The aftermath of slaughter was never silent.
Even after the screams faded and the blood soaked into the earth, the air itself seemed to throb with residual violence. Liang Feng staggered away from the ravine, his steps uneven. The Crimson Pulse had faded—but something else remained.
Pain.
Not the sharp, familiar pain of wounds.
This was deeper.
It crawled beneath his skin, gnawed at his bones, twisted his organs like invisible claws.
His heartbeat faltered.
Once.
Twice.
Then it surged wildly.
"Ghh—!" Liang Feng dropped to one knee, coughing violently. Dark red blood spilled from his mouth, steaming as it hit the stone.
The Blood Qi inside him rebelled.
It surged without command, burning through his meridians like wildfire. His vision blurred, the world tilting sideways. Every pulse felt wrong—too fast, too strong, too hungry.
Master Shen was beside him instantly, staff slamming into the ground.
"Sit. Now."
Liang Feng collapsed cross-legged, trembling. His veins bulged beneath his skin, glowing faint crimson like heated metal. He felt as if something inside him was trying to tear its way out.
"The backlash…" he hissed.
Master Shen's expression was grim. "You overdrew."
"I controlled it," Liang Feng growled. "I didn't lose myself."
"You did not lose your mind," Master Shen said sharply. "But you exceeded your body's current capacity. Blood Qi does not forgive arrogance."
Liang Feng screamed as another surge ripped through him. His muscles spasmed violently, bones creaking under pressure. He felt phantom claws rake through his chest, scraping against his heart.
"Focus!" Master Shen barked. "Suppress the hunger! Circulate inward, not outward!"
Liang Feng clenched his teeth until they cracked. He forced his breathing to slow, dragging the Blood Qi back into his core. It resisted—screamed—burned.
Minutes felt like hours.
Finally… the storm receded.
Liang Feng collapsed forward, drenched in sweat, breath ragged. His entire body felt shattered from within.
Master Shen exhaled slowly. "Remember this feeling. Power always demands payment."
Liang Feng laughed weakly. "Worth it."
Master Shen did not smile.
Before he could respond—
The valley shook.
Not from beasts.
Not from Qi pulses.
But from pressure.
A suffocating presence descended like a mountain pressing against the soul.
Liang Feng's head snapped up.
The mist parted.
A single figure walked forward.
He wore dark crimson armor etched with war sigils, each line humming with condensed Qi. His steps were slow, deliberate—and with each one, the ground cracked.
Liang Feng's Blood Qi recoiled instinctively.
This man was on another level.
Behind him, the mist warped, unable to approach.
The man stopped thirty paces away.
"Liang Feng," he said calmly.
His voice was not loud.
But it carried.
Every word pressed against Liang Feng's chest like a blade.
"I am Warlord Enforcer Luo Zhen."
Master Shen stepped forward immediately, staff raised.
Luo Zhen's gaze flicked toward him—briefly.
"An old hound," Luo Zhen said. "Still breathing."
Master Shen's eyes hardened. "Leave. The boy is not ready for you."
Luo Zhen chuckled softly. "No. He is exactly ready."
He turned back to Liang Feng.
"You slaughtered assassins. You killed minor cultivators. You displayed Blood Qi openly."
Luo Zhen's eyes glowed faintly red—not Blood Qi, but something colder.
"You rang the dinner bell."
Liang Feng forced himself to stand. His legs shook, his core burned, but his gaze did not waver.
"You came to kill me?" he asked.
Luo Zhen shook his head. "Not today."
Liang Feng frowned.
"I came to measure you."
The pressure intensified.
Liang Feng's knees buckled—but he did not fall.
Blood leaked from his nose.
Luo Zhen nodded slowly. "Good. Most collapse immediately."
He raised one hand.
The air screamed.
A single finger pressed forward—and the space between them folded.
Liang Feng was hurled backward like a broken doll, smashing through stone and dirt before crashing into a cliff wall. He spat blood, ribs screaming, vision swimming.
Master Shen roared, Qi exploding outward—
—but Luo Zhen flicked his wrist.
Master Shen was slammed into the ground, pinned by invisible force.
"Do not interfere," Luo Zhen said calmly. "This is instruction."
He looked back at Liang Feng.
"Your Blood Qi is dangerous," Luo Zhen continued. "Unstable. But promising."
Liang Feng dragged himself upright, blood dripping from his chin.
"I'll kill you one day."
Luo Zhen smiled.
"Good."
He turned away, walking back into the mist.
"Grow faster," his voice echoed. "Because next time… I won't test you."
The pressure vanished.
Silence returned.
Liang Feng collapsed to his knees, chest heaving, Blood Qi trembling inside him—not in fear.
In fury.
Master Shen slowly stood, bruised but alive.
"That," he said quietly, "was a warning."
Liang Feng clenched his fists until blood dripped from his palms.
"Then I'll turn it into a promise."
Above them, unseen eyes watched.
And far beyond Blood Valley, warlord banners began to move.