Ren Xiaoyao stood on the broken rocks, gazing at the disintegrating body of the Ancestor of Bats. The rocks beneath his feet were covered with spiderweb-like cracks, each fissure oozing a dark, viscous liquid that gleamed eerily in the moonlight. His Mystic Boots crushed a protruding pebble, and among the flying dust were tiny bone fragments—the remains of cultivators devoured by the Ancestor of Bats, now fused with the ground, telling tales of past carnage.
Thick, inky Black Blood meandered across the ground, forming eerie Totems. Bubbles rose constantly from the surface of the blood, bursting with a shrill cry like that of an infant. Every flowing path traced the outline of Ancient Ferocious Beast. Law Fragments flickered in the pool of blood like dying flames, sometimes coalescing into skull shapes, sometimes splitting into Twisted Runes, as if making a final, death throes.
The Green Lotus Phantom in his palm suddenly expanded. Myriad Golden Lights, like an inverted Heavenly River, enveloped the Principle that were about to be annihilated. Wherever the golden light touched, the air made a crisp sound like shattering glass. Every ray of light that touched the Black Blood emitted a hissing wisp of blue smoke. The blue smoke rose and condensed, forming a huge illusory image of Buddha-Demon battling in the air. The Buddha's face was compassionate, while the demon's face was ferocious. The aftershocks of their battle caused the surrounding space to continuously distort and deform.
The Law Fragments struggling within the Black Blood emitted sharp hisses. They transformed into countless tiny shadowy serpents, their scales inscribed with the Curse Runes of the Ancestor of Bats, their tongues flicking out corrosive Black Venom. These serpents frantically burrowed through the golden light to escape, but the moment they touched the Green Lotus Light, they turned to dust as if melting snow under the blazing sun. In the instant of the explosion, millions of dark Purple Lightning burst forth, weaving a dense net in the void, attempting to trap the Sacred Light.
The acrid smell of burnt sulfur mingled with the stench of rotting flesh, churning in the air. The Law Fragments, not yet completely dissipated, managed to piece together the distorted face of the Ancestor of Bats in the void before its death. That face was swollen and deformed, black pus oozing from its seven orifices, and hundreds of fleshy tentacles covered in suckers extended from its gaping maw. It uttered a shrill Curse; wherever the sound waves passed, space seemed to be kneaded by an invisible hand, constantly denting and bulging, and distant mountains began to flow, like melting wax figures.
The Curse, imbued with the venom of Ancient Netherworld, reverberated through the space, creating black ripples that distorted even light into eerie spirals. As the ripples spread, countless Bottomless Ravines suddenly split open in the ground, from which emerged countless skeletal arms, each shackled with bat Totems. These arms frantically clawed at the sky, their fingernails scrambling against the air, Mars flying, as if engaged in an ultimate battle between light and darkness.
As the golden light merged into his sea of consciousness, Ren Xiaoyao's body radiated a crimson glow. It was as if armor soaked in blood was growing from beneath his skin, each inch of light accompanied by the crackling sound of bones reforming. Fine runes emerged from beneath his skin, moving across his body like living things, creating ripples wherever they passed. These ripples reflected countless scenes from his Past and Present Lives —from his solemn enlightenment Kunlun Summit to his madness as a bloodthirsty demon slaughtering all living beings.
His pupils instantly turned an eerie crimson. A blood-red mark appeared on his forehead, like a burning flame dancing between his brows. Tiny beads of blood seeped from the edge of the mark, floating in the air and arranging themselves into ancient array patterns. Each bead of blood reflected the excruciating pain he was enduring. Sweat and blood mingled and dripped down his chin, corroding deep brown pits into the ground.
Deep within his consciousness, a crimson ocean surged ceaselessly. Countless pale arms emerged from the crimson waves, clawing at the Void, their fingernails still stained with undried blood. These arms intertwined and tore at each other, forming a massive crimson vortex. From the center of the vortex came an eerie sound, a mixture of infant laughter and old man's sighs. Further away, countless fragments of memories floated—some of the pleas for mercy from the villains he had slain, others of his mother's warm smile from his childhood.
In the center of the vast ocean, a blood-red Altar, inscribed with twisted runes, slowly rose. Each rune emitted a low, guttural roar, as if the whispers of Ancient Demon God pierced through time and space. At the four corners of the Altar stood white bone pillars, their surfaces carved with countless human faces. These faces displayed a variety of expressions—terror, anger, and ecstasy—yet all wept—thick Black Blood that dripped onto the Altar, pooling into a pool of blood.
Around the Altar, countless fragmented soul flames floated. They emitted childlike whimpers, flickering with the vibrations of the runes. The soul flames gathered and dispersed, occasionally piecing together blurry Humanoid Silhouette. One of these figures gradually became clear, revealing herself to be Ren Xiaoyao's junior sister, who had been missing for many years. She opened her mouth as if calling out something, but no sound came out. She could only watch helplessly as her soul flame was devoured by the Altar runes.
The secrets of the Blood Undying Art were unfolding in his mind in a domineering and bloody way. With each step of comprehension, his meridians were torn apart by excruciating pain, as if a thousand steel knives were cutting him simultaneously. Amidst the agony, the Chaos Green Lotus in his dantian suddenly emitted a beam of Blood Light -red light. Wherever the Blood Light touched, the damaged meridians instantly healed, and the surface of the newly formed meridians was covered with a layer of fine scales, shimmering with an eerie red light.
The newly generated power surged like molten iron, rampaging through his meridians and completely reshaping the old system. His heart began to beat with a strange rhythm, each beat gushing forth a large amount of blood with a metallic scent. This blood flowed upstream along the meridians, condensing into a crimson vortex above his head. From within the vortex came the roars of dragons and tigers, accompanied by the wails of countless wronged souls, as if a breathtaking life-reconstruction ritual was taking place.
He could even "see" tiny blood vessels growing densely on the surface of his bones, like countless miniature blood vessels pulsating, each heartbeat accompanied by the cracking sound of bones reforming. Even more terrifying, countless tiny bats could be vaguely seen crawling beneath his skin, gnawing at his muscle tissue, yet transforming into energy that nourished his body under the light of the Chaos Green Lotus, as if experiencing an endless cycle of life and death.
Just as Ren Xiaoyao was immersed in comprehending the Principle, the Tianyan Continent suddenly trembled violently. The sky seemed to be torn apart by a giant hand, and dark clouds carrying crimson lightning poured down. The lightning was no longer in ordinary arcs, but took on a twisted serpentine shape. Each bolt of lightning struck, blasting a scorched crater in the ground. Black smoke rose continuously from the craters, condensing into a huge skull shape, opening its blood-red maw and letting out a deafening roar.
The earth split open with a gruesome wound. Magma gushed forth, unlike the crimson of ordinary magma; this magma was an eerie bluish-black, its surface covered with countless human faces—creatures devoured by the Earth Vein Power. Scorching air currents swirled dust high into the sky, forming a dust cloud that blotted out the sun. Within the dust cloud, countless points of light flickered; upon closer inspection, they were revealed to be densely packed eyes, coldly surveying the catastrophe on the ground.
Countless villages and towns collapsed in the earthquake. Amidst the ruins, the cries of the people and the mournful cries of livestock echoed through the sky. Despair and fear spread like a plague. Some people were trapped under collapsed beams and pillars, their faint cries for help growing weaker and weaker until they were finally buried under the rubble. Others clung to their dead loved ones, their eyes vacant as they swayed, as if they had lost their souls. Still others ran frantically, not knowing where to escape to, the dust kicked up by their feet mingling with their tears, drawing tragic marks on their faces.
Even worse, debris from collapsing buildings rained down on the crowd. Blood mixed with mud, turning the once bustling street into a scene of Asura. Suddenly, the stone slabs on the street stood upright, their surfaces adorned with eerie array patterns, trapping those who couldn't escape. Countless chains extended from these patterns, binding people's bodies. As the patterns flickered, the flesh of those bound was gradually stripped away, leaving only stark white skeletons.
The distant mountains began to collapse. The rolling boulders were like giant hammers of Heavenly Punishment, turning villages to dust wherever they landed. The surfaces of the boulders were covered with runes, and each boulder that hit the ground triggered a small earthquake. The cries of survivors mingled with the roar of the mountains, creating a dirge for the end of the world. Further away, the river suddenly reversed its course, turning the water black and filled with countless fish carcasses, all with eerie red eyes.
Ren Xiaoyao's heart tightened, and his Divine Sense spread out like a surging tide. Wherever his Divine Sense reached, there was chaos and destruction, and beneath this ruin, a cold and evil power was faintly visible. The moment his Divine Sense touched that power, it was as if he had touched a piece of thousand-year-old ice, and countless ice needles pierced into his Divine Sense, bringing excruciating pain.
After some investigation, he identified the culprit— the Wind Moon Demon. This demon had quietly infiltrated the Tianyan Continent and devoured one of the nine earth veins, the Wind Earth Vein. The Wind Earth Vein was crucial to maintaining the continent's balance, but now that most of it had been devoured, the Earth Vein Power went berserk, triggering this disaster. He could even "see" the Wind Moon Demon's enormous phantom deep within the earth vein, coiled around its core, greedily absorbing its power.
He could even "see" the Wind Earth Vein corrupted by demons. Like a dying dragon, it struggled painfully underground, each twist causing violent tremors on the surface. Its scales peeled off piece by piece, turning into black miasma that surged towards the human world through the cracks. Wherever the miasma went, space began to distort, forming countless small Space-time Vortex that instantly shredded any objects that approached.
Wherever the miasma reached, vegetation withered rapidly. Even the moisture in the air was corroded away, creating Barren Land not a blade of grass could grow. Even more terrifying, the miasma coalesced into distorted faces, all of them creatures ravaged by demons. Nether-Green Ghost Fire burned in their empty eye sockets, silently accusing the sky. Occasionally, a few faces would suddenly let out shrill laughter, echoing across the desolate land, sending chills down one's spine.
Ren Xiaoyao's figure flashed, transforming into a streak of light. He flew towards the direction of the Wind Earth Vein, tearing the air along his path with a sharp whistling sound. The air in his wake was dyed crimson, even condensing into Blood Shadow in the void, as if countless sword-wielding Ren Xiaoyao were rushing to the battlefield together. The Ren Xiaoyao in the afterimages had different expressions, some angry, some indifferent, and some crazed, as if different aspects of his inner self had been materialized.
Along the way, he saw children searching for their parents in the ruins. Their little hands were covered in blood, yet they persisted, rummaging through the rubble for familiar scraps of clothing, occasionally grabbing a piece of cloth only to find it stained with blood; old people held their dead relatives, their turbid tears dripping onto the cold corpses, murmuring memories of past warmth, their withered hands constantly stroking their loved ones' faces, trying to awaken them; wounded people lay in pools of blood, their eyes filled with a longing for life and a fear of death, reaching out bloodied hands, trying to grasp that faint glimmer of hope, but could only watch helplessly as life slipped away.
Ren Xiaoyao's gaze hardened. A palpable killing intent emanated from him; his hair moved without wind, each strand seemingly imbued with destructive power. He saw a mother shielding her infant with her own body, only to be crushed and mangled by a boulder, the baby's cries heart-wrenching. This scene ignited the fury within Ren Xiaoyao; he vowed to make the Wind Moon Demon pay for their crimes and restore peace to the Tianyan Continent.
At this moment, his Blood Qi surged. The air around him turned crimson, and Blood Shadow condensed in the void, like countless sword-wielding Ren Xiaoyao rushing to the battlefield. These afterimages were not illusions, but manifestations of his powerful killing intent. Each afterimage could fight independently, and as they swung their swords, blood-red Sword Qi shot out, destroying all obstacles in their path.
Arriving at the mountain range where the Wind Earth Vein reside, the once misty and Spiritual Qi rich forests are now deathly silent. The peaks are covered with spiderweb-like black patterns, as if injected with deadly poison by evil forces. These patterns are constantly writhing, as if they are alive. Occasionally, a section of the pattern cracks open, and black worms covered in slime crawl out, leaving a corrosive trail in their wake.
A pungent, fishy stench filled the air. A fierce wind howled, like the lamentations of countless wronged souls, its sound tinged with a faint, mocking laughter, as if mocking humanity's insignificance. The wind also carried fine sand, not ordinary gravel, but powder ground from the bones of creatures corrupted by Demonic Power, which stung the face like knives.
Those once vibrant trees are now twisted into bizarre shapes, their bark covered in purple spots, as if tainted by the poisonous blood of demons. The leaves, long since withered and yellow, strangely remain upright, rustling in the wind like countless tiny teeth chewing. From the inside of some tree trunks, there are sounds of impact, as if something is struggling to break free.
Even more terrifying, protrusions resembling human faces grew on the trunks of some trees. These "faces" had ferocious expressions, and black tears of blood flowed from their eyes. As Ren Xiaoyao approached, these "faces" suddenly spoke; some Curse his arrival, some lamented their misfortunes, and others let out ear-piercing laughter. Deep within the entire forest, the faint sound of dragging chains could be heard, each sound accompanied by a tremor of the earth, as if Ancient Ferocious Beasts were imprisoned there. The sound of chains was also mixed with low roars, sending chills down one's spine.
As Ren Xiaoyao stepped into this area, a bluish-purple figure emerged from the shadows. The Wind Moon Demon was tall and slender, wearing a long robe woven from wind blades that gleamed with an eerie light. Each wind blade was incredibly sharp, reflecting a chilling light, as if a mere touch could Sky-Rending Strike. As the robe fluttered in the wind, the wind blades rubbed against each other, emitting a teeth-grinding shriek. The souls of those it had slain still lingered on those wind blades, appearing and disappearing in the eerie light.
Its face was handsome yet sinister. A purple demonic mark at the corner of its eye added to its eerie appearance, and its red lips curled into a disdainful arc, with a trace of purple light from the Earth Vein Power still lingering at the corner of its mouth. When it smiled, two rows of sharp fangs were revealed in its mouth, with purple venom dripping from the tips of the fangs, corroding deep, bottomless pits wherever the venom hit the ground.
Behind it, a tail formed from condensed purple mist swayed gently. With each sway, the surrounding space distorted like ripples on water, and a buzzing sound filled the air. Within those distorted spaces, faces of agony vaguely appeared, seemingly imprisoned spirits of the earth's veins. Suddenly, the end of the tail split open, extending a fleshy tendril covered in suckers. The tendril lashed out in the air, whipping up a gust of wind carrying a foul stench.
With each step it took, it left a trail of deep purple footprints, from which black mist continuously surged, instantly turning the flowers and plants in its path to ashes. The footprints gradually connected to form array patterns on the ground, and as the array patterns flickered, sharp spikes suddenly protruded from the ground, stabbing towards Ren Xiaoyao. The spikes were covered with barbs and wrapped with black chains.
When it fully revealed itself, twelve Wind Chains suddenly erupted around it, each chain wrapped with the remnant souls of the devoured cultivators. Each chain emitted a mournful wail, forming a terrifying cage that surrounded it. Some of these remnant souls were missing limbs, some were headless, and their wails were mixed with curses against the Wind Moon Demon, as well as a longing for life.
"Hmph, human cultivators, how dare you meddle in my affairs!" The voice of the Wind Moon Demon was cold and sharp, like an ice blade slicing through the eardrums, with the sharp sound of wind blades cutting through the air. "You think you can stop me? I have already devoured most of the Wind Earth Vein, and soon the entire Tianyan Continent will become my territory! At that time, all living beings will become my sacrifices!" As it spoke, it spewed out purple mist, which condensed in the air into the shapes of countless small demons, rushing towards Ren Xiaoyao.
As the demon's voice faded, the surrounding winds intensified, countless tiny wind blades coalescing in the void, gleaming with a dangerous, chilling light. These wind blades collided with each other, producing a crisp, ringing sound, like a demon's symphony. They began to swirl around the demon, forming a massive vortex of wind blades. Wherever they passed, the rocks on the ground were instantly sliced into dust, which was scattered by the wind. From within the vortex came the screams of countless people, as if countless souls were being tortured within.
At the center of the vortex, a massive eye of wind faintly appeared. A chilling shriek emanated from it, as if countless wronged souls were trapped within, suffering endless torment. As the vortex's rotation accelerated, half of a gigantic demonic face emerged from the eye of the wind. This face bore a striking resemblance to the Wind and Wind Moon Demon, its gaping maw, large enough to devour mountains, unleashing a silent roar at Ren Xiaoyao. The maw was filled with sharp teeth, each burning with Ethereal Blue Flames, within which the charred faces of humans could be vaguely discerned.
Ren Xiaoyao gripped the Chaos Greatsword, its tip pointing at the Wind Moon Demon. Golden Dragon Markings patterns on the blade pulsed with lightning, and a dragon's roar echoed through the heavens. "You wicked demon, today is your death day! You devoured the earth's veins, causing countless people to be displaced. I will make you pay for this blood debt with your blood!" As he spoke, the Chaos Greatsword erupted with boundless light, within which countless golden sword shadows appeared, each radiating an aura of world-destroying destruction.
His aura surged dramatically. Blood Runes flowed more intensely across his body, as if gathering strength for the impending battle. As his aura intensified, the ground beneath his feet began to crack, blood seeping from the fissures and coalescing into Blood Lotus in the air. Each lotus flower radiated a powerful pressure, the patterns on its petals echoing the runes on his body. Suddenly, the lotuses bloomed, unleashing countless crimson arrows of light from their stamens, shooting towards the Wind Moon Demon.
These Blood Lotus bloomed continuously, releasing a thick, bloody stench, as if summoning a bloody battle. Even more astonishingly, Blood Dharma Image suddenly appeared behind him, wielding a hundred-foot-long blood-red blade, its body entwined with countless vengeful spirits. The moment the dharma image opened its eyes, the entire world was stained crimson. The dharma image roared to the sky, its voice filled with boundless killing intent, and the surrounding space began to collapse, revealing a dark void.
The Wind Moon Demon let out a maniacal laugh, filled with disdain and mockery. "You? You think that by devouring the Principle of the Ancestor of Bats and learning the Blood Undying Art, you can contend with me? How naive! Before my absolute power, all struggles are futile!" It swung its hands violently, and countless wind blades shot towards Ren Xiaoyao. These wind blades were much larger than the previous ones, their blades covered with Curse Runes, leaving long purple trails as they flew.
These wind blades contained immense power. Wherever they passed, cracks appeared in the space, and the ear-piercing sound of air being torn apart echoed through the mountains, as if the scythe of Death God was approaching. The foremost wind blade was already upon him. Ren Xiaoyao's pupils contracted slightly. He swung his Chaos Greatsword horizontally, and a Golden Sword Light light shot into the sky, colliding with the wind blade and bursting into Dazzling Light. The energy wave generated by the collision spread out, shearing off half of the surrounding mountains, forming a huge canyon.
The moment the Golden Sword Light collided with the wind blade, a powerful shockwave was generated, causing the surrounding rocks to shatter and huge boulders to fly everywhere like meteorites. Within the Dazzling Light, countless tiny Sword Qi and wind blades could be vaguely seen clashing and twirling, producing a crisp clanging sound, like a symphony of metal.