Chương 47: Imperial Magistrate Yue Zhenli (Part VI)

Lucian was in a dark space, similar to the one he found himself in when the Curse of Wrath was activated. Despite being alone in that vast expanse of darkness, he wasn't concerned about finding a way out. In fact, he was deeply focused on the task at hand, his eyes moving erratically as if tracking multiple things at once. Within his left pupil, the image of a half-closed eye formed by three lines shimmered in crimson light, as Blood Essence constantly flowed to sustain it.

And in his vision, the surroundings were not filled with darkness. At that moment, he was perceiving the world in two fractured, crimson lenses, while pain spread through his entire body. It was almost like his skin and muscles were burning and melting. Adding to those sensations, Lucian felt he had become two separate beings. Smaller than humans, furred, capable of flight, and emitting rapid, high-pitched clicks.

These clicks were sounds that returned as layered echoes, forming a unique sensory feedback that mapped the space around him. Even when sunlight scorched his eyes and distorted his vision, the echoes constructed a crude yet precise awareness of his surroundings, outlining walls, openings, and movement. Through his control, the echoes tightened around the position of a robed, muscular woman floating in the air.

Whenever she blinked from one place to another and his vision failed to accompany her, the echoes showed where she was! Besides, when Lucian was forced to take cover beneath a house with one of his bodies, the sound connection did not break. The echoes continued to carry her presence back to him while he healed his bat bodies with Blood Essence. Contrary to Magistrate Yue's beliefs, those bats were not mere constructs or a Qi technique controlled by Lucian. They were Lucian himself.

His body had previously been unable to withstand such a transformation, but after enhancing himself and enduring one round of the Curse of Sloth, he became capable of splitting into multiple bat forms. No more than three, for the time being. Of course, vampiric techniques always demanded a price. They could never be used without cost, and the amount of Blood Essence he was losing each second, along with what would be required to restore his body afterward, was immense for his current reserves.

If the mortals he had encountered until now did not possess significantly more Blood Essence than those he was used to 'meeting', Lucian would have chosen a different approach in this fight. He observed Magistrate Yue and the net through every means possible, while moving in unpredictable trajectories. Fortunately, after millennia of dealing with mages and mutants, he had enough experience to deduce that the golden shiny node in the sky was this technique's core.

It was a crucial part of the formation, to keep it together and running smoothly. It was not a blind guess to send one bat upward searching for such a core. He was testing Magistrate Yue's reaction! Only after witnessing how swiftly she destroyed one of the bats the moment it touched that luminous node did Lucian become certain of its importance. From that moment on, he began a dangerous game! He could sense Magistrate Yue's heartbeat quicken, her breathing growing heavier after each blink.

Lucian also noticed that the Magistrate was continuously using a breathing technique, similar in principle to Xu Hua's, but far more taxing on the body. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. If he had paused to analyze it, he would have realized that the technique demanded too much of her physique, and without such a trained body, she would have collapsed long ago! As the seconds passed, Magistrate Yue grew increasingly exhausted.

She maintained a constant defensive stance, avoiding unnecessary expenditure of Qi in reckless attacks. She showed restraint by following the bats and using pure, sharpened Metal Qi to make the bats retreat. For others, it would appear that she was on the brink of collapse, too tired to use more powerful techniques. To Lucian, however, it seemed she was waiting for an opening. A single decisive moment to eliminate one of the bats in a single strike with that six-sword attack.

He had not survived for so long by being careless. Lucian did not underestimate her, nor did he assume the battle would end simply by wearing her down. The truth was that his Blood Essence would not last long enough either. And that was the game! If she turned out to be the one stalling, he would lose the battle! Recognizing this long ago, ever since he entered the first house with one bat and drew her attention with the other, he had been constantly changing locations.

Magistrate Yue was so focused on her own plans that she failed to notice they were gradually shifting across the formation, moving through the ruined village. From the northern edge toward the center, she repeatedly activated her movement talisman to keep up with the bats' erratic path, without being any wiser. It was only when she and Lucian perceived Xu Duan through their methods that everything changed. Her eyes widened as one of the bats, which had been flying toward her, suddenly lowered its wings.

It went downwards while engulfed in flames, its goal changing to Xu Duan's location! Gnashing her teeth, Magistrate Yue activated her talisman. Surprisingly, she did not appear beside Xu Duan. Instead, she materialized in front of the house where the other bat was hidden.

"Heaven's Decree: Dancing Field!" she shouted, her golden eyes blazing with anger as six golden swords formed instantly and bombarded the structure. Lucian felt himself being torn apart as soon as the technique hit. At least, part of him did. The other part slammed directly toward Xu Duan's face. He wanted to see if the boy was more valuable to her than the formation, but seemed to miscalculate!

Following the contingency plan, he would kill Xu Duan and use the mortal's blood to replenish his Blood Essence before proceeding to the next step. However, contrary to his expectation, he did not burn through the mortal's flesh. Just before impact, golden lines descended from the dome, forming a cage around Xu Duan! Similar to what happened with the formation's boundary, Lucian's bat form was violently repelled upon contact, crashing against a nearby structure, his body melting quickly.

Struggling, he guided the last bat into weak flight, retreating toward another house while relying on echolocation to assess the situation. Meanwhile, Magistrate Yue dropped to one knee, coughing up blood. Repeated use of her talisman and continuous activation of Heaven's Decree had strained her body, and worst of all, the Protection talisman on Xu Duan had not been triggered by her own will. It was a responsive activation of the formation itself, causing a sudden drain of her Qi!

The heightened flow of Qi from both the formation and from her own Spiritual Root had caused a minor Qi deviation. Her meridians fell into disarray, inflicting internal injuries. The backlash was strong enough to constrict even her Chakras, causing spikes of pain. Even so, relief flickered in her eyes.

"Your son won't die like you, Big Sister," she muttered through gritted teeth. Her gaze was momentarily unfocused before she forced herself upright and shook her head. Reaching into her bamboo slip, she retrieved the last Jade Spirit Stone and began to absorb its Qi to replenish herself. As she did, her attention was fixed on two golden images. On one side stood Xu Duan, frightened and disoriented, still struggling to comprehend what had just happened as the golden lines faded from his sight.

On the other side stood the house where the last bat had disappeared! Gnashing her teeth, Magistrate Yue activated her moving talisman, blinking out and appearing in front of the structure. Her body trembled, muscles spasming under the strain, but she didn't care. She was about to unleash Heaven's Decree, the Qi Refining technique empowered by the One-Floor Pagoda Heavenly Formation, in an attempt to kill Lucian!

Magistrate Yue Zhenli was trying to kill someone who had survived battles against beings capable of annihilating the Golden Peng Empire with a single strike, genuinely thinking she was about to win.