"Black?" Ji Qing was somewhat surprised. He truly hadn't known that his blood actually contained a trace of black.
"Could I have the bloodline of a Demon Exterminator?" Ji Qing asked, looking toward Chen Luo.
"Brother, why does this trace of black in the blood look like a demonic aura?" Chen Lin asked softly.
"Demonic aura?" Hearing this, Ji Qing's expression turned solemn.
Chen Luo took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Brother Ji, what my sister just said is correct. Your blood doesn't look like the bloodline of a Demon Exterminator. Instead, it looks more like you've been hit by some sort of Demon Technique. Let me inspect it carefully." He immediately began to closely examine Ji Qing's blood.
After a moment, Chen Luo breathed a sigh of relief. "Ji Xing, this trace of black in your blood is indeed the result of a Demon Technique. However, it should only be something similar to Tracking. It's a mark left on you by a certain Demon Monster so it can pinpoint your location."
Ji Qing immediately had a suspicion. "The Painted Skin Demon! It must be a Demon Technique cast on me by the Painted Skin Demon. Is there a way to neutralize it?"
"This kind of Demon Technique is very easy to neutralize. Brother Ji, please wait patiently for a moment." Chen Luo immediately cast a type of Demon Exterminator Magic, enveloping Ji Qing in a golden light.
Instantly, Ji Qing felt as if he were being purified from the inside out. When the golden light vanished, his entire body felt noticeably lighter and more relaxed.
"Brother Ji, check your blood again now."
Complying, Ji Qing squeezed out another drop of blood. Sure enough, the drop was no longer black, but a normal blood red. The Painted Skin Demon's Tracking Demon Technique had been completely purged. Furthermore, this proved that, just like Miss Lei, Ji Qing did not possess the bloodline of a Demon Exterminator.
"Brother Ji, the fact that it could cast a Tracking Demon Technique on you means the Painted Skin Demon likely hates you to the bone. You must be careful from now on," Chen Luo warned.
"Thank you, Brother Chen. However, without the bloodline of a Demon Exterminator, is it truly impossible to kill demons? To be completely honest, I once killed a Littlen Monster that hadn't yet taken human form," Ji Qing said, looking up.
"Actually, you can kill demons even without the Demon Exterminator bloodline! Most Demon Monsters can't even cast Demon Techniques; they merely have formidable physical bodies and can be treated as exceptionally powerful wild beasts. But Demon Monsters like the Blood Demon are different. If an ordinary Martial Artist encounters a Blood Demon, they will undoubtedly die!
"However, it's a different story if one's Martial Path can reach the Grandmaster Realm. A Grandmaster is Innate. Once a person becomes a Grandmaster, they can transition from Acquired back to Innate. It's akin to being reborn a second time. One's entire body is completely remolded, allowing them to inflict massive damage upon Demon Monsters!"
Ji Qing's eyes lit up. An Innate Grandmaster? Even without the bloodline of a Demon Exterminator, an Innate Grandmaster could still slay demons! Although Grandmasters were already mythical figures in the Martial World, it was ultimately a ray of hope.
"Brother Chen, both Miss Lei and I have a blood feud with the Painted Skin Demon for destroying our families. Now that we've finally found a trace of it, we absolutely will not give up!" Ji Qing's tone was decisive. Lei Yu also nodded, her attitude just as resolute.
"Alright, then we will track the Blood Demon together. However, once we catch up to it, whether the Painted Skin Demon is there or not, you must follow my arrangements. Do not act rashly."
"Agreed."
Chen Luo reached a consensus with Ji Qing and Lei Yu.
"Good, then I will begin casting the Magic to track the Blood Demon!" Chen Luo immediately squeezed out another drop of blood and cast the Tracking Magic. Following the spell's guidance, the group of four chased after their target.
...
Inside Lei Changming's home at the Lei Family Fort.
Corpses littered the ground. A woman in a long dress squatted among them, skinning a body. It was Lei Changming's daughter-in-law, Mrs. Lei of the Qian Clan. But now, her face was covered in blood, contorted into a bizarre and eerie smile.
"This skin is flawless and intact. A magnificent skin!" Mrs. Lei of the Qian Clan placed the human skin on the floor, adding to a pile of several other perfectly intact skins already lying there.
"Painted Skin, you are helping me recover. What exactly do you want me to do?" Suddenly, one of the "corpses" spoke.
"Blood Demon, I help you recover, and in exchange, you kill someone for me. How about it?"
"Kill who?"
"An ordinary person—or more accurately, a Martial Artist of the Martial World. He has killed quite a few of my clones and is still searching for me everywhere. He's like a plaster stuck to my skin; I just can't shake him off. As you know, these clones of mine aren't very strong, so killing him myself is actually somewhat difficult.
"If you help me kill him, I will do everything in my power to help you recover. You know what I'm capable of. I can continuously supply you with blood food without alerting a single soul."
The Blood Demon fell silent for a moment before sneering. "If I hadn't been Sealed by those Demon Exterminators for so many years, why would I ever need your help to find something as trivial as blood food?"
"Times have changed, Blood Demon. There are many people who can kill you now. If you go on a rampage searching for blood food and alert those Grandmasters in the Martial World, you will be doomed. After all, those Grandmasters are not like the Demon Exterminators. They have no use for you. They won't Seal you again—they will slaughter you!"
The Blood Demon closed its eyes. "Deal!" it agreed.
"Hehehe... Blood Demon, once you finish eating this blood food, we'll leave this place. There is far more, and much better, blood food waiting in the city..." The Painted Skin Demon reached out its hand, and several painted skins flew onto the "corpses."
Instantly, these "corpses" began to tremble, as if slowly trying to stand up.
"Hmm?" The Blood Demon's expression suddenly changed drastically. "Damn it, the Demon Exterminators are here..."
It had been Sealed by the Demon Exterminators for far too long and was intimately familiar with their scent. Even without using any Magic, it could smell the scent of Demon Exterminators.
BUZZ.
The moment the Blood Demon finished speaking, two figures vaulted through the door.
"Blood Demon, we've finally tracked you down! Today, I will absolutely place a Seal on you and bring you back to the Chen Family!" The one speaking was Chen Luo.
The Blood Demon looked at Chen Luo and his sister. After sensing its surroundings carefully and confirming that there were indeed only two Demon Exterminator auras, a smile curled at the corner of its mouth.
"Heh heh, I thought those old undyings from the Chen Family had arrived, but to think it's just you two little brats. You think you can catch me?" While the Blood Demon truly feared Demon Exterminators, it only feared the few profoundly powerful ones from the Chen Family. Chen Luo and his sister were far from that level.
WHOOSH.
The Blood Demon made its move, transforming directly into a streak of blood-red light and lunging at Chen Luo and his sister.
The siblings fiercely bit their fingers until they bled, then rapidly drew talismans in thin air. A complex runic seal took shape in the void.
"Seal of Demonic Suppression, Seal!"
The Seal of Demonic Suppression they jointly drew was designed specifically to deal with the Blood Demon. Moreover, with their Demon Exterminator bloodline, they could completely suppress it. This was exactly why the two dared to come hunting the Blood Demon. Once the Seal of Demonic Suppression was unleashed, the Blood Demon would inevitably be Sealed.
BUZZ.
The Seal of Demonic Suppression instantly sank into the Blood Demon's body. The Blood Demon's figure paused slightly, but as if entirely unaffected, it lunged toward the siblings once more.
"What? The Seal of Demonic Suppression didn't work?" Chen Luo's expression changed instantly. How could the Seal of Demonic Suppression have failed?
"Protective Golden Light!" The two immediately cast their Protective Golden Light. Immediately after, the beam of light that the Blood Demon had transformed into slammed viciously against their barrier.
BAM! BAM!
Their Protective Golden Light shattered on impact. The massive concussive force sent the two flying backward, crashing heavily onto the ground.
Chen Luo finally understood why the Seal of Demonic Suppression hadn't worked. "No, the Seal of Demonic Suppression *did* work! But even while restricted by the Seal, your strength is still this terrifying? How did you recover so quickly?"
The Blood Demon was actually incredibly terrifying. But having been Sealed by the Chen Family for many years, it didn't even have a fraction of its former strength left. If it had been a newly escaped Blood Demon, Chen Luo and his sister's Seal of Demonic Suppression would naturally have Sealed it completely. Now, however, the Blood Demon had recovered significantly with the help of the Painted Skin Demon. The siblings' Seal of Demonic Suppression could only Seal a portion of the Blood Demon's power; it could not achieve a complete Seal.
"Hahaha, Demon Exterminators are wonderful! A Demon Exterminator's bloodline is a great tonic. If I swallow you both, my recovery will be even faster!" The Blood Demon burst into laughter. It then opened its gaping maw, preparing to swallow Chen Luo and his sister in a single bite.
Right at that moment, a massive figure charged fiercely through the doorway.
CRASH.
The main doors were instantly smashed to pieces. Lei Yu barreled into the courtyard like a mountain of meat.
"Get back." Lei Yu grabbed with both hands, directly pulling Chen Luo and his sister behind her, rescuing them from the Blood Demon's gaping maw.
"A mere Martial Artist of the Martial World..." The Blood Demon immediately turned into a streak of bloody light and charged at Lei Yu.
But Lei Yu just grinned. "Looking down on this young lady? Then I'll let you taste what it's like to be torn to shreds!"
"Eight-armed Celestial Maiden!"
With Lei Yu's light shout, phantoms of multiple arms seemed to materialize in the void. They were afterimages created by extreme speed.
The Blood Demon had already rushed right in front of her. Its speed was pushed to the absolute limit, yet Lei Yu acted as if she truly possessed eight arms. Her defense was completely impenetrable. No matter how the Blood Demon attacked, it could not break through Lei Yu's eight arms. Lei Yu's two real arms even seized the gap created by the Blood Demon's momentary shock to abruptly grab it.
"Heh heh, caught you. Die for me!" Lei Yu forcefully wrenched her two arms outward.
SQUELCH.
Blood splattered into the air. The majestic Blood Demon was forcibly ripped in half by Lei Yu just like that.
"The Blood Demon? That's it?" Lei Yu casually tossed them aside, letting the two halves of the Blood Demon's corpse fall to the ground.