The Ancestral Land cave abode.
A terrifying vortex of Spiritual Qi roared in, its vastness beyond description. The Spiritual Qi was so densely concentrated that it even showed faint signs of turning liquid.
And this endless Spiritual Qi was pouring madly into Ning Xuanyuan's body.
By now, he had broken through to the Soul Sea Realm. The vast spiritual power within him had become an ocean, nourishing his soul. Once his soul transformed into a True Spirit, he could open his Life Palace.
A remarkably clear image floated behind Ning Xuanyuan. It was a vast, starry sky, deep and boundless—his Soul Aspect, the Starry Sky Soul Aspect!
Before the Soul Sea Realm came Aspect Condensation, when one condensed a Soul Aspect.
Although specks of starlight twinkled within this Starry Sky Soul Aspect, they were extremely dim. Only in one place did a brilliant star float, dazzling beyond compare.
A closer look would reveal the faint illusory image of a divine beast within that star!
A Sacred Spirit Beast!
This single bright star had shockingly been formed from the divine beast essence from before!
"Sacred Spirit Beast bloodline talents: Holy Light, Protection!" Ning Xuanyuan formed seals with both hands, a hint of pleasant surprise appearing in his gleaming eyes.
Martial artists could cultivate the myriad arts of the world. Whatever the cultivation method, secret technique, or treasured art, they could learn it. Yet there was one exception.
That was the innate divine ability originating from a bloodline, also known as a Bloodline Divine Ability.
As the name implied, one had to possess the corresponding bloodline to cultivate a Bloodline Divine Ability. Compared with other cultivation methods, Bloodline Divine Abilities were not only more powerful but also unique.
Take the True Phoenix Clan: its Bloodline Divine Ability was the Nirvana Divine Flame. Upon cultivating it to the great accomplishment stage, one could be reborn from a drop of blood, undergo nirvana in flames, and live another life, or even become undying and indestructible!
There was also the True Dragon Clan's Nine Dragons Heaven-Breaking Art. When all nine dragons emerged together, they could burn mountains and boil seas, destroying heaven and earth.
These terrifyingly powerful Bloodline Divine Abilities had no specific cultivation methods, for they were abilities that had to be awakened, lying dormant within the bloodline.
Only those with the corresponding bloodline power could awaken and cultivate them. Outsiders could only look on with envy, unable to obtain them.
Ning Xuanyuan was different, however. The origins of all things and all arts in the world came from Chaos. Chaos opened the Heaven and Earth Realm, gave birth to all things, evolved rules, and brought forth bloodlines.
He could not yet create bloodlines out of thin air, but he could use the power of a divine beast's essence to produce the corresponding bloodline origin, thereby awakening its Bloodline Divine Ability!
In fact, Ning Xuanyuan had been using the Chaos World within him to plunder the Asura Domain's laws of the Heaven and Earth Realm, its power of rules, and its origin power.
Only in this way could he continuously expand the Chaos World and gradually bring it closer to completion.
This was because the Chaos World had only just been born. Otherwise, as long as Ning Xuanyuan wished it, he could plunder the world rules of the entire Ancient Eight Domains.
To the world he was in now, Ning Xuanyuan was a plunderer!
One day, when the Chaos World within him was truly complete, he could even devour this world outright and claim it for himself!
Rumble!
A deep sound abruptly rang out as endless spiritual power came surging in. Ning Xuanyuan rose into the air, seemingly resonating with the Ancestral Land cave abode. Streaks of spiritual light in different colors shot in from all directions within the Ancestral Land, then poured into his body.
Every streak of spiritual light represented a cultivation method or treasured art within the Asura Ancestral Land!
The Asura Domain had stood among the Ancient Eight Domains for endless years. One could imagine how deep its foundations ran and how many top-tier secret arts it had collected.
Yet at this moment, Ning Xuanyuan learned them all, without needing to deliberately cultivate them.
As for this approach of taking everything for himself, Ning Xuanyuan felt that it was only fitting for his status as a transmigrator.
A figure flashed into view before Ning Xuanyuan. It was the Asura Emperor.
The Asura Emperor's expression was particularly complicated. Even though he had already made a guess, seeing it with his own eyes still left him unable to calm the shock in his heart.
"The Soul Sea Realm in one step?"
"What's wrong? Is that strange?" Ning Xuanyuan blinked and asked as though it were only natural. "I told you, if this lousy place didn't have such a shortage of Spiritual Qi, I could have broken through even further."
The Asura Emperor's breathing grew somewhat heavy. You brat, you nearly sucked all the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi out of Blood Prison City, and you still say it wasn't enough?
The Asura Emperor looked around and sensed his surroundings carefully, his heart bleeding. All the innate Spiritual Qi in the Ancestral Land had vanished without a trace. It was innate Spiritual Qi that successive Asura Emperors had accumulated and condensed over countless years, and now not a drop remained.
"You brat, don't push it too far." The Asura Emperor glared at Ning Xuanyuan through gritted teeth. It suddenly occurred to him that he might well become the Asura Domain's sinner for all ages.
"Ahem! Naturally, I couldn't have achieved all this without your careful guidance over the years, elder. If you hadn't seen my potential with your blazing eyes and overruled all objections back then, how could I have become what I am today?" Seeing the Asura Emperor's increasingly unfriendly gaze, Ning Xuanyuan showed that he knew just what to say.
He had awakened and broken through four realms in a short time. But Ning Xuanyuan didn't want to provoke the Asura Emperor into going berserk and making his own little life short as well.
As he was now, he really was an insignificant ant before a Human Emperor Realm expert...
The Asura Emperor's lips curled. He knew perfectly well that Ning Xuanyuan was spouting flattery, but flattery could get through anything. The words were still pleasing to hear.
Of course, this was only because it was Ning Xuanyuan. Had it been anyone else, the Asura Emperor would absolutely have slapped him straight to the Western Paradise. You've emptied out everything I own, and you think I fucking need your empty flattery?
"Those youngsters from the five great blood clans are also at the Soul Sea Realm. It seems you shouldn't have any problems in this contest for the Blood Scion position," the Asura Emperor said.
Ning Xuanyuan scratched his head. "Be more confident. Take out the 'shouldn't' and the 'any.'"
The Asura Emperor: "..."
"By the way, after I become the Asura Blood Scion, can I go out to gain experience?" Seeing the Asura Emperor's face darken again, Ning Xuanyuan sensibly changed the subject.
In the ten years since he had come to this world, Ning Xuanyuan had never been outside.
"You can. Once you become the Blood Scion, you'll be the next Asura Emperor. No one can restrict your freedom," the Asura Emperor said. "As it happens, word has come from the Heavenly Wind Ancient Domain that the seal on the Thousand Mysteries Secret Realm has loosened. You can go take a look and see for yourself how strong the prodigies of the various clans are."
"Oh?" Ning Xuanyuan's eyes immediately lit up. The Heavenly Wind Ancient Domain was one of the Ancient Eight Domains. He would be lying if he said he wasn't excited to leave the Asura Domain on his first trip out.
"What sort of place is the Thousand Mysteries Secret Realm?" Ning Xuanyuan asked curiously.
"The details are unclear. It's said to be a damaged world created by a mighty figure in ancient times, containing the Primeval Inheritance that person left behind. Every time the Thousand Mysteries Secret Realm opens, it draws countless prodigies from the eight domains flocking there. But in all these years, no one has ever obtained that inheritance," the Asura Emperor said.
"A damaged world?" Ning Xuanyuan blinked, rubbing his chin.
Ning Xuanyuan wasn't particularly interested in the so-called inheritance. What he really cared about was that so-called damaged world. For the Chaos World within him to grow, it needed to absorb various kinds of origin power. A damaged world might contain origin power.
"There's no need to discuss that now. You've only just broken through, so properly stabilize your cultivation. Those youngsters from the five clans are no easy opponents either. Don't underestimate them."
"Also, this Ancestral Land houses quite a few of our Asura Domain's secret arts and divine abilities. Pick a few and cultivate them well," the Asura Emperor instructed.
Ning Xuanyuan curled his lip. Pick a few? Choosing is something children do. I, Ning Xuanyuan, want them all!
Of course, Ning Xuanyuan didn't say this aloud. He would tell no one about the Chaos World, including the Asura Emperor. It was his greatest secret.
An ordinary man was innocent, but possessing a precious jade made him guilty. Ning Xuanyuan understood that principle.
An expert of the Asura Emperor's caliber stood at the very pinnacle of the Ancient Eight Domains, yet had been unable to advance another step for many years.
The Human Emperor Realm was not the end of the martial path. If the secret of the Chaos Origin leaked out, Ning Xuanyuan couldn't guarantee that the Asura Emperor wouldn't make a move against him.
As for the contest for the Blood Scion position, Ning Xuanyuan didn't take it to heart at all. With his indestructible, formidable body, the various top-tier secret arts of the Asura Ancestral Land, and his four Bloodline Divine Abilities, he could sweep through the Asura Domain's younger generation without the slightest difficulty.
"To enter the Soul Sea Realm in one step—even across the Ancient Eight Domains, you could be called the first person in history to do so." The Asura Emperor looked deeply into Ning Xuanyuan's eyes, his expression turning solemn.
"But I hope you understand that this world has never lacked monstrous talents. In the Ancient Eight Domains, people with heaven-defying aptitude are everywhere. Yet very few truly manage to mature."
"When you become the Blood Scion of my Asura Domain and enter the world to gain experience, you will represent the entire Asura Domain!"
"And when people of my Asura Domain venture outside and fight others, there are only two possible outcomes."
"Life or death! There is no third path!"
"Those who submit live; those who defy perish! That is the creed of every martial artist in my Asura Domain!"
"Never underestimate an opponent. Either don't make a move, or fight to the death!"
Ning Xuanyuan's gaze flickered at those words, and the corners of his mouth slowly rose in a rebellious smile.
"You said it. If I kill some imperial crown prince or heir to an ancient lineage, don't blame me afterward for not knowing my limits."
Blood-red light flared in the Asura Emperor's dark eyes, looking especially frightening in the dim cave abode. The ferocity in them could not be suppressed. "As long as you have the ability, kill all you like! I will take care of everything!"
Ning Xuanyuan's smile slowly spread. Those were the very words he had wanted from the Asura Emperor.
In the struggle for the Great Dao, what one fought for were opportunities and fortune! To make a name for oneself and reach the pinnacle in this life, one had to pave the road with countless corpses.
With the Asura Emperor's assurance, he no longer had any reservations!
The prodigies of the eight domains?
Heh...
When I, Ning Xuanyuan, come calling one day, if I happen to offend you...
Shut up and bear it!