Black Crow Divine Lord had admitted it himself — the lower half of the Blood Radiance Scripture he left on the skeleton had been deliberately modified in several places. Cultivating a Blood Radiance Scripture like that would be more surprising if one didn't suffer Qi Deviation. And only Yang Kai, who had been too busy with Black Crow Divine Lord invading his sea of consciousness to actually cultivate it, had narrowly escaped that fate.
He glanced around at the others and swept his divine sense through the hall, but found no trace of Black Crow Divine Lord's remnant soul. Still, Yang Kai was certain the old monster was still here — and had almost certainly already entered someone's body. He was likely in the process of seizing it right now.
But there was no way for Yang Kai to determine who Black Crow Divine Lord had possessed.
A soft moan came from beside him — Qu Huashang. Her face was flushed an intense crimson, blood mist steaming from her entire body, and her expression was one of obvious agony.
Yang Kai had no time to hunt for Black Crow Divine Lord. If he didn't do something about Qu Huashang's condition immediately, her meridians would likely be completely destroyed, leaving her a cripple.
He flashed behind her and pressed a palm against her back, channeling his own power into her body. He worked to restore the chaotic flow of her blood and Emperor Yuan to order.
Though Qu Huashang had succumbed to Qi Deviation, it hadn't been long, and her body's own instincts recognized the problem. She didn't resist Yang Kai's intervention — on the contrary, she cooperated willingly.
The churning of her blood gradually subsided. In less time than it took to finish half a cup of tea, her complexion softened, and the blood energy that had been roiling like boiling water returned to calm.
She slowly opened her eyes, a trace of lingering fear flickering in their depths, and said softly: "Thank you, Junior Brother!"
She didn't understand what had happened. After comprehending the lower half of the Blood Radiance Scripture within the skeleton, her blood energy had spiraled uncontrollably on its own, and even her consciousness had grown hazy. If Yang Kai hadn't intervened at that critical moment, she would likely have been done for.
"Senior Sister, focus on healing!" Yang Kai said, then quietly sent a voice transmission: "Listen to me — the Blood Dao inheritance here is an utter trap. It was orchestrated by a fellow called Black Crow Divine Lord..."
He recounted the old monster's scheme in the fewest words possible. Qu Huashang was visibly shaken upon hearing it. She had never imagined that a Divine Lord's remnant soul was hiding within this Blood Demon Cave Heaven, and she finally understood why she had suffered Qi Deviation — the Blood Radiance Scripture she had been comprehending had been tampered with.
"You mean to say that Black Crow Divine Lord's remnant soul is currently inside someone's body?"
Yang Kai replied: "That's right. I suspect he has already succeeded in his possession."
His own case was the exception — his soul strength far exceeded that of cultivators at the same level, and he also had the Warm Divine Lotus within his sea of consciousness, plus the Soul-Devouring Insects. That was why Black Crow Divine Lord had crashed headfirst into a wall trying to seize him. But no one else possessed such deep reserves. Even if everyone here was the cream of their respective factions' crops — future powerhouses, every one of them — they still stood no chance against a figure like Black Crow Divine Lord.
Black Crow Divine Lord's remnant soul couldn't leave this palace. If he did, he wouldn't survive long. To stay alive, his only option was to continue seizing bodies.
And the only people in this hall were them. If Black Crow Divine Lord wasn't going to possess them, who else was there?
Among them, Qu Huashang was unquestionably safe.
She was a woman. Yang Kai was certain that if he were Black Crow Divine Lord, he would never bother seizing a female body — it would lead to all manner of inconveniences down the road. That was secondary, though. The primary reason was that Black Crow Divine Lord placed immense importance on the Blood Radiance Scripture, and a woman's body skewed yin, making it the least suitable vessel for cultivating that technique.
Her earlier performance had proven as much. She and Pei Wenxuan had begun comprehending the Blood Radiance Scripture at the same time, yet each time, Pei Wenxuan had moved faster.
It was precisely because of this reasoning that Yang Kai had prioritized saving Qu Huashang first.
As for the others… Yang Kai's gaze swept warily over the remaining figures, his head aching. From outward appearances alone, there was no way to tell who had been possessed. Among them, Zhou Yi of the Myriad Blood Ground undoubtedly raised the greatest suspicion. Black Crow Divine Lord had said as much himself — he had originally wanted the one with the Blood Dao foundation, and only abandoned his plan to possess Zhou Yi because Yang Kai's blood energy was too overwhelmingly potent.
Was it Zhou Yi?
Yang Kai's eyes locked onto Zhou Yi's face, unblinking.
Just as he was about to test him, a sudden grunt came from one side. Pei Wenxuan's eyes snapped open, his pupils trembling violently. Demonic energy churned around him as he roared and drove a fist into his own chest.
Pfft — blood sprayed from his mouth, and Pei Wenxuan's aura plummeted in an instant.
He shot to his feet, glaring at the skeleton before him with unrestrained fury, and cursed: "What kind of bullshit Blood Radiance Scripture is this? It nearly ruined me!"
Yang Kai's eyes narrowed slightly.
Pei Wenxuan had broken free of Qi Deviation entirely on his own. Was it because of his exceptional ability — or because Black Crow Divine Lord had already possessed him, and his current display was nothing but an act?