"Such a dense aura of blood fiends!"
Zhou Yan's pupils contracted.
This blood-red bead, shaped like a semicircle, resembled a heart, beating with a powerful rhythm, as if it would leap out at any moment.
"What treasure is this?"
Zhou Yan frowned, a sense of unease emanating from the bead.
"Roar!"
Suddenly, a hoarse and ferocious roar echoed.
A ball of black mist then surged from the blood-red bead.
The black mist churned, instantly transforming into a ferocious, unparalleled monstrous beast.
This beast was over ten feet long, with a head like an ox, protruding fangs, bat-like wings on its back, and a tail covered in sharp barbs. Its body was covered in scales, and its scarlet tongue dangled, dripping with foul-smelling saliva.
The beast was terrifying, exuding immense power and an aura of malevolent energy.
"This is... a fiend!"
"How can fiends appear in the Holy Emperor's tomb?"
Everyone was stunned into immobility.
"Indeed, I am a fiend."
The fiend bared its teeth in a cruel smile. "Since you know of my existence, you must understand that your fate is sealed."
As the words fell, the fiend raised a massive hoof and stomped down heavily on the crowd.
The hoof strike caused a violent tremor.
With a power of destruction, the attack instantly crushed a dozen people into pulp, their screams echoing.
"This is bad! Run!"
The remaining warriors' faces changed drastically, and they scattered in all directions.
However, the fiend was too fast, a streak of darkness flashing across the area, leaving behind screams and splattered blood.
In a mere second, dozens had perished.
This was a massacre.
The fiend's strength was terrifying, far surpassing the Divine Marquis realm.
Furthermore, it seemed to be targeting Zhou Yan.
The fiend flapped its wings, its form flickering, and in the blink of an eye, it was upon Zhou Yan.
"Hmph, seeking death!"
Zhou Yan's eyes turned cold as he clenched his fist and unleashed a punch.
*Bang!*
The void vibrated.
Zhou Yan felt as if he had struck steel. His fist trembled, his tiger's mouth was torn, and blood flowed.
The fiend's defense was monstrous.
"As expected of a fiend, tough and resilient. Ordinary warriors are no match for it!"
Zhou Yan narrowed his eyes, his gaze growing colder.
He knew this fiend was after him!
Instantly, more fiends emerged, surrounding Zhou Yan.
These fiends all possessed the combat power of the Divine Marquis realm, and clad in impenetrable armor, they were incredibly difficult to deal with.
"Hmph! Just a bunch of insignificant ants!"
Zhou Yan let out a cold shout and took a step forward, unleashing "Overlord Lifts Tripod" and snapping a fiend's neck.
The remaining fiends roared in unison and swarmed forward.
"Slash!"
Zhou Yan drew his sword, piercing a fiend's abdomen. With a flick of his wrist, the sword light swirled, cutting the fiend into countless pieces that scattered on the ground.
"Roar!"
From the other side, several fiends attacked together. A sharp spear thrust fiercely towards Zhou Yan's chest.
This was a fiend's ultimate move, its spear imbued with incredible penetrating power. A hit would be fatal.
"Heh heh! A mere trifle!"
Zhou Yan smiled indifferently, brandishing the Dragon Abyss Sword and bringing it down from the air.
A dragon's roar erupted as the fiend's spear shattered instantly, torn apart by the sword energy and pulverized into dust.
At the same time, a fiend charged forward, its sharp claws raking towards Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan's eyes narrowed slightly, his wrist flicked, and the sword light swept out, bisecting the fiend at the waist. Its corpse fell to the ground.
"Such swift swordsmanship!"
"Such terrifying swordsmanship!"
The remaining warriors watched, dumbfounded.
A single sword strike had slain a fiend!
Their gazes towards Zhou Yan were filled with fear and apprehension.
This young man was too strong!
"Heh heh heh, this Source of Blood Fiends is mine."
Suddenly, the first fiend to appear let out a peculiar laugh.
In an instant, the Source of Blood Fiends erupted with a brilliant blood-red light, and a terrifying aura permeated the air.
"The Source of Blood Fiends has been absorbed by it?"
Zhou Yan's expression darkened.
The fiend had swallowed the Source of Blood Fiends, and its power was growing.
"Little fellow, you are quite capable to force out my true strength."
The fiend slowly rose from the stone platform, its form shifting and growing into a hundred-meter-tall behemoth.
It was immensely powerful, covered in pitch-black scales, with a head like a lion's, baring its fangs. Flames burned in its eyes, mesmerizing and terrifying.
"Hmm? This fiend seems a bit strange!"
Zhou Yan's gaze locked onto the fiend.
He had a faint feeling that this fiend bore a resemblance to one he had encountered before.
"Who... are you?"
Zhou Yan's voice was deep. He sensed the fiend's extraordinary and unusual identity.
"Heh heh, little fellow, you are too weak to ask my name."
The fiend laughed heartily, looking at Zhou Yan with a sinister grin. "I only need to tell you that you must die today!"
The fiend stomped its foot and leaped, charging at Zhou Yan like a tank.
Zhou Yan's expression was solemn.
This fiend was far more powerful than he had imagined, and he dared not be careless, unleashing a sword strike.
Sparks flew as they clashed.
Zhou Yan's swordsmanship was profound and mysterious, his sword intent surging. Each strike carried immense power, pushing the fiend back.
However, the fiend's defense was astonishing. Despite being wounded several times, it fought on fearlessly, relentlessly attacking Zhou Yan.
"Damn it!"
Zhou Yan's expression was grave. This fiend was extremely powerful, and he was at a disadvantage.
This was a situation he had not encountered in a long time.
"We can't keep this up. Other fiends will arrive eventually. I must leave this place quickly."
"Go!"
Zhou Yan made a decisive retreat, vanishing from his spot in an instant.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*
Moments later, several more fiends swooped in, descending to the edge of the altar.
This time, a total of six fiends surrounded the altar, their eyes fixed on the direction Zhou Yan had disappeared, stirring with anticipation.
"Awooo!"
Suddenly, a fiend roared to the heavens, spewing streams of blood-red energy from its mouth. These coalesced into thin blood-red threads that wrapped around another fiend.
"Ah... Help me!"
This fiend let out a shrill cry. After struggling a few times, it died completely, its body shriveling and rapidly aging, eventually decaying into a pile of bones that the other fiends devoured.
"The technique this fiend cultivates seems unusual."
Zhou Yan's figure reappeared.
A hint of surprise was on his face.