Demon Blood, Maiden Vail

The battlefield was silent.

Ash danced on the night wind, brushing Lin Yuan's face, but he no longer reacted. He knelt amidst shattered talismans, torn robes, and a pool of his own blood.

His **dragon-scale robe** still shimmered, untouched by blade or flame. But underneath… his body was a wreck—**his muscles crushed like smashed potatoes**, bones cracked, nerves twitching like burnt wires.

His **silver belt** had lost its glow, the protective formation within completely exhausted.

His **bracelet**, once a divine artifact of time, now hung crooked on his wrist—*

Even the loyal feather blade that hovered silently behind him, was corroded black by cursed qi, trembling like it had wept.

His vision blurred.

**Poison.**

Every breath scorched his lungs like fire-tipped nails.

His limbs sagged.

His soul flickered at the edge of collapse.

And yet… he smiled.

Bitterly.

"I'm… still alive?"

Then he collapsed.

Lady Mingyan landed with a blast of pressure, her robes trailing silver flames. She tore off her gloves and placed glowing hands on Lin Yuan's chest.

"He's fading! His spiritual pulse is **splintered**! Poison has reached his core!"

Lady Bihua arrived next, summoning **black-gold antidotes** from her jade ring. "We have seconds. If he falls asleep, he might never wake."

The three women worked like divine physicians of war—injecting pills, pouring soul fluids, forcing spiritual light into his blood vessels. A soft moon-pale formation spread beneath him, steadying his soul.

Qingxiu knelt beside Lin Yuan and gripped his trembling hand. "Please… don't die…" Her voice cracked, too soft for the others to hear. "You promised to eat snacks with me…"

Lin Yuan's body convulsed.

Suddenly, **red demonic lines** crawled beneath his skin like molten iron veins. His soul flame—weak and flickering—**blazed up like a torch.**

Lady Mingyan's voice dropped low. "His demon blood… it's awakening."

---

A black wasteland stretched forever.

Above, a **crimson moon** hung, cracked like a broken mask. All was silence.

Lin Yuan stood alone—**naked, bloodied, bruised**, his chest heaving. His spiritual self limped across the void.

"I… I failed…" he whispered.

A deep voice answered from the shadows.

"No. You endured."

From the darkness stepped a figure—a **shadow of himself**. But taller. Stronger. His eyes glowed like rubies, **horns curling from his temples**, and his body cloaked in chains and fire.

"I am you," the shadow said. "The part that was always chained. The part your father sealed. Or maybe... you're a piece of me."

Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes. "You want to take over?"

The shadow rolled its eyes. "Don't be childish. What are you, reading mortal novels? I'm not here to be your villain. I'm your bloodline, your instinct, your will to fight. You think I'm some side character? Then why are you inside my world?"

He laughed—strangely familiar.

"I thought I'd grow up, get sone wife, live like a prince… Maybe I *am* a prince charming."

He stepped forward.

"But if I awaken a bloodline… do I need to devour other heirs?"

"If I inherit a body-type throne… do I have to kill other successors?"

"If I survive… am I still me?"

Lin Yuan stared into the reflection of himself—darker, crueler, but honest.

Then—

**Crack!**

The **red moon shattered**, raining bloodlight across the black field.

Chains burst from Lin Yuan's back—snapping one by one.

His body lifted. The **soul flame surged**.

And from within the burning sky descended a demonic seal—etched in glowing crimson Light.

Back in the Real World

Lin Yuan's body **jerked upright**, gasping for breath.

His eyes burst open—**demonic red with streaks of silver**.

**BOOM—**

His aura surged, wild and unstoppable. The trees nearby bowed. The tents shuddered.

Lady Mingyan stepped back. "His will… it's stabilizing."

Lady An murmured, "He didn't collapse. He absorbed the poison… and tempered his soul."

Lady Fangyan whispered, "His demon will… has matured."

Qingxiu, stunned for a moment, then surged forward and **hugged him from behind**, sobbing.

"You scared me, idiot… If you died, who would eat all those snacks with me?"

Lin Yuan leaned back slightly, still panting.

"Thanks…"

He weakly reached out and **held her hand**.

Then, the exhaustion overtook him, and he passed out again—this time, with a small smile.

---

### **Hours Later**

He lay on a soft bed in the center of the pocket dimension. He remember it was secret realm of that little baby. Or should I say I get this a wedding gift.

His chest was wrapped in jade-thread bandages.

His **silver belt** hummed faintly, recharging.

His **bracelet** had been repaired with a time gem.

His **feather sword** hovered silently over his shoulder, cleaned and gleaming.

His demonic aura pulsed faintly—but no longer wild.

It was contained. Controlled.

But somewhere deep inside him…he heard...

> *"If they run, I will chase."*

> *"If they hide, I will see."*

> *"If they sever their karma—I will still find them."*

He had stared into death.

And awakened as something more.

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