Chapter 85: Catastrophe

“Hurry, hurry!”
The old blacksmith didn’t care about anyone else. With a swift movement, he fled in panic, not even daring to look back.
“Go!”
Lin Fan called out in a low voice, pulling Yi Xiaoxian along close behind. He could sense the terror of the blood bats; though each one was merely the equivalent of a Flesh Realm cultivator, their sheer numbers were overwhelming—together, their might was devastating.
Young Lord Falling Flower and the others did not hesitate either; in fact, they set off at almost the same moment as the old blacksmith. If he guessed correctly, they must have heard tales of these blood bats before.
“Hmph, a bunch of cowards afraid of death. Cultivators should press forward with courage. All crooked, evil paths must be eradicated.”
Ziming sneered in contempt. With his two followers, he launched an assault. Violet energy surged east like a tidal wave, sweeping across the skies as he charged straight into the sea of blood bats.
The first hundreds of blood bats at the forefront fell, crashing to the ground and dying instantly.
“Doesn’t seem like anything remarkable to me.”
After his initial success, Ziming grew even more confident, unleashing his full strength. He even summoned his manifestation—a celestial sword that cleaved through the heavens. In an instant, countless blood bats were reduced to bloody pulp.
But at that moment, an unprecedented whistling split the air. From within the sea of bats, a king emerged, tens of meters in size, crimson from head to toe, its eyes blazing with divine light. A radiant beam shot from its mouth, sweeping away everything in its path.
“Aaah!”
A wail resounded, shaking the heavens. Ziming’s face changed drastically as he saw one of his followers’ heads pierced clean through, brain matter spraying.
“What is this creature? Such power—it’s already at the peak of the Vein Condensation Realm!”
At last, Ziming’s expression shifted; only now did he realize why the old blacksmith had fled at first sight. With such a blood bat king present, anyone short of the Heaven and Man Realm would have no hope of escape.
“Retreat!”
Violet light shot skyward, but this time it was a flight of desperation.
“After killing my kin, you think you can run? You humans are truly bold beyond reason!”
The blood bat king spoke, its wings vibrating, speed doubling as it closed in on Ziming from behind. Its razor-sharp claws slashed out.
“Back off! Beasts, all of you—I’ll have my father wipe your entire species from existence!”
Ziming roared, exerting all his secret arts, the violet celestial sword cleaving toward the blood bat king. At the same time, he seized his remaining follower and threw him at the monstrous creature.
A shrill cry echoed across the sky. The blood bat king paid no heed to the violet sword, clearly supremely confident in its defenses.
A burst of radiance; the violet sword shattered, exploding into countless motes of light, scattered in all directions. The king’s might had broken it with ease. Blood mist erupted next as the steel-hard claws tore the follower in two—a grisly end.
Yet, Ziming’s actions had bought himself a brief reprieve. He vanished from the king’s sight, but he failed to realize that blood bats were even more sensitive to scent than sight. Half a cup of tea’s time later, the tide of blood bats reappeared behind Ziming.
“What in the world are these things? Shaking them off is impossible. But why should I bear this alone? Since you’re traveling with me, you can share my burden.”
Ziming’s face twisted, then he sneered; he had already sensed where Lin Fan and the others were. With a sudden turn, he charged directly toward their location.
“Ziming, you’re courting death!”
A thunderous roar rang out as the old blacksmith struck. He had just led the group into hiding—since blood bats have no vision, they shouldn’t have been discovered. But Ziming’s actions had exposed them all.
Even Lin Fan’s anger was roused. Since entering the Ancient Buddha Domain, he had been cultivating his mind and keeping a low profile, always staying by Yi Xiaoxian’s side, never revealing his nature as a god of slaughter. Ziming had now truly provoked him.
“Out of my way!”
A stone stele fell from the heavens as Lin Fan moved with the might of a dragon and tiger, revealing his formidable power and sending Ziming flying dozens of meters.
“What do you mean by this?”
Ziming’s face was ashen; he hadn’t expected to be targeted by Lin Fan, and fury surged within him.
“If not for our current situation, I would have slain you already as an example to others.”
Lin Fan snorted coldly, but he had no time to deal with Ziming now. His boundless energy surged skyward as he charged into the blood bat horde.
He unleashed his fists, godlike and unstoppable, each punch blasting nearly a hundred blood bats into mist.
A fierce battle erupted; everyone was locked in desperate combat. The number of blood bats was simply too great to count—far more than ten thousand.
But not all possessed such strength. In a brief instant, two more fell, their flesh devoured, leaving only bleached bones behind.
They were two weaker youths, hoping to seize some opportunity in the chaos, only to lose their lives thanks to Ziming’s reckless actions.

A sudden scream shook the earth—it was Young Lord Falling Flower. The little maid who had always been at his side was gone, clearly perished.
“Die!”
A sword light blazed, and Young Lord Falling Flower unleashed his full might. Divine radiance rained down, almost holy in its splendor—his phenomenon, carrying a terrifying intent to kill.
“Old blacksmith, how far are we from the mine you mentioned?”
Dodging and striking, Lin Fan fought his way to the old blacksmith’s side and asked amidst the carnage.
“In fact, not far—only a few dozen miles away. But with so many blood bats gathered here, and a king among them, reaching it will be nearly impossible.”
The old blacksmith looked at Lin Fan with grave eyes, thick with hatred.
“That’s enough. Take everyone ahead. Leave this place to me for now.”
Lin Fan nodded, flicked out a finger, and celestial runes filled the sky. The colossal finger, like a pillar holding up the heavens, slew more than a hundred blood bats in a single gesture.
“You?”
Doubt flickered in the old blacksmith’s eyes, but then he made his decision.
“If the young hero is so determined, then I thank you. When this is over, I’ll take no payment for the Yin-Yang pills—here’s the mine’s location. Catch up with us when you can.”
The old blacksmith, seasoned by years in the King’s House Mountains, was well-versed in weighing gain and loss—life mattered above all.
A map appeared in Lin Fan’s hand, covered with marks and freshly torn from a larger chart, clearly just handed over by the blacksmith.
“You go ahead. I’ll cover the rear. See you at the mine!”
Lin Fan let out a long roar. He stood atop the peak, his whole being ablaze with divine light, as if wreathed in fire. His eyes shone like stars, beams of energy shot forth, piercing the sky. Countless blood bats exploded under his gaze, dying where they hovered.