Divine Emperor of Death

"Let's start."

Fletcher laughed, his expression looking as though he had already won.

Schleya took out her twin blades, Crescentblood.

However, they were not in her grasp but floated by her side as though forming a yin-yang diagram with their curves with her at the center. Her gaze was sharp, the crimson mirror reflecting her opponent, taking out his hammer.

But at the next second, her pupils gleamed and reflected his figure extremely close.

"What!?"

Fletcher's eyes went wide at the sudden intrusion of his foe entering his range in an instant. He didn't expect her to be that fast, causing him to abruptly summon up a barrier to defend.

A towering pillar made of earthen energy instantly formed around him and solidified.

*Ting!~*

A metallic ring rang as a bloody curved blade slashed over it. However, it was unable to make a dent, causing Fletcher to grin. However, he saw another blade crashing toward him from the location Schleya previously stood.

"No matter what you try- you!"

Seeing Schleya attacking from behind with her curved blade while another curved blade hurled from the front, he waved his silver hammer.

As the two curved blade's edges struck the barrier from two opposite sides with absolute resonation between them, blood energy seeped onto the barrier and instantly covered the towering pillar in blood, causing it to shatter.

*Bang!~*

At the same time, the barrier fell, and the crimson curved blades penetrated inside. A silver hammer suddenly emerged from within. It swung around and clashed with both weapons nearly simultaneously, successfully sending them flying.

With how Fletcher was swinging his hammer like a hurricane, no one thought that Schleya would be able to get near him, but she precisely did that.

She bent her body like a tigress and leaped, her Crescentblood blades landing on her two hands as she began to spin in the opposite direction to him like a whirlwind. Her crimson-black robe began to tear apart from the sheer pressure of the hammer swinging to create a tumultuous zone.

But at that moment, her twin blades clashed with the silver hammer, causing an immense force to explode, but it didn't stop there!

Sparks flew, and metallic ringing kept echoing again and again as the curved blade peculiarly slashed over the hammer.

"What the... how is she parrying a fucking hammer!?"

"The hammer isn't coming straight at her. It's still swinging around... so it's easier for her to parry, and... she's getting inside his range...!"

The core disciples exclaimed as they pointed at her.

Fletcher clenched his teeth as he saw his overwhelming pressure was of little use to defending against Schleya's onslaught. This woman didn't fear his huge hammer hitting her frail body one bit, even though it was capable of blasting her into a blood mist.

He was in disbelief, not only by her daringness but because she was also getting closer.

"Hmph!"

However, he coldly snorted and stopped swinging his hammer. At the same time, Schleya's figure in the air came to a stop as she launched herself toward Fletcher. Her body was riddled with lacerations from their clash shot forwards as both her arms swung again and brought down the twin crescent blades on him with impeccable and extreme force.

*Clang!~*

The sharp crimson blade cut down on Fletcher's raised arm, but it produced a metallic ring again, causing Schleya's eyes to go wide.

A hand suddenly approached her from the side, intending to capture her as five fingers enlarged in front of her face, but she quickly responded and used the other hand to slash at the imminent danger.

*Clang!~*

Schleya's curved crimson blade struck Fletcher's hand, but instead of slicing through it, she only managed to swat his hand. It created the same metallic ring.

Quickly, she managed to retreat upon knowing that she had failed to slice him through. However, her crimson pupils also reflected the golden figure she was gaining distance from.

Indeed, Fletcher's body had become golden at this moment. His head became slightly elongated in a vertical direction like a pillar, including his body. His figure became leaner but exuded more pressure as his aura vastly grew, becoming five levels higher.

Now, even the giant silver hammer looked smaller in comparison to him.

'As expected... he's a fey with human and spirit origin. I wonder what the ranking of the Towering Earthstone Pillar Spirit is...?'

Schleya had previously heard his spirit race from the conversation of the disciples here. Those disciples now all shook their heads, thinking that it was over for Schleya as it was precisely this spirit form that allowed him to defeat a true disciple and become one of the true disciples.

"It's over."

Suddenly, Schleya uttered as she kept her head lowered.

"Hmm? You're admitting defeat?"

Fletcher raised his brows but also felt that it couldn't be helped. After all, he was like a towering pillar, and the other party realized that she couldn't cut his fey body. Therefore, there was no point in continuing the battle.

The others also felt the same.

They felt that if Schleya continued to attack, it would be suicidal as any one of her opponent's attacks seemed like it could end her life, considering the difference in their prowess.

In their eyes, Schleya could only reach the peak of Level Five Immortal Stage while Fletcher's capability had already entered Level Six Immortal Stage. If she insisted on battling, then it was clear who would end up as the winner.

Moreover, Schleya already seemed to be wounded in many places as there were a lot of cuts, most likely from the clash between her blades and the hammer as the impact formed into formless blades and cut her.

Some couldn't even help but gloat at her pale skin that was revealed from the torn crimson robe, but at this moment, they saw blood energy seep from her body and close the wounds and reconnect her crimson robe to their disappointment.

Still, if she continued fighting, they were afraid that she might be crushed into a meat paste.

"Well, that's fine too."

Fletcher swung his long silver hammer and placed it on his shoulder like it was a broadsword, "As long as I get the reward, I don't mind."

"You seem to be misunderstanding something." Schleya raised her head, her eyes flashing with a cold glint, "I said that it's over for you."

"What?"

Fletcher looked like he heard something amusing.

"Have you never fought against a blood cultivator?"

Schleya started walking towards him, causing Fletcher to clench his silver hammer harder, "I have, but what of it?"

"I have your blood."

Schleya simply raised one of her crimson blades. Her display caused Fletcher to narrow his eyes as he gazed at that curved blade and suddenly found a drop of blood dangling on it at the edge. He quickly looked at his arm that took the blow and saw on his golden skin that there was a tiny cut.

It was slightly bleeding and insignificant to even cause harm. It didn't seem to be poisoned either, but he couldn't faintly feel intimidated by her words.

He clenched his teeth, his expression twitching, but he scoffed.

"So what? It's just a tiny drop of blood. What can you do with it?"

He thought that she was playing mind games and couldn't help but start to look down on her.

"A tiny drop of my opponent's blood is all I need to make matters advantageous for me."

However, Schleya simply raised her hand and pointed the curved blade at Fletcher.

"Blood Pledge: Reaper's Lock."

Her voice became deep as though it resounded from ancient times, causing Fletcher to abruptly hold his breath. A thick chain made up of blood was suddenly wrapped over him, and the earthen undulations around him were quickly disrupted by the rapidly growing blood aura that sought to seal him.

"You dare!?"

Just as Fletcher tried to explode with a furious roar, the blood chains tightened and kept him holding in place.

*Crack!~*

The chains bulged and began to crack. They were going to be destroyed.

But at this moment, a curved crimson blade covered in sharp, condensed blood energy penetrated his abdomen, causing his eyes to widen and his movements to come to a stop. The swelling earth energy from his body was also suddenly disturbed, its flow becoming suddenly worse.

"You..."

Fletcher watched Schleya puncture his lower dantian with murderous eyes. He coughed a mouthful of blood that was then suddenly gathered in mid-air, but at the same time, his pupils reflected the other crimson blade heading towards his forehead in an attempt to kill him.

"Haaa!"

A massive force suddenly exploded out of Fletcher, causing the bloody chains to break completely. His earthen energy caused a destructive wave to spread as he roared like a beast. The resulting force sent Schleya flying toward the distance as her bones cracked under extreme pressure.

However, she flipped mid-air and balanced herself. Quickly, she controlled the blood tumbling in her body and circulated her blood energy through her body, condensing it to form a technique again.

"Blood Pledge: Reaper's Lock!"

"Fuck! I admit defeat!"

Schleya's bloody chains were about to envelop Fletcher, but with his declaration, an elder appeared above him and waved his hand, causing the chains to break.

"You murderous bitch! Were you trying to kill me!? Just you wait! I will remember this and make you pay soon enough!"

Fletcher held his stomach.

The bleeding was not the problem, but the rapidly leaking immortal essence energy made his face turn aghast. His Essence Gathering Cultivation was harmed. Any further, and it would've actually been destroyed, but now, he decisively chose to retreat because he couldn't afford to discard his Essence Gathering Cultivation for the rest of his life for this little battle.

Taking out a spatial talisman, he crushed it and disappeared from the battle stage, leaving behind a stunned audience who turned their gazes towards the trembling crimson-robed woman.