A youth dressed in the uniform of a Law Enforcement Disciple sauntered over, swaying his hips. He wore a flirtatious smile and carried a pitch-black Long Spear.

With a wave of his hand, an illusory image materialized before him. A closer look revealed it to be a map of Luoxia City, marked with countless small red dots that vaguely formed an evil pattern.

His current location, Celestial Sound Mountain, was marked on the map as a large black dot.

If someone were to compare this image with the actual locations, they would discover that the red dots on the map marked the places where the Blood-robed People had driven their blood-colored long spears into the ground.

From the start of the plan until now, all the red dots had been lit up. Only this final black node remained.

"I thought this would be a bit of a challenge, but it seems Luoxia City is nothing special after all."

The youth remarked, his tone dripping with boredom, as he held the Long Spear.

"Let me guess what you’re trying to do. Sabotage the City Defense Array? Or destroy the Tier Four Spirit Vein? Oh, right, or maybe you’re thinking even bigger. A blood sacrifice of all of Luoxia City. I wonder, am I right?"

A mocking voice sounded from behind the youth, instantly making the hairs on his body stand on end.

He whirled around, and a figure slowly emerged from the shadows behind him.

It was a cheerful-looking man in an azure robe, watching him with arms crossed and a mocking expression.

For some reason, he felt completely exposed in this man’s presence.

"Who are you?" A flicker of apprehension crossed the youth’s eyes. This man had appeared behind him without a sound, a feat that terrified him, as he himself was an expert in concealment techniques.

The man smiled upon hearing this and said, "I am the fifth disciple of the Celestial Mist Ascendant."

At these words, the youth’s pupils contracted. The Celestial Mist Ascendant was the former Great City Lord of Luoxia City. If this man claimed to be the fifth disciple, his identity was all but revealed.

"You’re Bai Zhengchun? But aren’t you supposed to be dead?!" the youth exclaimed in disbelief.

"I’m surprised someone still remembers my name after all these years. I have no idea who started that rumor. I was just in seclusion for a little while. How did that get twisted into me being dead?" Bai Zhengchun grinned, flashing a row of pearly white teeth and causing the youth’s hair to stand on end.

For Cultivators born in the last century, the name Bai Zhengchun might sound unfamiliar. But over a hundred years ago, his title, the Blood Robe Asura, was a name that struck fear into countless hearts.

Even Demon Cultivators were horrified by the amount of blood on his hands.

Later, it was rumored he had been killed in a siege by a horde of beasts, news that caused countless people to celebrate.

Who would have thought that after vanishing for over a century, he would reappear before the world once more.

"I’ve introduced myself. Now, it’s your turn. Who are you? It doesn’t feel right for you to speak to me while wearing the guise of a Luoxia City disciple," Bai Zhengchun said, smiling amiably as if he were just trying to make a friend.

"Hmph!"

The youth snorted. With a flash of blood-red light, their appearance changed in an instant. In the blink of an eye, the youth transformed into a voluptuous woman in blood-red robes, every glance and smile brimming with seductive charm.

"Since you’ve seen through me, this shell is useless. I am a Squad Leader of the Blood Demon Sect, the Blood Princess!" The Blood Princess stared coldly at Bai Zhengchun, but in her mind, she was already plotting how to get away.

Yes, she was already thinking of how to escape. She was no fool. A man’s reputation precedes him, and the title "Blood Robe Asura" was enough to extinguish any thought she had of fighting him.

"Blood Princess... It seems the hidden strength of the Blood Demon Remnants in the Daqi Cultivation World is far greater than I anticipated. We’ve already slain two of your Purple Mansion Cultivators, but you still haven’t learned your lesson, daring to plot against my Luoxia City."

"So, tell me your plan. What could possibly be so important that you’d be willing to use over a thousand long spears forged from Spirit-devouring Meteorite Iron?" Bai Zhengchun watched her, perfectly at ease.

"Do you take me for some naive little girl? You think I have to tell you just because you’re curious? Still... if you’re willing to spend the night with me, this little lady might consider telling you," the Blood Princess purred, licking her sensual lips. Meanwhile, her hidden hand was secretly gathering power in the black Long Spear.

"Sigh... Wouldn’t it be easier to just cooperate?" With a soft sigh, Bai Zhengchun’s figure vanished with a SWOOSH.

The Blood Princess’s face filled with terror. She warily scanned her surroundings as her Divine Sense spread out like a tide, revealing every minute detail within a radius of several thousand meters. Yet, she couldn’t detect even a trace of Bai Zhengchun’s aura.

SHIING!

A Blood Saber abruptly appeared by her side.

The overwhelmingly dense Evil Qi made the Blood Princess’s hair stand on end. In a flash of blood-red light, she teleported hundreds of meters away. She watched a lock of her own hair float to the ground, her heart still pounding with fear.

Just a moment ago, the blade had been a hair’s breadth from her neck.

Bai Zhengchun appeared, holding the Blood Saber. He was enveloped in Blood Evil Qi, his eyes had turned crimson, and for a moment, it was hard to tell who the real Blood Demon was.

"I’ll give you one last chance. What is your plan, and where is your lair?" he asked, pointing his Blood Saber at her. His voice was utterly cold, devoid of any emotion.

The Blood Princess clenched her teeth. She knew Bai Zhengchun was strong, but she hadn’t expected him to be *this* strong. He had cornered her with a single strike.

Faced with his condescending posture, a surge of rage washed over the Blood Princess. "You really think you have me at your mercy?" she snarled.

Tilting back her slender neck, the Blood Princess let out a piercing shriek that spread throughout Luoxia City.

"So you have help? It seems the City Lord’s Mansion is due for a thorough cleaning. It’s one thing for so many Blood Demon Remnants to have infiltrated us, but to think there’s more than one at the Purple Mansion Stage."

Bai Zhengchun said faintly, his figure disappearing once more.

A Blood Umbrella materialized in the Blood Princess’s hand. As she opened it, a river of blood cascaded down, pooling into a sea of blood at her feet.

SWISH!

The deadly saber reappeared, but this time, it was blocked by a barrier formed from the sea of blood.

"Back!"

The Blood Princess waved her umbrella, and the sea of blood instantly surged toward Bai Zhengchun.

"Begone!"

Bai Zhengchun’s voice boomed like spring thunder, and the sea of blood instantly recoiled, surging back with even greater force than before.

BOOM—

The sea of blood crashed against the Blood Umbrella, and the Blood Princess was sent flying backward, an unnatural flush on her face.

Just as Bai Zhengchun was about to press his advantage, three Blood-robed People strolled over from different directions.

One was short and stout, one had crimson eyes, and one had a blob of blood-colored liquid resting on his shoulder. They all exuded a formidable aura.

They were the Squad Leaders from Yang, Lin, and Xiang Provinces, respectively.

To lure the Demon Beasts into breaching the city walls, the Blood Demon Sect had truly spared no expense this time.

"Heh heh. What a grand move. A truly unexpected haul." Despite being surrounded by four Purple Mansion Stage Blood Demons, Bai Zhengchun showed no fear, instead studying them with great interest.

"Kill him and complete the plan," the Yang Province Squad Leader said grimly.

"Kill!" the Lin Province Squad Leader said, even more succinctly.

"My precious, you get to eat something good today," the Xiang Province Squad Leader said softly, gently stroking the blob of liquid on his shoulder.

Knowing they couldn’t afford to get bogged down, the Blood Princess was the first to attack. The other three also unleashed their Divine Techniques, intending to overwhelm and kill him in one fell swoop.

"The snakes have all come out of their holes. Are the rest of you going to continue watching the show?" Bai Zhengchun called out, staring into the empty air before him.

As his voice faded, the air around them seemed to freeze. Four figures abruptly appeared in the sky above the battle. Their vast and powerful Spiritual Power surged, making them as dazzling as four small suns in the night sky.

"Four Purple Mansion Cultivators!" the Blood Princess cried out in shock. Outside the city, the Demon Beasts were launching a full-scale attack. Zhan Tianxia and that elusive Third City Lord had already appeared on the city walls with two other Purple Mansion Cultivators.

’And now, even more Purple Mansion Cultivators have appeared out of thin air. Where did Luoxia City find so many experts?’

"Some people always think our Luoxia City has stood here for two thousand years on luck alone." An old man looked down at them with a cold expression and said flatly, "Kill!"

...