Blood Fiend stumbled through the dense forest dragging his severed arm, every breath smelling of metallic blood and bringing tearing pain. Although he had barely managed to seal the wound on his left shoulder with Soul Power to stop the bleeding, every movement tugged at his nerves, making his vision darken with pain. Even worse was the hollow weakness inside; his Soul Power was like a leaking bucket, almost completely drained, making it extremely difficult to even maintain a basic Martial Soul Possession.
"Bitch..." He spat a vicious curse with every staggering step, his voice hoarse like a broken bellows. Moonlight filtered through the sparse leaves, illuminating his pale, twisted face and reflecting a ghost-like expression of venomous hatred. He had never been so humiliated. A dignified Soul Ancestor had actually been forced by an obscure woman to sever his own arm and flee like a stray dog! This shame must be washed away with blood!
He needed to find the organization, gather men, and tear that woman into ten thousand pieces, using her blood to nourish his Martial Soul!
However, no matter how fiercely the flames of revenge burned, they couldn't ward off the cold and dizziness rising from deep within his body. Excessive blood loss combined with Soul Power exhaustion made his body feel heavier and his steps more unstable. Black spots danced before his eyes, his ears rang, and he even began to lose his sense of direction.
"Can't... can't fall..." Blood Fiend bit the tip of his tongue hard, the sharp pain bringing a brief moment of clarity. He suddenly lunged toward a large tree, leaning against the trunk and gasping for air. He needed replenishment! He needed blood! A lot of blood!
Just then, a rustling sound of wings came from not far away. Several startled nocturnal birds flew frantically over the treetops.
A murderous light flashed in Blood Fiend's eyes, like a hungry wolf seeing its prey. He forced out his last bit of Soul Power, and the remaining energy in his right hand struggled to condense into a dim, blood-colored thread that shot out like lightning!
"Puchi!"
An unlucky owl was accurately pierced by the blood thread. Before it could even scream, its body instantly shriveled into a dried corpse and fell to the ground. The blood thread retracted, bringing back a weak, warm, and metallic life energy.
Blood Fiend greedily sucked in this meager "nourishment," like a desert traveler sipping dew. This bit of energy was a drop in the ocean, only causing the darkness before his eyes to fade slightly; the weakness in his body didn't lessen at all.
"Not enough... far from enough..." He licked his parched lips, a crazed light flickering in his eyes. He needed a stronger living being! A human! Preferably a Spirit Master!
He struggled to stand, searching for his next target in the darkness like a wounded beast. He didn't dare return to the main road and could only prowl deep within the forest, hoping to encounter a lone hunter or a lost traveler.
Fate seemed to hear his inner longing. Just as he was about to collapse and his consciousness began to blur, a slender figure appeared at the bend of the forest path ahead.
It was a young girl.
The moonlight was like water, spilling over her and outlining her graceful figure. She wore a simple white combat suit with a silver silk sash tied around her waist, her soft chestnut hair fluttering gently in the night breeze. She seemed to be in a hurry, her steps light yet firm, her entire being radiating a clear aura that was completely out of place with this bloody night.
Blood Fiend's heart leaped, not because of the girl's beauty, but because of the pure Soul Power fluctuations radiating from her! Although they didn't feel strong—likely only at the level of a Spirit Grandmaster or a newly initiated Soul Elder—that Soul Power was balanced and peaceful, carrying a bright aura that he instinctively found loathsome and... desirable!
"A Spirit Master... and a green one at that..." Blood Fiend's mouth curled into a hideous and greedy smile, his remaining right eye flashing with bloodthirsty red light. Truly, when one door closes, another opens! Sucking dry this girl's essence and blood would be enough for him to recover part of his strength, and perhaps even suppress the extremely uncomfortable Ultimate Water left behind after being eroded by Furina's water lines!
He no longer hesitated. Like a lurking venomous snake, he suddenly lunged from the shadows. The Soul Power in his remaining right arm surged, his five fingers forming a claw that struck toward the girl's back with a foul wind! Although his speed was far from his peak, he was confident that a sneak attack would be more than enough to handle a young Spirit Master!
"Little girl! Let me borrow your blood!" His hoarse voice sounded like the cry of an owl.
However, just as his blood-stained claw was about to touch the girl's clothes—
The girl's footsteps didn't even pause.
She simply turned her body slightly, her movement as elegant as a dance under the moon. A golden light, so pure it was nearly holy, erupted from her without warning!
The light wasn't blinding, but it carried a majestic righteousness that dispelled all darkness and filth! Wherever the golden light passed, the smell of blood and evil aura in the air vanished as quickly as snow melting.
Blood Fiend only felt an indescribable burning sensation instantly sweep through his body! That golden light seemed to possess a purifying power, acting as a nemesis to the bloody Soul Power he relied on for survival, causing it to boil and evaporate violently! He let out a muffled groan, his forward momentum coming to a screeching halt as if he had hit an invisible wall of light. He was sent staggering back, and the pain from his severed arm hit him like an overwhelming wave!
"What?!" Blood Fiend was terrified, his remaining right eye bulging as he looked at the girl in disbelief.
The girl slowly turned around.
Under the moonlight, her face was extraordinarily beautiful, with an awe-inspiring heroic spirit between her brows. What shook Blood Fiend's Soul the most was that behind her, a pair of massive wings condensed from pure light elements were slowly unfurling! Every feather flowed with a golden halo, radiating a holy and majestic aura!
"Holy... Angel?!" Blood Fiend's voice cracked with extreme fear and shock. He recognized this legendary top-tier Martial Soul! It was the natural nemesis of their Evil Soul Master lineage!
The girl—Ye Guyi—had eyes that were now filled with cold disgust and killing intent. She didn't even bother to ask questions, as the thick smell of blood and evil Soul Power radiating from the one-armed man, combined with his sneak attack, already explained everything. This was an Evil Soul Master! An Evil Soul Master who had just committed a heinous crime!
"Evil creature, you shall be executed!" Ye Guyi's voice was as cold as ice, carrying an unquestionable tone of judgment.
Before her voice had even faded, three spirit rings instantly rose from beneath her feet—yellow, yellow, purple! A standard Soul Elder configuration! But the moment the spirit rings lit up, that holy radiance far surpassed others of the same rank!
The first spirit ring shone brightly!
"Holy Light Radiance!"
A beam of golden light, condensed as if solid, shot toward Blood Fiend with the power of a spear of judgment and the speed of lightning! How could the heavily injured Blood Fiend dodge the speed of light?
Blood Fiend only had time to let out a desperate roar, instinctively raising his right arm to block while channeling all his remaining Soul Power to condense a thin blood-colored shield in front of him.
"Chiii—!"
The Holy Light was like a hot knife through butter, easily piercing the fragile blood shield and accurately hitting Blood Fiend's right arm!
"Aaaaahhh!!!" A shrill scream that didn't sound human pierced the night sky!
There was no flying flesh or shattering bone. The right arm hit by the Holy Light was like snow thrown into a scorching sun, instantly melting! It wasn't severed; it was completely purified and annihilated from a physical level! Even the evil demonic patterns wrapped around the arm turned into nothingness!
Before the pain of the lost arm could subside, a new and even more terrifying agony instantly flooded Blood Fiend's nerves. The holy energy was like a maggot in his bones, frantically pouring into his body through the stump, burning and purifying the bloody Soul Power he had cultivated for many years! That pain felt as if his very Soul was being roasted by holy flames!
"No... mercy..." Blood Fiend completely broke down, his remaining consciousness swallowed by boundless fear and pain. He collapsed to the ground, writhing like a pile of mud and letting out incoherent pleas for mercy.
Ye Guyi's eyes didn't flicker at all, showing only cold resolve. The angel wings on her back flapped gently, and she floated up, looking down at the dying evil creature on the ground from above.
The second spirit ring lit up!
"Holy Spirit!"
A giant sword completely condensed from brilliant golden light appeared in her hand. Holy runes flowed along the blade, radiating the majesty of final judgment!
Without any extra words, Ye Guyi gripped the sword with both hands and slashed down fiercely at the writhing mass of foul-smelling flesh on the ground!
"Cut!"
The golden holy sword, carrying a majestic heavenly power, slashed down without any resistance!
There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a soft "puf" sound, like a bladder full of foul water being punctured.
The moment Blood Fiend's body came into contact with the holy sword, it was like low-quality metal thrown into a purification furnace. Starting from where he was struck, he rapidly turned to ash! The ash wasn't black but a nearly transparent white after being completely purified, subsequently vanishing entirely within the holy radiance without leaving a single trace.
Only a patch of exceptionally clean earth scorched by Holy Light remained. The smell of blood and evil aura in the air had vanished without a trace, leaving only a faint, refreshing holy lingering charm.
Ye Guyi slowly landed, the angel wings on her back and the holy sword in her hand dissipating into dots of golden light. She looked at the clean patch of earth, her brow furrowing slightly.
"With such a heavy smell of blood... he must have been an Evil Soul Master who slaughtered innocent lives." She whispered to herself, her cold gaze sweeping across the silent woods. "It seems this area is not peaceful."
She didn't stay long. Her figure flashed, turning into a faint golden stream of light as she continued toward her original direction, as if she had simply crushed a filthy bug.
The moonlight remained cold, and the mountain forest returned to silence. Only that patch of earth purified by Holy Light silently told the end of an Evil Soul Master's sinful life. And far away in Fontaine City, Furina was still unaware that the Blood Fiend she hated so much had already met his well-deserved, complete purification at the hands of a passing Holy Angel.