhi Yue laughed out loud. She'd heard everything.
This human was just a Tribulation stage cultivator, yet she dared talk to her like that?
Absolutely laughable.
Well, fine. Keeping a little clown around for entertainment wasn't so bad.
Zhi Yue turned to Di Qian, smiling brightly. "I didn't get to kill you before. Let's see if you can survive this time."
Di Qian's whole body tensed as spiritual energy surged around him. He poured everything into defense.
But in the blink of an eye, Zhi Yue's claws were already pressed against his forehead.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
Her power crushed his spiritual flow entirely. He couldn't even lift a finger in resistance.
It was over.
He was dead for sure this time.