As the Bloodletters continuously crawled out from the ground, the situation reversed instantly.

  These low-level demons had cultivation levels equivalent only to the early Qi Refining stage.

  But their combat experience surpassed most cultivators of the same rank.

  They were unmatched in ground battles.

  Moreover, the Bloodletters had a sense of formation, advancing in ranks, making them even more unstoppable.

  This group of Bloodletters first charged towards the direction where the Qingfeng Sect disciples were attacking, killing everyone in sight, regardless of friend or foe.

  "Senior Li, control your summons!"

  A cultivator, bleeding after being struck by a Bloodletter's sword, cursed in anger.

  Hearing this, Li Rushi laughed heartily instead.

  "Haha, no need. As long as you sincerely worship the Blood Demon Evil God, his servants will naturally see you as comrades."

  "What! You are from the demon cult!"

  The Canglong Gang members were shocked.

  They thought Li Rushi was merely using a demonic artifact to temporarily summon Bloodletters for battle.

  Hearing this, they realized Li Rushi had long submitted to the demons and joined their cult.

  Although the Canglong Gang cared only about profit, not good or evil,

  they kept their distance from heretics like the demons, whom everyone wanted to destroy.

  "Hahaha, fellow Canglong Gang members, don't blame me. This old man was short on funds and couldn't afford your pay."

  Li Rushi waved his hand, and the Bloodletters immediately attacked all surrounding cultivators.

  "Forest spreads for miles, roots deep for centuries."

  Ma Qianfang activated his artifact again, using the ground roots to continuously attack the Bloodletters.

  Taking advantage of the enemy's分散 formation, Ma Qianfang ordered, "Fight to the death! We must destroy that banner!"

  With the Canglong Gang's defection, the situation reversed again, and the Ma family temporarily gained the upper hand.

  In the cultivation world, demons were humanity's great enemy.

  Ordinary people even used stories of demon brutality to stop their children from crying.

  The cultivators present knew the demons' fearsome reputation and fought with all their might.

  But the Bloodletters were not only tough-skinned but also skilled at trading light wounds for heavy ones, and heavy wounds for fatal blows.

  After several rounds, most of the cultivators were dead or wounded.

  Worse, Bloodletters kept crawling out of the ground endlessly.

  And Li Rushi still held a trump card.

  "Nephew, how do you feel?"

  By now, Li Wangxuan had lost all human form.

  His body was dark red all over, flesh rotting and deforming.

  His skin was even turning into hard armor.

  This was the result of demonic corrosion: armor growing inside the body, turning him into a mad killing machine.

  Li Wangxuan opened his eyes, rage boiling. "Kill, kill, I want to kill!"

  Li Rushi stroked his short beard, admiring his new creation with satisfaction.

  "Yes, good, very good. You are my Blood Demon Puppet now. Now, this old man gives you a gift."

  As he spoke, the Blood Bone Soul Banner, previously planted firmly in the ground, floated up and settled firmly behind Li Wangxuan.

  The banner seemed to take root, merging with him.

  "Ahhh!"

  Li Wangxuan roared, and the next moment, his body was enveloped in red light.

  Demonic blood energy poured out from within him.

  Soon, a demon was born, carrying the soul banner on its back, armed to the teeth, with two horns growing from its head.

  The greatsword in its hand was red-hot, forged from the bones and blood of the innocent victims in Pingyuan Town by the Blood Demon Evil God.

  "Good nephew, go and kill them all."

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  "Kill."

  Li Wangxuan charged straight at the Qingfeng Sect disciples.

  The remaining disciples were already broken by the Bloodletters, barely holding on thanks to three Canglong Gang Qi Refining experts.

  The demonic Li Wangxuan raised his greatsword and delivered a straightforward, powerful overhead chop.

  One Canglong Gang expert, also using a heavy black iron sword, thought his strength was a match and met it with brute force.

  The powerful techniques clashed with a loud bang.

  The expert's sword broke, and his body was cleaved in two, dying instantly.

  Killing a Canglong Gang expert with one move, Li Wangxuan's power shocked everyone.

  Seeing such a差距 in strength, the others fell into despair.

  Ma Qianfang decided to use his artifact, the Great Opening Axe. "Protect me, everyone. The outcome hinges on this move."

  The remaining cultivators had no choice but to overdraw their spiritual energy in a desperate struggle.

  But against a hundred Bloodletters and the demonic Li Wangxuan, it was only buying time.

  As the Blood Bone Soul Banner left its position, the demon-summoning formation slowly dissipated.

  Fewer and fewer Bloodletters crawled from the crimson soil.

  But Li Rushi didn't care.

  These mindless killing Bloodletters were hard to control, and individually weak.

  More importantly, they could only move on ground, easily wiped out by cultivators.

  So Li Rushi planned, after slaughtering the Ma family, to frame them for summoning the Bloodletters.

  He would claim the Ma family colluded with the demon cult, massacred the Li family and Pingyuan Town, and unleashed the Bloodletters near their mansion.

  The Canglong Gang, protective of its own, would back Li Rushi's story.

  With the Lei brothers watching Qingfeng Sect, even if they wanted to investigate, they couldn't move quickly.

  "Ah, this precious nephew needs to be taken care of."

  Li Rushi watched Li Wangxuan rampaging with satisfaction.

  Although the Bloodletters were disposable, his nephew needed protection.

  As a summoner, he desperately needed a powerful bodyguard.

  Moreover, with the Blood Bone Soul Banner's加持, this demonic Li Wangxuan would grow stronger with every kill.

  His value in the upcoming fight for the spirit stone mines in the Thousand Li Ghost Yin Mountains would be immeasurable.

  As he thought, Li Wangxuan charged ahead, reaching Ma Qianfang.

  "Protect the family head!"

  Several Ma family cultivators fought desperately, unafraid of death.

  But in moments, they were minced meat under Li Wangxuan's greatsword.

  The last cultivator, skewered by the greatsword, used his last strength to grapple with Li Wangxuan. "Family head, now!"

  With no escape, Ma Qianfang had to activate his artifact prematurely: "A thousand mountains,巧而不工. Universe dim, open the sky, split the sun."

  He raised the Great Opening Axe with all his strength and swung at Li Wangxuan.

  "Not good!"

  Li Rushi ordered the Bloodletters to assist.

  But the weak Bloodletters were still blocked by cultivators.

  At the critical moment, Li Wangxuan pulled out his greatsword and swung to meet the axe.

  Another loud bang, dust flying everywhere.

  Everyone, anxious about the result, stared at the battlefield's center.

  To their despair, Ma Qianfang's axe had only shattered a piece of Li Wangxuan's chest armor and flesh, leaving a bloody hole.

  Ma Qianfang himself was run through by the sword.

  "You!"

  Knowing he had lost, Ma Qianfang fell to the ground in不甘.

  The Bloodletters swarmed and tore the Foundation Establishment cultivator to pieces.

  "Phew, close call."

  Although Li Rushi was a summoner, he understood what just happened.

  If Li Wangxuan had focused on parrying the axe,

  Ma Qianfang's axe, an artifact guided by spiritual energy with immense power,

  would have killed him in a direct clash.

  But Li Wangxuan chose a different path: trading wounds.

  He struck first, wounding Ma Qianfang's body and disrupting his energy flow.

  Thus, Ma Qianfang's axe lacked power.

  Simultaneously, Li Wangxuan twisted as the axe struck,

  deflecting its trajectory and avoiding a fatal wound.

  This tactic of trading wounds was the Blood Demon's specialty.

  It seemed Li Wangxuan was deeply demonized, unlikely to return to human form.

  With Ma Qianfang dead, the cultivators scattered, retreating to the Ma mansion.

  Li Wangxuan, ignoring his wounds, pursued.

  The Bloodletters also swarmed towards the mansion.

  In moments, only Li Rushi and the surviving Bloodsucking Mosquitoes remained in the jungle.

  Seeing this, Li Rushi was stunned by these mindless killing machines.

  "These Blood Demons are so impatient. Killing people is like chasing a bride, they won't come back when called."

  Li Rushi tried several times to recall the Bloodletters and Li Wangxuan, but got no response.

  Although the Blood Demons were fierce fighters, they had a fatal flaw: blood rage.

  Once battle fervor peaked, they lost all reason.

  No matter how Li Rushi called, they wouldn't obey.

  This was a major weakness.

  Many low-level cultivators would feign retreat, luring Blood Demons into ambushes.

  Once inside, they'd be worn down by ranged attacks or rolling boulders and logs.

  The Ma mansion had many traps and formations. Entering recklessly would cause casualties.

  Especially Li Wangxuan, with his broken armor.

  This vulnerability couldn't be ignored.

  Li Rushi dared not delay and hurried after him.

  But after a few steps, he saw an unexpected person.

  This man, leaning on a cane, smiled, but hidden depths lurked beneath. "Senior Li, the brothers from Spirit Sword Sect drank too much and couldn't walk. They asked me to relay a message."

  Needless to say, it was Lin Lin.

  "Sect Leader Lin! The Lei brothers never drink. Why bother with this act?"

  Li Rushi, on high alert, summoned the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes to attack.

  Facing the approaching mosquitoes, Lin Lin remained calm.

  "Stop. Even warring armies don't kill messengers. Besides, how do you know I'm not a demon cult follower? I have two pieces of good news for you, Senior Li."

  Knowing he couldn't fight without Li Wangxuan and the Bloodletters, Li Rushi decided to play along.

  He waved his sleeve, recalling the mosquitoes, and cupped his hands.

  "Alright, Sect Leader Lin, what news?"

  Lin Lin toyed with his cane, slowly advancing, and spoke with grave seriousness. "First news, Senior Li, listen well. Sir, the times have changed."

  "Times changed? You call me sir?"

  Li Rushi was confused by this cryptic, profound statement.

  He sensed its significance but couldn't grasp it.

  As he hesitated, he saw Lin Lin point the dark hole at the cane's end towards him and pull the trigger.

  Bang!

  A roar, white smoke from the cane's end.

  Li Rushi's chest was pierced; he fell, severely wounded.

  Of all weapons, this was a firearm.

  Earlier, fearing the Moonlight Wine wouldn't kill Liu Fenghai, Lin Lin had kept this as a backup.

  Unexpectedly, this trump card was used on the old fox Li Rushi.

  "You tricked me."

  With his last breath, Li Rushi ordered the mosquitoes to attack.

  But Lin Lin moved his sword finger slightly, and instantly, a storm of sword energy flew.

  Even at Qi Refining, Lin Lin could kill a second-tier Purple Jade Spider in seconds.

  Now, even stronger, one strike shredded the remaining mosquitoes.

  Unhurried, Lin Lin walked to Li Rushi. "The second thing is, although warring armies don't kill messengers, nothing says the messenger can't kill the general."

  With that, his sword finger shot out, aiming straight for Li Rushi's core nucleus.

  Flesh and blood flew, and between Lin Lin's two fingers was Li Rushi's core.

  Li Rushi was terrified, but finding himself alive without his core, he understood.

  "You are from the demon cult, remnants of the Blood Servant Sect!"

  Lin Lin didn't answer. He moved his finger three times.

  Li Rushi was torn apart by the sword energy, body and soul destroyed.