Chapter 240: Nether-Sealing Blood
It was noon. Not a cloud could be seen in the dome of heaven, yet Sima Ru had a dark cloud overhead, within which crackled bolts of lightning. Her cloud resembled a vicious ghost face, bursting with ferocity; it seemed like all it would take was a thought from Sima Ru, and the evil ghost would rush into the Violent Crimes Division and pounce on Xu Qing.
There usually weren’t many people on the street outside the Violent Crimes Division. Right now, there were literally none.
As soon as Xu Qing got word that Sima Ru was coming, he’d sent all the constables home. And thus, the inside of the Violent Crimes Division was just as empty as the outside. Except for Xu Qing. He sat in the reception hall in front of the painting of the evil ghosts fighting for food. Upon hearing Sima Ru’s words, he looked up at her standing outside the main entrance. He didn’t pay any attention at all to the ghost face above her, nor the singing balls. His eyes focused solely on Sima Ru, flashing as though they could pierce into her and read her inner qualities.
A clone?
A thoughtful look appeared in his eyes as he fiddled with the jade slip the Intelligence Division had sent him with information about her. It had a lot of details about her and her background.
“The most orthodox cultivation method in the House of Grue Hunters is tied to the blood. Cultivation techniques are only supplementary. There are four main types of blood that disciples can infuse into themselves. Each type has unique properties, and a unique way of affecting grues. Opinions differ regarding the origin of the bloodlines.
“The Sima family is associated with the Nether-Sealing Blood. It provides shocking advantages when sealing grues. Of course, none of these four bloodlines are on par with one of the most mysterious and legendary species native to Revered Ancient, the Gruewalkers.
“Sima Ru has exceptional talent. After accepting the Nether-Sealing Blood, she stood head and shoulders above her fellows. Years ago, she took a place among the echelon highnesses of the House of Grue Hunters. Though she wasn’t rated number one, the others above her were all in the Gold Core level. Later, after dominating the members of the other bloodlines for years, she eventually broke through to Gold Core herself.
“Since then, she’s been in seclusion. She herself has not come to Seven Blood Eyes. Instead, she’s sent a peak Foundation Establishment clone, formed via bone cultivation. There are several grues sealed within the clone, and it has battle prowess that surpasses the four-flame level but doesn’t reach the five-flame level.”
While Xu Qing thought about everything he knew of Sima Ru, she looked at him in the reception hall.
“My little brother is naughty and mischievous,” she said lightly. “I’m sorry for any trouble he caused, and I apologize for whatever he did wrong.”
Behind her, the bouncing balls started imitating her.
“Apologize, apologize.”
“Trouble he caused, trouble he caused.”
They sounded like a host of children clamoring for attention. If that wasn’t bizarre enough, the faces on Sima Ru’s umbrella all started crying and laughing at the same time.
The Seven Sect Coalition chosen who were watching from a distance were all watching with bated breath. Truth be told, even in the coalition, the House of Grue Hunters was considered mysterious. Most of the time, the other sects tried to avoid them.
Xu Qing just looked at Sima Ru. Since this was his first time dealing with her, he had no idea how she usually behaved. But she had been very polite. She hadn’t charged in, hadn’t made unreasonable demands, and had even apologized on behalf of her brother. She hadn’t acted overbearing like Sima Ling. It was hard to feel hostility toward someone like that, but Xu Qing wasn’t any less on guard because of it.
“I’ll have to check with my superiors about it,” he said calmly. “Give me a few days.”
Sima Ru nodded. Looking very poised, she softly said, “I can wait a few days. But my little brother can’t. I’ll provide compensation on his behalf. That said, there’s also the issue of you hitting him. How do you plan to make amends? My little brother likes eyeballs. Maybe you can give him one of yours as an apology.”
Sima Ru remained extremely polite in both her bearing and her tone of voice. She didn’t seem angry at all, and seemed very heartfelt.
Xu Qing didn’t say anything in response. At the same time, he looked away from Sima Ru. As of this moment he dispelled any thoughts of possibly freeing Sima Ling.
Meanwhile, Sima Ru drifted forward, through the main entrance of the Violent Crimes Division and into the courtyard. Along with her came the cloud, which roiled out to cover everything.
At the same time, the ghost-faced balls bounced along, clamoring as before, and yet again copying Sima Ru’s words.
“Make amends, make amends.”
“Make amends, make... huh—?”
In the middle of chanting, one of the ghost-faced balls bounced into a shady section, where it suddenly fell down, then disappeared as if it had fallen into a chasm. Its voice ceased.
At the same time as the ball vanished, the Violent Crimes Division’s spell formation activated, cutting off the outside world, and sealing the place so that no one could see inside. There was also a crushing force that weighed down.
But then Sima Ru reached into her robe and pulled out a white identity medallion, whereupon the crushing weight disappeared. Her identity medallion was obviously nothing to sneer at. It came from a supervisory sect, and carried with it greater authority.
However, the function to seal off the entire division remained in place. Only the crushing weight that would normally hinder members of outside sects disappeared.
The grand spell formation that protected Seven Blood Eyes had its crushing power negated by someone from an outside sect. Imagine if some other person had the right to use your belongings any time they wanted. Not just that, but they could take them away at will, even if you were right there in front of them. And you couldn’t say a thing. For all intents and purposes, those things might as well belong to the other person.
Inside, Xu Qing sighed. Now more than ever, he understood why the patriarch and the others were being so very secretive about their true plan.
There was no person in existence who would want to permanently be in such a passive position. Who would want someone else to be in control of their own disciples, or be able to give out identity medallions that would negate your greatest safeguards? In a chaotic world filled with people who acted like tigers, leopards, wolves, and jackals, who could possibly be willing to live in such ignominy?
Xu Qing even had the suspicion that if the Seven Sect Coalition leadership arrived, then the Seven Blood Eyes Formation... would obey them to crush people from Seven Blood Eyes.
Continuing to float toward Xu Qing, Sima Ru softly said, “I guess you used this spell formation to brush off my little brother’s dao protector. Right?”
She was now right outside the reception hall. She didn’t stop there. She floated inside. However, that was also when Xu Qing started moving.
He stepped forward, putting himself right in front of Sima Ru. Then, his face completely expressionless, he launched a punch at her. It was a blow that caused wild winds to spring up, and shook everything in the area. The explosive force was so intense that a sound like thunder boomed out.
Simultaneously, numerous eyes opened up in the shadows of the courtyard beyond. Then they turned into mouths that lunged toward the ghost-faced balls. At the same time, a black lightning bolt shot out from the periphery and headed straight toward the cloud above. In the blink of an eye, deafening booms rang out left and right.
In the face of Xu Qing’s attack, Sima Ru shot backward, flying out of the reception hall and into the courtyard.
Now, a reaction could be seen on her previously expressionless face. Also, the eyes on the numerous grue faces on her umbrella opened. And they weren’t looking at Xu Qing, but rather, at the ground of the courtyard.
The balls were nowhere to be seen. That caused Sima Ru’s eyes to glitter with an unusual light. Then she looked back up at the person walking out of the reception hall.
Along with him came burning flames that took the shape of a golden crow. Within all the fire was Xu Qing, walking forward one step at a time. The fiery golden crow made him seem like a lord of flames. Its tail was like an imperial robe, surrounding him with grandeur. And as his hair whipped about, a sea of flames became his cloak. As he approached, the fiery cloak billowed, and the golden crow settled onto his head like an imperial crown. Combined with his stunning facial features, this version of Xu Qing seemed to walk with the momentum and gait of an Ancient Emperor strolling through the world of humans.
“Golden Crow Assimilates Myriad Spirits!” Sima Ru blurted. Then she blurred into motion, appearing right in front of Xu Qing, where she raised her right hand toward his eyes.
Xu Qing’s expression was the same as ever as he lowered his head and head-butted her hand.
It was an attack method that Sima Ru was obviously not expecting. A boom rang out, and her hand exploded. Expression one of shock, she shot backward.
Xu Qing pressed the attack, moving with speed that surpassed hers. Upon reaching her, he reached out, grabbed a handful of her hair, and then slammed her down onto the ground. The ground cracked and shattered.
As for Sima Ru, she collapsed into a mass of mist that swept away from his hand. A shrill scream rang out as the mist then converged into a gruish shape that lunged back toward Xu Qing.
At the same time, Sima Ru’s ghostly umbrella suddenly sent crushing weight toward him.
But how could some puny umbrella match up to the golden crow? The golden crow looked up, its eyes filled with disdain, then lunged forward.