I stared quietly at John Chou. His face was unusually serious, completely different from his usual self.
"If we start fighting now, maybe..."
John Chou interrupted me and nodded.
There's no way out now. I know better than anyone what Xu Fu is thinking. The Immortality Society will never cooperate with us. If they turn on us at the crucial moment, what do you think will happen?
I hesitated, then nodded. John Chou was right—it's a serious problem. I still don't know the true strength of those people in The Immortality Society, but if they betray us at the critical moment, it would be devastating.
"What do you plan to do?"
A Hongmen Banquet. It's simple.
In that moment, I understood exactly what John Chou was planning.
So what method do we use to lure them to the Underworld Court?
You're as clever as ever, Rachel Lan. You've gotten even smarter since I last saw you.
I looked at John Chou, feeling a bit at a loss. Coming from him, those words were meant as praise, but they sounded strange.
At that moment, John Chou stared at me, the smile fading from his face. He reached out and gripped my arms. I blinked, startled.
What are you doing, John Chou?
"We might die!"
My expression grew serious. I seemed to understand what John Chou wanted to say, and I nodded.
"I just want to make sure, Rachel Lan—do you truly have that resolve?"
Is this our first day knowing each other, John Chou?
John Chou released my arms and turned away, a faint smile at the corner of his mouth. He slowly began to float upward.
"Follow me."
I hurried after John Chou to the center of the arena. He raised one hand, and suddenly my mind went blank. With a buzzing sound, blood-red particles began to emerge from my chest—unlike anything I'd seen before. They were perfectly shaped, triangular, and their appearance was utterly astonishing.
These powers mingle with the newly awakened force and the original Blood Fiend Power, along with something I’ve never felt before.
"Time is running out. Once you fully master this power, I’ll leave immediately."
A flash of anxiety crossed John Chou’s face.
I nodded. At that moment, faintly glowing, blood-red triangular particles drifted around me in the air.
"Your Blood Fiend Power can destroy your opponent’s strength, but now it feels different."
John Chou nodded.
"You can think of Blood Fiend Power as a kind of curse force, but now it’s completely transformed. Rachel Lan, think carefully about everything you’ve learned so far, and everything you want to achieve. Once you understand, I’ll continue teaching you."
I made a sound of acknowledgment, but for a moment, I didn’t know what to do. I could feel the Blood Fiend Power slowly rising within me—part of it was new and ferocious, as if it could pierce anything, while another part felt soft and elusive.
John Chou was still quietly watching nearby. Just then, Yixue Han drifted toward us, and I looked at her.
"The Immortality Society members have left."
John Chou’s expression changed slightly. I withdrew the power, but John Chou turned to look at me.
"Keep going, Rachel Lan."
But I couldn’t calm myself down at all. After Yixue Han landed, she spoke.
"Just one hour ago, every member of the Immortality Society in Haven City vanished."
John Chou let out a cold laugh.
"They’re definitely scheming something."
At that moment, Tan Tian suddenly appeared behind John Chou. We turned to look at him.
"Rachel Lan must master the Blood Fiend Power, or we have no chance at all."
John Chou stared blankly into the distance, his eyes full of complicated emotion. Soon, he fell deep into thought, his expression shifting as if wrestling with something.
"There’s no time left for you to hesitate, John Chou. You only get one shot—if you fail, it’s all over."