Chapter 124.1: The Canary Must Be Far Prettier Than My Ugly Self

A thousand-meter titan wasn't much in the eyes of Supremes. Normally, a simple raise of the hand would be enough to suppress him.

However, the moment their gazes met the giant clad in blood-red armor—the moment those murderous crimson eyes swept over them, a cold, primal fear seized their hearts.

Forcibly crushing down the sudden terror, Supreme Lan Mei sneered at Qi Yuan. "We have a treasure forged by Great Supremes themselves, which holds offense and defense in one. So what if you have many Supremes? You can't stop us! The South will fall in the North South Pact, and all of you will die!"

In truth, Supreme Lan Mei was already preparing to run. The other Supremes felt the same. After all, they were facing over a hundred early-stage Supremes.

Akin to a colossal god of death risen from hell, Qi Yuan held his broken sword. His cold, merciless eyes swept across the twenty plus Supremes. His voice grew even more eerie, almost deranged. "Some people don’t realize they’ve seen the future, even when it’s right before their eyes."

The massive blade glowed with a twisted, sinister light, blood-red energy churning across its edge. Qi Yuan swung the sword, unleashing the Ruler of the Void - Inner Demon Lure.

As the sword descended, he roared, "This is your future!"

A torrent of blood-rain burst from the sword, pouring down like a monsoon and drenching all twenty-seven Supremes.

Only Supreme Yang Han and Ning Tao were spared. Greed, pride, gluttony, lust— every dark emotion a human could feel was hidden in that rain, worming straight into their hearts. The Supremes froze in confusion, before being swallowed whole by terror.

"You... what have you done...?" Supreme Lan Mei's voice faltered.

Even though their treasure should’ve granted full immunity! How did that sword manage to Pierce their defense?!

Supreme Lan Mei's face twisted. Then, something horrifying happened.

A bulge erupted from his back, swelling rapidly until it tore straight through his robes. It was a massive tumor that was as big as a millstone. Like a pierced blister, it split open and yellow fluid sprayed out. From within wriggled a grotesque demon. It crawled free, its eyes filled with hunger and greed.

It clung to Supreme Lan Mei's shoulder and devoured the flesh of the tumor like a starving beast. Every Supreme experienced the same nightmare. They burst forth like parasites that had lurked unseen, tearing their hosts apart.

Some Supremes screamed and rolled on the ground like crazed animals. Some clawed frantically at their own skin, trying to peel it off just to ease the agony. The scene was horrific beyond words.

"You... you're a demon..." said a mid-stage Supreme desperately, staring at Qi Yuan's blood-red silhouette with eyes full of terror and disbelief.

"Spare me... I'll be your dog..." another Supreme choked out.

The gigantic, bloody figure looked down at the writhing Supremes with calm indifference. "This is the price of standing against me."

Behind him, over a hundred Supremes shuddered. The scene unfolding before their eyes shattered every concept they had of power. They had only seen their mysterious Blood Master transform into a giant, swing out a sword, and the bloody rain that fell afterward.

With that one strike, every Supreme's inner demon was released. They were dragged into a nightmare of their own making, reduced into helpless children. Such a monstrous divine technique it was, none of the twenty-seven Supremes could resist it. The Blood Master wasn't a saint, but a demon god!

Silence followed and people gulped nervously. No one dared to breathe too loudly.

Supreme Yang Hun trembled uncontrollably. Even as a Supreme, he had never felt such fear. His face, however, was filled with fanatic devotion.

He rushed forward and shouted, "Almighty Blood Master mighty! Blood Master reigns supreme!"

Gone was his image of a lofty Supreme. He seemed like a giddy, flattering sidekick.

Qi Yuan ignored him, still fixed on the Supremes. Soon, all twenty-seven collapsed in agony, their bodies torn apart from within.

His XP bar soared. Supremes truly lived up to their title, the XP they gave was incredible, far better than those Mythwalker demons.

The hellish scene faded.and Qi Yuan's level settled at Level 148. As cultivation progressed, the gap between realms only grew wider, each step demanding an eternity of grinding effort. He was still two levels away from the mid stage of the Supreme realm.

Still, Qi Yuan wasn't bound by those rules. He didn't have to meditate for years. He only had to kill, kill, and kill again, and his XP climbed on its own. Of course, that was only his level.

Mastering an Origin Divine Technique was another story. Advancing from Limited stage to Engraving stage had no shortcuts, only one's own comprehension.

Qi Yuan grinned, saying in a casual, almost bored tone, "See? This is how you kill."

The earlier battle had been a mess—hesitating, dragging things out, dawdling around. Half a day had gone by, and they hadn't even managed to squeeze out a single fart of progress. How could that compare to his clean, decisive style? The enemy was gone in one blow.

The Supremes behind him immediately straightened like terrified schoolchildren.

"Understood!" they chorused.

Supreme Yang Hun beamed, eager to flatter. "Compared to Blood Master slaughtering twenty-seven Supremes with one swing, our battles look like children throwing rocks!"

Qi Yuan accepted the praise and finally turned to Ning Tao. She stood alone, still gripping her chain. He smirked. "You're not leaving?"

Ning Tao tightened her grasp around the chain, but her gaze steadied. "If you don't speak, how would I dare leave?"

"If you had walked away earlier, I probably couldn't have stopped you," Qi Yuan said lightly.

Her strength exceeded Purple Daoist by a full tier. Of course, if he really wanted to stop her, he could, but it wouldn't be worth it. As an NPC, she held a complicated position in his heart.

Ning Tao hesitated, her voice soft. "You killed these Supremes. That counts as saving my life. I have nothing to repay you with, but..."

Qi Yuan cut her off. "Do you know the Blood Palace?"

Ning Tao shook her head.

"Do you know the Blood Master?"

Same response.

His bloody eyes softened just a little. "Do you know the canary? She's proud, vain, a little showy... I've been looking for her."

[Ning Tao. Level 197. Palace Master of Skyheart Palace. One of the thirteen Northern Demons. Cursed.]

"She must be someone important to you," Ning Tao said.

"Yeah. I'm still trying to find her." Qi Yuan exhaled. "I saved you by the way, but you don't repay me. Just... if you ever see her, tell her I'm in the City of No Return, waiting for her."

"I will keep my eyes open." Ning Tao nodded gently. She paused, then murmured, "Have we met before? You feel strangely familiar..."

"Maybe in a dream." Qi Yuan laughed, then glanced around. "Everyone here, swear an inner demon oath. Today's events must not be leaked."

No one hesitated, even Ning Tao swore.

"Good. You may go," Qi Yuan said generously.

Originally, he had wanted to humiliate her to make up for the embarrassment in the underground palace by forcing her to call him “father.” He ultimately decided against it lest it ruined his cool, aloof Blood Master persona.

Ning Tao hesitated for a moment, then vanished in a streak of light.

***

Later, in the remote desert.

Ning Tao stared at the chained flesh.

"Husband... that canary must be a truly adorable girl," she murmured, her hand drifting to her left cheek. "She must be much prettier than my ugly self."

She looked back one last time, her gaze dimming. Then, she disappeared into the vast sky.