Chapter Fifty-Nine: Mastering the Bloodstone

Ning Xianyu only felt herself being pulled backward into a soft embrace, her head throbbing with pain. In a haze, she saw Xuan Yuan Tunhan looking at her anxiously, pouring spiritual energy into her in an attempt to wake her. But now, Xuan Yuan Tunhan’s spiritual energy was so depleted that whatever he sent into his original body was like a single drop of water falling into the ocean—vanishing without a trace.

Xianyu’s unconsciousness, however, was brief. She quickly regained her senses and, upon opening her eyes, patted her chest in lingering fear.

“That scared me to death. I thought I was done for.”

She reached up to touch her forehead, discovering it was smooth, without even a scratch.

“Did I hurt my head?” she asked nervously.

Xuan Yuan Tunhan, thinking she must have been frightened silly, replied impatiently, “There’s nothing at all.”

Taking advantage of her distracted probing, he hurriedly released her hand, which he had been gripping tightly.

Xianyu didn’t notice his tension. She patted herself all over, puzzled by the absence of any wounds.

“But just now I clearly…”

Before she could finish, a commotion interrupted her.

The situation had changed. Yi Tianling, who had been weak and bloodied like a specter, was now ablaze with crimson spiritual energy, fighting the Demon Lord Zi Lun Wang. The demon lords, meanwhile, were furiously searching for shards of the Blood Source Stone.

“What just happened?” Xianyu asked.

Xuan Yuan Tunhan answered coldly, “Just now, the Blood Source Stone was shattered by the spiritual energy from Yi Tianling’s body, turning into fragments.”

All the demon lords, including Zhu Tian, were frantically searching for the fragments, trying to piece the Blood Source Stone back together. They were filled with grief and rage, but their attention was consumed by salvaging the stone—they had no time to be angry at Yi Tianling.

Zi Lun Wang, who was fighting Yi Tianling, unleashed his accumulated fury, but unexpectedly, Yi Tianling, who was only at the Golden Core stage, held his own in the battle. Though the demons’ power was suppressed in the Spirit Realm, this outcome was still unthinkable.

Xianyu could see plainly: the protagonist was cheating.

“System, what’s going on with the male lead?”

The system replied: [He probably exchanged for a skill that forcefully boosts his cultivation for a short time. It won’t last long, and it’s taxing on the body. He’ll probably have to lie in bed for a month after this.]

Wasn’t that hurting himself almost as much as the enemy? If his time ran out and his skill expired, wouldn’t the fight have been in vain?

The system chided: [You just don’t understand the importance of dramatic tension. The male lead’s struggle and effort here highlight his deep love for Akali, his fury at his own weakness, and his longing for power. That’s what the audience wants to see.]

Xianyu wasn’t interested—she felt that this incident wouldn’t end well.

No matter how things turned out, the Blood Source Stone of the Demon Realm was gone. The Demon Realm might be so enraged that they’d attack the Cultivation World outright. She knew that when the male lead exploded into action, someone was bound to become collateral damage.

But she hadn’t expected the range of casualties to be so wide.

She looked back at Xuan Yuan Tunhan. “Ancestor, what do we do now?”

She didn’t want to die—she wanted to live well.

Xuan Yuan Tunhan’s face was ashen; he hadn’t foreseen such a turn of events either. But he said nothing, instead suddenly looking at her.

“Go pick up the Blood Source Stone fragments.”

What?

Wasn’t he worried about breaking character, sending her to pick up stones like that?

Seeing that he was serious, Xianyu could only obey.

The Blood Source Stone had shattered into large chunks—some the size of a child, the smallest as big as a fist. After picking up a few fist-sized pieces, she realized she could do this forever and still not finish. The stone had been so massive, and now the fragments were scattered far and wide.

She sighed. “If only these chunks could come back on their own.”

Saying so, she continued to pick them up, slacking off as she went. Everyone was collecting fragments; her absence wouldn’t make any difference. She just needed to look busy.

But as she picked up a piece and was about to dawdle, she suddenly felt something nudge her from behind.

Annoyed, she reached back and touched a fragment of the Blood Source Stone.

She froze, turned around, and was almost startled into falling.

Behind her, countless fragments of the Blood Source Stone, large and small, were hovering motionless in midair.

Were they answering some kind of summons?

Xianyu didn’t understand what was happening and edged away in fear. What if those things attacked?

But the stones shifted with her, moving in tandem.

This was truly uncanny.

She moved again, and the stones followed.

System, do you think the Blood Source Stone is sentient? Do they know I took them from the Demon Realm and shattered them, so now they’re here for revenge?

Xianyu was terrified, casting a pleading look at Xuan Yuan Tunhan.

Great Demon Lord, save me! Even if you don’t care about me, you should care about your own body, right?

Xuan Yuan Tunhan’s expression was unperturbed, as if he were merely watching rain fall—he showed no surprise at all.

But the demon lords had stopped collecting stones, all staring in shock.

“That old fox Xuan Yuan Tunhan can even control our Blood Source Stone? What other secrets is he hiding?”

They all agreed that “Xuan Yuan Tunhan” must have practiced some evil art to control their treasured stone.

Duan Wuyou shouted furiously, “Xuan Yuan Tunhan, put down the Blood Source Stone!”

The real Xianyu, masquerading as Xuan Yuan Tunhan, felt wronged. Why weren’t they looking after their own stone? Why blame her?

These stones were unbelievable—why didn’t they just go back to their demon lords?

No sooner had she thought this than all the fragments surged toward the demon lords.

The stones moved so swiftly and aggressively it seemed they were attacking, sending the demon lords scrambling to dodge. There was nothing they could do; they couldn’t attack the Blood Source Stone, so all they could do was evade.

But the stones relentlessly pursued, closing in with every step.

Even the Demon King Zhu Tian lost all composure in his fury.

“Xuan Yuan Tunhan, you old wretch, what are you trying to do?”

How hateful—using their own treasure to attack them, forcing them to hold back!

Despicable, shameless, vile—there wasn’t a decent cultivator in the lot.

Insulted yet again, Xianyu felt utterly aggrieved.

But she realized something.

System, do you think I actually control the Blood Source Stone?

She had wished for the stones to return on their own, and they had assembled themselves. Now she wanted them to go to the demon lords, and they did so eagerly.

The system, baffled, suggested, [Why not try telling them to stop and assemble themselves?]

Xianyu thought for a moment: assemble and self-organize.

Then something happened that left even the system so astonished it felt as if it could fit an egg in its open mouth.