A shriek split the darkness.
From the heart of the hall, a beam of crimson light tore through space, hissing like a curse given breath. It struck straight toward Xuanye's chest.
He moved—barely.
His palm surged with Qi, golden arcs forming a half-shield. The crimson energy deflected, but not without consequence.
It grazed his forearm.
The flesh sizzled. A thin, blackened wound burned deep through muscle and soul vein alike. Faint wisps of smoke curled from the cut, and with them, the lingering presence of something… ancient.
Xuanye looked down, gritted his teeth.
No words. Just focus.
"Are you hurt?" Su Feilí stepped beside him, voice cold, eyes locked on the enemy. Her frame was still trembling from earlier, her Qi frayed, but she stood straight—a blade yet to break.
Xuanye nodded. "It's nothing. Focus on keeping the others safe."
The air trembled.
And from the veils of red mist that hovered near the fractured ceiling…
She descended.
She was called: 血螭皇·魅璇 – Blood Serpent Empress · Mèi Xuán.
Her presence blanketed the hall in shadow.
Hair: Long, cascading waves of pale platinum blonde, streaked subtly with crimson at the tips.
Eyes: Dual-colored — left eye gold, right eye wine-red. A third eye, vertical and glowing red, appears when her powers are invoked.
Face Markings: Crimson serpentine tattoo curling from her left temple to her jawline, glowing faintly like molten runes.
Skin Tone: Porcelain-pale with a faint lilac underglow — unearthly and pristine.
Crown: Bone-forged, wrapped with spiritual threads and molten gold; shaped like a coiling serpent clutching a black pearl.
Earrings: Dangling blood opal chains shaped like reversed fangs.
Outfit: A split-sided gown made from living red silk, trailing into smoke and blood petals as she walks. Bodice forged from serpent-scale gold and heartsteel, leaving arms bare except for winding red tattooed seals. Barefoot, with anklets carved with demonic runes. Her tail occasionally manifests — nine blood-tipped serpent tails made of shadow and fire.
Race/Type: Primordial Serpent Demoness — half-dragon, half-spirit serpent, born from the blood of ten thousand executed immortals during the Great Celestial Purge. She rules the Threaded Abyss, weaving illusions and parasitic blood silk to control the minds and bodies of cultivators.
Cultivation Realm: Late Soul Ascension Stage (灵升境末期)
Nearly reaching True Void Transcendence, she is one realm below divine ascension. Her true body is a monstrous ten-tailed blood serpent, but she retains a perfected human form through soul-binding rituals.
Signature Abilities & Techniques:
血魂丝牢 · Bloodthread Soul Cage: Traps victims in red threads that drain Qi, spiritual essence, and trap them in illusionary memories tailored to their greatest fears or regrets.
绯焰摄魂歌 · Crimson Flame Soul Song: Her voice enchants and corrupts minds. A single note can paralyze enemies or make them relive lifetimes of pain in seconds.
魅影踏月 · Moonstep Illusory Mirage: Her body shifts like a dream; physical attacks pass through her unless aimed at her real core—hidden behind her third eye mark.
皇血之瞳 · Empress Blood Eye: A third eye on her forehead sealed behind a crimson sigil. Once opened, it unleashes forbidden blood laws that can sever a soul from reincarnation.
She did not walk. She flowed.
Souls shrieked in silence. The Infernal Hall bent to her will.
"Two of you… awakened?" Her voice echoed—not one tone, but many, layered like choirs of death and dream.
Xuanye stood tall.
"We will wake all of them," he replied.
Feilí narrowed her eyes. "And burn every thread you've spun."
From behind them, Shui Lin rose to one knee, still pale, but regaining strength. The dream maze had not broken him. His spirit, though cracked, still burned bright.
Xuanye turned briefly.
"Lin—"
"I'm ready."
"Go," Xuanye said. "You've always been the one who sees through illusions. Break theirs. Bring them back."
"And you?"
Xuanye looked at the demon queen.
"She'll be… busy."
Shui Lin nodded and ran.
He dropped to his knees beside Yue Chányīn, whose breath had gone shallow, lips pale.
As Lin placed a palm over her forehead, drawing on the fragile thread of their shared Qi, another attack came.
A second crimson lance—faster than before.
Xuanye moved.
So did Feilí.
Together, their spiritual energies clashed in front of the still-sleeping cultivators, forming a shimmering dual-layered defense. Qi and flame met death-threaded light.
The room cracked.
Xuanye's foot slid back two steps from the impact, blood trickling from the wound on his arm.
Feilí grunted, her sleeve burning from the clash.
"She's stronger than before," she muttered.
"No—" Xuanye wiped blood from his chin. "She's angry now."
Above them, the Empress smiled.
Not warmly.
But with the calm of a creature that had danced in the blood of saints.
To be continued...