Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Bloodstone Explodes

It was obvious that both the Saintess and the Bloodstone had been stolen by them, and now, when their rightful owners wanted them back, they were expected to agree to terms. Was this not akin to a ransom or blackmail? What happened to the principles of the great demon lord?

On the other side, the demon lords were equally outraged. Zhutan shouted furiously, “Xuanyuan Tunhan, you said we could leave once we had taken the woman and the stone. Are you going back on your word?”

Ning Xianyu realized they were referring to her. What should her response be? But Xuanyuan Tunhan spoke up for himself: “He was the one who spoke just now, not I. I was the one who exerted the effort. Isn’t it reasonable for me to ask for some compensation for my troubles?”

This was pure sophistry. It was as if a robber had invaded your home, and when you tried to reclaim your belongings, you were expected to pay him for his labor.

The demon lords were inwardly cursing him. “It’s not as though we invited you to come steal our people and our stone!”

Zilun King was so furious he began to curse aloud, conjuring his weapon, ready to fight to the death. But before he could act, Xuanyuan Tunhan pointed a finger, and the array he had set up earlier activated instantly, entrapping the demon lords and Akali within.

They looked on in astonishment, attempting to break through the formation, only to discover with dismay that they could not escape.

Only then did Ning Xianyu understand the purpose of his array—this old fox had planned everything meticulously. She could only wonder what it was he truly wanted from them.

The demon lords were all influential figures in the Demon Realm, each a regional overlord in his own right, but now they were rendered powerless by this mysterious cultivator.

“What do you want?” they demanded.

Their willingness to compromise depended entirely on Xuanyuan Tunhan’s attitude. As long as he remained silent and stood by the woman’s side, it meant he supported her, and they could not risk opposing two formidable foes at once. After all, this was not the Demon Realm. The barriers here suppressed their powers; they couldn’t linger for long.

Xuanyuan Tunhan said, “The Bloodstone is a treasure beyond price. Isn’t it fair to exchange it for a vat of the Icy Cold Spring Water?”

[I know, I know. The Icy Cold Spring Water is a rare treasure of the Demon Realm. In that scorching land, there happens to be a cold spring, and its water can enhance and refine ice-based magical artifacts, as well as temper the body.]

Having finally received useful information from the system, she couldn’t help but show off a little.

Ning Xianyu thought, The great demon lord certainly knows how to ask for the best.

Zhutan gnashed his teeth in hatred. “Only one barrel of Icy Cold Spring Water is produced each year, and you’re demanding a vat? Don’t you think you’re asking for too much?”

The system explained that a vat here was roughly equivalent to thirty barrels.

[The author was frustrated while researching ancient units of measurement and simply wrote whatever came to mind.]

Ning Xianyu thought, No wonder these units felt so down-to-earth.

A single barrel per year, with so many demands and allocations to be met. For the great demon lord to ask for decades’ worth of reserves in a single breath, no wonder those from the Demon Realm were infuriated.

Seeing their reluctance, Xuanyuan Tunhan gave Ning Xianyu a meaningful glance: “Go and retrieve the Bloodstone.”

What?

Ning Xianyu felt uneasy under his gaze. He’d wanted to set conditions from the start, yet a moment ago he’d told her to play tough—how inconsistent, how unnecessary.

The demons hadn’t expected the old immortal Xuanyuan Tunhan to truly show up. He strode up to the array, and as he did, one of the demon lords struck out with a palm. Ning Xianyu had no choice but to use her soul-breaking power to resist.

The clash of their mighty forces changed the direction of the wind, sending snow swirling into the air as if a blizzard had descended.

Ning Xianyu felt little, but the demon lord who struck was sent reeling, spitting blood from the impact.

Snow landed on her hair and face; she couldn’t help but look up, thinking that if they weren’t fighting, playing in the snow like this might actually be fun.

Xuanyuan Tunhan stood at the entrance of the tent, watching her silly smile at the swirling snow, and a faint smile appeared on his face as well.

What a fool. What’s so entertaining about snow?

“Don’t just play around—take care of business,” he sent her a message, lest her foolish grin give him away.

Ning Xianyu snapped back to attention and quickly reached out: “Bloodstone—come!”

Her spiritual power wound through the array and wrapped around the Bloodstone. With a gentle tug, the massive, mountain-like stone obediently flew to her side, landing solidly beside her.

She took the stone and hurried away from the array, returning to Xuanyuan Tunhan.

The demon lords and Zhutan were dumbfounded, especially when they saw how effortlessly she carried the Bloodstone. It was simply unbelievable.

That was their Bloodstone, and it had always been nearly impossible to control. Why did it respond so obediently to her?

Especially Duan Wuyou—when he tried to move the Bloodstone earlier, it had taken all his strength, nearly overwhelming him. Yet the old immortal made it look effortless.

They began to sense the unfathomable power of “Xuanyuan Tunhan,” finding him even more inscrutable than he had been tens of thousands of years ago.

Zhutan was deeply alarmed, turning to confer with the other demon lords.

“Comrades, we must take the Bloodstone back. This concerns not only the face of the Demon Realm, but the lives of countless demon cultivators.”

Gu Dou and the others understood—this was a signal to compromise. After all, they’d never gotten the better of the old immortal.

They gathered all the Icy Cold Spring Water they had, finally managing to scrape together a vat.

“Here you go!” they spat, tossing over a container with barely concealed rage, as if wishing they could strangle him.

Demon Lord Zanye couldn’t help but mock, “Who would have thought? The greatest man of the Six Realms, reduced to a hired thug, obeying a woman’s every word.”

Ning Xianyu, thus singled out, was furious.

What’s wrong with being a woman? Women hold up half the sky.

Even if she was a bit of a burden herself, that didn’t mean other women were lacking.

Fuming, she hugged the Bloodstone and took a few steps back.

Hmph!

Zanye was left speechless by her childish gesture, and Zilun King beside him told him to shut up.

Xuanyuan Tunhan was always willful—he did as he pleased, and no amount of scolding would bother him. But he would certainly make trouble for you if provoked.

Akali burst into tears, sobbing, “Senior, I don’t care if you use me as a pawn, but please save Brother Yi first—he’s one of your own.”

Xuanyuan Tunhan glanced over. “He’ll be returned.”

Just as Akali was about to thank him, he added, “He’s no use to you anyway.”

The words stung so much that Akali choked back her gratitude.

The demon lords refused to release their prisoner until the array was removed.

“We’ve given you the spring water. Can we leave now?”

Xuanyuan Tunhan transmitted a message to Ning Xianyu, instructing her to return the stone.

Obediently, Ning Xianyu carried the Bloodstone back and tossed it to Duan Wuyou.

Her casual toss forced Duan Wuyou to use all his spiritual power to catch it.

But it was at that very moment that everything changed.

Yi Tianling was lying on the ground—the sword that had impaled him had vanished, his bleeding ceased. The massive Bloodstone, as it was being tossed back, passed right above him.

Just as the stone hovered overhead, a blinding light erupted from Yi Tianling’s body—so brilliant that even the sun lost its luster.

The light pierced straight through the Bloodstone.

Everyone—demon lords, demon kings, Akali, Ning Xianyu, and Xuanyuan Tunhan—watched in shock as the Bloodstone suddenly exploded, shattering into fragments that flew in all directions.

Ning Xianyu, standing closest, was right in the line of fire. She saw, with wide eyes, a red, date-pit-shaped stone hurtling straight toward her forehead.

A ribbon of spiritual energy wrapped around her waist, jerking her violently backward, but the thing still pierced her brow.

Her vision went black, and she knew nothing more.