Chapter 37: The Beauty in the Painting

Chu Feng didn't have time to answer; in the next instant, he vanished from where he stood and reappeared by the Blood Pit.

The Blood Pit lay beyond the Lone Mountain, its existence spanning millions of years. Back when the Supreme Profound Dao Sect was founded, a major reason for choosing this land was to suppress the Blood Pit. Outside the Blood Pit, a seal set by a peerless emperor remained. Even Chu Feng, now at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, could not hope to enter, let alone Fang Yun, who was only at the Foundation Establishment realm.

Yet, the impossible became possible.

When Chu Feng arrived at the Blood Pit, he immediately employed his divine art to trace the past. A scene unfolded before his eyes: it was Fang Yun leaping into the Blood Pit.

Fang Yun’s cultivation method had mutated. After comprehending the True Intent of the Sunflower, his strength surged, and he broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage. Though he could not yet contend with Chu Feng, he could still deal with Chen Wanwan. Determined to claim some advantage, he slipped into the Lone Mountain. As he was devouring raw flesh and blood of spirit beasts, a seductive whisper suddenly echoed in his ears.

Drawn by the voice, he found himself before the Blood Pit. At the sight of it, instead of fear, he was overcome with ecstatic excitement and, without hesitation, plunged in.

Within the Blood Pit, instead of being corrupted by the endless foul blood and reduced to a mindless ghoul, a powerful force surged into Fang Yun’s body. His recently achieved cultivation broke through once more—he reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

He laughed exultantly, elated beyond measure. “I, Fang Yun, am indeed a dragon among men, a peerless genius! Chu Feng, Chen Wanwan, all of you in the Supreme Profound Dao Sect, you never expected this, did you? So what if you started cultivating centuries before me? Give me just a few hundred years, and I will surpass you all, tear out your souls, and seize your destinies. Power! I want power! All the power in the world shall be mine!”

Only after the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn did Fang Yun's excitement subside. Ignoring the sensation of power within him, he began to explore his surroundings.

The ancient Blood Pit was awash in crimson, as if submerged in a sea of blood. Twisting and winding passages sprawled everywhere. After taking only a few steps, Fang Yun discovered a stone door.

Delighted, he hurriedly opened it.

A grand and mysterious palace appeared before him, its ancient splendor shrouded in a dense, blood-red mist. Yet this was not the most striking feature.

At the very center of the palace stood a blood-red coffin, bound by nine black iron chains. Just a glance at the coffin made Fang Yun’s eyes well with tears, and he found himself compelled to approach it, unable to resist.

He seized the chains with both hands, attempting to break them, but no matter how hard he tried, they didn’t budge.

In his moment of helplessness, a blood-red longsword materialized out of thin air before him. Grabbing the sword, Fang Yun hacked savagely at the chains.

Clang! Clang! In a few strikes, all the chains were severed. The coffin crashed to the ground with a thunderous boom.

The deafening sound snapped Fang Yun from his stupor. He shivered, terror filling his face as he stared at the coffin before him. The blood-red sword slipped from his grasp and fell to the floor. He turned to flee the palace.

But just as he spun around, the coffin of the divine beast erupted with another resounding crash, its lid flying off. A crimson figure soared out of the coffin.

It was a breathtaking woman, clad in red, exuding both frigidity and wicked charm. Every movement was mesmerizing. If Chen Wanwan was a sorceress, then this was truly a demoness incarnate.

The lady in red flew into the air, eyes snapping open as she fixed her gaze on Fang Yun. With a flick of her hand, Fang Yun was drawn toward her like a helpless puppet.

Mumbling desperately, he cried, “Spare me! Don’t kill me! I don’t want to die!”

“Relax, you won’t die—yet.”

Just as despair engulfed Fang Yun, a mocking voice sounded behind him. Suddenly, pain flashed in his cheek, and he felt himself suspended in midair.

He finally saw what was happening. Someone was gripping his throat—it was none other than Chu Feng, the very person who had severed his root of desire, made him a eunuch, and whom he loathed to the point of wishing to tear him limb from limb.

As for the lady in red, there was no ghostly woman, no coffin bound in chains. Instead, hanging in the hall was a painting—an exquisite portrait of a crimson-clad beauty.

Everything he had just experienced was nothing but an illusion.

Before Fang Yun could recover, Chu Feng’s voice sounded again.

“But now, you can die.”

“No, I—”

Before he could finish, Chu Feng twisted his neck, killing him on the spot.

A Child of Destiny could be cultivated like a crop, to be harvested at will, but one could not allow him to fall into the ways of demons.

By now, Fang Yun had already become a demon. He cultivated the Sunflower True Intent, drank the blood of living creatures—today it was spirit beasts, but who could say he wouldn’t drink human blood tomorrow? What Child of Destiny? Chu Feng had slain such figures before.

[Ding! Host has slain Child of Destiny Fang Yun, gaining 800,000 Destiny Points, and the following rewards:]

[Reward 1: Divine Immortal Art—Rainbow Transformation Technique.]

[Reward 2: A Soul Gold Pearl.]

[Reward 3: A Longevity Pill.]

That was all.

Chu Feng was not impressed by these rewards. The only appealing one was the Rainbow Transformation Technique. Unfortunately, its earliest version had been the supreme art of the Golden Crow lineage, enabling travel of three hundred thousand miles in a single breath. Though this was a derivative and not as powerful, traversing ten thousand miles instantly was still feasible.

If he mastered this divine art, sweeping across the entire Sword State would take no more than a cup of tea’s time.

The Soul Gold Pearl could enhance his soul, assisting him in breaking through to the Body Integration stage.

The Longevity Pill extended life by a hundred years. Had Chu Feng not reached the Nascent Soul stage and was on the verge of death, this pill would have been a lifesaver. Now, with a lifespan of three thousand years, it was hardly of much use.

But this was no time for Chu Feng to dwell on such matters. He had more pressing concerns—such as the painting before him.

Fang Yun had entered the ancient Blood Pit, and Chu Feng had tracked him down. He thought himself powerless, but the system had found a way to bring him in. As soon as he entered, Chu Feng discovered the palace and saw Fang Yun raving like a madman. He seized Fang Yun by the throat—unwittingly snapping him out of his illusion. Either way, death awaited; it was only a question of whose hand delivered it.