Chapter 347: Killed Without Mercy!
"One-tenth of everyone's blood essence?" The Wick Devil's words plunged the over 200 Heaven Sanctuary Realm powerhouses in the dark hall into a mood of varying shades of gloom. Among them, the change was most pronounced in the Yin Devils of the Endless Netherworld.
For both Yin and Yang Devils, blood essence was the foundation. Losing even a fraction could lead to a regression in cultivation, a grievous injury indeed.
For humans and demons alike, the loss of a full tenth of one's blood essence was a significant depletion.
Many furrowed their brows, their gazes sharp as they looked toward the Wick Devil, whose eyes burned with rage, waiting for a reasonable explanation.
With eyes aflame, the Wick Devil's voice was low and fierce. "The situation has come to this, and I believe everyone understands. If we don't make a bold move now, we'll lose any chance we have."
"Out with it then, what's this bold move?" the Phoenix Empress asked, her voice cool and detached.
Beside her, Moon Fairy listened with rapt attention, his face alight with curiosity.
The Wick Devil scanned the room and then let out a menacing laugh. "Have any of you heard of the Blood Oath Curse of my Rising Sun Inferno?"
Most of the Heaven Sanctuary Realm powerhouses shook their heads.
"A curse that withers the spirit and life?" In the ensuing silence, only the Netherworld Emperor, with his chilling gaze, spoke out.
"My brother knows me well." The Wick Devil laughed heartily. "This Blood Oath Curse is an ancient forbidden blood art from the Rising Sun Inferno, thought to be lost to time. Lucky for me, I unearthed it from our ancestral grave three years ago, and today, it proves its worth."
"It wasn't lost; it was banned by the ancestors of the Nine Hells for its malevolence," the Netherworld Emperor stated coolly.
"You joke, brother," the Wick Devil retorted, his heavy brows raised in amusement as he glanced at the Netherworld Emperor. "A curse that can annihilate the calamities of the Nine Hells in an instant should be considered a great merit. How can it be deemed malevolent?"
"When it comes to daoist spells, there is no good or bad, only effectiveness," a voice as cold as the deepest winter echoed from the dark, belonging to the Talisman Emperor.
"Yes, that's right," came a voice from the Leviathan Ravine. Ao Yuan stepped forward briskly to throw her weight behind the support for this Blood Oath Curse on behalf of her people. She cast a meaningful glance at the Wick Devil. "Do us the honor of shedding light on this Blood Oath Curse of yours."
The Wick Devil, with a flourish, presented his palm for all to see. Sharp-eyed, the crowd spotted a strand of hair, fine and short, resting there. "This here is a lock of hair from Yun Xiao," he declared with a smirk, clearly having acquired this trophy in the previous assassination attempt.
"And then?" the audience prompted, leaning in.
"With this Blood Oath Curse, we'll draw a tithe of blood from each of you, anoint this hair with it, summoning the world's curses to besiege this so-called Exiled Sword Immortal. He'll find no quarter and wither away to nothing but a husk, a fate so pitiful and inescapable!" the Wick Devil concluded, his eyes ablaze with ruthless fire.
The revelation sent shivers down the spines of everyone present. Inescapable and irrevocable!
Such a vile and forbidden art, it was no wonder the ancestors pressured the Rising Sun Inferno to lose it.
Had Yun Xiao not been a thorn in their side, the mere knowledge of the Wick Devil possessing such a horrific art would have sent everyone into a frenzy of self-preservation.
In the ensuing hush, the Wick Devil's voice rose, "You all are the backbone of the Nine Hells, burdened with a grave mission! The more blood essence the Blood Oath Curse consumes, the stronger it becomes. With your contributions, we'll orchestrate the mightiest strike in the history of the Nine Hells... Should we succeed, not even a thousand lives would spare Yun Xiao."
With that, he surveyed the crowd, his gaze piercing.
Stepping out from his shadow, the Talisman Emperor moved into the light. The crowd noticed that the colorful-haired man seemed to have aged overnight, his majestic aura dimmed, replaced by a chilling bloodlust. The sunken eyes and dull gaze were particularly unnerving.
"The Blood Oath Curse is our best shot at wiping the slate clean of all the crises plaguing the Nine Hells. It demands the collective effort of every cultivator present, to ensure a foolproof plan." The Talisman Emperor's dull eyes swept over the complex faces in the crowd. "Yun Xiao must die. Does anyone object?"
The Wick Devil and his counterpart created a chilling atmosphere, one with a cold murderous intent and the other with a fierce, blazing demeanor, pressing down on everyone present with their dual auras.
"Merely one-tenth of our blood essence, if it can rid us of this evil, it's a bargain!"
The most influential Inscription Cultivators and the Yang Devils were quick to rally in support. Their combined forces in the Heaven Sanctuary Realm numbered over 80, making up more than a third of those present.
"With such a swift method to eliminate the threat, it's our duty as cultivators of the seven hells," whispered a ghostly pale girl surrounded by an eerie entourage of resentment demons from a corner. This was none other than Pale Revenant.
With their endorsement, they represented over 120 Heaven Sanctuary Realm cultivators, more than half of those gathered.
This was not just about the Blood Oath Curse; it was about taking a stand. To drip or not to drip blood was the question, a test of loyalty.
"We of the Leviathan Ravine pledge ourselves to the cause, even unto death," Ao Yuan declared, her gaze cold as she turned to the representatives of the last three hells.
With nearly 150 in agreement, what remained were those from the Primeval Demon Hell, Endless Netherworld, and Reverie Abyss. Their combined might barely reached 70, less than half of the opposition.
All eyes turned to the Phoenix Empress, the Netherworld Emperor, and the Siren Empress, awaiting their decision, trying to read their resolve from their expressions.
"Siren Empress." The Wick Devil stepped forward, his gaze ablaze as he addressed the noble mermaid sovereign, her regal bearing accentuated by waist-length, wavy aquamarine hair and a figure that was nothing short of sculptural, especially the slender, powerful waist beneath her breastplate, resembling a true work of art.
What really caught everyone's eye was her tail, shimmering in red, green, and blue, gently swaying in the air, swirling with the mighty force of the vast ocean.
The Wick Devil, wearing a genial smile, broke the ice, "Lately, the Reverie Abyss has been rather quiet, sparking doubts among our peers. This lingering uncertainty does no good for the unity and solidarity of our alliance. So, after a chat with the Talisman Emperor, we've decided to give the Reverie Abyss a chance to prove its allegiance!"
The Siren Empress and her entourage from the Reverie Abyss, huddled in a corner, nodded solemnly, signaling him to proceed.
"It's simple," the Wick Devil continued, his smile widening into a grin. "The Reverie Abyss will lead the Blood Oath Curse by being the first to contribute their blood essence. By doing so, you're actively participating in the noble act of vanquishing Yun Xiao, leaving no room for fence-sitting or any thoughts of serving him."
The Talisman Emperor, with a frosty tone, added, "When a fiendish calamity invades, all seven hells breathe as one, sharing a common fate. No one can remain neutral. Recent murmurs within the Immortal Asylum have cast aspersions on the Reverie Abyss. I trust, Siren Empress, that your decisive action today will silence the critics and prove the wisdom of your hell."
Their words, seemingly calm, were as sharp as blades.
The Wick Devil's voice deepened, "Please," as he gestured. The strand of Yun Xiao's hair on his palm suddenly ignited with a crimson blood fire, unleashing a terrifying and ferocious aura that swept across the room.
"This Blood Oath Curse symbolizes the united resolve of the seven hells to exterminate this fiend, sealing our pact in blood. Any who harbor hope of escape are enemies of all and deserve to be cast into the abyss of history, their lineages extinguished."
Holding up the blazing blood fire, the Wick Devil faced the Siren Empress with a smile. "Come, lead your wise and brave people into the collective struggle of the Nine Hells against foreign invaders. The curse ignited by the blood of your people will surely be extraordinarily potent. The moment Yun Xiao falls under this curse, he'll feel the fiery vengeance of the Reverie Abyss against the Sword Cultivators!"
The Siren Empress, her face a mask of ice, retorted, "Wick Devil, history has shown the Blood Oath Curse to be a ruthless and unprincipled art. Its spread could endanger the peace of every being in the Nine Hells, inevitably leading some to commit mass slaughter for blood..."
"Exactly! Right you are!" The Wick Devil laughed heartily, thumping his chest. "Thank you for the reminder. So I declare here and now, should this art succeed in slaying that fiend, I will seal it away for good. Should it ever leak, let the Rising Sun Inferno be deemed the common enemy of all Nine Hells!"
At these words, many in the crowd visibly relaxed.
From the ranks of the Leviathan Ravine, Ao Yuan expressed her admiration, "The Yang Devil clan always thinks big. They're truly admirable."
The Wick Devil responded with a light chuckle, his eyes ablaze as he turned to the Siren Empress, his voice dropping, "Does anyone from the Reverie Abyss have further doubts?"
Met with the Siren Empress' silence, he added with a chilling edge, "I'm offering you a chance here, make sure to cherish it..."
In that moment, it felt as if all the cold murderous intent in the room was focused on these 20 merfolk!
Thinking of playing it safe? In your dreams! Neither the Talisman Emperor nor the Wick Devil would afford them such a luxury.
In that instant, a storm raged in the Siren Empress' heart. After exchanging looks with her kin, she clenched her teeth and declared to the Wick Devil with unwavering resolve, "Forgive my bluntness, but I am certain you won't be able to kill Exile Yun."
Her words plunged the dark hall into a deathly silence.
Many faces turned sour in an instant!
A cold murderous aura permeated the hall.
"And so?" the Wick Devil smirked, the volcanoes in his eyes erupting with greater fury.
"We from the Reverie Abyss withdraw from this so-called Blood Oath Pact. Do as you will." The Siren Empress was certainly facing a tempest within, yet she made her choice.
It was a path of life or death!
The Blood Oath Pact offered no middle ground. She believed that once they drew blood against Yun Xiao, the Reverie Abyss would have no future.
Perspectives on the same issue could vary widely.
The Reverie Abyss may have been at the bottom of the Nine Hells, but they had their own corner of peace and their own understanding of the world. The emergence of Yun Xiao resonated with their innate notion of beauty and perfection.
Their adherence to perfection made it nigh impossible for them to betray their deep-seated reverence. They trusted everything their eyes beheld, so even knowing the path ahead was fraught with hardships, they made their choice.
"You bunch of foolish fish, I'm not surprised to see you stray, but to openly court death is something I hadn't expected," the Talisman Emperor said coldly.
There they were, in the midst of stirring up a storm, and someone dared to defy them publicly. How could they let these dissenters leave to spread the word?
Clearly, the situation was beyond repair.
The Wick Devil cocked his head, a sudden smile breaking across his face. "I believe this is just the Siren Empress's wishful thinking. The rest of you from the Reverie Abyss surely see the clear picture. You needn't pay for the Siren Empress's folly. So, please, step aside!"
As the merfolk from the Reverie Abyss were about to speak, the Siren Empress raised her arm in front of them, commanding, "Step back!"
"You wish to face me alone?" the Wick Devil sneered.
"To die for one's beliefs is to die without regrets."
The Siren Empress lifted her chin, casting a disdainful glance at the Wick Devil, "In the portrait of Exile Yun, you appear as comical as a kitchen hand. Even if you kill me, the only path left for your Yang Devil clan is extinction."
The Wick Devil's smiling face twisted instantly.
"Is your brain swollen from too much time in the water, perhaps?" With a cold remark, the Wick Devil put away the Blood Oath Curse and summoned the Dragon Wick Seal in his other hand.
BOOM! Enveloped in flames, he charged at the Siren Empress with the Dragon Wick Seal in hand.
"Scatter!" The other Heaven Sanctuary Realm powerhouses in the hall twitched and immediately retreated to the corners.
Many humans and devils protected themselves with their daoist spells, while the demons relied on their physical resilience.
"Any who attempt to flee amidst the chaos will be shown no mercy!" From a higher vantage point, the Talisman Emperor's icy and deadly pronouncement pierced through the hearts of all present.
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