“Thinking of the last time…”
Jiang Huai hesitated for a moment before looking up at the sky and innocently replying, “I was thinking about the time Master’s over-the-knee white socks were soiled by me…”
As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Xianning, wearing black embroidered shoes, kicked his white and tender little feet. A moment later, she fiercely warned, “Don’t think about it.”
“Oh…”
Chu Xianning turned around, facing Jiang Huai’s back again, and began to speak, “Have you heard of the Red Moon Ancestor before?”
“The evil cultivator who is half a step into the Mahayana stage?”
“Yes.”
Because Chu Xianning had a habit of descending the mountain to eliminate evil for many years, Jiang Huai was somewhat familiar with the circle of evil cultivators in the Eastern Region. In recent years, the cultivators in the Eastern Region had severely cracked down on evil cultivators. Most of the evil cultivators in the Seventh Realm from earlier years had been cornered and killed. The Red Moon Ancestor was one of the few evil cultivators who had barely survived. She was already at the half-step Mahayana stage in earlier years, and because she mastered the blood escape technique, she was particularly difficult to kill, having been in hiding for many years.
“According to the news I received this time, she may have entered the Mahayana stage,” Chu Xianning said softly, then continued, “I will make the move, and you should pay attention to your own safety and watch from the side.”
“Master, why don’t you give me a chance to practice? I’m terrifyingly strong now.”
Chu Xianning glanced at him sideways. “How did I teach you before?”
Jiang Huai scratched his head. “Master, don’t worry. I’m saying this because I’m confident. How about Master, you give me support. If nothing unexpected happens, there shouldn’t be anyone below the Mahayana third stage who can seriously injure me.”
Although Jiang Huai’s tone was full of humility, Chu Xianning gave him a thoughtful look and finally spoke slowly, “You and I will act together. Your most important task is to protect yourself.”
“Understood.” Jiang Huai nodded lightly.
Chu Xianning rode her sword with Jiang Huai to a cultivation family that the Red Moon Ancestor had previously massacred.
The Red Moon Ancestor used the Red Moon Snake Gu as her natal Gu. She had been in seclusion for a long time. Her sudden appearance this time was likely due to her breakthrough into the Mahayana stage. The Gu worms she raised began to crave more blood food, and if they could not be fed, they would backlash against the Red Moon Ancestor herself. This was why evil cultivators could not turn back once they stepped onto the path of cultivation.
There were many cultivation families in the Eastern Region, but according to the news received a few days ago, the Red Moon Ancestor had already exterminated three small families to feed her Gu worms. Now, she had probably gone into hiding again.
When Chu Xianning and Jiang Huai arrived at the family’s location, the heavy smell of blood had not yet dissipated. The bodies had already been buried by friends from cultivation families. Chu Xianning came before the graves and, using a spirit-driving technique, drew out a wisp of remnant soul from the corpses to inquire about the Red Moon Ancestor’s information.
Her guess was correct; the Red Moon Ancestor’s cultivation had reached the Mahayana stage. However, when she massacred their entire family, the Red Moon Snake Gu had been mumbling incessantly about being very hungry. This was both good news and bad news.
The Red Moon Snake Gu was still hungry, which meant the Red Moon Ancestor would not easily go back into seclusion. But if Chu Xianning and the others were a step too late, another family would be wiped out. Now, all the cultivation families within a thousand-mile radius had received the news and were sealing their doors, refusing all visitors.
“Let’s go.” Chu Xianning raised her head slightly.
She intended to leave a Sound Transmission Spirit Jade for them in all the notable cultivation families within a thousand miles of their current location. If the Red Moon Ancestor appeared at that time, they could use the Sound Transmission Spirit Jade to summon them.
Time was pressing, so Chu Xianning could only ride her sword at full speed. The usually cold and aloof Chu Xianning could not help but show a hint of fatigue in her brow. There were a total of six cultivation families within this thousand-mile radius. When Chu Xianning arrived at the entrance of the fifth family, a strong scent of blood had already permeated the air.
Almost instantly, Chu Xianning’s expression changed, and she rushed into the ancestral home courtyard on her sword. However, the two of them were too late. The entire courtyard was filled with severed limbs, and all of them were missing their hearts. Jiang Huai observed for a while; these corpses were already from a day ago.
The fact that no one had come to collect the bodies for a day meant they hadn’t even had time to send out a distress signal.
A wisp of the Red Moon Ancestor’s blood spiritual energy remained in the air. Chu Xianning bit her lip lightly, formed a hand seal, and the blood spiritual energy turned into a thread, extending in a certain direction in the sky.
This was a method for finding people. Chu Xianning had learned many Daoist magic techniques over the years while slaying evil cultivators to track their movements. Now, there was no time to delay further. She once again rode her sword, following the blood-colored thread, and the two of them arrived in a deep mountain dense forest.
This was the Secret Stash Forest in the Eastern Region, rarely visited by humans. Because the spiritual Qi was relatively abundant, many Demonic Beasts resided and gathered here. The two of them flew above the forest. The sky was dark, and a strong wind raged, blowing dead leaves everywhere. Jiang Huai smelled the scent of blood at the tip of his nose.
“It’s here,” Jiang Huai said softly.
After obtaining the Dragon Emperor Bloodline, his soul power was now much tougher than Chu Xianning’s. He sensed a twisted and violent aura emanating from the depths of the dense forest. He turned to look at Chu Xianning, then switched to riding his sword, and said softly, “Let’s go.”
The sword blade weaved through the dense forest, and dead leaves scattered to avoid it. The two of them reached the depths of the Secret Stash Forest. In the depths was a lake, and in the heart of the lake was a pavilion. Inside the pavilion, a figure in black, wearing a bamboo hat, was silently sitting by the pavilion, fishing.
In the dark lake, a blood-colored flood dragon-like creature was churning in the water, its sharp teeth tearing apart the fish in the lake, sending clouds of blood surging from the water.
Chu Xianning and Jiang Huai stopped. Chu Xianning held the Suoxue Sword in her hand and said coldly, “Long time no see, Red Moon.”
“You’ve finally come.”
The Red Moon Ancestor, wearing a bamboo hat, slowly stood up from the pavilion. She turned around, her pale face showing a hint of mockery, yet also seeming to reveal a trace of relief.
This was not the first time Chu Xianning had seen Red Moon.
During the previous hunt for evil cultivators in the Eastern Region, she had been one of the most active participants, killing many evil cultivators with her own hands. Red Moon had also narrowly escaped her with the blood escape technique. Later, Chu Xianning had pursued her several more times, but she had narrowly escaped each time until she went into seclusion and there was no more news of her. Therefore, when she reappeared this time, even though Jiang Huai had not yet returned, she had decided to set out alone.
Chu Xianning’s expression did not change in the slightest, her eyes as cold as ice.
“I have been waiting for you here for three days, but you have been slow to appear, so I had to go and kill another cultivation family to lure you here.”
The Red Moon Ancestor was a pale woman with a sickly aura. Her face lacked color, but her eyeballs were scarlet and viscous, like boiling fresh blood. She seemed to exude a faint smell of decay. Even as she said this, Chu Xianning’s expression remained unchanged, and she only said coldly, “Today is the day of your death.”
The Red Moon Ancestor suddenly burst into laughter. Her eyes stared intently at Chu Xianning. “Do you really think I lured you here without preparing a sure-kill method to kill you here?!”
“Is that so?” The spiritual Qi on Chu Xianning’s Suoxue Sword flashed, as if she didn’t want to waste any more words with her.
Chu Xianning did not like to engage in idle chatter, especially with evil cultivators. In an instant, she mobilized the spiritual Qi in her body. Dead leaves swirled by the lake, and the entire lake churned. However, the Red Moon Ancestor calmly beckoned her hand. The red flood dragon churning in the lake at this moment came to her side and merged into her body, causing her body to writhe. Her lower body transformed into a snake’s body, while her upper body remained unchanged. Her eyes turned into snake pupils, and she held a snake spear, grinning ferociously at Chu Xianning.
“Normally, you always descend the mountain alone. Today, it’s rare to see you bring a helper.”
“My personal disciple,” Chu Xianning replied unhurriedly.
“Then today, I am truly fortunate. Besides avenging my great enemy, I can also feed your only disciple to my Red Moon Snake Gu!” With that, the Red Moon Ancestor’s face contorted. Her palms fluttered, and in an instant, she raised her hand. Suddenly, a sapphire spiritual plant was crushed by her. In an instant, incredibly dazzling blue spiritual light surged out, and the entire lake surface was instantly frozen over.
“Chu Xianning! I know that the cold toxin in your body has long left a hidden ailment. This Frost Snow Spirit Pearl is the funeral gift I personally prepared for you!” The Red Moon Ancestor’s snake body slithered across the ice. Chu Xianning’s face paled slightly, clearly because the heavenly and earthly cold Qi emanating from this Frost Snow Spirit Pearl had exacerbated the old injury in her body, causing her spiritual Qi circulation to stagnate slightly.
But she still drew her sword without any hesitation. A moment later, the edge of the Suoxue Spirit Sword clashed with her snake spear. It seemed Chu Xianning’s sword was a bit faster. Her sword easily severed the Red Moon Ancestor’s snake spear. Even the Red Moon Ancestor’s eyes showed a hint of surprise.
She had fought with Chu Xianning three times before. Although she had fled in a panic each time, Chu Xianning’s sword had not been this sharp and terrifying then. Clearly, her cultivation could not have advanced further. Now she had also entered the Mahayana stage, but as Chu Xianning’s sword blade swung towards her again, she reacted slightly too late and sustained another sword mark on her body.
The Suoxue Sword, after being strengthened with quenching fire and star meteorite iron, had advanced from the Heavenly Level to the Absolute Level, making it incomparable to its previous state.
In an instant, corrosive green blood fell from her wound onto the ground, melting large holes in the ice. The Red Moon Ancestor, knowing that she was no match in close combat, immediately retreated her snake tail. She put away her snake spear, raised her hand, and a Blood Cry Spirit Array, already carved on her hand, appeared in the air. Countless vengeful souls she had collected and raised within it now flew towards Chu Xianning. Chu Xianning raised her hand again, and her sword blade flashed with silver rays. A faint light appeared between her brows, dispelling and purifying all the approaching vengeful souls. She stepped forward step by step, her sword flowers flying.
Jiang Huai had been watching from the side the entire time. Even though he held the Yening Sword tightly in his hand, he had hesitated to make a move.
The Red Moon Ancestor once again activated her evil fire Daoist magic, spitting out scarlet smoke and fire like arrows towards Chu Xianning. Chu Xianning dodged to the side, looked at her eyes, and calmly said, “It’s much warmer.”
Her sword flew out of its own accord. With just a flash of silver light, it struck the Red Moon Ancestor again. In an instant, it flew back into her hand. She looked at the Red Moon Ancestor, whose body was almost shattered, but in an instant, viscous blood flowed from her wounds, forming threads of blood that reassembled her body. Chu Xianning stepped forward again, and the Red Moon Ancestor’s hysterical cry echoed in her ears, “Cang Xie, aren’t you going to help me? Are you waiting to collect my corpse and refine it?!”
