Rearing Demons-Chapter 29: Ritual of Blood Binding

With a loud explosion, the Antic's body burst flesh. Its blood and body flew everywhere, making the room even worse than before.

Yur looked at his arm, which now had large holes from the Antic's biting. I don't think I can hold my sword like this.

Though he tried to exert some strength, his arm wouldn't move well. The hand wouldn't clench, indicating the connection had been broken.

He glanced over at the other Antic, still chewing on his arm, gradually inching closer to devouring more of his body.

Closing his eyes briefly, he decided to try something.

[Host is advised not to change form!]

Zul, that's all I can do! He had no other choice left.

Yur wasn't planning a full transformation, but he needed at least a partial shift to survive. With a quick thought, his teeth elongated into sharp fangs.

Rolling his body over, and pushing his feet against the ground, he glared at the Antic that was trying to devour him. He opened his mouth and bit down hard.

UAAHHHH!

In terrible pain, the Antic released his arm, howling. Pus oozed from the wound he inflicted, tasting revolting, but Yur didn't stop. Letting go, he bit down again.

UUAAH—UAAAAHHH!

Constantly shrieking, the Antic flailed, flying around the room, yet it couldn't dislodge Yur's grip. His jaws locked onto the demon's flesh.

Closing his eyes once more, he did something new: Incinerate!

From his tongue, streaks of sere lines formed on the Zorath's body, spreading until they covered it in a web. When they reconnected at the tip of his tongue, there was no explosion—rather, the inside of the Antic began to burn.

Black flames erupted from within its mouth, destroying tongue and teeth, and gradually consuming it from the inside.

Yur opened his mouth and fell to the ground, gaze fixed on the demon as it burned to death. It howled ceaselessly, smashing into the walls in a futile effort to quell the flames, but soon fell silent, collapsing as ash—a mere stain on the stone floor.

[Killed a Zorath!]

[Killed a Zorath!]

[Reward: 100 Demon Points!]

[Reward: 100 Demon Points!]

Seeing the notifications, he slumped to the ground. One arm was half-missing; the other, mangled and lacerated.

Visit freёnovelkiss.com for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience.

His breathing was heavy, chest rising sharply, yet his expression remained blasé. He felt no pain—something he had once thought a boon, though it carried its own drawbacks. If his body was numb to pain, he could never tell how badly he was injured.

"What was that?" As he caught his breath, Ris's cold voice echoed from behind.

Turning his head, he looked at her. His eyes, detached, betrayed no hint of what just transpired. Life or death—he'd needed to push himself further.

"What do you mean?" he asked in a mild tone.

"You know what I mean. The red eyes, the sharp teeth...that's not how righteous cultivators fight." Brandishing her sword, she stared down at him. "Demonic cultivators do that."

Yur stayed on the ground; at this point, little mattered to him. She seemed to want a pretext for action. Suddenly, Zul loaded a new set of dialogue, and he blinked at what it instructed.

"I am a demonic cultivator," he admitted. "What's the point in hiding it?"

"You do realize all demonic cultivators are killed on sight, right?" She raised the blade to his throat, drawing a thin line of blood. "I'll let you live if you give me those flames."

His face didn't change; he looked completely unconcerned. "Kill me if you want, but I'm not like other demonic cultivators—as you can probably tell." He stared up at her from the floor, meeting her gaze directly. "I don't use innocent humans for my cultivation, nor do I have untamed emotions."

Following Zul's prompts, he felt startled by the next instruction.

With a quick thought, his tarnished wings sprouted from his back, about two meters in length. Using them to lift himself off the ground, he flapped and hovered in midair. Ris, watching the scene, appeared momentarily shocked.

"I can do what other demonic cultivators cannot. I can manage it without harming myself." As he floated, his arms continued to bleed profusely.

She narrowed her eyes, then suddenly unleashed a strong aura. Something new...and strangely familiar.

[Be careful, Host! Ris is a Demonic Cultivator!]

"So, you're also part of the demonic cultivators?" Black, feathered wings burst from her back, letting her rise as well. A red aura radiated from her body as she stared at Yur with interest. "I've never seen such perfect control. How do you do it?" She flew close, circling around him.

"My body is compatible with it." He wasn't lying but withheld full truth, aiming to appear honest enough not to be killed.

Plus, typical demonic cultivators were generally chaotic, lacking emotional control. That partly explained why Ris had hesitated to kill him—Incineration had a certain demonic signature, linked to his Ashkavaal bloodline.

"That doesn't explain your strength," she said, narrowing her gaze. "Whether it's those flames or your high-level power, it's all too unusual for someone I've never heard of."

"Well, I'm living proof," he said, following Zul's script. "If you'd like, I can help you perfect it, too."

Zul, having deduced Ris was a demonic cultivator, supplied him with new lines.

"What do you mean? How can you help me?" she asked, a flicker of intrigue in her eyes.

"I have a way to refine or at least strengthen your mastery of demonic essence, in a method that's harder to detect." Zul then sent him another notification.

[Host can turn Demonic Cultivators into his followers! They won't be loyal, but they also will not be able to harm the host!]

Zul, how do I do this? What ritual?

[Once Host reaches Rank 2, Host will unlock the Ashkavaal unique ritual: Ritual of Blood Binding!]

So, that's the ritual to assist her? He didn't want to help her at all; in fact, he preferred she died.

[This ability will make the subject unable to kill or harm the Host in any way.]

"Are you going to reply?" She broke his train of thought, demanding an answer. She couldn't hide the fervor in her eyes, despite her normally cold demeanor.

"I can perform a certain ritual, but I have to reach Seeker of Embers first. Once I do, I can help you advance your demonic essence." He landed, blood still oozing from both arms.

"Here, take this." Ris pulled out a small pellet—a pill—from her ring. "Open your mouth."

"What is it?" he asked warily.

[Ris is holding an advanced healing pill: Fire Blood Pill. Excellent for healing and regrowing limbs!]

"This is the Fire Blood Pill. It'll heal you." Having seen Zul's note, he nodded and opened his mouth, allowing her to toss the pill in.

He swallowed, and instantly his bleeding stopped, with his hands beginning to heal and regenerate.

"Now, tell me more about this ritual," she said, landing in front of him. Her eyes sparkled with excitement and something predatory—an emotion rarely seen on her indifferent face.