Spirit Realm

Thick blood tang entered the place while Jiang Zhuzhe was laughing.

“I asked my men to bring over a few things,” Jiang Zhuzhe said.

Qin Lie messaged the Asura Race soul slaves and told them to let the Blood Drinkers in.

Very soon, Jiang Zhuzhe’s loyal Blood Drinkers could be seen dragging many dead rank six and seven Abyss Devils into this place.

The Abyss Devils’ blood and lifeforce were completely consumed, but their bodies remained perfectly intact.

None were missing an arm or a leg.

It was the perfect material to make Corpse Demons.

“Is it a gift to Miao Fengtian?” Qin Lie came to realization.

Jiang Zhuzhe smilingly nodded his head.

Miao Fengtian added, “Back at the Land of Chaos, Brother Jiang and I had a good cooperative relationship with each other. They absorb their enemies’ blood and lifeforce, but don’t damage the bodies. We are perfectly complementary. He only needs blood and lifeforce, while I only need intact lifeless corpses to create Corpse Demons. As you can see, it’s mutually beneficial for both of us.”

Pondering, Qin Lie gradually understood Miao Fengtian’s hint after a while. “Are you planning to continue this cooperation in the Abyss too?”

“Mn.” Miao Fengtian answered a little awkwardly, “I’ve sworn my loyalty to you already, so I’d tried to keep my interactions with brother Jiang to a surface level. However…”

“Now that I’ve also sworn my loyalty to you, we don’t need to skirt the lines any longer,” Jiang Zhuzhe smilingly answered.

The reason he chose to kneel before Qin Lie today was also to dispel the young man’s misgivings and suspicions. This would allow him to deepen his cooperation with Miao Fengtian.

“I believe it’s still too soon to pass these… Corpse Demons over to those people,” Jiang Zhuzhe said while looking at Qin Lie.

Qin Lie nodded in response.

Terminator Sect, Celestial Artifact Sect, Ten Thousand Beast Mountain, and Heavenly Sword Mountain were all afraid and wary of the Corpse Demons.

Since they hadn’t truly acknowledged the Corpse Demons, they wouldn’t be able to unleash their strength in full.

Miao Fengtian was only one person, and most of his energy was needed to refine more Corpse Demons. He just couldn’t afford to command the Corpse Demons in battle all day.

That was why Jiang Zhuzhe was the best candidate to command the Corpse Demons in battle. For one, he was completely unafraid of the Corpse Demons. Not only was he familiar with the Corpse Demons, he could refine them further and inject blood fiend energy inside the Corpse Demons’ bodies.

Miao Fengtian called Jiang Zhuzhe and Qin Lie at the same time precisely because he knew how good his former ally was with Corpse Demons.

Due to a certain reason, Jiang Zhuzhe apparently learned that Miao Fengtian’s fate was completely tied to Qin Lie’s. That was why he chose this moment to swear loyalty to Qin Lie.

It was the only way if he wished to cooperate with Miao Fengtian as intimately as before.

“You two sure are great comrades,” Qin Lie said meaningfully.

“Please forgive me, master.” Miao Fengtian bowed deeply.

He had noticed a bit of dissatisfaction from Qin Lie’s voice. He understood that his initiative and secret interactions with Jiang Zhuzhe had annoyed Qin Lie somewhat.

“We did all of this for your sake,” Jiang Zhuzhe said sincerely.

“Forget it.” Qin Lie waved his hands before continuing, “Since you already shared a mutual understanding with each other, and have a plan to conquer the Abyss, I shan’t interfere with your decisions. I know your abilities well, I know that both of you will gain plenty from the Abyss if you work closely with each other. However, there is one thing I want both of you to always remember. You’re not to harm the human race, Asura Race, and the native races of Boluo Realm who came with us into the Abyss! All these people will eventually become my core strength in the future, and I forbid you from meddling with them!”

He shot a cold glance at Jiang Zhuzhe.

Jiang Zhuzhe was the kind of person who disregarded everything when he went on a rampage.

This man had started countless bloodbaths and consumed seas of human blood to earn his current level of cultivation.

He was worried that Jiang Zhuzhe would forget himself again in the Abyss.

“That is then, now is now. I promise you that I won’t be as foolish as I was back then,” Jiang Zhuzhe said seriously. “Don’t worry, I will only attack the Abyss Devils and no one else! Truthfully speaking, the flesh and blood of the human race, Asura Race, and native races of Boluo Realm are just too weak compared to the Abyss Devils! The refined flesh and blood energy they possess is just too weak and scarce!” Disdain flashed through his eyes clearly.

Obviously, he thought that the Abyss Devils were far more useful to him and his kind.

Qin Lie finally relaxed a little after he heard his explanation. He advised, “Be careful, both of you. Any of those Lords of the Abyss that wield true strength can crush you to dust.”

“Of course. I don’t plan to suicide against a Lord of the Abyss anytime soon.” Jiang Zhuzhe chuckled.

Qin Lie nodded and fell quiet after that. He left the two comrade-in-arms to discuss their plans.

After Qin Lie had left the area, he contacted Xue Li with his soul thought and asked how he and Blood Fiend Sect were doing.

“We’re all fine. Don’t worry about us,” Xue Li replied.

Mo Lingye and the Blood Fiend Ten Elders had joined hands with Xue Li the moment they stepped into the Abyss.

Xue Li had regained his consciousness after the Soul Beast avatar had cleansed him of all of the Blood Progenitor’s negative emotions.

Qin Lie knew that the current Xue Li was capable of guiding Mo Lingye and the others in the Abyss.

After all, Xue Li could now use the fourth level of the Blood Progenitor’s Soul Altar.

Qin Lie relaxed after he heard Xue Li’s message and learned that they had established themselves in the Abyss.

A few days later.

The experts of the Horned Demon Race, Dark Shadow Race, and Ghost Eye Race finally began their quest to hunt down Barthez.

They had purposely sent someone to notify Qin Lie before they acted.

After learning of the Nether Realm races’ movements, Qin Lie sent over an Asura Race soul slave and instructed him to accompany them until the end of the hunt.

He was to watch their every move and report back to him the second there was anything amiss. Qin Lie would then react accordingly to the situation.

Not long after Ling Yushi and the Nether Realm races had left, Teng Yuan visited Qin Lie personally and told him that they were planning to hunt down a Lord of the Abyss.

All Lords of the Abyss had rank nine Abyss Devil bloodline and were incredibly powerful.

However, there were plenty of rank nine experts among Boluo Realm’s races as well.

Teng Yuan, Nivitt, Tong Yan, Barett, and Banderas were no easy pickings.

In fact, their combined strength was even more fearsome than the Nether Realm races’, so their chance of success was even higher.

Naturally, Qin Lie had no reason to stop them.

“Take one of my soul slaves with you. If anything unusual happens, I may be able to help,” he told Teng Yuan.

“No problem!” Teng Yuan agreed immediately.

“Wait.” Just as Teng Yuan was about to leave, he stopped him and pondered for a moment. He put a hand to his glabella.

The fire qilin—the fire Spirit of Void and Chaos—answered his soul summons and flew out of the Soul Suppressing Orb.

He looked at the fire spirit and instructed, “Three drops of blood, please.”

The fire spirit’s glittering red eyes were full of pain and reluctance. It quickly yiyayiya’d in protest.

“You’re the one who took her Life Flame Crystal first, haven’t you? Come on, don’t be so stingy. It’s just three drops?” he persuaded goodnaturedly.

Given no choice, the fire spirit ultimately squeezed out three drops of blood from its hoof. It looked like three mini blazing suns.

Qin Lie stored the three blood drops inside a special container before passing it carefully to Teng Yuan. “Here, please give this to Tong Yan. It’s what I promised her earlier.”

Back then, the fire spirit had robbed Tong Yan of a Life Flame Crystal that could revive the Flame Race’s clansmen at the Flame Race’s holy land.

Tong Yan was absolutely furious at the time.

In the end, he convinced Tong Yan to accept the loss in exchange for three drops of the fire spirit’s blood.

Tong Yan never brought up this matter again after that day, but he had never forgotten about his promise.

Now that the fire spirit had ascended to rank seven, and they both happened to be in the Abyss, there was no reason for him not to fulfill his promise.

Teng Yuan accepted the container with a somewhat complicated expression on his face. “Actually, Tong Yan doesn’t plan to accept these blood drops anymore.”

“Why’s that?” Qin Lie looked astonished.

“You’ve helped Boluo Realm far too many times. You helped us prevent Sun Palace and Lunar Temple from invading us. There is also that time Tong Yan and her people worked together with the Nether Realm to defeat Blue Flame Manor, which gave them the chance to return to Vermillion Bird Realm. At the time, she already felt that she owed you a lot.” Teng Yuan became absorbed in thought for a moment before continuing, “Not long ago, you opened the gates of the Abyss to all the races of Boluo Realm so we may hunt down the Abyss Devils and strengthen ourselves. She feels that her debt to you has increased even further.”

“That’s why she doesn’t want to accept the three drops of refined blood you promised her earlier.”

Qin Lie smiled before replying, “I gave her my word, so there’s no way I’m not fulfilling it. Plus, the fire spirit’s refined blood will enhance her bloodline and increase her chances of breakthrough, won’t it?”

Teng Yuan nodded slightly. “Of course it will.”

“Then there’s no reason for me not to give her what I promised,” Qin Lie said. “Please bring these three drops of refined blood to her.”

“I will.” Teng Yuan smiled too.

He looked gratified as he stared deeply at Qin Lie. He thought that he was right about Qin Lie.

He knew from the start that Qin Lie was completely different from those humans who entered Boluo Realm before him.

Today’s matter only made him acknowledge Qin Lie even more.