Ren Xiaoyao smashed one knee heavily on the blackened meteorite debris. Xuanyi was soaked with blood like a weeping flag. The dark purple blood stains were spreading in strange lines, like a cursed totem left by the demon. Those lines were like living creatures wandering on the clothes, and a faint blue light appeared wherever they passed, actually outlining the ferocious face of the Thousand-Eyed Demon before his death, and every fold oozed black and purple evil energy.
The Golden Blood that spilled from the corner of his mouth condensed into suspended blood beads in the zero-gravity void, each one reflecting the shattered starry sky and refracting the dim light of the Chaos Green Lotus in his dantian.
The fierce battle with the Thousand-Eyed Demon had exhausted ninety percent of his strength. At this moment, the Chaos Green Lotus flickered like a candle flame about to go out, its light fading in his meridians. Each weak pulsation was accompanied by excruciating pain, as if countless silver needles were repeatedly piercing his heart, or as if the Nine Netherworlds Karmic Fire of the Netherworld was burning his internal organs. Even his breath carried the rusty, bloody smell of blood.
The Golden Dragon Markings flowing around his body became faint like a thin mist. The Dragon Vein Power that used to shake the Star River was now so weak that even the Spiritual Qi gathered at his fingertips was as unstable as a candle in the wind, and would completely dissipate if he was not careful.
Star Chart Fragments suddenly emerged from the shattered meteorite surface. The dim lines gleamed eerily under the reflection of the blood droplets. The incomplete constellations on the Star Map seemed to whisper an ancient prophecy—when the purple blood illuminated the Star Map, it would be the time for the destined one to rewrite the Heavenly Dao. It was as if a final lament was being played for this blood-soaked cultivator, hinting at a certain cyclical fate. Ancient proverbs etched along the edge of the Star Map flickered in the Blood Light: "On the day of blood sacrifice to the Star River, when the dragon rises from the Netherworld."
Just as he was forcefully Cultivation Method to try and suppress the surging, boiling injuries, a piercing Screams of Space came from the depths of the clouds. The sound was like countless metal gears simultaneously grinding through his marrow, or like ten thousand ghosts crying out in the Abyss of Nine Nether. The sound waves even etched fine cracks into the surface of the meteorite.
Black Liquid seeped from the crack, emitting a pungent, putrid stench. Wherever the liquid touched, the meteorite's surface rapidly carbonized, emitting wisps of blue smoke that condensed in the air to form a distorted skull face.
A black shadow, carrying a putrid stench, sliced through the thick clouds like the scythe of Death God. Wherever it passed, Ice Crystals crystals of demonic energy condensed at the edges of the clouds. Within those Ice Crystals were distorted human faces, their expressions frozen in extreme terror, their eyes bulging, mouths agape, emitting silent wails in the cold air, even their eyelashes covered in frost.
It was a giant bat, hundreds of feet long, whose wingspan covered half the sky when it unfolded. It was covered with twisted Demonic Runes, and each scale shone with a ghostly blue poisonous light, like ancient iron that had been soaked in the Nine-Nether Venom for thousands of years, flowing with a chilling and eerie luster.
Thick venom dripped from between its sharp fangs, hissing and corroding wherever it went. The meteorite cluster below was instantly scorched with Bottomless Ravines, and billowing up plumes of poisonous mist carrying a sweet, pungent odor.
From within the poisonous fog, distorted, pained faces vaguely emerged— the Remnant Souls of Living Beings devoured by it. Black Blood Tears seeped from their empty eye sockets. They reached out to grab Ren Xiaoyao, only to vanish into the fog. The whimpers they uttered before disappearing were like dirges from hell, accompanied by the ear-piercing sound of fingernails scratching metal.
"Human cultivator, the Dragon Vein Power... is mine!" The Bat Demon Lord's voice was like fingernails scraping metal, or the simultaneous screech of thousands of night owls. The sound waves vibrated, creating visible ripples in the void. Wherever the ripples passed, spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the surface of space. From the cracks, the crimson light of the Netherworld faintly shone, and from the light came bursts of sinister laughter, mixed with the desperate cries of countless people it had devoured, and the cracking sound of bones shattering.
Ren Xiaoyao's pupils shrank sharply. He tried to fight back, his shattered meridians barely holding on, but he was shocked to find that the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi around him had been forcibly twisted into a strange vortex by this Demonic Creatures.
The Spiritual Qi that he used to control with ease was now like a wild horse, rampaging through his meridians. Every movement caused excruciating pain. His blood vessels bulged like earthworms under the impact of the Spiritual Qi, and he could even hear the gurgling sound of his blood boiling. His internal organs felt as if they were being roasted on the Karmic Fire of the Nine Netherworlds. The intense pain made his vision go black in waves, and blood uncontrollably spilled from the corners of his mouth.
He tried to summon the Dragon Vein Power, but found that the dragon pattern in his dantian was like a frozen river, slow and stiff. Each Dao Patterns seemed to be under a binding spell, and no matter how he tried to activate it, it could only emit a faint light. The sound of chains binding could be faintly heard from the depths of the dragon pattern, as if an Ancient Demons was struggling within it.
At the critical moment, he bit his tongue and spat out a mouthful of Essence Blood. The Essence Blood condensed in the air into a golden Blood Talisman Ancient Runes. As the runes flowed, they even outlined the phantom image of Pangu's Sky-Opening.
However, as soon as the Blood Talisman took shape, it was corroded and incomplete by the poisonous mist of the Bat Demon Lord. The Ancient Runes emitted an unwilling buzzing sound, turning into sparks that scattered in all directions. Each spark was accompanied by a faint sigh when it went out, as if it were the sigh of Ancient Gods.
He mustered all his remaining strength, and the Blood Talisman transformed into a teleportation array, pulling him into the void rift.
The Bat Demon Lord's claws grazed his back, tearing away large chunks of flesh to reveal stark white bone. The excruciating pain caused Ren Xiaoyao's vision to blur, his consciousness plunging into endless darkness. Only the Demonic Creatures's triumphant laughter echoed in his ears, along with the piercing sound of claws tearing through the space behind him, and the increasingly faint sound of his own heartbeat. Each beat was like the last echo of a war drum, growing weaker and weaker, fading into the distance, until it was swallowed by the silence of the void. In a daze, he seemed to hear the Chaos Green Lotus emit a clear, melodious cry, guiding him in the darkness.
After an unknown amount of time, Ren Xiaoyao awoke in a Chaos Void. This was Space-Time Rift, where shattered Space-time Fragments floated like islands. Some fragments bore the frozen images of Ancient Battlefield —broken weapons and tattered armor slowly swirling in the void. The weapons still bore traces of undried Divine Blood, which glowed eerily in the void. From time to time, afterimages of battles between Divine Blood and God-Demon War flashed by, accompanied by deafening shouts and the clanging of clashing weapons.
Some of them flow with the light and shadow of Future World, with mechanical colossi and Energy Torrent intertwining to create Strange Scenes. The surfaces of those machines are covered with runes that do not belong to this era. The runes shimmer with Mysterious Power, and occasionally you can hear the clattering of gears and the humming of energy flow. Some of these machines are even repairing themselves, emitting a ghostly blue light.
He sat cross-legged on a Space-time Fragments engraved with ancient Star Map, circulating the < Chaos True Dragon Art > to channel the remaining Dragon Vein Power into his meridians.
The Chaos Green Lotus slowly rotated, like a lighthouse in the dark night, beginning to absorb the Chaos Qi wandering in the void. Each wisp of Chaos Qi that merged with it was accompanied by excruciating pain as if his meridians were being torn apart, as if countless tiny knives were cutting his flesh inch by inch. Under his skin, he could even see the Golden Dragon Markings regaining their vitality under the impact of the Primordial Chaos energy. The dragon patterns collided with the Primordial Chaos energy, emitting dazzling sparks, accompanied by the cracking sound of bones being reconstructed, as if a pair of invisible hands were reshaping his body.
But it also allowed his damaged Dao Foundation to repair itself at a visible speed, his shattered meridians to regrow, and his broken bones to emit a crisp sound like metal striking stone, each sound like a horn of rebirth.
Three months later, his injuries were finally healed, and the dragon patterns regained their brilliant light. The golden patterns wrapped around his body faintly revealed the trajectory of the Star River. Each dragon pattern was accompanied by a soft dragon roar as it flowed, and the dragon roar echoed in the Space-Time Rift, as if awakening the sleeping Ancient Dragon soul. Even the Space-time Fragments around him began to slowly rotate around him, forming a small star system.
The Chaos Green Lotus has broken through to a new realm, radiating a seven-colored halo. Each halo contains the Principle of World Creation, and where the halos converge, one can even glimpse the faint runes of the Heavenly Dao Runes.
The ancient Star Map on the Space-time Fragments resonated with his dragon pattern, emitting a mysterious light. The constellations in the Star Map slowly moved, piecing together a complete Heavenly Dao Scroll. Some blurry images emerged in the scroll—he stood atop the Star River, holding a giant sword, with countless demons' remains beneath his feet and a mysterious temple radiating pressure above his head. The temple's doors slowly opened, revealing dazzling golden light, seemingly foreshadowing his future destiny.
Ren Xiaoyao calculated with his fingers and, following the residual demonic energy of the Bat Demon Lord, found its lair—a Blood-Colored Castle floating above the Netherworld Blood Sea.
The castle was built from the bones of countless wronged souls, each brick oozing blood, as if silently telling of the pain they suffered in life. The blood droplets gathered into streams, flowing down the castle walls and into a sea of blood, creating eerie ripples on the surface, reflecting the pained faces in the ripples.
A massive crimson vortex swirled above the castle, constantly drawing in new vengeful spirits. From the depths of the vortex came the sound of chains being dragged, as if imprisoning some ancient evil being. The sound was deep and powerful, each tremor causing the entire Netherworld Blood Sea to tremble, and towering waves of blood to rise on the surface, with Netherworld Karmic Fire burning at their crests.
Tens of thousands of small bat demons surrounded the castle, and the demonic array they formed continuously devoured the wronged souls in the sea of blood. Amidst the shrill screams, the demonic array grew stronger and stronger, and the crimson light shot straight into the sky, outlining a huge, Ferocious Ghost Faces on the sky.
The demon's eyes were two skulls burning with Netherworld Karmic Fire, its mouth wide open, revealing sharp fangs. With each opening and closing, black lightning would burst forth, as if it wanted to devour the entire world. The demon's expression was ferocious and twisted, its eyes flashing with evil light. Even more eerie was that the demon's outline completely overlapped with the wing membrane Demonic Runes of the Bat Demon Lord, as if this demonic array was an extension of its body.
Black mist seeped from every window of the castle, and from the mist came the sobs of wronged spirits and the whispers of demons.
"Come out and face your death!" Ren Xiaoyao's voice was like a booming bell, carrying the surging pressure of the dragon Dragon Vein. As the sound waves reverberated, the entire Netherworld Blood Sea was stirred up with towering waves.
The Blood-Colored Castle shook violently, countless bricks crumbling down to reveal the remains of vengeful spirits trapped within its walls. These spirits' eyes were filled with despair and longing; they stretched out their withered arms, seemingly pleading with Ren Xiaoyao for help. Some spirits' arms even pierced through the castle walls, grasping at Ren Xiaoyao's clothes, their fingers clenched tightly as if grasping at a last straw, their nails digging deep into his fabric, black tears of blood dripping from their fingertips.
The Bat Demon Lord slowly flew out from the depths of the castle. Upon seeing the unharmed Ren Xiaoyao, a hint of panic flashed in its eyes, but it quickly regained its ferocity. "You've come at the right time. This time, I will definitely refine you into my Blood Pill!" It spread its wings, and the Demonic Runes on its wing membranes shimmered with an eerie light. The surrounding space began to distort and deform, and Black Tentacles stretched out from countless tiny Space Cracks, trying to entangle Ren Xiaoyao.
The tentacles were covered with sharp spikes, from which dripped green venom. The venom corroded deep, bottomless pits upon landing, emitting acrid smoke from which distorted faces emerged.
Before the words were even finished, a demonic array composed of tens of thousands of small bat demons swept in from all directions. With each flap of their wings, countless black hurricanes carrying putrid poison swept in, shattering the space in their wake and revealing the pitch-black Void behind them.
A terrifying roar faintly echoed from the Void, as if countless powerful beings were trapped within it. The roars made Ren Xiaoyao's eardrums ache, and he could even feel his head buzzing. The blood in his body began to vibrate, and his heart began to beat faster uncontrollably.
Ren Xiaoyao formed hand seals, and the Chaos Green Lotus floated above his head, radiating boundless light. Wherever the light passed, the little bat demons turned into ashes, and amidst their mournful screams, the black hurricane was also purified into specks of starlight.
He stepped in Dragon-Form Step, each step leaving Golden Dragon Markings in the void. The space beneath his feet was reconstructed, revealing Ancient Dragon war. In the illusion, Dragon Clan warriors wielded enormous weapons, engaging in fierce battles with various demons. The battle cries seemed to travel through time, mingling with the clang of clashing weapons and the roars of demons. One could even smell the smoke and blood permeating the battlefield and see the Golden Blood flowing from the wounded Dragon Clan warriors.
With the Chaos Greatsword in his hand, a sword Sword Qi a thousand feet long was unleashed. The Sword Qi contained the power to split the World Creation and the earth, directly cleaving the Blood-Colored Castle in two. Amidst the rumbling sound of the castle collapsing, the trapped wronged souls were finally freed, turning into specks of white light and dissipating into the world.
Within the white light, cries of gratitude and words of blessing rang out. Some wronged souls, before dissipating, poured their last strength into Ren Xiaoyao's body. That power was warm and pure, as if it were a gift of life, making the dragon pattern on his body shine even brighter. The Chaos Green Lotus also trembled gently, as if responding to this gift. At the same time, some mysterious fragments of memory flashed through his sea of consciousness.
Upon seeing this, the Bat Demon Lord spread its wings and spewed out a cloud of Black Poisonous Mist that blotted out the sky. Within the poisonous mist, countless wronged souls let out mournful screams, trying to disturb Ren Xiaoyao's mind.
These wronged souls were all beings it had devoured, their eyes filled with resentment and despair. Their faces were twisted and deformed, and they stretched out their withered arms, trying to grab Ren Xiaoyao.
Hidden within the poisonous fog were countless tiny poison needles, which would instantly paralyze the entire body upon contact. These poison needles were also attached with fragments of the Bat Demon Lord's consciousness, attempting to erode Ren Xiaoyao's Primordial Spirit. As the poison needles approached, he could even hear the Bat Demon Lord's chilling whispers echoing in his mind, interspersed with ancient Curse.
However, Ren Xiaoyao's third vertical eye between his eyebrows lit up, and a golden light containing the Heavenly Dao Laws shot out. Wherever the golden light reached, the poisonous mist melted away like ice and snow, and all the wronged souls within were exorcised, turning into specks of white light and dissipating into the world.
Amidst the radiant light of salvation, faint Brahma Sound transcendent hymns emanated, offering final peace to these suffering souls. Interspersed within these Brahma Sound were mysterious revelations, seemingly guiding Ren Xiaoyao's future path. The revelations flashed with blurry images: a majestic temple towering atop the clouds, its doors inscribed with mysterious runes that shimmered with strange light; a pair of enormous eyes watching everything from the darkness, their gazes swirling with the light of destruction and creation, surrounded by countless stars; and a scene of himself, draped in golden light, confronting countless powerful beings, those beings emanating a demonic aura similar to that of the Bat Demon Lord. These fleeting images left a deep impression on Ren Xiaoyao, giving him a vague sense that even greater challenges and secrets awaited him to uncover.
"Impossible! How can your power be so great!" The Bat Demon Lord retreated in terror, its enormous wings shattering Space-time Fragments of spacetime in its panic, causing spatial tremors.
Amidst the tremors of spacetime, many strange illusions appeared: a beautiful fairyland where immortals danced in the clouds, a fairyland filled with peace and tranquility, celestial music filled the air, exotic flowers and Rare Flowers and Exotic Herbs bloomed everywhere, and the air was permeated with a refreshing fragrance; and a terrifying hell where countless evil spirits struggled in the lava, a hell filled with pain and wails, lava churning, ghosts howling, and the ground covered with sharp bone spikes.
Ren Xiaoyao sneered, and nine Golden Dragon Shadow roared out from behind him. Wherever the Dragon Breath touched, space collapsed and reassembled, revealing the scene of the Beginning of Chaos. The Profound Yellow Qi before the separation of heaven and earth surged in the Dragon Breath Profound Yellow Qi, one could see the shadow of Pangu's Sky-Opening. The axe shadow flashed and exuded the power of World Creation. One could even hear the earth-shattering roar of Pangu's Sky-Opening echoing in the void. The roar contained boundless majesty.
He wielded the Chaos Greatsword, and nine Dragon-Shaped Sword Energy intertwined to form a net that trapped the Bat Demon Lord. Each Sword Qi carried the power to World Creation, leaving deep, bone-revealing wounds on the Demonic Creatures's body. Dark blue blood continuously gushed from the wounds, but turned into poisonous mist the moment it came into contact with the air.
Within the poisonous fog, the past evil deeds of the Bat Demon Lord vaguely emerged—it traversed various worlds, devouring countless lives and destroying many civilizations. The remnants of those destroyed worlds flashed by in the poisonous fog: bustling cities were instantly shrouded in darkness, their inhabitants swallowed up in despair, and streets piled high with corpses; beautiful planets were corroded by the poisonous fog, turning into barren dead stars, their atmospheres ruptured, and their surfaces riddled with cracks; powerful races were wiped out by its attacks, leaving only piles of bones, forming high mountains. Each remnant told a tragic story, igniting an even stronger fire of justice in Ren Xiaoyao's heart, and his gaze became even more resolute.
"Today is your death day!" Ren Xiaoyao raised his giant sword high, pouring all the Dragon Vein Power the Chaos Green Lotus and the Dragon Vein into it. A sword light containing the power to World Creation cleaved through the sky, revealing magnificent scenes of Pangu creating the Pangu's Sky-Opening and Nuwa's Sky-Mending, as well as countless Ancient Deities battling. In these scenes, Ren Xiaoyao seemed to see his Past and Present Lives, his battles and growth in countless timelines—he was once a wisp of pure energy Pangu's Sky-Opening, transforming into a brave warrior to slay demons and monsters, his sword cutting down countless evils; he was also once a colorful stone when Nuwa's Sky-Mending, protecting the peace of the world, using his power to repair the cracks in the heavens and earth.
The sword light cleaved the Bat Demon Lord in two. Before dying, the Bat Demon Lord let out a furious roar, the sound shaking the Netherworld Blood Sea and causing towering waves. The seawater transformed into a blood-red dragon that soared into the sky. The dragon's body was covered with the faces of the creatures it had devoured. Those faces had different expressions—anger, sorrow, and despair. They shouted in unison, as if demanding revenge for the Bat Demon Lord's blood debt. The sound resounded throughout the entire Netherworld.
But its body was quickly and completely annihilated by the sword light, leaving only a Demon Core that shimmered with a ghostly light. The surface of the Demon Core still retained lingering resentment, constantly twisting and deforming.
Within the Demon Core, the Curse of the Bat Demon Lord faintly emanated, vowing to return for revenge. The Curse was accompanied by the echoes of countless demons from the Netherworld, reverberating above the Netherworld Blood Sea for a long time, even distorting the surrounding space, foreshadowing that the future crisis had not truly been averted. Black mist swirled around the Demon Core core, from which came sinister laughter.
Ren Xiaoyao put away the Demon Core and looked into the distance. The Star River was still dazzling, but it could not hide the hidden danger within. Countless dark purple demonic energies appeared and disappeared in the Nebula, and those demonic energies condensed into huge eyes, watching him in the starry sky.
Those eyes gleamed with an evil light, as if plotting a new conspiracy. Images of the Netherworld Blood Sea and the Blood-Colored Castle flashed through their pupils from time to time, suggesting that an even more powerful force was controlling everything behind the scenes.
He knew this was just a minor episode on his Cultivation Path, and even more powerful enemies awaited him ahead. As the dragon markings lit up again, he transformed into a golden light and vanished into the horizon, leaving only a faint Dragon Breath in the air, telling the story of this thrilling battle.
After he left, the Netherworld Blood Sea gradually returned to calm. The light left behind by the wronged souls who were exorcised gathered into a dazzling Star River in the sky above the blood sea, as if illuminating the path for this hero.
In this Star River, mysterious lights occasionally flicker, seemingly conveying ancient secrets that transcend time and space. These points of light sometimes gather into the shape of the Big Dipper, and sometimes transform into the form of a coiled dragon, tracing the trajectory of the Star Circulation above the sea of blood. Whenever the light flashes, a faint chime comes from the depths of the Star River, the sound waves rippling outwards, outlining Ancient Runes have never appeared in the world on the surface of the Netherworld Blood Sea.