Battle Through the Heavens: Harmony of Flame and Shadow

In the distant city, the air was heavy with the stench of blood, and from afar, one could almost hear the lamentation of all living creatures. Who knew how many beings had been tormented and killed within?

"What do you plan to do?" Jiang Yun withdrew his gaze and looked at Zi Yan beside him, asking softly.

"Kill!" 

Facing Jiang Yun's inquiry, Zi Yan glanced at the distant city, where the blood mist soared skyward. Her purple-golden eyes revealed a chilling coldness as she replied icily.

"Do as you wish," Jiang Yun smiled, looking at Zi Yan, and said gently.

With a nod, Zi Yan let out a long roar. An enormous purple-golden energy dragon burst from behind her and crashed toward the city ahead.

"How bold!" 

A furious roar emanated from within the city. Massive blood clouds rushed out and violently collided with the purple-golden dragon.

At this moment, the sky above the distant Bloodsteel City was covered with sweeping blood clouds. Within the clouds, an array of giant beasts ran rampant, all chained, with a colossal palace atop the clouds behind them.

Many strong guards from the Blood Fiend Clan guarded this palace. At the forefront, four massive, demonic figures with crossed arms scanned the surrounding mountains. Instantly, they locked onto Zi Yan and Jiang Yun, projecting overwhelming pressure from their bodies.

"Hmph!" 

Sensing the pressure from the four, Zi Yan let out a cold snort. Her entire body radiated purple-golden light, and a supreme dragon rose behind her, seemingly crossing the void and roaring at the four figures.

The momentum broke. Feeling the terrifying pressure from Zi Yan, the four Blood Fiend Generals' faces turned pale with disbelief, as if stared down by a dreadful beast.

"Didn't expect to encounter two denizens of the Great Thousand World here."

At this moment, a faint voice echoed from the palace behind them. The four Blood Fiend Generals swiftly retreated respectfully, revealing a blood-red throne behind them. On that throne, a white-haired figure in a red robe lounged lazily.

He lowered his head, his blood-red eyes emotionlessly scrutinizing Jiang Yun and Zi Yan. He said indifferently, "It seems the clansmen who lost contact earlier were killed by you."

Zi Yan snickered coldly upon hearing this, her face impassive. "Just casually slaughtered some blood-sucking beasts."

Immediately, fierce gazes shot toward Zi Yan, those from the Blood Fiend Clan eyeing her like knives, seemingly wanting to tear her apart.

"Two Earth Sovereigns at the peak, coming to this plane and daring to provoke my clan instead of behaving. Despicable!" The Blood Fiend King's pale face held a hint of contempt.

"A minor clan without even a Demon Emperor, and you think you're impressive?" Zi Yan retorted with a cold laugh, raising her delicate hand. A purple-golden dragon-patterned spear appeared in her grip. "Time to send you beasts to reunite!"

"Roar!" 

A dragon's roar echoed from above. The blood clouds in the sky were suddenly obliterated by a surge of purple-golden power. A purple dragon emerged from the endless void, its purple-golden eyes coldly observing the Blood Fiend Clan.

"High-level Dragon Clan!!!"

Seeing the summoned dragon figure, the Blood Fiend King shrieked in shock and trembled. Instantly, he ordered his people.

"Kill it! Quick, kill her together!!!"

As his words fell, the other Blood Fiend Clan members, suppressing their fear, transformed into blood lights and surrounded Zi Yan.

Boom!

A vast blood light erupted from the crowd, and the air was filled with the stench of blood.

Watching the approaching Blood Fiend Clan, Zi Yan remained calm. Her gaze fixed on the leading four fiendish generals exuding overpowering auras. The purple-golden spear in her palm suddenly shone, and the dragon patterns on it seemed to come alive.

"Kill!!!"

A dazzling purple-golden spear beam, vast as a thousand feet, whistled out, piercing through the void. The shockwave turned the surrounding Blood Fiends into a blood mist, sweeping toward the four generals at an indescribable speed.

"Be careful."

The purple-golden spear beam came too quickly and fiercely. The Blood Fiend King hurriedly shouted a warning. The four generals finally reacted, their savage expressions changing. With a roar, blood-red torrents erupted from their bodies, trying to block the terrifying spear beam.

Boom!

However, at the moment the spear beam clashed with the blood-red torrents, the torrents were instantly obliterated. The domineering purple-golden spear beam swept across mercilessly.

The four Blood Fiend Generals turned pale, horror showing on their faces. But it was too late; they had missed the best escape opportunity. The spear beam swept over them with a burst, turning them into four rising blood mists.

Hiss...

The faint blood mist was quickly dissolved in the purple-golden spiritual light. Among the Blood Fiend Clan present, except for the Blood Fiend King, none survived, not even leaving a corpse.

"How dare you kill my clansmen! I will take your lives!"

Watching his clansmen turn to ash, the Blood Fiend King stood from his throne, his face twisted with rage. His eyes exploded with blood light, the blood sea behind him gathering the power from his fallen clansmen.

The entire sky darkened, an endless blood sea surged, and from it emerged a colossal blood-red demonic figure, thousands of feet tall.

The towering blood shadow stood in the heavens, blotting out the sky, exuding the awe of a demon god.

The terrifying pressure enveloped the world, making it seem like the heavens themselves were collapsing.

"Hmph!"

Seeing the murderous Blood Fiend King, Zi Yan didn't waste words. With a cold snort, she raised her purple-golden dragon-patterned spear, channeling her spiritual power into it.

"Kill!"

"Blood Sun Descent!"

The blood sun hovered in the air, enveloping the surroundings in blood light. Wherever the blood light shone, even the city below began to corrode.

Boom!

With a sinister smile, the Blood Fiend King sent the blood sun crashing down like a thunderbolt, targeting Zi Yan.

"Grand Illusory Divine Light!"

Zi Yan coldly watched the descending blood sun, her hands forming seals. Behind her, the enormous dragon opened its maw, shooting a purple-golden beam carrying the power of destruction at the blood sun.

Boom! The purple-golden beam pierced through the blood sun, its terrifying force obliterating it in the void.

"Have any more tricks, hmm???"

As the residual power dissipated, before Zi Yan could finish, she was startled to find the Blood Fiend King fleeing without hesitation, already miles away from the battlefield.

"Ha, trying to escape under my watch. Too naive!"

Seeing Jiang Yun's teasing gaze, Zi Yan felt enraged. She tore open a spatial rift, chasing down the fleeing Blood Fiend King.

"Ah!"

In the blink of an eye, Zi Yan caught up, simply swinging her spear and smashing the Blood Fiend King into pieces, leaving only a glowing blood orb containing a remnant of his soul.

"Trying to escape!"

Zi Yan coldly snorted, reaching out to grab the blood orb into her palm.

"Do you think you've won? My clan has five more like me, plus our emperor. This plane is destined to fall to us—argh!"

Unable to bear his rambling, a dragon-shaped purple flame ignited in Zi Yan's palm, causing the blood orb to scream.

"Jiang Yun, this guy should know many secrets!" Having dealt with the Blood Fiend King, Zi Yan flew to Jiang Yun with the blood orb in hand, speaking softly.

"A demon king should indeed know a lot!" Jiang Yun smiled at Zi Yan, nodding. With some methods, they soon extracted all the secrets from him.

Since invading Bai Long's plane, the Blood Fiend Emperor had been trying to refine the plane's essence in Blood Fiend Mountain, the former base of the most powerful faction, the Holy Dragon Sect.

The Blood Fiend Clan had six Blood Fiend Kings taking turns patrolling the plane, with three always stationed at Blood Fiend Mountain.

"Surprisingly, the plane's original inhabitants have formed an empire, though it's probably another way for the Blood Fiend Clan to raise livestock." Zi Yan, now thoroughly aware of the Bai Long plane's intelligence, glanced at Jiang Yun in surprise.

"Let's go and see them. Though their strength may not help, they can provide intelligence about the other two patrolling Blood Fiend Kings' whereabouts." Jiang Yun suggested.

"Alright!" Zi Yan readily agreed, taking Jiang Yun's hand and heading toward the distant horizon.

In the Bai Long plane, countless refugees surged forward, their faces filled with fear. They constantly glanced back, worried about demons chasing them.

They all headed toward the so-called only pure land.

Beyond boundless mountains stood towering cities, bustling with noise and activity. The cities were interconnected by high walls, forming a massive city-state.

This city-state seemed endless, with at least a billion inhabitants.

Though appearing as a paradise, it was actually food for the Blood Fiend Clan, with regular tributes for peace.

In the city's center, a towering palace housed the city-state's leaders.

Many in the hall were powerful, some nearing the strength of the Blood Fiend Generals, but most had a cold aura emanating from them, marking them as fallen ones reformed by the Blood Fiend Clan's power.

One exception was the figure on the throne, a fair-skinned, curvaceous woman in a white dress. Her clear eyes exuded authority, and her iced demeanor added to her appeal.

Her cold demeanor and lack of the Blood Fiend Clan's aura indicated her power wasn't self-cultivated but bestowed.

"Your Majesty, refugees claim to have been saved by a deity. Absurd!" 

"The priority is not this deity nonsense, but appeasing the Blood Fiend Clan."

"With so many slaves escaping, the Blood Fiend Clan will retaliate. I suggest returning them and offering five hundred thousand more to quell their wrath, or our last sanctuary will be lost."

"Indeed, Your Majesty..."

The cowardly voices came from those with the Blood Fiend Clan's aura and blood-red eyes. These comments angered other leaders, who clenched their fists but dared not speak.

Having sided with the Blood Fiend Clan, these powerful beings served as their spies. Opposing them would risk their families being next on the "tribute" list.

The white-dressed queen, filled with grief, trembled, her nails digging into her palms, blood dripping. She scanned the shameless advisors but found no good solution.

Many viewed her as the world's savior for creating this sanctuary, but she knew it stood on countless innocent bones, sending millions annually to the Blood Fiend Clan as breeding tools.

"Hmph, all cowards! Once admired, now despicable!"