Chapter 43: Scaled Blood

This Big Fellow looks quite wronged…

But then again, judging by the information it revealed during its conversation with Ling Feng, it seems that Ya Zi wasn’t imprisoned here after being defeated but rather voluntarily confined beneath this Yangyuan County’s underground sea as part of some agreement made with the first West Saint of the West Yu Lineage.

However, it seems that the West Saint employed some underhanded tactics in that initial agreement, failing to fully disclose everything to Ya Zi. Just to prevent any repercussions from spreading, it seems they used some convincing rhetoric to keep it detained until now.

Being locked away for over a thousand years, combined with what looks like a naturally bad temper, it’s entirely understandable it’d be in such a state.

With Ya Zi’s furious outburst, the previously conducive atmosphere for interaction took a nosedive. While Ling Feng’s protective jewel blocked most of the surging ferocious energy, it was merely an aura—Ya Zi’s true power, the essence, was about to reveal itself.

It roared and struggled, the silver chains making a loud clatter, as the seven colossal pillars surrounding Ya Zi erupted with light and magic symbols, seemingly exerting themselves to suppress the agitated beast.

“Roar!!! Roar!!!!”

Ya Zi gave up on communication, replacing it with the dragon-like roar echoing through the grand hall, sending shocks through the entire crystalline palace and causing the underground sea to tremble violently, stirring the ground beneath our feet.

Ling Feng quickly stepped back a few paces to join the two girls, her expression more serious than ever.

“The situation is worse than I imagined… How can Ya Zi be so enraged? Looks like we’ll have to take emergency measures.”

“Emergency measures? What’s that?”

As if responding to the curiosity of the black-haired girl, Ling Feng turned her head.

“It means reinforcing the seal forcibly to contain it and prevent this place from collapsing. Vilyric, can you still use that technique you once temporarily employed in Zeng Family Village to block the Moonlight?”

“Oh… You mean [Holy Radiance], right? Sure, I can. But that thing only purifies; does it really calm down this Big Fellow who seems to just be angry? If you ask me, I’d recommend using something quicker like [Purifying Rain] for true purification…”

Not catching the essence of someone’s ‘kind-hearted’ suggestion, Miss Ling Feng simply shook her head quickly, choosing what she deemed a more secure plan.

“As long as you can use it! I’ll perform a ritual to temporarily suppress Ya Zi and strengthen the seal’s power, but this ability isn’t stable. If I start to show signs of struggling, please assist me at the crucial moment with that technique, okay?”

“Uh… Alright, it’s up to you.”

Receiving a slightly regretful agreement from someone, Ling Feng immediately nodded and signaled to Bai’er with her eyes.

Bai’er seemed to understand the ability she was about to use and wore a slightly worried expression.

“Lady, do you really want to do this? It’s only to be used at critical times…”

“Now is the critical time! If Ya Zi breaks through the blockade, the Beast Suppressing Seal will completely collapse, plunging the whole Yangyuan County and the surrounding counties into ruin! No need for further discussion, my mind is made up!”

“Yes… Understood! Bai’er swears to protect you with my life.”

Having swiftly agreed with her companion, Ling Feng took a deep breath, reached into her robe, and pulled out a peculiar necklace of considerable size from her ample bosom, tossing it to Bai’er.

Immediately, an incredible transformation began to unfold around her.

From her gray hair, golden-red glimmers seeped like stars, resembling red ink dropping into clear water and then spreading like a raging fire, engulfing her surroundings. In mere moments, the lower half of the girl’s three thousand strands of hair transformed completely into a fiery gradient of red!

Like breaking free from a confinement, a powerful and domineering aura erupted from Ling Feng, lifting her plain dress and causing waves to surge within the crystalline palace of the deep sea.

But her transformation didn’t stop there.

“With my scaled blood, tremendous divine might, enter my body!!!”

As the girl’s high-pitched call filled the air, mystical symbols, akin to magic patterns, flared brightly from Ling Feng’s back, shining like characters containing mysterious powers that her attire could hardly conceal, granting her an even more astonishing transformation.

Rapidly, smooth and delicate crimson scales sprouted from her skin, twisting horn-like formations emerged from her head, and a fiery light flickered in her shining eyes, transforming into vertical pupils. Flames erupted freely under the deep sea, becoming unfazed even by the sinister waters surrounding her!

This was a form that could no longer be called human, leaning closer to a demon, yet Bai’er appeared to have anticipated her master’s transformation, still standing guard, sword drawn, beside Ling Feng, who was exuding an intense aura.

Even the previously agitated Ya Zi was drawn in by this primal aura from the depths of ancient times, growing even more furious.

【You are her descendant! And there’s another one besides her! Damn it! You all should die!!!】

“Roar roar roar!!!!!!!!!!!”

Amidst the frenzy of dragon-like roars, the silver chains binding Ya Zi shook even more violently, the seven huge demon-suppressing pillars echoed with distressing groans, their magic symbols flickering as if about to reach their breaking point.

At that moment, Ling Feng, seemingly having completed her transformation, suddenly bit her finger, mixing the blood burning with fierce flames, raising her hand to unleash a beam of light!

A gigantic light imprint, almost enveloping herself and the distant seven pillars, immediately formed beneath her.

“Seven-Star Demon Suppressing Great Seal, activate!”

That golden-red light shot forward, infusing into one of the shakily moving stone pillars. The flickering magic symbols seemed nourished, instantly shining brilliantly, while the thick, ancient aura radiated outwards, stabilizing the pillar so that no matter how Ya Zi pulled, it remained unyielding.

“Roar!!! Roar!!!!!!!!!!”

The ferocious beast roared in even greater fury, but Ling Feng paid no mind, flinging more of her blood, now crimson as fire, from her fingertips towards the second stone pillar, stabilizing and reinforcing it.

Though this approach seemed effective, it was clear that it came at a cost for Ling Feng.

The first time, she seemed fine, but now as she discharged her bloodlight again, her complexion visibly paled, not just from energy depletion but likely also from the loss of blood vitality.

That was probably pure blood essence, condensed from her lineage, and only such purity could yield such immediate effects.

Moreover, pushing forward with this tactic made the bloodline within her unstable, likely to bring about severe backlash at any moment. Thus, Ling Feng could never reinforce all seven pillars alone, unless she wanted to die here today.

The most experienced priestess, Vilyric, quickly made this assessment.

In the blink of an eye, having activated her beast bloodline, the girl raised her hand once more, striking a third beam of light towards one of the massive pillars to stabilize it, but her previously abundant power and fiery aura began to noticeably decline, her form swaying slightly.

“Isn’t it enough now, Lady? We can’t keep going!”

“…”

Ignoring Bai’er’s urgent protests, Ling Feng didn’t even have the energy to turn her head and explain, simply taking a deep breath and lifting her jade hand for the fourth time, pointing toward the seven Demon Suppressing Pillars ahead.

   

---