Chapter 129: The Half-Spirit Evolved from Imperial Blood

Xia Jiuxuan’s expression turned stern.

He could never believe that a skeleton could return to life.

He unleashed his spiritual perception, locking it onto the bones.

*Hum.*

The air vibrated.

A mist of blood began to seep out from the skeleton’s chest cavity. Gradually, relying on the skeletal frame, the blood mist coalesced into a blurry human figure.

"This!"

Xia Jiuxuan’s heart jolted.

Though the features of the formed silhouette were indistinct, the posture was all too familiar to him. In terms of silhouette, it was none other than Xia Jiuxuan from his previous life!

"Hiss!"

The blood-red figure opened and closed its mouth, seemingly attempting to speak, but only dry, raspy hissing sounds escaped.

"I never imagined that the blood from my past life would evolve autonomously, using his corpse as a host!"

Only Xia Jiuxuan understood what was happening. The few drops of Imperial Blood that had been stripped from him in his previous life had evolved into a semi-living entity.

"This is bad."

Xia Jiuxuan’s brows furrowed tightly. He did not know the combat strength of this semi-living creature, but he was certain that its consciousness could only be driven by slaughter. For the Emperor of Slaughter, progress could only be achieved through killing.

"Hiss!"

The blood-mist figure hissed again, and a terrifying aura of slaughter swept through, filling the entire hall.

"Senior Brother Xia, what should we do?"

Behind Xia Jiuxuan, the others were panicking. That aura of slaughter made them tremble uncontrollably.

"All of you, retreat!" Xia Jiuxuan commanded.

"And what about you?" Duanmu Wan looked at him with concern.

"Don't worry about me. Take the others and get further away. It must not be allowed to kill anyone!"

Xia Jiuxuan kept his gaze locked on the blood-mist figure. He judged that since it had not been nourished by the aura of slaughter, it was not yet ridiculously powerful. But if it were allowed to kill someone and absorb their life force, there would truly be no way out. Therefore, not a single person present could be allowed to die.

"Understood! Senior Brother Xia, please be careful!"

Duanmu Wan nodded and led the others, retreating cautiously toward the entrance of the temple. Xia Jiuxuan stood alone in the hall, confronting the blood-mist figure.

"Hiss!"

The blood-mist figure was filled with a craving for fresh blood. Seeing the living beings retreat, it immediately prepared to give chase.

*Hum!*

Xia Jiuxuan’s eyes turned icy as he frantically channeled his spiritual intent. Behind him, the cold phantom clad in blood-red armor manifested once more.

"Screech!"

Upon seeing the phantom of slaughter behind Xia Jiuxuan, the blood-mist figure let out a mournful wail, retreating repeatedly until it stumbled and collapsed onto the throne.

Fear! Even though the blood-mist figure’s self-awareness was incomplete, that fear was innate and unavoidable.

"You had best destroy yourself!"

Xia Jiuxuan spoke coldly, his voice like rolling thunder, making the blood-mist figure tremble.

"Hiss!"

The blood-mist figure shook its head desperately.

"If you refuse, I will make you wish you were dead!"

Xia Jiuxuan could never allow such a semi-living creature to exist. Its existence would become an insurmountable mountain on his future path. Why? Because the world could not tolerate two Lords of Slaughter at the same time.

This blood-mist entity, born from his past Imperial Blood, possessed the purest will of slaughter. Once it grew and fed, it would be far more terrifying than the reincarnated Xia Jiuxuan. It would surely reach the pinnacle of the Path of Slaughter before him. At that point, Xia Jiuxuan would inevitably be hunted down by it—hunted without end. The Path of Slaughter was inherently cruel; it allowed for only one Lord of Slaughter to exist. Therefore, Xia Jiuxuan had to stop it from growing and extinguish it in its infancy.

The blood-mist figure shivered, terrified to the core, yet it had no intention of giving up its life.

"Still not destroying yourself?!"

Xia Jiuxuan, channeling the phantom of slaughter, stepped forward. Approaching the throne, the blood-mist figure was so terrified that it crawled on the ground, kowtowing to Xia Jiuxuan in absolute submission.

Xia Jiuxuan stared at the creature. He wanted to strike, but feared that a single blow might fail to destroy it, provoking a counterattack. If he did not strike, once the phantom of slaughter dissipated, the creature would lose its fear and definitely attack him.

Hesitating, Xia Jiuxuan exerted his spiritual intent to the absolute limit, solidifying the phantom of slaughter as much as he could.

"Self-destruct!"

Xia Jiuxuan was utterly cold, appearing like a god of death incarnate.

"Hiss!"

The blood-mist figure was in extreme terror, its form on the verge of collapse. It looked up, its hollow, blood-filled eyes reflecting the supreme phantom of slaughter.

"Hm?"

Xia Jiuxuan’s heart sank. He saw a change in the figure's eyes—it had developed a flicker of defiance!

"It is its instinct!" Xia Jiuxuan realized with a jolt. The semi-living creature evolved from his Imperial Blood seemed to have inherited his past instincts: the more it was oppressed, the more fearlessly it would resist.

"There is no other way!"

Xia Jiuxuan dared not delay any longer. He had only one path: to strike immediately.

*Clang!*

With his spiritual sword in hand, a dark, ghostly light shimmered along the blade.

"Yellow Springs Destruction Sword!"

*Boom!*

The hall shook. An aura of death spread rapidly.

"Screech!"

Feeling the aura of death, the blood-mist figure wailed in terror. At the same time, the pressure upon it reached its limit, forcing it to instinctively prepare a counterattack.

The destructive sword strike descended with lightning speed, cleaving the blood-mist figure in two. Xia Jiuxuan did not stop there; he began to hammer at the skeleton with his fists. He could not shatter the bones, but he could dismantle them.

As the skeletal frame was pulled apart, the blood mist circling it lost its host. The air became thick with resentment—a profound, terrifying resentment.

"Suppress!"

Xia Jiuxuan exhausted his remaining strength to project the slaughter phantom, pinning the dispersing blood mist down. Mournful, hateful roars echoed through the temple.

Moments later, the blood mist, unable to resist any longer, condensed into two drops of Imperial Blood, hovering before Xia Jiuxuan.

"Hah."

Blood trickled from the corner of Xia Jiuxuan’s mouth. He was utterly exhausted. Forcing himself to use the Destruction Sword and high-level fist techniques had severely injured his body. Fortunately, the semi-living Imperial Blood had been completely suppressed and stripped of its vitality. If Xia Jiuxuan hadn't gone all out, giving it even a moment to resist, he would surely have died.

Xia Jiuxuan collected the two drops of Imperial Blood. Their power had diminished significantly, less than one ten-thousandth of their original state, but as a medicinal catalyst, they were still a thousand times more potent than any spirit herb.

After recovering for a short while, Xia Jiuxuan summoned Duanmu Wan and the others back. Seeing the bones scattered across the floor, everyone was struck with profound shock. Xia Jiuxuan was more than just a man; he was divine! The terrifying skeletal monster had been smashed to pieces by him. They had no words to describe their feelings.

"What are you staring at? Come over here!"

Xia Jiuxuan stood up and walked behind the bronze throne. He traced his palm along the back of the throne, following a complex pattern of divine runes.

Immediately, the bronze throne shifted aside, revealing a dark, gaping entrance beneath it.