Chapter 2822: Chapter 2822
"Was it a demonic cultivator you encountered?" Ye Liuyun pressed the demonic lion.
Typically, techniques that drained a person’s lifeblood were the domain of demonic practitioners.
"Probably not. I didn’t sense any demonic aura from her!"
The demonic lion pondered for a moment but couldn’t recall feeling anything sinister about the woman. As a Devil Beast itself, it should have been able to detect another demonic presence.
"Hah! Serves you right for always stealing! Finally ran into someone who outmatched you, huh?" Lei Ming couldn’t resist taunting it.
Just then, chaos erupted outside the tavern.
"Someone’s dead!" a panicked shout rang out.
Ye Liuyun immediately extended his divine sense to investigate and spotted a strikingly alluring woman in red entering the establishment. Yet, the lifeblood of many martial cultivators inside was instantly drained—those with weaker cultivation collapsing dead on the spot.
Even those with higher cultivation wouldn’t last much longer.
Acting swiftly, Ye Liuyun pulled everyone into his spatial realm while activating his golden pupils to scrutinize the woman.
"A red-banded krait! So, she’s a Devil Beast!" Only then did he realize the red-clad woman was no human—her true form was that of a venomous serpent. She must have been the one who siphoned the demonic lion’s power of bloodline.
After surveying the room, the woman strode directly toward their private chamber.
Ye Liuyun calmly lifted his wine cup, waiting for her to enter. Since the demonic lion had provoked her by stealing first, he wasn’t about to act unreasonably.
But the moment she pushed open the door, Ye Liuyun felt his own lifeblood rapidly draining. He immediately sealed his meridians, yet even then, the loss continued—only at a slower pace.
"Miss, there’s no need to push things this far," he said evenly. Though he acknowledged their fault, and even if she was a Devil Beast, he had no desire to resort to violence outright.
But the woman let out a surprised "Huh?" before immediately intensifying her absorption.
"Then don’t blame me for what comes next!" Ye Liuyun said coldly. Without hesitation, he activated his temporal powers and imprinted a slave seal upon the Crimson Viper’s soul. Only then did she withdraw her energy, kneeling obediently before him.
Through soul-searching, Ye Liuyun learned that the woman had tracked them down by following the scent of the Demon Lion’s blood essence. Having tasted its potent energy before, she had been lured here like a moth to flame.
What puzzled her was how she had absorbed the Demon Lion’s essence when she had clearly been draining energy from her own Interspatial Ring earlier. Yet any blood essence she had once absorbed left an indelible trail she could follow.
When she first entered, her preemptive strike had been purely defensive—a reflex against potential threats. But the overwhelming vitality radiating from Ye Liuyun proved irresistible. The temptation grew too strong; she decided to drain him completely before hunting down the Demon Lion.
"Return what you stole from me," Ye Liuyun commanded sharply.
In just those brief moments since her arrival, the healthy glow had already faded from his face. A few more minutes of absorption might have aged him prematurely.
"As you wish, Master," the woman replied submissively, channeling the stolen essence back into him.
To his surprise, Ye Liuyun found his vitality not just restored, but enhanced. She must have transferred additional energy from the other victims she had drained upon entering.
"Now return its share too," Ye Liuyun ordered, releasing the Demon Lion from his spatial realm.
"Y-yes," she stammered reluctantly. Though displeased, the slave seal compelled her obedience as she restored the stolen essence to the beast.
"Boss, you’re amazing!" The Demon Lion fawned enthusiastically, its tail practically wagging with relief. Without this intervention, recovering its precious power of bloodline would have taken ages.
After storing the grateful beast away, Ye Liuyun studied the prostrate Crimson Viper, contemplating her fate.
The woman kowtowed desperately, her forehead touching the floor. "Spare me, Master! My cultivation has only recently advanced. If forced to surrender more essence, I fear I’ll regress..." Her voice trembled with fear, mistakenly assuming he meant to drain her dry.
This realization struck Ye Liuyun as well. Killing the Crimson Viper would be a waste—better to keep her alive to enhance his own power of bloodline.
Pretending to intimidate her, Ye Liuyun said sternly, "You’ve killed countless people just to advance your own cultivation. By all rights, I shouldn’t spare you..."
"Master, spare me! This servant swears to obey your every command from now on! I can help you strengthen your bloodline!" The Crimson Viper hastily pleaded, her voice trembling with desperation.
"Fine," Ye Liuyun replied, feigning reluctance. "Since you still have some use, I’ll let you live—for now. But from this moment on, you are forbidden to harm humans without my permission!"
Seizing the opportunity, he laid down his terms.
"But absorbing blood essence is my innate ability. Without it, my cultivation will stagnate," the Crimson Viper explained hesitantly.
"Can you absorb the blood essence of the dead?" Ye Liuyun asked.
"Only if they’re freshly deceased. If too much time passes, the essence dissipates," she answered truthfully.
Pondering for a moment, Ye Liuyun summoned the Demon Vine, the Sealing Demon Stele, and Black Mountain. "What about their blood essence? Can you absorb theirs?"
The Crimson Viper studied them briefly before replying, "Only that foreign creature’s. The stele and the boy... they don’t seem to have any blood essence."
Ye Liuyun withdrew them and explained, "The boy is also a Devil Beast, but he’s a manifestation of the Demon Vine. Since his true form is a plant, he lacks blood essence."
"Then what should this servant do in the future...?" The Crimson Viper lifted her gaze, awaiting his decision.
"Don’t worry. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to feed. I just won’t tolerate indiscriminate killing of innocents," Ye Liuyun clarified.
"Thank you, Master!" Relief washed over her as she bowed deeply.
"From now on, I’ll call you Chilian," Ye Liuyun said, too lazy to come up with anything more elaborate.
"Got it!" Chilian agreed obediently, showing no objection to the name.
Ye Liuyun then struck up a conversation with her. "Have you ever encountered the Otherworlders before? Absorbed their blood essence?"
"I have, both seen and absorbed them. But back then, I was too weak—only daring to sneak some from their younglings. Later, I fled here, afraid they’d catch me," Chilian explained.
"So, you can absorb and convert their blood essence too? Without being affected by the malevolent energy in their bodies?" Ye Liuyun pressed.
"Exactly. Their bloodlines don’t carry that taint. To me, they’re no different from ordinary humans," Chilian confirmed.
"Then you can also discern the strength of others’ bloodlines?" Ye Liuyun didn’t resort to soul-searching but kept the conversation casual as they ate.
"Absolutely! Master’s power of bloodline is incredibly strong—the mightiest I’ve ever encountered!" Chilian said earnestly.
"How did you become a demon?" Ye Liuyun continued casually, gesturing for her to sit and share some food.
"I traded my lifeblood essence with the Serpent King for a Shapeshifting Herb. But that treacherous snake broke his word—after taking my essence and mastering my blood-absorption ability, he tried to kill me. Luckily, I ran fast enough..."
