"If you step aside, I’ll give you an endless supply of fresh blood."

"I know the Blood Flood Dragon relies on the blood of the strong to survive; following me has more future than following Qin Yi."

"Moreover, my Cultivation Technique also uses blood as a guide, making it very suitable for you."

This was the voice of the Evil Lord.

Qin Yi felt like he was in darkness, as if trapped in a quagmire, unable to open his eyes or move his body, like a vegetative person.

"Hmph, trying to fool Master Flood Dragon, you’re not quite there yet."

This was the voice of the Blood Flood Dragon.

Where am I, and why can’t I move?

Qin Yi tried hard to open his eyes, but it felt like his eyelids weighed a thousand pounds, and he couldn’t open them at all.

"I know you recognize Qin Yi as your master, but if you promise me, I have a way to free you from the master-servant relationship, giving you your freedom."

"Heh, who needs you to free me? Following by the master’s side is very free as it is."

"You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. I value talent, but you’re forcing me to destroy you."

What followed was a fierce battle.

Qin Yi felt like his soul was being imprisoned, unable to control his body.

He could clearly hear the surrounding commotion and sounds but couldn’t open his eyes, and even his Divine Thought couldn’t extend outward.

"Bang!"

Suddenly, it felt like something heavily slammed onto him.

This very slam woke Qin Yi as if from a nightmare, and he sat up suddenly, eyes wide open.

"Master, you’re awake?"

The Blood Flood Dragon was overjoyed.

Only then did Qin Yi see clearly that it was the Blood Flood Dragon that had slammed into him.

This bastard, does it want to kill its master?

Tian Xie, who was originally charging over, halted sharply upon seeing Qin Yi awake and looked at him with a conflicted expression.

Qin Yi rubbed his temples, glanced around, and couldn’t help but be stunned, "What is this place?"

All he could see was a sea of crimson red; everything around was blood red, and he was lying on a Blood River, not sinking.

The Blood River was several hundred meters wide, with no end in sight.

It could very well be called a Blood Sea, with crimson blood rolling, yet strangely, there was no blood scent.

Could it be that this isn’t blood?

Qin Yi reached down, touched some of it, and sniffed it under his nose but still couldn’t smell any blood scent, almost like water dyed red.

"Master, this is under the Purgatory Trace."

"You fainted when you fell."

Qin Yi realized that he must have been in a coma earlier, which is why he couldn’t move.

But wait, why was he unconscious, but Tian Xie wasn’t?

"Why wasn’t he knocked out?"

The Blood Flood Dragon whispered, "The master was his human cushion."

Qin Yi: "..."

He vaguely remembered.

He and Tian Xie tumbled down together, and then...he couldn’t remember the rest. He must have been knocked out.

Damn, it seems like he was unlucky and ended up being a cushion for Tian Xie at the last moment.

Luckily, there was a Blood River below; they fell onto the river surface; otherwise, he might have been shattered.

"Master, this bastard tried to harm you when he saw you pass out. Thankfully, I wasn’t knocked out."

Qin Yi was surprised, "Why weren’t you knocked out?"

"Uh..." the Blood Flood Dragon said sheepishly, "Did the master forget? When you fell, you grabbed me, and I ended up falling on you."

"Damn..."

Qin Yi shouted, feeling all kinds of bad.

It turns out he ended up being a human cushion for both Tian Xie and the Blood Flood Dragon.

How could he be so unlucky?

But it was fortunate that the Blood Flood Dragon was still conscious; otherwise, he’d have been doomed by Tian Xie’s treachery.

Qin Yi looked at Tian Xie, "Bastard, you and the old ghost in you both owe me a life."

"No, make that two. I saved one of you, and because of you, I was stopped by the Blood Flood Dragon. How do you plan to repay me?"

Tian Xie sneered, looking pleased with himself, and taunted, "Qin Yi, if you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being unlucky. Being a human cushion for me and Master is your honor. You should be proud."

"The only regret is that it didn’t kill you."

Qin Yi’s face turned livid with anger, and he jumped up, but his hands and feet were numb; he stumbled and nearly fell flat.

But not wanting to lose face, he cursed, "You ungrateful brute, since you repay kindness with treachery and owe me a life, I’ll come to collect myself."

Tian Xie’s body went rigid, his eyes wary, as this place oppressed Cultivation severely, making it impossible to use even a sliver of Cultivation. If a fight broke out now, they’d have to rely on Physical Strength.

His Physical Strength was inferior to Qin Yi’s.

Furthermore, he was frankly more injured than Qin Yi.

"Is your butt healed?" Qin Yi suddenly asked with a mischievous grin.

Tian Xie’s handsome face turned grim.

There were no eyes on his rear, and without the ability to use Cultivation here, he could only fumble around applying some medicine, but it wasn’t very effective.

This cursed place even seemed to weaken the effects of the medicine.

Qin Yi’s question made his butt ache even more.

"Tian Xie, stretch out your neck for me to break it off swiftly. That way, you won’t feel the lingering pain in your behind."

Tian Xie looked at him, eyes cold.

Qin Yi’s mouth turned up in a sly grin, "Looks like you disagree, so I’ll have to do it myself."

"Tian Xie, this place will be your final resting spot."

Upon saying that, Qin Yi launched himself forward, only to plummet face-first onto the river surface.

"Damn..."

Qin Yi was dumbfounded; he had pushed off forcefully, but the blood water seemed to lose its buoyancy, and his right leg sank right through the surface.

What was meant to be a momentum shift became a force leak, leaving him sprawled awkwardly on the river, nearly twisting his waist.

"Master, are you alright?"

"I forgot to tell you, this blood water’s buoyancy is limited; it can’t support excessive force."

Feeling frustrated, Qin Yi stood up with the Blood Flood Dragon’s support, teeth gritting. Damn it, couldn’t he have said something earlier? Made him look like a fool.

Tian Xie looked on, brimming with schadenfreude, "Didn’t you say this place is my grave? What does your prostration mean? Are you begging me to spare you? I think the feng shui here is exquisite, a great spot to bury you."

Driven by rage, Qin Yi coldly retorted, "Exquisite feng shui? Then move your family’s ancestral grave here."

With that, Qin Yi rushed at Tian Xie.

This time, he dared not push off too hard, wary of another mishap like before.

Reaching Tian Xie, he delivered a kick.

Tian Xie didn’t flinch, returning a kick at Qin Yi.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Both received kicks, falling backward, their rears sinking into the blood water.

Qin Yi was alright, but Tian Xie let out a wretched scream; his rear was injured.

For a moment, Qin Yi stared, then burst into laughter.

"Tian Xie, you’re finished, you’re dead."

Tian Xie sneered, "Here, where Cultivation is restricted, and power is limited, you can’t kill me."

"Is that so?" Qin Yi’s eyes gleamed with a sinister glint, and he called out, "Blood Flood Dragon, reveal your true form, eat him."