243: Chapter 243 Blood Butcher Appears, Demonic Power Envelops Him

The cave was so quiet that the sound of a stone hitting the ground could be heard.

The purple mist hung in mid-air, frozen as if it had been solidified, unmoving.

The ring of moss also stopped flickering, as if time itself had been stuck in this fleeting moment.

Chen Wuwang stood behind the afterimage of the earth dragon mech, his right knuckles tapping lightly against the hilt of the Titanium Alloy Dagger at his waist—tap, tap—the rhythm as steady as if he were counting heartbeats.

He did not move, nor did he make a sound; only his left Mechanical Prosthetic Eye rotated slightly, its red light sweeping across the ground, the rock walls, and the air—he memorized the energy fluctuations of every inch of space.

He knew it: it was here.

Not a Yao Beast, not the Zerg, nor some Puppet watching from the shadows.

It was a person.

And a ruthless one at that.

From deep within the passage, a shadow slowly stepped out.

The footsteps were not heavy, but with every step he took, the purplish-gray moss beneath his feet withered and carbonized instantly as if scorched by fire, emitting a faint "chi-chi" sound.

The man was tall and draped in a tattered blood-colored robe, its edges ragged and uneven as if slashed by blades, trailing behind him.

His face was expressionless, but his eyes glowed with a scarlet light, like two fires burning in a deep well.

Blood Butcher.

He had emerged.

As his soles pressed against the cracked ground, twelve bloodlines spread from beneath his boots, diffusing along the ground in all directions. The speed was immense; in the blink of an eye, they wove a spiderweb-like Formation pattern across the entire floor of the cave.

The Formation patterns squirmed as if alive, rising along the cracks in the rock, crawling over stone pillars, and climbing up to the dome. The rock walls of the entire cave began to ooze a scarlet liquid—not water, but blood.

Thick, scalding, and smelling of rust.

One drop, two drops, three drops...

More and more, eventually converging into thin streams that flowed down the stone walls, dripping onto the ground with dull thuds.

The air became thick; breathing felt like inhaling a sodden rag, pressing heavily on his chest.

The Blood River Demonic Art had been activated.

This cave was no longer a cave.

It was the internal organs of a giant beast pulsating.

Blood Butcher stopped, standing at the center of the Formation, slowly spreading his arms like a priest welcoming a deity.

He lifted his eyes, his gaze like a blade, sweeping through the darkness and finally landing on Chen Wuwang.

The corners of his mouth split open, revealing a smile that was nearly a tear.

"Chen Family." He spoke, his voice low and hoarse, yet it boomed like thunder in one's ears. "Today is your death day!"

The moment his words fell, the entire cave shook violently.

The blood flow on the rock walls suddenly accelerated, converging into small streams that surged toward the center, guided by the Formation patterns.

The blood Qi in the air churned, forming a thin mist that shrouded the entire space.

Spiritual Qi was compressed and twisted; the naturally flowing Origin Qi of heaven and earth became sluggish here, even beginning to rotate in reverse, slowly circling around Blood Butcher.

Chen Wuwang still did not move.

His silvery-white hair lifted slightly in the blood mist, and the three claw marks on his right cheek burned faintly.

He slowly raised his head, the red light of his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye flashing as he retracted the tactical markers that had been etched into the hilt of his dagger.

His fingertips slid from the hilt, shifting to press against his waist.

He knew who this person was.

Blood Butcher, third on the Cultivation World wanted list, who built his career on killing and Artifact Refining, using the Blood River Demonic Art to Breakthrough his Realm by devouring essence and blood.

Three hundred years ago, he was besieged by the Righteous Path; his wife died and his Dao collapsed, causing him to go mad. From then on, he killed any prominent clan he saw and slaughtered any Genius he encountered.

But he knew even better—this person shouldn't have appeared here.

The back mountain of the Eastern Wasteland Chen Family was a Forbidden Ground.

It had barriers, early warnings, mech patrols, and Spirit Array monitoring.

A Devil Head of this level could not possibly pass through the defensive lines without a sound, and precisely block the node where the Yao Beast sent its messages.

Unless...

He had been "invited."

Deep within Chen Wuwang's pupils, scarlet spirit patterns quietly emerged, as if a Seal had been gently pried open a crack.

He did not speak, only stared at Blood Butcher, sneering in his heart.

So it was you.

No wonder the Zerg retreated so decisively.

No wonder Mo Yuan only dared to hide in the ruins and fire cold arrows.

No wonder even the System didn't give a warning.

Because the real killing blow was not on the perimeter at all.

But at this moment, in this place, and in this person.

Blood Butcher felt the resonance between the Demonic Technique within him and the Formation, his aura climbing step by step.

He looked down at his hands; faint blood threads wandered beneath his skin, like countless tiny snakes crawling under the surface.

He smiled with satisfaction.

"Chen Wuwang." He recited the name as if tasting a piece of fresh meat. "Five years ago, you took over the Chen Family, messing with some technological cultivation, breaking rules, and shaking the Foundation. I originally thought you would be a short-lived ghost."

He paused, his eyes suddenly becoming ferocious.

"But you've lived quite a long time."

"And you've lived quite arrogantly, too."

"Now, I will let you know—what true power is."

He violently shook his arms, and the blood Formation was activated with a boom.

The rock walls of the entire cave shook violently, and blood flowed like a waterfall, converging from all directions.

Above his head, it condensed into a giant phantom of a blood blade, ten zhang long, with distinct serrated edges. Blood beads dripped continuously from the edge, hitting the ground with a "zi-zi" corrosive sound.

The air was oppressed until it emitted a whimper; gravel floated up, only to be ground into powder by the blood mist.

Chen Wuwang finally moved.

He slowly raised his right hand, spreading his five fingers and then slowly closing them, as if testing the density of the air.

The data stream of his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye scrolled rapidly, recording the energy peak, fluctuation frequency, and the degree of Spiritual Qi distortion of the blood Formation.

He was analyzing.

And waiting.

Waiting for the opponent to strike.

Waiting for the situation to clarify.

Waiting for that most critical flaw.

Blood Butcher, however, would not give him that chance.

"Die!" He roared, and the phantom of the blood blade slashed down violently!

There was no sound of wind.

No sound of breaking through the air.

Only a sheet of blood light split the darkness, aiming straight for Chen Wuwang's head.

Chen Wuwang's pupils constricted, his feet exerting force suddenly, and he retreated three steps to the rear-side.

The moment he left his original spot, the position where he had just been standing was struck by the blood blade; the rock was sliced open like tofu, and cracks spread rapidly.

The entire ground collapsed, revealing a deep, dark hole below.

The remaining momentum of the blood blade did not dissipate; it continued to advance, slicing through a stone pillar and slamming into the distant rock wall, blasting out a crater five meters in diameter. The walls of the pit were charred black and still emitting blood smoke.

The power of a single strike was terrifying to this degree.

Chen Wuwang steadied himself, his breathing slightly heavy. He stared at Blood Butcher, his gaze terrifyingly calm.

This strike was not a probe.

It was a killing blow.

But it was also a flaw.

When the blood blade fell, there was a momentary vacuum in the center of the blood Formation; the energy backflow was delayed by 0.3 seconds.

Although brief, for an opponent of his level, it was already enough.

He did not rush.

Nor did he counterattack.

Instead, he laughed in a low voice.

"Hahahahahaha—!"

The laughter echoed in the blood mist—manic, jarring, yet carrying a strange sense of control.

Blood Butcher narrowed his eyes: "What are you laughing at?"

Chen Wuwang wiped his face; his silver hair was soaked by the blood mist, sticking to his forehead.

He raised his head, scarlet spirit patterns swirling in his pupils, his voice low but clear:

"I am laughing at your stupidity."

"You think you came here to kill me?"

"No."

"You are the person I was waiting for."

Blood Butcher's expression darkened, anger surging. He had not expected the opponent to dare to provoke him in such a situation.

"Seeking death!" He pinched a Seal with both hands, and the blood Formation shook again. The ground cracked, and dozens of blood vines burst out from the soil, winding toward Chen Wuwang like giant pythons.

Every blood vine was covered in barbs, their tips dripping with black blood, clearly highly poisonous.

Chen Wuwang still did not move.

Not until the blood vines were within three feet did he slowly raise his left hand, the red light of his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye surging violently.

At this very moment, his figure remained nailed to the spot.

His right hand was already pressed against the Titanium Alloy Dagger.

The Spiritual Qi within his body quietly surged.

The blood mist churned, and the killing intent boiled.

The real battle was only just beginning.