340: Chapter 340 Bloodbath Reappears, Driven by a Desire for Revenge

The northwesterly wind whipped up a blood mist, blowing across the rift at the edge of the wasteland.

Chen Wuwang stood on the ramparts, the blue light of his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye flashing as his pupils suddenly constricted.

"Stop!" he barked, his voice low yet cutting through the silence like a knife. "Unit Three, return to position. Unit Two, hold the left flank. Unit One, charge the main cannon—stop the pursuit."

Below the city wall, three mechs were advancing while crushing the remaining enemies, the roar of their tracks shaking the ground.

Hearing the order, the pilots immediately reined in their machines. The heavy steel bodies slowly came to a halt, cannon barrels lowering as white steam vented from their cooling ports.

"Patriarch?" Chen Tiezhu's voice came through the headset, breathless. "Are we still attacking? They're about to disappear from sight."

"No more fighting." Chen Wuwang stared at the figure slowly approaching in the distance, his tone heavy as if burdened by a thousand pounds of iron. "Something tough is coming."

He tapped his fingers on the console twice, bringing up the thermal imaging map.

On the screen, a crimson humanoid silhouette was treading across the scorched earth; with every step it took, the surface temperature spiked by three degrees.

"Blood Butcher." He spat out the two words, his voice as cold as ice shards.

The communication channel fell instantly silent.

A few seconds later, Chen Xiaodao's voice rang out: "Where?"

"Right in front of you." Chen Wuwang didn't turn back, merely raising a hand to point.

Chen Xiaodao had already leaped onto the battlements, his long silver hair whipping in the wind. He looked in the direction Chen Wuwang was pointing—

The figure had reached the edge of the rift and stopped.

He wore tattered grey robes, his right sleeve hanging empty, the stump wrapped in black cloth. His face was crisscrossed with scars, but his eyes were terrifyingly bright, like two burning ghost fires.

"It's him." Chen Xiaodao tightened his grip on the sword hilt, his knuckles turning white.

"Don't be impulsive." Chen Wuwang glanced at him. "He didn't come here to throw his life away."

"But he came for us." Chen Xiaodao sneered. "Last time I cut off his arm; this time I'll take his head."

"Go ahead, I won't stop you." Chen Wuwang said indifferently. "But remember, don't let him get within ten zhang of the city wall. The children are still clearing the wounded behind us."

Chen Xiaodao said nothing more. With a flick of his toes, he shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, landing fifty paces away.

Blood Butcher looked up and saw Chen Xiaodao. His mouth split open, revealing a row of yellowed teeth.

"Little bastard, it's been three years. You've grown bold, haven't you?" His voice was raspy, like a dull blade scraping bone. "You dared to cut off my arm? Today, I won't even leave your bones behind."

"You talk too much." Chen Xiaodao unsheathed his sword three inches, a cold light flashing. "Last time you said you'd kill my whole family, but you ended up running away yourself. Are you here to finish the job this time?"

"Running?" Blood Butcher grinned maliciously. "I was healing! I've been waiting for the moment you let your guard down!"

Before the words had even faded, he flung his arms wide. Blood Qi surged around him, and the ground cracked open with a "crunch" as dozens of fissures appeared. Crimson blood snakes drilled out from underground, hissing as they soared into the air. They were densely packed, numbering in the hundreds, each as thick as a bowl, fangs bared, charging straight at the Chen family formation!

"Form shields!" Chen Wuwang shouted sharply.

Several Cultivators from the clan quickly formed a formation. A spiritual energy barrier rose, flashing with golden light to block the outer blood snakes. But the dozen or so snakes in the middle seemed to act like living creatures, bypassing the barrier and heading straight for the center!

"Xiao Dao!"

"I know!" Chen Xiaodao roared, slamming his right foot into the ground. His body surged upward, taking three steps in mid-air to vault into the sky, his long sword fully drawn—

"Slash!"

The silvery-white Sword Qi descended like an inverted heavenly river, striking directly into the torrent of blood snakes!

"Sshhh—!"

Over a dozen blood snakes were severed, their foul-smelling blood splattering into the air, only to be evaporated by the Sword Qi before it even hit the ground, turning into a pervasive red mist.

The remaining blood snakes were startled and scrambled to turn away.

Chen Xiaodao used the momentum to land, the tip of his sword touching the ground as he stabilized himself. His chest heaved slightly, but his eyes were even brighter.

"Is that it?" He looked up with a sneer. "Did you practice your Demonic Technique in a dog's stomach?"

Blood Butcher stood on the rift, watching the severed snakes and residual blood. Far from being angry, he laughed.

"Good! A fine Young Lord of the Chen family!" He clapped his hands twice, blood even seeping from his palms. "Back then, you were hiding in the ruins, trembling while clutching a wooden sword. Now you dare to stand before me and draw your blade—not bad, truly not bad."

"Stop acting like an elder, damn it." Chen Xiaodao walked forward step by step, his sword tip dragging on the ground, striking sparks. "The day you slaughtered my village, you shouldn't have left me alive."

"I didn't leave you?" Blood Butcher's eyes suddenly widened. "I left you on purpose! I wanted you to know what it's like to live in pain worse than death! I wanted you to watch your loved ones die one by one in front of you, crying and begging me to kill you—too bad Chen Wuwang picked you up."

"So you're here to make up for it?" Chen Xiaodao suddenly smiled. "Perfect, I'd like to see how many times a dog without an arm can still bark."

"Insolent!" Blood Butcher roared, swinging his left arm violently. Another wave of blood snakes surged out, thicker and faster than before, and in the eyes of each snake, a twisted human face appeared, emitting shrill, mournful wails!

"Is that… the people he killed three years ago?" A Disciple on the wall said with a trembling voice.

"Don't listen!" Chen Wuwang shouted. "That's an auditory illusion. Close your ears and focus your mind!"

But the wailing was too real; some couldn't help but cover their ears, their faces turning pale.

Chen Xiaodao, however, acted as if he didn't hear it. He exerted force through his feet, shooting out like an arrow, and the sword light exploded once again!

"Get lost!"

The Sword Qi swept across, causing seven or eight blood snakes to burst on the spot, while the rest were forced back.

He charged straight at Blood Butcher's face, his sword tip pointing directly at his throat!

Blood Butcher snorted coldly, his left hand forming a claw, and actually caught the blade with his bare hand. The friction between flesh and metal made a piercing, screeching sound.

"Not bad strength." Chen Xiaodao narrowed his eyes. "Too bad you only have one hand left."

"One hand is enough!" Blood Butcher exerted sudden force, actually pressing the long sword downward. "I've killed more people with one hand than you've seen in your entire life!"

"Then try it today and see if you can kill me!"

Chen Xiaodao twisted his wrist, and the sword body suddenly vibrated, emitting a dragon's roar. Blood Butcher's palm was shattered, blood streaming down, and he had no choice but to let go and retreat.

"Got some tricks, huh." Blood Butcher licked his bloody hand, his eyes becoming even more frantic. "No wonder you dare to call yourself the Young Lord—but do you really think that with just a sword, you can avenge all those dead people?"

"I don't rely on the sword." Chen Xiaodao slowly raised his sword, pointing it at his opponent. "What I rely on is that I hate more than you do."

"Hahahaha!" Blood Butcher suddenly laughed wildly. "Good! Good! Then let me see whose hatred can bury whom in the dirt!"

He spread his arms again, and the cracks in the ground spread further. More blood snakes drilled out, even beginning to fuse together, forming three giant python-like monsters. Each was three zhang long, with horns growing from their heads, spitting corrosive blood mist from their mouths.

"Xiao Dao!" Chen Wuwang shouted from the ramparts. "Don't take them head-on, stall for time!"

"I know!" Chen Xiaodao advanced instead of retreating, his sword light like rain, attacking the eye socket of the giant python on the left first!

"Clang!" The sword tip pierced in, but was blocked by a hard bone membrane, the recoil force making his tiger's mouth numb.

The giant python opened its mouth, spraying blood mist. He hurriedly leaped back, but his shoulder armor had already been corroded with several small holes, emitting green smoke.

"Damn it!" He cursed, looking down. His skin was fine, but the fabric was scorched black.

"Are you wearing the newly equipped nano-spirit silk?" Chen Wuwang, watching clearly from the ramparts, said coldly. "Hold on, he can't last too long."

Sure enough, although Blood Butcher's Aura was astonishing, his breathing was already slightly rapid, and the veins on his forehead were throbbing. Clearly, his injuries had not yet healed, and by forcibly driving such a powerful technique, he was overdrawing himself.

"Little bastard… do you think… I really came here to risk my life?" He panted, grinning maliciously. "I came to tell you—the Blood Demon Sect won't let a single person from your Chen family go! You, Chen Wuwang, and those children hiding behind the city wall… not one of you will escape!"

"Then survive today first, then we'll see." Chen Xiaodao wiped his face and took a deep breath. His sword style suddenly changed, shifting from rigid to supple, his footsteps moving lightly as he began to circle the three giant pythons.

"Oh?" Blood Butcher narrowed his eyes. "Want to wear me out? Naive!"

He formed hand seals with both hands, and the three giant pythons turned their heads simultaneously, opening their mouths to spray three pillars of blood, crossing to seal off Chen Xiaodao's retreat!

But at the very moment the blood pillars were about to close in—

"Now!"

Chen Xiaodao leaped up violently, his sword light arcing from bottom to top in a strange trajectory, actually using the recoil force of the blood pillars to vault even higher into the air!

"Meteor Sword Intent—Break!"

The sword light fell like a meteor, slashing directly into the crown of the middle giant python!

"Boom!"

The giant python's head exploded, blood and gore splashing everywhere.

The other two were startled, their movements stalling.

Chen Xiaodao hadn't even steadied himself upon landing before he immediately turned, his sword edge sweeping horizontally, sending out another crescent-shaped Sword Qi that cut the giant python on the right in half at the waist!

The last giant python lunged over with a hiss, but he didn't dodge or avoid it. Instead, he charged head-on, his sword tip precisely piercing into its mouth, followed by a twist—

"Pfft!"

The snake's head exploded, and a rain of blood poured down.

Chen Xiaodao stood in place, soaked all over, his sword tip dripping blood, panting heavily.

Blood Butcher's expression finally changed.

"You… actually…"

"I said it before." Chen Xiaodao raised his eyes, his gaze like a blade. "I hate more than you do."

He walked toward Blood Butcher step by step, his sword tip dragging on the ground, sparks flying.

Blood Butcher took half a step back, his left hand quickly forming seals, Blood Qi gathering again.

"Don't come any closer! Or I'll make you taste… the true Fury of the Blood River!"

"Bring it on." Chen Xiaodao sneered. "I'm waiting."