Chapter 1031: Blood Ossuary Seal
"Duke?! How is this possible?"
The enemy sitting cross-legged atop the blood lotus was terrifying. Everyone's faces fell; even the silent Li Lingjing was no different. She grasped the Aquamarine Bamboo Python Staff with so much strength that a slight crunch could be heard.
Li Luo similarly sucked in a breath of cold air as his expression turned unsettled.
Some of the others seemed to have collapsed from the sheer shock. Others shouted, "Doesn't the Spiritual Resonance Cave suppress everyone's power? How could it possess Duke-level strength?!"
On their side, there were just a few who had reached the Lesser Heavenly Resonance Tier. Previously, the Other was at the Greater Heavenly Resonance Tier, and dealing with it was incredibly difficult already. However, they were able to put up a resistance when they worked togethere. Alas, the opponent had entered the Duke Stage, and the stark difference in might was insurmountable.
Li Wuyuan, Zong Sha, Zhu Zhu, Mu Yao, and the rest seemed to have fallen into the pits of despair, staring at the creature sitting atop the blood lotus in a complete daze. In contrast, the Other's gaze portayed nothing but compassion.
Yet the situation was more like a juvenile wolf entering a hunting ground and coming face to face with a fully grown tiger.
The morale of the group instantly fell to rock bottom.
The handsome youth sitting atop the lotus glanced at the dispirited group, and his smile became even more warm. He truly enjoyed seeing such expressions.
"My only goal is her. If you capture her and hand her over, I'll let the rest of you go," he said in a calm, warm tone as he pointed towards Li Lingjing.
These words caused the entire group to be taken aback, then they stared at her in shock. The Other had come for her specifically?
"Were you the one who attracted this Other, Li Lingjing?!" Zhao Shenjiang shouted righteously.
"Li Lingjing, don't drag the rest of us down with you. Since you brought it here, you should resolve the situation yourself," Mu Yao said gloomily.
The rest seemed a little unsettled. They did not understand what sort of relationship Li Lingjing had with it.
When faced with the almost accusatory gazes, Li Lingjing casually replied, "Act if you wish to do so. Let's see if the Other really will let you go after we resolve our internal strife. Perhaps he might truly be compassionate enough to release you."
These words caused the crowd to stiffen. Expecting mercy from the Other would undoubtedly be a mistake.
"Why don't you grow some brains? It clearly just wants to see us fight amongst ourselves and entertain it," Li Luo icily retorted.
"So what? Do you really think we're strong enough to defeat a True Devil?" Mu Yao replied furiously.
"If you want to escape by yourself, go ahead. Whoever wishes to act against Cousin Lingjing will have to see if my blade agrees." The ancient blade in Li Luo's hand glittered with cold light. Dense amounts of resonant power arose into the air as the three Heavenly Pearls began to spin.
Li Fengyi, Li Fuling, and Li Jingtao similarly stood up and expressed their agreement with his actions.
Li Wuyuan, Li Guan, and the rest of the other individuals from the other lineages hesitated for a brief moment but did not choose to separate from Li Luo and Li Lingjing. Internal strife within their faction would not bring about any benefits and would only incite mockery from others.
Lu Qing'er similarly led Elder Sister Jin to stand by Li Luo.
Zong Sha sighed before admonishing the group. "We cannot fight amongst ourselves now. Instead, we should be working together to find a glimmer of hope to succeed."
Zhao Shenjiang and Mu Yao felt a pang of resentment upon seeing the stance of the crowd. Clearly, they would not be able to sacrifice Li Lingjing to the dogs.
The Other continued to smile warmly as it observed the group before shaking its head. "It looks like you've chosen the path of death. So be it. You're all blessed geniuses with exceptional talent after all, no different from the most tasty delicacies. I wouldn't have let you go even if you had obeyed."
This Other had the ability to devour the talent of whomever it consumed, and every cultivator present was the cream of the crop. In its eyes, the youths were a delectable feast that it could never let go.
After it finshed speaking, it waved its hand, causing the blood river beneath him to roar. Before everyone's eyes, the river rushed forward like a burst dam, directly drowning the world beneath it like an unstoppable tsunami.
Li Luo and the rest were the first to bear the brunt of its power.
Energy wings sprouted from his back, which immediately flapped with all of his strength as he hurriedly attempted to ascend into the skies.
The rest similarly activated their resonant power and soared into the skies, afraid of being stained by the chilly, bloody water.
Of course, a True Devil's attack would never be so simple.
As the blood river spread into the distance, it started to look more and more like a sea of blood.
The True Devil Other remained atop the blood lotus as it grinned at the flailing individuals. It scratched at its chest with its nails, peeling back both flesh and skin before it removed a single bleached bone.
It broke the bone into pieces before scattering it into the midst of the blood sea.
Bang!
The bleached bone pieces were dyed red upon touching the sea, then they quickly expanded. A few breaths later, the bone pieces transformed into several blood-red ossuaries that floated silently above the blood sea.
"Everyone, I'd like to invite you to enter." The True Devil flashed a devilish smile.
However, this scene horrified them. Who would dare to enter? Instead, they scattered, trying to find a way to escape from this region.
Unfortunately, they understood that so long as the True Devil Other remained atop the blood sea, it had numerous means to bend them to its will, making it impossible to resist.
Li Luo felt the same way as he attempted to retreat.
Unfortunately, his vision started turning black and the air before him distorted as soon as he turned away. All of a sudden, he felt something touch his back, making his expression change dramatically.
He did not know when a blood ossuary had appeared behind him. When he attempted to step back, he actually collided with it!
This mysterious means of controlling the situation caused his heart to turn cold.
Before he was able to rouse any of his resonant power to break away, the ossuary released a terrifying suction force that prevented him from moving a single inch. At the same time, a lid flew down and sealed it with a snap.
At the moment he was sealed, he saw that everyone else had suffered from the same fate, forcefully stuffed into other ossuaries much like him.
The surface of the blood sea then turned silent. The ossuaries were the only objects in sight.
The True Devil Other had fully demonstrated its overpowering might. Not a single one of the talented youths, not even the Lesser Heavenly Resonance elites, were able to resist in any way. The power gap was simply far too wide.
As the True Devil Other sat atop the blood lotus, its elbows were propping up its chin as it grinned cheerily at the floating ossuaries. Then it pressed down with a hand, causing each of the ossuaries to slowly sink into the blood sea.
It then opened its mouth, and a crimson tongue slithered out and hung limply.
"Who should I eat first?" Its gaze swept across each and every one of the ossuaries.
Regardless of whether they were at the Heavenly Pearl Tier or the Lesser Heavenly Resonance Tier, none could escape the Blood Ossuary Seal.
"Hmm?" Just as it had decided upon a specific blood ossuary as the first tantalizing appetizer, it displayed a look of surprise.
Turning towards the source of the disturbance, he could see that there were four particular blood ossuaries that were struggling violently. It seemed that each one was being broken apart by a mighty, disruptive force.
"Oh? They seem quite persistent." The True Devil Other chuckled.
Bang!
At the next instant, four majestic energies surged into the sky, breaking through the Blood Ossuary Seals. Then four figures soared into the air.