Two figures fell from the shattered dome of the temple.
They were Lin Gui and Eve.
The moment the Shroud of the Gloomy Night faded, moonlight illuminated them.
As soon as she landed, Eve rushed toward Hugh.
Her staff tapped lightly, and as she chanted, the radiance of Dark Healing flowed over Hugh.
Lin Gui, meanwhile, walked quickly toward Hannah.
Then, he stopped.
Hannah was bound in mid-air by blood-colored light.
Her face was already unrecognizable.
She was pale as paper, her skin almost transparent.
Her eye sockets were sunken, and her cheekbones protruded sharply.
Her lips had been bitten raw by her own teeth; they were a mess of mangled flesh, with scabs of dried blood clinging to her chin.
She had grown noticeably thinner, as if some vital essence had been drained out of her.
The Soul of the Blood God floated right in front of her heart.
A dark red light pulsated slowly within it.
In that light, one could vaguely see countless tiny, golden threads of blood.
They were swirling slowly, like a living thing digesting its prey.
Hannah struggled to lift her eyelids.
The moment she saw Lin Gui, a spark of light flickered in her eyes.
It was immediately replaced by terror.
"Dan... ger..."
Her voice was so raspy it was almost inaudible.
"Don't... come close..."
Lin Gui did not move.
He stared at the cluster of dark red light.
"Will it suck my blood too?"
Hannah nodded with great effort.
Broken sounds squeezed from her throat:
"Soul of the Blood God... will extract... the bloodline... of anyone who nears it..."
She paused, using the last of her strength.
"Your... blood... will also be... pulled away..."
Lin Gui looked at her.
Then he looked back at the cluster of dark red light.
He was silent for two seconds.
"Is it a living thing?"
Hannah was stunned.
What... kind of question was that?
The Soul of the Blood God was a sacred relic.
Of course it wasn't a living thing.
She opened her mouth, not knowing how to answer.
Lin Gui didn't wait for her response.
He raised his hand.
One slap.
It struck the Soul of the Blood God.
Hannah's pupils dilated abruptly.
In that instant.
Lin Gui's expression changed.
His body shuddered violently.
Veins bulged on his forehead.
His teeth were clenched tight.
An indescribable, piercing pain shot from his palm straight into the depths of his soul.
It felt as if countless red-hot steel needles were frantically piercing through his blood vessels.
Churning in his bone marrow.
Tearing at his soul.
But he did not pull his hand away.
Gritting his teeth, his fingers snapped shut.
Then.
The Soul of the Blood God vanished.
As if it had never existed.
The dark red light.
The pulsating aura.
Along with those swimming golden threads of blood.
In a single breath.
Gone without a trace.
Hannah was dazed.
Her mouth hung open, her eyes wide.
Her mind was a complete blank.
The Soul of the Blood God.
The foremost of the Vampires' three great sacred relics.
Just like that... it was gone?
The blood-light binding her suddenly dissipated.
Hannah's body fell from mid-air.
Lin Gui reached out and supported her.
She leaned weakly against him, her body completely devoid of strength.
Dizziness rushed over her like a tide.
Her vision blurred.
A buzzing sound filled her ears.
Lin Gui looked down, quickly scanning her condition.
Her demon energy was exhausted, her bloodline was drained, and her skin was as cold as ice.
But her life... was still there.
Lin Gui carried Hannah back to Eve's side.
He set her down gently, leaning her against the wall.
"How is Hugh?" he asked.
The light of the healing spell in Eve's hand did not stop.
She glanced at Hugh, her voice low and soft:
"In bad shape."
"Seventeen wounds on his body, three of which go deep enough to show bone."
"He has lost at least half his blood."
"Internal organs are shifted, and four ribs are broken."
"Also..."
She paused for a moment.
"There's a strange power on the wounds that is preventing them from healing."
"He needs time."
Lin Gui nodded.
He moved Hannah a little closer to Eve.
"Treat them here."
He looked at Eve.
"And while you're at it, take the time to restore your mana properly."
Eve's purple eyes lifted slightly.
Her face was so pale it was nearly transparent.
The light of the healing spell in her hand was so weak it could barely be seen.
That light was being painstakingly squeezed out from the tiny bit of mana she had just recovered.
Lin Gui knew her situation.
The Pollen spell spread throughout the entire theater required a Drying spell to keep it dry and a Breeze Barrier to make it drift evenly.
Even though they were all Mid Rank spells, covering such a vast area for so long was enough to drain the mana of any Low-tier Transcendent priest.
But the effect had far exceeded expectations.
The power of the initial explosion had reached the Legendary level.
The second explosion had reached at least the power of a Mid-tier Legendary attack spell.
It was so strong that even they themselves had been affected by the shockwave.
Lin Gui suppressed the metallic tang of blood rising in his throat once again.
Recalling that scene just now, he still felt a lingering fear.
Breeze Barrier, Pollen, and Drying.
A combination of three unremarkable Mid Rank spells had triggered a dust explosion.
It had nearly blown the caster himself to pieces.
The reason this dust explosion could succeed so far beyond expectations was entirely due to the support of Eve's Transcendent mana.
That, plus the massive amount of accumulated dust from Mirror-Shadow City, which had gone untouched for sixteen years.
Without Eve, and without such an environment, it would have been impossible to trigger an explosion of that magnitude.
If he had cast this set of spells on his own, the power would have been significantly lower.
Though, even then, it would still have been enough to kill a squishy little mage like him.
Lin Gui silently tagged this combo in his mind:
Do not use unless it's a last resort.
It's a move that hurts the enemy a thousand and the user twelve hundred.
He wiped away the blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
He looked at Eve.
"I need to leave for a bit."
Lin Gui's mana had not been consumed much.
Eve looked at him.
"Where are you going?"
Lin Gui had already summoned his flying vessel.
"That Vampire isn't dead yet."
He stepped onto the vessel.
"I'm going to finish him off."
Whoosh—
The flying vessel turned into an afterimage and vanished outside the temple.
Seeing Lin Gui leave in an instant, Hugh coughed up a mouthful of blood with difficulty.
He struggled to sit up, his voice raspy:
"Quick... tell him to come back..."
"That Vampire... cannot be killed..."
"He is the only Blood God's Favored... among the Vampires in a thousand years..."
Eve pressed down on his shoulder.
The light of the healing spell in her hand grew slightly brighter.
"Mr. Hugh."
Her voice was gentle, yet it carried an indisputable certainty.
"Your injuries are very severe right now; please do not get agitated."
"We are currently relying on you, our strongest combatant, for protection."
She paused.
"As for that Vampire's immortality."
"Lin Gui is aware of it."
Hugh was stunned.
"Did... Hannah tell you?"
Eve gave a faint smile.
She turned slightly and pointed toward the side.
Hugh followed her finger with his gaze.
In the crevices between the rubble in the corner of the temple.
At some point, glass beads had rolled out one by one.
A faint, ghostly blue light flowed quietly within the walls of the beads.
They were huddled together in a neat arrangement.
The soul light flickered slightly, like a group of children waiting to be praised.
Eve chuckled softly.
"Our 'little guests' told me."
As her voice fell.
The glass beads immediately began to hop about joyfully.
One by one, they jumped in place.
The soul light was bright, flashing as if it were a holiday.
Rate on N.U.
