Chapter 65: A Love Trampled

Facing Yelan, waiting for her attack was worse than striking first.

Noah knew she had to seize the initiative.

Once the fight began, falling into a defensive stance meant certain defeat under Yelan’s relentless assault.

As the bell tolled, her silver figure vanished.

Her speed was so great, most watching vampires couldn’t track her.

Yelan stood still, unguarded.

But up close, her pupils darted, tracking Noah’s every move.

For vampires, keen dynamic vision and self-healing were innate.

Yet these abilities varied in strength.

Even a noble like Aleng couldn’t follow Noah’s movements.

Yelan could see every step.

The gap in their power… unimaginable.

“She’s crazy to challenge Mother, and now she’s attacking first…” a vampire muttered.

Aleng’s face darkened, voice low. “If she doesn’t act first, Mother will seize the momentum. Then, no matter how strong she is… there’s no coming back.”

In Aleng’s mind, no vampire in the castle could defeat Noah head-on.

Beyond talent and grueling training, Noah’s combat experience and instincts shone.

Barring a sneak attack, beating her was near impossible.

But her opponent… was Yelan.

The vampire too fearsome for the Blood Hunt Church to list as a target.

“For your blood s*ave, is it worth this, Noah?”

Aleng closed her eyes, exhaling.

On the Broken Moon Platform, Noah emerged from the shadows.

She launched airborne, aiming a kick at Yelan’s neck.

Yelan didn’t turn.

Her heightened senses read Noah’s approach from the air’s ripples.

Facing away, she raised her right hand.

With perfect timing, she seized Noah’s ankle.

“Damn…”

Noah cursed inwardly, trying to pull back.

Too late.

Yelan gripped her ankle, swung her in a circle, and slammed her onto the platform.

Noah’s back crashed against the surface.

The impact rattled her lungs, blood spraying from her mouth.

The platform’s material was harder than marble.

A typical vampire would be pulp from such a blow.

Only Noah’s resilience kept her lungs functioning.

Barely.

Yelan didn’t stop.

Still holding Noah’s ankle, she hurled her to the platform’s edge.

Noah, barely a hundred pounds, was tossed like a toy.

Effortlessly.

She rolled across the ground, stopping in a heap.

Silver hair matted with dust and blood, Noah clutched her chest.

She wiped blood from her lips, standing slowly.

“Is this all you’ve got, daughter?” Yelan said coolly.

“I’ll show you more, Mother.”

Once her internal wounds healed, Noah charged again.

This time, no sneak attack.

She went straight for a frontal assault.

Since Yelan could read any approach, a direct fight let Noah track her moves.

Noah pushed off, leaping slightly.

Knee bent, she aimed a strike at Yelan’s face.

Yelan blocked with her elbow, forcing Noah’s knee down.

Her next move came swift—fingers aligned like a blade.

Her nails sliced the air with a whistle.

The sound of cloth and flesh tearing followed.

Her hand pierced Noah’s abdomen.

Thick blood oozed from the wound, dripping to the floor.

“Slow as ever, daughter. Your mind’s still dull,” Yelan said, twisting her hand.

Each twist deepened the visceral pain.

The gruesome scene was too brutal, even for other vampires.

“Two moves… Mother took her down in two,” a vampire gulped. “Terrifying…”

Everyone grumbled about Noah, but her strength was undeniable.

No vampire could best her head-on.

Yet against Yelan, she fell in two moves…

“Your little plan failed. By the rules, your blood s*ave is mine forever. But… you’re my favorite daughter.”

Yelan, feeling her “favorite daughter’s” innards, drawled, “To save your dignity, I’ll stick to three days.”

“Tch… don’t get cocky, Mother…”

“What?”

Noah surged, grabbing the wrist piercing her abdomen.

Yelan tried to pull free.

She couldn’t.

Noah locked her hand, restricting her movement.

In that moment of Yelan’s surprise, Noah’s other hand formed a fist.

At point-blank range, she struck Yelan’s chest.

The punch’s force sent a ripple of dust behind Yelan.

“Holy sh*t, how’d she do that?!”

“How’d she endure that pain… no pain nerves?”

“She’s fighting for real—what’s driving her? That blood s*ave?”

“Shut up!” Aleng snapped, gripping the railing, staring at the platform.

Noah… you’re really angering Mother.

Yelan stared, shocked, at the fist in her chest.

She tasted blood in her mouth.

Noah had… hit her hard enough to bleed internally?

The damage would heal in seconds.

But Yelan was stunned by Noah’s tactics.

“Life-for-life, blood-for-blood… Noah, you didn’t disappoint.”

Yelan grabbed Noah’s wrist. “But this ends now.”

A surge of oppressive energy erupted from her.

It forced Noah back, stumbling.

She clutched her abdomen, healing as she watched Yelan’s next move.

That punch was Noah’s gambit.

She let Yelan wound her to lock her wrist, ensuring the hit landed.

She avoided Yelan’s hand-blade tactic.

Yelan’s body was too tough to pierce.

A fist was more practical.

The blow landed, but Yelan’s strength was absurd.

Such a wound healed in seconds.

Yelan approached with elegant, slow steps.

The third round was coming.

Noah forced her broken body upright, ignoring unhealed wounds.

She had to fight.

“Stop, Noah!”

A voice called from below the platform.

Noah glanced down. “Huangwei…”

“You’ll die if you keep going,” Huangwei urged, swallowing hard. “Apologize to Mother. You might survive.”

Noah frowned. “Apologize? I did nothing wrong. Why should I?”

Loving someone is wrong? Worth an apology?

What nonsense.

“I know, but Mother’s demands—I can’t accept them.”

Noah shifted her gaze back to Yelan.

“If I must watch my love be trampled, I’ll fight with all I have. And then choose death.”

Noah closed her eyes, inhaling deeply, then exhaling.

Her arms crossed over her chest.

A surge of energy swirled around her.

Silver hair danced like an unyielding battle flag.

Vampire Secret Art: Holy Blood.

A forbidden technique, burning her life force.