Patriarch Droughtflame’s reaction came very quickly, and almost immediately reversed the unfavorable situation which had just sprung up because of Bai Xiaochun.
By defaming the Spirit Stream Sect, he gave the Blood Stream Sect cultivators a reason to sink back into rage.
The three blood masters’ eyes glittered, and it was the same with Song Que and the other important figures in the sect. Three of the blood rippers, as well as some of the prime elders, unhesitatingly shot toward Bai Xiaochun.
The Spirit Stream Sect’s founding patriarch laughed coldly. “Complete hogwash! Bai Xiaochun is a Heaven-Dao cultivator of the Spirit Stream Sect. However, he is young and naïve, and was clearly bewitched by your demonic magic! How dare you try to kidnap him right in front of me! Men, get Bai Xiaochun back to the mountains! I’ll personally expel the Blood Stream Sect’s demonic magic from within him!”
Almost immediately, cultivators from the Spirit Stream Sect side sprang into action, including Li Qinghou, who shot forward at top speed toward Bai Xiaochun.
Legacy echelon cultivators closed in, along with prime elders, barreling toward the Blood Stream Sect forces, preparing to unleash powerful attacks to fight over Bai Xiaochun.
Bai Xiaochun was again the focus of the entire battlefield. Although he wasn’t of supreme importance to either sect, neither was willing to give him up easily.
The Blood Stream Sect wanted to fight for Nightcrypt, to dispel the disadvantage that had appeared. As for the Spirit Stream Sect, they wanted Bai Xiaochun back, and to cause the Blood Stream Sect’s disadvantage to worsen.
Rumbling echoed out through heaven and earth as the fighting once again broke out.
Up in the sky, the patriarchs were unleashing attacks. The legacy echelon cultivators were fighting with the blood rippers. Prime elders from both sides were unleashing magical techniques and items, causing bright light to fill the sky.
The Blood Stream Sect’s grand lich let loose a terrifying howl, and numerous refined corpses raced into motion. As they moved along, corpse auras spread out everywhere. Among those corpses, Bai Xiaochun could see some that belonged to him, and knew that he could force them to stand down. However... a few corpses among an army like that didn’t count for much. They were like a few grains of sand in a sea.
When it came to the gargoyles, they cackled madly as they swept out from the Blood Stream Sect forces in preparation to attack.
Then there were the countless blood swords. As a blood master, Bai Xiaochun could suppress Middle Peak, but... there were multiple past blood masters who were now blood rippers. Although their level of control of the mountain peak couldn’t match up to the current blood master, by combining forces and drawing upon the support of the patriarchs, they quickly suppressed Bai Xiaochun’s blood master powers, allowing the Middle Peak cultivators to fight once more.
Rumbling filled heaven and earth as the body cultivators from Lesser Marsh Peak sprang into action.
The Spirit Stream Sect’s spell formation giants roared into action as they charged toward the Blood Stream Sect. Killing intent erupted from Shangguan Tianyou’s giant, and it was the same with those controlled by Ghostfang, Gongsun Yun, Beihan Lie, Xu Song and Zhou Xinqi.
Countless battle beasts from the north bank howled as they flew out, a tide of beasts that was shocking to behold. The Heavenhorn ink dragon roared, black flames erupting from his mouth, filling the sky and creating a sea of fire.
Down below, more spell formation giants pounded across the ground toward the Blood Stream Sect army. As they closed in on each other, magical battle equipment was unleashed, causing everything to shake and tremble.
Higher up in the sky, the Spirit Stream Sect’s white sun and the Blood Stream Sect’s scarecrow both began to emanate shocking fluctuations.
A bitter look could be seen in Bai Xiaochun’s eyes. Even revealing his status as blood master wasn’t enough to prevent the war from being fought. He looked around at all of the familiar faces fighting, and it made him feel like he was being torn apart inside.
“Why do we have to fight...?” he murmured. “This war obviously doesn’t have to happen! Am I just not strong enough...? Is that why nobody will listen to me?” As he looked around, he realized the truth of the matter. Although both sects cared deeply about him, he simply wasn’t strong enough, and definitely not important enough, to influence a massive, deadly war like this.
However, as far as he was concerned, if one sect wiped the other out, he would definitely see many familiar faces cut down, regardless of who came out victorious.
As he stood there trembling, he realized there was no backing down now. Nor did he need to. His cultivation base erupted as he flew up into the air, to once again stand between the two sides and roar, “I said... you people aren’t allowed to keep fighting!”
His voice echoed out like thunder, and caused a few people to hesitate. However, the majority ignored him. As for Song Que, his smile grew even colder, and inside, he was mocking Bai Xiaochun.
Master God-Diviner, Jia Lie and everyone else from Middle Peak were now freed from Bai Xiaochun’s blood master powers. Thanks to the blood rippers, they were now free to fight. Eyes flickering, hearts filled with all sorts of thoughts and feelings, they sprang into motion.
Only Song Junwan maintained her silence, and didn’t attack. Because of the tears which still filled her eyes, her grief seemed even more profound than before.
Bai Xiaochun waved his sleeve, brushing away the first round of attacks levied against him. Bloodshot eyes filled with madness, he roared, “Didn’t you people hear me!? I said... you’re not allowed to keep fighting!!”
Unfortunately, his words were like a pebble tossed into a well, which would cause a few ripples on the surface of the water, but nothing more.
The Song Clan patriarch sighed and said, “Nightcrypt, my son, don't waste your words. Your position makes you overly sensitive, so just leave the battlefield. There’s no need for you to fight in this war. You... can’t control what’s happening here.”
Meanwhile, Patriarch Ironwood was fighting him with utter ferocity.
The Spirit Stream Sect’s founding patriarch sighed inwardly, then said, “Xiaochun, since the Blood Stream Sect is determined to fight, then any words you speak are useless. I understand how you feel, so just go back to the Luochen Mountains. There’s no need for you to join in the fighting.”
The Blood Stream Sect’s arch-patriarch attacked with greater force than before, even drawing upon some of his magical items.
Booms rose up into the air, and shockwaves spread out across the battlefield. Bai Xiaochun was shaking visibly as he looked around at the fighting. Finally, he lifted his right hand. He knew what he had to do now, and that it would likely be a disaster for the Blood Stream Sect. Memories from the Blood Stream Sect flitted through his mind, and yet, he had no other choice.
Filled with resolve, he threw his head back and let out a piercing howl.
That howl contained the fluctuations of his cultivation base, the power of his Undying Live Forever Technique, and even more importantly, the accumulation of all the madness he felt in his heart.
His blood qi erupted, rumbling out to form a gigantic blood-colored column of light that shot up into the air. Voice resonating with matchless dignity and splendor, he roared, “Blood Stream Sect, stand down this instant!!”
With that, he shoved his right hand out in the direction of the Blood Stream Sect.
Instantly, rumbling sounds filled heaven and earth, and the blood-colored light which surrounded him began to spread out rapidly. The heavens shook and the earth quaked as, in the blink of an eye, the light covered everything on the entire battlefield!!
The sky shook as a huge blood-colored vortex sprang into being, which then transformed into an indescribably large blood-colored arm. The arm filled the sky, and mirrored Bai Xiaochun’s own gesture, shoving toward the army from the Blood Stream Sect!
A matchless and awe-inspiring power immediately emanated out from the arm, causing intense pressure to instantly spring out.
Many people had already taken note of the huge hand. When the patriarchs of the Blood Stream Sect saw it, and especially the taciturn arch-patriarch, their faces immediately fell.
The shoving motion of the hand instantly caused the cultivators of Lesser Marsh Peak to tremble. Their faces went pale and filled with expressions of astonishment as they realized that all of the techniques they cultivated were being thrown into utter chaos. It was like some unheard-of sealing mark were suddenly crushing down onto them!
In the blink of an eye, the battle prowess of all Lesser Marsh Peak cultivators was unexpectedly reduced by half!!
It wasn’t just the Lesser Marsh Peak cultivators that were affected. Corpse Peak, Middle Peak, and Nameless Peak cultivators were all shocked, and began to cry out in alarm.
“What’s going on...?”
“My cultivation base is destabilizing!!”
“How is this possible!? My... my cultivation base is actually being sealed!!”
It wasn’t just the cultivators on the battlefield who were affected. The refined corpses, the gargoyles, the blood swords, everything suffered from the crushing pressure. Screams of terror rang out. Even the blood clouds began to dim, and the blood swords began to dry up.
As for the Blood Stream Sect patriarchs, their hearts and minds were spinning. To their shock, they found that even their cultivation bases were being suppressed!
Their very essences were being affected, making it impossible to fight back against the pressure!
Anyone who practiced any cultivation that was connected to the Blood Ancestor... could not avoid this curse!!