SpaceMage

Ximen Wei's mind was racing as he tried to process the information that Bai Gu Jing had just revealed. He didn't know who his brother was, but he had a hunch. "The Immortal Devil Sect's Sect Leader," he muttered under his breath.

Bai Gu Jing's urgent words brought him back to reality. "Now go! I don't have much time left," she said.

Above the surface, the Song Family Young Master and Dongfang were hard at work, determined to discover the whereabouts of Ximen Wei. With a sense of urgency in their movements, they performed augury and cast Qi Techniques to deduce where Ximen Wei could have gone.

Dongfang, in particular, was utilizing his signature technique, Envision Aura, to determine who might have taken Ximen Wei and to break any tracking magic that may have been used. His movements were swift and precise as he concentrated all his energy into the spell.

The Song Family Young Master, on the other hand, was casting a series of bizarre and powerful techniques unique only to the Song Family Cultivators. His movements were fluid, almost dance-like, as he channeled his energy into the spell.

The two men worked in tandem, their eyes locked in concentration as they poured all their energy into the task at hand.

Both Dongfang and the Song Family Young Master arrived at the same conclusion: the kid they had been following hadn't moved from this location. However, their confusion grew as they noticed that the child was emanating the aura of a Level 1 Qi Trainee. Dongfang had his suspicions, and the young master narrowed his eyes, recalling the intruder who had barged into their dungeon not long ago, killing all the prisoners and guards.

Performing augury and casting their spells, they soon noticed the blood water of the swamp bubbling up before a small figure emerged. Covered in blood from head to toe, the child emitted a foul devilish aura due to the resonance with this location. The young master's eyes widened, and Dongfang gasped in surprise. At first, they were scared out of their wits, but when they realized it was the kid they had been following, they pointed their swords at him.

"Stop right there!" shouted the Song Family Young Master.

"Halt!" added Dongfang, his sword at the ready.

As Ximen Wei realized he was being pursued, he cursed before making a run for it. The swamp water was waist-deep for him, making it difficult to move, while for Dongfang and the young master, it only reached below their knees. The red-haired young man chuckled, realizing that they could catch Ximen Wei even if they walked slowly.

However, his expression quickly turned to one of shock as he saw Ximen Wei diving into the disgusting swamp water. Swimming through the putrid pool of intestines and gore, Ximen Wei's speed was no less than his usual speed on dry ground. To make matters worse, he cast a movement type Qi Technique to boost his speed several-fold.

"Qi Technique - Dash Action!" propelling himself forward with renewed speed.

Ximen Wei whizzed under the blood waters, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye. The young master let out a bellow of rage, furious that a mere 10-year-old had managed to slip away from his grasp.

"I won't let you get away that easily!" he shouted, his eyes blazing with determination.

Without a moment's hesitation, he threw his hands in a grabbing motion and called forth a powerful Qi Technique unique to Level 2 Qi Trainees.

"Qi Technique - Azure Hand!" he bellowed, channeling his energy into his hand.

Ximen Wei heard the rumble and felt the tremors beneath him. He knew he was in deep trouble.

An otherworldly hand enveloped in a shimmering azure haze materialized out of thin air, its colossal size dwarfing everything in its vicinity. As the apparition appeared, the very fabric of the world trembled and the heavens themselves shook, a portent of the immense power it held.

The blood-red waters of the Devil's Den quaked in fear as the colossal hand hurtled towards Ximen Wei at an unimaginable speed, leaving in its wake a trail of destruction.

Ximen Wei, sensing the approaching danger, remained steadfast and unwavering. Without turning to face his assailant, he summoned his inner strength and focused his Qi, channeling it into a complex and demanding incantation.

The technique he was attempting to cast was a long-range Qi Technique, one that surpassed his current level of expertise. But despite his relative inexperience and youth, Ximen Wei's talent was exceptional, and his seventh Extraordinary Meridian

Ximen Wei knew that attempting to cast the Qi Technique before absorbing the Beast Cores would result in certain failure, his body would succumb to the overwhelming backlash, causing him to perish both physically and spiritually.

With unwavering resolve, Ximen Wei summoned his newfound knowledge of the Earth-grade Qi Condensation Manual, and uttered the incantation for a new, powerful long-range Qi Technique he had acquired from Long Gen: "Qi Technique - Blood Spirit!"

As he did so, a vortex began to form behind him, drawing in the mashed meat and blood of the swamp to coalesce into a small, two-horned head that laughed with a chilling and eerie sound. The Blood Spirit appeared to be anything but human, with no discernible eye sockets, ears or nose - only a gaping mouth from which it let out its eerie laughter. Its rough, red skin oozed with a viscous liquid that dripped into the murky swamp waters, a reminder that its existence was fleeting, soon to dissolve into oblivion.

As the colossal hand closed in on Ximen Wei, he knew that the Blood Spirit would not be enough to fight for him. Instead, he summoned it to serve as a shield, to protect him from the incoming attack.

With a deafening roar, the hand slammed into the Blood Spirit, causing a massive explosion that shook the entire area. The force of the impact was immense, sending shockwaves rippling through the swamp and the air.