I dared to stand against the Wasteland Beast not out of blind courage, but because I had an ace up my sleeve.

When the beast first started siphoning life force, everyone weakened—but not me. Not a single trace of that pale green aura leaked from my body. Its power simply didn’t work on me! I realized my own blood absorption must function similarly, shielding me from its influence.

Whatever the reason, if its signature move was useless against me—why hesitate?

"Miss Liu… you’re unaffected? How?" Du Lin gasped.

"Who knows! Just get them out of here—now! Far away!"

Du Lin didn’t argue. He hoisted Shi Tao and Rui Feng over his shoulders and fled with his last strength. The moment he vanished, my blood-formed hand shattered with a wet *splash*, dissolving into crimson droplets. The beast’s massive claw slammed down where I’d stood, shaking the earth. I dodged aside, yanked a bead from my waist pouch, and swallowed it whole.

The bead melted instantly. A surge of vital blood qi flooded my veins. This pouch wasn’t mine—it was Rui Xin’s. Stuffed inside were demon beast cores she’d secretly hoarded along our journey. For me, they were the perfect fuel.

"*Ha!*" A torrent of blood erupted from my pores, threatening to burst my limits—until the core’s energy fused into my bones and muscles. Fresh blood surged endlessly. Thanks to this, the crimson tide now far exceeded my body’s natural capacity. The moment it spilled out, it twisted into countless scarlet tentacles. They lashed around the Wasteland Beast’s limbs in a blur, their tips morphing into razor-sharp Blood Blades that stabbed toward its hide—

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

The blades pierced—but only shallowly. Its skin was like rubber-coated alloy: deceptively soft, brutally hard.

Shock froze me. My Blood Blades had shredded Boneplate Lions and bald thugs like paper. This was their first failure. The beast twisted violently, snapping the tentacles like threads. Crimson light gathered in its eyes again—was it charging its ultimate move?

***BOOM!***

A blood-red beam shot straight at me. "Triple Blood Shield!" I roared. The tentacles melted, hardening into three layered barriers. The beam shattered the first shield in seconds. The second cracked under its force, thinning the beam. By the third, both light and shield annihilated each other in a burst of sparks.

Cold sweat slicked my back. I’d underestimated it. Even immune to its drain, its raw power was terrifying. My attacks barely scratched it, and each defense drained me. This was bad.

*Wasn’t there a stronger weapon…?*

*Idiot!* How could I forget—the Energy Blade strapped to my back this whole time?

I ripped the blade’s case free. (No scabbard existed for it; without Uncle Ding’s demon bloodline, carrying it bareback was suicide.) But the beast lunged again—damn its hulking body for moving so fast! I slammed a blood-formed barrier against it, deflecting its pounce *just* enough to sidestep. My fingers fumbled with the case’s straps—*who tied these so tight?!* …Wait. Was it me?

The beast pivoted like a martial arts master, closing the distance instantly. I rolled left to dodge its first claw—but not the second.

***Thud!***

I flew upward, organs churning. Only a hardened blood-shell saved me from being torn apart. The beast pressed its advantage. Crimson light flared in its eyes again—it aimed to finish me mid-air.

The beam ignited. Still airborne, I finally freed the blade. Adrenaline slowed the world. *Load. Chamber. Aim.* The beast’s beam crawled toward me in slow motion. I swung the Energy Blade down—and pulled the trigger the moment steel met light.

***KRA-KOOOOOM—!!!***

The collision deafened me. Recoil hurled me backward; I skidded to a halt only after the blade buried halfway into the earth. The beam had already scattered into dying embers.

*It worked!* My heart leapt. These bullets were charged with my own spiritual energy and blood qi—far deadlier than when Sinan Ying demonstrated them. Though merely a mid-tier spirit artifact, this Energy Blade now rivaled top-tier weapons.

But the cost was brutal. Agony ripped through my arms from the backlash.

The beast snarled, swiping again. This time, I didn’t retreat. A fresh bullet clicked into place. Blood coated the blade, dyeing it a vicious red. It sliced the air like liquid scarlet ribbon.

***BOOM!***

A golden shell arced away. Steel met claw—and this time, the beast stumbled back. A deep gash split its forearm, oozing dark green blood. Its tough hide couldn’t withstand my blood-enhanced blade.

*Advance when the enemy retreats!* Its stance was broken. Now was the moment. I swallowed another core to numb my arms. Blood tentacles—this time not for binding, but distraction—lashed around its body, forcing it off-balance. A blood-formed step appeared beneath my foot. I leapt toward its head, channeling every drop of qi into the blade until its spirit arrays glowed crimson. The beast raised its head, roaring, eyes flaring red again—

"*Not this time!!!*"

The first shot fired. The blade blazed, stabbing deep into its eye before the beam could launch. Then—

***TRIPLE SHOT!***

Three shells ejected simultaneously. The blood coating the blade detonated. Steel ripped through eyeball, crushed flesh, and split bone. The beast shrieked, thrashing wildly. Its death throes threw me to the ground.

But it didn’t collapse. With a final burst of strength, it slammed its claws into the earth. The ground caved in—a hidden cavern! It tumbled down, dragging me with it.

My near-shattered arms couldn’t brace the fall. I crashed into the cavern floor. Through settling dust, I saw the beast stagger toward the forest tunnel. Its head wound bled heavily; its steps faltered. But if it reached the forest’s abundant life force, it might heal—

"*Not a chance!*"

A thick blood tentacle slithered like a ghost up its neck, forcing its way through the eye wound. The tip sharpened into a blade, churning violently inside its skull. After one last violent spasm, the beast crumpled—lifeless.

I collapsed to my knees, arms useless. That gruesome finishing move had drained my last reserves of spiritual energy.

Back at Winter’s Arrival Inn, I’d once wondered: *If I mixed my blood into a whole tub of water, could I control it all?* The answer disappointed me. Diluting my blood with foreign substances—water, juice, even others’ blood—made control nearly impossible. Which meant internal blood manipulation was still beyond me.

I stared at the dead beast, exhaling slowly. This was my hardest fight since crossing over. Empty of energy. Arms screaming. Every muscle aching. But…

I—had won.