Reverend Ecstasy

"We…will see about that," though he knew that Xinzi was right, Hanxing left empty threats, hoping that his words could create some psychological damage, and joined his hands in a prayer sign. Seven colossal swords rose into the sky, each flashing with resplendent starlight, and aiming for Xinzi.

"The Big Dipper Sword Array? If it was the real deal, I would probably dip. But the real Big Dipper Sword Array is an immortal-level formation, this…is just a sham." Unimpressed by Lord Hanxing's performance, Xinzi said, and he too joined his hands in a prayer sign. The Blood Beast brought its right arm to its maw, and with a casual bite, sank its jagged fangs into its flesh.

Its blood flowed out, becoming a cluster of tiny blood shards that hovered in the air.

"Purple Veils, rescue the Yang Patriarch and bring me that bastard's hea-!" Zi Yao couldn't finish her words. Hundreds of blood shards flew towards her, moving so fast and covering so much ground that the Yin Matriarch had absolutely no time or room to evade.

Till now, Xinzi didn't seem to pay her any special attention and should have been more focused on Hanxing and the Big Dipper Formation, so Zi Yao didn't think that she'd suddenly become the target of this blood shard barrage.

Her snake instincts took over, draining all her cultivation base to force a dive to the left. The blood shards rushed past her, but several still managed to stab her arms and lacerate her tender flesh.

"Mistress!" The purple veils, each a deathly loyal daughter of the Zi clan, left their secret hideouts to rush to their mistress' side. For the first time in sect history, this guard of 300 ladies of various cultivation bases assembled for under public eye.

"I'm fine. These shards are sharp but otherwise harmless. Return to your p…" Zi Yao, who didn't feel any special energy from her wounds or the crystals lodged in her arms, was about to just shrug off the pain. But as her order reached completion, four of the purple veils that held on her arms and shoulders burst into blood and gore.

"W-wait…" Six more that stood nearby burst as well, following them to the grave. An extra twelve burst a second afterward.

"W-what…what is going on?!" Dazed and confused, Zi Yao stepped forward, and 60 purple veils exploded at her face.

"Mistress…" Subconsciously several stepped closer, their eyes turning red as they reached for their mistress—over 150 burst as well. By the time that Zi Yao had taken three steps forward, the Purple Veils Guard, most reliable line of defense of the Zi clan, had been reduced to a feast of blood, shattered flesh and flying bones—all that either stuck to or slid off Zi Yao's body.

The Yin Matriarch's world collapsed, and she hovered in the air, vacillating like a drifting leaf.

"I call it the bloodline poison, and since you've been infected by it, any Zi clansman or woman that stands too close to you will burst into a feast of blood and gore. As for the exact distance, it's anyone's guess. Well, actually, I know—just don't wanna tell you.

I heard you have a sister, a daughter, and a nephew you love particularly. If you even remotely care for their wellbeing, then I suggest you avoid them for a lifetime," Xinzi said, and like an owner celebrating his tamed pet's gymnastic accomplishments, patted the Blood Beast's head.

"You…YOU…YOUUUUUU—UGH!" Suffering an impromptu stroke, Zi Yao clutched at her chest, coughing a large mouthful of blood. Her body gave out, tumbling down the White Immortal Sect.

"Ha, you gotta work on your cardio girl. Can't afford to be dealing with heart attacks when you're not even 500. Don't worry, I have the cure. Or maybe I don't. Hard to know with these things. Today they work, and tomorrow they don't. Anyway…" Xinzi rattled off, then shifted his attention to Lord Hanxing, who'd broken into a fit of cold sweat.

"Vicious! Too vicious! How have we offended you?!"

"Careful Lord Hanxing, I know that you swing both ways, but be it with men or women, you're not gonna attract much if you're sweating all the time. Gotta take care of your hygiene." Xinzi gave Hanxing some advice, and the Blood Beast spread its wings, swaggering into the White Immortal Sect.

"Stop him! You have to delay him for as long as possible. I will pour my entire cultivation into the eye of the Big Dipper Sword Array and execute him in one blow!" Hanxing gave the Ziyun Puppet his directives. But though she couldn't resist his orders, as she stared at Xinzi's Thousand Soul Immolation Flag, at the Fen Spirit clan's various names, several caught her attention, and she grabbed her shoulders, quivering like a helpless child trapped in a frigid blizzard.

"What is wrong with you? Attack! I said attack! Damn you Ziyun, you were a good for nothing in life. Don't tell me that even in death, you're still going to let me down!" Hanxing didn't follow the Ziyun Puppet's eyes, didn't care for what she saw in Xinzi's flag, heck, the connection between the glaring Fen names and the Fen Spirit clan never once crossed his mind.

He didn't see, couldn't see, didn't want to see, because as soon as he did, he'd have to uproot memories and question past events. But at his current cultivation level, self-doubt equaled bottlenecks or suicide—neither one being options that Hanxing particularly fancied.

Struggling against her fears, the Ziyun Puppet gave Hanxing a weak nod, clenched her fists, and flew at Xinzi. The ribbons fluttering at her back spread and extended across the air, chasing Xinzi and his Blood Beast, which flew at a leisurely speed.

Purple dust formed around the ribbons. Vast energies streamed through the fabric, carrying a gentle yet irresistible energy signature that pressed on the Blood Beast.

"GRRRRRRRR!" Annoyed by the ribbons and dust, the Blood Beast uttered a guttural roar and spun towards the Ziyun Puppet—opening its jagged maw. Noxious red fumes gushed out, spreading towards ribbons and master. Corroded by the fumes, the ribbons lost their energies and dropped towards the ground. But here, golden light flashed in the Ziyun Puppet's eyes, and one clear path opened amidst the fumes, giving her a clear shot at the Blood Beast.

Ribbons in hand, she turned into a violet energy beam and flung her elongated bands at the beast. They latched on its arms and legs, stopping it mid-air.

"GRRRRRRRR!" The Blood Beast tried to overwhelm the Ziyun Puppet with raw strength, but the more it pulled, the farther the ribbons stretched, and the sturdier their hold became. Undisturbed, Xinzi, who now stood above the sect treasury, turned towards the Ziyun Puppet.

'Mhm…interesting. You're not a puppet. The old man's replica back home is a puppet. Yin and Yang Dolls are puppets. You're a person, a clone, not solely because you're made of flesh and blood, but more importantly, because your emotional spectrum is complete. That said, you only have an embryonic soul.'

'How…did you know?' For the first time since her creation, the Ziyun Puppet engaged in a voiced exchange, her eyes narrowing at Xinzi.

'How can I not? Just like you, I'm a devout Lianist practitioner. The Golden Lotus isn't a tender lad and wouldn't go through the trouble of creating a puppet out of Lady Ziyun's corpse just to give Hanxing a guardian. No, it wants to torture him through you, and at the same time, give him an opportunity to mend his ways. I guess for the Absolute Saint, it's just another experiment, not torture. But its experiments often lead to tragic endings.' Xinzi paused the mental exchange and waved his flag. The 3,000 names flashed once more, tiny balls of red soulfire emerged from the names, morphing into flaming skulls that aimed their red, murderous eyes at the Ziyun Puppet.

Again, terror took hold, and she recoiled, dragging her steps like a wounded fawn and curling in the air.