Chapter 101: The True Heart of a Maiden’s Admiration, Part Five

"Human, I must admit, you are the most troublesome opponent I have encountered in my centuries of life. Your resilience commands my admiration. I believe your blood must be as delicious as your will is steadfast."

Lestat’s expression became solemn as he extended a hand in a polished gesture worthy of a gentleman.

Lin Xiao had found the first part tolerable enough, but upon hearing the second, he nearly blurted out a string of curses. Damn it, was this bastard dead set on him?

Was his blood really that appetizing? What, was he some kind of holy monk whose flesh granted immortality with a single bite?

The essence of flesh and blood he had just swallowed had restored his HP to above four hundred, so he was not exactly panicking. He still had enough mana for one Thunder Summoning Talisman.

And with 126 source points remaining, if things truly went south, he could simply exchange them for holy water and deal with a few more blood shadows.

"Your attack is powerful, and from your expression, I can tell you still have a hidden trump card you have not used. But this is where it ends. Even if it costs me the blood-ancestor power sealed within the Bloodshadow Magic Mirror, I will defeat you today.

"Great Blood Ancestor, your descendants call upon you, summon your power, and aid me in destroying the enemy before me.

"Magic mirror, oh magic mirror, your surface reflects the brilliance of blood, the brightest light in this world.

"Blood shadow, oh blood shadow, fuse together and bring forth a boundless sea of blood to cleanse this filthy mortal realm."

As Lestat chanted, the remaining five blood shadows dissolved into streaks of crimson light and flowed into the Bloodshadow Magic Mirror. From its surface, a brilliant scarlet beam shot forth, piercing the endless darkness and striking straight up into the heavens.

A force that shook the sky, a blood-red radiance that pierced the stars.

Stefan, who had been gazing up at the night sky at a forty-five-degree angle, was jolted awake by the violent disturbance. Staring in stunned disbelief at the pillar of blood light, he cried out in horror:

"You've gone mad! Lestat, you've actually awakened the blood power left behind by Lord Blood Ancestor in the Bloodshadow Magic Mirror. That is the forbidden power of our race, the ultimate strength that can only be used when our people face life and death!

"Aren't you afraid of being hunted forever by our entire race?"

Lestat looked like a lunatic, his whole body suffused with crimson light as he threw back his head and laughed.

"What race? I am the race! I will create a new vampire clan, and I will become the new Blood Ancestor. Anyone who dares stand in my way will tremble beneath my blood shadow!"

Thunder Summoning Talisman!

A lightning serpent descended from the sky and struck fiercely at Lestat. It was Lin Xiao, seizing his chance, launching a sneak attack.

He was not the sort of person who waited until an enemy had finished charging their ultimate move before striking. Beating a downed dog was the true spirit of nobility.

Just as the lightning serpent was about to descend, Lestat tilted the Bloodshadow Magic Mirror slightly. The scarlet pillar of light instantly snuffed out the lightning serpent, and that terrifying power of blood clearly surpassed even thunder.

Truly terrifying.

"Still clinging to life, are you? What a stubborn soul." Lestat sneered, murmuring under his breath.

With his incantation, a blood-red bat slowly emerged from the mirror. Its body swelled violently, transforming into a massive crimson bat with a wingspan of seven or eight meters. It circled above him, flapping its wings over the earth below and blotting out the sky.

"Go, Bat of the Blood Ancestor. Seize my enemy and make him my blood meal."

Lestat raised the mirror toward the two men below. The giant blood bat beat its wings and dove from the heavens, its wingbeats whipping up the air like a tornado, scattering sand and stones in all directions.

Lin Xiao’s face turned ashen. It was over. Everything was over. The Thunder Summoning Talisman had been rendered useless, his greatest trump card was gone, and as for Holy Light, there was no need to mention it; it stood no chance against the blood bat.

Was his journey through this world going to end right here?

As expected, time travel was dangerous business. One had to be cautious.

Without realizing it, he pulled up the system interface. In the item slot, he saw a solitary card lying in the corner, as though it had been left there ever since the time he saved Barbara and received it as a reward.

"Girl's Adoration: Level 1 Skill Card. You saved an innocent maiden and earned the admiration within her heart. Activating this card will cause the enemy to develop feelings of adoration toward you. Duration: one minute."

Desperate measures were all he had left. With little hope, he took out the card and activated it against Lestat.

The card instantly turned into a streak of flowing light, flashing like lightning into Lestat’s mind. The once murderous enemy changed in an instant into a bashful maiden, gazing at Lin Xiao with tender affection in her eyes, a softness that could melt the heart of the hardest brute.

Big brother, I really, really like you!

Ugh!

As the blood bat swooped down toward him, Lin Xiao fought back the urge to retch and made full use of the one minute he had.

What could one minute do?

Sixty seconds, one red light, one cup of coffee, one passionate kiss, or a heaven-shaking reversal.

"Lestat, I am the one you love most. Hurry and withdraw your attack!"

Lin Xiao shouted. Lestat, his eyes full of tenderness, said nothing at all, merely turned the mirror. The blood bat, just about to strike him in the face, spun around and flew back, shrinking in size before plunging into the mirror.

Stefan’s eyes nearly popped out. Was there some mistake? What on earth were these two doing? Had he stumbled upon something unfit for children, or overheard some secret he was never meant to hear?

Why were there tears in his eyes? Because this world was full of too many eye-searing sights.

"Come, Lestat. Come into your brother’s arms. I’ll give you the warmest embrace in the world."

Lin Xiao put away the Interstellar Annihilation Battle Axe, spread his arms wide, and called out with deep affection.

That fervent summons sounded like a kindly old father welcoming home a wandering child after years away;

Or like a man in the throes of love, greeting the most beautiful girl in his eyes.

If everyone gave a little love, the world would become a better place.

Stefan coughed up blood in three mighty spurts and died.

Number Eleven coughed up blood in three mighty spurts and died.

Michael coughed up blood in three mighty spurts and died.

The burly werewolf youth coughed up blood in three mighty spurts, and the whole group died together.

A crowd of people suppressed the urge to spew blood as they watched Lestat, reluctant and yielding by turns, clasping the mirror to his chest with both hands, his face flushed with girlish shyness as he fluttered down from midair and threw himself into Lin Xiao’s arms.

That was the one he adored most, his beloved brother.

What he longed for was your hottest chest, your sturdiest shoulder. He wanted to remain in your arms until the end of time.

What greeted him, of course, was not a warm embrace, but a blade overflowing with thunderous light.

Lin Xiao sprang into the air, the Interstellar Annihilation Battle Axe appearing in his hand at once. The Thunder Summoning Talisman effect activated, Empty Slash Strike unleashed, and with one swing from above and another from below, he hacked viciously down into the ground, burying the blade three inches deep.

One minute, exactly up.

Lestat regained consciousness. The vampire race’s tenacious vitality made him realize what he had just done.

He was immensely relieved. Better to be dead, or he would have coughed himself to death from sheer blood loss anyway.

The two halves of his body crashed to the ground with a thunderous thud. The Bloodshadow Magic Mirror clanged onto the earth as well, and at the same time, three system notifications rang out one after another:

"Congratulations, Host, on killing the level 12 vampire marquis, Lestat. Source power +120. You have once again changed the course of the plot. Plot Breaker quest +1. Reward: one advanced two-star pocket urn."

"Congratulations, Host, on killing a tier-two extraordinary life form. Your third class advancement condition has been fulfilled."