Chapter 107: The Blood Lotus Seed Calamity—Inviting You Into the Trap!

As the Master of Gu gestured, a mass of black mist erupted from the blood lotus beneath him, carrying with it an aura of ominous corruption that instantly swallowed the incoming sword light.

This mist possessed a soul-chilling, eerie power, its foul energy seemingly capable of corroding all things in heaven and earth. Zhang Yuanyi’s sword light, upon entering the shroud, vanished without a trace, as if a stone had been cast into the deep sea.

"Overestimating yourself!" the Master of Gu sneered. Had he not prepared thoroughly, would he have dared to appear here? During the earlier pill-refining contest, he had already permeated the surrounding void with the power of calamity. Now that his blood lotus had taken root within that space, he stood in an impregnable position. How could these wandering cultivators, with their meager, fragmented inheritances, comprehend the mysteries of his "Mystical Method of Non-existence" and the "Dao of Calamity Planting"?

Indeed, no matter how fierce Zhang Yuanyi’s sword strikes were, he could not breach the defense of the blood lotus and found himself locked in a stalemate. Seeing this, the surrounding wandering cultivators grew fearful; though their cultivation was low, they had no desire to die here pointlessly. A few timid ones stood up, bowed to Lin You on the main dais, and prepared to flee before the conflict could spread. Lin You did not stop them, nodding in silent approval to all who wished to leave. In an instant, countless beams of light shot into the sky, scattering in every direction.

Zhao Fan scoffed with disdain at the sight. While he understood their flight was only natural, he could not help but feel contempt. However, as he scanned the cloud terrace, he was surprised to see that four individuals remained. One was the burly and fierce-looking Tiger Lord; another was a heroic-looking youth clad in beast skins; and the other two were the mysterious siblings, Qing and Suo. Though their expressions were solemn, they remained seated.

On the dais, Lin You noticed the four who had not fled and asked with a light chuckle, "Why do you not leave, my friends?"

Tiger Lord cupped his hands and laughed, "Today, I have enjoyed the hospitality of the Daoist Master’s pill banquet and received many spiritual pills as gifts. How could I simply walk away?" Though born of a different race, he was a chivalrous soul, and his words were entirely sincere.

Qing and Suo spoke frankly: "Though this person is formidable, he is surely nothing to you, Senior. Since that is the case, why should we run?" They knew that before such powerful figures, pretense was counterproductive, and honesty was the better path. Furthermore, Qing’s own strength was not far off from that of the evil cultivator outside, and he possessed a secret artifact from his sect should the enemy truly break through. The outcome of such a battle was far from certain.

After hearing their replies, Lin You smiled noncommittally and turned his gaze back to the field.

The blood-colored lotus in the sky grew increasingly bewitching, its countless roots digging deep into the fabric of the world, tightening its hold on the surrounding void. Driven by the Master of Gu’s immense power, the energy of calamity manifested as swarms of toxic insects, gnawing at the void and surging toward Zhang Yuanyi. Zhang’s sword intent, once aggressive, had shifted into a defensive posture to protect himself.

At the very moment the blood lotus fully anchored itself to the world, a subtle, inscrutable smile appeared on Lin You’s face. The time had come; it was time to close the net.

He rose languidly in the morning light. A blue mark emerged between his brows, resembling pine patterns and cloud seals, radiating an unfathomable aura of the Great Dao. As the mark appeared, his presence suddenly became vast and profound, as if he were connected to the entirety of the heavens and earth. His status was supreme, untainted by the dust of the world, like a deity descended among mortals.

The few remaining on the cloud terrace were stunned to the point of speechlessness. In their eyes, Lin You had become the center of the world, the creator of all things, as if he could govern the yin and yang and command the movement of all existence at will. As Lin You took a single step, the entire Chisong Daoist Field seemed to "come alive," with every blade of grass and living thing appearing to rejoice.

The Master of Gu, suspended in the void, felt a sudden surge of unease. His keen spiritual sense compelled him to look into the distance. His gaze bypassed Zhang Yuanyi and fixed upon a fair, flawless hand. He felt an illusion that this hand could grasp the entire world—and crush him to death with it.

He soon realized it was no illusion. As the young Daoist on the opposite side closed his hand into a light fist, a sense of immense terror and mortal danger flooded his heart. He saw the entire world contained within that palm, squeezing down upon him with boundless might. He felt like a small insect trapped in a giant's palm, destined to be crushed at any moment.

Terrified to his core, the Master of Gu cared for nothing else and turned to flee. He inwardly congratulated himself for his caution in not approaching Mount Chisong too closely, leaving himself an escape route. Yet, when he tried to retract his spiritual treasure, the blood lotus, he discovered that the surrounding void—which he thought he had permeated—had become like an iron wall, binding the lotus firmly in place.

The connection the treasure had established with the world had turned into shackles, preventing it from breaking free. The Master of Gu was horrified, not yet understanding what was happening, when a soft laugh echoed through the world: "Since you have come, you may as well stay."

As the voice fell, he saw the Daoist point two fingers like a sword and slash lightly toward him. A wave of deathly threat filled his mind, and a long-forgotten sense of fear resurfaced. The Master of Gu roared internally, channeling all his power to block the brilliant sword light while frantically chanting a curse to unleash his final trump card.

On the cloud terrace, besides Zhao Fan and the others, were Ling Xu and the Daoist Hu Sheng. The moment they saw Lin You act, they were stunned. Only now did they realize what kind of existence they had provoked in their "Alliance of Extraordinary Beings." Such a being could crush them more easily than an ant. Ling Xu, in particular, was filled with regret; he had thought his seventh-level True Qi was enough to dominate the world, only to realize he had been a frog in a well. He vowed that if he survived, he would go into seclusion and never again speak of the foolishness of founding a sect.

However, as he wallowed in regret, the blood-colored nail in his robe suddenly began to vibrate in response to the Master of Gu’s curse. A sense of disaster washed over him. He tried to pull the nail out to discard it, but it was too late. The nail came to life, transforming into a streak of blood-red light that burrowed into Ling Xu’s body. Like a greedy parasite, it began to devour his True Qi and essence. Caught off guard, Ling Xu could only let out a single scream before the creature drained his blood and marrow in a few short breaths, leaving behind nothing but an empty husk.

The creature, still unsatisfied, lunged toward Hu Sheng and the others of the Alliance. It did not stop until it had drained the essence of everyone nearby, finally coalescing into a large, blood-red cocoon. A terrifying, malevolent aura emanated from within, as if some monstrous thing were gestating inside, causing Qing, Suo, and the others to turn pale with shock.