Han Li did not know how he returned to his residence. He was still in a daze. His mind was preoccupied with image of the dazzling rain of light descending from the sky. When he went through the door, he tripped on the threshold and almost fell down.
"What happened?"
Gong Peiyao hurriedly walked up to him. Her eyes were filled with worry. She had never seen Han Li like this before.
Han Li raised his head with his eyes still in a daze. After a long while, he returned to his senses and heaved a sigh. When he saw the worry in Peiyao's eyes, he bitterly laughed. "I'm all right, Madam did not make things difficult for me. It's just that I saw incredible swordsmanship, and it's difficult for me to accept it for the time being."
Upon hearing these words, Gong Peiyao heaved a sigh of relief. "That you're all right is all that matters."
Soon after, Gong Peiyao asked with curiosity, "Whose swordsmanship could frighten you to this extent?"
After becoming a Master, Han Li's understanding of swordsmanship had entered a brand-new realm. Not only did he not feel complacent, he practiced and researched swordsmanship more diligently than before. His level of attainment in swordsmanship increased with each passing day. Gong Peiyao seldomly saw Han Li fight and did not know how good Han Li's swordsmanship was. When the Sky Leaf Division arrived at Palacefield City, Han Li stepped forward to negotiate with them and averted a bloodbath.
"It's Ai Hui… I saw how the God Wolf Division was destroyed, the death of Helian Tianxiao, and the omnipresent sword consciousness… It was an eye-opener!" Han Li replied emotionally.
"Really? Really? It's a pity I did not have the chance to see it. Ai Hui has already become so powerful? Who else was there? What about Sister Xueman?" Gong Peiyao widened her eyes.
She spoke extremely fast as her curiosity was piqued. The news of the great victory at the front line had been spread far and wide. However, everyone only knew that the God Wolf Division was annihilated and that Helian Tianxiao was killed. No one knew the exact details of the battle, which shrouded the victory in mystery. If it weren't for the fact that Ai Hui and Shi Xueman had outstanding military accomplishments, many people would not have believed that the victory happened.
"There's only Ai Hui. Countless light swords descended from the sky like a rain of light." Han Li shook his head.
Gong Peiyao was stunned. "Then the God Wolf Division was destroyed?"
Han Li replied her with an "uhh." A mind-wandering look swept across his eyes. "That scene was breathtaking and magnificent. I wish I could see it with my own eyes!"
"Is Ai Hui really that powerful now?" Gong Peiyao muttered.
"Yes, every one of those countless light swords was differently shaped. Even their sword consciousnesses were ever-changing and all-embracing," Han Li exclaimed in admiration.
"Isn't he like a Grandmaster that way? Has Ai Hui become a Grandmaster?" Gong Peiyao asked.
Han Li froze as a look of doubt appeared in his eyes. After a while, he returned to his senses and said, "No, Ai Hui is not a Grandmaster yet. Even though his swordsmanship is at the peak of perfection, it isn't omnipotent."
Suddenly, a realization dawned upon him. "No wonder Madam asked me if swordsmanship alone can be so powerful!"
Previously, he was immersed in the swordsmanship displayed in the clip, and he did not think about anything else. Now that he thought about it, he understood what Madam Ye meant by her question. Ai Hui's strength definitely had not reached the level of a Grandmaster. His swordsmanship might be extraordinary, but it definitely wasn't powerful enough to annihilate the God Wolf Division effortlessly.
He recalled the clip in his mind. One of the scenes that he previously ignored captured his attention now.
In the face of Ai Hui's light swords, the red glows around the Gold Wolf soldiers' bodies were unusually weak, like paper. Han Li had fought with blood elementalists before and knew the red glow around their bodies was very troublesome. It wasn't easy to break through it. However, the light swords descending from the sky not only killed Helian Tianxiao effortlessly, but countless God Wolf soldiers as well.
When he thought of Helian Tianxiao's angry cry before his death, Han Li's facial expression changed slightly.
He told his conjecture to Gong Peiyao, and her face turned solemn. After a while, Gong Peiyao shook her head and replied, "I'm sure he isn't a blood elementalist. Lou Lan would not lie. Furthermore, it's unlikely that other people did not sense Ai Hui cultivating blood spiritual force. There's another possibility as to why the light swords are so effective against blood elementalists…"
"What possibility?" Han Li asked.
"God's blood, the sacred artifact of the God Nation!" Gong Peiyao's tone turned solemn. "Blood elementalists have a strict base level system. The power of a blood elementalist with a high base level is extremely effective against the power of a blood elementalist with a low base level. Given Helian Tianxiao's base level, the only ones who can restrain him are the Red Devil and the Holy Emperor. Plus, the only person who can restrain him that easily is the Holy Emperor. Reportedly, the Blood of God has a sacred artifact that was passed down since the ancient times, the blood of a demonic god. The Holy Emperor attained the level of Grandmaster after absorbing it."
"Then where did Ai Hui get the God's blood from? If he absorbed the God's blood, won't he become a blood elementalist? Is it possible that one would not become a blood elementalist after consuming the God's blood?" Han Li asked.
"I don't know he got it, but perhaps Madam Ye knows." Gong Peiyao shook her head.
"Why would Madam Ye know?" Han Li asked with doubt.
"You forget that Madam Ye used to have a close relationship with the Assembly of Patriarchs, which is the arch-enemy of the Blood of God," Gong Peiyao replied.
"Didn't they fall out?" Han Li was puzzled.
Gong Peiyao did not reply immediately and looked out through the door. Han Li understood what she meant. Following which, he used his index and middle fingers like a sword and pointed it at the sky. Next, he drew a circle in the air and released faint waves of energy. His surroundings quieted down in an instant.
With a solemn look on her face, Gong Peiyao lowered her voice and said, "You have seen the elementalists from the Sky Leaf Division before. Don't you realize that all of them have something in common?"
After thinking about it, Han Li replied, "They possess all five elements?"
"Yes," Gong Peiyao answered. "My family has worked with the Assembly of Patriarchs before, and we have obtained an incomplete version of the training method for fusion elemental energy. When I saw the elementalists from the Sky Leaf Division, I immediately thought of fusion elemental energy. I have looked through the ancient records in my family. Even though the Assembly of Patriarchs is mysterious, we still know a thing or two about them. Reportedly, the Elders Guild obtained an incomplete version of the training method for fusion elemental energy in the past. After assessing it, the elders felt that it was not specialized enough and would not have much success in the future. Moreover, the Assembly of Patriarchs is very low-profile. The Elders Guild usually doesn't care about them unless they overstep the bounds of what is proper."
Han Li was enthralled by Gong Peiyao's words. Such insider information could never be found in the outside world. Only those long-established aristocratic families possessed records of such issues.
"The Assembly of Patriarchs has a very long history, but the fusion elemental energy has only been around for over 20 years."
"Over 20 years?" Han Li was astounded.
20 years was too short for an inheritance to fully mature. Many inheritances only became absolute arts after going through generations of improvements and amendments.
"20 years was when the Elders Guild first discovered it. In reality, fusion elemental energy has been around longer than that. Around five years before the Elders Guild discovered fusion elemental energy, a member of my family battled with the Ye family. A few of our family guards were severely injured, and traces of all five elemental energies could be found in their bodies. At that time, no one knew that that was fusion elemental energy. It was only when the Elders Guild discovered the existence of fusion elemental energy that our family head recalled the incident. He felt that the issue was extremely peculiar and decided to record it down." Gong Peiyao looked slightly vexed.
"Is it possible that the Ye family and the Assembly of Patriarchs…" Han Li was startled.
Gong Peiyao shook her head and replied, "I don't exactly know what happened, but I am certain that the relationship between Madam Ye's family and the Assembly of Patriarchs isn't as simple as what the outside world thinks."
"If that's the case, it is not surprising that Madam Ye knows about the God's blood." Suddenly, Han Li thought of a question and asked, "What do you think Madam Ye will do if Ai Hui's body really possesses the God's blood?"
"That's true, what will Madam Ye do?"
A glint lit up in Gong Peiyao's eyes as her facial expression brimmed with curiosity and expectation.
In the depths of a dark crevice, a petite figure was curled up while emitting a pulsating red glow.
Droplets of water were gathering on the rocky ceiling above her.
Drip.
A droplet of water fell from the rocky ceiling. At this moment, the red glow around She Yu's body intensified. That droplet of water fell into the red glow like a moth that flew into a candle flame.
Sizzle.
A wisp of white steam rose into the air, appearing as though the droplet of water had landed on a hot iron.
The red glow pulsated continuously. The mist around She Yu was dense and concentrated.
Through her nearly transparent body, blood was flowing through her bright-red blood vessels, and her heart was beating rhythmically.
Thump, thump, thump.
Her heartbeat wasn't fast, but slightly slow. However, every heartbeat was filled with power. The surrounding air was trembling slightly, as though a slim hand was lightly brushing across the surface of a drum.
Fine and tiny cracks began to appear on the surface of the heart, as if it had been sliced several times by a razor-sharp knife. The cracks were finer than strands of hair. If it weren't for the dazzling red glow that was shining out of them, one would not have noticed them. Along with the red glow, they made She Yu's heart look as if it was filled with burning lava.
Traces of domineering and violent aura emanated from the hair-like cracks. There was a poisonous bug frantically escaping from her body. Suddenly, it froze in its tracks.
The poisonous bug's life force disappeared, and its luster dimmed, becoming ash-colored. It had become a tiny bug statue.
Thump.
She Yu's heart began to beat again. The ash-colored poisonous bug disintegrated into dust.
The surging blood in her blood vessels gushed into her heart continuously. Following which, the blood was sent to various parts of her body by her heart. The look of agony on She Yu's face disappeared gradually. Her facial expression turned serene, resembling a baby who was sleeping soundly.
The dense mist had yet to dissipate. It gathered around her like a white cocoon.
Gui Hu descended from the sky and landed on a boulder. Then, he swept his gaze across his surroundings. In his proximity, there were only bushes that were half a man's height, making it impossible for someone to hide in them.
Gui Hui did not leave. He laid down and placed his ear on the boulder, listening carefully for any sounds.
He agreed with what Fu Sisi's conjecture. It was most likely that She Yu was hiding beneath the ground. Only by doing this could she avoid them. The demonic girl was severely injured and could not escape far. However, she might use some unique hiding techniques to conceal herself.
Putting aside his distracting thoughts, Gui Hu closed his eyes.
The sounds made by growing plant roots, scuttling ants, flowing water, and the exuberant subterranean world appeared in his mind.
At this point in time, he heard an unusual sound.
Thud, thud, thud…
It sounded like the heartbeat of a slumbering, gigantic beast. It was unusually slow and deep, yet powerful. Gui Hu wasn't an experienced individual, but his instincts told him this beast was not to be trifled with.
His mind jolted, and he stood up. Swiftly, he found a crevice in a nearby cluster of rocks. The heartbeat was coming from this crevice.
Without hesitation, he entered the crevice.
The entrance of the crevice was extremely obscure. It was also far deeper than he expected. He was highly vigilant, but his speed did not slow down. Inside the crevice, there was nothing but darkness. However, this did not hinder him. To him, it was no different than being in the light.
When he reached the depths of the crevice, dense mist covered his eyes. The weird heartbeat was coming from it. The white mist was extremely dense, stopping him from seeing what was inside.
What was this?
A look of uncertainty arose on Gui Hui's face. He instinctively sensed a dangerous aura and became highly alert.
Suddenly, dark-red glowing eyes lit up in the mist.