Against Heaven's Will

Ba-dum!

Xuefeng had no time to react when his heart tightened in his chest, feeling as if someone was squeezing it with an iron grip.

'Such a powerful Blood Art!' Wuying cried out in his mind, her voice laced with admiration. 'This is definitely not her doing. I couldn't sense any Blood Qi from her before.'

As if she predicted it, the blue-haired girl inside the barrier began turning into another person. Her hair turned red like blood and her flat chest swelled in size, causing the girls to throw Xuefeng a knowing gaze.

'If that's the power of her Gate, it has to be her Constellation taking over,' Xiao Wen pointed out the obvious. 'She doesn't seem to be trying to kill us immediately so there is a chance we can reason with her.'

Xuefeng frowned but he didn't panic, gathering his thoughts. 'Is everyone affected? Those who aren't, we will have to rely on your protection for now.'

Yi immediately burst into stardust and reappeared by Xuefeng's side while Drakos grinned to himself. 'Who would have thought there will be a day when the great Xuefeng requires my help. Don't worry, you won't lose a single hair while I'm here.'

Bella only rolled her eyes and exploded with colorful flames, transforming into her beast form. The Phoenix circled the area while spewing flames around their group members before transporting them all into one location.

Xuefeng was pleasantly surprised by the new technique she learned but he had no time to comment. The golden barrier started to fade rapidly and the woman inside snapped her eyes open, their crimson brilliance sweeping across everyone present. The aura she exuded was unlike anything they had ever experienced, with Emi paling in comparison.

"To think I was summoned right as I was getting bored. The timing couldn't be more perfect," the woman spoke calmly as her lips curved into a smile. "I hope you can entertain me a little."

Darius was the first to respond as he bowed deeply, his face full of reverence. "Great Goddess, please spare our lives! We are fighting on your disciple's side!"

"Great Goddess?" the woman repeated his words in amusement. "What happened to the way you addressed me earlier? You have the nerve to call me a witch behind my back and don't have the balls to say it to my face?"

Darius trembled as he heard her, but before he could even open his mouth to defend himself, the woman swiped with her hand indifferently. Darius couldn't even react when his body exploded to the side as if a massive force slammed into him. All that remained of his existence was a mist of blood that covered the faces of his companions.

'Damn... I know a similar Blood Art that I can explode enemies but that wasn't it. She didn't use any Blood Qi just now,' Wuying muttered in confusion.

'It wasn't Soul Power or any other element either,' Nuwa added with a frown. 'It must have been a sheer force she created with her palm or some unique force we have never seen before.'

The woman didn't immediately turn to them and instead focused on the rest of the experts that were terrified shitless.

"You lot seem to be innocent, but today isn't your lucky day. It just happens I need to use your blood so why don't you die for me?" she asked casually before snapping her finger.

Pa! Pa! Pa!

One by one, their heads exploded and streams of blood poured out into the air. It gathered together in a large stream that flowed into the woman's hands, her whole body covered in a scarlet light.

"Ah, to think they were so weak. I was barely able to recover my strength from them," the woman sighed as she glanced at Bella. "I guess I have to rely on the Phoenix blood. I should be able to gain a lot of lifeforce from you."

As she spoke, the middle-aged Drakos turned into a ball of golden light and transformed into his beast form as well. Compared to Bella who kept her original look, Drakos grew ten times larger than before, his blue scales infused with golden Fate Qi.

He glared at the woman from above and he opened his mouth, a ball of Qi forming inside. The woman only snickered and cracked her knuckles without trying to dodge.

"At least you are keeping your part of the deal. Come, entertain me." 

BOOOM!

A pillar of gold light shot down towards the enemy, covering her completely. Everyone watched in anticipation as the golden light disappeared but the woman was still standing there, not even a scratch on her.

"I had high hopes, judging how you managed to create a body purely out of Fate Qi, but it turns out I overestimated your abilities," the woman announced, her crimson eyes shining dangerously. "Is that all you have to offer?"

Drakos roared in response and launched himself at her, his body covered in black Earth Flames. The woman only sighed and raised her finger, her body vanishing into thin air. Drakos bit into an empty space just before a mysterious force crashed into his side.

Even though it wasn't enough to penetrate his scales, his body was blasted into the horizon, eliminating him from the fight.

"Tsk, old fashioned Dragons are boring. All they can do is rely on their big size and strength to overwhelm the enemy. Even with a strong Fate Qi body, he didn't lose his old habits," the woman criticized while glancing at Bella. "I hope you will entertain me better."

Bella's eyes sharpened, but she wasn't as eager to fight as before. It was clear the enemy was far stronger and was simply playing with them.

'Should I call for assistance? We might be able to get my uncle's help,' Ming suggested. 'She is not someone we can deal with at our current strength.'

Hearing that they required assistance to deal with anyone not only bruised Xuefeng's ego but also broke his internal beliefs. Wouldn't he be a useless husband if he couldn't even protect his wives?

"That's enough," Xuefeng called out sternly, his demeanor changing. "I think you are forgetting yourself. This is not your home, so don't think you can do whatever you want. I will forgive you for attacking my friend, but this ends here."

The red-haired lady smiled in amusement, clearly intrigued by his boldness. "Oh really? And what are you going to do if I continue to fight you?"

As she spoke, she flicked with her hand and the Blood Qi inside Xuefeng's body came to life. He couldn't even resist as she pulled him across the sky and her hand tightened on his throat.

"What is stopping me from killing all your women while you watch them die, unable to do anything to stop me?"

Xuefeng remained calm as he faced her directly, rolling his eyes at her threat. "I swear, you are just like Miara. Alright trying to fight others without thinking about consequences."

He wasn't sure if his bluff would work, but the gamble paid off. She momentarily froze while the hook on his neck loosened.

"Which Miara are you talking about?" she asked cautiously.

"You know which one. Founder Miara of the Succubus Race is very very well known in the Realms Beyond the Heaven," Xuefeng revealed with a sharp gaze. "Did you even consider we could be associated with another Constellation, or you just assumed we were nobodies?"

"Why would I even consider it? Barely any of you can defend against my Blood Lock, so anyone would think you are just average at best," the woman pointed out with a shrug. "Besides, I'm not scared of her. Even if I kill you, there is nothing she can do about it. Being lower than her in the Celestial Ranking, she can't even challenge me."

"If you think that the Divine Council will protect you then you are gravely mistaken. Not only is my wife her legacy disciple, but we are also her main pill supplier which she sells on the Dimensional Market. Since we are partnered by contract, attacking us is attacking her, which allows Miara to launch a full-scale invasion of your Realms," Xuefeng explained calmly while holding her wrist. "Let's not escalate a conflict which you have nothing to gain from."

The woman's expression hardened and she eventually let go of him, severing the Blood Lock between them.

"Fine, I will let you off the hook, but not for free. I wasted a lot of lifeforce to get here and since I didn't find my entertainment, I need to get something else in return," the woman replied as her gaze fell on Wuying. "Her. You will give her to me as a replacement for my disciple who turned out to be useless. I can sense she practices Blood Arts so she is a perfect pupil for me."

She didn't wait for his answer and simply waved her hand, bringing Wuying over against her will.

"I can't confirm what you are saying right now, so I need a hostage just in case. If you are who you say you are, then it's all good. I will gain precious connections while your girl will learn new arts. On the other hand, if you are lying to me... Let's just say I will take her for myself and you will never see her again," she added with a smirk. "Do we have a deal?"

Xuefeng only glanced at Wuying without much worry. "I don't mind it, but that's not something for me to decide. If she doesn't want to follow you, even I can't force her."

"I will go. I have been stuck with my Blood Arts anyway, so I wouldn't mind some guidance," Wuying responded immediately.

"You don't have to worry about it. If I can't teach you anything, then no one can," the woman announced confidently. "Now bow your head to your new master, the legendary Blood Demon, Constellation Viena, ranked top 125 in the Celestial Ranking."

Wuying only slightly lowered her gaze only to be sneakily tapped on the forehead. Before she could react, the woman's eyes rolled as her body transformed back to Jaine while Wuying reached to catch her from falling.

The whole interaction was confusing until Xuefeng saw Wuying's eyes which were now similar to the Constellation Viena's crimson eyes. It was clear Wuying was now possessed by her, making her the ultimate hostage.

"Here, you can take her," Viena said as she jerked Jaine's body to Xuefeng. "I don't have any use for her anymore, so you can do whatever you want. I will be leaving now."

Without hesitation, she slit Wuying's wrist with her fingernail and created a blood portal in front of them. She didn't even say her goodbyes as she disappeared the very next second with the portal closing behind her.

Xuefeng could only sigh, not entirely happy with the outcome. It was good they survived, but he couldn't help but worry about Wuying's wellbeing.

Glancing down at the passed-out woman in his arms, he couldn't help but ask, "Anyone got an idea what I should do with her?"