C21 Blood for Blood!

With a resounding bang, Meng Xinghun's entrance could deter the Blade Sovereign and Shen Muxi, yet Su Mo remained unfazed.

The reason was simple.

Su Mo had heeded the advice of a mysterious woman, who instructed him to ignore Meng Xinghun and concentrate on executing the Heaven Devouring Devil Arts to assimilate Wai Chenming's power and ascend in rank.

As fate would have it, just as Meng Xinghun turned away, Su Mo completed the absorption, elevating his cultivation from the Dao Palace's first level to the third, the Heavenly River Realm, equaling Shen Muxi's prowess.

"You're digging your own grave!"

Feeling insulted, Meng Xinghun's gaze turned icy as he barked, "I had intended to leave you in one piece, but since you're oblivious to your own good fortune, I'm left with no choice but to dispatch you to the hereafter!"

In a flash of anger, Meng Xinghun ripped through the fabric of space and appeared before Su Mo in an instant.

"Junior Brother, run for it!"

"Watch out!"

Blade Sovereign and Shen Muxi, witnessing Meng Xinghun's swift move, cried out in alarm, urging Su Mo to flee.

But at such proximity, it wouldn't matter if Su Mo had only reached the third level of the Dao Palace or even achieved the Dragon Transforming Nine-change; evading Meng Xinghun's strike was an impossibility.

"In your next life, remember there are some people you simply cannot afford to cross!"

As Meng Xinghun lunged to seize Su Mo, he declared, "The treasure you possess must exceed the rank of a Heavenly Weapon. Securing it could boost my strength by a significant margin."

"I was just lamenting my lack of willpower to fortify the seal, and here you are, delivering yourself to my doorstep. You're a godsend in my hour of need."

In the nick of time, a faint voice echoed in Meng Xinghun's ear.

"Who's there? Skulking about like a phantom!"

On high alert, Meng Xinghun instantly ceased his assault on Su Mo, readying himself for defense.

With a swift whoosh, the enigmatic woman emerged, not by possessing Su Mo this time, but by darting out from the Heaven Devouring Devil Pot, positioning herself squarely in Meng Xinghun's path of retreat.

"Who's there?"

Meng Xinghun's heart was a maelstrom of shock and fear, but he managed to steady himself and said icily, "I am the Vice Principal of Fate Academy in Dark Peak City. Do you truly wish to become an enemy of Fate Academy?"

"Not quite there yet."

The mysterious woman scrutinized Meng Xinghun and shook her head gently, her voice tinged with disappointment, "Your willpower is lacking. I'll give you the opportunity to call for backup. Have your Fate Academy send more people."

"How dare you! No one who opposes Fate Academy meets a pleasant fate!"

Meng Xinghun's features twisted with rage as he tried to intimidate the mysterious woman with the might of Fate Academy, hoping to drive her away.

"You're wasting my time!"

The mysterious woman was after willpower, not idle chatter with Meng Xinghun.

With a grasp of her right hand, a fearsome suction force emanated.

Meng Xinghun, teetering in midair against the formidable pull, was moments away from being drawn in.

"Cut through!"

In a frantic move,

Meng Xinghun had to sacrifice half his willpower. With the remaining half, he enveloped Wu Qin, intent on escaping the Essence Returning Sect.

"Hand over the Rule Stone."

The mysterious woman cast half of Meng Xinghun's willpower into the Heaven Devouring Devil Pot and struck out with her palm.

"Damnation!"

Meng Xinghun realized his residual willpower was no match for the woman's palm strike. With no other choice, he tossed a Rule Stone he carried, hoping to momentarily halt the mysterious woman.

Losing his willpower was one thing, but the priority was to return with Wu Qin!

Wu Qin might have kept a low profile at Fate Academy in Dark Peak City, but Meng Xinghun was privy to the truth.

Wu Qin was from the main campus of Fate Academy, apparently the illegitimate daughter of one of the campus elders!

Considering these circumstances, Meng Xinghun was prepared to forfeit all his willpower if it meant he could safely return with Wu Qin. That alone would make everything worthwhile!

Crack!

The enigmatic woman deftly caught the Rule Stone and tossed it to Su Mo, her voice resonating in his mind, "The stone harbors a unique force of rules. Absorb it with your Heaven Devouring Devil Arts, and it will enhance your spatial awareness."

"Thank you, Senior!"

Without hesitation, Su Mo engaged the Heaven Devouring Devil Arts and began to assimilate the rule power from the stone, seemingly before an audience.

However, to be precise, saying Su Mo was in front of everyone wasn't entirely accurate. At that moment, the gaze of every elder from the six great sects, the Blade Sovereign, and Shen Muxi was fixed on the mysterious woman.

"Junior Master!"

The sect elders assumed the mysterious woman was Su Mo's junior master.

"Mistress!"

Blade Sovereign surmised she was Su Mo's mistress.

"Could it be Su Mo's master?"

Shen Muxi's perspective differed from the others. Aware of Su Mo's status as a preeminent Immortal Platform warrior, she was confident in her assessment of the woman's identity.

"Rules..."

Seated cross-legged on the elevated platform, Su Mo channeled the Heaven Devouring Devil Arts with total concentration, immersing himself in the absorption of the rule power.

With Meng Xinghun preoccupied by the mysterious woman, Su Mo's current priority was to fortify himself by assimilating this rule power.

"It appears to be a type of energy more advanced than Yuan Qi."

With a grave expression, Su Mo discerned that the so-called rule power he was drawing from the Rule Stone seemed to be a variant of Yuan Qi—profound and elusive, beyond his grasp for the moment.

Lacking comprehension, Su Mo opted to store the rule power within himself, ready to unleash it during combat.

When the moment of surprise arose, the rule power he harbored could potentially annihilate an ordinary Nirvana Stage warrior.

Nearly mastering the Heaven Devouring Devil Arts, Su Mo swiftly depleted the rule power within the stone.

Having absorbed the rule power, Su Mo nonchalantly deposited the Rule Stone into the Heaven Devouring Devil Pot and pivoted to survey the battlefield from above.

The enigmatic woman stood with her hands clasped behind her back, her gaze fixed intently on Meng Xinghun. In a cool tone, she offered, "You have two options. First, summon a more powerful being from Fate Academy. Or second, I'll obliterate your willpower."

"Agreed!"

Meng Xinghun shot Wu Qin a brief look and inhaled deeply before responding, "I've already reached out to another Vice Principal at the academy. Just don't come to regret it later."

Simultaneously.

In Purvavideha, within a secluded chamber of Fate Academy.

Puchi!

Meng Xinghun's true form suddenly expelled a mouthful of crimson blood, his complexion turning deathly pale.

After wiping the blood from his mouth, Meng Xinghun exited the chamber and made a beeline for Zhuang Hong, Zhuang Yan's grandfather.

Zhuang Hong, the Vice Principal of Fate Academy in Dark Peak City and Zhuang Yan's grandfather, held a slightly higher rank than Meng Xinghun, overseeing the academy's medicinal pill repository.

Aware of the mysterious woman's formidable strength, Meng Xinghun plotted to use her to dispose of Zhuang Hong!

Bang!

Upon reaching the secret room, Meng Xinghun burst through the door and cut to the chase, "Zhuang Hong, I've just been informed that your granddaughter, Zhuang Yan, has perished on the Abandoning Continent! Wai Chenming and three Dragon Transforming Five-change instructors have all fallen in battle!"

Boom!

At the news.

The elder inside the room erupted with a towering presence, his eyes bulging with unrestrained fury and a thirst for vengeance. He bellowed, "Who is responsible for my granddaughter's death! I will have them pay in blood!"