Before Li Zhexian could even ask what was wrong,
Qian Renxue frowned slightly and said,
"Now the entire inner city of the Slaughter City is spreading rumors…"
"That the Blood Angel and the Blood Slaughter Sword are mortal enemies —
that the moment they meet, they'll fight to the death."
"Oh?"
Li Zhexian raised a brow.
"You did chase me all the way from the North District to the South.
That kind of commotion was bound to draw attention."
Qian Renxue gave a soft snort.
For them to say she and Li Zhexian were enemies—
the words themselves were unbearable to her ears.
Even if it was idle gossip from people who knew nothing,
she still found it impossible to ignore.
"Li Zhexian," she said. "Why don't we join forces—make it clear to everyone, in public—"
"No."
Li Zhexian shook his head.
"The Slaughter City runs deep and dark.
There are even Spirit Douluo-level masters hiding here.
If two 'Hundred-Win Kings' seeds were to openly ally,
we'd instantly become everyone's target.
Though we fear none…"
"Hmm?"
His voice trailed off.
He stopped mid-sentence.
Li Zhexian's gaze suddenly landed on the vessel in front of him—
the one filled with murky, blood-red liquor.
A flash of inspiration blazed through his mind.
He seemed to have just realized a way to speed up the brewing of theForgetful River Blood Resentment Fragrance—
and to sharpen the sixth form of theQinglian Sword Song.
"Xue'er…"
Qian Renxue was still mulling over his earlier words.
Two of the most formidable seeds joining hands
would indeed shatter the delicate balance of the arena
and provoke everyone's fear.
But when she heard him call her "Xue'er" again,
a tingling sweetness coursed through her heart,
her cheeks flushing softly.
"Yes… what is it?"
"I need a few materials," he said quietly, "for brewing and sword training. I've thought of a method—and I'll need your help."
Without hesitation, Qian Renxue said,
"All right."
The night wind carried away Li Zhexian's low whisper.
But the few words that reached Qian Renxue's ears made her golden eyes widen—
until her flawless, divine face was filled with shock.
Even with hercurrent Spirit Douluo cultivation, coupled with the Killing Intent cultivated from her own thirty consecutive victories, she still found Li Zhexian's plan too bloody and too dangerous!
But when she met the edge in his eyes—
that fierce, unyielding gleam—
the words at her lips
died unspoken.
She knew his nature well.
Once Li Zhexian had decided,
no one could sway him.
Any warning or plea
would only be wasted breath.
Let sin pile higher,
let the slaughter deepen—
this was the Slaughter City.
Here, who was innocent?
And besides—
even if it were true hell,
she would still walk into it by his side.
Even the light of an angel
could be dyed in blood.
Qian Renxue looked at him,
and gave a slight nod.
"Very well. We'll do as you say."
Time flowed like water.
In the blink of an eye, a month passed.
The rumors that had run wild a month ago—
that the two "Hundred Win Kings" seeds,
the Angel and the Blood Slaughter Sword,
had some old grudge—
gradually quieted down.
The fugitives of the Slaughter City
ultimately didn't believe
that two monsters who stood on the threshold of Hell Road
would risk mutual destruction
while surrounded by so many waiting wolves.
Until this day—
The Blood Slaughter Sword appeared once more
on the Slaughter Arena's match list.
Inside, the battles raged—
blood and flesh flying everywhere.
Outside the arena,
dozens of vicious gazes—
wolfish, hungry—
were fixed upon its gates,
killing intent simmering beneath the surface.
There was more than one Slaughter Arena!
Hundreds of matches were often held simultaneously!
They didn't dare provoke the Blood Slaughter Sword directly,
but there were plenty of other prey to hunt.
And yet—
what if?
What if, by chance, the Blood Slaughter Sword faced a true opponent this time—
won, but left grievously wounded?
That would be a gift from the heavens.
A strong man's blood brewed into a Bloody Mary—
now that was the finest vintage!
A single cup drawn from a Hundred Win King
was worth a thousand of ordinary stock.
As those crazed fugitives plotted their bloody fortune,
a sudden gust of wind descended upon them,
carrying with it a pressure wrapped in Holy Light.
The crowd staggered backward,
faces twisting in alarm.
When they looked up—
beneath the purple moonlight,
a figure wrapped in Holy Light
descended,
unfurling wings of an angel
spanning ten feet wide.
Yet the Holy Light of those wings,
tainted by too much blood,
carried a faint crimson gleam—
radiating a terrifying, almost demonic pressure.
All eyes widened
as that shining figure
landed before the gates of the Slaughter Arena.
Every hidden assassin and lurking killer
fell back in horror.
"The Angel from the North District?! Why is she here in the South?!"
"There's a Blood Slaughter Sword match today!
Could the rumors be true—
does she really bear a mortal grudge against him?!"
"What kind of hatred drives one to fight here,
in the very Slaughter City itself?!"
"That woman's killing intent rivals his own!
Back off! Stay far away—watch from a distance if you value your life!"
Hu Liena frowned deeply.
Her gaze fixed upon that stunning face—
cold as frost,
wrapped in killing intent.
"It really is her…"
"With her status,
why would she come to the Slaughter City?
Could she, like me, be here to temper herself?"
"But why would she be enemies with the Blood Slaughter Sword?"
Since Qian Renxue had returned to the Spirit Hall—
or rather, the Worship Hall—
Hu Liena had learned of her existence:
the peerless prodigy who bore the Angel Martial Soul.
In truth—
Hu Liena, as the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall
and disciple of Pope Bibi Dong,
had always felt
a subtle rivalry between them.
But she knew full well—
with Qian Renxue's lineage and her ties to the Worship Hall,
there was simply no comparing herself to her.
"The situation grows ever more tangled…"
From the shadows,
Tang San stepped forward,
his voice low beneath his hood.
"You truly refuse to join hands with me?"
Hu Liena didn't even glance at him,
her gaze still fixed on the arena gate,
mind racing.
"If Qian Renxue truly attacks the Blood Slaughter Sword…
what should I do?"
Dozens of heartbeats passed.
Under countless watching eyes,
a figure cloaked in blood
stepped slowly from the arena.
The moment Li Zhexian appeared—
a surge of immense, Light Spirit Power
came crashing down upon him like a raging tide.
Li Zhexian's expression did not change.
In one motion, his right arm rose like lightning—
and he slashed backward.
In that instant, a blade wrapped in aura of blue-gold sword intent materialized in his grasp.
A crimson sword light ripped through the air,
splitting that torrential Light Spirit Power clean in two.
Under the gaze of all, Li Zhexian raised his eyes and looked at the stunning figure who flapped her Angel Wings and hovered three feet above the ground.
"You again?"
"Do you truly think I can't kill you?"
Boom—!
The word had barely left his lips
before both figures shot forward like arrows loosed from the string.
Li Zhexian swung his sword in a blinding arc.
Where the crimson blade light passed,
blood mist surged like a demonic sea,
rolling outward in waves.
Qian Renxue's palms flashed—
a Sword of Holy Light condensed in her grasp.
Her Spirit Douluo level Spirit Power exploded without reservation. She did not dodge or evade but ferociously slashed back, meeting the crimson sword light head-on.
Boom!
Boom!
Blood light and holy flame collided in midair,
exploding into a blinding storm.
Two opposing energies—
one of light, one of blood—
twisted and tore at each other,
ripping open the ground beneath their feet.
Cracks spread like spiderwebs,
snaking hundreds of meters outward.
Stone fragments barely had time to rise before they were crushed into dust.
Locked in a clash of swords,
Li Zhexian and Qian Renxue pressed against each other—
and through the swirling chaos of colliding power,
their eyes met.
A thousand unspoken emotions crossed that gaze—
the weight of two years' separation,
and the edge of two swords that could neither yield nor retreat.