Heifeng Jiansui used footwork to maneuver through the horde of beasts. Even though his fingers struck out with sword qi, the beasts were only cut down one by one. Facing an army, the killing speed wasn’t enough.

But Heifeng Xingmei knew that this was only due to Heifeng Jiansui’s insistence to stick with his sword hands. A powerful killing technique that could wipe out the army and render her final trump card ineffective… In truth, such a technique should be impossible to appear in the hands of a mortal without an ounce of cultivation, but she was facing an existence who could battle head to head with her despite it.

So gritting her teeth, she picked up the spear she had abandoned and entered the shadows of the army battling one man. While attacking openly would be ineffective, attacking from the shadows while the boy was distracted with the army was harder to fend off. She dexterously maneuvered the positions and attacks of the beasts like the troops of an army and tried her best to corner the boy who still opposed her like she was nothing much.

The various diverse techniques of the Black Phoenix Allbeast Rule covertly attacked Heifeng Jiansui. Despite everything, he continued to avoid, but even so, injury was inevitable.

As he fended with a horde of wolves, his attention was zeroed on his opponents, and despite knowing the chance of covert strikes, Heifeng Jiansui lowered his guard. Thus, a spear strike like shadow aimed at his heart struck him. A last moment dodge only changed the area of damage to his left lung. Like a shadow, the assaulter decisively abandoned the spear and left him to the mercy of the beasts that had surrounded him!

But at this moment, Heifeng Jiansui only showed a bloodthirsty smile. “Xingmei, you’ve become truly skilled. The Black Phoenix Allbeast Rule… I only thought that it was a collection of random skills that were only pieced together and could not be harmonized as one. You’ve truly opened my eyes this time.”

As a Perpetual Emperor who had been renowned for being a martial skill maniac, his understanding of skills was naturally at the top of the world. He originally thought that the Black Phoenix Allbeast Formation and the beast-taming skills were the only parts worth mastering. But Heifeng Xingmei’s display changed his opinion!

At this moment, the silver sword intent on his fingers changed color to blood red. The boy waved his fingers like say goodbye. And… a terrifying blood light sheared through the army like paper.

“Tri-Essence Swallowing Sword… It isn’t bad at all.” The fundamental arts fused with the Quintessence Sword Style slashed through the army. The army of beast turned to blood mist which was swallowed by Heifeng Jiansui, and there was only Heifeng Xingmei with a pale expression remaining to oppose him.

“So you did have an army killing secret technique…” Heifeng Xingmei was resigned to death. Her figure drained off blood essence was slowly turning back from her Black Phoenix form.

“I suppose you got sick playing around. Finish me then.” A dignified expression lit up her face as she rose. Despite her inability to counterattack, she wouldn’t close her eyes on the eve of death!

“This dimensional space is created to not allow blood essence to dissipate. As long as the entirety of blood essence of the loser is drained away, the formation will activate teleportation to end the battle. I hypothesized this from the archives I read, but I confirmed it while battling here.” To the girl filled with resignation, the boy offered a vague explanation.

“…What do you mean?” Heifeng Xingmei knew that he was offering her a path to survival.

“So, you can turn yourself info a spiritual lifeform to escape death. However, the teleportation will exclude you and you will be forced to roam this lifeless dimension until the next battle here occurs.” Hearing this, a cold chill went through her spine; that was surely a fate worse than death!

“What do you want me to do? I don’t want to die, but suffering a fate wore that death is not to my liking either.” Heifeng Xingmei sincerely asked him.

“I thought about this earlier. The current you is more of a beast than human, so I can bind you as a Magic Beast with the Black Phoenix Allbeast Ruler. I will then drain away your blood essence and use an art called Spirit Bloodbinding to bind you to my body, so that you are teleported away with me. After that, I’ll once again recreate you body and spirit. You’ll still be my Magic Beast and have to obey my every order, so think carefully.” Heifeng Jiansui’s words were crisp.

Heifeng Xingmei didn’t wait for a second before agreeing. “I don’t mind obeying you. Hey, I was all spicy and aggressive while dealing with you before, are you the kind who prefers obedient girls?”

Heifeng Jiansui ignored the unnecessary question as he used to the Black Phoenix Allbeast Ruler to offer a Magic Beast contract to Xingmei. As she immediately accepted it, the prior plan thought up by him was executed step by step!

+++

In the Imperial Palace, only the two concubines who were the mothers of the hopeful successors and the Emperor were anxiously waiting for the battle to finish. The battle taking place in another dimension could not be spied on by these spectators.

Finally, the power of teleportation reappeared and a bloodstained boy fell on the arena. Only his sword was unstained.

“Heifeng Jiansui, you have successfully won the battle of the Successor. You are now the true heir of the Empire, the Crown Prince.” The Emperor’s proclamation rang throughout the castle. Hearing this, Chanlong Yue’s anxiety disappeared while Heifeng Xingmei’s mother silently cried.

As the Emperor came to help up Heifeng Jiansui, the boy stopped him. Various seals flashed before him and spiritual energy which had been bound to him as runes flowed out to form a spiritual lifeform.

The three spectators could recognize the form of the one who lost the battle, Heifeng Xingmei. But before they could show their surprise, Heifeng Jiansui’s fingers glimmered as more seals flashed!

Blood essence and energy fused into the spiritual lifeform and the nude body of Heifeng Xingmei was recreated. Throwing some clothes on her, he watched her scramble to dress up.

News that the battle for succession had brought along an unforeseen surprise spread through the castle and from it, into the Empire! This bloody battle for once ended without death!