157: Your sister will not mistreat you.

The female leader spread her arms, and countless blood threads were drawn from the ground, the walls, and even the corpses of the dead veiled women, intertwining and coiling before her.

Those blood threads actually condensed into a giant blood-colored python as thick as a water bucket.

This blood python was lifelike, every scale glowing with an eerie red light, and corrosive blood mist sprayed as its tongue flickered.

It coiled in front of the female leader, Lu Chen's reflection in its vertical pupils, emitting a bone-chilling "hissing" sound.

Lu Chen, however, merely sneered, his True Qi surging like a river, the Golden Scale Art operating at its peak.

First, he activated the Dragon Aperture, and the nine great apertures in his Dantian lit up in sequence, like nine stars forming the Big Dipper.

Then, he connected the Dragon Spine, and his entire spine emitted a crisp Dragon roar, with thirty-three vertebrae connecting to form a great True Qi Dragon.

Finally, he activated the Dragon Blood, his entire body's blood boiling like lava, and golden Dragon phantoms faintly appeared in his blood vessels.

With the three combined, fine, scale-like golden patterns emerged on Lu Chen's body. These patterns gradually solidified, eventually transforming into lifelike golden scale phantoms covering his entire body.

The blood python lunged fiercely, a A foul wind swept through..

Golden Dragon emerges from the sea!!

Lu Chen's long spear bloomed with golden light, thrusting directly at the python's vital spot.

Boom!

The moment the spear tip collided with the blood python, a deafening roar erupted.

The blood python let out a painful hiss, its massive body disintegrating inch by inch, once again transforming into a sky full of blood rain that scattered.

The female leader was dumbfounded: "A Dragon! You actually Cultivate the Dao of the True Dragon!! Are you of the Imperial family!!!"

Terror appeared on the female leader's face. Seeing Lu Chen closing in, she suddenly shrieked, "Stop! If you take another step, I'll kill these commoners!"

Lu Chen burst out laughing at her words, his laughter full of disdain: "Their deaths, what concern is it of mine!"

"Die!" Lu Chen roared, his figure suddenly transforming into three afterimages.

Each afterimage thrust a spear, blocking the female leader's upper, middle, and lower paths.

The female leader hastily tried to dodge, but found that no matter how she moved, she could not escape the coverage of these triple spear shadows.

With a "Pfft," the three spears combined, simultaneously piercing the female leader's throat.

Her body froze in place, an expression of disbelief still lingering in her eyes.

As Lu Chen withdrew his spear, the female leader's body crashed to the ground, and the eerie blood threads vanished into thin air.

The entire temple suddenly shook violently, and the Blood Guanyin statue "cracked" and split in half, revealing a black, paint black hole behind it.

Goodness, there's a secret passage behind this!!

...Lu Chen entered the secret passage.

He discovered that it was actually a grand hall!

The hall was octagonal, with a soaring dome, and eight coiled Dragon pillars supported the entire space.

In the center was a blood pool more than ten zhang in diameter, where viscous blood constantly churned, making "gurgling" sounds.

Eight passages extended from around the blood pool, each leading to the unknown depths of darkness.

Dozens of White Gauze Maidens were mechanically busy.

They wore translucent veils, their eyes vacant, their movements perfectly synchronized.

Each held a blood-red Guanyin statue, the statues grotesque, with eerie smiles on their lips.

Most chilling was that each Guanyin statue trembled slightly, as if alive.

When the Maidens threw the Guanyin statues into the blood pool, a shrill shriek immediately erupted from the pool, and countless distorted human faces could vaguely be seen struggling in the blood.

Lu Chen's pupils contracted slightly.

Each of these Blood Guanyin statues emitted a strong aura of resentment, clearly having devoured the essence, blood, and souls of at least hundreds of Mortals.

Looking around, a corner of the hall was already piled with over a hundred empty lotus seats, meaning that this single stronghold alone had already harmed tens of thousands of innocent commoners!

It was unimaginable how many such demonic lairs still existed in Feiyun City.

At the edge of the blood pool, several Maidens wearing silver veils were using special jade spoons to scoop out blood beads that had condensed in the pool.

Those blood beads quickly solidified after leaving the water, turning into thumb-sized blood fiend pills, emitting an eerie red glow.

The Maidens carefully placed the blood fiend pills into gilded, jade-inlaid brocade boxes, each movement as precise as a puppet's.

On a high platform directly opposite the blood pool, sat a woman wearing a red veil.

She was dressed in splendid robes and wore a golden filigree hair ornament. Although half of her face was covered by the veil, her exposed brows and eyes were breathtakingly beautiful.

However, the occasional flashes of blood-red light in her eyes betrayed her non-human nature.

She was the steward of this Guanyin Hall, Su Hongxiu.

Su Hongxiu leaned languidly on her throne, her vermilion lips slightly parted, her voice full of an alluring, mature woman's charm: "How are things in Feiyun City?"

The White Gauze Maiden standing by her side bowed respectfully and answered, "Reporting, Steward, today Feiyun City produced several Geniuses rarely seen in a thousand years. Their Spiritual Roots are pure, and their Qi and blood are vigorous. The Hall Master will surely be pleased."

Su Hongxiu's lips curved slightly upward: "Very good. We also need to hurry and refine the blood fiend pills. Last year our performance was the worst; if we are outdone again this year, we will all lose our lives."

The White Gauze Maiden's body visibly trembled, and she quickly replied, "Yes! The Disciples are already working hard to find them."

Su Hongxiu snorted coldly: "You bunch of blockheads! Don't always ask if others are willing! If others are unwilling, you must find a way to abduct them! Drugging, kidnapping, threatening... do I still need to teach you?!"

The White Gauze Maiden timidly looked up, saying hesitantly, "But... didn't the Bodhisattva say that Opportunity cannot be forced...?"

"You are truly stupid! Blockheads!" Su Hongxiu laughed in extreme anger, "This isn't forcing, understand? This is the — blessing — we bestow upon them!"

"Pfft!"

A sudden burst of laughter echoed in the hall. The laughter was clear and hearty, carrying undisguised mockery, sounding particularly harsh in the solemn hall.

"Who?!" Su Hongxiu turned sharply, her expression beneath the veil instantly as dark as ink.

All the cultists in the hall turned their heads in unison, dozens of gazes shooting like arrows towards the source of the sound—behind a pillar in the corner of the hall.

Lu Chen slowly walked out, a suppressed smile still on his face: "Um... I said I was just passing by, do you believe me?"

Su Hongxiu scrutinized Lu Chen, not daring to be careless. Such an unannounced appearance meant he was certainly no ordinary person.

"I am Su Hongxiu, the steward of the Guanyin Hall, an outer School of the Cihang Sect, one of the Ten Great Immortal Cultivation Sects. May I ask which School the young brother belongs to, and what brings you here?"

Lu Chen stood at the edge of the blood pool, a mocking sneer on his lips: "How impressive, indeed. You even use the name of Guanyin Bodhisattva, yet you engage in the evil deeds of devouring the essence and blood of Mortals. Heaven has sent me down to collect you!"

Su Hongxiu, hearing this, did not get angry but laughed instead, her vermilion lips beneath the red veil slightly parted: "Little brother, you truly joke. What do you understand? For these Mortals to offer their power to Immortals, that is a blessing cultivated over three lifetimes. In their next life, they can Reincarnate and become Immortals! What a great Opportunity that is!"

"Hahaha!" Lu Chen laughed uproariously, "You can deceive others, but don't deceive yourself!"

"Swish!"

Su Hongxiu's figure suddenly vanished, and the next second she was pressed against Lu Chen's back.

Her body, as soft as if boneless, instantly wrapped around Lu Chen's form.

Her cool fingers lightly stroked Lu Chen's neck, her breath like orchids: "Little brother, your Qi and blood are so vigorous..." Her voice was sickeningly sweet, making one tremble, "How about staying to be my male servant? Big sister will surely not mistreat you."