Feng Yunwuji sped toward the Blade Domain. When he was still about three thousand li away, the faint scent of blood reached his nose. Alarmed, he immediately landed.
Surrounded by mountains, a crimson stream flowed slowly through the valley. The strong metallic tang in the air came from the water itself. Following the blood-colored stream upstream, he soon saw a corpse drifting along the current—its body covered in wounds, swollen from soaking too long.
Feng Yunwuji quickened his pace. The further he went, the more bodies he encountered. Ancient trees on either side of the stream had been snapped in half, as if torn apart by a typhoon.
"You beasts! You call yourselves kin, yet you aid the wicked! Are you even human?!" A woman's voice rang out ahead, filled with both despair and fury. The quivering undertone in her voice stirred something in Feng Yunwuji's heart. He picked up his pace.
Turning a corner, Feng Yunwuji was met with a scene that made his blood boil. A stunning woman was being pinned to the ground by four dark-skinned brutes. Her chest was exposed, her green dress torn. In front of her stood a smirking young man, already pantsless, ready to violate her.
Surrounding them were several martial artists. Feng Yunwuji recognized some of them—one was the Blade Domain patrol officer he had seen in the cave, and another was none other than the Daoist Sanren of Great Freedom. Yet faced with this monstrous act, Sanren turned away, indifferent.
As the young man moved to force himself upon the woman, Feng Yunwuji shouted, "Stop!"
Everyone turned toward the voice. The youth sneered, "Ah, the hero appears. You humans really love to play the role of savior. Let's see what gives you the right to stop me."
"Step away! This doesn't concern you!" cried Daoist Sanren urgently. Feng Yunwuji, now in disguise, was unrecognizable to him.
"You call yourself righteous, and yet you stand by and do nothing?" Feng Yunwuji glared coldly at him and strode forward.
"I… you don't understand. Please, just leave," Sanren muttered, ashamed but insistent.
"Who are you? This is Blade Domain business. Leave now!" the patrol officer barked. At his signal, the surrounding Blade Domain disciples unsheathed their blades and aimed them at Feng Yunwuji.
"Hmph, just another fool spoiling my fun. Bladejue, you know what to do. No need for this prince to spell it out." The young man growled and began lifting the woman's hips.
"Filthy scum!" Feng Yunwuji roared. With a flick of his wrist, the sword core in his palm morphed into a long blade that spun into his grasp.
"Dark Path—Unleashed!" A surge of peerless blade energy shot toward the young man. Twelve Blade Domain warriors stepped forward, launching their own blade strikes to intercept.
Boom! Feng Yunwuji's slash shattered the twelve attacks, sending all twelve warriors flying. The residual force continued surging toward the youth.
"No!" Daoist Sanren leapt forward to block the attack. His defensive technique clashed with the ferocious blade energy, bursting into waves that nearly broke his barrier.
"Please... you must leave. Even I can't afford to offend them. This goes beyond you. If you act, you'll be forever branded a criminal!" Sanren coughed blood, his voice trembling.
"Bladejue!" the youth growled, displeased.
Bladejue's figure flickered, and in the next instant, a strike imbued with immense blade force crashed into Feng Yunwuji's chest. Caught off guard, he was sent flying with a painful grunt.
A deep gash tore across his body, from left arm to right waist. Feng Yunwuji dropped to one knee, blood gushing from his chest, his long hair falling over his face.
"Daoist Sanren, you've begged me to leave just because this man is the Blade Domain's young master? Hah! Even if the domain lord himself were committing such an atrocity, I would still draw my blade!"
"You fool. Did you not see the corpses along the way? They were just like you—ignorant of the truth, reckless, and they all met the same end," Sanren sighed.
"You all hide the truth so carefully. Then allow me to reveal it." The youth stood tall and sneered. "I am the second prince of the Demon Realm. Do you truly think you can defy me over a mere woman? Blade Domain's strongest warriors surely know I'm here. They haven't come to stop me. And you—a lowly human—think you can?"
He turned to his guards. "Kill him. I want his heart as a snack."
Feng Yunwuji's expression darkened. He couldn't believe it. He glared at Sanren and the others. Rage surged from deep within, ready to burst.
"You're letting a demon disgrace a fellow human?!"
Everyone turned away in silence. From the ground, the woman spoke weakly, her voice devoid of hope. "Run... I've accepted my fate."
The demon prince snarled, "Daoist Sanren, Bladejue, I order you—kill him! Or I'll return to the Demon Realm and petition my father to send an army to wipe out your entire race!"
Dark energy exploded skyward. The four dark-skinned guards transformed, growing over three meters tall. Metallic scales emerged from beneath their skin, their eyes glowing a haunting violet.
They howled and charged toward Feng Yunwuji.
He slowly rose to his feet, eyes steely. With a few quick taps on his chest, he stopped the bleeding. Then, raising his right hand, summoned his blade once more.
The demon guards charged. Not far behind, the twelve Blade Domain warriors drew their blades.
The demon prince grinned and grabbed the woman by the throat, tearing the rest of her clothing apart. Her naked body lay exposed as he pressed himself against her. Just as he prepared to assault her—
"Let her go!" Feng Yunwuji roared, his eyes bloodshot. But it was too late—the guards and warriors had already descended upon him.
The woman suddenly lifted her head, eyes firm despite the tears. "Demon... I'd rather die than let you have your way!" She bit down hard on her tongue. Blood gushed from her mouth, her body went limp, and her arm fell lifelessly.
One of the demons approached, checked her breath, and turned to the prince. "Your Highness, she bit her tongue. She's dead."
Slap! The prince struck her corpse across the face. "You ruined my mood." Then, turning to Feng Yunwuji, a murderous light filled his eyes.
Boom!
Twelve powerful blade strikes and four crushing punches landed on Feng Yunwuji, blasting him into the air. Blood spurted from his mouth as his lungs nearly collapsed. In a haze of pain, he saw a tear roll down the woman's cheek—filled with sorrow, pain, despair, hatred. Her once-lively eyes faded into a lifeless gray.
"Why?! Why?! I need power! I need power!" he screamed in his mind, a howl of rage and helplessness shaking his soul.