Duobao looked at the blood from the Sea of Blood that had been refined by the Red Lotus Karmic Fire in his hand. It was a special kind of blood even smaller than a strand of hair.
It carried a distinct divine aura. He had only ever seen the fluctuations of such a bloodline aura on Great Witches.
Clearly, this was Pangu's blood—or rather, the essence blood of the Witch Race.
Perhaps this was what allowed the Asura to possess intelligence.
With such a vast Sea of Blood, their Daoist Sect was about to strike it rich. If Little Master Li Er could study the properties of this blood, it would become another new method.
"Wait, refining this thing seems to grant Heavenly Dao merit as well?
This is simply a windfall beyond measure." Duobao muttered, his eyes shining.
His expression was filled with disbelief. He sensed a faint trace of Heavenly Dao merit descending upon him.
The Sea of Blood carried the killing intent, baleful aura, filth, and all sorts of other foul energies of the Primordial World. Once the Red Lotus Karmic Fire burned this blood, it was equivalent to directly burning all those things away.
"If I refine the entire Sea of Blood out of existence, where will all the filthy energies of the Primordial World go?
If this problem cannot be solved, then it seems I cannot refine it on a large scale." Duobao pinched that thread of blood and fell into thought. The Daoist Sect's teachings emphasized the importance of the Primordial World's development.
He understood that only the continued development of the Primordial World would serve their interests. Other races might not care, but their Daoist Sect had to care. That was why Little Master had always placed such importance on resources.
That was also why Second Uncle Yuanshi Tianzun had established the Trading Market: for resources.
However, their Daoist Sect had rules against excessive resource extraction.
Since heaven and earth always left a thread of life, their Daoist Sect should leave one as well.
"Forget it. I'll gather some first for research, and catch a few Asura to bring back while I'm at it."
Duobao concealed his aura and headed straight into the depths of the Sea of Blood, where the Asura dwelled.
Not long after Duobao left,
Zhunti Saint appeared where he had departed, his brows tightly furrowed. Had he missed him again?
Moreover, there was not the slightest trace of an aura here. Yet he caught a thread of merit power. After all, he had gone mad with desire for merit and was exceptionally sensitive to it.
"As expected of someone who can help my Western Sect flourish. He carries such merit himself. My Dao technique senses that he went deeper in.
No matter what, I must find you." Zhunti Saint spoke seriously, excitement flashing across his face. He immediately concealed himself and pursued the trail of his senses.
In the depths of the Sea of Blood.
Ancestor Minghe slowly opened his eyes, anger appearing on his face. Those two shameless ones from the West had come to his Sea of Blood again, and this time they were crazily harvesting his Asura.
Just now, he had sensed that one of his Blood God Doppelgangers had had its divine consciousness erased. Other than those shameless saints from the West, which other saint would come to the Sea of Blood?
"Zhunti! It's you shameless bastard again!" he said through gritted teeth, the veins on his forehead bulging with rage.
Just moments ago, he had clearly sensed the divine consciousness of a Blood God Doppelganger hidden within the Sea of Blood suddenly vanish. That was a clone he had spent ten thousand years painstakingly refining from the origin of the Sea of Blood.
The information sent back by the clone's divine consciousness had been nothing but darkness. He had no idea who had attacked it.
But Zhunti had only just appeared where it vanished. If it was not him, who else could it be?
Ancestor Minghe summoned two swords: the Yuantu Sword and the Abi Sword.
In an instant, sword intent capable of slaying heaven, earth, and all living beings erupted.
Ancestor Minghe raised his hand and carved out a spatial passage, then strode into it with killing intent surging around him.
Just then,
Zhunti Saint, wandering through the depths of the Sea of Blood, frowned deeply and inwardly cried out.
"Not good!"
He abruptly withdrew, the Seven Treasure Tree appearing in his hand and exploding with golden light that stretched ten thousand zhang.
But he was half a step too late—
A scarlet sword light suddenly exploded from the depths of the Sea of Blood. Before the void could even tremble, it cleaved through the seven-colored radiance and swept past him, directly tearing his Dharma robe.
Then the sword light came one after another, forcing him to hurriedly block the remaining attacks.
Clang!
The ringing blasts shook the Sea of Blood into a frenzy, and ten thousand zhang of bloodwater was forcibly evaporated.
Zhunti Saint's pupils constricted. He swept out the Seven Treasure Tree, and the seven relics at its tip erupted with Buddhist light at once, transforming into the phantoms of seven wrathful Vajras that crashed down toward the source of the sword light.
The blood waves exploded with a thunderous roar—
Ancestor Minghe stepped out of the blood mist with both swords in hand. The blood beneath his feet automatically condensed into a blood lotus that supported him, his entire body overflowing with killing intent.
A cold sneer hung on his face. The resentment of countless living beings surfaced upon his swords. Raising them toward Zhunti Saint, he said coldly, "Zhunti! You shameless wretch! You have come to my Sea of Blood time and again, slaughtering my people.
Today, you even destroyed my Blood God Doppelganger. Die—"
The Yuantu Sword in his hand transformed into countless bone-white sword shadows that rained down like a storm, while the Abi Sword trailed scarlet sword qi and stabbed straight for Zhunti Saint's brow.
Zhunti Saint frowned upon hearing this, but his movements did not slow. The Seven Treasure Tree directly blocked the attack.
He truly had not converted many Asura this time. He had merely been pursuing that fated person he had sensed, and he had not destroyed any Blood God Doppelganger.
Had Minghe gone mad?
Yet the karma between them had long since been formed. There was no use in saying more.
As it happened, Zhunti Saint had grown angry from searching for his fated person, and with all the unpleasant things he had encountered over the past several hundred years, he could vent it all on Minghe.
Zhunti Saint was extremely angry right now.
In an instant.
Buddhist light and sword qi collided wildly in the Sea of Blood. The impacts caused the void to collapse, and the bloodwater across billions of li evaporated into bloody mist.
Very soon,
Thunderous booms rang out as two figures turned into streams of light and clashed madly amid the blood waves.
Every collision between the Yuantu Sword and the Seven Treasure Tree made the Sea of Blood boil, while the scarlet sword qi unleashed by the Abi Sword split the void open with pitch-black cracks.
Their battle directly drew in chaotic qi and violent currents.
Billions of li away.
Duobao wiped at nonexistent sweat on his forehead, a trace of envy flashing through his eyes. Was this the strength of Ancestor Minghe, a peak Quasi-Sage?
He could actually fight Zhunti Saint evenly.
Good thing I ran fast. Otherwise, their attacks would have caught me and exposed my presence.
"Looks like I can't stay in the Sea of Blood anymore. I've gathered all the materials I need for research, though I somehow caught three Blood God Doppelgangers.
These Blood God Doppelgangers aren't as strong as I imagined. They couldn't even withstand a short combo.
Second Uncle's Trading Market is about to open. I should go see whether I can trade for some resources." Duobao muttered as he continued cautiously leaving the Sea of Blood.
Duobao did not realize that his departure directly enraged Zhunti Saint, because he could no longer sense his fated person.
He suspected that during his battle with Minghe, the shockwaves had killed that fated person.
"Damn you, Minghe! Pay me back my successor!"
"Shameless bastard—die! Pay me back my Blood God Doppelganger!"
Soon, the divine senses of great powers from every side descended to observe for a moment before all departing.
The Primordial World had another grand event elsewhere, and the two had held a grudge for ages, fighting every so often. Everyone was used to it.
Mount Buzhou—Trading Market.
Although the place had not yet opened, countless people had already gathered there. Major factions from every side, as well as capable independent cultivators, had arrived.
The Trading Market had announced that anyone who traded within the market during its opening period would be entered into a prize draw, with the grand prize being Three Lights Divine Water.
Moreover, Heavenly Dao had already verified this news.
Everyone who arrived could see a massive screen beside the stone stele at the entrance of the Trading Market.
It displayed all kinds of pills, cultivation methods, formation disks, talismans, Innate Spiritual Treasures, acquired supreme treasures, and top-grade materials available for trade—
There was an endless variety, along with requests for all sorts of items. All of that information had been voluntarily posted by those who came here.
Once the Trading Market opened, they could enter and trade boldly without worry.
Furthermore, no one who came here dared cause trouble, because Grand Pure Saint, Yuanshi Tianzun, and Tongtian, the three saints, were overseeing the Trading Market.
Some people had already begun small-scale barter trades here, but the success rate was extremely low. Everyone was waiting for the Trading Market.
Duobao emerged from a spatial passage and went to the large screen, entering the items he wanted as well as information on several of his own treasures.
Although he regarded these treasures as his children, some had not reached the level of being his children. Selling them could bring back some resources.
After finishing that, he took a lap around the area before walking to the entrance of the Trading Market and entering directly.
The people nearby were instantly consumed by envy.
Only those who had received an advance invitation from a saint could enter.
"Who is that fat man? He actually received an invitation from a saint, yet his aura is only at the Golden Immortal realm."
"No idea, but Dijun and Taiyi of the Demon Race came earlier, and even they had to wait outside."
"The Witch Race's twelve Ancestral Witches have to wait too. Also, have you heard? Nüwa is coming as well."
"Fellow Daoist, where did you get that information?"
"One of my friends is an inner disciple of the Interception Sect—"
Black Dog watched Jade Cauldron True Man speaking endlessly in the distance. Stroking his chin, satisfaction appeared in his eyes. Yu Ding had finally been trained properly.
According to Little Master's teachings, advertising meant understanding that living beings loved other people's private affairs, then using that to spread information.
Manipulating certain situations could bring the benefits one wanted.
Although the Trading Market could gather many people through trade, nothing attracted living beings like gossip.
Little Master had said that living beings were naturally fond of gossip.
Moreover, time was immeasurable in the Primordial World, and everyone had very few forms of entertainment. If they had nothing to do, they either found a place for quiet cultivation or searched everywhere for opportunities to break through.
Unless necessary, they would absolutely not wage war against others.
Therefore, gossip definitely had a market.
In Black Dog's eyes, Little Master Li Er was someone who could never sit still. Every time he said he was going to cultivate, he would run off before even sitting cross-legged for ten years.
He had often complained to Black Dog that the Primordial World had no entertainment whatsoever. What was the use of living so long if everyone became numb?
He had even created many fun things for Black Dog.
For example: mahjong, poker, Go, Chinese chess—
Of course, he and Little Master only played those things in private, because they could not pollute other people's hearts for cultivation.
Moreover, he had previously collected embarrassing moments involving Eldest Master's eldest and second brothers, and had gotten a taste of the benefits.
Thus, he decided to delve deeper into gossip and trained Yu Ding as his partner.
"What a pity. Eldest Master won't let me enter the Trading Market, otherwise I could see what saints look like.
Then I could develop some gossip based on the saints' appearances, so it would not all be fabricated out of thin air.
I'm really jealous of Duobao. He can actually go in. But didn't he go to the Sea of Blood? Why did he come here?
Forget it. I should go back and keep Little Master company while he fishes." Black Dog lightly sliced through the void and stepped inside. As for whether Yu Ding would get beaten to death, there was no need to worry at all.
He had already taken Yu Ding around the area once, arranging escape routes and formation disks for escape. If anything went wrong, Yu Ding could flee immediately.
Besides, this fellow was currently using one of his own clones to spout nonsense. His true body was hidden somewhere unknown.
Meanwhile, Jade Cauldron True Man, surrounded by a crowd, spoke endlessly with excitement on his face. He greatly enjoyed this treatment.
Not only did he discuss gossip about the saints, but he also explained to many independent cultivators that the emergence of the Trading Market was an immense opportunity for them.
He explained that there were formations inside the Trading Market that could help one comprehend laws. As long as one paid a certain fee, one could use them.
As for the source of his information, he simply had a friend. His friends were not only in the Interception Sect, but also in the Chan Sect and even among the upper ranks of the Demon Race.
The people surrounding him initially only wanted to join the excitement, but as the things he said proved half true and half false, many newcomers from afar who did not understand began asking questions.
Most importantly, he had discussed the Three Pure Saints without receiving punishment from them, which was why everyone began believing what he said.
After all, no one dared casually discuss the Three Pure Saints.
The three saints overseeing the Trading Market were the Three Pure Saints.
Just then, he raised a question.
"Don't you think Tongtian and Nüwa are a perfect match?"
Whoosh—
The people surrounding Yu Ding instantly vanished.
They were afraid that leaving too late would implicate them. He even dared speak nonsense about Nüwa.
Just then,
A peculiar ripple appeared in the void.
As though cleaved open by a giant axe, the crack poured out golden light that stretched ten thousand zhang, washing the surrounding turbid qi into clear spiritual qi.
Nüwa stood atop a seven-colored lotus platform and emerged from the rift—
Yu Ding, below, was instantly dumbfounded. He wanted nothing more than to slap himself twice. His mouth had gone too far.
He could only hope Black Dog had not lied to him—that Third Uncle and Nüwa really had something going on—
"You are quite good. This drop of Three Lights Divine Water is yours—"
Nüwa flicked a drop of Three Lights Divine Water from her fingertips toward Jade Cauldron True Man, then stepped into the entrance of the Trading Market.
In an instant.
Crack—crack—
The jaws of countless living beings dropped. They were shocked beyond words. Not only had this fellow not been slapped to death, he had even received a reward from Nüwa.
Just what was this fellow's background?
When those living beings recovered and tried to find Yu Ding, they discovered that he had long since vanished.
"Does anyone remember what he looked like? Does anyone have a way to contact him? Damn it! He's an extraordinary person—"
"Damn it! I actually mocked him—turns out I was the clown—"
"Heavens! Could you focus on the important part—Tongtian! Nüwa!"
At that moment, the hearts of the living beings present were set ablaze by a fire.
It was the fire of gossip.
Even the opportunities within the Trading Market did not fascinate them as much as this news.
Tongtian versus Nüwa...
Just then,
Before the living beings here could recover from their shock,
The Eye of Heavenly Dao appeared in the void. Emotional fluctuations surfaced within it, and a blurry figure began to condense before walking into the Trading Market.
Everyone present recognized him as the Dao Ancestor: Hongjun.
"Heavens! Dao Ancestor Hongjun! Didn't they say he had merged with the Dao? This Trading Market—can even invite the Dao Ancestor?"
"Move aside! I need to upload trade information to the information panel!"
"Six Saints, four are here, plus the Dao Ancestor..."
At the same time,
Saint Jieyin emerged from the void and quickly entered the Trading Market.
Then,
A passage opened in space, and the churning Sea of Blood could faintly be seen.
At that moment, Styx and Saint Zhunti also emerged from the passage. Neither seemed to bear any traces of battle, and they too entered the Trading Market.
The moment Saint Zhunti entered, his Dao of Affinity suddenly sent him a powerful signal, making his eyes light up.
He ignored Styx beside him and followed his instincts to find someone.
Very soon, he saw the person fated to meet him: dressed in flowing white robes, strolling leisurely through the Trading Market with his hands behind his back.
Saint Zhunti did not conceal his Saintly aura. He walked up to the man and said seriously,
"Fellow Daoist, you are fated with our Western Land."
Before you continue