Chapter 66: Igniting Rebellion in the Night

“Stop, Noah! Holy Blood is a forbidden art!!”

Huangwei shouted from below the Broken Moon Platform.

If not for Anna and Xiaan holding her back, she’d have rushed up to stop Noah.

She had anticipated Noah defying Mother for Luoyao’s sake.

But not to this insane degree.

Burning life to trade for power from the Reaper—Holy Blood, banned centuries ago, its methods lost.

Who knew how Noah learned it!

In Huangwei’s memory, this should be Noah’s first time using Holy Blood.

Vampires’ lives were nearly endless.

One or two uses wouldn’t harm much.

But Huangwei worried Noah had opened hell’s gate.

Closing it would be nearly impossible.

The thirst for immense power was a vampire’s nature.

Holy Blood granted strength but ensnared them in its allure, escape impossible.

The first time led to a second.

The second to a third.

Then the fourth, fifth…

Until life was exhausted.

More addictive than blood, it was power’s poison.

A Pandora’s box, unsealable once opened.

A taboo path to vampire ruin.

“Noah… please, stop!!”

Huangwei clung to the platform’s edge, begging Noah.

“Not just Holy Blood’s backlash—you’ll enrage Mother completely by using this forbidden art. Don’t you see?!”

Enrage her?

Hah, hadn’t she already?

Noah knew full well—challenging Yelan had angered her from the start.

Now, with the art activated, it was an arrow loosed from the bow.

“Huangwei, as daughters… we all have our rebellious phases, right?”

With that, Noah let out a low growl, fully unleashing Holy Blood!

Winds and pressure erupted from her body.

Long hair whipped like silver serpents.

Crimson eyes burned with purest fire—

Blazing, intense, ferocious.

Her facial veins shifted.

They snaked to her eye sockets.

Flowing within seemed no longer blood, but scorching red lava.

Holy Blood · Initial State · Fiery Gaze.

“I’ve lived seven hundred years, first time seeing this art,” Aleng said.

“I’m glad I didn’t touch her Luoyao…”

For a high-ranking vampire to say this publicly showed how strong Noah had become with Holy Blood.

But could this defeat Yelan…?

No one knew how the fight would unfold.

“Let’s go, Mother.”

“Rebellious girls are such a headache.”

With brief words, they charged at each other.

Fists clashed, sending shockwaves rippling outward.

Even Huangwei below was blown back.

Then came a storm of punches.

With Holy Blood, Noah’s speed and power matched Yelan’s.

“Senior Noah… might win…” Anna helped Huangwei up, watching Noah fight for her life.

“She won’t.”

Huangwei stood, face grave.

“The power from burning life is temporary. From the moment Holy Blood is used, it devours the body and fades.”

“When Mother uses her full strength, Noah won’t hold up once it weakens.”

Anna’s heart sank, urgent. “Then… what do we do? I don’t want Senior Noah killed by Mother…”

“Go get Luoyao.”

“What?” Anna didn’t hear.

“Get Luoyao! Hurry!!”

Anna nodded frantically. “Right, I’m going.”

She glanced at Xiaan, who understood instantly.

The two girls rushed from the platform to Noah’s second-floor room.

On the platform, Noah and Yelan remained evenly matched.

Before the fight, no one expected three-hundred-year-old Noah to hold her own against the millennia-old strongest vampire, even briefly.

What mindset drove her against that incomprehensible vampire?

What belief fueled her to burn life with Holy Blood for a desperate stand?

Most vampires embraced their “cold-hearted” nature.

Ditching budding feelings was like tossing an empty soda can.

Even promising emotions—they didn’t care.

Hearts sealed for centuries, millennia, wouldn’t melt for a fleeting bond.

Thus, these indifferent vampires could never understand Noah.

When power peaks, love is the only key to breakthrough.

That key has a simpler name—love.

She knew her opponent’s strength.

Her heart and soul trembled with fear.

Yet she stepped onto the Broken Moon Platform, facing the vampire race’s pinnacle.

A lightning-fast fist grazed Noah’s ear.

She barely dodged, but the fierce wind buzzed in her brain.

She endured the pain, gripping Yelan’s incoming arm.

Lifting her knee, she slammed it into Yelan’s abdomen.

Yelan seized the opening, grabbing Noah’s nape, slamming her down.

She followed with a kick to Noah’s chest.

Noah flew, adjusting midair, landing with two long skid marks.

Yelan dusted her clothes, wiping faint blood from her lips, her smile calm and playful.

“Daughter, I don’t know how you learned this art, but that last move was your final struggle, wasn’t it?”

Yelan approached slowly.

“Holy Blood’s power is fading, and your body suffers its backlash. Standing now is a miracle. Want to keep fighting?”

Noah clutched her aching chest.

That kick likely broke her ribs.

Her body couldn’t spare energy to heal.

So… Yelan was right. That was her last struggle.

“Daughter, not every crisis can be solved with so-called ‘love.’ Reality is far crueler than you think.”

Yelan stood before Noah, grabbing her collar, staring into her fading crimson eyes.

“So, will you admit you love your blood s*ave, or follow the rules and hand her over?”

Back to the original dilemma:

Admit or not, Yelan would achieve one goal—

Punish Noah or take Luoyao.

Noah bit her lip, unwilling. “Mother, why… why target me the moment you return?”

“Why? Hah, my daughter disobeys me, loving a human in secret. Shouldn’t I punish her?”

Yelan dodged the question about targeting Noah upon her return.

Noah couldn’t help but suspect someone had snitched.

She turned with difficulty, looking at Huangwei below.

In the castle, Yelan trusted Huangwei most.

Huangwei also knew Noah and Luoyao’s love was real.

Could it be her…?

“No need to look at Huangwei,” Yelan said.

“No one betrayed your little secret, Noah. Blame only yourself for loving someone you shouldn’t.”

Noah closed her eyes, cursing herself inwardly.

‘Idiot, doubting Huangwei at a time like this…’

‘I’m really rattled from Mother’s blows.’

“So, daughter, will you go to the Well of Atonement to cleanse your sins?”

“Are you really going to kill me, Mother? Are you… that heartless?”

“You think I wouldn’t dare?”

Yelan said calmly, “I admit, raising you took time and effort, but vampires lack for nothing but time, right? If I raised one Noah, I can raise a second, a third. Someone will replace you, maybe even surpass you.

Daughter, you’ve grown too comfortable in this castle for centuries, barely heeding me. Especially you, my most cherished Noah, the first to break the taboo.

There’s a human saying: kill the chicken to scare the monkey. I don’t mind using your life to remind the others:”

“Never,”

“Ever,”

“Defy,”

“—Yelan.”