159: Chapter 159 Battle of the Blood Altar, Showdown with the Blood Prince

The embers of the explosion were still settling.

The wreckage of 47 command-type mechas, centered on the former site of the Blood Altar, formed a silver-blue, slowly cooling arc across a fan-shaped area with a radius of 500 meters.

The chest compartments of every piece of wreckage were open, with fragments of energy cores scattered on the ground from the breaches, reflecting the grey-brown daylight unique to the eastern foothills of the Cangmang Mountains, stained by volcanic ash.

Lin Ye stood at the edge of the arc.

Three meters behind him lay the wreckage of the last command-type mecha to self-destruct—serial number 47-1972-10-07.

The message sent by the wreckage's AI core 0.1 seconds before the explosion was still glowing on his communication terminal.

[Fight the Seventh Trial for us.]

He did not close the message.

He sheathed his sword.

Then he heard that voice.

It did not come from any direction. It came from "within."

It was a resonance coming from the Chaos Brand on his chest—the brand implanted into the Blood Clan captive Collins 3 hours ago, which was currently pulsating at a frequency of 1.7 seconds per beat.

Collins was dead.

The moment the Blood Altar was destroyed, the Blood Prince used a remote command to activate the secret Blood Clan Restriction within his body.

It was not a self-destruct. It was a "Sacrifice."

Collins's HP, blood energy, and Soul imprint were drained within 0.3 seconds, converting into a positioning beacon that crossed a 370-kilometer spatial barrier.

The beacon pointed to the north gate of Chaos Valley. It pointed to Lin Ye.

[Spatial Fluctuation · Detected] [Rank: Level 60] [Type: Blood Clan Projection Arrival] [Source: Purple Mountain · Main Hall of the Primordial Royal Court] [Target Coordinates: Yan State · Eastern Foothills of the Cangmang Mountains · Ruins of the Blood Altar] [Arrival Countdown: 3 seconds]

Lin Ye did not move.

He simply drew the sword he had just sheathed again—the Refined Iron Longsword brought back from the Trial Ancient Star, stained with 47 drops of blood emperor essence blood in the center of its blade, its cracks now completely turned grey.

[2 seconds] [1 second] [0 seconds]

Space tore open 17 meters directly in front of Lin Ye. It was not a portal. It was a "Blood Gate."

This was a unique method of arrival for the Blood Clan, using the flesh and blood of the sacrificer as a medium. The blood energy released after Collins's death condensed in mid-air into a circular rift 3 meters in diameter, with dark red droplets constantly dripping from its edges. The rift opened. The Blood Prince stepped out from the rift.

[Blood Prince · Main Body Projection] [Rank: Level 58 → Level 59 (Breakthrough after the battle at Purple Mountain 33 days ago)] [HP: 100%] [Blood Energy: 100%] [Physique: Blood Emperor Sacred Body (Awakening Degree 61%)] [Current Status: Complete Projection (80% combat power of the main body)] [Equipment:] [1. Blood Soul Blade · Legendary Grade: Attack +7,200-8,700, Lifesteal +25%] [2. Blood Emperor Attire · Epic Grade: Defense +5,300, Blood-type Resistance +40%] [3. Blood Energy Core (Chest): Restores 15% of Max HP every 60 seconds] [4. Blood Shadow Cloak · Legendary Grade: Evasion +30%, 17% chance to force retention of 1 HP when taking fatal damage] [5. Blood Soul Ring · Quest Token (Expired) — Proof of connection to the main body] [Current Status: Enraged (All stats +10%, Sanity -30%)]

The Blood Prince stood in the center of the ruins of the Blood Altar. Beneath his feet lay the wreckage of 47 command-type mechas, the corpses of 31 Stone Race heavy guards, and the residue of blood energy left behind after the sacrifice of 47 elite Blood Clan guards.

The hem of his Blood Emperor Attire was soaked in the not-yet-dried pool of blood, and the dark red liquid seeped upward along the texture of the fabric, slowly being absorbed by the Blood Energy Core on his chest.

He kept his head lowered. He looked at that—the wreckage of the Blood Altar core, which had already turned to ashes and was being scattered by the wind of the eastern foothills of the Cangmang Mountains. He watched it for 3 seconds. Then he raised his head. He looked at Lin Ye.

The Blood Prince's pupils were the standard scarlet of the Blood Clan. But at the center of those pupils, there were two extremely thin, almost imperceptible golden vertical lines. This was the mark of his Bloodline evolving toward the Ancestor level after the Blood Emperor Sacred Body's Awakening degree exceeded 60%. It was also the embodiment of all his humiliation and anger over the past 33 days—from hunting him down from Purple Mountain to the Eternal Star Domain, being publicly slapped in the face at the auction, and suffering a total defeat after a 72-hour bloody battle in Chaos Valley.

"...Lin Ye," he said. This was the first time he had not called him "Night Emperor." He had not called him "that Human Race." He had not used any contemptuous or mocking epithet. He simply said his name. He ground out every syllable.

Lin Ye did not speak. He simply held his sword horizontally in front of his chest. The grey crack in the center of the blade, reflected by the blood energy that had not yet completely dissipated from the ruins of the Blood Altar, glimmered with an extremely restrained, almost invisible cold light.

The Blood Prince took a step forward. A slender, curved blade, entirely dark red with liquid blood light flowing along the edge, materialized in his right hand.

[Blood Soul Blade · Activated] [Current Blood Energy Infusion: 37%] [Blade Length: 1.1 meters] [Special Effect: Each time the target is hit, recover 25% of the damage dealt as HP] [Special Effect 2: For targets with HP below 30%, Crit Rate +50%]

He did not say anything else. The Blood Soul Blade dragged a 7-meter-long arc of blood-colored light through the air, slashing straight down at Lin Ye's head. This strike had no probing. No pre-requisite skills. No elegant and cruel combat etiquette customary to the Blood Clan. There was only pure—intent to kill.

Lin Ye's sword, 0.1 seconds before the Blood Soul Blade landed, swept upward at a 45-degree angle. The blade and the edge met. There were no sparks. There was only an extremely faint sound, like silk tearing—"shhh."

[Block Successful] [Strength Judgment: Lin Ye (Level 61 / Dragon Transformation Layer 1) vs Blood Prince (Level 59 / Projection)] [Result: Draw]

The Blood Prince's pupils contracted sharply. 33 days ago, on the outskirts of Purple Mountain, during the encirclement battle in the Black Stone Wasteland. He had witnessed with his own eyes how Lin Ye, surrounded by his hundred elite troops, used Void Step to blink 7 times in succession, forcibly breaking out of the encirclement while carrying the heavily injured Shi Potian on the verge of Divine Power exhaustion. At that time, Lin Ye was Level 58. At that time, he was Level 59. At that time, he could not catch up to Lin Ye. 33 days later. He was Level 59 → Level 59 (Projection 80% combat power). Lin Ye was Level 58 → Level 61. A direct block. A draw.

The Blood Prince stepped back. It was not a tactical withdrawal. It was instinct. Within the 0.1 seconds that the blade and edge met, his Blood Emperor Sacred Body sent him a warning signal he had never received before: [Target Danger Level: Fatal]

He had no time to think. Within the 0.3 seconds he retreated, Lin Ye's sword had already thrust to 0.7 meters in front of his throat. [Sword Technique · No Form] [Source: 47-day Expedition · Trial Ancient Star · Star Core Giant Beast Battle] [Effect: Abandon all unnecessary movements, thrust toward the target's vital point via the shortest path]

The Blood Prince dodged to the side. The Blood Shadow Cloak's 17% chance of forced evasion triggered at this moment. The blade grazed the outer edge of his left shoulder attire, slicing off a palm-sized piece of dark red fabric. [Hit: 0] [Evasion: Successful]

The Blood Prince did not retreat again. He held the Blood Soul Blade horizontally in front of his chest, blade facing outward, and the blood light flowing along the edge began to pulse with accelerating speed visible to the naked eye. [Blood Clan Secret Technique · Blood Sea Overturning the Heavens] [Consumption: 70% of current Blood Energy] [Casting Time: 1.7 seconds] [Effect: Summon a Blood Sea phantom, dealing 7 consecutive impacts to all enemy units within a 30-meter radius, each impact damage = 12% of target's Max HP] [Additional Effect: Within the Blood Sea range, all enemy units' movement speed -50%, healing effects -70%] [Cooldown: 24 hours]

1.7 seconds. Above the ruins of the Blood Altar, a dark red energy cloud 50 meters in diameter and 3 meters thick began to condense. From deep within the clouds, countless fine, buzzing sounds emerged, like thousands of Blood Clan members whispering simultaneously. That was not sound. It was the Blood Sea phantom calling out the remnants of all the Souls who had died at the hands of the Blood Clan over the past ten thousand years.

Lin Ye did not retreat. He took a step forward. [Chaos Heaven Opening] [Current Divine Power: 0%] [Forced Casting: Replace Divine Power consumption with 47% of current HP] [Lin Ye · HP: 21% → 0%] [Forced retention of 1 HP (Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body · Passive)] [Cooldown: 72 hours]

The grey crack in the center of the blade, at this instant—suddenly erupted with a blinding, pure, and unadulterated white light. That was not light. That was "Heaven Opening." It was a strike from the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body, squeezed forcibly from the depths of its Origin when in the critical state of zero HP, transcending the Laws.

The blade slashed into the center of the Blood Sea phantom. There was no explosion. No shockwave. None of the inherent perceptions that all onlookers had of the "Chaos Heaven Opening" skill during the Ten Thousand Races Covenant council, the Eternal Star Domain auction, or the encirclement battle in the Black Stone Wasteland—range, damage, ignoring defense, 12-hour cooldown. This sword strike. It did not slash the Blood Sea. It slashed the "Source."

The Blood Sea phantom split from the center, creating a fine, straight white rift that penetrated from the top of the cloud to the bottom. There was no blood energy spilling from the edges of the rift. It was not "broken." It was "erased." The dark red energy cloud, 50 meters in diameter, within the 0.3 seconds the white rift penetrated it—like thin paper thrown into a raging fire—disintegrated silently from the center outward into countless fine, non-elemental spiritual power particles. Then. It dissipated.

[Blood Sea Overturning the Heavens · Casting Interrupted] [Reason for Interruption: Skill Origin was forcibly cleared] [Blood Prince · Current Blood Energy: 100% → 30% (70% consumed but did not take effect)] [Blood Prince · Current Status: Backlash (All stats -20%, duration 60 seconds)]

The Blood Prince stood in place. His right hand still maintained the posture of holding the Blood Soul Blade horizontally in front of his chest. The blood light flowing on the blade had completely extinguished. He kept his head lowered. He looked at his own chest. That Blood Energy Core, which restored 15% of Max HP every 60 seconds—now had an extremely fine crack on its surface that penetrated from the very center to the edge. From the edge of the crack, extremely faint, dissipating white light threads were slowly seeping out. That was the residual echo left after the Chaos Power had finished its erosion.

"...What is this?" the Blood Prince asked. His voice was very soft. There was no anger. No humiliation. No elegant and cruel mockery that the Blood Clan was accustomed to when facing defeat. He simply asked.

Lin Ye did not answer. He retracted his sword—the Refined Iron Longsword, whose grey crack in the center of the blade had completely turned pure white after this strike and was now slowly cooling down—from the position where the Blood Sea phantom had dissipated.

The Blood Prince raised his head. He looked at Lin Ye. 3 seconds. Then he smiled. In that smile, there was no contempt, no mockery, and none of the cruel pleasure of "cat playing with mouse" from the encirclement battle in the Black Stone Wasteland 33 days ago. There was only an extremely weary—relief, as if he had finally confirmed a fact he had always been unwilling to admit.

"...Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body," he said. "I thought this was just boasting by you Human Race to gild your own faces. Unique Physique. All stats +100%. Ignore Bottlenecks. Unlock one Chaos Divine Ability per major Realm." He paused. "So it's true."

Lin Ye did not speak. He sheathed his sword.

The Blood Prince turned around.

He walked toward the blood gate that was slowly shrinking.

His Blood Emperor ceremonial robe dragged across the gray-white dust of the Blood Altar ruins, leaving a thin trail—being scattered by the wind from the eastern foothills of the Cangmang Mountains—across the wreckage of 47 guardian type iii command mechs, the remains of 31 Stone Race heavy guard soldiers, and the sacrificial remnants of 47 elite Vampire guards.

He walked up to the blood gate.

He did not look back.

“... You won,” he said.

“This round.”

“The Blood Altar is yours.”

“The beast tide in the Yan State is yours.”

“Those 47 scrapped mechs are yours.”

He paused.

“But Purple Mountain.”

“The Ruthless One's Inheritance.”

“The remaining 69% of the Master's will.”

“And—”

He raised his right hand.

That ring, worn on his left ring finger from the very beginning, never activated in any combat record, completely black without any reflection—at this moment, a very thin, dark red thread of light lit up in its center.

The thread of light submerged into the Blood Energy Core in his chest, where cracks were spreading.

【 Blood Prince · Main Body Connection 】

【 Projection Recalling 】

【 Recall Progress: 37% ... 71% ... 94% ... 】

---

“... Next time.”

The Blood Prince’s voice came from the shrinking rift of the blood gate, growing fainter and more distant.

“I will not lose.”

---

【 Blood Prince Projection · Withdrawn 】

【 Blood Altar Ruins · Combat Ended 】

【 Enemy Commander: Blood Prince (Level 59) — Defeated and Retreated 】

【 Our Commander: Lin Ye (Level 61) — Victory 】

【 Combat Duration: 47 seconds 】

【 System Prompt: You have achieved victory in the head-on confrontation with the Blood Prince projection 】

【 Because the Blood Prince forcibly recalled the projection through the blood gate, it cannot be killed 】

【 You obtained: blood emperor essence blood × 1 】

---

【 blood emperor essence blood 】

【 Type: Bloodline Material / Plot Item 】

【 Quality: Legendary (Unique) 】

【 Description: One of the three drops of Origin essence blood of the Blood Prince's main body, condensed when the Blood Emperor Saint Body awakened at level 60. This item contains the core secrets of the Vampire's top-tier Physique, as well as a weak Soul connection with the Blood Prince himself. 】

【 Effects: 】

【 1. Refining: After a Vampire Bloodline player consumes it, Bloodline purity permanently +15%, with a chance to awaken the Blood Emperor Saint Body (Success rate 17%) 】

【 2. Sacrifice: Submit to the Ten Thousand Races Covenant Tribunal, can serve as direct material evidence of the Blood Prince plotting the beast tide and violating the covenant (Effectiveness > Blood Soul Ring) 】

【 3. Research: The Seventh Fleet of the Eternal Starfield offers 430,000 Tech Resource Vouchers to purchase 】

【 4. Fusion: The Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body can attempt to absorb this essence blood, with a chance to unlock a Chaos attribute branch (Risk: Soul connection may be reverse-tracked by the Blood Prince) 】

【 5. Destroy: Completely sever the Soul connection with the Blood Prince 】

【 Current Status: Unbound 】

---

Lin Ye looked at the dark red droplet suspended in his palm.

The droplet was about 1 cm in diameter, translucent, with extremely fine golden veins squirming inside like a living thing.

That was the proof of the Blood Emperor Saint Body's 61% Awakening.

It was also the only physical connection the Blood Prince left inside the projection to his main body.

He put it into his Storage Ring.

Together with that Blood Soul Ring, Corinth's Vampire Council badge, and the last instruction sent by the 47 command-type mechs before self-destructing—

Placed side by side.

---

【 System Prompt: Blood Altar Core · Completely Destroyed Confirmed 】

【 Blood Energy Conversion Device: 3/3 — Destroyed 】

【 Yao Beast Pheromone Amplifier: 7/7 — Paralyzed 】

【 Blood Altar's control radius for the beast tide toward Yan State: 300 km → 0 km 】

【 4,700 Crystal-Armored Giant Rhinoceroses gathering 17 km north of Chaos Valley: Lost command, began to scatter into the depths of the Cangmang Mountains 】

【 11,000 Berserk Blood Wolves confronting outside the 3rd-7th defense lines in northern Yan State: Lost tactical coordination, began to retreat in disorder 】

【 2,300 Gold-Devouring Ants active in the coastal areas of eastern Yan State: Lost pheromone guidance, entered a chaotic state 】

【 Yan State-wide · Beast tide threat level: Red → Yellow → Blue (Low Risk) 】

【 Yan State Official Defense Headquarters: Beast tide out of control confirmed 】

【 Yan State Official Defense Headquarters: Sent a formal letter of gratitude to the Heavenly Court 】

【 Yan State Official Defense Headquarters: Awarded the Heavenly Court the honorary title of "Guardian of Yan State" (All faction members' reputation in Yan State +50%) 】

---

Lin Ye did not look at those System prompts.

He stood where he was.

His HP: 1 point.

His Divine Power: 0%.

His Meridian Load: 570% → 620% (Aftermath of forced Chaos Heaven Opening casting).

His vision: Black and white, slowly recovering to color at a rate of 1% per second.

He gripped his sword.

The scabbard pressed against the ground.

---

Su Qingyue was the first to walk to his side.

She did not speak.

She just placed her left hand—that left hand with an empty palm, whose sword hilt wreckage had long been put into her Storage Ring—

Gently on the back of his right hand that was gripping the sword hilt.

3 seconds.

Then she let go.

Took a step back.

---

Shi Potian was the second.

His right arm—that right arm where the nerve connection was not yet stable, and there were 47 unhealed cracks on the newborn pink skin—

Hung by his side at this moment.

He did not use it.

He used his left fist—that left fist with 47 shattered bones, necrotic muscle, charred skin, which withstood three punches from a level 70 Ancestor Phantom in the Ninth Trial of the Ancestor Star without falling, and smashed the skulls of 47 Crystal-Armored Giant Rhinoceroses in the 72-hour bloody battle in Chaos Valley—

Gently tapped Lin Ye's right shoulder.

Then retreated.

---

Zhou Tieshan was the third.

His spare shield—that spare shield that had crumbled into two halves under the third hammer strike of the Blood Altar Guardian—was held in his left hand in two halves.

He put the remains together.

Placed them at Lin Ye's feet.

Then retreated.

---

Chu Yunxi was the fourth.

Her quiver was empty.

That arrow made from the wreckage of the flame feather bow's arm had already been shot into the gap between the 3rd and 4th armor plates of the Blood Altar Guardian's breastplate.

At this moment, that arrow was still stuck in the Guardian's remains.

She walked over.

Pulled out the arrow.

The arrow tip was already blunted.

There was a fine crack in the center of the arrow shaft, extending from the arrowhead to the tail feathers.

She put it into her quiver.

Then retreated.

---

Chen Hao was the fifth.

His chaos unit no. 1 was still dragging behind him.

The energy core was in sleep mode.

The right arm particle rifle was damaged.

The left arm was intact.

The sole magnetic anchors—that pair removed from the chaos unit no. 1, installed on his own combat boots, used to step on the Guardian's breastplate and vertically climb onto its shoulder during the Battle of the Blood Altar—

Were still adsorbed on the surface of the Guardian's breastplate at this moment.

He walked over.

Pulled the sole magnetic anchors off the Guardian's breastplate.

Reinstalled them on his own combat boots.

Then retreated.

---

Lu Xinghe was the sixth.

His star compass—that star compass that had split into seventeen pieces and been glued back together, with an optical path error of +17%, 0% spiritual power circuit, and the dial completely stopped rotating—

Was placed in front of his knees.

He used his finger.

Gently flicked the needle.

The needle went from stationary—to slowly rotating.

1 degree.

2 degrees.

3 degrees.

Stopped at 11 degrees west of true north.

That was the direction of Purple Mountain.

He looked at the needle for 3 seconds.

Then put the star compass back into his bosom.

Retreated.

---

Yun Qianxue was the seventh.

Her green lotus staff—the staff head was shattered, the staff body was covered in cracks, the Flame of Life inside was completely extinguished, and the three crystal petals on the staff head were tied back in place with pale green embroidery thread—

Was held horizontally in her right hand.

The staff body pressed against the ground.

She stood there.

Did not retreat.

She just leaned the staff body—that extinguished staff—gently against Lin Ye's feet.

Then took a step back.

---

Zhao Wuji was the eighth.

His legs were still shaking.

The aftermath of the spatial teleportation incompatibility would last for at least another 2 hours.

But he stood straight.

He took out from his Storage Ring that—the last 70,000 vouchers borrowed from the Eternal Star Domain Reception Station III-7 47 minutes ago—exchanged into Spirit Stones.

He placed this bag of Spirit Stones at Lin Ye's feet.

“... Mission accomplished,” he said.

“Time to go back.”

---

Lin Ye looked at these 8 people.

Looked at the remains of those 47 command-type mechs.

Looked at the blood emperor essence blood lying quietly in his Storage Ring.

Looked in the direction of Chaos Valley—370 km away, that defense line he had built with his own hands, defended with 47 days of expedition, 72 hours of bloody battle, 1 HP, and 620% meridian load.

He spoke.

His voice was calmer than he expected.

“... Go back.”

---

【 System Prompt: Large-scale Campaign "Battle for the Yan State Defense Line · Chaos Valley Battle" 】

【 Campaign Stage: Day 4 · Blood Altar Annihilation Battle — Completed 】

【 Campaign Overall Rating: S 】

【 Campaign Contribution: 】

【 1. Destroyed Primordial Royal Court Yan State Frontline Command Node × 1 】

【 2. Killed Blood Altar Guardian (Level 65 Elite) × 1 】

【 3. Defeated Blood Prince Projection (Level 59) × 1 】

【 4. Captured key plot item "blood emperor essence blood" × 1 】

【 5. Captured Vampire Council identity badges × 47 】

【 6. Captured Vampire secret technique fragments × 3 (Need to crack) 】

【 7. Our battle losses: guardian type iii command mechs × 47 (Total loss) 】

【 8. Our casualties: 0 】

【 9. Enemy casualties: Stone Race heavy guard soldiers × 31, elite Vampire guards × 47, Blood Altar Guardian × 1 】

【 10. Beast tide losses: Berserk Blood Wolves 9,000, Crystal-Armored Giant Rhinoceroses 4,700, Gold-Devouring Ants 2,300 】

【 Campaign Rewards: 】

【 1. Faction Reputation +300,000 】

【 2. All Heavenly Court members in Yan State experience gain +30%, lasting 7 days 】

【 3. Yan State Official Defense Headquarters favorability +70% (Current: Reverence) 】

【 4. Unlocked follow-up plot line "Purple Mountain · Ruthless One's Inheritance" 】

【 5. Unlocked follow-up plot line "Primal Ancient Mine · Mystery of the Master" 】

【 6. Unlocked faction achievement "Vampire Nemesis": Damage to Vampire players/units +15% 】

---

Lin Ye closed that line of prompts.

He turned around.

North.

The direction of Purple Mountain.

Looked for 3 seconds.

Then he turned around.

South.

The direction of Chaos Valley.

Took the first step.

---

Behind him.

8 people.

Took the first step at the same time.

---

Behind him.

The remains of 47 command-type mechs.

47 energy core fragments that were slowly cooling down.

47 last instructions sent before self-destructing.

---

【 47-1925-07-13 】

【 Content: None 】

【 47-1931-11-07 】

【 Content: None 】

【 47-1947-03-19 】

【 Content: None 】

【 47-1972-10-07 】

【 Content: "Clear the seventh stage for us." 】

---

On Lin Ye's communication terminal, that instruction was still lit.

He did not turn it off.

He put the communication terminal into his bosom.

Kept walking.

---

370 km.

4 hours 17 minutes.

Chaos Valley.

---

【 Chapter 159 · End 】