Chapter 222: The Only Variable

　　“Ah!”

　　Su Zimo howled at the skies with widened eyes. His black hair swayed without any wind as his blood qi burst forth.

　　Bang! Boom! Boom!

　　Su Zimo’s bloodline rumbled, causing thunder to roar and demonic to swirl around him. As his large tendons and bones trembled, his strength had already reached its limit!

　　Even so, Yu Fei, who was standing opposite Su Zimo, maintained his composure. He gripped Su Zimo’s wrists tightly without budging a single inch at all!

　　This was a complete suppression in terms of strength and cultivation realm!

　　There was no technique to speak of.

　　When the quality of a Golden Core was extremely high with pure spirit energy, it would be able to achieve a harmony with the heavens and earth, forming a phenomenon – that was how Golden Core phenomenons were born.

　　Because demons did not possess spirit energy, there would naturally be no Golden Core phenomenons as well.

　　However, the Inner Cores of demons were formed through the qi of the skin, flesh, tendons, bones, marrow and five organs. A combination of their entire body’s essence, that was the source of their power.

　　By condensing an Inner Core, the demon’s skin, flesh, bloodline, bones, marrow and organs would completely transform, causing their strength to increase exponentially!

　　That power was more than enough to completely crush any Foundation Establishment spirit demons!

　　Looking at Su Zimo who was struggling, Yu Fei raised his chin, as if he was looking at a lesser being, and curled his lips with a cold expression.

　　“Fufufufu!”

　　The blood-robed youth walked over slowly. He sneered as a mocking look flashed in his eyes.

　　To him, Su Zimo was like a rat that had fallen into the hands of a cat right now – no matter how he struggled, nothing would change.

　　“I told you, you won’t be able to escape today!”

　　Coming before Su Zimo, the blood-robed youth said sternly as his eyes lit up, “Turn into my blood slave obediently!”

　　The blood-robed youth waved his white bone staff and recited an abstruse incantation.

　　Within the voids, a strange power began to emanate.

　　The eyes of the blood-robed youth glowed with a sinister shade of faint green.

　　Su Zimo met with his gaze and instantly felt himself going dizzy.

　　“Not good!”

　　In that instant, Su Zimo lost his mind and felt as if he had fallen into an endless darkness. Sinking endlessly, he could not extricate himself.

　　An extremely evil power began to invade Su Zimo’s mind.

　　Su Zimo’s eyes faintly emitted a green glow.

　　“AHHHHHHH!”

　　He roared continuously from the depths of his heart and shouted at the top of his lungs. However, he could not break free from that mental control.

　　“No one can control me!”

　　Lowering his head, Su Zimo’s body trembled violently and the veins on his neck were exposed. His face’s blood vessels were visibly seen as he did not give up despite the enduring pain!

　　The blood-robed youth’s technique was an extremely powerful secret skill, Blood Slave Art.

　　Once a cultivator’s mind was corroded by Blood Slave Art, they could fall into a mental illusion which was extremely difficult to break out of through their own efforts.

　　Therefore, Blood Slave Art was something that must not be interrupted or disturbed by external forces while it was being executed.

　　The blood-robed youth felt that this was an extremely appropriate situation for him to deploy Blood Slave Art.

　　Su Zimo was restrained by Yu Fei and could not budge. The three of them were far away from the battlefield and no one could interrupt the execution process.

　　The blood-robed youth could almost envision Su Zimo kneeling before him with a reverent and pious expression as a blood slave.

　　However, be it the blood-robed youth or Yu Fei, they forgot something.

　　That was the only variable.

　　That variable did not merely affect the fates of Su Zimo, the blood-robed youth and Yu Fei… it affected the entire battle of Dongling Valley as well!

　　Perhaps, none of them would foresee that the effect of the variable would not merely end here.

　　After today, that effect would continue and eventually affect the entire Tianhuang Mainland, stirring huge waves within!

　　…

　　At the boundaries of Dongling Valley.

　　Su Zimo extended his arms, rooted on the ground. He trembled endlessly with a pained expression.

　　His arms were held down firmly by two large hands. Opposite him was the Golden Core spirit demon, Yu Fei.

　　Beside Yu Fei stood the blood-robed youth.

　　With his head lowered, Su Zimo’s black hair was let down.

　　Right then, Su Zimo felt a strange movement in his chest.

　　In that slightly opened robe of his, a little beast hid inside. It looked at the miserable Su Zimo and its round and pitch black eyes sparkled as if it was a vast galaxy, deep and mysterious.

　　Su Zimo was originally trapped in that mental illusion, surrounded by complete darkness.

　　All of a sudden!

　　An external force barged in, paving a path through that darkness.

　　The next moment, Su Zimo caught sight of a little beast.

　　It was like a little dog, looking at him with its head tilted as it blinked its pitch black and sparkling eyes.

　　“Night Spirit…”

　　Su Zimo muttered softly.

　　When he met with little beast’s gaze, Su Zimo was shocked and suddenly broke free from the mental illusion!

　　Night Spirit’s gaze seemed to possess a mysterious power that could purge away the evil from Su Zimo’s body!

　　Even though he managed to break out of the mental illusion, Su Zimo was sweating profusely and almost out of strength.

　　“Hurry and escape!”

　　Su Zimo’s lips trembled as he said with a hoarse voice.

　　Although Night Spirit had a mysterious background and managed to help him break free from the mental illusion, it was still too young.

　　It had been less than a month since it was born!

　　What could a month-old baby do?

　　Notwithstanding a human baby, even a month-old pure-blooded ferocious beast would have delicate skin and tender bones, pitifully weak at best.

　　Of course, even though Night Spirit was young, it was extremely intelligent and had already gained sentience.

　　Su Zimo knew that Night Spirit could understand his words and could read the situation as well.

　　His fate was already decided.

　　Now that he was in the hands of a Golden Core spirit demon, there was no way he could escape.

　　However, it was different for Night Spirit.

　　It looked like a weak puppy through and through.

　　Be it the blood-robed youth or Yu Fei, none of them would bother about it, giving it a great chance to escape alive!

　　Upon hearing Su Zimo’s words, Night Spirit’s expression was calm and it did not move.

　　It remained hidden in Su Zimo’s embrace without exposing itself, merely listening with its head tilted as though it was trying to pay attention to what was going on outside.

　　“Ugh!”

　　Almost at the same moment as when Su Zimo broke out of the mental illusion, a muffled groan came from the other side.

　　The blood-robed youth covered his head with both hands. He was in extreme pain as his deep green eyes were bloodshot while his facial features were contorted, looking extremely frightening.

　　If Blood Slave Art was interrupted by any normal external force, the impact on the caster wouldn’t be that great.

　　But this time, the blood-robed youth’s Blood Slave Art was reflected by a mysterious force!

　　The failure of the technique along with the backlash from the force struck the blood-robed youth like a thunderbolt. His head felt like it was splitting as he nearly fainted.

　　“Oh?”

　　Yu Fei frowned. He was still gripping Su Zimo’s arms tightly as he turned around to the blood-robed youth and asked in concern, “What’s wrong, young master?”

　　At that moment, Su Zimo’s chest moved!

　　A black shadow darted out, running on Su Zimo’s arm onto Yu Fei’s arm within a couple of steps.

　　Like a ghost, the black shadow was extremely fast and appeared at Yu Fei’s chest in the blink of an eye.

　　Pausing for a brief moment, the black shadow suddenly raised its paw.

　　Five extremely sharp claws poked out, flashing with a cold glint, swiping at Yu Fei’s throat with a bloodied smell of death!