I Cultivated Too Long and Got Isekai'd Into a Game-Chapter 200: Trial of the Bloodline (2)

Henrietta was a hybrid. A human with half an Evil Spirit’s soul.

This isn’t something that one can get through mingling with an Evil Spirit, however. After all, a human with a physical body and a spirit with none had no way of reproducing.

Then, how is the half-hybrid made, you ask? Simple.

It’s by entwining the fates of two newborns, giving each other half of their soul.

Xu Tao knew of this method long ago—not by experience, but through reading ancient documents. As such, he was also aware of the Trial of the Bloodline—a test to see who would inherit all the power of the two fates combined.

’This is a vicious method that forfeits one life to increase the strength of the other...’

A method he found natural for Evil Spirits to use among themselves, but rare across other races—especially with humans. After all, the human race provided the least "benefit" in such exchanges.

’But that is in the past.’ Xu Tao narrowed his eyes, staring at a few faces among the crowd.

Not only Henrietta and Uriel, but Yifa, Henrietta’s older brother, and even Alexis himself were all hybrids too. Their presence here meant they had won the battle during their Bloodline Trial—that they had successfully "absorbed" their counterpart—but that didn’t speak volumes of how many humans had failed instead.

Looking at the current number of hybrids around, Xu Tao couldn’t help but assume the success rate was abysmal. Otherwise, the mortal world would have been overflowing with their kind already.

"Bitch..."

The female Blazing Wrath Fiend who was about to face Henrietta grinned fiercely. But if one were to pay attention, a vein was bulging on her temple, a sign that the earlier taunt had worked wonders.

Henrietta stepped forward, moving to meet her "other half."

"Ritta..." Uriel spoke, her voice carrying a hint of worry. "Be careful. Don’t underestimate your opponent," she warned.

"I know..."

Of course, Henrietta wasn’t underestimating her opponent.

Her earlier taunt wasn’t said out of confidence, but rather, as an attempt at mental warfare. After all, if her enemy lost her cool, she would show more openings to be taken advantage of.

The two walked, stopping only when they were about an arm’s length away from each other.

"Both of you," Lodia asked, checking their expressions.

Seeing that both wore serious looks, neither willing to back away, he nodded. "Then, let’s proceed to the battle arena we prepared!"

As he clapped his hands, all of a sudden, the entire venue changed.

Spires of spiky rock rose as the earth began to fall apart, revealing molten lava underneath. Within moments, they seemed to have moved to an alternate dimension, one themed around "flames."

The "stage" was the place where Henrietta and the other woman stood—roughly two hundred meters on each side. It wasn’t designed to fail during the fight either, as underneath it lay a thick foundation, strong enough that even if either side hit it with their best, it wouldn’t crumble toward the magma below.

"Hm?"

Xu Tao raised a brow, watching as the venue changed.

After all, this battlefield favored the Evil Spirit team more than it did Henrietta. Since she had a physical body, the heat emanating from the molten rock below would slowly sap her strength away. That would remain true even if she used her Spirit Descent technique to take on more of her Blazing Wrath Fiend side.

"Ugh...!"

Of course, Henrietta had already assumed such a thing would happen.

But just this much still fell under "fair" fights for the Evil Spirits, so she was actually quite happy it wasn’t any worse.

"Both of you, move to your respective corners!"

Right then, Lodia stood on a floating rock hovering near their stage. He acted as the referee of this fight, and also as the witness to whatever outcome would come.

After a last stare-off, both women turned around and walked.

One hundred meters wasn’t far considering their current abilities. As such, it didn’t even take a minute before they reached their starting positions. Lodia nodded at the sight, then raised a hand into the air.

"Then, under the rules of the Bloodline Trial... Let the fight to the death... begin!"

His words acted as the signal.

As soon as he brought his hand down, Henrietta moved—wasting not a single moment.

"Spirit Descent: Blazing Fist!"

The next instant, Henrietta’s body began to burn blue. It wasn’t like the lukewarm flames she produced while sparring with Uriel, but instead, full-on hot flames that tried to melt anything they touched.

Of course, her clothes were no exception.

Her dress melted away like paper, turning to ash in moments—but of course, she didn’t end up naked afterward. Beneath her dress, she wore an almost identical style of clothing to her enemy: a black tank top and compression tights, resembling gym attire.

These articles were specially made with materials that didn’t burn easily, allowing her to raise the heat—literally—without worrying about her dignity afterward.

"Using flames against me?! You must be out of your mind...!"

But of course, her enemy was the same as her... No, she was even more adept at controlling flames. Hers burned a lighter blue compared to Henrietta’s—a testament that they were hotter and brighter. As expected of a true Blazing Wrath Fiend, her flames were no joke!

"Hah!" Henrietta scoffed as she rushed, closing the distance until they were practically chest-to-chest. "I didn’t activate it to scare you off, anyway... It’s for this...!"

The next moment, her fist landed on her opponent’s solar plexus.

The exchange was so fast that only a few were able to keep track of what had happened.

"Guh...!"

Air escaped the woman’s lungs, stunned by the power she hadn’t expected from Henrietta’s thin arms. However, her body’s bulk wasn’t just for display either.

"Don’t... mess with me...!"

In retaliation, she grabbed Henrietta’s shoulder as she launched a knee. It was a quick counterattack, but Henrietta moved as if she had expected it. She crossed her arms, blocking the kick, before landing a few steps back—

"Haap!"

—then dashed forward once more.

"...I see!"

Uriel muttered, surprised at the unexpected ingenuity Henrietta was showing. "She’s using her Spirit Descent to cancel out the flame damage from both her enemy and the environment!"

"Correct."

Xu Tao nodded lightly... but his lips remained curled into a deep frown.

Henrietta was dominating the fight in its current stage... but just from a glimpse of their earlier exchange, he knew the truth.

Henrietta... would lose.