Chapter Twenty-Three: Plotting the Demise of the Crimson Bat Fiend

Before Qi Wei and the others had managed to run more than a few steps, a deafening boom erupted as countless blood bats surged out from the bat cave. Under the moonlight, these bats seemed to carry a faint crimson glow. With so many of them filling the sky, the very heavens changed color—the moonlight losing its silvery clarity, replaced by a murderous red hue.

Panic finally overtook Qi Wei and her companions’ faces. Suddenly, Qi Wei’s expression twisted and she glanced around anxiously. “Damn it, we’ve been betrayed by those two bastards!”

Indeed, Qi Wei finally realized it: Kang Jie and Zhao Yi had already taken advantage of the chaos when the blood bats gathered together, using the shockwave to quietly separate themselves from the group. Their aim was to hunt the Blood Bat Spirit. Even though they knew its weakness, there was no way they could break through the sea of blood bats themselves. The only way was to have someone lure the bats out.

And they, without a doubt, were the bait. The thought filled Qi Wei with fury, but there was no time to turn back for revenge. She could only lead the others in a desperate dash for the mountain’s edge.

The swarm of bats blotted out the sky. Within Canglang Mountain, countless birds and beasts fled in terror.

With a slicing sound, the blood bats swooped down like blades, seizing a giant wild bull and trying to lift it skyward. One bat alone couldn’t manage it, but thousands working together easily carried the enormous beast into the air. The bull, far larger than any human, was powerless. In just a single breath, a heap of bones rained down from above.

Seeing this, Qi Wei and her group turned pale as death. They joined the panicked throng of outer disciples, fleeing for their lives. Qi Wei swore to herself that one day, she would make Kang Jie and Zhao Yi pay dearly.

No matter the carnage outside, within the depths of the bat cave, Kang Jie and Zhao Yi were hurrying forward.

“Haha! Without those damned blood bats, this is so much easier! Senior brother, your plan was brilliant. Too bad for those two little shrews, heh heh!” Kang Jie laughed without a care.

Zhao Yi shot him a glance. “Enough with the act. As long as we get the Bloodfiend Gold Core, hmph, what kind of woman can’t we find? As for those outer disciples, dead is dead.”

Though Zhao Yi’s tone was casual, the coldness in his words made Kang Jie shudder. Compared to Zhao Yi’s ruthlessness, he himself was practically a monk playing at mercy.

Over twenty people had died for their sake. Even Kang Jie, for all his callousness, felt a chill at the thought. Zhao Yi, however, didn’t give the deaths a second thought. Perhaps, Kang Jie mused, this was what it took to accomplish great things. No wonder their master often advised him to learn from Senior Brother Zhao.

Lost in thought, Kang Jie followed Zhao Yi deeper into the cave. They hadn’t gone far when a shadow emerged from the stone wall beside them.

“Heh! Impressive. This was a clever ploy—slipping out of danger. Even I couldn’t be sure I’d manage so well,” Zhang Xiao remarked to himself.

Earlier, before the blood bats had gathered to unleash their shockwave, Zhang Xiao had relied on his Iron-armored Corpse’s night vision and the chill in the air to sense the impending danger. He quickly dug a pit, buried himself, and left only his eyes above ground to watch as the shockwave passed.

The two had taken advantage of the confusion, swiftly hiding themselves and somehow suppressing all signs of life—no doubt with the help of some mysterious pill. That was how they escaped the attention of the blood bats. Fortunately for Zhang Xiao, his Corpse Armor technique concealed his vital energy within the iron-armored corpse; otherwise, mere burial would have been no protection.

What a pity, though—the sacrifice was great. Over twenty people, many at the Qi Drawing stage, were torn apart by the bats. Even if revived, their strength would be much diminished—essentially destroyed. Still, with so many casualties, it would be to his advantage later. Zhang Xiao laughed to himself.

Meanwhile, Kang Jie and Zhao Yi were growing increasingly uncomfortable as they went deeper. The cave floor was layered a foot thick with bat droppings, and they pinched their noses in disgust as they slogged forward.

“Ugh!” Kang Jie couldn’t help retching after a short distance. Zhao Yi, though not vomiting, looked equally unwell. “Senior brother, aren’t we there yet?” Kang Jie complained.

The truth was, even Zhao Yi was irritated. The sticky feeling inside his boots made him want to scream.

“Enough. Let’s hurry. According to what Master said, we’re almost there. The Blood Bat Spirit must use a treasure of extreme yang each day to counteract the fiendish qi in its body. Right now it should be at a critical moment in its cultivation. If we strike quickly, just killing the Blood Bat Spirit will net us a fortune in rare treasures, even aside from the Bloodfiend Gold Core.”

With that, Zhao Yi strode forward, splattering bat droppings over himself without a care. Gritting his teeth, Kang Jie hurried after him.

In a stone chamber deep within the bat cave, a massive bat—its entire body appearing to have been bathed in blood—rested atop a jade altar. The stench of blood was overwhelming, even from afar.

This was the king of the cave, ruler of countless blood bats—the Blood Bat Spirit. In truth, it had once been an ordinary blood bat, but during the second Heaven Change, it had received a trace of primordial fortune, which had propelled its cultivation to the point of forming a Bloodfiend Gold Core and thus becoming ruler of Canglang Mountain. Yet, despite the power of the Gold Core, the blood bat’s innate flaws forced it each night to use treasures of extreme yang to neutralize the fiendish energy within. Without this, it would lose itself to madness.

The treasure of extreme yang had been left to it by a Daoist who appeared when it first formed its Gold Core. The Daoist, whose strength was unfathomable, had subdued the Blood Bat Spirit with a single finger. The spirit had thought itself doomed, but the Daoist spared its life and left a treasure of extreme yang to help it balance its fiendish energy. The Blood Bat Spirit marveled at its own luck whenever it recalled this.

Just then, as the Blood Bat Spirit reminisced, two young men in purple robes entered the stone chamber. The spirit was startled—it knew exactly how many minions guarded the outside. How had these two humans managed to break in? Their cultivation was only at the Qi Refining stage; there was no way they could have fought their way here. The spirit grew angry at its subordinates for their failure.

One of the young men, however, stepped forward without fear and bowed respectfully. “Blood Bat King, I come at my master’s command to deliver something to you.”

Having reached the Gold Core stage, the Blood Bat Spirit was highly intelligent and could understand human speech. For a moment, it was taken aback. It wasn’t that the spirit was easily deceived, but these two were so weak that it could kill them with a breath.

Seeing the spirit’s puzzled look, Zhao Yi smiled. “Blood Bat Spirit, do you remember the Daoist who appeared when you formed your Gold Core? Have you forgotten how you received the treasure of extreme yang beneath you?”

At this, the Blood Bat Spirit was startled. So, these were disciples of that great master! Seeing the spirit’s guard dropping, Zhao Yi continued, “My master foresaw your destiny with him. He guessed that your Gold Core must be stabilized by now, so he sent us to bring you a treasure to help you break through to the Nascent Soul stage.”

At these words, the Blood Bat Spirit was overjoyed. If it could form a Bloodfiend Nascent Soul, it would no longer need the treasure of extreme yang to balance its energy and would no longer be trapped here.

Immediately, the blood bat bowed to Zhao Yi in gratitude. Zhao Yi lightly patted the storage pouch at his waist, and a piece of wood radiating powerful vitality floated in his hand.

“Blood Bat Spirit, this is a core from the Azure Dragon Tree. If you absorb its life force, you will surely break through to the Nascent Soul stage. When that happens, don’t forget the favor my brother and I have done you.”

The Blood Bat Spirit could sense the treasure’s vitality was indeed sufficient for a breakthrough, and it bowed repeatedly to Zhao Yi. It had no intention of robbing them by force—the memory of that Daoist’s power still terrified it, and since the treasure was willingly given, there was no point in risking offense.

Zhao Yi, seeing its attitude, gently offered the Azure Dragon Wood. The blood bat received it eagerly, feeling its cultivation surge the moment it touched the treasure. But before it could rejoice, the wood suddenly flared with green light. Chains of vital energy sprang out, wrapping around the Blood Bat Spirit and binding its wings, digging into its flesh.

“Hahaha, fool! You thought forming a Bloodfiend Gold Core made you invincible? You don’t even recognize Soul-devouring Wood, yet dream of reaching the Nascent Soul stage?” Zhao Yi sneered at the struggling creature, his face full of mockery.

Kang Jie stepped forward. “Heh, once the Soul-devouring Wood consumes your soul, your flesh will still be a treasure. Don’t worry, I’ll make good use of it.”

Their words filled the Blood Bat Spirit with rage and grief. It instantly saw through the plot: the Daoist had spared its life and given it the treasure not out of mercy, but to let it nurture its Gold Core to perfection, and then set up his disciples to harvest the fruit. The spirit’s intelligence rivaled that of any human, and it understood everything in an instant. With eyes full of hatred, it glared at its captors.

“Hmph, still defiant as death approaches. Looks like I’ll have to finish you myself,” Kang Jie said, unnerved by the spirit’s glare, raising his weapon to strike.

“Junior brother, wait—” Zhao Yi began, but before he could finish, the Blood Bat Spirit opened its mouth and emitted a shrill noise. The sound grew fainter, yet the air itself began to reverberate.