Three days passed in boredom for Lan An, Xue Shang, and Xue Qian as they waited outside the Blood Guidance Labyrinth. Finally, after more than a month of stagnation, the first figure emerged from the massive structure.
"Haha! This noble Blood Race is definitely taking first place!"
A wild, arrogant laugh rang out, tinged with unrestrained pride. A blood-robed young man with protruding fangs and majestic bat wings soared out of the labyrinth exit. Clearly, he was a pure-blooded member of the Blood Race.
But his triumphant grin froze almost instantly. His expression turned to stunned disbelief as he saw the three figures lounging lazily nearby…
"How is this possible?" The Blood Race youth's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets as he blurted out in shock.
Though the assessment appeared fair on the surface, it was heavily biased toward the Blood Race in reality. The key to victory lay in sensing the pure blood scent placed at the exit of the Blood Guidance Labyrinth. That scent originated from the vast Blood Pool ahead. When it came to detecting blood auras, pure-blooded members of the Blood Race held an overwhelming advantage. Even blood cultivators with higher cultivation couldn't necessarily outpace them. It was clear the Blood Royal Clan had its own calculations—ensuring the Blood Race maintained absolute dominance during the assessment.
The young man who had just emerged was named Xue Leng—one of the most prominent participants this cycle. He possessed peak Fusion Realm cultivation and was a genuine pure-blood of the Blood Race. Rumors said he was the son of a Blood Envoy—his status needed no further explanation.
With his strength and background, Xue Leng should have claimed a spot on the Blood Child Ranking long ago. However, he had shown no interest in previous cycles' rewards. Only this time—with the Blood Pool as one of the prizes—did he finally decide to participate. He had been absolutely confident that his talent and innate advantages would guarantee him first place among the top twenty. Yet it had taken him a full month to clear the ultra-low-grade Blood Guidance Labyrinth. And upon exiting, he found three nobodies already waiting, yawning in boredom.
The scene was like a resounding slap across his face. Xue Leng's expression turned darker than it had ever been.
"Who are you people?" he demanded coldly, secretly sizing up Lan An's group.
A half-blood and two ordinary humans—completely insignificant and unknown. Xue Leng had no recollection of them.
"Greetings, Lord Xue Leng!" Xue Shang and Xue Qian hurriedly bowed. Though Xue Leng didn't know them, the couple had long heard thunderous rumors of his reputation.
This Xue Leng had once fought to a draw against a genius already on the Blood Child Ranking. No one knew why he had only now decided to register.
"I asked—who are you?!" Xue Leng roared when he noticed one of the three—Lan An—still lazily staring at the Blood Pool, not even bothering to glance his way. Rage surged within him.
"I am Xue Shang. This is my wife, Xue Qian… We are old acquaintances of Lord Xue Quan!" Xue Shang answered, cold sweat pouring down his back. Though he desperately wanted to make the Blood Child Ranking, he absolutely did not want to offend someone like Xue Leng.
The difference in status between them was simply too vast. Even if he worked his entire life, he might never close the gap…
"Xue Quan, that useless trash?" Contempt flashed in Xue Leng's eyes. Among the Blood Race, Xue Quan was just an average nobody—he didn't even register in Xue Leng's notice.
"How did you get out so quickly? Did you cheat?" Xue Leng questioned sternly.
Though he knew full well that cheating inside the Blood Guidance Labyrinth was nearly impossible, all he needed right now was an excuse to act. As for whether these three had actually cheated… they could explain that to the King of Hell.
"This…" Xue Shang and Xue Qian were momentarily speechless. Instinctively, they turned their gazes toward Xue Mie.
In truth, both of them also suspected Xue Mie of cheating—but his methods were so flawless that no one could detect anything.
"Hm?" Xue Leng noticed their glances toward Lan An and suspicion arose in his heart… Could the key lie with this one?
"Xue Leng, you're quite early!"
Before Xue Leng could make a move, another voice—tinged with faint mockery—rang out. A seductive Blood Race woman appeared. Her figure was voluptuous and alluring: horns on her head, bat wings on her back, a long swaying tail, and long, straight legs striding confidently. She wore only a thin, transparent veil—shamelessly exposing sensitive areas…
"Gulp—" Xue Shang and Xue Leng swallowed hard in unison. This Blood Race woman's allure was overwhelming to them.
Her name was Xue Di—another renowned genius of the Blood Race, also at peak Fusion Realm.
"Don't look at me with those disgusting eyes. Xue Di belongs only to Lord Xue Jun!" Xue Di huffed coquettishly, glaring at Xue Leng and Xue Shang with clear disdain.
Both men shuddered and shrank back.
Xue Jun was the current number one genius on the Blood Child Ranking—his cultivation had already reached the terrifying half-Immortal level. His status even surpassed ordinary Blood Kings. Because Xue Jun was the son of the Blood Emperor himself—known as the Blood Realm's foremost Imperial Prince.
More than ninety percent of the Blood Realm's female population idolized Xue Jun, swearing they would marry no one else. Xue Di was one of them. She adored Xue Jun to the extreme and was said to have personally served him once—allowing him to drink her blood. That alone was enough to make Xue Leng and Xue Shang wary. Anyone who touched someone who had been close to Xue Jun was simply courting death.
"Hehe, how interesting… I never expected that besides you, Xue Leng, three little rats would manage to exit before me?" Xue Di sized up Xue Shang's group with amusement. Her body shook with laughter, her ample chest rising and falling delightfully.
But everyone could hear the chilling malice hidden beneath her playful tone.
Xue Di had deliberately delayed registering for the Blood Child Ranking until she was confident her strength could secure a top performance—one that would catch Lord Xue Jun's attention. Who could have imagined that not only would Xue Leng—a well-known genius—beat her, but three complete nobodies would finish ahead of her too? She had fallen all the way to fifth place. How could Xue Di endure such humiliation? Lord Xue Jun would surely look down on her now. The more she thought about it, the more furious she became—trembling with rage, her killing intent practically materializing.
"Anyone who humiliates me in front of Lord Xue Jun must die—must die!"
Xue Di ground her teeth inwardly, fantasizing that Lord Xue Jun was secretly watching her right now… In reality, Xue Jun couldn't care less about this assessment. No one even knew where he currently was.
Xue Shang and Xue Qian naturally sensed the murderous intent in Xue Di's gaze. They hurriedly shrank behind Lan An, looking at him with pleading, pitiful eyes.
"Haha, now this is going to be fun to watch!" Xue Leng laughed heartily, excitement blazing in his eyes as he prepared to enjoy the show.
Xue Di didn't rush to attack. She understood that killing these three rats would be easy—but timing was everything. She needed to wait until more than twenty people had exited the labyrinth. Only then would the slaughter begin to reduce the numbers back to twenty.
If she acted too early—when fewer than twenty had passed—she would be reducing the final Blood Child count, effectively violating the assessment rules. Neither she nor Xue Leng could bear that crime.
Thinking of this, Xue Di glanced at Xue Leng and smiled wickedly:
"Xue Leng, go back into the labyrinth and help the others exit. The more, the better!"
"Oh?" Xue Leng raised an eyebrow, then grinned as he understood Xue Di's cleverness. He shot a sinister look toward Lan An's group.
If Xue Leng helped push the number of successful participants past twenty, then a round of killing would be necessary to trim it back down. And at that moment—the three rats who dared finish ahead of him would be the first to die miserably…
"Women really are terrifying when they scheme!" Xue Leng inwardly shivered as he glanced at Xue Di, but he didn't refuse her suggestion. On the contrary—he was brimming with enthusiasm.
He flew back into the Blood Guidance Labyrinth to "assist" others in passing… prioritizing pure-bloods, of course.
...
"Damn it—this is clearly targeting us!" Xue Qian's face paled, her teeth grinding audibly in fury.
Xue Shang's eyes turned bloodshot, his heart ashen with despair.
Being targeted by both Xue Di and Xue Leng—he felt his lifespan had suddenly become very short. Once the number of successful participants exceeded twenty—or even reached exactly twenty-three—the three of them would instantly become public enemies. With Xue Di and Xue Leng leading the charge, they would face a nine-deaths-and-one-life situation…
"You hateful bastard—how can you still sit there so relaxed at a time like this?" Xue Qian glared at Lan An, who was still lazily staring at the Blood Pool, and snapped angrily.
"Huh? What's wrong?" Lan An was startled by her shout. He blinked in confusion.
From beginning to end, he had been silently calculating the immense energy contained within the Blood Pool. He thought to himself: The chance to cultivate the Blood Gate of the Eight Gates Dunjia has finally come. Participating in this assessment wasn't a loss after all—it just took longer than expected.
Of course Lan An knew more people were exiting the labyrinth. But in his eyes, Xue Leng and Xue Di were harmless pests. Why waste time caring about what they said?
Xue Shang and Xue Qian nearly spat blood at his nonchalant attitude. They hurriedly recounted everything that had just happened in hushed, cautious tones…
"Oh? I see." Lan An listened, then curled his lip into a faint smile. He nodded casually: "Since I've already escorted Buddha all the way to the Western Paradise—fine. This time I'll help you two secure spots on the Blood Child Ranking. After that, we'll owe each other nothing!"
"You still dare say that?! If you hadn't shown off so outrageously and taken first place, would they even bother targeting us?!" Xue Qian hissed, practically exploding with anger.
"Xue Mie, do you really have a way to handle this?" Xue Shang asked cautiously.
"Just hide behind me," Lan An replied indifferently. He said nothing more and continued gazing at the Blood Pool…
Xue Shang and Xue Qian exchanged helpless glances and finally sighed in resignation… At this point, they had no choice. If they were going to die, so be it. At least they had managed to outshine pure-bloods during the Blood Child assessment—enough to feel satisfied. Clearly, neither believed Xue Mie could actually stand against Xue Leng and Xue Di.
In most people's eyes, Xue Mie had shown impressive combat power and could be considered first-rate genius material. But Xue Leng and Xue Di were long-established prodigies with deeply rooted status—people who could claim a spot on the Blood Child Ranking whenever they wished. How could Xue Mie compare? Moreover, he looked like a penniless nobody. The crimson greatsword on his back seemed impressive at first glance, but its grade was pitifully low—not even Heaven-tier. How could he possibly compete against rich heirs like Xue Leng and Xue Di, whose treasures were all high-grade? Xue Mie's sword was probably just for decoration.
...
"Xue Leng and Xue Di did well—deal with that cheater!"
Outside the plaza, witnessing the actions of Xue Di and Xue Leng, countless spectators cheered and applauded, reveling in others' misfortune. In their eyes, Xue Mie was clearly a cheater. His displayed strength wasn't particularly outstanding, and his rosy skin made him look repulsive and hateful. They wished nothing more than to see him trampled underfoot. If any other blood cultivator had performed like Lan An, the crowd might not have reacted so harshly. Unfortunately, Xue Mie wasn't a blood cultivator or a member of the Blood Race—making him the perfect thorn in everyone's side.
In the Blood Realm, only those who cultivated blood power were acknowledged and accepted by the masses. Xue Mie's inability to cultivate blood marked him as trash—that was the universal belief. But when trash achieved miracles and even surpassed Blood Race geniuses… didn't that indirectly imply that everyone else—even them—was inferior to trash?
How could they not feel jealous? How could they not envy?
Thus—whether Xue Mie had cheated or not—the crowd had already branded him with the label. It balanced their emotions: We didn't lose to him; he just cheated. Everyone understood and silently agreed on this point. Naturally, they were delighted to watch noble Blood Race like Xue Leng and Xue Di crush him.
The Blood King and the Blood Envoys naturally wouldn't intervene. After all, Xue Mie couldn't cultivate blood power—he wasn't worth their attention. If he died, so be it…
…
Time continued to crawl by. More and more people emerged from the labyrinth—mostly pure-bloods or half-bloods like Xue Shang. Among them was even an old acquaintance—Xue Quan. When he learned that Xue Mie and the Xue couple had been among the first to pass, a wave of hostility surged from the gathered Blood Race…
Finally, after more than half a month—when the number of successful participants reached eighteen—Xue Leng suddenly appeared again, leading a group of more than a dozen Blood Race members out at once…
"Mission accomplished!" Xue Leng licked his lips and grinned at Xue Di.
"Excellent. I'll be sure to put in a good word for you with Lord Xue Jun later!" Xue Di nodded in satisfaction. Her mature body rose gracefully. Her gaze locked coldly onto Lan An's group.
Including these three rats, the total number now stood at thirty. This scene drew thunderous cheers from the crowd outside the plaza. Thirty people… meaning ten extra names had passed the assessment and earned a spot on the Blood Child Ranking.
Those ten extra names… needed to be eliminated to finalize the results…
Though the final outcome wasn't yet clear, the crowd already understood: among those ten… Xue Qian, Xue Shang, and Xue Mie would certainly be included…
Seeing the majority of gazes turn hostile toward them, Lan An—in his role as Xue Mie—stretched lazily and yawned. Then, in a bored drawl, he spoke:
"This has taken way too long… All of you—come at me together!"