CHAPTER 117: BLOOD UNDER THE MOONLIGHT

The Crimson Moon disciples lunged like wolves starved for flesh, crimson daggers gleaming wickedly under the torchlight. The night air thickened with killing intent, their poisonous Qi forming a suffocating haze.

Li Tian’s lips curled into a grin. He stepped forward, his aura erupting, shaking the pavilion with violent force. His figure blurred into a streak of light as he met the first attacker head-on.

Crack!

His palm struck the disciple’s chest, bones shattering as the man was sent flying into the trees. Blood sprayed, but Li Tian’s expression remained calm, almost playful.

[System Analysis: Enemy’s weapons laced with Venom Qi. Prolonged exposure may corrode meridians. Recommended strategy: eliminate at range or disrupt with pure Qi output.]

"Noted," Li Tian muttered, flicking his wrist. Qi surged to his palm, forming a sharp, condensed force. "Let’s try this then."

[Technique Unlocked: Qi Burst Palm.]

BOOM!

The next disciple exploded into the air as Li Tian’s palm strike ruptured his Qi flow, blood spraying across the stone floor.

"Monsters!" one of Li Tian’s brothers shouted, struggling against a pair of crimson-clad attackers. "They fight like rabid dogs!"

Li Feng stood unshaken at the center, his sword unsheathed, movements as fluid as flowing water. Every swing cleaved apart two disciples at once, his presence commanding like a war god. But even he noticed—there were too many. The envoy hadn’t come to talk. He had come to bleed them dry.

The envoy himself stepped forward now, his crimson eyes glowing brighter. "So the rumors were true. Li Tian... the bastard child who dares shine." His lips twisted into a cruel smile. "Let’s see if you bleed like the rest."

Li Tian tilted his head, amused. "You’ll regret choosing me first."

The envoy’s hand sliced through the air, a blood-red blade manifesting from his Qi. He struck in a vicious arc, the blade humming with corrupted essence.

Li Tian dodged by a hair, his sleeve tearing apart. His grin widened. "Fast... but not fast enough."

He surged forward, using the Qi Burst Palm. Their attacks collided mid-air—blood Qi against pure Qi. The impact split the ground, shockwaves rattling the pavilion.

[System Alert: Host under Blood Qi corrosion. Neutralization recommended.]

Immediately, the system pulsed warmth through Li Tian’s meridians, purging traces of poison trying to burrow into him.

"Useful," he smirked, then pressed harder. His palm blazed with pure Qi, pushing the envoy back step by step.

The envoy hissed. "Impossible...! A mere bastard child should not—"

"—talk so much."

Li Tian’s foot slammed into the envoy’s chest, launching him across the pavilion. He hit the ground, coughing blood, but his crimson eyes flared with madness.

"Do not think this ends here, boy. The Crimson Moon... always takes what it wants."

Before Li Tian could finish him, the envoy’s body disintegrated into a pool of blood mist, vanishing into the night.

[System Notification: Quest Complete — Shadows of Crimson. Reward Unlocked: Secret Technique — Blood Severing Palm.]

Li Tian clenched his fist, feeling the knowledge of the new technique pour into his mind like a tide. A technique designed specifically to counter blood cultivators.

He looked around. Corpses of crimson disciples littered the ground, their poison daggers scattered. His brothers stared at him in disbelief, while Xu Fang and Li Xue—who had followed to the outskirts despite orders—watched with visible relief.

Li Feng sheathed his sword and turned to his son. "You see now, everyone. Li Tian is no longer just a name whispered with disdain. He is a pillar of this family."

Gasps followed, disbelief mixing with awe. The bastard child who once sat in shadows now stood under the moonlight, drenched in blood and glory.

Li Tian smirked, brushing crimson droplets from his sleeve. "This is just the beginning."