C4 Blood Holy Bead's Ability

The gasps of amazement that reached Wang Yun's ears filled him with satisfaction.

He turned his gaze to Chen Yi, eager to see a look of shock on his face. Much to his dismay, Chen Yi remained unflappable in the face of his presence, as though Wang Yun's Level Eight in the Meditation Stage was utterly insignificant.

"Hmph, just for show!" Wang Yun internally scoffed, "Let's see if you can keep up this charade!"

A swirl of white spirit energy gathered in his palm. With a powerful step, he lunged at Chen Yi like a predatory spirit leopard.

"So fast!" This spectacle caused many onlookers at the banquet to focus intently.

In the arena, Chen Yi watched Wang Yun's approach with a serene expression. For a cultivator at the Meditation Stage, Wang Yun's speed was commendable. But to Chen Yi, who had been a revered Supremacy in his past life, it was laughably slow. Dodging would have been effortless.

Yet, he chose not to. He simply stood still, watching as Wang Yun closed in, and then raised his arm in what seemed like a hasty defense.

Bang!

The impact resounded.

Chen Yi's arms, positioned to block, took the brunt of Wang Yun's strike. His frame shuddered, and he stumbled backward uncontrollably, halting only at the arena's edge. A trickle of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"So weak!" Despite having greatly underestimated his current body's capabilities, Chen Yi realized he had still overestimated it.

Even with the most cautious blocking technique, he had not been able to fully deflect Wang Yun's power.

But that wasn't the focal point.

The real issue was...

"As expected."

Chen Yi glanced at his blocking arm and noticed a minuscule red dot near his elbow. It was almost imperceptible unless scrutinized closely.

Indeed, it was the Life Devouring Blood Insect!

Though the poisonous insects were lethal, they were also incredibly tiny. This Life Devouring Blood Insect, for instance, was no thicker than a strand of hair.

His decision to stand his ground and block was a calculated move to allow Wang Yun to infest him with the insect.

"Draw."

Without hesitation, Chen Yi activated the Blood Holy Bead within him, drawing the Life Devouring Blood Insect towards his dantian. The insect stood no chance against the Blood Holy Bead's pull and was helplessly drawn in.

"Effortless!"

Seeing Chen Yi stagger from a single palm strike brought a smug curve to Wang Yun's lips.

His satisfaction stemmed not only from the blow but also from successfully implanting the Life Devouring Blood Insect within Chen Yi. To him, the process had been far too easy!

He had anticipated a struggle, but it seemed he had given Chen Yi too much credit.

"This punch will end you!"

With a steely gaze and a low growl, spirit energy swirled around Wang Yun's right hand. He launched a spirit-energized punch straight at Qian Yang.

The punch hadn't yet landed, but the force of it was already palpable.

Chen Yi sidestepped to the left, twisting his body just so, causing Wang Yun's punch to miss its mark.

"He dodged it?"

Wang Yun spun around, surprised to see Chen Yi having moved aside.

Could he have really evaded his punch?

It must have been a fluke!

Convinced of this, Wang Yun threw another punch at Chen Yi.

Chen Yi twisted away, evading once more.

Wang Yun's brow furrowed, and he launched another punch.

But Chen Yi, as if anticipating the trajectory, dodged yet again.

"Impossible!"

Three missed punches in a row, and Wang Yun couldn't contain his exclamation.

As a Level Eight Meditation Stage cultivator, he prided himself on his speed. Forget Chen Yi, a mere Level Seven cultivator—even one at Level Nine might not outpace him.

How could Chen Yi possibly evade his attacks so effortlessly?

"Finally!"

A red glow emanated from his dantian, and a bloodthirsty glint flashed in Chen Yi's eyes. A sly smile played on his lips as he faced Wang Yun, "Now it's my turn!"

Thump!

An inexplicable jolt of his heart sent a shiver down Wang Yun's spine.

It was as if death itself had marked him, freezing him in place with a bone-chilling terror.

Before he could even process the thought, Chen Yi was upon him, his palm aglow with a crimson streak, striking Wang Yun's chest.

Bang!

The force sent Wang Yun flying backward, blood spurting from his mouth as he crashed to the ground outside the arena.

"Ah!"

The agony surged through his nerves, wrenching a piercing scream from him that echoed in the now hushed venue.

Yes, silence had fallen.

Moments before, the banquet had been abuzz with anticipation for the spectacle. Now, the crowd sat in stunned silence, their eyes wide as they absorbed the scene before them.

Wang Yun... The very same Wang Yun, an eighth-level cultivator in the Meditation Stage, was defeated by Chen Yi?

"Yun!"

Patriarch Wang Sheng's cry of alarm shattered the silence enveloping the arena.

Clad in his ornate robe, Wang Sheng hastened to the edge of the platform, his gaze falling upon Wang Yun who was clutching his chest, writhing in agony on the ground. Disbelief was etched across his features.

He knew his son's capabilities all too well.

An eighth-level Meditation Stage cultivator, Wang Yun's speed was such that he could hold his own against ninth-level practitioners. And yet, here he was, bested by Chen Yi, a mere seventh-level cultivator. How could Wang Sheng not be stunned?

But what truly astounded him was Chen Yi on the platform.

Others might have missed the nuances of the fight, but Wang Sheng had seen everything clearly. Of Wang Yun's four attacks, only the first punch had managed to injure Qian Yang, while the subsequent three were effortlessly evaded by Chen Yi. It wasn't that Wang Yun lacked speed; rather, Chen Yi seemed to anticipate the trajectory of each punch, reacting with uncanny foresight.

The most bizarre moment, however, came last.

Wang Sheng caught a glimpse of a blood-red gleam in Chen Yi's eyes, and in that instant, Wang Yun stood frozen as if bewitched. Moments later, he was sent tumbling from the platform by a single palm strike from Chen Yi.

What had overcome Wang Yun in that moment, Wang Sheng couldn't say, but he was certain it was linked to that sinister flash in Chen Yi's eyes.

Could Chen Yi be versed in some dark art?

Wang Sheng watched Chen Yi warily from his vantage point on the stage.

To orchestrate the implantation of the Life Devouring Blood Insect, he had thoroughly investigated Chen Yi and found nothing out of the ordinary. The boy was undoubtedly talented, a seventh-level cultivator at just sixteen. Beyond that, nothing stood out.

But now...

Thankfully, the Life Devouring Blood Insect had been planted within Chen Yi. Once activated, death was inevitable.

This thought brought Wang Sheng a measure of solace.

"We will not forget this day," he declared, his eyes lingering on Chen Yi before signaling with a sweep of his hand, "We're leaving!"

With that, he led the pained and unconscious Wang Yun, along with the rest of the Wang Family, away from the festivities.

The plan had been for Wang Yun to both plant the Insect and defeat Chen Yi, dealing a crushing blow to the Chen family's pride. But who could have anticipated such an outcome?

The Wang Family departed hastily, too ashamed to remain.

As they left, murmurs spread through the crowd.

"Unbelievable, Chen Yi won!"

"Wang Yun was at the eighth level! How could Chen Yi defeat him? It's inconceivable!"

"Inconceivable? That's the might of our Young Master Chen Yi! All this talk of Wood County City's top young prodigy is nonsense. Young Master Chen Yi simply couldn't be bothered to compete with the likes of Wang Yun!"

"Exactly! Our Young Master Chen Yi is the true genius of Wood County City!"

...

Those who had previously lauded Wang Yun now fell silent, while others, previously quiet, now spoke up with a triumphant air, as if they had been the ones to defeat Wang Yun, not Chen Yi.

The Chen and Wang families, being the most formidable cultivator clans in Wood County City, naturally had their fair share of adherents. Wang Yun's earlier supporters were clearly from the Wang camp. Although many from the Chen camp had also admired Wang Yun's eighth-level prowess, they swiftly shifted to cheering for Chen Yi upon his victory.

As Chen loyalists, they naturally preferred Chen Yi to outshine Wang Yun.

"Family head, what was that technique the Young Lord used at the end?"

Atop the pavilion, several Chen family elders had gathered around Chen Shanheng, their eyes reflecting their astonishment.

They were well aware of the Young Lord's strength. While impressive for a seventh-level Meditation Stage cultivator, it paled in comparison to Wang Yun's. Yet, Chen Yi had emerged victorious, leaving them in awe.

But what truly baffled them was Chen Yi's final maneuver.

A flash of blood-red in his eyes, and Wang Yun was left spellbound.

What sort of technique was that?

They had never heard of it.

Still, they couldn't help but assume it was a secret passed down by Chen Shanheng to Chen Yi.

"I don't know either," Chen Shanheng admitted, shaking his head subtly. The technique wasn't his teaching; such an oddity was beyond his knowledge.

Seeing his denial, the elders assumed he was simply keeping the secret close to his chest.

On the platform, Chen Yi watched the Wang Family's retreat, his eyes narrowing slightly.

With his capabilities, ending Wang Yun's life would have been trivial. But he refrained, for he wanted Wang Yun to experience the same torment he had endured in his past life.

The technique he had previously utilized was known as Bloodline Suppression, a power derived from the Blood Holy Bead.

As he skillfully evaded Wang Yun's trio of punches, the Blood Holy Bead within him had successfully absorbed the Life Devouring Blood Insect, breaking its seal.

The Blood Holy Bead was an extraordinary relic, encumbered by six layers of seals, each requiring a distinct approach to unlock.

The Life Devouring Blood Insect was responsible for lifting only the initial seal.

Yet, this did not hinder Chen Yi from acquiring the corresponding powers.

Once the first seal of the Blood Holy Bead was released, it granted the ability to decipher the essence of various Spirit Beast Bloods. By doing so, its bearer, Chen Yi, would gain abilities linked to those bloodlines.

Bloodline Suppression was one such ability, stemming from the blood of the Life Devouring Blood Insect.

Despite being a Poisonous Insect, the Life Devouring Blood Insect was also classified as a Spirit Beast. Minuscule as it was, comparable in size to a strand of hair, it possessed blood within it. Scarce though it was, the Blood Holy Bead could still decode it. Moreover, the blood of the Life Devouring Insect was of the rare Sixth Grade.

Bloodline Suppression was triggered by the grade of the Life Devouring Blood Insect's blood, effectively subjugating any creature with a bloodline inferior to the Sixth Grade.

The term "Sixth Grade blood" referred to its hierarchical level.

In this world, blood was categorized into a hierarchy ranging from First Grade to Ninth Grade, with First Grade being the most potent and Ninth Grade the weakest. Beings with higher-grade blood typically exhibited exceptional aptitude in their cultivation journey. The Blood Holy Bead could unlock more potent and numerous abilities from higher-grade blood.

Take the Sixth Grade blood from the Life Devouring Blood Insect; not only was its strength considerable, but it also endowed Chen Yi with three distinct abilities at once. Beyond Bloodline Suppression, the other two abilities were single-use but nonetheless impressive. This was a significant advantage, as lower-grade bloods often yielded just one mundane ability.

Among the one-time-use abilities granted by the Life Devouring Blood Insect was the Blood Devouring Curse.

Its function was straightforward, mirroring that of the Life Devouring Blood Insect. However, unlike the insect, the Blood Devouring Curse was an affliction that would persist for only one year.

Still, a year was ample time for Wang Yun to experience excruciating torment.

In his past life, Wang Yun had subjected him to the agony of the Life Devouring Blood Insect. This time around, Chen Yi was determined to return the favor in full measure!

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