Zhao Wanqing stepped into the village.

The bloodstains on the ground had long dried, but the pungent smell of blood still lingered in the air.

The burned houses had collapsed into ruins.

Along the way, traces of the sacrificial ritual's formation could be seen on the ground.

These evil cultivators had intended to blood-sacrifice the entire village from the start.

There were no bodies in sight, except for the one hanging from the large tree at the village entrance.

Clearly, the bodies had been moved to the formation's core.

Zhao Wanqing took a deep breath, suppressing the indescribable emotions in her heart. If there was any place where the evil cultivators might have left useful traces, it would be at the formation's core.

She scanned the surroundings for clues but continued swiftly towards the village center.

That spot could easily cover the entire village.

Everything was just as Zhao Wanqing had predicted.

In the village center, a pile of white bones lay scattered, all drained villagers.

But there was something Zhao Wanqing hadn't anticipated: not all the evil cultivators had left.

On the pile of bones sat an evil cultivator in a simple black robe, casually resting on the bones. Beside him was a dark red broadsword, exuding endless blood qi.

"The Demon Suppression Bureau's efficiency is getting worse," the Black-Robed Man rasped, his tone full of dissatisfaction. "And only two of you came. How do you expect to protect the mortals like this?"

"Did you do this?" Zhao Wanqing asked coldly, reaching for the short knife at her waist.

"If it wasn't me, then was it you, the Squad Leader of the Demon Suppression Bureau?"

The Black-Robed Man sneered disdainfully, suddenly reaching for the broadsword beside him.

Under the moonlight, a dark red glow flickered.

The Black-Robed Man, broadsword in hand, was suddenly beside Zhao Wanqing, the long blade emitting a dark red light.

Zhao Wanqing reacted quickly, drawing her short knife to block.

Bang!

The loud clash of metal echoed through the silent night sky.

Zhao Wanqing felt the force of the blow was immense, her injured arms nearly giving out. She had to forcibly channel all her spiritual power just to barely hold on!

This Black-Robed Man's cultivation level was likely at the late Foundation Establishment Stage!

But what troubled Zhao Wanqing even more was the evil cultivator's blood qi!

It was surging from the long blade, rapidly attacking Zhao Wanqing's spiritual power.

This forced Zhao Wanqing to divert her attention, using her spiritual power to fend off the oncoming blood qi.

If the blood qi got close enough to attack her, it would truly be a dead end.

But the Black-Robed Man was an evil cultivator who had emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood. He suddenly lifted his foot and kicked Zhao Wanqing in the abdomen.

Faced with the kick, Zhao Wanqing had no room to dodge and could only gather her spiritual power to withstand it.

As the kick landed, Zhao Wanqing felt her internal organs shift instantly.

Her body could no longer support itself and was sent flying, crashing to the ground with such force that it created a small crater.

Swallowing the metallic taste in her throat, Zhao Wanqing quickly rolled to her feet and retreated.

At the same time, she gripped her short knife tightly, quickly slashing out several arcs of blade energy to prevent the Black-Robed Man from pressing the attack.

But things didn't go as she wished. The Black-Robed Man charged forward, using the blade to deflect the blade energy, then unleashed a surge of blood-red spiritual power, aiming straight for Zhao Wanqing's head.

The Black-Robed Man seemed to genuinely advise:

"Don't be an official in your next life!"

Zhao Wanqing gritted her teeth and raised her short knife to block again.

Seeing this, the Black-Robed Man was pleased, and his blood qi surged, forcing the blade's center of gravity downward.

This changed the trajectory of the strike aimed at Zhao Wanqing's head, redirecting it towards her waist.

Since mastering the control of blood qi, the Black-Robed Man had ended the lives of many Foundation Establishment cultivators with this move!

Zhao Wanqing watched as the blade turned into a rainbow radiance...

Bang!

Suddenly, an old iron sword blocked the radiance, and Zhao Wanqing felt someone yank her by the collar, pulling her out of the broadsword's range.

The iron sword was then shattered by the rainbow radiance.

Li Xingtian looked at the broken short sword... Senior Sister really put her Junior Brother in a tough spot.

Zhao Wanqing glanced sideways and saw Li Xingtian with a calm expression.

Out of concern for his employer, Li Xingtian asked, "Are you okay?"

"Be... careful!"

Zhao Wanqing was about to express her gratitude, but seeing the Black-Robed Man approaching with his blade again, she quickly warned.

Li Xingtian slightly raised his eyes, and the broken longsword in his right hand suddenly emitted a mysterious aura.

Facing the blood-stained, murderous broadsword, Li Xingtian showed no fear, responding with the broken sword that was almost reduced to just a hilt.

And it seemed as if Li Xingtian was merely extending the broken sword lightly.

Zhao Wanqing widened her eyes, watching Li Xingtian's seemingly suicidal action.

But what happened next was unexpected for Zhao Wanqing: it was the Black-Robed Man who dodged the clash.

The Black-Robed Man abruptly raised his long blade, retreating frantically dozens of meters, his tone uncertain:

"...Are you from Central State?"

That aura was clearly a divine ability!

Aside from Central State, which had the resources to allow its disciples to cultivate divine abilities at the Foundation Establishment Stage, the Black-Robed Man found it hard to believe any other place could have such capabilities!

That was a divine ability!

Had he not practiced as an evil cultivator and developed some instincts, that seemingly ordinary strike might have cost him dearly.

Li Xingtian did not respond, instead condensing his spiritual power, gripping the broken sword, and taking a step forward, slashing from a distance of dozens of meters.

A dark red light flashed with the broken sword.

Boom!

As the dark red light flashed, a powerful energy rapidly obliterated everything in front of Li Xingtian.

Zhao Wanqing was shocked to see the dark red light, as thin as a thread, destroying everything in its path...

This... this was definitely not a technique of the Foundation Establishment Stage!

Dust rose into the air, and with a light swing of his sword, Li Xingtian dispersed the dust with a wave of pressure.

The Black-Robed Man was nowhere to be seen.

"He ran." Li Xingtian didn't pursue, turning to look at Zhao Wanqing, who was slumped on the ground. "How are you?"

"I'm not..."

Zhao Wanqing was about to answer, but the consequences of suppressing her internal organs caught up with her, and she dramatically spat out a mouthful of blood...

Li Xingtian: "..."

"Let's retreat for now. There might be other evil cultivators around, and with you seriously injured, I might not be able to protect you."

Zhao Wanqing knew her situation wasn't optimistic and agreed with Li Xingtian's plan.

"Let's head back to the Demon Suppression Bureau..." Zhao Wanqing began, only to cough up more blood.

"...I'll support you now, please don't speak." Li Xingtian's tone was serious.

Zhao Wanqing took a deep breath and nodded lightly.

What a disgrace!

That strike from Li Xingtian was just to intimidate, and its power naturally came at a cost.

That strike had drained half of Li Xingtian's spiritual power.

To guard against any ambushes by other evil cultivators, Li Xingtian had to take Zhao Wanqing back at a slower pace, needing to conserve spiritual power for any sudden situations.

Perhaps they were truly frightened by Li Xingtian's strike.

They encountered no ambushes on the way back.

As they approached Yuzhou City, Li Xingtian didn't heed Zhao Wanqing's suggestion to return to the Demon Suppression Bureau. Instead, he took Zhao Wanqing to a courtyard house.

Facing the closed door, Li Xingtian lifted Zhao Wanqing by the back of her collar and leaped inside.

Before Li Xingtian could report to his master, Chu Xingchen opened the door, his gaze quickly locking onto Zhao Wanqing, who was pale from spitting blood.

"What happened?"

"Senior..." Zhao Wanqing coughed up more blood.

Chu Xingchen: "..."

Alright, now he understood what happened.