Ashmi blocked Mohg’s bloodblade, then swept out a wave of fire to force him back. Hearing Mohg’s question, Ashmi frowned. “What do you mean, ‘who are you’? I already told you I’m Ashmi.” At Ashmi’s reply, Mohg felt like he was about to have a stroke—if he even knew what a stroke was. Damn it! I know that’s your name! Is that what I was asking!? Even just saying you're Bai Shi's sister would have been better! Ashmi looked at Mohg, whose face was contorted with fury but remained silent, and asked in return, “Besides, who the hell are you?” Mohg let out a low laugh. His expression was incredibly grim, almost as dark as his true form. Were he to speak his name, Ashmi would surely be terrified. He was the mysterious, unknown demigod, the beloved son of the Formless Mother, the architect of the bloody conspiracy, the destroyer of the royal alliance, Miquella’s consort, and, most importantly—the great Lord of Blood of the Mohgwyn Dynasty! Although by attacking, he had essentially revealed his identity already, did he really have to answer just because Ashmi asked? To deal with someone , one had to use her own methods against her. However, seeing Mohg remain silent while continuing his assault, Ashmi came to a new understanding. In the Lands Between, no one of any renown would hesitate to state their name, or at least their family’s name. “Oh, so you’re just a nameless nobody?” “Your skills aren’t bad. If you’re willing to join us at Stormveil, I suppose I could forgive your previous actions.” “Of course, your way of thinking must be thoroughly corrected.” What... a nameless nobody? He should join Stormveil? Mohg had completely lost it. He wouldn’t listen to another word from Ashmi! His mind was now consumed by a single thought: tear her to shreds. With a sword in each hand, Mohg danced through an elegant and magnificent flurry of Dynasty swordplay, a technique of his own creation. It didn’t rely on physical strength, but on graceful, composed skill to tear an enemy apart, piece by piece. But this technique, which should have been unhurried and calm, was now as turbulent and violent as a raging tide. Faced with the ferocious assault, Ashmi dismissed her Sword of Night and Flame, instead materializing the Moonveil and the Starfall Shadow. She held the two katanas crossed before her, continuously clashing against Mohg’s blades. Ashmi couldn't quite comprehend Mohg’s emotional journey. She hadn’t said anything particularly offensive, and had been quite polite, so why was he so aggressive? “I’m perfectly healthy. It’s your explosive temper that’s strange, don’t you think?” Against Mohg’s incoming bloodblade, Ashmi didn’t block this time. She dismissed the Starfall Shadow in her left hand, gripped the Moonveil with both hands, and took a step back. After precisely evading Mohg’s attack, Ashmi twisted her body sharply and swung her blade, unleashing a brilliant flash of light. Foresight Slash, transitioning into a Moonveil strike! Mohg found it difficult to dodge this time and was struck by the blade’s light. Blood sprayed from his chest. However, as Ashmi looked at Mohg's wound, she was somewhat surprised. A normal human would be bleeding uncontrollably by now, yet... The deep gash on Mohg's body only spurted a little blood the moment it was opened. Afterward, not a single drop more flowed out, and the wound was rapidly filled in. Mohg pressed his attack relentlessly. This time, he had brought more than enough cursed blood. Ashmi’s previous attack with the Moonveil had been largely ineffective, and in turn, she had received several cuts from Mohg’s bloodblades. Ashmi took a deep breath, sheathed her katana, and unleashed a full-powered Moonveil Iai Stance. A crescent of eerie blue light shot from the blade toward Mohg. If it hit, it would undoubtedly inflict grievous damage. Not wanting to take such an attack head-on, Mohg deftly sidestepped it. Having forced Mohg back, Ashmi created distance and swiftly threw several sharp stones. The moment they left her hand, the stones were coated in black and white flames. Incantations were complex. Combining incantations from two different faiths was unheard of, let alone being used by a single person. Neither Ashmi nor Bai Shi had yet reached the point of creating a new incantation like a Blackflame Bestial Sling, so this was merely a technique of coating the finished Beastial Sling in Black Flame. The sharp, Blackflame-coated stones shot toward Mohg at high speed. Faced with the sharp and numerous projectiles, Mohg simply waved his sleeve and scattered them all. But the black and white flames began to burn on his body. Mohg paid them no mind, casually patting out the fire. The Bestial Sling’s power wasn’t great; it was merely meant to create an opening in battle. When Mohg looked again, Ashmi had already finished casting Golden Vow on herself and was about to cast another buff. Mohg, naturally, wouldn't give her another chance. He immediately swung a bloodblade to interrupt her. However, since they had created distance, Mohg also had something he needed to do. Countless streams of cursed blood poured from his body, spreading and clinging to everything, completely sealing off the street where he and Ashmi fought, transforming it into a hell made of blood. Seeing Mohg release this special blood to form a domain, Ashmi’s expression turned grave. This domain didn’t look like a friendly place. It absolutely could not be underestimated. Returning to his home ground, Mohg relaxed considerably, his mood calming slightly. He took deep, long breaths, restoring the elegance and majesty he constantly strived for. Mohg let his hands fall to his sides, the bloodblades dissolving into the pool of blood. With his left hand, he adjusted and repaired his clothing; with his right, he casually snapped his fingers. In the next moment, countless blood spikes and bloodblades assailed Ashmi from all directions, while the blood beneath her feet latched onto her legs, immobilizing her. Ashmi summoned the Sword of Night and Flame. A mighty inferno erupted from the blade, engulfing her and instantly vaporizing the dense volley of bloodblades. After clearing the immediate threat, Ashmi channeled magic into the ground, and a shockwave instantly spread outwards. The restraints of congealed blood were shattered by the earthshaking force, clearing a blood-free zone around her. The moment she cleared the area, Ashmi unleashed Stormcaller. Aided by the gale, she flew toward Mohg. He waved his hand dismissively, and countless blood spikes formed a barrier before him. Her initial attack foiled, Ashmi used the momentum to flip upward, simultaneously materializing a pair of Starscourge Greatswords. The greatswords gathered purple gravity magic, coating the already heavy blades with a layer of crushed stone and crackling, unparalleled gravitational lightning. A twin-bladed Lion’s Claw, charged with gravity lightning and stone! The countless blood spikes before Mohg stood no chance against such a heavy blow and were easily shattered by Ashmi. However, Mohg had already transformed into cursed blood and merged with his domain. When Ashmi looked, Mohg’s figure had already reappeared at the other end of the street. Mohg waved a hand, and a swarm of bloodflies emerged, descending upon Ashmi. Yet Ashmi merely exerted a bit of gravity around herself, and the swarm was instantly pulled to the ground, where they all burst. But that had only been a minor tactic for support; Mohg hadn't expected it to pose a threat to an opponent of her caliber. The true killing blow was the bloodflame that was now igniting at Ashmi’s feet. Ashmi summoned a storm, preparing to blow the bloodflame away, but the blood was instead swept up by the vortex, completely engulfing her in flame. A pleased smile spread across Mohg's face. Last time, Bai Shi had used some unknown secret art to rapidly regenerate his body, rendering Mohg’s bloodflame completely ineffective at burning him to death. Would this girl, who was probably Bai Shi’s sister, have the same secret art? If you have it, then use it! Mohg would utterly crush the very move that had once defeated him! Just as Mohg was anticipating watching Ashmi be consumed by the bloodflame, he noticed that the blood touching her had mysteriously stopped burning. Ashmi stopped the storm that was only feeding the fire, then casually patted her clothes, brushing off the now-useless patch of bloodflame. Mohg’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Ashmi. Bloodflame was his signature move. As long as it touched an enemy’s blood, it would burn them to a crisp from the inside out. But Mohg hadn't felt the bloodflame spread at all. This was impossible! Even with extremely high fire resistance, there should have been at least some reaction and damage. Unless... Ashmi didn't have any blood in her body at all! Mohg did not immediately attack again. Instead, he hid himself within the blood and began to think. Earlier, the power within Ashmi had felt familiar, like the 'mysterious' power from the underground. He frowned. This person was not Bai Shi's sister at all. She seemed to be one of those things from the neighboring "Eternal City," something called a Mimic Tear. Ashmi merely shared Bai Shi’s appearance and possessed his techniques. Mohg recalled the variety of techniques Ashmi had used, his mind racing even as he continued to harass her with attacks from the blood. This meant... he could probably use this chance to learn what abilities Bai Shi now possessed. As Mohg considered the various skills Ashmi had displayed, he grew somewhat alarmed. Storms, gravity sorcery, earthshaking force, Black Flame... what else could she have? The last time he had faced Bai Shi, the boy had only known some storm-related techniques and sword skills. That was why Bai Shi had been so helpless inside his blood domain. But once his repertoire of skills had become so diverse, could his attacks be countered so easily? “You shouldn’t get distracted during a fight.” “Though I don’t understand many things, I’m at least considered proficient when it comes to combat.” Mohg heard Ashmi’s voice, only to see a dragon’s head manifest behind her. The raging torrent of Agheel's Flame was already sweeping through his blood domain. Ashmi stomped her right foot, and frost rapidly spread from beneath it. Hoarfrost Stomp was incredibly effective against the blood that covered the ground. Mohg didn't know how Ashmi did it, but she had somehow pinpointed his location. The spreading ice made his movements within the blood sluggish, forcing Mohg to reveal himself to defend against the coming attack. Ashmi transformed into a bolt of lightning, instantly appearing behind Mohg. A spear of crimson dragon lightning coalesced in her hands, which she thrust toward him. Mohg spun gracefully to evade the attack, conjuring a slender rapier to counter-thrust at Ashmi. But upon missing, Ashmi plunged the dragon lightning spear into the ground. Instantly, a dense web of red lightning crackled across the ground, forming a thick curtain of electricity. Mohg had no choice but to abandon his attack. But Ashmi's next attack was already upon him. A massive, deep blue comet, its buildup concealed by the curtain of lightning, had finished charging. An immense torrent of magic burst forth, hurtling toward Mohg. The comet stream from her Sword of Night and Flame was far too fast and powerful, and Mohg was caught off guard. In the process of dodging, a large portion of his body was obliterated; nearly half his torso was sheared away. The avatar had no internal organs, and the blood was sealed within by Mohg, so the wounds were as smooth as a mirror where the comet had passed. Shaken, Mohg hurriedly used the cursed blood to regenerate his body. He glanced back and saw that the comet had also torn a hole through his blood-forged domain. Now there was a large opening in his blood domain, through which he could see the outside world. His face grim, Mohg willed the blood to spread and repair the breach in his domain. Ashmi emerged from the dissipating dragon lightning, the Sword of Night and Flame in hand. She had intentionally aimed that last comet stream so that it would vanish into the sky, leaving Stormveil’s buildings unharmed. Ashmi raised her sword and pointed it at Mohg. “Judging by your techniques, you’re probably not a very good person.” “My apologies, but to protect Stormveil, I’m going to have to eliminate you right here.” “Kill me? With your power?” What stood here now was merely a clone, after all. And even this clone could endlessly regenerate its wounds with cursed blood. Mohg couldn't see how he could possibly lose a battle of attrition. When they finally faced his true self, they would realize just how laughable their current notions were. “So that’s how it is. No wonder you’re so bold.” “But I'm immortal too. So you're the same type of person as me.” “I thought this was some rare ability. I didn't expect even a random person to have it? Sigh...” Ashmi wasn't lying. Her core was always inside Bai Shi. As long as the core remained undamaged, her external body could be destroyed, and she would be fine after a short period of recovery. Hearing Ashmi's words, a vein throbbed on Mohg's forehead. Breathe... Calm. Composure and grace are his true blades against any enemy. Mohg reached out and grasped the air, and the colossal Mohgwyn Sacred Spear materialized in his hand. Although it was just a replica formed from blood, it was still one of the most effective weapons in his arsenal. “Then let's see who can kill whom!” Despite his harsh words, Mohg didn't rush forward to clash with Ashmi. Instead, he used the Mohgwyn Sacred Spear’s superior range to continuously harass her. This avatar had been exposed; its destruction was only a matter of time. In the time he had left, Mohg had to extract every last bit of value from this body. Any additional intelligence he could glean from Ashmi was a clear victory for him. So far, the range of abilities Ashmi possessed was truly absurd. Storm, ice, lightning, glintstone sorcery, gravity sorcery, golden incantations, Dragon Communion incantations, Black Flame... And if Ashmi knew all these things, then Bai Shi certainly knew them as well, and would be even stronger. How on earth did he learn and master so many abilities, some of which were fundamentally conflicting? It was beyond ridiculous. And on top of that, Ashmi’s physical strength was monstrous. She was a walking behemoth of raw stats! Furthermore, her body being completely unaffected by cursed blood and bloodflame was an extremely troublesome trait, forcing Mohg to rely solely on his own technique and power. But Ashmi was his equal in those areas, not to mention she kept applying incantation buffs to herself. Mohg gritted his teeth and began to think of a way to break the stalemate. He didn't care if this avatar was destroyed. As long as he willed it, he could create another one just like it. The source of thɪs content is 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡~𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢~𝙣𝙚𝙩 But since it was already exposed, it had to accomplish something significant. Otherwise, he wouldn’t get another opportunity . An alert and heavily defended Stormveil would not be so easy to infiltrate. Bai Shi was most likely within Stormveil right now. If he weren’t occupied with something important, he certainly would have intervened by now. Stormveil was teeming with guards; news of this fight would reach Bai Shi's ears soon enough. In that case, he would use this clone to draw their attention, allowing the Bloody Fingers and Mohgwyn Dynasty Knights he had planted in the city to begin their operation. Tonight, he would ensure that Stormveil Castle flowed with the blood of agony and despair. For the next three days, I have full-day lab practicals, from 8 AM to 6 PM. It’s miserable... the update output will probably be a bit lower.